Daily Digest December 5, 2008

The DAILY DIGEST: INFORMATION and OPINION from ST. JOHN'S to VICTORIA.
ARCHIVED at http://cdndailydigest.blogspot.com/

EDITORIAL PAGEs

ST.JOHN'S TELEGRAM -
Desperate times

CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN -
A cooling-off period for our MPs

HALIFAX CHRONICLE HERALD -
Harper buying time to wise up

MONTREAL GAZETTE -
Harper uses respite to make the right moves
http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorials/Harper+uses+respite+make+right+moves/1035565/story.html

The governor-general has given Harper the gift of time
http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorials/governor+general+given+Harper+gift+time/1035567/story.html

OTTAWA CITIZEN -
Dream projections
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editorials/Dream+projections/1034512/story.html
The wounded body politic
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editorials/wounded+body+politic/1034513/story.html
Aboriginals and education
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editorials/Aboriginals+education/1034538/story.html

KINGSTON WHIG STANDARD-
No Way To Select A GG
Politicians Are Acting Infantile

TORONTO STAR -
Two cheers for anti-poverty plan
Harper at a crossroads

GLOBE & MAIL -

U.S. woes have crossed the border 2
Charest is not Harper
A test of our national resolve

NATIONAL POST -

Are you there, Iggy? (it's me, Stephane)
Time out

TORONTO SUN -

Our soldiers know why they serve

HAMILTON SPECTATOR -
It's time for conciliation
Jean was right to stave off Bloc coalition

NIAGARA FALLS REVIEW -
Coalition doesn't care about Canada
If Harper can't lead, he should step aside
Social conservatives have to choose the lesser of two evils
Tories to blame for this mess
What Harper could have said
Why can't we have a government that works?

K-W RECORD -
A black day for our democracy
The auto industry still needs help

WINDSOR STAR -
G-G's decision
http://www.windsorstar.com/opinion/editorials/decision/1034341/story.html

SUDBURY STAR -
Prime minister a coward
Jean's decision will help Tories - Editorial (add your comment)
GG shouldn't decide who governs Canada

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS -
Harper finally gets his comeuppance
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/Harper_finally_gets_his_comeuppance.html

WINNIPEG SUN -
Break, then work very hard

SASKATOON STARPHOENIX -
Gov. Gen. Jean made best choice from ugly options
Inspiring Canadian values
Economic future remains bright
Coalition rule would have served aboriginals better
Political pendulum best held in check with minority gov't

REGINA LEADER-POST -
Harper the barrier to ending this mess
Showdown in Ottawa: Sask. MPs speak out

CALGARY HERALD -
All quiet on the eastern front --for now

GRANDE PRAIRIE DAILY HERALD TRIBUNE -
Now is the time for statesmanship - Hopefully, Harper will heed his recent lesson on humility

EDMONTON JOURNAL -
Michaelle makes the right choice
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/Michaelle+makes+right+choice/1035306/story.html

LETHBRIDGE HERALD -
Passport security in question
http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/content/view/13515/56/

RED DEER ADVOCATE -
Coalition partners planned bloodless coup

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN -
Harper has had his last time out

VANCOUVER SUN -
Not what Canada needs
Making sense of today's housing market
Focus now is on when the recession will end

VANCOUVER PROVINCE -
Decision to suspend Parliament will help the Liberals rebuild
http://www.theprovince.com/opinion/editorials/Decision+suspend+Parliament+will+help+Liberals+rebuild/1034146/story.html
The coalition's real agenda
http://www.theprovince.com/opinion/editorials/coalition+real+agenda/1029398/story.html

VICTORIA TIMES-COLONIST -
 When the parties return to Ottawa
Turning to the electric car
HIV stigma as damaging as the disease
Harper, Dion and the sad dance of the dinosaurs

ISSUES

CANADIAN FORCES all 347 news articles » 
3 soldiers' deaths in Afghanistan push Canada's toll past 100
No. 100: Top commander plays down combat milestone
Who were the three latest to die

