Would you invite this man into your party? Conservatives urge caution. (Courtesy, www.conservative.ca)
So Dean del Mastro came over to sit beside me at my desk in the House, looking profoundly unhappy. He said he knew I was trying to humiliate him, because he was in the car business.
The MP for Peterborough is usually dishing it out loudly from his seat at the back of the Conservative benches, but as I blogged hours ago, he was apparently wounded when I reminded MPs that we are as trusted by Canadians as used car salesguys. Don’t be, I told him. It’s a fact, demonstrated by several surveys. And so long as politicians like Stephen Harper keep lying to people, it will stay that way.
Dean was also upset I published a picture of his car, which I only noticed because it was taking up half the parking lot at the Justice Building. Well, I said, it would never had made it onto the blog if you had not tried to disrupt my speech in the House. Apparently the word “consequences” has not been covered yet in the Tory caucus.
Dean went back to his desk, and his laptop, and pounded out the defence that I published here.
Meanwhile, despite Mr. del Mastro’s long face, I actually had a good day. The Conservative Party web site (which is only about Liberals) decided to attack me again, publishing an out-of-context quote which evidently proves I hate my colleagues. It was accompanied by an extreme closeup of a publicity picture I had done for a speaking tour in 1995. I guess they have yet to learn about Google down there in the basement of the CPC world headquarters. Or, gee, maybe they were trying to make me look like a crazed dork.
Concurrent with that was an unusual flaring of anti-Garth sentiment on a number of ther prominent pro-Harper sites, where I was called both dog crap and a stalker. Always a good sign of being effective, I would say.
Hey, and requests for Town Hall meetings have flooded in from Alberta, BC and across Ontario in the last 24 hours, which all have Esther scrambling. Already she’s plotting the logistics of nine of them in the next few weeks, and just firmed up an Ottawa gig – Tuesday June 5th. Just to make that one more interesting, the two of us have booked a meeting room in the Parliament Buildings themselves, so people from the region can come and talk about income trusts, taxes and politics. Yes, I will be inviting Mr. Flaherty.
Meanwhile, Parliament is spinning out of control. Question Period is a series of incendiary questions which provoke personal and professional insults. Virtually no worthwhile legislation is being seriously debated. Committees are disintegrating as the poison of partisan politics spreads. Conservatives walked out entirely on one, and today Mike Wallace, the Tory whose riding abuts mine, made a fool of himself by talking for three hours in order to prevent a committee from hearing witnesses that might have dissed the government. So much for openness and accountability.
The place is a mess. Summer will come and put it out of its misery, but I wonder what the Harper Administration – clearly out of gas now that an election could not be called – will be offering as its vision when September rolls around. Already they’ve burned through three slogans (“The Five Priorities,” “Canada’s New Government” and “Getting Things Done for All of Us”), had one major cabinet shuffle, two tax-increasing budgets, as many failed environment plans and broken more promises than John Baird has teeth. They’ve spent more money than any government in history, and just declared the second-largest province to be a nation – all to get votes. And yet, Canadians ain’t buying. They’re not in a mood to give anybody more power.
So, yeah, it’s a great time to get out of town. Once we all start believing anything that happens in the House of Commons matters we’re all, well, dog residue.
129 comments ↓
Be happy Garth. You are having a profound effect on the neos and the government in general .
del Mastro has a lot of nerve to brace you about behaviour as his is childish in the extreme and not fit for the comedy hour .
This light will keep on shining exposing the dorks in every compromising
position .
You win . They lose .
Hi Garth, If you come to the greater Vancouver area can you let us know where and when. I would really like to attend a town hall with you speaking but am unable to organize or do anything but donate. Regards
This is what is to be expected of a government that has no integrity.
Canadians are starting to see this and they are not happy.
Thank you Garth. You always make my day. And as an ex-tory I take comfort in the fact that what exists as Harperite conservative party is not truly conservative.
No true conservative would be caught dead acting like the clowns in the “new” government.
With all these town halls, you should be rolling in the dough. People are drawn to your positive message Garth.
Bill
In the matter of clairvoyance … OR …
HOW DO YOU SPELL $TINKER00$
Cost of new tanks $1.3 billion, double initial estimate–MURRAY BREWSTER–CP
May 17, 2007
“OTTAWA — Canada’s purchase and long-term support of 100 slightly used Leopard 2A6 battle tanks will be $1.3 billion — roughly double the Conservative government’s initial public estimate last month.
As he detailed a laundry list of military hardware the Conservative government plans to buy over the next few years, Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor surprised the Commons by announcing there will be a 20-year, $650-million service contract attached to the tank deal.
“The capital acquisition is $650 million and the support for 20 years is about $650 million; about the same range,†he said in reply to an opposition question during debate over Defence Department estimates.”
Perhaps the defence minister can reassure us all that this purchase will meet rapid deployment force needs.
Are they amphibious?
C-17 with drag chute can deliver 1 per.
For the invasion of Saskatchewan?
Air-to-air refuelling? For the tanks?
NO $STOOPITT, for the C-17′s!
What are the details of the maintenance contract?
BTW, how did we buy the C-17′s? Hey, listen $STOOPITT, you ask to damn many questions.
Er, we bought the C-17′s on an emergency basis without competitive bidding.
On whose say-so?
On Grumpy O’Connor’s say-so!
Are we ‘armed to the teeth’ now?
Tell Grumpy O’Connor to put his teeth in
SONOVABEECH…Finally arrived in Cuba, just outside Ottawa…electronic relay monitoring station. Update from H o C yesterday … awaiting an answer which will not be forthcoming.
Philosophically, I’ve always been a Progressive. I am a fiscal conservative who believes in tightly-managed finances.
I fear, with some justification, PMSH and coterie have tossed that aside.
I have a feeling, lurking in the current background, is a mess of mammoth proportions authored in/by public works, defence and consulting contracts.
New Film: Grumpy Gordon O’Connor’s Baby
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070517.wafghantanks05181/BNStory/National/home
“Details of the proposed long-term maintenance program were not available Thursday night, but a spokeswoman for the minister, Isabelle Bouchard, confirmed the existence of the support contract.
The official did not explain why the Conservative government broke with its long-standing practice of rolling both the purchase price and long-term support costs into one package.
The latest estimate does not include the price tag of all of the new equipment the Defence Department has purchased over the last few months specifically for the mission.”
Scratch Cards are available in support of this ‘new film’ depicting the ‘new’ government’s spending policies titled, “We couldn’t possibly see this coming.”
If you’re lucky at scratch, you get a picture of a slightly used Leopard 2A6 battle tank.
You’re all getting pretty ridiculous on the Hill these days, and whenever the place breaks for summer will be a good day.
There is certainly damn little for MPs to be proud of these past two weeks.
I’ve stopped watching.
I’ve got a copy of the ‘blacked out submission’ under access to information, provided by the finance department of James, flim-flam dim-Jim Flaherty. It’s entirely noteworthy that flim-flam dim-Jim opines that ‘leakage’ is a condition suffered by ‘the incontinent elderly,’ while Brian Pallister, finance committee chairman, tried to suggest that the elderly WERE GUILTY OF ACTING UPON incorrect and improper investment advice. The Conservatives on the finance committee –Diane Ablonczy (Calgary), Rick Dykstra (St. Catharines), Mike Wallace (Burlington) and Dean del Mastro (Peterborough) – all voted against the move, (to have flim-flam dim-Jim Flaherty appear before the finance committee) but were outgunned.
Let’s replay the promises: IN THEIR OWN WORDS… ‘We are supporters of income trusts and we oppose tax measures that would raise taxes on income trusts.’ Conservative finance critic Monte Solberg Jan. 12, 2006
‘A Conservative government will. . . Stop the Liberal attack on retirement savings and preserve income trusts by not imposing any new taxes on them.’ Conservative federal election platform (pp 32) Jan. 13, 2006
Is it any wonder why the Canadian People now find Harper’s Bizarre totally UNTRUSTWORTHY?
