Omar Ha-Redeye responded to Martin Regg Cohn’s piece in the Toronto Star, Tories beating Liberals at their own game of ethnic politics,

Martin Regg Cohn claims that Liberals are acting hypocritical by criticizing the Tories’ “ethnic strategy.” Except there’s one very important difference between the two parties. The Liberals actually enact policies that help ameliorate obstacles that ethnic groups face in Canada.

It’s the Conservatives that would cut immigration, especially from non-white countries. It’s Conservatives that deny the existence systemic barriers that marginalized groups encounter in the Canadian workforce. And in the name of smaller government and lower taxes, the Conservatives will slash the programs that help create better balance in our system.

Political parties value loyalty and dedication far more than token support for the leading party of the day. If a few minorities switch to the Conservatives for a patronage appointment or other selfish benefits it will be a loss to all Canadians, regardless of who wins the election.

Transcript here.

A pdf version is available here, and a statement from the White House here.

And on that note, see Belief in Conspiracies Linked to Machiavellian Mindset,

New research suggests people are more likely to endorse conspiracy theories if they would be willing to personally participate in such a conspiracy.

A nearly 500-pages long document by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s own Conservative Party collecting damaging quotes has been released to the public.  The Harper Quotation database was prepared by Conservatives to help prepare for positions on which Harper could be attacked.  It’s release should spell trouble for the Conservatives, especially if opposition parties use it effectively to hold his record to the microscope.

The cover page states,

Dear Nancy,
Attached is the latest supplement to the Harper Quotation database. Mike has told me that the higher ups no longer what (sic) the database transferred electronically, so unfortunately a hard copy is going to have to do. There’s nothing really new here, it’s pretty much a collection of previously expressed opinions and sentiments worded in a slightly different manner. Those that have to potential to be the most problematic are the quotations dealing with health care.
Cheers,
Meredith

HarperLeaks – The Complete Quotes Dossier
(more…)

Hoskins Statement on Voter Intimidation

See more at The Globe:

Any honest discussion of multiculturalism must include an acknowledgement that some Canadians, including those who trace their origins to the Caribbean, Africa or even our diverse aboriginal communities, are routinely ignored because of perverted perceptions of their economic worth.

And that, in a nutshell, is the sad and uncomfortable truth about this election campaign: In the eyes of the major parties, some of us ethnics count more than others. Although most of us abhor that bigotry, we are still being manipulated to think along those lines.

For background, see Does the Vertical Mosaic Still Exist? Ethnicity and Income in Canada, 1991,

Race is now the fundamental basis of income inequality in Canada.

See the whole thing here, with links here.

Stephen Harper wants to scrap our health care system.