Tom Young

During my Thursday edition of “The Afternoon News,” the same phrase surfaced over and over again during our discussion on what Canadians should be doing to accommodate this country’s immigrants.

The question is: “What is Canadian culture and do we even have one?”

Maple syrup, the noble beaver, the maple leaf, Hockey Night in Canada, Tim Hortons and back-bacon.

Is that what we’re about?

We don’t even have one official language in our country.  We have two — so I guess that’s part of it.

We became a country in 1867.  We didn’t have our own distinctive flag until one-hundred years later and it took almost one-hundred years to decide on the correct lyrics which would best suit our national anthem. 

Is that part of it?

We’ve got ten provinces — each with a distinct education system.  What’s wrong with having one system that will work for all?  Is that part of it?

According to a recent nation wide poll conducted by SES Research, more than half of us would want limits on accommodating incoming minorities.  Is that part of it?

Our culture is what it is.  It’s you, it’s me, it’s more than thirty-million of us from all corners of the globe — who’s ancestors decided there had to be a better place.

They came here. 

We’re black, we’re white, tall and short, fat and skinny, young and old and we’ve all made our own contribution.

So what gives us the right to say to those who want to do the same thing that we and our ancestors did?

Come on in, but we may not be willing to grant you the same freedoms that we’ve come to enjoy since the first members of our families got off the boat in Halifax.

Oh, by the way, I have to stop for a medium double-double on the way home.

I’m Tom Young.

I can’t ever remember reading an article which I hoped was more wrong than the one I read in Tuesday’s Toronto Star.

The Star’s Ottawa Bureau Chief, Susan Delacourt suggests there’s evidence that we’re going to see a fall federal election.

She alludes to the fact that the Tories already have two buses being used for the Ontario provincial election and two other buses are being painted up and plastered with a picture of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, all ready to hit the road in less than three weeks.  

According to the article, Conservative party insiders have been told to “get ready.”

Parliament is soon to be recalled and there will be a speech from the throne outlining what the Prime Minister hopes to accomplish during the next session of parliament. 

The Bloc Québécois have already staked out their position.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion has staked out his party’s position, and Jack Layton says his New Democrats will wait and see what the Fall budget contains.

In order to survive and govern another term, Mr. Harper needs the support of one or more of the opposition parties — and more and more it appears support will not be in the cards.

It should be noted that recent polls put both Liberals and the ruling Conservatives in a virtual tie at about thirty per cent, give or take a percentage point.  The Prime Minister understands that the relevancy of the Bloc in Quebec is diminishing in leaps and bounds and buoyed by his party’s results in three recent Quebec bye elections, Mr. Harper can see today’s minority becoming tomorrow’s majority.

If he’s right, then the three-hundred million dollars it’ll cost tax payers to fund another general election would be money well spent from a Conservative perspective. 

If he’s wrong, the three-hundred million dollars would be a colossal waste of tax-payer’s money to turn “today’s minority government” into, “tomorrow’s minority government.”

We must all hope the article in Tuesday’s Toronto Star was wrong.

I’m Tom Young.

There’s a great idea currently being floated by some of those who live in Halifax… 
…Change the name, so the old becomes new again.

What’s with this “Halifax Regional Municipality” stuff?

For more than twenty years, I lived in the small New Brunswick town of Renforth.  For a little more than the past five years, I’ve lived in Rothesay New Brunswick — but I didn’t move there. 

Some years ago, the provincial government in New Brunswick decided for various reasons that a number of small towns and villages should lose their identity and become one.

We didn’t become the “Regional Municipality of Rothesay,” we became the Town of Rothesay — so that when people asked us where we lived, the answer was simple — Rothesay.

At some point in the future, all the towns and villages which surround the city of Saint John may someday be amalgamated into one.  The one thing I know for sure, it won’t be called the “Regional Municipality of Saint John.”

Do they call it the “Regional Municipality of Toronto?”  Of course not. 

Do they call it the “Regional Municipality of Montreal?”  Of course not.

When Ontario cities Port Arthur and Fort William became one, did they call it the Regional Municipality of Port Arthur and Fort William?  Of course not.

They called it “Thunder Bay.”

When you ask New Brunswickers where they’re going for the weekend, is their answer “I’m going to the Regional Municipality of Halifax?”  Of course not.

Let’s get over small town thinking.  Amalgamation is a way of life, it’s been ten years or more since Halifax became the vibrant city it is today.  Let’s take the name “Regional Municipality” and put it on the curb with the rest of the trash.

Like it or not, the people who live around the city, live in Halifax — and there’s nothing wrong with that name.

