One Flew Over the Alberta Mess

Today on CBC Radio One, Anna Maria interviewed NDP party leader Jack Layton and certainly put him on the spot with issues of the recent Elizabeth May refusal at the debates, his plan on the war in Afganistan, why he wants cap and trade vs. carbon tax and his plans concerning the NAFTA agreement, along with other topics concerning in this coming election and for the future of Canadians.

Mr. Layton changed his tune and about Elizabeth May telling Anna Maria he only said he wouldn't participate in the debates if he couldn't go up against Stephen Harper but was not against The Green Party Leaders involvement, not true. He stomped his feet just as much as Stephen Harper for the week and now that the Canadian people have spoken, he's singing to a new tune.

The issue of the war in Afganistan he plans to pull out immediately if he is elected and this shows he is only trying to win voter confidence as an immediate pull out over a phasing out at the end of 2011 as our CAF has assumed a very important position in the war on terror and Canada's foreign policy. If a pull out is made to soon, a reemployment in the future will be certain as conflict will rise to extremes once again and insurgency will have had time to regroup and strengthen as did from the first Gulf War when troops were pulled to early and the people of Iraq suffered the extreme consequences.

As Jack Layton flew over the Alberta Tar sands he suggests a cap and trade on corporations should be implemented over a carbon tax as he said "shouldn't the polluters finally pay the price". In my view, we are all polluters whether it be corporations or as individuals and when we choose to fly over in our planes who would pay for those carbon emissions he used, Jack Layton, the NDP government, the corporations, or the tax payers?

When Anna Maria asked Mr. Layton if Barak Obama is elected to President he plans on revisiting and amending the NAFTA agreement whereas Jack Layton previously had spoken of abolishing it altogether, would he still abolish it or work with Mr. Obama or John McCain in revising it. He couldn't give a straight answer to that, it was yes it all three.

According to Mr. Layton and "the polls", NDP support is gaining over the Liberal party as it did in the election of 1990 when NDP leader Bob Rae took office as Premier of Ontario...until he was forced to resign not long after for many bad policy practices under the NDP cabinet.

Mr. Rae currently is the Liberal Foreign Affairs critic and although I didn't like what he did as the Ontario Premier as an NDP leader, we all deserve a second chance at redemption.