The ‘new’ government—Destruction by Decree team
Is my nose shiny and shimmering?
Harper’s Bizarre
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/39/HarperStephen_CPC.jpg
flim-flam dim-Jim Flaherty
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/39/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpg
I’m in control here Pallister
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/39/PallisterBrian_CPC.jpg
That’s what THEY’RE saying Ablonczy
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/39/AblonczyDiane_CPC.jpg
I had two days training for this Dykstra
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/39/DykstraRick_CPC.jpg
Wanna buy a some windows/doors Wallace
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/39/WallaceMike_CPC.jpg
Low mileage, MISSING odometer Del Mastro
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/39/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpg
Posting a picture of a personal item of your opponent is not very professional. It seems that we are losing our Canadian way of politics – where personal lives were protected and only public lives were examined.
But, do I expect professionalism from some of our politicians? Of course not.
More comments on that dumb bad-aaasss flim-flam dim-jim Flaherty, thanks to Diane Francis in today’s Financial Post.
Ottawa didn’t do homework on trusts
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/columnists/story.html?id=6d1ca5a2-fff2-40f7-8ed9-566c81c8f694&p=1
“In a rare public comment, David Hennigar, scion of Nova Scotia’s storied Jodrey empire, has criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s poor policy track record.
“Our government doesn’t understand what’s going on and is accentuating, accelerating and enabling the hollowing-out of the senior corporate world of Canada,” he said in an interview.
In the past, however, politicians consulted with business to determine effects of proposed draconian policies. Not this time, Mr. Hennigar said. “The problem was the government’s paranoia about checking with anyone about the policy, so they didn’t because of what the Liberals had gone through the previous year.
“The math [about tax leakage] will never be made public because there isn’t any,†he said. “It’s a shared belief among a certain number of civil servants and the Finance Minister.”
Former Tory blasts Flaherty for tax hike
Hey, this man’s nose ISN’T SHINY OR BROWN AND HE DOESN’T HAVE A PREENER!
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/09d961d7-46d8-4570-83dd-936c1d939816/turner.jpg
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=a41e823a-e514-4761-a3a7-41259e762afc&k=75382
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b-aVDy6JfQ
Hi Garth, things really are getting dysfunctional in the HofC, as well as Committees.
And sadly, all 4 major parties are contributing to the partisan atmosphere (although the 3 opposition parties did make some common ground on the amended Clean Air Act. But since John Baird is refusing to bring it back for third reading, I can see why you made your comment).
In addition, I know that the House of Commons and our Electoral System is designed in such a way that the Government and Opposition Sides are suppose to bring up the concerns of their constituents, as well as other practical consideration on any piece of legislation.
Once that been done, it’s time to find a way to improve the legislation and put it to a vote. So ya, even when partisanship is lacking, they’ll still be disagreement. But ya, disagreeing with the arguments of a political party just because they’re a certain political party is definitely partisanship.
And last, would you consider writing an article on this blog as to the symbolism conveyed in the HofC (the fact that the speaker always enters with a Mace and then puts it down,for instance)!
Meanwhile, Parliament is spinning out of control. Question Period is a series of incendiary questions which provoke personal and professional insults.
This is wonderful news, I cannot wait until it self destructs, other than a handful of MPs who are interested in their constituents and are basically powerless, the best thing that could happen is the government (all parties) grind to a halt and the citizens come together and throw them out on their collective ears. Personally I think being the government is akin to a license to steal. The more we give them, the more they spend. Like a few of the present government members, MPs will become so fat, they will explode.
A good sign for our country.
Garth
Do you think Harper could shut down the session early and not bring the members back till after Oct 10. They would then control the message and shut down dissent
†I have overcame a lot to be where I am, and I have not forgotten where I came from or whom it is that I was sent here to stand up for.
Dean Del Mastro M.P. – Peterboroughâ€
He’s alive…..he’s alive. That was quite the dissertation you wrote on Garth’s blog in support of the vehicle you are presently driving….perhaps you could devote the same number of words in defence of why it is that Canadian have lost $35 billion dollars and an important investment VEHICLE in the process and all they have received to justify this broken promise was 18 pages of blacked out documents. After you’ve finished with that dissertation, perhaps you could then go on and explain why Flaherty wants these 18 pages back. Look forward to your post.
If you’re to busy why don’t you get your colleagues on the Finance Committee to “craft” a response for you. How about Brain Pallister (who by the way is grsooly coonflicted to sit on this committee whenever the topic of income trusts comes up because his family is in the insurance business and we all know its the insurance companies that want to kill income trusts so that they can sell theie wares to the captive seniors of Canada…stuff like life annuities and Manulife’s Income Plus…..talk about a GROSS CONFLICY OF INTEREST)or Diane Ablonczy (who when asked about the threat to companies like Telus and BCE resultant from her government’s trust policy that stood in the way of them converting and left them vulnerable ot takeover by foreign private equity who will structure theior ownership so as to pay no taxes in Canada whatsoever, said: “I think that’s an a;armists view of what will happen” two weks later, it did happen as KKR bid for BCE, or Mike Wallace or Dykstra.
Look forward to your edification ans enlightenment.
You are right, the Conservative site is all about the Liberals.
By linking to the ‘contact us’ everything goes to the office in Ottawa.
In contrast the Liberal site actually discusses policies. The ‘contact us’ page gives one the option of contacting any number of liberal sites.
I would love to have put a comment in the Conservative inbox but they require detailed information before you can send it. That’s a bit scary with the way this government is attacking our elected officials. Call me paranoid but are they going to go after citizens who disagree with their policies next, non-partisan or not?
Our government has become an international disgrace.
The MP with the old car probably like vintage cars and was insulted by the perceived attack. It’s no wonder considering the climate of fear that the Harper government has fostered, everything that is said to them they appear to consider abusive. Maybe putting up the picture of his car wasn’t very nice, he at least can afford a car, unlike many of us and it did seem to be in good condition.
It would be nice if the government would just get on with the business of running the country. Our aboriginal people need some serious attention right now, so do our children needing daycare and our seniors. The war in Afghanistan and the environment factor in there too.
Good job Mr. Turner. Keep exposing the Conservative attacks against all MP’s.
Hi Garth, I applaud your efforts at organizing town halls across Ontario (and now it seems, across Canada, too). As you know, they are a great way to bring people together and give them a chance to express their views and exchange their ideas with each other and with their political representatives.
I am the Ottawa area and am available to assist on June 5. Let me know. You have my e-mail address.
-R
Excellent, thank you. The big ‘E’ will be in touch. — Garth
Garth says –
“So long as politicians like Stephen Harper keep lying to people, it will stay that way.
Another stupid comment intended to impress your forgetful flock Garth ??
Liberals lie through their teeth every chance they get. For you to deny this Garth is a lie. The list of liberal lies would be so long, I wont even try to write it. You are transparent to me.Have you seen the “Anyone but Garth” campain in Halton yet ???
Yeah, hell, I started it. Who would want this insane job? — Garth
Garth;
I read about the incident here and from other sources.
You have no class.
If I was a used car salesman I’d be insulted too.
I don’t think any party can buy votes anymore. I don’t really care who is PM, whoever it is will renege on their promises and give themselves a raise in the process. I think it’s time to give libertarians a shot.
Garth, you must be hitting pretty close to the mark for the CONs to be so pissed at you. Keep it up.
One thing I’ve learned in my travels is that people who have sacrificed their individuality in the quest for power have a natural tendency to make things personal to defend their position.
Just thought I’d mention it.
Not going to happen. Doing it means he’d have to go to court.
This explains the CPC tactics in Committees
Don Martin: Tories have book on political wrangling
Once we all start believing anything that happens in the House of Commons matters we’re all, well, dog residue.
- Garth
This is one Canadian who wants to “stoop and scoop” and put the CPC in with dog residue so..
