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From: thompsm@utecfa.UUCP (Mark Thompson)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: re: Liberals...deficit...Canada's future
Message-ID: <154@utecfa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Aug-84 21:44:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: utecfa.154
Posted: Thu Aug  2 21:44:01 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 3-Aug-84 00:16:16 EDT
Organization: Engineering, University of Toronto
Lines: 100

>What a vulgar characterization of ethnic and French Canadian voters!
>As to the test to see whether we are "smart" or "aware" enough to vote,
>I think Mr Thompson has missed the point of the Universal Franchise!
>It is not too long ago that Women were considered not aware enough,
>or not capable of making an intelligent choice, and thus were denied the
>vote.  How about people who haven't gone to university, or high school
>for that matter?  Shall we exclude them from our *club* of voters?

I apoligize for my characterization but my exposure to the opinions of these
people cannot help me conclude anything different their voting prowess. I must 
admit that this exposure has been limited to ethnics but the voting habits of
those in Quebec do not inspire kinder words about their insight.
(Remember that the Rhinoceros party finished second in several ridings there. 
Apparently too many of them think the future of our country is a joke.)
What is this exposure I have had? A summer job in 1979 placed me in several
households a day and many people mentioned the election. Who are you voting
for they asked?  Company policy prohibited me from  discussing the matter
but too many of them  went on to say that they were voting for Trudeau because
he was a nice man. Nice man? Why? Because he piroettes (sp?) behind the Queen
and gives the Canadian public the finger?
Hey I didn't say anything about excluding people who didn't go to school.
All I ask for is a little reality regarding the world. This reality is
apparently lacking in too many voters.

>As to the deficit, from which his venom pours, I suppose that he fully 
>supports the $20 Billion cost of the Conservative election promises.

Typical distortion of the facts as Liberals or their type are prone to do.
As we all know that figure has underhandedly read off a private document.
It is not necessarily PC policy as Mr. Mulroney has stated. Besides I don't
know about you but even if it were true it sure beats the $160 billion
dollar bill rung up by the Liberals over the last decade. By the way Mr. Hume
you failed to suggest how to pay off the debt particularly since it is
increasing at ~$30 billion a year ($20 billion courtesy of interest on
previously accumulated debt)

>As for US defense spending.  I read the other day that the cost of *one*
>MX missile would equal the cost of raising *every* US single mother family
>above the poverty line. I could go on, and on about the so called US defense
>spending.

Again I see that Mr. Hume cannot understand plain English. I see no statement
necessarily supporting increased US defense spending. I merely implied that it 
was a major cause of their deficit. It would be fantastic if all that money
helped the needy but the Soviets don't particularly inspire good will. However
this is another matter altogether. Please note that all the money funneled
out of the government purse for Liberal patronage appointments could also do
wonders for the underpriveleged.

>As for the reason the Liberals were elected last time, perhaps Mr Thompson
>would consider the statement of The Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, "We are going to 
>govern as if we had a majority".  Talk about arrogance!  That's really 
>treating parliament with the dignity and respect it deserves.

Who's arrogant? I thought Pierre defined the word. At least Mr. Clark
had the guts to stand up for his parties principles instead of coddling with
the NDP as Trudeau did in 1972.  Respect and dignity for parliament?
Who are you kidding?  It is well known that Mr. Trudeau often circumvented
the peoples representatives by using a process known as Order in Council.
How do you think metricfication was ordered. Again don't get me wrong I have
nothing against metrification, just about the way it was rammed down Canadians
throats.

>And finally, user fees.  I think Mr Thompson does not grasp the difference
>between extra billing and user fees.  User fees are charged by the hospitals,
>extra billing is done by the doctors.  I suppose he thinks that all those
>hypochondriacs (sp?) are admitting themselves into hospital. And I can't believe
>that a large percentage of those being charged user fees or being extra billed
>are hypochondriacs.

Sure I know the difference. I said nothing about extra billing. All I know is
that health costs are too high. Don't blame the doctors either. A small number
may have it on easy street but the majority work damn hard for what they earn.
There job is not an enviable one where they must deal with life and death,
day in and day out. I am sure extra billing would be much less prevalent if
doctors incomes had kept pace with inflation.


>Maybe I'm expecting too much.  I thought that users of this news group would 
>present opinions and observations and back them up with reasoned arguments,
>not with rhetoric from one party leader or another.  Oh, well.

Well Mr. Hume I don't expect too much. I knew I there would be those who
would spew out the same old Liberal lies and distortions that we have heard
even since Mr. Trudeau muddied the then cleaner waters of federal politics
which prevailed before he became Prime Minister.
I can't force you to vote Progressive Conservative (Progressive because
this country might finally have a chance to progress under their leadership).
By the slant of your opinions I certainly don't expect you too. I hope however
that other undecided readers may realize that this is where hope for Canada's
future lies. I don't see too many black marks against the PC's but when I look
at the Liberal record I feel like I'm in the Black Hole of Calcutta. Let the
PC's have a real go at it. They can hardly do worse than has already transpired
despite the fact that if they do win the election they will inherit a terrible
mess.  We can count on Mr. Mulroney to make the tough decisions needed to get
our economy going again. Schefferville you say? It had to be done and it was
handled quite nicely as suggested by many including Liberals when Mr. Mulroney
was president of Iron Ore Co. What would a Liberal government have done if it
was their decision? Probably would have kept it running at a loss of millions.
Need we say more.