Rod Taylor - CHP Deputy Leader

Did you ever see a dog chasing a car and wonder what the dog would do if it was able to catch the car? Sometimes those who seek change in the political arena are like that dog — they enjoy the challenge of engaging in debate or of confronting media and government, but they never expect to actually have an impact or to see that their ideas are taken seriously. We often see opposition parties who have adopted a constant attack mode as if they do not believe the government capable of making a single good decision.

We shouldn’t be like that. At least once in a while, the elusive car we’re after will put on its brakes and screech to a halt. Then we’ll have to step forward in a calm, dignified, orderly manner and respond appropriately. We ought to expect our good common-sense ideas to be taken seriously. We ought to expect intelligent elected representatives to listen to their constituents. We ought to expect that the pursuit of high ideals and worthwhile projects should result in positive change.

We had such a case the other day. The federal government, in the Throne Speech, indicated that they were going to change the national anthem to make it politically correct. Alarm bells went off — for us and many other socially conservative Canadians — as concerns for the loss of the cultural and moral values that helped to shape our nation were voiced. What changes exactly were being proposed? Why? And by whom? What other changes were being contemplated? Bloggers hit the keypads; polls and Facebook groups were launched. Within three days, public announcements were made that the proposal to change the national anthem was being dropped. The car had stopped.

We ought to be thankful and we ought to express this to the Prime Minister. Thankfully, this is one example of politicians listening. We don’t know the motives for the proposed change but we know why the proposal was dropped: lack of public support, vocal opposition, and a determined and energetic response by bloggers, media and citizens.

This is a lesson we should not soon forget — because we have other issues at stake more serious than our anthem. 100,000 babies continue to die in Canada each year with no law to protect them. Destructive sexual lifestyles are being promoted in our public schools. Governments are spending taxpayers’ dollars at unprecedented and unsustainable levels.

We need to challenge these travesties with the same vigour and determination as a dog displays when chasing a car. What if the car speeding recklessly through our neighbourhood suddenly stops? We should not act surprised. We should be prepared to step forward with sound, workable policies, with gracious words of reconciliation and with creative solutions to the complex challenges that face lawmakers today. After all, our purpose is not simply to joust with those with whom we disagree. We’re here to help them make good choices for the future of Canada. Let’s be ready.

Better solutions begin here.

Jim Hnatiuk - CHP Leader

In response to this Montreal Gazette article, CHP Canada party leader Jim Hnatiuk said: “Polytechnique survivor, Heidi Rathjen, calling the scrapping of the long-gun registry “a scandal” is disingenuous. Heidi is using the death of others to serve her anti-gun agenda but studies have repeatedly shown that it’s responsible gun ownership, and not wasteful state controls, which will better protect our citizens.”

Hnatiuk says he speaks from experience because he is a survivor and eye witness to the murder of his mother with a high powered rifle at the hands of his father. Jim recalled the November evening in 1956, how his father came home after supper to kill the entire family of ten: the inerasable, horrific memories of the screams, the hiding, the shots at his older brother and finally the suicide of his father.

Hnatiuk says, “The introduction of CHP Canada’s firearms policy will help prevent subsequent mass murders in Canada, such as the Polytechnique Massacre. Had just one of those students or instructors been properly trained and carrying a handgun who can say how many of those fourteen female students could have been saved.”

“Firearm ownership should be the right of every law abiding Canadian citizen,” says Hnatiuk, “and CHP Canada is willing to openly fight for the right of responsible Canadians to protect themselves, as government must ensure security, freedom and justice for all its citizens.

“Studies repeatedly show that proper firearms training enhances safety, allows people to be aware of their obligations and responsibilities, provides safety and is a deterrent to violent crime and home invasions. In deadly situations calling 911 is useless. No police officer could have arrived in time to save my mother, but neither could a police officer have arrived to help my siblings and me, had 911 been available.”

Hnatiuk applauds Bill C-391; he looks forward to it passing its third reading and seeing the billions of dollars saved going toward real measures that will protect families.

Check out CHP Canada’s platform on “the right to protect home and family.”

Ottawa. 23 February 2010: A new private member’s Bill titled ‘Sanctity of Life’ will be introduced in the upcoming Parliament, the purpose of which is to initiate a nationwide ad campaign to “Make Life Your Choice.” The ad campaign will encourage adoption instead of abortion and hence provide a compassionate alternative for women facing unanticipated pregnancies. The Member of Parliament introducing the Bill explained that while Canada faces an urgent demographic decline, the solution is straight forward: protect the future citizens and give real meaning to Canadian compassion by providing them a home with the thousands of parents in Canada waiting to adopt a child. He went on to say that this is the first in a series of family related Bills he’s planning to introduce.

