What a week it has been

1) Four months after proclaiming the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, the Governor General announced that the Government of Canada would not meet its Kyoto targets. While I have always had principled problems with the accord, I have a bigger problem with a regent who proclaims a statute only to have it ignored. Parliament does, after all, guide the executive.

NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND

2) Dion Blinked. I am elated. An Election today would be suicide and would lead to another two years of "unfettered" minority while the Liberals fight, stab and scratch at each other

3) I was in the Gov't Lobby when they granted honourary citizenship to a person I have never heard of. Apparently she is an opposition leader in jail in Myanmar (Nee Burma). I am not sure if I really care that they did that - but it seems unfair to grant honourary citizenship to someone who fights against oppression, but we are reluctant to grant actual citizenship expeditiously to those fleeing it. Refugees don't always get citizenship.

4) On Crime- I can't stand most of the silly changes to the criminal code. I really hate mandatory minimums. I think it is dumb that Parliament is going to waste another X number of days talking about it. None of it is going to pass- and I am not sure that making something that is already illegal even illegaller (TM) accomplishes anything. This is the perfect argument for fixed election dates because the government wants to tell Canadians they tried to strengthen the criminal law and it didn't pass because of the Liberals.

5) On Afghanistan - I am even more opposed now that it is turning into a training mission that keeps Canadian targets in play until 2011. I don't care if the Military's job is in Khandahar, Kabul, Kazakhstan - they are targets no matter what their mission is. OUT NOW - because this remains a proxy war for Iraq in Afghanistan.

6) On the Speech from the Throne - In America, the response to the State of the Union is done on the NPR. Not one second of House time is dedicated to the speech, other than the speech itself. Not Canada - we spend weeks endlessly debating it when there are REAL pieces of legislation that need to be re-introduced and passed. The Speech is nothing more than a sounding board for understanding the prism with which the legislative agenda is to be rolled out.

Maybe I should admit something. I love a lot about the American process, I love how their federalism works, I love how their judiciary works, and I love the fact that their Cabinet Secretaries don't have to put up with Question Period. Amazing how many bad decisions a President can make notwithstanding checks and balances.