Posted on 12/04/2005 6:38:02 AM PST by fanfan
Prime Minister Paul Martin should put his money where his mouth is. Or, to put it another way, maybe he should plant his assets where his heart is.
Last Tuesday, the opening day of the two-month-long election campaign (heaven help us all) Martin declared: "I love Canada."
Well, that's good. We expect that would be the sentiment of the vast majority of Canadians.
The intention of his proclamation was to throw aspersions on Conservative party Leader Stephen Harper who gave a very long-winded response to the simple question: "Do you love Canada?"
The question itself is curious, of course, and points to an intense central media bias against anyone who is not a Liberal. The implication in the question is that non-Liberals don't love Canada.
It is a contemptuous question and assumption.
We don't doubt that Martin loves this country.
After all, it's arguably the best country in the world, despite the weather.
But there are varying levels of love so let's look at just how much Martin really loves his country.
Martin has lowered the Canadian flag on his Canadian Steamship Lines freighters and hoisted up other flags for crass profiteering.
That might suggest that Martin and his fabulously wealthy family care more for the almighty dollar than they do for their country.
Canadians would have reason to be outraged if outside of Stornoway, the official residence of the leader of the Opposition, the flag of Barbados or Vanuatu flew there instead, so that the resident could avoid paying Canadian taxes.
But that is exactly what Martin did and his sons still do with CSL.
They simply have to hoist up another country's flag and bingo -- it's tax freedom day forever!
How do you like that brand of patriotism?
For the past 12 years, millionaire Martin has refused to lower the taxes of over-burdened Canadians and yet he and his firm and his family get a tax-free ride. It's a real slap in the face to hard-working middle class Canadians.
By lowering the Canadian flag on seven of his CSL tankers, Martin's family firm has saved untold millions of dollars in Canadian taxes.
By raising these so-called flags of convenience, Martin also saved many more millions of dollars by allowing him to flout Canadian labour laws and pay his crew members a fraction of what Canadian crews would have to be paid and also to violate more stringent Canadian environmental laws.
Martin can wax eloquent and cry crocodile tears over his love of Canada. His actions clearly show a man who cares more for his own bottom line than he does for the well-being of his country.
Canada Ping!
Please FReepmail me to get on or off this Canada ping list.
Excellent Backhoe.
I bow down before 'The Keeper of The Links!'.
;-D
Great job, FRiend.
BTW, Keeper Of The Links ( KOTL ) is probably better than Keeper Of Odd Knowledge ( KOOK )...
LOL.
Yeah I did a LOL when I read that as well.
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