Jim Hnatiuk - CHP Leader

This, of course, is the type of breaking news Canadians can expect once the first CHP Member of Parliament is elected, which may be sooner than some believe.

So, what was the breaking news of February 18, 2010? Just the resulting outcome of twenty years of ignoring repeated warnings about the looming consequences of Canada’s low birth rate coming in the form of a report submitted by Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page. His report warns that the major demographic transition to an unsustainable declining birth rate may actually be underway.

Is there a point in reminding Ottawa that they were forewarned? Absolutely not. The current parties in Parliament have already celebrated their success on the life issue by allowing Henry Morgentaler to be awarded the Order of Canada, and they simply do not see their past decisions as being responsible for any resulting demographic havoc. Even if they did, it would be political suicide for them to admit it.

Instead, their leaders will each devise a strategy to show Canadians how his party will save the day amidst the problems associated with a demographic decline. The usual “solution” proffered will be more immigration. And while this plays well to today’s voters, it does nothing for the long-term demographic health of the country. Research shows that immigration is not the panacea it is touted to be. The average new immigrant is in their mid thirties. By the time Canadian children who are aborted today would be entering their peak production years, the new immigrant is entering their retirement years. Coupled with declining fertility, it is impossible for immigration to keep up. And we haven’t even mentioned the loss of GDP from all of the missing children and their place in the economy. One thing is clear, current government strategies are woefully inadequate to tackle this huge impending crisis.

Social and fiscal conservatism in Canada is very much alive, but those who hold such views no longer have a voice represented in the House of Commons. The Liberals do not have a leadership problem; they have a platform problem, because Mr. Harper has their platform and doesn’t plan to give it back. This conservative void in the House of Commons is real and can only be filled by a party that is truly conservative. CHP Canada is the only federal party that will unquestionably and uncompromisingly stand to represent conservatives across Canada.

The abandoned pro-life groups, free speech activists, traditional marriage supporters, and those pressing for balanced budgets and smaller government are the only ones that can put an end to the story by putting their support en-masse behind the team that will unashamedly represent them. That team is CHP Canada, and it’s time we all stood together on a platform of moral integrity and fiscal responsibility.

Let’s get the job done!

Jim Hnatiuk - CHP Leader

Would any of us sell our children into slavery to feed our appetite for good things today?

Only a self-centred, uncaring, heartless person would do such a thing. What kind of life-threatening, desperate situation would you or I have to be in before agreeing to something like that?

The Prime Minister recently announced at the World Economic Forum that the theme for the upcoming G20 summit in Toronto this June is to be “Recovery and New Beginnings.”

What kind of “New Beginnings” is he talking about? He reiterated at the economic forum that to feed our appetite for good things today, his government will be borrowing from our children and grandchildren’s future — otherwise euphemistically known as “stimulus spending.” Our children’s future, rather than being one of hope, will be servitude to high levels of government taxation as they pay back our debt. What kind of parent would do that to their children?

So what life-threatening, desperate situation is our Prime Minister in that makes him willing to increase the burden of debt, already resting heavily on our grandchildren, beyond the current $500 billion? The “New Beginning” he now endorses is that of G20 nations increasing their national debts as a means to correct economic downturns worldwide. Mr Harper has discovered his latent inner socialist: that if you promise to give people something…from the government… they are deluded into thinking that it needn’t be paid back. We eagerly grasp the gifts of the government without considering that somebody, someday, will have to repay the debt. Mr Harper’s desperate situation is retaining the power which he has come to enjoy. Maybe enough gifts on the backs of our children will buy him a majority government.

Canada needs a new beginning. But the “new beginning” that Canada needs is only found in CHP Canada’s approach to economic recovery which would:

• allow the market to correct itself
• seek to downsize government
• reduce corporate and business tax
• protect national interests over global ones
• stop borrowing money from chartered banks
• utilize the Bank of Canada to create interest free money for infrastructure

Paying off debt is always more painful than borrowing. Why should our grandchildren’s future be stolen to pay for reckless government spending today? Choose accountability. For Better Solutions visit www.chp.ca

Rod Taylor - CHP Deputy Leader

It has often been said that the first casualty in war is truth. In the latest suicide bombing in the culture wars, Michael Ignatieff has lobbed an old hand grenade into Stephen Harper’s nearby forces. As the old joke goes, it remains to be seen whether Mr. Harper will pull the pin and throw it back.

