Related: Tory MP calls hearings ‘kangeroo court.’
Have you been following the charade going on in Ottawa? Okay, I know it’s hard to sort them all out, but this one involves committee hearings into the allegations Elections Canada has made that Conservatives cheated on election financing in 2006. For months Tory MPs on the committee stonewalled attempts to have this investigation happen, and now other Tories are doing everything they can to delay and obfuscate.
Yesterday Mr. Harper’s chief campaign, Doug Finley, had to be thrown out of the hearings and now comes news that a pile of former CPC candidates were told by party officials not to testify. This comes as a new list is published of Conservatives in the last election who had questionable financing when it came to money spent on polling. That adds to the list of candidates and MPs who accepted head office money, then immediately transferred it back, just so they could claim a juicy rebate from taxpayers. That, Elections Canada says, breaks the rules.
And this brings me to me.
During the last campaign, as you know, I was a Conservative. My campaign manager, Esther, and I refused to participate in the in-and-out scheme, despite encouragements to do so. It did not pass the smell test. Neither did a scheme the party was floating to do some local polling and send Harper into the riding, in exchange for a big cheque. Why, I asked, should we have to buy the leader’s time?
As you might imagine, my problems with the Harper Conservatives started even before I was elected as one of them. And, as you also might imagine, they have never forgiven me. I am supposed to be politically dead.
Today I keyed open my mailbox and found inside a letter from Elections Canada, telling me that I had been cleared in an investigation regarding election financing. That was news, since I didn’t know there’d been any investigation. But the letter also suggested the Halton Conservative Association, had provided information to the vote cop showing some money was transferred from the local association bank account to the campaign bank account two business days before I’d been certified by the local returning officer as a candidate.
That kind of transfer happens in every campaign, but it’s not supposed to transpire before a candidate’s papers are stamped. It was all a surprise, so I investigated. What I found in archived notes and emails was that the Halton Conservative treasurer was going out of town, so he gave a cheque to the riding president who deposited it on a Thursday afternoon assuming the returning officer would have me certified by then. But the local Elections Canada guy set my visit for Monday, at which time my papers were approved. So, the money ($10,000) sat in the campaign account for the weekend.
Elections Canada pointed this out to me, said my old Conservative campaign was formally cautioned, but concluded it would “not be in the public interest” to pursue the matter. That seemed logical.
But here’s the thing. If the ruling had been against me, then I guess the local Conservatives would be looking for $10,000, since any advance transfers to an election campaign are deemed to be illegal, and must be returned.
The irony: It was the Halton Conservatives who pushed the money into the campaign days early to accommodate its treasurer. Were the same Halton Conservatives now complaining about their own action? Why would a local political organization call on Elections Canada for a ruling three years later on its own incompetence?
Right. Because I’m not dead yet.
And here is a measure of Mr. Harper’s adherents. My decision in 2005 saved the locals from the embarrassment and shame of the in-and-out fiasco. I turned down sleazy internal Conservative financial deals. And I left them $30,000 in the bank account after the party tossed me. Their response: Write Elections Canada to have my campaign investigated and charged, and my reputation shot up, based on decisions they themselves made.
I used to feel some honour being in politics. Perhaps, when these folks are gone, it may return.
Update:
Well, this blog certainly got the attention of the Halton Conservatives and its CEO, Will Stewart. Mr. Stewart, who has a long political past and was, he tells me, an one-time assistant of Environment Minister John Baird, is categorically denying that he or his local Tory colleagues were the source of the information EC acted upon. He cites unreferenced information that Elections Canada is doing audits on “most ridings” dating back “as far as three years.” Thus, he asked that my blog reference to him be removed. As I have no idea if his information is correct (my own research shows Elections Canada will not make public which ridings, if any, are being audited, or the results), I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, and have done so. I’d like to think Will is an honourable guy, even if he is surrounded by people who have no idea of the concept. Here is his note to me.
Another Update:
In conversations with Elections Canada officials today, I was asked what knowledge I had of how the official letter referenced above ended up on Steve Janke’s web site. Indeed Mr. Janke, a prominent (if error-prone and very partisan) Conservative blogger, not only reprinted the text of the letter to my official agent in full, but reproduced an image of a portion of it. This seemed to cause a great deal of concern in Ottawa, because, as I was told, “that letter is confidential to the recipients, and it is not something that we would publish or make public.” Indeed. Confidential. So, how did Mr. Janke get it?
