I DID NOT WATCH CANADA'S ONE AND ONLY ENGLISH DEBATE...

 DID YOU ?

As an aside, why was it that this one and only debate was held in Canada's one and only unilingual french province...a province which views itself a nation or equal status with Canada?  Would it not have made more sense to hold it somewhere in the middle of the country where those with different time zones got a better shot at viewing it?

Anyway, I did not watch it ...not because it was held in Quebec but rather because there are no true conservative parties running in the current election.  Again, I remind you that my blog is entitled Real Conservatives for the reason that we are becoming more and more scarce.  As Diefenbaker once described Conservatives as being only protected by the Provincial Game Laws.

So to decide who won this one and only english debate I went to the Pundits - those who know all and they proclaimed the in theory Conservative Party Leader Erin O'Toole the big winner and Justin Trudeau the Liberal Party Leader to be the big loser.  Stay tuned they all said and you will see O'Toole's polling numbers skyrocket.

They didn't.  Whereas prior to the Debate the Tories (Conservatives) were 2 to 3 per centage points ahead of the Grits (Liberals) and now ...two days later it has reversed - the Grits lead the Tories by that number.

I go back to my belief that you can never overestimate the intelligence of the voter.  

Regardless of the turn around, Canada will not have a majority government come Election Day on September 20th - rather it will be a minority government - likely for the Liberals but still slightly possible for the Conservatives.  And in any case, the New Democratic Party (NDP) will hold the balance of power like they did in the last Parliament. 

And just to confirm, even though I do not personally have a horse in this race, I want the Conservatives win on the basis of less damage they will cause and most certainly want Trudeau out because of the damage he has caused our country in the 6 years he has been in power.

In fact we voted yesterday afternoon for the Conservative Candidate running in our Riding despite the fact that we have never met her and have never even heard of her before.  She has also ran in my opinion a very lackluster campaign which she is not likely to win but that is how desperate I am to get Trudeau off and onto the unemployment rolls.

Later in the week and as promised I will offer up my firm opinion on what our new government will look like and why.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher

All That Is Lacking In Truth and Reconciliation Is ...

 THE  'TRUTH'.

Statutes of Canada's Giants of History are falling faster than the Fall Leaves.

Even Sir John A's, without whom there would be no Canada...which some days one may wonder if that would be all that bad.  But if I had to pick only one hero in all of our history it would definitely be Sir John A MacDonald.  

He is accused of being the founder of Residential Schools for Natives even though he had died before they were even legislated into law. 

He practiced law in Kingston, Ontario and Queen's Law School that I attended was named after this City's favourite son.  I even quaffed the odd draft beer at the Princess Street Tap Room which Sir John frequented a few years earlier than I did.  Queen's University, in it infinite wisdom in 2020 stripped His Name from the Law School.  If I was applying to a Law School over again - hopefully I would choose one other than Queen's.  

I got to thinking about this when I read an article in yesterday's National Post by Professor Lynn McDonald entitled 'The historical record vindicates Egerton Ryerson' another Canadian Giant.  Here is what she had to say about Ryerson:

• He lived with Ojibway people and learned to speak their language;
• He assisted them with economic development, sharing his own farming skills (he was a farm boy);
• He actively supported their land claims;
• He promoted the careers of Ojibway leaders;  and,
• He nominated one leader Sacred Feathers to be the superintendent of Indian Affairs West (Ontario). 

His statute was defaced and then torn down by a mob of over 1,000 this past June - His Head was then taken to Caledonia and hoisted on a spike.  Caledonia, as you may remember is occupied by the Six Nations and is where the police have failed to act and despite being ordered to do so by the Courts from time to time.

McDonald ends her article by saying, "If the Indigenous students, staff, and faculty at the university (Ryerson University) knew what Ryerson had done for and with the Ojibway of his time, they could have walked past the statue of him with a smile and a wave, grateful that at least he had supported them when so few others did".

Despite these facts, Ryerson University is in the process of renaming itself and it will be most interesting to see what they will come up with.

How about WOKE U.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher

Life Can Be Unfair

Recently, a long time friend of ours confided in me that he was 'very angry' with the state of his health...'it was so unfair'.  He, like me, is getting on in life and for the most part has enjoyed very good health.  The last couple of years though have been a challenge for him and with it has come much pain and general discomfort.

