Quote:
Originally posted by RougeUnderoos+Apr 9 2005, 07:31 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RougeUnderoos @ Apr 9 2005, 07:31 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-CaptainCrunch@Apr 9 2005, 12:10 AM
Basically our government is filled with idiots who couldn't get jobs in the real world so they flock to a place where thier ass kissing, and favor granting gets them keys to the vault.
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Actually I think the current Minister of Foreign Affairs is quite qualified.
He's not exactly Lester B. Pearson, but Pettigrew's qualifications and experience are considerably (infinitely, I'd say) better than what Stockwell Day's.
Come on Captain, look through the bio's of the current Cabinet and tell me that those people aren't accomplished. Don't make me defend the Liberals. Disagree with their politics all you want but you won't find one of them who isn't an accomplished, well educated, politically experienced person.
Then look at Stockwell Day's resumé that consists of not much, national failure and embarassment. You and I rarely agree on anything but I absolutely respect your opinion so if you can show me something that you think qualifies him to be the face (and the brain behind it) of our country in international affairs then I will listen.
"Our government is filled with idiots who couldn't get jobs..."
I'm not sure about all of them, but if you look at the bigwigs... Paul Martin became fabulously wealthy in the private sector. So did Jean Chretien. Jacob Austin is a graduate of Harvard law school, Jean Austin and Ralph Goodale have law degrees and so does Anne Mclellan -- she was even a professor before going into politics. Robillard has an MA, Dion has a Ph.D and he was also a professor and bigwig thinktanker in Washington before going into politics. Pettigrew was a VP with Deloitte & Touche for 10 years. Andy Scott seems to have been a lifelong politician so, ummm. James Peterson was president of some banking-type institution. Bill Graham was a lawyer and professor before he got into politics and he doesn't need the money the government pays him. Albina Guarnieri has a government gig and an MA in English so your theory might be apply to her. Reg Alcock has a Master's from Harvard so he could probably get another job. Geoff Regan is a lawyer. Tony Valeri was a big-wheel in the insurance biz before he got into politics. Aileen Carroll had a real job but her bio makes her sound like a bit of a politico so that's another one for you. Irwin Cotler (Justice) has been a professor and/or "Fellow" at Yale and Harvard and represented Nelson Mandela. Ruben Efford ran some small businesses so I guess he was able to hold down a real job, but maybe not, I don't know. Liza Frulla was a broadcaster and worked in the advertising business. Joe Volpe was a school principal. Joseph Fontana's bio has nothing except he's been in government since 1988. Joe Brison was a banker type. Dosanjh came to Canada and worked in a mill and got his law degree 8 years after he got here so that's not bad. Ken Dryden... you know about Ken Dryden.
I've made it far enough down the
www.pm.gc.ca/eng/bio.asp?id=27 to prove my point and include Ken Dryden so that's as far as I'm going to go. I don't vote for them, but I think the myth of "they can't get another job" is, umm, a myth. [/b][/quote]
Hi Rouge
I know we disagree on most things, but at least its all valid and good. I think you misunderstand me here, I'm talking in generalities, I'm not a fan of Stockwell Day, and at the moment I'm not a uberfan of Harper or Stronach, I'm basically saying that our government as a whole opposition and government are filled with people that are really unsuitable for the job.
Lets go through the bios
David Emerson - Minister of Industry
positives - bach, masters, and doctrate in economics. all told he has 10 years in leadership positions, 4 years in the banking industry, 6 years with canfor.
minuses - 10 years of his life in the private sector, the rest in the public sector. Out of the Liberal caucus, he's considered one of the better ones, however he is woefully short on private sector experience. He hasen't got much if any true experience in the manufacturing sector, or any other sector except for banking. He also wants to see more foreign ownership in Canada.
Is he good at his job, quite possibly, but is he really qualified for his position running the industry concerns of a major country, not in my mind. Hell 10 years of industry experience really dosen't qualify you for the CEO position in most companies anymore.
Jean-C Lapierre - Minister of Transport
Positives - Law degree
Negatives - No private sector experience at all, he has never run a company, or dealt with transportation issues, but he's from Quebec. Oh but he has a budding career as a radio host. This guy is woefully underqualified for this position.
The Honourable Ralph E. Goodale
Minister of Finance
Positives - Long government service, bachelor of arts degree, and a law degree.
Negatives - He's running on autopilot from the Martin budgets. In fact he won't make a decision without first getting that decision from Martin. He has no industry experience, he has no experience running a small, medium, or large company. He's floated from portfolio to portfolio, and was a terrible Minister of Public Works, and is one of the most hated former heads of the Canadian Wheat Boards ever for his heavy handed handling of the farmers.
This guy is a prime example of what I'm talking about before. He holds onto power because he's important to Martin and is in his inner circle and not because of his years experience, or his business saavy.
The Honourable Anne McLellan
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Plus - Masters of law, dean of a law school. She was a good minister of justice and attorney general.
minuses - she was a terrible minister of health, as services and responsiveness hit the toilet while she was in charge. She has basically no experience in the field that she's in. Out of the entire government I have the most respect for her which is saying a lot. But to put a lawyer in charge of publice safety and emergency preparedness as oppossed to somebody with law enforcement or military experience is just plain wrong.
Rouge I will agree with you about Pettigrew, he seems to be a decently qualified.
The Honourable William Graham
Minister of National Defence
I could go on a rant for this guy for hours, but I'm not going to.
This guy should go nowhere near this post. He has no military experience, he might understand law and to a small extent economics, but he has no idea how a military works, how deployment works. He was at the forefront of the helicopter replacement disastor that cost Canadians thier lives. He mishandled the sub refit and purchase. He's overcommitted our military and stretched it so thin that it threatens to snap. Put into this role because he had done a terrible job in his other positions, but his seat (Toronto) demands a high profile position.
I could go through a lot of these, but I'm getting ready to leave.
I've read through the bios and all I've seen is the same thing for a lot of them. Law degree and straight into government work, where they bounced from position to position to position. With the rare exception Pettigrew, Mclellon, I've seen nothing that really convinces me that these people have any understanding, which tells me that they're figure heads controlled by thier ministries below them.
this has been illustrated time and time again.
However before you jump on me, I'm sure that if you looked at the CPC's or the NDP's or especially the Greens, you'll find the same thing, and this is why in my mind the current system of government is a failure. We're opening the gate to inexperienced people, that get placed in areas that they have no knowledge of, get captured by the system, and end up doing nothing.
this country is a mess of corruption, bad decisions and mini crisis because we have people in government that clearly don't understand the issues lead by people that have next to no leadership skills, and are better at the old saying "Deny, Deny, Deny"
Neither side is better, however at the moment and on the record, the Liberals are corrupt and have put the party before the country and the people. No matter what they have to go.
Canada needs fresh leadership.
Can Harper and his party do a better job, we need to find this out.
When the Conservatives lost the election to the Liberals years ago after BM quit we would have been having the same but opposite conversation. People would have been saying that the Liberals were wacky and different from the previous 8 year government of Conservatives, but Canada realized that there was time for a change and it needed to be done.