Right now I hate Alberta

Evolution classes optional under proposed Alberta law:

A controversial Alberta bill will enshrine into law the rights of parents to pull their children out of classes discussing the topics of evolution and homosexuality.

The new rules, which would require schools to notify parents in advance of “subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation,” is buried in a bill that extends human rights to homosexuals. Parents can ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

“This government supports a very, very fundamental right and that is parental rights with respect to education,” said Premier Ed Stelmach.

The public secular school system allowing religious people to pick and choose which parts of human rights and rational thought are going to be exercised in the public square??

They don’t like scientific facts, and they hate homosexuals, so instead of having to notice any of them, they can just walk around with their hands over their ears going “Lalalalala, I can’t hear or see you!”

Christian Shari’a law! Enshrined right into a secular state!

I am beyond disgusted. Today I hate my home province more than I can possibly express.

I wish all those bigoted, anti-democratic, narrow-minded wingnut Christian Taliban neo-Cons would move to Iran where they belong and where they can impose all their anti-human beliefs on each other to their hearts’ content.

Conservatives (Alliance + PCs) to *GOVERN* alongside Bloc, in 2000

You wonder why the Cons have gotten squeamish and so virulent in the last eight years.

Why, in 2000, when they made that little coalition deal with the Bloc, they didn’t just want the two parties — Alliance and Progressive Conservative — to govern the country while the Bloc promised to stay on the sidelines and support them in Confidence votes but otherwise go its own way.

No, my lovelies, no. They didn’t keep the Bloc at a distance, as the progressive Liberal-NDP cooperative government would promise to do this time.

Read their “Consensus Leadership for a New Century” (**) document, and pay particular attention to the following paragraph:

Canadians also made it clear by their votes that they desired ______ Members of Parliament from the Canadian Alliance, The Bloc Quebecois and the Progressive Conservative Party TO GOVERN. This is a majority of the Members of Parliament. In order to govern effectively, we will be required to govern by consensus. (emphasis and caps mine)

Do you get that? Do you GET that??

The present-day Conservative Party of Canada (i.e. the Alliance plus Progressive Conservative parties who would sign this document) would partner with the Bloc Quebecois alone (no other parties in their coalition), and the Cons and the Bloc would GOVERN. Both of them. No arms’ length here. THE BLOC WOULD GOVERN.

Later in the document they leave blanks to specify which percentage of Cabinet seats would come from the Alliance and which percentage from the PCs. They never specify that the Bloc would get none. It could easily be assumed that the Bloc would get whatever percentage was left after the other two. But whatever the case, the document specifies that the Cons and the Bloc would govern together.

“Don’t do as we do — do as we tell you.”

Fascist pig-dogs.

(** If the title of the above document rings any bells, there might be a reason.)

Well, now at least I know who I’m NOT voting for

Stephen Harper – true to form, I might add – has effectively bullied all the main party leaders into refusing to allow the Green Party leader, Elizabeth May, to participate in the televised leaders’ debates during this election. This is Harper’s modus operandi, and the other leaders shrieked “How high??” when he told them to “Jump!”

From the CBC article linked above, Gilles Duceppe: “Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe said that while he never threatened to withdraw over the issue, his preference was to have just the leaders of the four major parties in Parliament, and that the Greens should not be included in the debate because they have not elected an MP to Parliament yet.”

Considering that the Bloc is included and they only represent Quebec and are not a national party at all — this is hypocrisy of the highest, most brazen, bald-faced, look-you-right-in-the-eye-and-lie order.

Coward, Duceppe!

Stéphane Dion: “Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said Monday that his party had supported May’s participation, but that he himself would not participate if Conservative Leader Stephen Harper were to boycott the debates.”

Right. Kowtow to the bully, rather than say, “We won’t succumb to your threats; we will be democratic even if you’re not, you tyrant.”

Coward, Dion!

Stephen Harper: “Harper said letting May participate in the debates would be in essence allowing a “second Liberal candidate” to participate, which he called “fundamentally unfair.”

What a snake. Considering that it has long, long, long been a practice in Canada for parties to have the courtesy not to run opposing candidates in the riding of a party leader (though once the Cons’ influence began to be felt more and more, this courtesy has fallen by the wayside as so many other courtesies have under their influence) – Harper is knowingly attempting to deceive the public here, and using the deception to prevent democratic debate as much as he can. (Since, guess what, Elizabeth May is the one leader not yelling “How high??” when he commands, “Jump!”)

Coward, Harper!

And very worst of all, Jack Layton: “NDP campaign spokesman Brad Lavigne confirmed late Monday that party leader Jack Layton had said he wouldn’t attend the debate if May were allowed to participate.

“‘We believe that as someone who’s endorsed Stéphane Dion to be the prime minister of Canada, she has endorsed Liberal candidates throughout the country,’ Lavigne said.”

Absolute, disgusting lies. Opportunistic, Tory-fed, American Republican-style, self-serving lies from the New Democrats, of all people!

Coward, coward, coward, Jack Layton!

Guess I’m votin’ Green, eh? ‘Cause I’m sure not voting for those anti-democratic, self-serving, hypocritical, greedy pigs.

Later added  note: a tally of bloggers who consider this a cowardly decision is being kept on the Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy blog. And leftdog, over at Buckdog, has a discussion going on in his Comments, about what can be done about this. Mostly it involves whether or not people should spoil ballots.