First of all, I can’t forget my first responsibility – which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that’s to provide an alternative government.
The jackasses at Elections Canada are out of control.
Universality has been severely reduced: it is virtually dead as a concept in most areas of public policy.
We got into a recession because the global economy went into the recession and we’re a big exporting nation.
Canada is a vast and empty country.
I believe very strongly that in this world you have to have values and you have to stand up for your interests and if you don’t do those things you’re not going to get anywhere.
This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls. We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other vagaries of pubic opinion.
We have in this country a federal government that increasingly is engaged in trying to determine which business, which regions, which industries will succeed, which will not through a whole range of economic development, regional development corporate subsidization programs.
There is a Canadian culture that is in some ways unique to Canada, but I don’t think Canadian culture coincides neatly with borders.
I don’t get into that second guessing of myself publicly.
Those of different faiths and no faith should seek areas of common agreement based on their different perspectives.
When Ralph Goodale tried to tax Income Trusts they showed us where they stood, they showed us their attitude towards raiding Seniors hard earned assets and a Conservative government will never allow either of these parties to get away with that.
Make no mistake. Canada is not a bilingual country. In fact it is less bilingual today than it has ever been.
After all, enforced national bilingualism in this country isn’t mere policy. It has attained the status of a religion. It’s a dogma which one is supposed to accept without question.
If you want to be a government in a minority Parliament, you have to work with other people.
I have no difficulty with the recognition of civil unions for non-traditional relationships but I believe in law we should protect the traditional definition of marriage.
My own views on abortion, I’m not on either pole of that and neither of the interest groups on either end of this issue would probably be comfortable with my views.
The world is now unipolar and contains o-nly o-ne superpower. Canada shares a continent with that superpower.
I don’t believe an Alliance government should sponsor legislation on abortion or a referendum on abortion.
I think the way to change it is to handle issues individually when it’s essential to do so.