It began with the Prime Minister’s announcement that his government would seek to improve health outcomes for women and children around the world. That’s called “saying it without saying it.” He did not specifically mention abortion (or “reproductive services,” as the Ministry of Truth likes to call it). His comments raised red flags for many in the trenches who seek an end to Canada’s decades-long war against the unborn, both at home and abroad.

It’s true that the announcement deserved some footnotes or qualifiers. But for those on the left, a pause in the conversation is a great reason to start talking, even if they have nothing to say. Mr. Ignatieff waded in on the probability that Mr. Harper — contrary to all past statements and actual history of his behaviour in Parliament — was certainly planning an all-out offensive against abortion, and demanded that he specifically include access to abortion and contraception in his promise to aid impoverished women and children. (How the deliberate killing of children can be seen as coming to their defense he left up to the imagination of his audience. That audience being his Liberal caucus, they did not stumble over this inconsistency, but roared back their approval.)

The Liberals are running out of room on this one. To their immediate left, the NDP and the Bloc have already staked their claim. Their claim is the unequivocal demand that any baby can be killed in any womb, for any reason, at any time. Their claim is that a football player like Tim Tebow should not hug his mother on public television in support of a woman making a life-affirming choice (after all, there could be children watching!).

On the Liberal’s other flank, the Tories have been quietly moving their lines. The uniforms — once clearly distinct on issues such as these — are now a pathetic blend. Camouflage is the colour of choice, and choice is the rhetoric of the day. When the party in power refuses to stay politely behind their lines, refuses to defend the unborn, refuses to own up to its supposed agenda, well, it’s hard to know where to attack. The fact that Stephen Harper, in three separate campaigns, has advanced stealthily on the Liberal position and taken it has Mr. Ignatieff crying foul. Mr. Harper’s assurances to the unquestioning public in 2008 that he would expect his cabinet ministers to vote AGAINST any legislation restricting abortion seems to have missed the Leader of the Opposition. Or perhaps he lives in wistful remembrance of the days when political leaders could be expected to speak clearly and forcefully about their convictions. If so, he needn’t waste his ammo on the Prime Minister. He could end up in a “friendly fire” situation.

If Mr. Ignatieff wants to attack a political party committed to defending the unborn and supporting young women as they struggle to make choices they won’t regret, he will have to get over his “Harper hang-up.” He’ll have to go after CHP Canada, the only morally and fiscally conservative party still on the field, the only party committed to defending innocent human life “from conception to natural death.” Mr. Harper may be waiting to see which way the wind blows, but we in the CHP understand that it’s never wrong to do what’s right.

Now Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff should get together and decide: who will be the leader of their new party? For all the rest of you, you can find our Better Solutions at www.chp.ca

Ron Gray - Former CHP Leader

A recent headline in the National Post asked: “Drugs made in China: opportunity or threat?” The story noted that Canada’s pharmaceutical industry is looking very hard at lower production costs in China–and that Health Canada seems to have few, if any, objections.

Really?

I can’t help recalling that recent shipments of goods from China have included lethal melamine in pet foods, neurotoxic lead-based paint on children’s cribs, and neurotoxic cadmium-coated trinkets for toddlers.

Some Chinese manufacturers, in fact, were recently executed for adding melamine to infant formula.

China’s pharmaceutical industry is reported to be the world’s fastest-growing, soon to surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest producer of prescription drugs.

“China already has more than 2,500 drug regulatory departments with varying powers and controls–and a record of circumventing rules,” writes Peter Worthington.

Perhaps the problem the news story should highlight is the rather loose way in which Health Canada and the Food and Drug Directorate control Canada’s pharmaceutical industry. The majority of the testing to get drugs approved for sale is not done by Health Canada, but by the pharmaceutical manufacturers themselves. It has been suggested that some manufacturers have conducted scores of tests, seeking to isolate the two or three with the best results for submission to Health Canada.

With proposals to outsource the production of Canada’s medicines to an industrial environment with a very uncertain regulatory environment, it’s time for a complete review of how such products are produced, tested, and approved for distribution in Canada–regardless of where they are made.

Jim Hnatiuk - CHP Leader

The Harper government’s prorogation is similar to a move in chess called castling. Castling is a special defensive manoeuvre designed to protect the king before he is attacked. It’s the only time in the game when more than one piece may be moved during a turn and it, ideally, takes the opposition by surprise.

However, most social and fiscal conservative Canadians are not surprised by this strategic move in Harper’s chess game. You see, ever since Harper came to power three years ago, conservative lobby groups have been utilized as sacrificial pawns in his game to win a majority government. As a result, these hard working groups have been made to sit powerless on the sidelines, virtually unheard regardless of the number of letters sent or protests made on Parliament Hill.