Three copies were mailed. To me, my official agent and the president of the local Conservative association, Will Stewart. I have mine. My former official agent is out of town this week, and his letter is unopened. So, on behalf of Elections Canada, I asked Mr. Stewart if he released for publication a confidential letter which was not addressed to him. He did not answer. So, I guess we’ll have to come to our own conclusions.
Mr. Stewart has also accused me of “undertaking a deliberate smear of (him) personally which had zero basis in fact.” That stemmed from my assertion he had asked EC for the review of my campaign finances. He says he did not. So, I apologize for that – even before he apologizes for releasing my confidential information. We have to start repairing this somewhere. — Garth
308 comments ↓
I used to feel some honour being in politics. Perhaps, when these folks are gone, it may return.
posted by Garth Turner on 08.12.08 @ 10:58 pm
The system broken by corruption will remain.
Perhaps when the system is gone you`ll get that loven feeling back.
While the Conservatives broke the rules, all parties are guilty of turning committees into another Parliament Hill partisan sideshow. QP is one thing, it’s primetime for MPs who want to scream their way onto the news. Too bad the rancour has now shown up at Committee hearings, where for years real work was done behind the scenes.
Harper is leading the country to new lows.
To read the Harper-Bot, Neo-Clown snip on this matter is absolutely laughable.
From the Globe and Mail….
Tory MP says he was told he could ignore ethics committee summons
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080812.wethics0812/BNStory/National/home
I hope that when the HOC resumes in September that all of the Conservative MPs who did not show up are found in contempt of parliament and whatever can be done to them legally happens. These guys make me sick with their arrogance and their contempt of our democratic institutions.
As a politician? You rock!!
Conservatives have taken Federal politics to American mentality or preschool sandbox, whichever you prefer. The fact they complained about you all shows their insecurity.
Cool.
More on the issue from the Canadian Press…
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2008/08/12/6424771-cp.html
An election this September-October will settle all accounts … after Canadians stop this mockery and injustice by the Opposition parties with a majority Conservative government.
So Garth, there’s a lot at stake if Dion pulls the plug this September and throws the country into a general elections … only weeks after the 3 by-elections.
Or is Dion so desperate that he will cave and abstain .. in the hope that the kangaroo committee hearings will save his failed leadership..??!!!
Now with his Green Shift shot to hell, he will be reduced to fearmongering and smearmongering again in the hope Canadians will flock back to their beloved Liberals.
Oh how the mighty Liberal party has sunk so low and now clinging to committee hearings to save their sorry butts.
Take that to Canadians in any next election …LOL
Take that to Canadians in any next election …LOL
By HARRY S on 08.12.08 11:23 pm
What are you taking Harry, Dion bashing?
Does anyone think it is wise for any Conservative to testify in this committee? They do have a lawsuit ongoing with elections Canada, do they not? If there is a coming court case, they would be wise to keep quiet in this venue unless it is a criminal act not to testify.
I watched some of the commitee hearing today and I “thought thou do’st protest too much”, when I was watching those smug Cons. I also thought, if they were not guilty of anything at all, then they wouldn’t be protesting We know they are guilty , as sin.
Harry I suggest you read the following,…
Any disregard of or attack on the rights, powers and immunities of the House and its Members, either by an outside person or body, or by a Member of the House, is referred to as a “breach of privilege” and is punishable by the House. [87] There are, however, other affronts against the dignity and authority of Parliament which may not fall within one of the specifically defined privileges. Thus, the House also claims the right to punish, as a contempt, any action which, though not a breach of a specific privilege, tends to obstruct or impede the House in the performance of its functions; obstructs or impedes any Member or Officer of the House in the discharge of their duties; or is an offence against the authority or dignity of the House, such as disobedience of its legitimate commands or libels upon itself, its Members, or its Officers. [88] “The rationale of the power to punish contempts, whether contempt of court or contempt of the Houses, is that the courts and the two Houses should be able to protect themselves from acts which directly or indirectly impede them in the performance of their functions.” [89] In that sense, all breaches of privilege are contempts of the House, but not all contempts are necessarily breaches of privilege.