So Messrs Dion, Duceppe and Layton…oh dog poop, how many time have I, and others, said this? Maybe these three need a trip to the audiologist, ’cause they’re not listening!
Halton John shouldn’t be so smug. He really needs to keep up to date on “truth” issues.
Don Martin has written an article in the National Post (read it on National Newswatch this morning) – he’s gotten a hold of Harper’s playbook. 200 pages of how to disrupt committee hearings.
Yup, Halton John, keep your brainless head in the sand.
By haltonjohn on 05.18.07 7:53 am
Getcher used car deal hyar!
89,000 Reasons to be Vigilant About Odometer Readings
http://www.garth.ca/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/dean22.jpg
According to numbers put together by a U.S. based company called CarFax.
CarFax estimates that odometer fraud in Canada costs Canadians approximately $3.56 million per year.
Halton John: My taxes are paying your sallary John. Get back to powdering Steve’s nose right away. And when your finnished with that, help Steve put on his girdle – it takes a good half hour for him to squeeze into that thing…then there’s the mascara for his eyes…it takes a lot of work to keep Metrosexual PM Harper looking his best. chop chop…now.
Under the THEME, “Make someone HAPPY …
Just ONE SOMEONE HAPPY” flim-flam dim-jim Flaherty fails to make a very important manufacturing sector HAPPY!
Honda attacks Flaherty on rebates
AUTO MAKING: INCENTIVES
http://www.reportonbusiness.com//servlet/story/LAC.20070518.RHONDA18/TPStory/Business/
“Honda Canada Inc.’s anger about a key federal environmental initiative boiled over yesterday as the auto maker blasted the plan as an arbitrary measure that has so distorted the market that the company will dip into its own pocket to offer rebates to consumers.
The object of Honda’s ire is Ottawa’s “feebate†scheme that provides a rebate for some gas-sipping vehicles and slaps a levy or fee on gas guzzlers. Almost every other automaker – with the exception of Toyota Canada Inc. – is also unhappy about the ecoAuto rebate system and industry groups have been lobbying the federal government intensively to get the plan scrapped.”
flim-flam dim-Jim Flaherty says we now hafta ask Lawrence Cannon or some other non-functioning member of cabinet.
I just refuse to ask Lawrence Cannon after he said I could never become a Quebecois under his interpretation of the ‘nation’ concept for Quebec.
So, just sharpen my feet, get a pile-driver and bury me right where I am!
Hi Garth,
Kudos for setting up those town halls and being directly available for questions. One thing I’ve been wondering: are you doing these officially on behalf of the Liberal caucus? I know you are willing to travel outside your own constituency to do these, so I’m just wondering how you make sure you aren’t stepping on other MPs’ toes. Or, if the districts are represented by CONs, how hard you tread on their toes with those cute cowboy boots.
Hey, I never go anywhere I am not wanted (well, almost). I’ve been invited by many MPs to come visit them, and in Con-ridings, it is citizens who have spearheaded the initiatives. Added Kitchener today (JUne 18). — Garth
The House of Commons Witness testimony that Cons didn’t want Canadians to hear so they shut down the Committee:
BTW, the Evidence of that Committe is still not available on the House of Commons Web site.
_____________________________________
Why can’t The True North ?Strong? and ?Free? at least have its own Energy Security?
Whose oil is it?
Prosperity for Who?
The only concensus I see from both our Politicans and all Journalists is that it’s high time for a break. after all, they have been at it for 5 solid weeks. Our politicans may not be getting the Business of Canadians done, but rest assured, the “Not-for-profit groups”(the irony!) are busier and more effective than ever.
They don’t need no steeeenking Parliament.
Our pampered, pudgy, Parliamentary pooches are pooped.
No, wait a minute, I can’t say that. What did Garth just call our MPs? “Dog residue”?
No, that’s not quite fitting either, is it? ……..At least you can scrape dog CRAP off your shoes.
Actually, W-Five did a report a couple of weeks ago about used car dealers. They checked many out and most are not shall we say “honest”.
I think they should ALL be checked out. They are welding cars together that have been in bad accidents and claiming they’re accident free, among many other nasty things.
I guess the old story of buying a used car from someone you know that owned it is true.
I checked out Jay Hill’s website this morning and almost gagged. In red – short time to get your “Support our Troops” magnets.
This whole Bush/Luntz/Rove tactic or what?
Does Jay Hill think we’re all stupid and fall for this crap?
I want a more civilized dignified parliament. I hear politicians ridiculing, name calling, insulting, spinning (lieing) constantly. They appear to use every opportunity to insult, embarass and discredit their opponents. In reading this blog from time to time I find myself getting entangled in this juvenile ridiculous behaviour. What is the point of it all? I am out for good because Garth Turner is just like the other politicians and worse than many. He no doubt will respond to me with some sharp cut. I am looking for better and hope Canada will have leaders in the future that elevate us and model a higher standard.
Some honesty would be nice. It’d be nice also to see a party that spent less time attacking its competitors and more time on superior ideas and real leader ship.
Really I don’t believe any party that simply says, we have a better green plan. It’s all to easy to say something, I want to see action. So far neither Liberal no Conservatives have shown any real leadership on a Green plan. Everything seems to be just fluff and perhaps more for appearance.
What I see is a lot of complaining, but not a lot of action. I see no reason to vote Liberal. Spend more time championing some causes and less complaining. Show some leadership and selfless service at a Party Level. (IE Does anyone believe a Party would do what’s right for the country even if it means not getting elected?) Right now all I see is an opposition party trying to get back in power – but I’m not convinced once in power there’d be real change.
I also see no reason to vote Conservative – they haven’t proven significantly different than the Liberals.
I guess I’m left with Green, NDP or independent.
I watched the hearing in the HofC last night for a while – Defence/O’Connor. It was a pathetic display. Everytime O’Connor spoke, in -one-liner PM approved sound bite – the over-attended CPC side would applaud. Jay Hill was there watching and I keep watching his face. Jay Hill is everywhere. Is he spying and controlling of Harper’s behalf. Do the MP’s like being spied on like this, checked on like this? They’re treated like they are a boot camp for heavens sake.
Then some spoke – Ms. Gallant in an obvious over rehearsed statement like some drama queen.
It was a pathetic sight to say the least for a government.
They certainly aren’t professional in any way. When are the CPC MP’s going to act like intelligent adults. They are a disgrace and costing us lots of money.
Oh, I won’t go into the surprise defence costs here – pathetic, inept and disgraceful.
I hope some CPC spies are reading this because it’s the way a lot of people are feeling right now.
This explains a few things:
Tories have the book on political wrangling
Don Martin
National Post
Friday, May 18, 2007
OTTAWA – A secret guidebook that details how to unleash chaos while chairing parliamentary committees has been given to select Tory MPs.
Running some 200 pages including background material, the document — given only to Conservative chairmen — tells them how to favour government agendas, select party-friendly witnesses, coach favourable testimony, set in motion debate-obstructing delays and, if necessary, storm out of meetings to grind parliamentary business to a halt.
The binder fell into my hands yesterday, two days after government whip Jay Hill called chairmen to his office for a refresher course on advancing the government agenda over opposition objections.
A source at that meeting confided that Mr. Hill “lavished praise on the chairs who caused disruptions and admonished those who prefer to lead through consensus” — an interpretation the whip strongly denies.
But the document does illustrate a government preference for manipulative tactics and proves that the chairmen are under intense supervision from the powers above.
Its tactics also fly in the face of yesterday’s complaint by Stephen Harper that opposition parties are solely responsible for the committee paralysis now breaking out on Parliament Hill as the summer recess approaches.
It paints in vivid detail what Conservative chairs should say when confronted by challenges to their authority, how to rule opposition MPs out of order during procedural wrangling and even tells government MPs how to debate at committee when a hostile motion is put to a vote.