It was interesting to see, on those same grounds of Parliament, the combined NDP/Liberal protesters gathered in the cold last Saturday over the actions of the same administration that has abandoned social and fiscal conservatives.

Periodically during chess the attacker will manoeuvre strategically in hopes to later take out one or more of the bigger players. This was the case in November 2008 when the Prime Minister announced that he would save Canadians $28 million a year by cutting off the public funding of political parties. The Liberals and NDP saw the writing on the wall and, to prevent Harper’s pending checkmate, they made a desperate move of their own by uniting with the separatist party in an attempt to overthrow the government.

One must start to wonder…what’s in all of this for Canadians? The answer to that is simple–NOTHING. The game they are playing is not about helping Canadians or our country. It’s all about POWER.

The fiscal and social conservative pawns sacrificed to date have been: free speech advocates,pro-life groups, traditional marriage supporters and those pressing for balanced budgets and smaller government, to name a few, all for the sake of political manoeuvring to better position the Harper administration to gain power.

My message to those who are truly socially and fiscally conservative is this: CHP Canada is the only conservative party left in Canada. We believe that the purpose of civil government is not to play Machiavellian games but to work to ensure security, freedom, and justice for all its citizens from conception till natural death by upholding just laws. To that end we have not and will not abandon our principles and we anticipate welcoming you aboard.

Jim Hnatiuk - CHP Leader

Each day since the disaster, thanks to modern technology, we’ve seen the suffering in Haiti: the pain of children unable to find their parents, the pain of parents who have lost their children, the lack of medical facilities and the challenge of distributing aid. We see sacrificial giving by those on the ground. We see looters creating more chaos.

Many families and friends of Canadians are affected. They have a testimony to share, and they are thankful for the aid Canada has given and continues to give. We should be providing help, and in good measure.

How well is Canada doing at this and how is it possible to gauge our performance? I hear and read about the measure of support from around the world. I’m pleased to hear of the many ships, planes, relief workers, military personnel, food and medical supplies each country is providing. I also hear about the lack of response from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Cuba, atheist organizations and the like. But should any of that be our gauge? I think not.

If neither those who provide help, nor those who withhold help should be our standard, then what should be the standard for aid from Canada?

A question each Canadian should be asking is, “If this happened to my town, my city — if the situation was reversed — am I (and are we) giving as generously to Haiti as I would want others to give to me (to us)?” Then, respond accordingly.

We see it time and time again: during catastrophic times such as 9/11, the Asian tsunami, hurricane Katrina and many other disasters, both citizens and leaders turn — run — to God for an explanation, for wisdom, for a miracle, for an answer. We cry out, “Why did this happen?”, “Help us bring healing.”, “Help us bring order to disorder.”, “Help us restore peace to this chaos”. It’s a remarkable phenomenon! Or is it?
Our leaders and all Canadians can thank God that our nation has been blessed and continues to be blessed with an abundance which allows us a great capacity to give, to heal and to restore.

Let this not only be a time for those who are hurting in Haiti to run to God. Let this be a time for our Governor General, Prime Minister Harper and all of our leaders to truly reflect on their responsibilities to govern Canada in a manner that is pleasing and acceptable to the same God that they, and everyone else, run to during such a perilous time.

Let’s act with humility, as this is not an opportunity for a government, political party or individual to seek personal gain. Rather, giving aid is an obligation and responsibility that we should carry out with gladness and a thankful heart.

Jim Hnatiuk - CHP Leader

If I was able to defend in court a person’s God-given right to hunt every day of the year, say, in order to feed his family, this would open the door. If the court ruling also struck down the restrictions on the ‘bag limit’ (the number of animals killed), this would be an added bonus. After all, a lot of the politicians and judges like to hunt so I could target who I lobbied. It would still be a very hard court case to win, but then again, if I fought long and hard enough, I just might win eventually.

People would then need more guns, ammunition, clothing and they would appreciate coming to a store that has qualified employees. My sales would sky rocket and I could very well become independently wealthy in a very short time. I could open up franchises in other provinces. Just think of the money I could make!

This strategy could be very lucrative, but also highly controversial. Animal activists and environmentalists would be outraged, and the media attention and threats from activists would be very stressful on my life. But my arguments in favour of these new hunting laws are sound and I could stress how this helps parents bond with children, teaching safety and responsibility, and how it helps low income families. Of course, there would eventually be the decline in the animal population to deal with, but politicians could probably avoid dealing with the cause because it would have become too controversial. Instead they could promise to create animal farms at tax payer expense and/or look at importing other species from abroad. After all, Canada certainly has the wilderness to accommodate such an endeavour.