Contempts, as opposed to “privileges”, cannot be enumerated or categorized. As Speaker Sauvé explained in a 1980 ruling, “ … while our privileges are defined, contempt of the House has no limits. When new ways are found to interfere with our proceedings, so too will the House, in appropriate cases, be able to find that a contempt of the House has occurred.” [90]
The procedure to deal with contempt in standing committees of the House:
Since the House has not given its committees the power to punish any misconduct, breach of privilege, or contempt directly, committees cannot decide such matters; they can only report them to the House. Only the House can decide if an offence has been committed. [354] Speakers have consistently ruled that, except in the most extreme situations, they will only hear questions of privilege arising from committee proceedings upon presentation of a report from the committee which directly deals with the matter and not as a question of privilege raised by an individual Member. [355] Most matters which have been reported by committees concerned the behaviour of Members, witnesses or the public. Committees have reported to the House on the refusal of witnesses to appear when summoned; [356] the refusal of witnesses to answer questions; [357] the refusal of witnesses to provide papers or records; [358] the refusal of individuals to obey orders of a committee; [359] and the divulging of events during an in camera meeting. [360] Committees could report on instances of contempt, such as behaviour showing disrespect for the authority or activities of a committee, the intimidation of members or witnesses, or witnesses refusing to be sworn or lying to the committee.
So much for your law and order Party, eh Harry? One law for us, no laws for Harper.
Harper will never see a Majority government,… unless he is staring at from the opposition benches.
Read it an weep Harry-Harper
Douglas Lowry said the organizer, whom he named as Carmen McGregor, gave the advice after he and others received summonses from the Commons ethics committee.
“We’ve all been told,” Lowry said.
Liberal MP Derek Lee, an author of texts on parliamentary procedure and rules, said it would be a serious offence if the Conservative party did indeed advised witnesses they need not heed a summons.
“Overt discouragement of attendance of a witness who’s been summoned would constitute basis for contempt,” he said.
The Liberal chair of the ethics committee, Paul Szabo, said potential interference with witnesses “would be a matter which should be, or could be, subject to its own investigation.”
Lowry made the surprising admission to the committee that the federal party transferred $50,000 to his candidate’s campaign in the Toronto riding of Trinity Spadina only because there was no hope the campaign would reach its local spending limit on its own.
He said he transferred the money back to the party only a week later in payment for radio and television ads his campaign had nothing to do with.
Furthermore, he admitted the payment would have meant $30,000 in election rebates for the Trinity Spadina Tory campaign had his candidate, Sam Goldstein, won more than 10 per cent of the vote.
Lowry’s claim that he and other potential witnesses were informed they didn’t have to attend the meeting came after four Conservative witnesses failed to show up for a morning session of the inquiry into $1.3 million worth of questionable Conservative election advertising expenses.
GUILTY of Election Canada Act, and now GUILTY of CONTEMPT!!!
Oh lets have an election!!!
The Circus performers come to town with great promise, whether we want them to or not. There’s Steve’s shill games. There’s Harpo Clowns with sad faces. The scary Bairded Man. The Carney’s wild ride.
But the Flying Flaherty’s will fall and the aPrentice will tear down the tent. Their House of Horrors will be sent packing soon Garth. There’s hope.
Conservatives can’t introduce new evidence in suit against Elections Canada, Federal Court rules
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=343f4605-7360-4342-8ef9-0df1a887269c
Looks like the Conservatives are getting desperate – their arguments do not seem to be holding up in court…. so now they are trying to hold up a legitimate parliamentary committee on this issue. Harpo is showing his true colours on this one…. not one shred of ethics.
“Now with his Green Shift shot to hell, he will be reduced to fearmongering and smearmongering again in the hope Canadians will flock back to their beloved Liberals.
Oh how the mighty Liberal party has sunk so low and now clinging to committee hearings to save their sorry butts.
Take that to Canadians in any next election …LOL
By HARRY S on 08.12.08 11:23 pm”
Harry S., as always you are dreaming in technocolour. Your hero, Harpo, is so desperate to hide the real facts behind the ‘in and out’ scheme that Conservative party members are reported to have told witnesses not to attend. This could very well put the Conservatives in contempt of parliament.
As fear as smearing and fearmongering… look at Harpo and stop pointing fingers at Dion – he’s the ONLY Federal leader with guts, integrity, intelligence and ethics.
And, as far as The Green Shift goes… a large number of intelligent, informed people are praising Dion’s plan and supporting it. Here are some quotes from the http://www.thegreenshift.ca web site:
The green coalition is growing. Positive responses from leading environmentalists and economists have been pouring in on the Liberal Green Shift.
