A Coalition Lawn Sign

Earlier today SDA suggested that we call our local Liberal candidate and request a Coalition lawn sign.  That made me wonder what one of these signs would look like.

Here it is!

Coalition Lawn Sign

Can you hear it?  Sounds like the perfect metaphor for the Coalition to me.

The Most Regulated Province In Canada.

Quebec?  I don't have time to write this article but I certainly would like to read it.  Which province has the most regulations and red tape?  My guess is Quebec though I only have anecdotal evidence to back up my perception.  Is there a measure we could come up with to fairly compare provinces and cities in terms of the legal hoops businesses have to jump through?  Can we measure government intrusiveness into our personal lives?

This should contrast nicely with Maclean's front page expose that Quebec is the most corrupt province in Canada.  Critics have said that there hasn't been a fair comparison between other provinces, so lets compare them.  I would also like to see a measure of corruption.  How corrupt are our cities and provinces and how do they compare to each other?

My Guess is that Quebec will win both distinctions.  Most corrupt and most regulated may very well correlate to each other.  More ridiculous rules mean more people will not care to follow them.  This could breed a culture of backroom under the table dealings that don't stop at small time rule braking.  If you want people to follow the law, the law had better make sense.

Call it gateway corruption.  It starts with some ridiculous ordinance that is selectively enforced and it ends with cash stuffed envelopes.   

This is my theory.

Any enterprising journalists or bloggers care to test it?  If you don't you'll have to wait until I get around to writing it myself.  Please be fair.  I love Quebec and I don't want her unfairly tarnished.  Its important to acknowledge a problem if you want to solve it.

Meanwhile the Bloc strong armed parliament into a bill outside parliament's jurisdiction.  Free speech is not negotiable no mater what the HRC or the HOC thinks.  Sad and pathetic.  Would they do this for Alberta?  I think not.  Alberta should not be spared either.  Everyone should say what they have to say and its the merit and logic and veracity of those statements that shall be judged.  Its not important how offensive a statement is.  Its only important that it is true or false. 

I will be renewing my subscription Maclean's now as well.  They need the money to fight for free speech.  I let my subscription lapse through the summer but its time to renew.  Get your copies here.