The manual offers up speeches for a chairman under attack and suggests committee leaders have been whipped into partisan instruments of policy control and agents of the Prime Minister’s Office. Among the more heavy-handed recommendations in the document:
- That the Conservative party helps pick committee witnesses. The chairman “should ensure that witnesses suggested by the Conservative Party of Canada are favourable to the government and ministry,” the document warns.
- The chairmen should also seek to “include witnesses from Conservative ridings across Canada” and make sure their local MPs take the place of a member at the committee when a constituent appears, to show they listen and care.
- The chairmen should “meet with witnesses so as to review testimony and assist in question preparation.”
- Procedural notes tell the chairmen to always recognize a Conservative member just before a motion is put to a vote “and let them speak as long as they wish” –a manoeuvre used to kick-start a filibuster as a stall tactic.
- Chairmen are told to notify all affected ministries prior to a motion being voted upon. “Communicate concerns with the Prime Minister’s Office, House leader or whip,” the document insists. “Try to anticipate the response of the press and how party could be portrayed.”
- The guide says a “disruptive” committee should be adjourned by the chairman on short notice. “Such authority is solely in the discretion of the chair. No debate, no appeal possible.” By failing to appoint the vice-chair to run the meeting, the adjournment will last until the chair is ready to reconvene the committee.
The document uses the recent committee kerfuffle over Shane Doan’s appointment as captain of Team Canada as a case study in how Conservative chairmen should behave when confronted by controversial decisions.
It shows the PMO was particularly nervous about the government’s public image in the aftermath and delivered MPs their marching orders on how to vote.
It reveals that Conservative MPs were briefed on the testimony of Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson in advance of the meeting. The chairman was told to rule any motion out of order if it touched on Mr. Doan’s lawsuit against Liberal MP Denis Coderre and warned all Tory MPs to “vote against the matter or at least abstain from the vote. Alternatively, Conservative members could consider refusing to deal with the matter and simply leave the room so as not be party to this charade.”
Government whip Jay Hill makes no apologies for increased contact with committee chairs to keep tighter control on tactics, but blames a gang-up of opposition parties for the government’s recent combative stance.
“They’re increasingly behaving as though they’re a coalition government cooking up deals behind closed doors. We’re going to use the tools at our disposal to try and push back,” he told me. “Canadians elected a Conservative minority government, not a coalition of opposition parties.”
Mr. Hill believes next week’s break will allow cooler heads to prevail when MPs return for the final legislative push before adjourning for the summer.
Ironically, the manual also advises committee chairs to act fairly and build trust with members of all parties, getting to know them personally as well as politically.
It warns chairs not to “use negative body language” or “use humor inappropriately” and tells them not to “interrupt unnecessarily or argue with individual members” — orders clearly ignored by some of the more partisan chairs.
Mr. Hill, who has a solid longstanding reputation for fairness as the Conservative MP in charge of moving the government’s agenda forward, admits all of Parliament is getting a black eye in public for its recent shenanigans.
“I hope we can come back and restore civility. The whole thing is getting absurd and ridiculous.”
© National Post 2007
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a1c7c666-90bc-419d-a71a-808c0bd10934&k=28319
By Catherine on 05.18.07 5:21 am
Flaherty says double-dipping not doomed
Call Bev Oda, Catherine. We go in her limo … OK?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgaw5YKi2zo
“In the March federal budget, Mr. Flaherty initially announced he would put an end to all tax deductions on interest paid on money borrowed for foreign acquisitions. Faced with an outcry from the business community, Mr. Flaherty said this week he would only penalize companies that are claiming two tax deductions for a single transaction – known as double-dipping.
And yesterday, he clarified that a little, saying the pending legislation wouldn’t catch all types of double-dipping.”
What could be clearer than that Catherine?
Garth,
I just realized that the CPC stupidity is coinciding with the Black Fly season. It seems that such little things become extremely BIG irritants to Canadians this time of year. Maybe spraying the CON’s side of the HoC with Bug Off will help? If not, just SWAT! them!
We have got to get you a Zorro outfit. I would love to see you briskly walk into QP, cape flying, and scaring the hell out of the government! Then they would have even more coverage of Liberals on the CPC website. What do they have for a webmaster over there…a 13 year old?
Oh, I forgot, they haven’t gotten anything done so all they can talk about are old issues, but never mention what the Liberals DID GET DONE!
The Republicans in the US were quite effective in destroying the committee system when they had a majority in both houses. That allowed them to move forward on all the issues that are now dogging them without the overview that the system required.
The new Conservatives, who send members to train at Republican institutions and strategy session, are following the same general path.
Our political leaders have managed to do many things to undermine a system that operates on convention. If this continues the public will have to become more involved and press for clearer rules as to how our system must operate.
Security and Prosperity Partnership makes it into Calgary Herald
_______________________________________
What next? Maybe our Parliamentarians will finally take notice of the SPP? No, the’re going on a break. Garth & Dion must still be studying it because they haven’t commented. After all, all these Free Trade agreements being signed aren’t as important as knowing how the House Pages know when the Speaker stands up.
Goodbye Canada:
It was the best of times, it was the End of Times.
Psssst .. Pssssst! Catherine Halton John
Getcher SENS tickets from this hyar guy
“Ottawa Senators tickets are a hot property—too hot to handle yesterday for an aide to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
In fact, they were so hot Mr. Flaherty’s parliamentary assistant got burned when he used a Parliament Hill e-mail server to sell two tickets for $200 each to last night’s game.
Unfortunately for the junior aide, the list included not only fellow Conservatives, but also political assistants in the Liberal party, the Bloc Quebecois, the NDP and assistants to independent MPs. Everyone on the Hill.
It took less than an hour for someone to flip it to a journalist.
Mr. Flaherty’s aide was using the parliamentary server for what might be considered personal reasons, but perhaps more embarrassing was the fact that the original ticket price for the playoff seats was, at most, $165 each, a ticket agent confirmed, including service fees and taxes. Section 328, Row P, Seats 23 and 24, as the e-mail said.”
Keep this QUIET … ABSOLUTELY QUIET!
Don’t say NODDING, hear? It was one of flim-flam dim-Jim Flaherty’s assistants.
false dichotomy
“They’re not in a mood to give anybody more power.”
Actually they are not in the mood to give Steven Harper more power. All most 2/3 of Canadians voted against this government last election, the polls say the same today, and the result will be the same a year from now.
Canadians clearly did not want, do not want and will not want Steven Harper as their PM. I guess the jig is up and all of the socon masses (LOL), are now realizing what must be a pretty sobering thought for them.
Maybe that is why we get all of the petty personal nastiness, and vitriol from big Steve and all of his minnions.
Pour le ministre Lawrence Cannon dans l’espoir que je peux joindre la ‘nation’ Québécois
marie marie
assez contraire
comment fait votre jardin croît
J’obtenais certaines cloches bleues
et quelque cockleshells
et un grand grand oignon de mère
il est poétique, ne vous voyez
Tories have the book on political wrangling
By Geoffrey Laxton on 05.18.07 9:25 am
I wonder what it is called? Possible titles could be: “Training for Seals” or “Strategies for Trained Sheep.” Can anyone think of any more creative ones?
Canada Goose News, going forward
Bush wants to get “fast track” trade authority – allows him to negotiate trade deals that Congress must approve or reject without making changes.
Free Trade deals with Columbia and Peru – Canada just concluded one with Peru. Are we using the USA template for these deals?
What did we give away this time? Who knows? I’ll bet you not even our lawyers.
Mr. Laxton, thanks for that article.
“Canadians elected a Conservative minority government, not a coalition of opposition parties.â€
That quote by Jay Hill is very telling. I would have thought that Canadians voted in a minority CPC government as a way of testing them out, you know, giving them a chance to operate under public scrutiny while keeping them reigned in.
I would think that working with others would help the CPC’s cause. However, it seems to me the CPC believes it can take measures to push through its agenda, regardless of its minority status. This to me seems to be the wrong approach and could prove costly in terms of votes. But hey, I’m no expert and they would never take my advice, anyways.
