The word down here is

[Col Tigwell]

If you have an early election, and the libs get in, there is a good chance that the C17 and C130J's could be cancelled.

My goodness what can they be thinking

Regards

Col

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

If the Libs get back in, I'm leaving, permanently! I don't think they will, though... people seem pretty pleased with Harper, and I think they're tired of the prospect of yet another Quebec-based PM; Dion's election may be his downfall. Time will tell.

Harper HAS matured, and has demonstrated tremendous leadership. I'm SO proud of what he's accomplished to-date, and that's not just the conservative in me talking. He's a good man.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
If the Libs get back in, I'm leaving, permanently! I don't think they will, though... people seem pretty pleased with Harper, and I think they're tired of the prospect of yet another Quebec-based PM; Dion's election may be his downfall. Time will tell.

Harper HAS matured, and has demonstrated tremendous leadership. I'm SO proud of what he's accomplished to-date, and that's not just the conservative in me talking. He's a good man.

And if that is not cool enough ,his old lady drives her own Harley...

There has got to be some good in that...

Quote....

Nonetheless, "it's been a great year for the family," he said, and all are adjusting well to life at 24 Sussex -- especially his wife Laureen.

When Fife asked Harper whether he has ever taken a ride with Mrs. Harper on her motorcycle, the prime minister said no.

"You got to worry a little bit about image, I don't want to be on the back with my wife driving," he said.

And he is also writing a book on hockey...
This guy,"Steve" Harper has lots going for him...
See what he says about G.Dubya calling him "Steve" here...

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Not shy about revealing his soft spot towards cats, Harper said he recently adopted a kitten -- an orange tabby named "Cheddar."

Since moving into 24 Sussex, Laureen Harper has been fostering stray cats through the SPCA.

"I lost my favourite cat Cabot about three years ago, who passed away in an unfortunate accident just outside of Stornaway. So I finally got over that and adopted a young kitten," said the prime minister.

"I'm not sure he knows his name yet but he seems to like everyone. He's the happiest cat I've ever seen, he likes everything and everybody."

How could you NOT vote for anyone like this...

[rob love]

Of course, if you listen to the CBC, or any of the other liberal friendly media (thats just about all of them) then you would think that the Conservatives and the Liberals are neck to neck. The last poll someone took just before Christmas placed the LIberals at 31%, with the conservatives at 34%. They quote the 3% margin of error as meaning they are tied....I like to think that the conservatives are 6% ahead.

The last time the Liberals cancelled a conservative contract for helicopters, they ended up paying almost half the contract value in penalties, and later the full value again for the same helicopter but without the same balls and whistles. What shrewd business men these guys are.

While a good portion of the Cdn public isn't so keen about the war in Afghanistan, they are for the most part 100% behind suporting the troops who are there. Hopefully this will be the last time our men have to go to war with 16 year old 4 cylinder softskin trucks as the front line combat vehicle.

[dougiebarder]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
If the Libs get back in, I'm leaving, permanently! .

Just out of interest, where are you going to move to? The whole world seem's to be taking over by lefties and liberals! You'd think they's at leave the rest of us somewhere to go.
It's getting so ridiculous here, that there's been a news report today about people complaining that a university Christian union insist's it's members are Christian's.
When do we move?

[Gordon Yeo]

In this issue of the Legion Magazine there is an article on how the U.S. State Department is taking the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and applying it to Canadian contracts with such gusto that it may slow down or hinder contract deliveries of new aircraft and helicopters. Perhaps that is why there are rumours of contract cancellations. Gosh maybe we will have to start buying more European equipment for lack of choice!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by dougiebarder
Just out of interest, where are you going to move to? The whole world seem's to be taking over by lefties and liberals! You'd think they's at leave the rest of us somewhere to go.
It's getting so ridiculous here, that there's been a news report today about people complaining that a university Christian union insist's it's members are Christian's.
When do we move?

The Caribbean, Panama perhaps? The weather's certainly better and the cost-of-living is affordable... we'll see what develops. There are others besides me thinking the same, some of your countrymen as well. I can run MLU from anywhere with an internet connection.

[Darrell Zinck]

Originally posted by Gordon Yeo
In this issue of the Legion Magazine there is an article on how the U.S. State Department is taking the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and applying it to Canadian contracts with such gusto that it may slow down or hinder contract deliveries of new aircraft and helicopters. Perhaps that is why there are rumours of contract cancellations. Gosh maybe we will have to start buying more European equipment for lack of choice!

Hi Gordon

Yes, interesting article. Maybe we should shop elsewhere. Non-US Military kit is as good and sometimes better and we wouldn't have to go through hassle of dealing with a wishy-washy US administrative process.

