Ontario's Premier In Dog House With The Feds
An article in the
Edmonton Sun says that
Dalton McGuinty stepped up his campaign against the federal Conservative government yesterday, accusing Ottawa of shortchanging Ontario residents on health care, education, infrastructure and employment spending.
McGuinty used his closing speech at the Liberals' annual general meeting in Toronto to take aim at federal Conservative cabinet ministers -- many of whom used to be in power in Ontario under former Conservative premiers Mike Harris and Ernie Eves.
"A lot of those people who used to run Queen's Park -- the ones who didn't get what it takes to succeed in the 21st century -- they're back," he told delegates.
"They're running the federal government. It's kind of like a recurring nightmare."
|
Jim Prentice, left, didn't show up with David Ramsay, right, for scheduled meeting. |
|
In his first appearance as the Ontario Provincial Police commissioner Monday,
Julian Fantino told reporters that the drain on the force's resources caused by the Caledonia dispute cannot continue.
OPP officers have been on site since the natives began the protest in February, claiming the construction site was part of land wrongly taken from them.
OPP officers have been on site since the natives began the protest in February, claiming the construction site was part of land wrongly taken from them.
The Toronto Star reported likewise adding:
In the Ontario legislature Tuesday, Opposition leader John Tory promised to call a public inquiry into the government’s handling of the Caledonia occupation if his Conservatives win next year’s provincial election, and blasted the Liberals for failing to reveal the total cost to date of the standoff.
“They said they were working very well with the federal government, but now they’re saying something quite different,” complained Tory.
“This government will say anything they can get away with in this matter, and do as little as possible in the meantime.”
McGuinty responded by suggesting Tory call Prime Minister Stephen Harper to help convince his federal cousin to help the province pay some of the costs of the Caledonia conflict.
“The federal government has not spent a single penny in order to provide assistance to the people of the community of Caledonia.”
The Six Nations claims the contested land was taken from them more than two centuries ago. The protesters say Six Nations agreed to lease the property for a road in 1835 (large pdf file) and dispute arguments that it was later sold to the Crown.
Blog MyyyyyAsssss Observations:
1. Premier McGuinty should be applauded for attempting to get the feds to get involved not condemned for making comments to his party in a Liberal Party meeting.
2. Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Jim Prentice should be sacked immediately by Stephen Harper for not doing his job. Indian Affairs is a joke and a disgrace to all of Canada and the world. Indian Affairs recent handling of the Tire Depot on Manitoulin Island demonstrates their incompetence only too well to the concerned citizens who stood to lose everything if the pile of tires caught on fire.
3. Julian Fantino must have been severely pressured to take the job of OPP Commissioner as his style for getting the job done is nowhere near his predecessor's, who cut and ran to Ireland for a less stressful job. Commissioner Boniface did have her hands tied behind her back, of course, her OPP officers not allowed to go about their 'business as usual' as the government is more concerned with looking politically correct than arresting terrorists who camouflage themselves as natives in the disputed area.
4. The Government of Canada should be totally ashamed of itself for allowing this whole matter of land disputes go on this long. The Caledonia land dispute goes back to 1784.