Mourn these soldiers. Admire them. But don't dare pity them
Troops' goals appear more distant

Deep in the land of the Taliban
  A test of our national resolve
By our own rules, the Afghanistan war should be over
Video: Graeme Smith from Kandahar
Complete coverage of Canada's mission
  The state of Afghanistan  

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Our voices silenced
CAW vows to wage battle against Harper government to force stimulus package
Canada loses 70,600 jobs in a month, most since 1982: unemployment 6.3 per cent
Brutal arrival of recession in Canada
Automakers seek $6-billion in Canadian aid
Can Asia stand on its own economically?

Jobs: a new storm in the economic crisis

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
20,000 U.S.Troops To Be Deployed For "Domestic Security"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113002217.html?hpid=topnews

FEDERAL POLITICS all 3,056 news articles » 
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/indepth/federal_politics
Coalition crisis news archive
Canadians regionally split on political storm
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081205/coalition_poll_082105/20081205?hub=Canada

CANADIAN PRESS
Wounded Conservative minority extinguishes session to sidestep defeat
Jean's decision sets 'very dangerous' precedent: constitutional expert
Tories expected to take battle to voters
Canadians demonstrate feelings on Ottawa crisis at gatherings across the country
Future of coalition, Dion's leadership uncertain

SUN PAPERS
Time out beneficial
After a week of ultimate fighting, Harper has dialed down the rhetoric and will play nice with the Grits -- his survival depends on it
Vexed west rises against power grab
End of the road for Dion
Dion is done

Dion speaks at Hill rally

NATIONAL POST

CAN COALITION SURVIVE?
60% back Tory hold on power, poll finds
Harper wins reprieve until Jan. 26, pledges to try to build trust
From John A. Macdonald to Stephen Harper:A short history of short parliaments
Winners& losers
East and west deeply divided: poll
61%oppose federal funding for parties
Time to end hypocrisy
Suspension of Parliament puts end to four House Government Bills
40th session of Parliament has little to show for itself
Parliamentary break bodes well for Charest
I nside Ottawa: will it be door no. 1?

Don Martin: Chaos in Ottawa isn't over yet
Posted Podcast: Kelly McParland recaps the shenanigans on the Hill

A week that left Ottawa breathless

The lessons of Meech and Charlottetown, forgotten
Time to end hypocrisy

GLOBE AND MAIL

Rae steps in as coalition's chief salesman 1117
Majority prefers keeping Tory government
CBC to retune its TV news division 120
Parliament's flopping has Canadians hopping 125
No hint whether prorogation came with strings 32
Can Harper defang the coalition? 223
After the storm
Liberals mobilizing to dump Dion

GG made Harper work for prorogue
Tone down rhetoric, Tories warned

Parliament's flopping has Canadians hopping 126
That was the weird week that was 8
From Napoleon to Custer

TORSTAR
No one voted for a mess like this
Governor General boxed in by Harper
Pro- and anti-coalition groups plan campaigns
Sources predict early Dion departure
Shaken Liberals plan next moves
The next election looms months, not years, away
Harper avoids the axe
PM needs to reach out
Harper makes his pitch to Canadians
Canadians fail democratic literacy test
Coalition must grasp deficit nettle

REUTERS
Uncertain options for government Fri Dec 5, 6:34 PM
Automakers appeal to Ottawa as layoffs mount Fri Dec 5, 5:07 PM
Canada Arctic pipeline faces 1-year regulatory wait Fri Dec 5, 4:22 PM
Canadian deaths bring Afghan mission toll to 100 Fri Dec 5, 4:10 PM
 Opposition says PM cannot be trusted Fri Dec 5, 3:29 PM
Harper has crushing poll lead on crisis

