What A Day!

What A Day!

FTLComm - La Ronge - November 8, 2000

personal
creed are repugnant
On the weekend I considered the candidates and what they have to offer me as a voter and I was very unfavourable of Brian Fritzpatrick of the Alliance Party. I have never met the fellow and no doubt he is a fine upstanding fellow, but those things that he upholds as part of his personal creed are repugnant and perhaps even offensive to civilised people.

fundamental principles
We really know very little about the man who is now leader of Her Majasty's Loyal opposition other than he was minister of finance from Alberta. Although I have made the odd joke about Albertan's often not tucking in the shirt tails, they are a vital and important part of Western Canada and one would assume that they might share many of the same values that we do here in Saskatchewan. Stockwell Day is an Albertan and hence should be okay, right? Today I received a simple synopsis of some of the actions and pronouncements of Mr. Day and if you are one of those who have thought perhaps he and his policies are perhaps making some sense for you, then it would be good idea to consider your own personal views on some fundamental principles.

death
penalty

Justice

In 1994, Mr. Day advocated the death penalty for teenagers convicted of first-degree murder. He has advocated American-style work camps for some
young offenders.

In 1997, he drew condemnation from all political stripes when, in a speech,
he suggested serial-child killer Clifford Olson should be dealt with by
fellow prisoners. "People like myself say, "Fix the problem. Put him in the
general (prison) population. The moral prisoners will deal with it in a way
which we don't have the nerve to do"."

abortion funding

Abortion

In 1988 Mr. Day said granting greater access to abortion would prompt a rise in child abuse.

"The thinking is," he said, "if you can cut a child to pieces or burn them alive with salt solution while they're still in the womb, what's wrong with knocking them around a little when they're outside the womb."

--from the Calgary Herald, June 12, 1995 Labor Minister Stockwell Day's comments arising out of the Legislature's all-Tory community services committee may have provided a defining moment in the debate over abortion funding in Alberta.

The Red Deer Tory, who proudly wears his Christian fundamentalist principles on both sleeves, declared Alberta health care should only pay for abortions required to save the mother's life.

Asked if that excluded a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, he did not waver, answering that medical necessity is the only grounds he would accept. "Women who become pregnant through rape or incest should not qualify for government funded abortions unless their pregnancy is life-threatening."

Homosexuality is a mental disorder

Homosexuality

--Calgary Herald, April 9, 1998
"The freedom for homosexuals to choose their lifestyle is there. But when I'm asked to legislate, in some way, approval of their choice, then I have a problem," he says. "How can I do this without a mandate to alter in public policy a centuries-old definition of what a natural family is?"

"The homosexual issue is a real source of concern because they don't know how far it's going to go," Day says. "There is a concern, yet to be determined, that it can't be stopped. These type of unknowns have people alarmed."

"The same people who don't want to see homosexuality in their sex education curriculum and same people who don't want to see gay parades in their city also say people shouldn't be fired just because they're homosexual. You know what? People miss this, but people are not being fired because they are homosexual."

"Homosexuality is a mental disorder that can be cured by counseling."

He has said homosexuality is "not condoned by God" and maintains being gay is a matter of choice.

--The Edmonton Journal, August 16, 1997
Alberta Treasurer Stockwell Day wants the Red Deer museum to return $10,000 in lotteries money because it is doing a study on gays. "We all make mistakes and they made a mistake in pursuing a project which purports to reflect the sexual choices of one per cent of the population," Day said in an interview.

Education

creationism over
evolution

From 1979-85, Day was administrator of the "Bentley Christian Training Centre" -- an independent school of 100 students and six teachers run by the Bentley Christian Centre, a fundamentalist Pentecostal church, 25 kilometres northwest of Red Deer. The Bentley Christian School taught the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum.

The ACE program was American-based and was rooted in a literal interpretation of the Bible. It taught creationism over evolution, for example. A 1985 government audit of the general curriculum concluded ACE students were rarely called upon to be creative, original or critical. The auditors were concerned the program created "a degree of insensitivity towards blacks, Jews and natives."

In newspaper articles at the time, Day vigorously denied the curriculum was bigoted in any way.

"God's law is clear," an angry Day told Alberta Report in 1984. "Standards of education are not set by government, but by God, the Bible, the home and the school."

Day refused in an interview recently to say if he still believes that.

South MLA Victor Doerksen created a stir when he called on the Government to remove all books from Alberta's school curriculum that demean God or Jesus Christ.

He produced the award-winning novel "Of Mice and Men" as a novel he considers unacceptable.

The book was brought to his attention by a Wetaskiwin man who was unsuccessful in getting it banned from schools. Doerksen introduced a petition from 881 Albertans wanting all education literature removed that is intolerant of religion, and profanes the name of God or Jesus Christ.