I will post the article for those who don't get Legion Magazine (And just why not??).

U.S. Barriers Hamper Our Military Spending

by David J. Bercuson

Canada has said it will buy new strategic-lift aircraft like the Boeing C-17 but regulations in the United States are making it difficult.Over the past decade or so, the United States has often complained about Canada's foot dragging on defence matters. The Americans had two chief beefs: first, that Canada was engaging in virtual unilateral disarmament; second, that Canada was failing to bear an appropriate share of what they refer to as the Global War Against Terrorism.

Now that Canadian troops are heavily engaged in the fight to block a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan--Canada is one of the very few North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries that has imposed virtually no caveats on the use of its forces there--the second of those two charges is no longer heard.

As to the first, the U.S. was openly pleased at the substantial defence budget increases first promised by the Liberals in March 2005. They were practically ecstatic when the government of Stephen Harper piled on even more promises of defence spending increases in the 2006 budget.

So what has Uncle Sam been doing to smooth the way for Canada to acquire billions of dollars of new transport aircraft, helicopters, and other major pieces of kit? It has been making it more difficult for defence contractors based in Canada, whether Canadian, U.S. or off-shore owned, to bid on or to fill contracts for U.S. products. Moreover, it is trying to impose U.S. law and U.S. standards of security on Canadian government employees working in Canada alongside Canadian contractors. It is rather bizarre behaviour for a friend, even stranger when that friend should be out to do everything it can to help ease Canada's effort to rebuild its military.

The problem is centred on a very important but rather obscure set of rules adopted by the U.S. a long time ago called International Traffic in Arms Regulations or ITAR. These regulations have a laudable purpose. They are designed to ensure that U.S. military technology (or so-called "dual use" technologies that have both civilian and military applications) is not transferred, either deliberately or inadvertently, to parties whose interests run counter to those of the United States. They consist of a strict set of rules applied to exports of U.S. weapons systems, parts, technologies, software, etc., which determine to which countries such exports can be shipped and who may have access to them when they arrive. There is a proscribed list of countries. The U.S. is especially worried about dual citizens whose other nationality is of a proscribed country. Heavy penalties are imposed on anyone who breaks the rules.

Canada was virtually free of any ITAR restrictions until 1999. That meant that for all intents and purposes, defence contractors based in Canada were treated on the same footing as U.S.-based contractors. But in the spring of 1999, the U.S. State Department, which controls exports of U.S. munitions, unilaterally changed the rules for Canadian-based companies. The State Department claimed that Canada had become pretty lax in allowing individuals who were potential security risks to gain access to U.S. military technology.

The U.S. move was a potential disaster for Canadian defence contractors. Although denying the U.S. charges, Canada moved quickly to patch things up by making sure that Canada's Export Control List was fully consistent with U.S. regulations and that all Canadian citizens who had access to imported U.S. defence products would, effectively, be vouched for by the Canadian government. Some Canadian-based defence contractors simply avoided the problem altogether by ensuring that employees with "sensitive" dual citizenships were switched to other projects. By 2001, the problem seemed resolved.

Then came 9/11.

In the past five years, the State Department has clamped down on its interpretation of the rules to the point that it wants even employees of Canada's Department of National Defence who are already security cleared to be covered by the regulations. According to a story first published by the Globe and Mail in May, U.S. helicopter contractor Sikorsky (which is building the new maritime or ship-board helicopters due to finally replace the Sea King) asked the Department of National Defence to fill out a form for every DND employee working on the helicopter project. They wanted such information as citizenship, place of birth, passport number and, if applicable, dual passport country. DND refused.

Last fall both the Globe and Mail and U.S. trade publication Defense News reported that the State Department's new "get tough" approach to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations was proving a significant stumbling block to the intended purchase by the Harper government of CH-47 Chinook medium/heavy lift helicopters and the Boeing C-17 strategic-lift aircraft. The delay in the purchase of the Chinooks is particularly problematic when Canadian troops in Afghanistan are being hit so often while road-bound in supply convoys.

Put simply, both the Canadian and U.S. governments are fully aware that neither the Canadian federal government, nor virtually any of the provinces, has any legal right to discriminate against potential employees on the basis of their dual citizenship. To do so would be an obvious violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial human rights laws.

What this conundrum now amounts to is that the United States, which has long complained about the deterioration of the Canadian military, is putting a condition that is deeply offensive to Canadians, and probably also illegal, on Canada's ability to rebuild its military forces with kit that is U.S.-origin. It is as unfair as it is ill-advised.

