Kitchener Conservative asks: Is it Time For Garth To Leave Blogging Tories? The short answer is no.
Garth is a publicity hound. If he doesn't make it in politics, he will seek some other venue to stroke his enormous ego. Kicking him out of the Blogging Tories would only give him more attention.
Turner's tactics are questionable at best, and given time will likely backfire. His actions suggest that he is plotting a media career after he fails in politics. We all have our reasons for blogging, but if Garth self identifies as a Blogging Tory, so be it. The Blogging Tories serves as a blog aggregator, not an arbiter of opinion. I actually agree with him on some things. It his just his tactics I abhor.
However, if Turner is so concerned about all those Canadians who seem to have lost their life savings because of a decision to tax non-taxable investors, then his attention would best be directed at the financial advisors and DIY investors who put all their money into income trusts.
If you can't stand the heat of the stock market, then invest in GICs. Stock markets are inherently risky and that is why it is best to diversify your investments across asset classes. If Canadians ignore this fundamental tenet of portfolio management, they have no one to blame but themselves. Sure, Flaherty's decision hurt, but a diversified portfolio would have largely protected you.
Fundamentally, Garth is arguing against individual responsibility. He seems to want the government to guarantee people's investments. That would be an absolute disaster for the Canadian economy as capital would be allocated without any consideration of risk. Ultimately, the decision to tax income trusts has provided a warning to all investors that there is no sure thing. If you haven't heard it before, the best advice is don't put all your eggs in one basket.