FRENCH-LANGUAGE ARTICES TRANSLATED

Harper away from Quebec to join the rest of Canada in his case

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Finfo.branchez-vous.com%2FNationales%2F081204%2FN1204164AU.html&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=fr&tl=en

Une campagne sans le nom A campaign without a name
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ledevoir.com%2F2008%2F12%2F06%2F221419.html&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=fr&tl=en


PRESSURE POINTS
Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/renewableenergy/3535012/Ocean-currents-can-power-the-world-say-scientists.html


OPINION AND INFORMATION
Tory rallies threaten to overtake action day for women, critics charge

100 dead: We can't quit

INFOS  
Trois soldats canadiens sont tués en Afghanistan, portant le bilan à 100 morts
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081205/N1205175AU.html
Une campagne sans le nom
http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/12/06/221419.html

Les libéraux sortent leurs couteaux

Les partis fédéraux s'activent malgré un Parlement fermé
Des milliers de personnes attendues à la manif pro-coalition
James Moore, un ministre qui connaît peu le Québec
Le Bloc y a-t-il bien pensé?

Grosse semaine, petite politique
La coalition PLC-NPD perd des partisans du côté du Parti libéral
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081204/N1204138AU.html
Harper s'éloigne du Québec pour rallier le reste du Canada à sa cause
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081204/N1204164AU.html
La volonté des libéraux de renverser le gouvernement s'effrite
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081204/N1204188AU.html
Harper obtient un sursis, la gouverneure accepte de suspendre le Parlement
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081204/N1204142AU.html
La prorogation est une prérogative du gouverneur général, selon Ed Schreyer
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081205/N1205185AU.html
Les syndicats sur le pied de guerre
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Politique/2008/12/05/001-coalition-manif-syndicats.shtml
Derrière Dion et devant Harper
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Politique/2008/12/04/002-opposition-prorogaton.shtml
Une entente sur la mobilité de la main-d'oeuvre entrera en vigueur en avril
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081205/N1205155AU.html
General Motors, Ford et Chrysler réclament 6,8 milliards $ à Ottawa et à l'Ontario
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081205/N1205177AU.html

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Has "The next election has already begun."?

John Dowson hypothesizes it has. What's your view? Is John accurate  or inaccurate in his  thinking?

From: "John Dowson"
Subject: It's just Harpers nature

Stephen Harper has you, the entire Canadian media and the Canadian public hogtied into believing that he wants to cling to power. That's the furthest thing from his mind, what he really wants is a majority and he has engineered one. He's five seats short of a majority, he can get three liberals to cross the floor or go to the people, it's as simple as that. The next election has already begun.
 
He is a political tactician who never makes a move without knowing what his next five moves are. Just listen to the code words from him and all his caucus " they want to take power without your consent, and without your vote" It's a mantra. He had to strike before the Liberals elected a new leader. It's a bold move but he has the momentum on his side. The Conservative party he created has gained seats in every election since their inception, he has the momentum.
 
As for Quebec it was noted at the Winnipeg conference that even after all the concessions Stephen Harper gave Quebec it didn't produce any more seats in the province, so he has written off Quebec. He'll keep the 5 seats around Quebec city, hold the other 139, pick up ten seats and he's got the majority he wants. Look at his track record he has never done anything in half measures. He destroyed Preston Manning, the Alliance party and the PC party with the same tactics. Mark my words we'll go to the polls in February after the opposition defeats the budget and the coalition will have given him all the ammunition he needs to win his elusive majority. Will the GG grant his request for an election, in a heart beat, he has her wrapped around his finger. She is a greeter not a parliamentary expert.
 
He now has the opposition in a box they can't get out of. When the election is over there will not be a liberal or NDP seat west of Winnipeg, he'll pick up seats in rural Ontario and in the Atlantic provinces. The Bloq will take 70 of Quebec's 75 seats and the Liberals will be reduced to a rump. It's a done deal. As for the Bloq, they already have all the authority of a government without any of the responsibilities. Remember you heard it first from  John Dowson

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