Labor Minister Stockwell Day, MLA for Red Deer North, supported the move.

Demoncracy

Those
pests

An portion of an editorial from 1995's Edmonton Journal.

So Stockwell Day is fantasizing "in kind of a blue-sky way" about canceling the fall sitting of the legislature.

The government house leader knows that too much democracy is a dangerous thing. "The longer we're in here, the temptation is too great to come with more laws and more regulation," he says. Even if the Conservatives resist the urge to work, Day believes the Liberals will fill up the empty hours with yelling. Those pests. His ears hurt. He wants to go home.

Why not shut down the legislature altogether, Mr. Day? The Alberta Taxpayer would save $15,000 for every day the door was locked. The new Dictatorship would never have to listen to questions, answer questions or debate public concerns. The opposition would not exist. It would be so quiet in Alberta, wouldn't it? You could go home to Red Deer North, and stay there, and never come back. Think of it.

Healthcare

cut by
30%

During his term in office in Alberta and as a member of the cabinet the Alberta health care budget was cut by 30% and premiums were raised to meet the shortfall.

Culture

eliminate all cultural subsidies

--Ottawa Citizen, June 8, 2000
"Stockwell Day added he would eventually end all taxpayer financing of CBC
television and eliminate all cultural subsidies to all cultural institutions
and individuals

Some other interesting Dayisms

minimum
wage

When elected in Red Deer North in 1986, Mr. Day made an evangelical-style
speech that made explicit his literal believe in the Bible. Mr. Day is a Creationist.

In 1987, he raised the hackles of women's groups when he disputed a Poll
indicating one million women had been abused physically, emotionally,
sexually or economically.

Mr. Day was appointed Minister of Labour in 1992. He made Alberta's minimum wage the lowest in the country.

He has called official bilingualism an "irritant" and questioned the effectiveness of sex education in the schools. "There is a growing body of literature suggesting that, as sex education becomes more comprehensive,
there is a corresponding increase in sexual activity."

lean and hungry look
The desire to Prime Minister of Canada has brought this man to the forefront and we have seen the press reacting to his intense lust for power. Apparently the quest for power is not one of this Albertan's strong points but it makes one wonder, would he fit Caesar's description of Cassius? "Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look, such men are dangerous."_{(William Shakespeare)}

Timothy W. Shire

What A Day!

FTLComm - La Ronge - November 8, 2000

personal creed are repugnant	On the weekend I considered the candidates and what they have to offer me as a voter and I was very unfavourable of Brian Fritzpatrick of the Alliance Party. I have never met the fellow and no doubt he is a fine upstanding fellow, but those things that he upholds as part of his personal creed are repugnant and perhaps even offensive to civilised people.

fundamental principles	We really know very little about the man who is now leader of Her Majasty's Loyal opposition other than he was minister of finance from Alberta. Although I have made the odd joke about Albertan's often not tucking in the shirt tails, they are a vital and important part of Western Canada and one would assume that they might share many of the same values that we do here in Saskatchewan. Stockwell Day is an Albertan and hence should be okay, right? Today I received a simple synopsis of some of the actions and pronouncements of Mr. Day and if you are one of those who have thought perhaps he and his policies are perhaps making some sense for you, then it would be good idea to consider your own personal views on some fundamental principles.

death penalty	Justice In 1994, Mr. Day advocated the death penalty for teenagers convicted of first-degree murder. He has advocated American-style work camps for some young offenders. In 1997, he drew condemnation from all political stripes when, in a speech, he suggested serial-child killer Clifford Olson should be dealt with by fellow prisoners. "People like myself say, "Fix the problem. Put him in the general (prison) population. The moral prisoners will deal with it in a way which we don't have the nerve to do"."


abortion funding	Abortion In 1988 Mr. Day said granting greater access to abortion would prompt a rise in child abuse. "The thinking is," he said, "if you can cut a child to pieces or burn them alive with salt solution while they're still in the womb, what's wrong with knocking them around a little when they're outside the womb." --from the Calgary Herald, June 12, 1995 Labor Minister Stockwell Day's comments arising out of the Legislature's all-Tory community services committee may have provided a defining moment in the debate over abortion funding in Alberta. The Red Deer Tory, who proudly wears his Christian fundamentalist principles on both sleeves, declared Alberta health care should only pay for abortions required to save the mother's life. Asked if that excluded a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, he did not waver, answering that medical necessity is the only grounds he would accept. "Women who become pregnant through rape or incest should not qualify for government funded abortions unless their pregnancy is life-threatening."