-R
“I hope we can come back and restore some civility. The whole thing is getting absurd and ridiculous.” Jay Hill, National Post “Tories have the book on polotical wrangling” pages 1 & 4 Friday May 18, 2007
Well, perhaps someone is starting to realize that all that crap is starting to show on the Net and god forbid that these ‘people’, sorry Garth, should actually work together.
In the article, IF the Cons feel that they are under attack, then perhaps, and only perhaps, ALL the parties use civility in these debates. However, this is a party lead by a leader being quoted as saying that more or less minority party governments need to work together.
So, to any of the CPC trolls lurking here, at even worse, the CPC wannabes, stop pointing the finger and the present and past decisions and laws from martin./Chretien, and show me how dignified the current government is supposed to be run by a principled and ‘ordinary man just like you and me’ is supposed to be.
So, to any of the wannabe party whips or MPs whenever the next election is called, pass it on to the PMO to sit the f#ck down and actually work together on running this country as how the ordinary public wants.
Lou Dobbs testifies before Congress on free trade
“Corporate America and our country’s political elites have combined to put this country’s middle-class working men and women into direct competition with the world’s cheapest labor.” Lou Dobbs
As Canadians takes their place on the World Stage and Global Economy, I fear it will be only as poop scrapers of the Elite. But hey, somebody has to do it.
Absolutely remarkable resemblance to his earlier picture when he appeared as the banjo playing savant in Deliverance.
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/deliverance.JPG
Hey, Hey, what a talented Safety Minister.
http://corrigan.ca/may17-07.htm
Do you think he’ll have Cat Stevens on our no-fly list?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TWd3skb-Rw
I see the S&P/TSX Income Trust Index, RTCM-I, closed yesterday at 160.690, just down 2.5% from pre-Oct 31st levels.
Some crisis.
So, it seems the only real losers may have been those individuals who panicked and sold their ITs immediately after the Flaherty announcement.
Do opposition parties have any responsibility for having whipped up public doom and gloom hype after the Oct 31st announcement, which may have pushed some less sophisticated investors into panic selling?
The fact that the 200-page Conservative manuel for disrupting committees has fallen into media hands likely reflects the dissatisfaction in the new Conservative caucus. At the same time, the arrest of the Temporary employee of the Environment Department has not intimidated employees adequately to prevent new leaks from that department.
What is happening reflects the fact that Stephen Harper’s concept of leader as dictator can only work within a narrow time frame and under certain conditions. When it appeared that he might have been able to achieve a majority, in spite of grumbling most of the sheep were willing to follow. As the possibility of that happening declines the grumbling transforms into action.
Harper has long opposed the concept of consensus and it is not surprising that his delegate, Jay Hill, would reprimand anyone suggesting consensus building.
“Canadians elected a minority Conservative government, not a coalition of opposition parties”….nonsense, utter rubbish.
Approximately 65% of Canadians voted for the “opposition” parties and the Greens. That is more than any Majority government has ever received in Canada. To be frank, the Canadian people would be much happier with a coalition of opposition parties than the present government – why? Because that is a lot closer to what they actually voted for than a neoCON government with contempt for the opposition.
However, it seems to me the CPC believes it can take measures to push through its agenda, regardless of its minority status. – Rob W.
But you know they’re playing the politics game and are being allowed to win. When they introduce legislation, for the most part, they’re playing one opposition party against the others, knowing they only need the support of one to get whatever it is passed. Until the opposition get its act together, we have to put up with PMSH’s BS.
Just look at the Afghan issue (I know the two votes were not driven by the CPC), PMSH didn’t care about the votes, he knew the NDP wouldn’t go for the Liberal motion and vice versa. End result, we don’t know what’s going to happen after the current deployment ends, PMSH carries on as normal, and I bet the CPC caucus is having a good laugh at the oppositions expense.
Or they present a bill, putting in a provison people want along with their ideological provisions. Then, if the opposition votes against the bill, to prevent the CPC measure, they’ll throw it in their face that they voted against what people wanted. The opposition needs to rebut this, being specific about what they opposed.
Mr. Harper’s government is perfectly transparent, we can see right through the games he’s playing.
We have got to get you a Zorro outfit. I would love to see you briskly walk into QP, cape flying, and scaring the hell out of the government! – BILL-MUSKOKA
Is this a sexual fantasy of yours?
Great town hall tour, Garth, and you should be mentioned as one of the Liberal “Dream Team” members.
The problem I perceive is that Dion himself cannot easily present himself in such a venue because of his sub-par English. Also it is doubtful that Canadians will want another Liberal prime minister from Quebec .. Ontario maybe, Quebec no.
Is it Liberal strategy to attempt to drag down the Conservative government to such a low level, that Canadians have no other choice than voting for Liberals regardless of Dion’s unpopularity?
First, Dion’s language skills are just fine. He came to a Town Hall meeting in Halton a couple of months ago and charmed the pants off 300 anglos (video is posted here. Once again, do your research). Second, the Harper Conservariuves certainly don’t need my help in dragging themselves down. — Garth
Jay Hil has lost all credibility as far as I’m concerned. I make it a purpose to watch him. He sits in the HofC with arms crossed, glaring, squinting and snarling. Perhaps he thinks he’s a bouncer in a sleazy bar, because that’s how he acts.
I watch the whips in the other parties and they are certainly more dignified.
What a loser.
Bill M,
I suspected as much. Thanks for the confirmation.
Have a soulfully pleasant day.
GGF: So how many broken promises does Steve have to make before he is considered a liar?? You say he has only broken 3 or 4–so would 6 be your magic number? or 10? 0r 100? I , for one, will not give Steve the chance to break one more promise.
By Judy on 05.16.07 8:01 pm
—————————————————–
Judy,
As you have supported Chretien and his red book several times, it’s interesting to note that you’ve finally decided to stop voting for liars. But the stark truth is that you NEVER intended to vote for Steve.
Dare we hope that you will ever make an honest statement?
You people really are a collection of horse’s asses! There is a distinct purity in that grammar.
*Do they pay short shrift premiums for that? Or, is it call-in pay, minimum four hours?
By Pyotr Petrobitch on 05.16.07 5:49 pm
————————————————-
PP,
Yes, glad to oblige. Your vulgarity vocabulary is meagre. Reading JCLH would be a good primer.
*ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY. My thoughts are not subjugated by blind political party loyalty, and are submitted without expectation of recompense.
Incidentally, I don’t vote like a mindless helot and at present favour Elizabeth May and her Green Machine.
Another brilliant observation from the Sultan of Stupidity.
————————————————–
It is for Bill to infer not you,idiot .
It should be ‘are we to understand ‘
What a friggin’ dolt you are .
By Jackie Chan’s Left Hand on 05.16.07 5:48 pm
————————————————-
So now the student instructs the teacher.
Quiet, you insolent pup. Stop disrupting the class. Sit down, pay attention and try to learn.
Actually they are not in the mood to give Steven Harper more power. All most 2/3 of Canadians voted against this government last election,
By your logic:
64% voted AGAINST the Conservatives
70% voted AGAINST the Libs,
83% voted AGAINST the NDP
90% voted AGAINST the BQ
95% voted AGAINST the Greens
jmccain, at least the voter turn-out numbers are up in his scenario
Brilliantly put, C.B. Innes:
“When it appeared that he might have been able to achieve a majority, in spite of grumbling most of the sheep were willing to follow. As the possibility of that happening declines the grumbling transforms into action.”
I think this is why we’re also seeing so much whining from individual Conservatives right now. It’s hard for people who have held on to power through bullying, manipulation, and deceit to regain their footing. Right now, they’re floundering, unsure of what to do or say to win favor with the electorate, so they’re simply complaining about what the other guy is doing and saying (hence the Liberal-focused Conservative party website).
They’re also dealing with the fall-out from some very foolish and deceitful actions from the very top of the party on down.
