Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Conservatives Restore Royal Candian Navy


Today, Defense Minister Peter McKay announced that the Canadian Navy and Canadian Air Force, which were stripped of their "royal" heritage back in 1968 by the revisionist and meddling Liberal federal government, would again be named the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

As McKay points out, this would correct a historical mistake committed by a party that has committed to removing whatever links to Canada's colonial and British past it could, from renaming our armed forces to renaming our national day (eliminating Dominion Day in favour of the pedestrian-sounding Canada Day). This is a great decision, and an honour to the countless who served and died under the banners of the RCAF and RCN.

Of course, the NDP, ironically now the Royal Opposition, came out against this move, claiming its a step back to the 1950's. In fact, the NDP's Jack Harris even called it a divisive move! If honouring our past, knowing our own history and acknowledging the role the British crown has played in our country is divisive, then that would be a sad commentary on the shallowness of the Canadian story. For me, however, it's a honourable and wise move and just the first step along the way towards reclaiming our shared history and culture that has been whitewashed and ignored for too long.

Friday, August 5, 2011

HST Vote Deadline Today

It's been 2 years. TWO YEARS of fighting over the harmonized sales tax (HST) in BC. But today hopefully marks the end, as referendum ballots are due in today by 4:30pm. I have voted to keep the HST and I hope my fellow British Columbians have joined me.

The HST is more efficient, raises more money, is easier to apply, is more broadly applied, saves the government and business billions in administrative costs, makes business more competitive, fosters investment and job creation and eliminates the cascading PST, where tax is applied on tax.

The HST was and continues to be sound economic policy. It was implemented in a foolish and insulting way, but the people's distaste over that has cost a premier his job, and for a while at least, his legacy. It's time to end this. A vote to kill the HST would only serve to drag this sideshow on for months and year longer, as we untangle the existing system. I'm tired of hearing about it. I'm tired of debating it. Let's move on to other, more pressing priorities, and let this go.

I've voted to keep the HST. Here's hoping enough of you did too.