Not just the name of the new Dave Matthews Band CD but the theme for the Conservative Party of Canada as they prepare for the next federal election. I have been asking for a while now that the Conservatives post videos of their prominent speeches to go over the heads of the MSM. Since they have done so it would be unfair of me to not point it out. Here is the video and text of the speech the Stephen Harper gave in Ottawa last week.
...Our message is that now, as never before, time to stand up for Canada. Time to finally elect an honest, principled government with vision – a vision that grabs the future and makes it ours.
The focus of this speech is less on Liberal corruption but more what the Conservatives would do if they were elected. This is exactly what I and other bloggers have been asking for, so thank you. At this point whoever offers a more compelling vision for the future will win.
...You know, that biggest problem with this Liberal government is that everything it does is phony. A grand strategy is proclaimed, an announcement is made, a deal is signed,
and eventually a cheque is cut to somebody somewhere. But, for ordinary people, there are never any results. Nothing ever actually gets done.
There is no better example of this than the Liberal daycare scheme. The Liberal government has promised to build a national system of institutional day care. They have no idea how much it will cost, but they’re willing to throw the first five million dollars into the hole. They’ll cut cheques to bureaucrats, experts and advocates. But at best a tiny minority of families will ever see the money, will ever get help.
As the summer unfolds, we will announce details of our plans. But make no mistake, Conservatives will give the bulk of the child care dollars to the millions of child care experts who already exist: their names are mom and dad. That is because we believe parents – not politicians – know what’s best for their kids.
(Emphasis added) Daycare is probably the single most important issue to my wife and I. Ww have chosen to have a parent at home to raise our two daughters. It goes without saying that we sacrifice significant earning power to do so. Our childrens upbringing is so importnat to us that we gladly do it. But we will not accept our tax dollars funding a program that discriminates against us. We cannot support a scheme that states that we are harming our children by raising them ourselves. It is beyond insulting. I think Mr. Harper hits the prefect note here - the child care experts do already exist - mom and dad. Ask my two daughters if they would prefer to have mom at home or to be put into an instutionalized daycare setting.
...Our program will have different parts, but the key will be that we will give families tax dollars for childcare – not raise taxes on parents. A Conservative government would give money directly to parents. We will provide a universal childcare payment directly to every Canadian family, regardless of where or how they choose to spend it. We will stand up for choice in childcare.
Sounds good to me.
The Conservatives also finally seem to be finding their feet after the Supreme Court decision on health care.
...Our approach will not centre on preserving one type of delivery and spending lots. Our approach will centre on serving the patient and achieving results.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on health care is a damning indictment of the Liberals’ health care record. As the court said, access to a waiting list is not access to health care.
A Conservative government will stand up for the health care access of ordinary Canadians.
Again, the right note. It is time to get beyond ideology in health care. What Canadians want is access to quality health care. The Supreme Court has pointed out what we already know - we are not getting quality health care. If a delivery mix is required to achieve better results then let us do it. Britain, France and Australia, amongst others, have proven that a delivery mix does achieve these better results. It is about time we got serious about examining this option.
Here is Mr. Harper on the environment.
...hundreds of millions of your tax dollars are being spent to buy hot air credits – credits literally as phony as three dollar bills. We’ll buy these from other countries, many with records far worse than Canada’s.
This money will not clean the Canadian environment, develop Canadian technology, or reduce the effects of this summer’s smog. This money will just transfer Canadians’ hard-earned wealth.
What we will do is take that money out of hot air credits, bring that money back to Canada, and put it toward tax credits for public transit users.
When it comes to real environmental results, we will stand up for Canada.
Again I am in agreement. The whole concept of Kyoto credits is ridiculous. It is a transfer of wealth not an environmental plan.
He also outlined the Conservative position on the following:
• The Senate of Canada should be modernized and occupied by those who are elected by the people they represent;
• The growing areas of Ontario and British Columbia are underrepresented by population in the House of Commons - and this situation should be rectified;
• And we need to do something about the fiscal imbalance, where Ottawa rolls in billions of dollars of waste, mismanagement and corruption – while lower levels of government struggle to provide essential services without going into debt.
A very good start to the summer BBQ season. Thanks again.