A lot of chickens are coming home to roost all at once and an MP like Del Mastro (who has served on both the Environment Committee and the Finance Committee) can’t be too happy to have chickens coming at him from every direction.
Garth – nice job puting that canadianna woman in her place.
http://canadianna.blogspot.com/
Who does she think she is? She has no idea who she’s messing with …
So now the student instructs the teacher.
Quiet, you insolent pup. Stop disrupting the class. Sit down, pay attention and try to learn.
By Grammar Purist on 05.18.07 12:51 pm
Learn ? From you ?
I don’t think so . Your writing skills are sub-standard and barely literate ate best .
Grammar Purist my ass .
Meanwhile, while the children throw Lib/Con spitballs, the termites are busy:
Alaska Legislature approves pipeline inducement act
and the Post innocently asks:
Do we want pipeline Canada?
Who cares about what Canadians want? They pay for it. that’s all they have to know. Just tell the silly geese that it’s good for North American energy security and will provide jobs for “guest workers”. Their kids will pay for it for years and the government can even slap on an extra pipeline charge.
Honk, honk! Canada goosed.
By your logic:
64% voted AGAINST the Conservatives
70% voted AGAINST the Libs,
83% voted AGAINST the NDP
90% voted AGAINST the BQ
95% voted AGAINST the Greens
By jmccain on 05.18.07 1:21 pm
Blah,blah,blah,blah,blah .
And there are still more elected opposition members than the so-called government (?)
Your and idiot and getting dumber by the hour .
Thanks for your work in my\our riding. Thanks to this blog I have been having a better idea what Ottawa does (or doesn’t do). At least you brought politics closer to the people and you are the first MP of my riding who, in my opinion, has done that.
I just wished that all Canadians would be able to see what is really happening since nobody is served with his.
Enjoy the weekend.
Garth,
They’ve spent more money than any government in history,
Surely this is hyperbole. ANY gov’t? In History? Did you convert all the world’s gov’ts budgets since ancient Egypt to today’s dollars and perform a conparison? I think you meant to say ‘in Canadian History’. But of course the absolute dollar amount isn’t indicative of overspending as you have to account for inflation, debt-to-gdp ratio, employment, growth, etc… Also you have to look at what the money was spent on.
Further, most departments experienced heavy cuts in the 1990s. Some of the spending is restoring the balance and purchasing items for the next cycle. When Senate committees are saying we need to buy new military equipment, are we to simply ignore them and our soldiers?
Anyway, have a nice weekend. Hopefully your weather will be better than mine will be.
Any Canadian government, of course. I had to spell that out? — Garth
Do opposition parties have any responsibility for having whipped up public doom and gloom hype after the Oct 31st announcement, which may have pushed some less sophisticated investors into panic selling?
By Old enough to remember on 05.18.07 11:44 am
No,the doom and gloom was adequately engineered by the neo-cons when they enacted their stupid program .
The fall out was left for the opposition to deal with .
And thanks to people like Garth this will no fade into this mists of time .
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
Mohandas Gandhi
Visited http://www.conservative.ca and besides a picture of Harper there are pictures of 3 liberals on the front page. Thought that was hilarious. It’s like: we can’t say anything good about ourselves so let’s talk about the other party. Can’t believe that they can’t see themselves that this is so wrong.
Having said that, there was also a picture of dog so maybe it represents the rest of the conservative party. They do bark a lot…
By your logic:
64% voted AGAINST the Conservatives
70% voted AGAINST the Libs,
83% voted AGAINST the NDP
90% voted AGAINST the BQ
95% voted AGAINST the Greens
By jmccain on 05.18.07 1:21 pm
Blah,blah,blah,blah,blah .
And there are still more elected opposition members than the so-called government (?)
You are an idiot and getting dumber by the hour .
Well, they just gave us all the BIG UP YOUR’S!
Let’s see now, the Loonie is at its highest since 1977 (91.75), the price of oil is down, and the gas price, at least what I just witnessed is $1.119, but there is NO COLLUSION and no RELIEF from Blubberhead Harper!
At least we can hope Del Barge Butt has to pay the high prices too?
EF,
Is this a sexual fantasy of yours?
No, is it one of yours? I can’t speak for Garth though!
Observer, a few CON MPs have recently attended pro-life (anti-abortion) rallies. Can we take it from their attendance and support of these groups that the CONservative party is anti-abortion. Where do the CONservatives stand on this issue. You seem to be requesting information on Liberals, I’m wondering if you are also asking the same of CONservatives. Please enlighten us. Do the CONservatives plan to re-introduce anti-abortion legislation, or are these CON MP’s merely lying to the anti-abortion crowd in order to get their votes?
Grammar Purist,
Have a soulfully pleasant day.
I shall. Thank you, and thank you also for posting the response in the latest (almost) topic.
Crazed dork?!
You’ve always been there.
RELIEF from Blubberhead Harper!
I am sure that your idol E. May and her buddy Dion will give you relief once they jack up the price to 2$/litre and send the surplus to Russia under Kyoto.
Re: comments by By Elias on 05.18.07 2:45 pm
These are really good questions. Their election platform and their policy book have become quiet rapidly outdated and at the same time their changes to election funding has been used as an excuse not to hold the scheduled policy conference this year. I wonder if the funding changes were a deliberate strategy so they would not have to face the membership or is it another example of incompetent leadership?
I doubt that Harper would have such an easy time getting his agenda through a policy conference as he did the last time.
Enjoy the Queen’s weekend (as my grandchild calls it!) and write some of your thoughts in a letter to the Editor of your newspaper. My own local one is always full of con supporters. Let’s not let them control the message.
Haven’t read through all the comments so forgive me if I’m sending a URL from the National Post that already has been posted. It was pointed out to me in another Blog. Sounds to me like the cons are lying again, blaming the libs (that’s their only defense for NOT GETTING IT DONE – what’s new) and the’re just trying to waste time until summer recess. Disgusting. On top of that the cons are blaming the majority Lib senate who have cooperated on various bills and want to see them passed, but the cons are more interested in partisan propoganda.
See http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=16b42ac1-56a5-429c-a013-d9464dce3de1&k=0
By Don Martin, National Post
Published: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Ottawa • A secret guidebook that details how to unleash chaos while chairing parliamentary committees has been given to select Tory MPs.
There’s obviously some disgrunted Tories who are releasing info. The Tories obviously are scared sh**less, as they should be. Canadians & the media are starting to see through their lies.
Where is Sean P. Hogan when I want to talk about him?
Turns out that he is more than a neo-Con operative haunting us under an assumed name. A Letter to the Editor published in to-day’s Ottawa Citizen proves that he is real and does go by the name we know.
But here is the kicker: Sean thinks that Premier Dalton McGuinty should be excommunicated by the Roman Catholic church for having “separated himself from the church’s teaching” by being pro-choice.
Hardly significant in itself, but, Elias, it’s a good intelligence indicator of where “the CONservatives stand on this issue.” And I no longer have to wonder whether, politically, Sean is fish or fowl or good red herring.
Happy Victoria Day Week End to you & your friends, supporters and family in good ode Halton County. Me I am a old Waterdown Boy Wentworth County but loving here on the East Coast.
Garth, Inded, “The pen is mightier than the sword” Continued good luck, and watch your back, by the sounds of things PMSH and gang might be ready to publish a 250 page book intitled ” How to get Garth” ha ha ha.
To Pyotr Petrobitch and everyone else who’s posting huge articles from newspapers: GET YOUR OWN BLOG!
It’s not that it’s not relevant, sure it is, but post it on your own blog. I also find it funny that you paste in the little copyright at the bottom which pretty much tells you not to copy it. At the very least, LINK to the articles and use proper <a> tags for God’s sake.
Garth: sorry, but they’re polluting your blog. Everyone should read this bit about comment etiquette. It’ll only take 60 seconds.