I’m Tom Young and that’s what I think.

If you’ve spent any time watching television for the past couple of years, you have to know what Texas Hold-em’ Poker is.

It’s the card game with two cards down and five cards up — and you can bet as much as you want.

Millions and millions of dollars are won and lost on Texas Hold-em’ games on many Internet sites which you can access from your very own home.  I’m wondering if the current public debate on proposed recommended changes at UNB Saint John aren’t unlike our game of Texas Hold-em’.

In this game there are two players.

New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham gets two cards down and those who want things to remain pretty much as they are at UNBSJ also get two cards down.

They bet.

Then comes the flop.  The flop is three cards at the same time turned up for all to see.

They bet again, and keep raising the stakes.

Then comes what’s called “fourth street” or the “turn.”  It’s the forth card that comes face up for all to see.

They bet again, and raise the stakes even higher — but this is where we all find out that the deck is stacked against us. 

It now becomes a hybrid of Texas Hold-em’.  Under normal circumstances, the fifth card or the “River card” turns up and can be played in both hands — but not in this game.

The river card in this game is a wild card and can only be used in one of the two hands.

Guess which one?

The Premier has said, “The status quo is not good enough.” 

He has also said his government, “Is prepared to pay the price in the second year of their mandate.” 

If that doesn’t sound to you like the discussion is over — well, it sure does to me.

I’m Tom Young and that’s what I think.

There are really only two things members of parliament have to do…

Number one — Get themselves re-elected.

Number two — Never admit you’ve done anything wrong.

A case in point — The Agent Orange debacle and the clawback of money from Canadian service men and women injured while serving this country with distinction.

For proof, you may look no further than the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 

Since taking office, Mr. Harper has been obsessed with getting re-elected in a majority government.  While his chances of getting re-elected might be a little better than fifty-fifty — his chances of reaching his desired majority are about the same as the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup.

Now, for never having to say you’re sorry — how about the treatment of many of our ex-service personal? 

They use the years 1966 and 1967 in the Agent Orange compensation scheme.  It means quite simply — we can blame the big, bad Americans by saying they sprayed at CFB Gagetown during those years, and they’re right.  So, what about the years before?  What about the years after when the Americans had nothing to do with it and yet the spraying continued?

To say less than forty-five hundred people are possibly eligible for compensation is a kick in the teeth to the tens-of-thousands of others who worked, trained and lived on the base in all of it’s other years.  What about the civilians who lived adjacent to the base who had easy access to it while the spraying was being conducted? 

Why not really step up to the plate and admit previous governments, both Liberal and Conservative, perhaps knew what was going on, condoned what was going on and in knowing so — did nothing?

Lets tell Canadians the truth, what a novel concept!

Say simply: “Your government was wrong and for this — we apologize.”

You know something?  …It just might work…

Why is it necessary for Canadian men and women, who willingly gave of themselves in our armed forces,  to have to resort to class action lawsuits to gain the compensation which should automatically come to them without having to go through the court system.

As for our men and women still in the service, what’s this about making them pay for their own disability insurance? 

Say it isn’t so.

I’m Tom Young and that’s what I think.

I made a promise to myself last week to watch the two hour Brian Mulroney CTV special last Sunday night.  Keeping the promise was one of the hardest things I’ve done in a long time. 

I’ve always watched TV as an escape.  I love the sports, I certainly use it as a source of information and, from time to time, my wife and I enjoy the occasional network show.  Had it not been for her encouragement, it would have been easy for me to turn away and say I’ve had enough.

In watching, Brian Mulroney just reinforced what I’ve known for many years — He couldn’t escape the shadow of his predecessor the late Pierre Trudeau and as such, Mulroney is a now a bitter, bitter man.

Brian, It doesn’t make any difference to Trudeau anymore.  He’s gone to meet his maker and you’ve got to get on with other things.

History will make the determination on which of you was the better Prime Minister and which of you better served the needs of the people of Canada. 

Right now Trudeau appears to be the winner.

What Pierre Trudeau thought of you and what he said about you in the whole scheme of things means precious little.  You still have a contribution to make to Canada, but until you can get rid of your bitterness, it isn’t going to work.

Mulroney has recently released his memoirs — covering life his time in politics. 

His life I care less about, his time in politics I find very interesting, but I’m not going to make the promise to read the entire book.  I will in fact buy it.  It will be on my bedside table and I’ll do my best to struggle through it.  However, if the pages are as full of bitterness as the two hour television special was, I can guarantee — I won’t make it through to the end.

Mr. Mulroney — Get over yourself and move on!