I, as you know, have had some serious health challenges too over the course of the last two years and have endured some serious side-effects albeit not as much pain as experienced by our friend.  There is another difference between us...our friend is not a Person of Faith.

Rather than get angry, I have been thankful to God for pulling me through and thank him for the gift of each new day.  I also believe that there is a better place awaiting us after death so death is not to be wished for but neither is it to be feared. 

I would encourage our friend to look to God for help but realize from trying earlier in our friendship that this would not be well received on his part. So rather, I tell him to put his faith in his doctors and hopefully his health troubles will soon pass though I am not so certain they will.  I also Pray for his speedy recovery and tell him so in the knowledge that he will be okay with that ...and in fact will be appreciative even though he will likely find it a waste of time on my part.  I will keep Praying though.

Another example of Life Being Unfair occurred just late last month when the best friend of our granddaughter was killed in a car accident along with her 6 month old unborn baby. The mother was only 27 - far too young to die and certainly in such a violent fashion.  I do not know whether or not she was religious and regardless she could end up in Heaven based upon how she lived her life.  Kristen certainly had many nice things to say about their friendship.  I have asked God to take her safely into his arms.  And, there is no doubt that her unborn baby girl is there now with Jesus and His Mother Mary watching over her.

I guess the Moral to this is that Life Can Be And Often Is Unfair but you do not need to Let It Get You Down.  There is a way forward and it is in each of us if only we open our Hearts to let it out.

As I See It...

K. D.  Bell 

The Conservatives at 34.3 % and the Liberals at 33.1 %

 I can predict the outcome of the Election with just those numbers...A Conservative Minority.

I see a hand up at the back - yes what is your question?

Don't you mean a Liberal Minority Galagher?

How So - well as students of Canadian History know full well - those numbers were the final per centages in Canada's Last Election ...the one in 2019.

So True and I thank you for pointing that out - indeed despite their small % lead the Conservatives took but 121 seats to the Liberal's 157.

So raw numbers can be and often are misleading - as in today's miniscule distance between these two parties.

It often comes down to where your strength is - for the Liberals since Moses climbed the Mount - the Liberals have been strong in the main centres of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver where the vast number of voters reside.  

Bottom-line - just because the Tories have a lead in the popular vote does not mean that they will win out electorally.  Historically, for a Party to win a majority they would have to secure at least 40% of the vote and neither one is even close to that number. 

I said in an earlier blog that I would predict which Party will win - but can only do it closer to the Election on September 20th when the polls can be expected to harden up. So another 10 days or so to wait.

Speaking of Opinion Polls it reminds me of Brian Mulroney's rise and fall - in 1984 he secured vast majority government with a little over 50% of the popular vote and 211 seats in a parliament that was less numerous in members than today's.  By the time he left politics and turned the reins over to the hapless Kim Campbell he was scoring in the low 20s and poor Kimmy went on to win but 2 lonely seats in the disastrous election campaign for them with but 16% of the vote.  Mulroney had most certainly handed Campbell a Poison Chalice.  

That brings me back to the Present and to realize how fickle an Electorate can be.  How in the world is it possible for someone as bad a Prime Minister as Justin Trudeau to even be in the running at this late date in the Election.  The fact that He is likely to retain his minority simply defies belief.

A favourite saying of mine is Never overestimate the intelligence of the average voter. Given that He is still neck and neck with the Tories I am prepared to modify this to the following - Never overestimate the intelligence of any voter. 

So I will end with another one of my favourite sayings - with the advance polls soon opening  be sure to get out and vote early and vote often.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher

Throwing Pebbles

 OFF  A  CLIFF.

The Throwing of Pebbles has been in the news muchly over the course of the past couple of days and it reminded me of a little ditty that made the rounds when I was young...it went like this:

      Brothers came home and told their father that they had thrown 'pebbles' off a cliff - the father responded "no harm in that boys"...until this kid came to the door all broken and battered.  You guessed it - his name was Pebbles.