I want a more civilized dignified parliament. I hear politicians ridiculing, name calling, insulting, spinning (lieing) constantly. They appear to use every opportunity to insult, embarass and discredit their opponents. In reading this blog from time to time I find myself getting entangled in this juvenile ridiculous behaviour. What is the point of it all? I am out for good because Garth Turner is just like the other politicians and worse than many. He no doubt will respond to me with some sharp cut. I am looking for better and hope Canada will have leaders in the future that elevate us and model a higher standard.
By Ken on 05.18.07 9:13 am
Your should read some of the con blogs then Ken – but, a warning, have a bedside pan beside your PC so you can throw up after reading them.
Meanwhile, Parliament is spinning out of control. Question Period is a series of incendiary questions which provoke personal and professional insults.
This is wonderful news, I cannot wait until it self destructs, other than a handful of MPs who are interested in their constituents and are basically powerless, the best thing that could happen is the government (all parties) grind to a halt and the citizens come together and throw them out on their collective ears. Personally I think being the government is akin to a license to steal. The more we give them, the more they spend. Like a few of the present government members, MPs will become so fat, they will explode.
A good sign for our country.
By PJW on 05.18.07 6:30 am
PJW – I think the cons have to go on a diet – in more ways than one. Wonder what we’re paying for PMSH’s stint in his ‘white house’. Sure he’ll cut the summmer session short in order to go on a diet this summer. Am really so sick of him buttoning up his ‘too small jacket’ every time he rises in the HOC. We’re obviously paying his stylist/makeup artist/psychic too much; she’s obviously not worth the money! Just wondering how pudgy his kids will be at the end of his term, especially with them flying 1st class to watch all those hockey games across Canada..
Garth: sorry, but they’re polluting your blog. Everyone should read this bit about comment etiquette. It’ll only take 60 seconds.
By Tyler Martin on 05.18.07 4:39 pm
Ought,oh ! Another blog cop . “Pull over. License and registration . “
Herb, didn’t I post in another thread a couple days ago speculating that our Mr. Hogan is employed by the Gov’t of Canada as a bureaucrat?
Honestly I was just guessing (an educated guess mind you) but maybe I did get a little too close to the truth.
I never believed he was using an alias or assumed name.
Any Canadian government, of course. I had to spell that out? — Garth
Just wanted your comment to be accurate and clear. Just a question, did you convert all the previous Canadian government’s budgets into today’s dollars? If so, how does Trudeau’s and Mulroney’s numbers compare to Harper’s? How about wrt % of GDP?
All I see is that we aren’t deficit financing (yet), the economy is relatively strong, unemployment is low, and we are paying down the debt slowly but surely. For two succesive minority gov’ts, that is remarkable. Minorities typically spend more than majorities as the gov’t tries to attain a majority or appease opposition parties to maintain power.
Richard,
Thought that was hilarious. It’s like: we can’t say anything good about ourselves so let’s talk about the other party. Can’t believe that they can’t see themselves that this is so wrong.
Maybe you should drop by Liberal.ca. Because the main story they have is about the Conservatives and the languages committee.
Security and Prosperity Partnership makes it into Calgary Herald
_______________________________________
What next? Maybe our Parliamentarians will finally take notice of the SPP? No, the’re going on a break. Garth & Dion must still be studying it because they haven’t commented. After all, all these Free Trade agreements being signed aren’t as important as knowing how the House Pages know when the Speaker stands up.
Goodbye Canada:
It was the best of times, it was the End of Times.
By Charles on 05.18.07 9:40 am
Charles – I’m also a very worried Canadian about SPP and want Garth to look into this. Garth, I ask you to research this subject and start blogging on this topic. To me, its even more crucial to Canadians than ITs and all the rest of the garbage with which the cons are doing screwing Canadians.
Those countries who intially joined the The EU, back in the late 60/70′s, IMHO, at least had to raise their level to the higest common denominor at the time. With NAFTA, its the LOWEST common denomitor. And that means we’ll end up paying Mexican wages.
Does anyone watch some American home reno programs? Do you see all the Mexican labours working on those programs – Flip This House – (no doubt at way below min. wages).
Well, thats what I foresee for Canada under the Harper neocon govt. As Suzuki said – he (Harper) is so up Bush’s backside’.
JMcCain,
And just when we were starting to be friendly. Tsk! Tsk!
They need instuctions to be jerks??GAWD!! Let’s just have an election and get rid of these guys ASAP!!!
(just watched a re-cap of HoP for this week – YUK!!)
By Tyler Martin on 05.18.07 4:39 pm
Aw, geez Ty, I bin usin’ dis here one. Most of my ‘stuff’ is intended to be helpful to most of the people who shares me own motivations.
What’s a cough drop for, Ty? Well fu cough, fer sure fer sure fer sure!
Herb,
SPH is a Nutbar, which is why sane and mature people have an allergic reaction his Funnymentalist diatribes.
Lectures again? First grammar, then comment etiguette. It’s blogging, not professional journalist for heavens sake.
Why is everybody attacking everybody here? Voice a difference of opinion, but don’t waste time name calling. Better yet, why don’t the namecallers do lunch or something.
That’s what’s polluting the site more than anything.
Premier should be called an ex-Catholic
Sean P. Hogan, Cardinal*
*He lives in Cardinal Ontario. He is not [APPARENTLY] a Cardinal, like Cardinal Law who destroyed the Boston Diocese by deliberately concealing the rampant pedophilia among some of his priestly flock.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/letters/story.html?id=ad24c382-8a5a-4ab6-bf0c-a559813fa917
RELIEF from Blubberhead Harper!
I am sure that your idol E. May and her buddy Dion will give you relief once they jack up the price to 2$/litre and send the surplus to Russia under Kyoto.
By jmccain on 05.18.07 3:01 pm
jmccain, at the rate gas is going up on the west coast, it will surpass your predictions under Harperites reign without even implemeting Kyoto. Who in hell do you think believes you Alliance peoples anyway? Sounds to me like your all running scared. Your done being bullies. No one believes you. No one is scared of you. Just a matter of time before we kick your butts out of here. Better plan on looking for a new job.
jmccain, at the rate gas is going up on the west coast, it will surpass your predictions under Harperites reign without even implemeting Kyoto. Who in hell do you think believes you Alliance peoples anyway? Sounds to me like your all running scared. Your done being bullies. No one believes you. No one is scared of you. Just a matter of time before we kick your butts out of here. Better plan on looking for a new job.
By Irene on 05.18.07 6:38 pm
Hear ! Hear !
That sums it up nicely .Well done Irene.
What’s a cough drop for, Ty? Well fu cough, fer sure fer sure fer sure!
By Pyotr Petrobitch on 05.18.07 5:59 pm
ROTFLMAO .
Way to go Petro .
Hi Garth
In the Dutch paper said Holland is happy with the sale off the leopardttanks to Canada They have been sitting there sinds the cold war and the sale was 80 million euros They still have 110 sitting there Ma by Harper likes to buy them ha ha This government better go soon They doing a lot off damage’s
The fact that the corporations can raise prices in anticipation of increased demand (or decrease in supply), rather than an actual increase or decrease, illustrates how the market theory does not work when there are only a few sellers. The price increases are not intended to decrease consumption but to profit take since they expect that most people will not change their short term plans. The argument that these price spikes in anticipation of demand will have a positive influence on the environment would only be valid if consumption falls over the period of the price spike which is unlikely in the short term.
The fear that the right wing have of a carbon tax is that the oil profits will be held in check and not allowed to continue to rise at the current rate. When you have so few players in a market they act like a monopoly letting prices rise to all the market will bare. As soon as consumption begins to fall, because the market cannot bare the cost, the prices will fall to maintain profits. It is profits that drive the system and price fluctuations will not affect the volume of fossil fuels consumed.
Did I get that right?
As promised previously, I am reporting that yesterday I received a written response from Hon. P. Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons. A while back, I sent a message to the office re: boisterous behaviour, childish prattle, government not responding to the questions being asked, etc. I received an e-mail response from the office of the Speaker, requesting my snail mail address, as the Speaker prefers to send a letter which he has signed. And receive it I did.
