www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 2, 2008 - 11 Hands-off approach not working Continued from page 7 investment, attract jobs and increase wages. In addition, Canada must also shorten the timeline for innovations to find their way from the lab to the marketplace so that companies are able to see a quicker return on their investment, encouraging them to put even more money into R&D. Innovation is essential to the survival of our industries, but it can be an expensive undertaking. We want every company that puts money into R&D to be rewarded for innovating. To accomplish this, we would make the Science Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit partially refundable. This will encourage private sector R&D even when companies are not profitable in the short term. It was the Liberal government that took Canada from the annual $42 billion LETTER TO THE EDITOR Liberal leader's reckless comments Recently, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion showed all Canadians how he might govern as our national leader. On Jan. 16 in Quebec City he called for NATO forces to intervene in Pakistan. This reckless idea would expand the war into a nation that possesses nuclear weapons. Dion made his comments having just visited Afghanistan for the first time a week after going on record with The Manley panel that Canadian troops should be withdrawn from fighting the Taliban in February 2009. While there, he finally discovered what everyone already knew: the Taliban fights hit and run battles in Afghanistan from bases in Pakistan. As Dion is quoted in Canwest News services, in part, "We could consider that option with the NATO forces in order to help Pakistan help us pacify Afghanistan." The Government of Pakistan responded saying it was "dismayed by the statement of the leader of Opposition," and Pakistan's High Commissioner has warned "Under no circumstances will we allow any foreign forces to operate on our soil." A day later Dion claimed his remarks were misinterpreted. How? NATO is a military alliance, not a diplomatic one. It is important to remember how Canadian troops got into Afghanistan. Under pressure from U.S. President George Bush the Liberals sent the first Canadian troops into Afghanistan in 2003 with no debate in Parliament. More troops were sent by the Liberals over time totaling over 2,500. By 2005, they had placed our fighting young men and women in the front battle lines in Kandahar. Seventy-nine brave Canadian soldiers have died. It is also important to note that Oakville MP Bonnie Brown remained silent while her government escalated our involvement in Afghanistan. What would Stephane Dion do next if he was in power? It is impossible to predict. But, when a leader suggests expanding a war into a sovereign nation that possesses nuclear weapons and then denies he said so, all Canadians should be alarmed. TERENCE H. YOUNG CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE FOR OAKVILLE. deficits of Brian Mulroney and set our finances straight. In this era of intense global competition, we understand that Mr. Harper's strict adherence to free market text book theory is not a winning strategy in the real world. Sadly, Mr. Harper has also chosen this same hands-off approach to dealing with global warming and environmental issues. Environment Minister John Baird gave Canada an international black eye at last month's climate change negotiations in Bali where he joined the United States and aggressively fought the rest of the world in a selfish and short sighted attempt to water down the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol. A total of 190 countries met in Bali to negotiate a framework for the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol. As a result of pressure from the United States and its Harper co-conspirators, the final agreement only contained vague, imprecise targets for developed countries. It does not reflect the targets and timelines that were contained in the report by the Nobel Peace Prize Winning International Panel on Climate Change. It had called for reductions to 25-40 per cent below 1990 levels for developed countries yet no specific targets were included in the final Bali agreement. Mr. Baird's performance may have won kudos in Washington, but it has damaged the international reputation of Canada and worse, has set back global efforts to fight one of the most pressing crises facing humanity. I look forward to participating in the debates on these and other issues, and will do so with the values in mind that we as Oakvillians share. As always, please feel free to communicate your ideas to me. I appreciate your input. Come Discover theDifference f "Nurturing Excellence in a Christ-Centred Academic Environment" · A music program that trains vocal & instrumental groups. · Extracurricular opportunities that meet the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual needs of all students. · Fully networked computer lab and SMART BoardTM technology utilized in Grades 5-8. · A family atmosphere. · On-site before & after school care. OAKVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL · A science program that produces regional science fair winners every year. Sat., Feb. 9 112 Third Line, Oakville OPEN HOUSE 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. OAKVILLE TEENS YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!!! Do you: · Think teens get a bad rap? · Want to make a difference in your community? · Need community service hours? · WANT TO WIN AN i-POD??? Here's your chance to help with a special project! 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