With that, we cast ahead to the present and learn that pebbles a.k.a. bits of gravel were thrown at our distinguished Prime Minister though the Woke Media was quick to turn them into 'Stones' and that they were hurled at a totally defenceless Trudeau by an unruly and totally out of control mob this despite the fact that He was surrounded by a protective wall of Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Those who entered the bus along with Him - reported that he was unfazed by what had occurred and saw it as no big deal.

But the very next day, Trudeau did a 180 and was now in great dungeon about what had occurred the day prior.  Violence has no place in Canadian Election Campaigns.  So what happened in a mere 12 hours or so?  I can just imagine...His Brain Trust in Campaign Headquarters - known as the War Room - seized on this like a Spider on a Fly.  Why they told Him - this is pure gold - we can discredit the Right - once known colloquially as the Conservative Party of Canada. So they wound Him up and out he went and did his drama schtick for which He is so well known.

As for me - Trudeau and His Team and the Progressive Media made a mountain out of a molehill.  That said, Trudeau is correct when he said there is no room for violence on the part of demonstrators.  Anyone doing so should be criminally charged while bearing in mind there is a great deal of difference between the seriousness of tossing pebbles and the hurling of rocks.  And there is nothing wrong in a healthy democracy of having demonstrations take place even when those participating might be angry as hell. You and I may not agree with their point(s) of view and often we do not - but for the sake of everyone they need to be able to voice their concerns. 

One of the great deficiencies in our Democracy has been the Left's Insistence that only they speak on behalf of society.  Any and all opinions are okay as long as they coincide with their own.  It is simply not healthy.

And in closing I continue to think back to His Father who withstood the slings and arrows thrown at him by the FLQ with nary a whine nor complaint. 

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher 

 

GUNS...GANGS...&

 BAMBI

Let's deal with Bambi first.

The Liberals have caught O'Toole and his fellow Tories off guard.  The Conservatives want to protect legitimate gun owners - farmers, hunters and such and are right to do so.  The problem though is that the Tory Platform provides for cancelling the Liberal Ban against Assault Rifles.  And for this they are wrong since one does not need an AK 47 to bring down Bambi.

But in pointing this flaw out, the Liberals are once again showing themselves to be Hypocrites...since the issue of gun violence in our society does not pertain to Rifles...or even Assault Rifles per se but to handguns and more specifically to handguns smuggled in from the United States and used by Criminals here in Canada.  Liberal Legislation does not address this serious problem one iota ... as they know full well.  Nor does it stop Trudeau from bragging how tough his Government is on banning guns.  Handguns have been banned long before Trudeau was even born and have become ever more a problem for police and society since.

In fact, the murder rate by handguns is up ... just shy of 80%,  since the Liberals came to power in 2015.

And who does Trudeau put front and centre to defend their ineffective policy...why none other than His Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair a.k.a. the past Chief of Police for Canada's largest City ..Toronto.  If anyone knows that smuggled handguns are causing the carnage it is Blair and yet he refuses to acknowledge this fact just like his Boss J.T. 

So who is more at fault - O'Toole and his Tories for saying they will remove the Ban on Assault Rifles or Trudeau and his fellow Liberals who say that everything possible is being done to reduce murder by handgun when in fact diddly squat is being done.  You decide.

And this would be bad enough, but Trudeau and Company have also legislated the removal of Minimum Sentences for Crimes involving Handguns - Minimum Sentences that the previous Tory Government under Stephen Harper introduced years ago.  So not only are the Liberal Provisions ineffective, but Sentences for Criminals are much less severe.

So if I was O'Toole and when I got asked about his so-called inconsistent stance on the banning or not banning of assault rifles I would reply as follows:

I am so glad that you asked this question since the real issue here is not our farmers and hunters having possession of lawful rifles rather the issue pertains to handguns being smuggled into our Country from the United States and used by criminal elements for their nefarious purposes including murder.  In fact, the murder rate by handguns is up nearly 80% since Prime Minister Trudeau was elected in 2015.

Well what about assault rifles?

Again, our focus is on the elimination of illegal handguns which are causing the carnage and on bringing the full force of the Criminal Law down on these callous criminals including reinstating minimum sentences which the Prime Minister and His Government revoked.

Next Question Please...

O'Toole has the Truth on his side...use it.

As I see It...

K.D. Galagher