Each comment I made was addressed, and explanations provided, although not always to my satisfaction – at least it is an answer. The atmosphere in the House of Commons, especially Question Period is referred to as “turbulent”, and that “Question Period tends to include the most confrontational moments of debate, which are not typical of other proceedings in the House”. I understand that this is likely the case, but I rarely witness any debate – what I see day after day is anything but debate – very little true discussion of subjects. As for the carryings-on and catcalling, the letter goes on to state: “The freedom of Members to hold the government to account during Question Period without interference is so vital to our democratic tradition that the Speaker must exercise great restraint; proceedings are interrupted only when it becomes impossible to hear the Member who is speaking, or when something has been said that is clearly contrary to the rules of the House”. And most interestingly, the following paragraph outlines what we all know – ” The Speaker is the servant of the House, elected by its Members and bound by the rules that they adopt. Those rules do not, for example, require the Minister to whom a question is directed to answer it; any Minister may rise in response to the question, or the government may simply decline to respond to it. Neither do the rules require that an answer, when provided, be complete or even that it be pertinent to the question asked”.
Now that says it all – as Garth is well aware – absolutely not one of his questions has ever been answered at all. The letter finished up by stating “Greater decorum during Question Period is certainly possible, but only if the majority of the Members desire this and co-operate with the Speaker in bringing it about”. Then, the usual polite signing off – I do believe that my qestions were answered, but that even the Speaker of the House cannot demand better behaviour – like he stated – it has to be desired by the majority of Members. I hope it happens sooner rather than later.
jmccain, at the rate gas is going up on the west coast, it will surpass your predictions under Harperites reign without even implemeting Kyoto
Gas price fluctuates worldwide. If it’s more expensive where you live then everywhere else it’s because your LOCAL government is taxing it more,. Learn of what you speak.
Who in hell do you think believes you Alliance peoples anyway? Sounds to me like your all running scared. Your done being bullies. No one believes you. No one is scared of you. Just a matter of time before we kick your butts out of here. Better plan on looking for a new job.
I think you need to take your meds. Your paranoia is showing.
Grammar: Of course I never intended to vote for Steve. What gave you the idea that I ever did?
The point I was making was that the Cons believe a few lies is O.K. but not a whole bunch. I was just wondering how many lies does it take for Cons to call their leader a liar???
I figure, if we wait a few months, gas will be over $2. a litre and we can all point our fingers at Harper and Co. and congratulate them on achieving in 18 months what the Liberals couldn’t in 13 years.
C.B. Innes,
Did I get that right?
Spot on, I would say!
The fear that the right wing have of a carbon tax is that the oil profits will be held in check and not allowed to continue to rise at the current rate.
So, everyone that doesn’t want to have an extra layer of taxes, on top of those that we already pay (50% of the price at the pump are ‘carbon taxes’), must be a real right winger.
JMcCain (aka Oil Patch Guy),
Gas price fluctuates worldwide.
Yeah, but we only are concerned with targets inside the 1 KM range,unless the JTF2 is available, the we will include 2.45 Km range.
Seen any red LASER dots lately?
I think you need to take your meds. Your paranoia is showing.
By jmccain on 05.18.07 9:59 pm
Did I hit a sore spot Jimmy? The truth hurts doesn’t it? I think you should be the one taking your meds. Truth serum would be a good one.
Haha, LOL… etc, all very funny.
I’m saying those posts, as relevant as they might be, make it more difficult for others to keep up and wade through to the REAL conversations. Instead of copying the entire damn thing just link to it. Is that so tough for you? Obviously you have the time to do so.
Garth’s blog has been a great way for thousands of people to get in touch with their government again. It wasn’t because people are coming here to get a re-fill on the articles of the daily papers. It’s hard enough to keep up with 150+ comments sometimes. Some of us don’t sit at home collecting welfare cheques and making crass comments at any and all potential “enemies of the state”.
‘Nuff said on this topic, otherwise feel free to email me.
Anyone who’d rather feed the rich than add to the public purse is a real right winger.
Actually, gas prices do show us “capitalism” at its finest.
A few companies controlling the entire sector, operating behind the curtain of corporate secrecy, putting words such as “supply” and “demand” in the manipulated mouth of the Great God Marketplace. And expecting to get away with it forever because the Great
God Marketplace has spoken!
I’m still waiting for an economist to explain gas prices in economic terms, or any terms that make sense.
So, everyone that doesn’t want to have an extra layer of taxes, on top of those that we already pay (50% of the price at the pump are ‘carbon taxes’), must be a real right winger.
By jmccain on 05.18.07 10:21 pm
That is correct. Those on the right have no problem with price gouging on the part of the private sector but oppose paying taxes to support the public sector. It relates to their concept of what is “good” and what is “bad.” Private profit is “good” but what has value to the general public is bad.
They oppose government action to control the noxious substances because it that will interfere with “profit” levels. Increasing levels of profit is the primary focus and everything else, including the welfare of our species and all other species, becomes secondary.
Hence the new right defends the price increases as being dictated by “market forces” (“the invisible hand” of classical capitalism). However, the hand of the oil company price increases before every holiday weekend is not invisible. It a good example of how classical capitalism no longer works in the way it was originally envisionaged.
If the competitive markets worked properly the additional tax would not have a significant influence on price because it would be demand and supply that would set the price. That is why removing the taxes from gas have little affect on the price unless the price is controlled by government. Today the oil industry operates in a largely uncompetitive environment and as a result controls the supply and hence the price. The only control the market exerts is on the demand side.
Anyone who’d rather feed the rich than add to the public purse is a real right winger.
‘Feed the rich’, how original. Come back when your parents don’t pay all your bills.
That is correct. Those on the right have no problem with price gouging on the part of the private sector but oppose paying taxes to support the public sector. It relates to their concept of what is “good†and what is “bad.†Private profit is “good†but what has value to the general public is bad.
Your diatribes are based in Academia and have no value in the real world.
JMcCain,
Your diatribes are based in Academia and have no value in the real world. And yours are based on narcissistic greed, and have no value in any world, other than your own.
And yours are based on narcissistic greed, and have no value in any world, other than your own.
Certainly I would hope that to be the case, especially from your point of view.
You’re the poster boy for the left wing that see successful people as cheaters and ambition as narcissism.
I mean, you actually called one guy an ‘investor’ (ie. evil investor) as a derogatory comment because he objected to public daycare.
Your diatribes are based in Academia and have no value in the real world.
By jmccain on 05.19.07 10:31 am
You clearly do not have the ability to counter my arguments and merely can dismiss them by claiming they “are based in Academia and have no value in the real world.”
At the same time you are prone to follow economic fundamentalists like Stephen Harper whose belief system comes directly out of the academia you dismiss as not in tune with the real world.
JMcCain,
You’re the poster boy for the left wing that see successful people as cheaters and ambition as narcissism.
Nice attempt at labelling to escape reality. I am successful myself, but I never asked others to labour to make me so, while sitting on my arse like a Master.
Now, JM, you go stuff that in your pipe and smoke it!
You clearly do not have the ability
Ability yes, interest no. I surely could make up generalizations about the left wing nuts all day long, like you like to do about the big bad corporation. Not interested though, since there are other people that fill that niche already. I only come here for the entertainement
JMcCain,
I only come here for the entertainement
Ticket please? SECURITY!
Garth, You are the best media and a death media for the conservatives right now. Praise to you. Why were you ever a reliance/alliance/conservative anyways?
You are honorable and seem honest. I can’t believe how you tell it like it is and appreciate your candidness.
Thanks Garth. Are you a Liberal now? If so, Liberals are fortunate to have you on board.
You didn’t like Harper and his psychic/makeup artist did you. You probably don’t agree with us humble taxpayers footing this bill.
Where can I donate to the party that you are representing?
What does left wing nuts mean? Are people who think-left wing nuts?