You have got to give credit where credit is due.
The Harper government's response to the crisis in Haiti is something Canadians should be proud of.
We were quick off the mark. We have sent troops, doctors, nurses and other relief workers. We have shipped needed supplies that have saved lives.
Compare this to our response to the Tsunami in 2004. We couldn't even figure if we how to send our Dart team. We had to wait weeks and finally rent a plane from the Russians. Same thing happened in Afghanistan and in Haiti in 2003
We always depended on others.
So it was a wise move to buy those big C17's even though many critics at the time didn't think so. We now have the heavy lift capacity we need.
The challenge will be not what happens tomorrow or next week.
But next year and the year after that Not the reconstruction of a country but the construction of one.
Because no one wants to go back to what it was.
Let's place our hope and faith and hard work in what "can" be.
Terror Traitor
In the immortal words of Shakespeare's Richard the 3rd, thou art a traitor, off with his head. Perhaps in a perfect world that would happen.
The Toronto 18 conspiracy was described as "spine chilling" by the judge.
It would have lead to the most horrific crime this country has ever seen.
This week, the ringleader of these al Qaeda want to be's A Canadian named Zakaria Amara was sentenced to life in prison.
A tough sentence you might say. But here's the thing, Amara will be eligible for parole in 6 years when he is 30.
And that's just not right.
Because this is high treason and a life sentence should mean exactly that.
What's even more chilling is to think that the man who wanted to carry out the biggest mass murder in Canadian history will be eligible for parole in 6 years.
By the way he says he no longer holds such extremist views. Sorry I don't buy it.
Mr. Amara made his choice. And he should live with it. For life. Canada cannot be a country club for terrorists.
Whiter Quebec's economic future
In Quebec the Charest Liberals held a forum this week to discuss our economic future. Our finances are a mess and the worst is yet to come.
But no one it seems wants the party to end. Our debt is increasing by $25 million a day.
It comes on the heels of a new poll showing half of Quebecers say it's not up to them to make sacrifices.
Many people say we should just cut down the size of government and reduce wasteful spending. But at the same time, no one wants their programs touched. We love our daycare, our pharmacare, and all the social programs we can no longer afford.
Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.