Homosexuality is a mental disorder	Homosexuality --Calgary Herald, April 9, 1998 "The freedom for homosexuals to choose their lifestyle is there. But when I'm asked to legislate, in some way, approval of their choice, then I have a problem," he says. "How can I do this without a mandate to alter in public policy a centuries-old definition of what a natural family is?" "The homosexual issue is a real source of concern because they don't know how far it's going to go," Day says. "There is a concern, yet to be determined, that it can't be stopped. These type of unknowns have people alarmed." "The same people who don't want to see homosexuality in their sex education curriculum and same people who don't want to see gay parades in their city also say people shouldn't be fired just because they're homosexual. You know what? People miss this, but people are not being fired because they are homosexual." "Homosexuality is a mental disorder that can be cured by counseling." He has said homosexuality is "not condoned by God" and maintains being gay is a matter of choice. --The Edmonton Journal, August 16, 1997 Alberta Treasurer Stockwell Day wants the Red Deer museum to return $10,000 in lotteries money because it is doing a study on gays. "We all make mistakes and they made a mistake in pursuing a project which purports to reflect the sexual choices of one per cent of the population," Day said in an interview.

	Education

creationism over evolution	From 1979-85, Day was administrator of the "Bentley Christian Training Centre" -- an independent school of 100 students and six teachers run by the Bentley Christian Centre, a fundamentalist Pentecostal church, 25 kilometres northwest of Red Deer. The Bentley Christian School taught the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum. The ACE program was American-based and was rooted in a literal interpretation of the Bible. It taught creationism over evolution, for example. A 1985 government audit of the general curriculum concluded ACE students were rarely called upon to be creative, original or critical. The auditors were concerned the program created "a degree of insensitivity towards blacks, Jews and natives." In newspaper articles at the time, Day vigorously denied the curriculum was bigoted in any way. "God's law is clear," an angry Day told Alberta Report in 1984. "Standards of education are not set by government, but by God, the Bible, the home and the school." Day refused in an interview recently to say if he still believes that. South MLA Victor Doerksen created a stir when he called on the Government to remove all books from Alberta's school curriculum that demean God or Jesus Christ. He produced the award-winning novel "Of Mice and Men" as a novel he considers unacceptable. The book was brought to his attention by a Wetaskiwin man who was unsuccessful in getting it banned from schools. Doerksen introduced a petition from 881 Albertans wanting all education literature removed that is intolerant of religion, and profanes the name of God or Jesus Christ. Labor Minister Stockwell Day, MLA for Red Deer North, supported the move.

	Demoncracy

Those pests	An portion of an editorial from 1995's Edmonton Journal. So Stockwell Day is fantasizing "in kind of a blue-sky way" about canceling the fall sitting of the legislature. The government house leader knows that too much democracy is a dangerous thing. "The longer we're in here, the temptation is too great to come with more laws and more regulation," he says. Even if the Conservatives resist the urge to work, Day believes the Liberals will fill up the empty hours with yelling. Those pests. His ears hurt. He wants to go home. Why not shut down the legislature altogether, Mr. Day? The Alberta Taxpayer would save $15,000 for every day the door was locked. The new Dictatorship would never have to listen to questions, answer questions or debate public concerns. The opposition would not exist. It would be so quiet in Alberta, wouldn't it? You could go home to Red Deer North, and stay there, and never come back. Think of it.

	Healthcare

cut by 30%	During his term in office in Alberta and as a member of the cabinet the Alberta health care budget was cut by 30% and premiums were raised to meet the shortfall.

	Culture

eliminate all cultural subsidies	--Ottawa Citizen, June 8, 2000 "Stockwell Day added he would eventually end all taxpayer financing of CBC television and eliminate all cultural subsidies to all cultural institutions and individuals

	Some other interesting Dayisms

minimum wage	When elected in Red Deer North in 1986, Mr. Day made an evangelical-style speech that made explicit his literal believe in the Bible. Mr. Day is a Creationist. In 1987, he raised the hackles of women's groups when he disputed a Poll indicating one million women had been abused physically, emotionally, sexually or economically. Mr. Day was appointed Minister of Labour in 1992. He made Alberta's minimum wage the lowest in the country. He has called official bilingualism an "irritant" and questioned the effectiveness of sex education in the schools. "There is a growing body of literature suggesting that, as sex education becomes more comprehensive, there is a corresponding increase in sexual activity."

*lean and hungry look*	The desire to Prime Minister of Canada has brought this man to the forefront and we have seen the press reacting to his intense lust for power. Apparently the quest for power is not one of this Albertan's strong points but it makes one wonder, would he fit Caesar's description of Cassius? "Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look, such men are dangerous."_{(William Shakespeare)}

	Timothy W. Shire