Thursday, March 31, 2011

Harper would turn Halifax Harbour into int'l trade hub

Prime Minister Stephen Harper decided fund they hydroelectric project that is to take place Newfoundland and Labrador in order to promote green energy across the east coast. The governments of Newfoundland and Labrador are seeking financial loans in order to minimize the borrowing costs that they would have if loaned from others. These funds are included in the use of purchasing a sub-sea cable that would route the power from the hydro project through Nova Scotia. Because of this, Bloc leader Duceppe is unsatisfied with Harper because he pointed out that Quebec never received funding assistance with their electric transport lines. He also pointed out that it was a "slap in the face".

Overall, I believe it is right for Steven Harper to fund this project in Newfoundland and Labrador since the environment is a very important issue in the world we live in right now. Steven Harper is stepping up to protect the environment and create awareness, which I think is a good and wise thing to do, in order to keep this country green. I don't think that Duceppe should be unsatisfied with Harper because although Harper didn't give funding assistance to Quebec, he is helping Newfoundland and Labrador, which is really still part of Canada.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tories fall, election set for May

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has lost the confidence of the House of Commons on Friday after being the leader of a minority government for more than 5 years. It is recorded that there is no minority government in the history of Canada that went as long as Harper without losing a vote of confidence. The leaders of the opposition, Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton have decided to force an election, which would be Canada's 4th federal election in 7 years, which Canadian citizens obviously do not want due to the high costs and the current situation of the economy. It has also been found that the most senior members of the government are being accused of electoral fraud, and also that Stephen Harper has appointed someone who served in prison for stealing money from his clients as his top advisor. This person is also currently under the investigation of the RCMP due to accusations of influence peddling. Because Harper and his government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, it is predicted that Canada will be having yet another election on the second of May.

In my opinion, I don't think it is a wise choice for the leaders of the opposition to force an election at this time because of the current economic situation. This upcoming election is against the wills of the people, and I think that it is rather a waste of money. I think that forcing an election at this time will cause the citizens of Canada to grow increasingly displeased with the government, as it is their 4th election in 7 years, as reported in the article. This amount of elections costs large amounts of money which could be spent many other ways, more useful ways to improve the lives and living conditions of the people. This election is a complete waste of money and time, and I find it ignorant for the leaders of the opposition to force an election even though it was made clear that citizens did not want it.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Egypt's military rulers say prime minister has resigned

The prime minister of Egypt, Ahmed Shafiq, who was appointed by the dictator Hosni Mubarak has resigned from his position. Shafiq was a former air force officer, and so it may seem that the military has been in control of the country. This decision was mainly due to the demands of the opposition protest movement, as they clearly do not trust Mubarak or anybody that he appoints or is associated with. Meanwhile, a pro-democracy activist, Mohamed ElBaradei is "thankful" for this decision as he welcomes the departure of Shafiq, and thanks the military for listening to the demands of the people. It is said that ElBaradei would likely be the next leader of Egypt, yet many believe that he lacks the knowledge of the living conditions of the people, as he has spent little time in the country. This is largely due to the fact that he has spent many years overseas and he is a UN official. The people of Egypt believe that he does not know of the problems that people are facing, which are mostly those that are of the poor majority of the country.

I believe that it is right for Shafiq to step down from the position of Prime Minister since not doing so will result in unsatisfied people. If Egypt would ever like to be at peace again and have a rich economy with better living conditions, the needs and demands of the people must be met. If Shafiq didn't step down, this may cause major protests and uprisings, which could lead to many dead as people become increasingly unsatisfied and violent. I also believe that it would be wise for ElBaradei to take over as the leader of Egypt, since he does support democracy and he can lead the people in the right direction. Although he might not know much about the situations and problems of the people, the most important thing is to begin with the right steps, which in this case is getting rid of the dictatorships that have been plaguing Egypt for so many years.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Gadhafi stashed more than $2 billion in Canada

It is reported that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has stashed more than $2 billion in Canadian banks, which was all after a visit from former Canadian Prime Minister, Paul Martin. The Government House Leader in Canada John Baird said that Ottawa is freezing the assets belonging to Gadhafi and his regime, and that a ban will also be placed on the financial dealings with Libya. They hope that these actions taken will help to end the violence that is occurring and apparently escalating in Libya. It is believed that freezing these assets and funds will force Gadhafi out of power as he runs out of money to fund his acts of "terrorism" and communism, which in the long term will ultimately force him out of power. Moreover, the Canadian government is also banning any Canadian companies from making transactions with the Libyan government or any of their central banks in order to assure that no additional funds are going to Gadhafi.

In my opinion, freezing the assets and funds of Gadhafi will surely help to end this violence more quickly. If Canada didn't freeze these funds, Gadhafi would have an extra $2 billion to fight with. With that amount of money, there is really no limit to how much destruction he can cause and how many lives will be lost because of this. I truly believe that the Canadian government did the right thing for the people of not only Canada, but also Libya and any people of other countries that are currently experiencing terror and are in danger in Libya. Banning the Canadian companies from making transactions will also be effective as this way, Gadhafi will run out of money very quickly and not be able to fund his operations.