As most readers know, this money making strategy has already been proven very successful in Canada, and I would simply have to be corrupt and dishonest enough to want to do it. Possibly, in the middle of it all, I might even start believing that what I was doing was a good thing — I couldn’t imagine winning the Order of Canada, but one never knows!

Planned Parenthood is being dishonest with women and has made the killing of unborn children a 167 million dollar empire at tax payer expense. Wow! Think of the money! Politicians avoid the controversial issue and treat immigration from abroad as a humanitarian effort instead of a method of correcting the decline in human beings.

Henry Morgentaler fought long and hard in court, and in 1988, he finally won. Today, he is rich. He has baby killing franchises in many provinces and was awarded the Order of Canada.

My plan to kill more animals was, of course, hypothetical. But indiscriminate killing of unborn babies in Canada is real. It is being done simply to make money — and a lot of it. It’s also barbaric. Canada is the only country in the world with no law on killing unborn babies. An unborn baby can legally be killed the hour he or she was meant to be born, and with the exception of a few, all members of parliament are able to cash their six digit pay cheques knowing that they are going to do nothing about it. I challenge every one of those members to attend just one partial birth abortion and then try to sleep at night! They feel no shame. Their silence on this matter is selfish and sickening!

CHP Canada would de-fund Planned Parenthood, revoke Henry Morgentaler’s Order of Canada, and restore sanity to parliament by making the mother’s womb once again the safest place on earth for the unborn child.

Jim Hnatiuk - CHP Leader

Yesterday I was challenged with the comment, “If the CHP is really serious about winning …. then let us see some promises that amount to something!” My challenger then went on to give me some sample promises we should consider…

“Promise to remove the G.S.T. and the Federal government’s part of the H.S.T. across the nation and promise a standard of living for all the poor that matches the cost of living in the country.”

I say, sir, the CHP will do much better than that! We’ll instead remove all federal income taxes both personal and corporate, gift, estate, and capital gains, and replace them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax! This makes taxation simpler and much more sensible, instead of paying taxes on what you earn; you would pay on what you spend. Now, to ensure that this tax is fair, all taxpayers will receive a monthly subsidy, called a “pre-bate,” to offset the tax on bare necessities. So, low-income families would end up paying no taxes at all. The wealthy that buy and spend a lot, would pay a lot. “Fair Tax” rewards productivity and better protects the very low income earners. Consumption based taxation is widely recognised by economists to be the most equitable form of taxation, hence its name, the “Fair Tax”.

Another promise he suggested we use was to “raise the Old Age pensions and Canada pensions in a method that keeps up with a cost of living and give stay at home mom’s Canada pension benefits.”

Once again, sir, CHP Canada will do much better than that! We’ll instead overhaul the broken Canada Pension Plan with a new Personal Income Security Account (PISA). This proven plan will provide a portable investment portfolio, vested in the name of each worker, for health, employment, and retirement income. This proven plan adopted by Chile has shown that those Chilean workers who chose this investment plan are now retiring wealthy — and Chile has become an economic powerhouse in Latin America because of the pools of investment created.

As for the stay-at-home mom, CHP Canada would do much more than just pension benefits. We see the married two-parent family as the most important foundation of society, and as such, deserves protection. CHP Canada’s Family Friendly Childcare Allowance would provide $1000 per month to any family where one of the parents chooses to stay home and raise their children-until age 18. Now that’s real childcare and true recognition of the importance of the stay-at-home mom.

Another of my challenger’s suggestion was to “bring in a law that will confiscate all assets of those who gain financially through crime, such as swindling by white collar workers, the sale of street drugs, and any other criminal activities in which profit is made.”

Under the Criminal Code of Canada, the government does have broad powers of seizure, but this is not the full picture of what criminal justice in Canada should accomplish either. The CHP would require criminals to make restitution to the victim, who is all too often forgotten in today’s justice system.

He said promise to “make the Senate … elected positions.” Yes, again, we agree! That is CHP Canada’s position.

CHP Canada provides Canadians with sound federal political solutions, unfortunately, as with this gentleman, most Canadians have yet to find this out. That is where each CHP member comes in. Our solutions are not complicated; they only need to be communicated. Let’s all work to show Canadians that the Spin stops with CHP Canada! We’re not all politically minded but we can all communicate CHP Canada’s basic, better solutions. Our national team is always glad to help you present it clearly. Make it your New Year’s project to present our better solutions to those who don’t know about the CHP.

For a more comprehensive read of our platform check out our Better Solutions at www.chp.ca