At some point, a new modus vivendi over the ITAR will have to be worked out between the two governments, but the longer the delay, the greater will be the unintended consequences. And if the compromise is once again upset by a unilateral clamp-down from Washington, the long run damage to Canada-U.S. defence relations could be incalculable.

http://www.legionmagazine.com/featur...rs/07-01.asp#4

regards
Darrell

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Bloody hell, it's the Avro Arrow all over again, just in a different dress.

[alleramilitaria]

you have to understand that the state dept is full of stupid, yes i said it stupid left winger carier service personell that you cant fire or move. it seems that they are in a world that if you just continue to talk to people long enugh they will stop killing each others and make nice love to each other. just look at james baker "just talk to iran and they will stop killing americans". the entire dept of state is there to undermine any idea of the right. its kinda silly. its just like the UN in new york.

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
The Caribbean, Panama perhaps? The weather's certainly better and the cost-of-living is affordable... we'll see what develops. There are others besides me thinking the same, some of your countrymen as well. I can run MLU from anywhere with an internet connection.

Caribbean? Just remember my old landlord and friend Bill O'Brien (we shared his communal house back in the late 1970's) along with his lady friend, her son and his girlfriend, were visiting Bill's brother in St Vincent's (around 1989? Can't recall the year) and they were enroute on a boat trip visit to another island (like the expensive la-de-da boats the rich play with) and they dissapeared for good. Never been found as far as I know. The story is they were likely pirated and the boat was scuttled. Bill stood over 6'5" and I guess his size was no match for pirates with guns and things if thats whats happened. I think Bill and them were headed to Martinique, unless I have it backwards and they were going the other way. Either way, Bill and his friend and kids did not come home ever again

You sure you want to live around there? I hear piracy and boat scuttling are par for the course ... drug running? Is this so?

Karmen

[alleramilitaria]

and on some islands even having a .22 shell is a looooong jail term

A bit of a bio on my friend Bill O'Brien. I'm still searching for any old news about their disappearances and the searches, though.

O'BRIEN, Bill
Bill O'Brien was born in Princeton in July of 1943. The son of a miner, he went to school at Tsolum on Vancouver Island, at John Oliver High in Vancouver and at Como Lake High before attending Everett College on a football scholarship. He also played defensive end for the UBC Thunderbirds. His 1969 novel, Summer of the Black Sun (November House, 1969), features a protagonist named Billy Louper in the Green Lawn Mental Institution (Riverview Mental Hospital) narrating a memoir about high school athletics, his medical student days and his incarceration. O'Brien had a varied work background before becoming a Vancouver realtor.

[BCBW 1992] "Fiction"

[dougiebarder]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir
[B

You sure you want to live around there? I hear piracy and boat scuttling are par for the course ... drug running? Is this so?

Karmen [/B]

I've always fancied a wartime motor patrol boat, after I saw one on holiday in the states somewhere. I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to re-equip one. :idea:
Then we could just cruise around in the sun and sink a few pirates-just because it's in the public intrest doesn't mean it shouldn't be fun.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by dougiebarder
I've always fancied a wartime motor patrol boat, after I saw one on holiday in the states somewhere. I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to re-equip one. :idea:
Then we could just cruise around in the sun and sink a few pirates-just because it's in the public intrest doesn't mean it shouldn't be fun.

Yer a good man, Dougie! I'll be your weapons artificer. I really do like machineguns...

[alleramilitaria]

a while back there was a aircraft carrier on epay.

Actually, you should survive meetings with pirates if you always eat your Vegemite and carry many spare jars in a Vegemite belt on your person, so you can be strong and ready to toss them at the pirates. That'll stop 'em cold and then you can take THEIR boat and give it back to whoever they stole it from and you can collect the reards. See, you'll have that side income to top up your main income! Brilliant!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir
Actually, you should survive meetings with pirates if you always eat your Vegemite and carry many spare jars in a Vegemite belt on your person, so you can be strong and ready to toss them at the pirates. That'll stop 'em cold and then you can take THEIR boat and give it back to whoever they stole it from and you can collect the rewards. See, you'll have that side income to top up your main income! Brilliant!

Maybe we could create a new TV series called "Jif the Pirate Hunter". We could make some serious dough, the murricuns would love it...

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
Maybe we could create a new TV series called "Jif the Pirate Hunter". We could make some serious dough, the murricuns would love it...

I'm sure the scared tourists in the Carribean would love it too

Originally posted by dougiebarder we could just cruise around in the sun and sink a few pirates-just because it's in the public intrest doesn't mean it shouldn't be fun. [/B]

You're on. Go get the boat and a hunting we will go