Here’s what people are saying:
“Of course, we could and should speed up this transition by insisting that the price of carbon-based energy include the costs of the environmental damage it causes. I have long supported a sharp reduction in payroll taxes with the difference made up in CO2 taxes. We should tax what we burn, not what we earn. This is the single most important policy change we can make.”
Al Gore – Former Vice President of the United States and winner of the Nobel Peace Priz
“Let’s be conscious, right away, that Dion’s carbon-tax idea is ‘revenue-neutral,’ meaning that this new tax will in no way affect our household budgets…A carbon tax is already in place in Norway and Sweden, and soon, in British Columbia. A similar tax has been in place here in Quebec since the end of last year, and will bring in an estimated $200 million, most of which is to be set aside to finance public transit, energy-efficiency programs for individuals and businesses as well as other programs designed to reduced pollution. The idea of a carbon tax is gaining in popularity elsewhere, and not always in the first places you would think. The right-wing American magazine The Economist called for such a tax to be levied in the United States, and even the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers is no longer opposed to one.”
Steven Guilbeault – Co-founder, Deputy Executive Director and Spokesperson for Climate and Energy at Équiterre
“This tax should have been in existence a long time ago.”
Martin Poirier– Energy Analyst at the ‘Institut de recherche et d’informations socio-économiques’
“…the Liberal green plan is stirring a lot of interest and we ought to take a closer look. At heart, what this is about is more than just implementing a tax on carbon; it’s an opportunity to discuss the reform of our fiscal system…There is a broad consensus among economists that we should tax less on what is useful and desirable, such as work and investments, while we should tax more on what isn’t, such as pollution. This is what the Liberal green plan aims to do.”
Luc Godbout – Professor and Chair of Public Finance at the University of Sherbrooke
“The Coalition QuébecKyoto considers the carbon tax plan proposed by Stéphane Dion as representing a step in the right direction for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Coalition QuébecKyoto
“… you have to congratulate Stéphane Dion for initiating an intelligent debate on an important question.”
André Pratte – Chief Editorialist, La Presse
“This plan must be taken seriously…A similar tax has already been implemented in British Columbia (since February 2008), as well as in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Holland and the United Kingdom… Whatever may be said by supporters of a more universal and simpler approach (not to say theoretical and more simplistic), the redistribution scheme included in the proposed liberal tax plan constitutes a fair balance between individuals and business.”
Jean-Paul Gagné – Editor, Les Affaires
“Far from being opposed to carbon taxes, economists in Canada are, if anything, leading the charge in that direction. The Green Shift proposal put forward by Stéphane Dion and the Liberal Party, for example, is largely based on a paper written by Jack Mintz and Nancy Olewiler. Jack Mintz, former president of the C.D. Howe institute and now poster boy – literally – for the School of Policy Studies at the University of Calgary, is widely acknowledged as perhaps Canada’s foremost expert on taxation…it is remarkable the degree of consensus that exists among Canadian economists that some form of carbon taxation is both a desirable and necessary part of any realistic carbon reduction strategy. To suggest otherwise, I’d suggest, is a distortion of the truth.”
Jim Sentance – Department of Economics, University of Prince Edward Island
“The income generated by a carbon tax can be used to cut income taxes, build more public transit, upgrade trains, develop renewable-energy sources and retrofit homes and buildings with energy-efficient technology. For 20 years, scientists have warned of the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Leading economists have shown that the cost to bring emissions down will be about one per cent of GDP annually, while the costs incurred if we don’t reduce emissions could be economically catastrophic. When politicians, businesspeople and citizens show leadership by proposing or implementing solutions to the real problems facing the planet (yes, more than 90 per cent certain is as real as it gets in science), they deserve our support, not mockery and politically motivated misinformation.”
David Suzuki – Environmental Activist
“The Green Shift is a bold plan, and one that will provide a significant leap forward in Canada’s contribution to the fight against climate change.”
Editorial – Hassan Arif, Telegraph-Journal
“I like the fact that Mr. Dion is putting a real price on pollution and then he throws in the added benefit of reducing income taxes and guarantees revenue neutrality through an independent third party.”
Dalton McGuinty – Premier of Ontario
“This policy represents a seismic conceptual shift in the federal tax system, sending the message that the Dion Liberals are prepared to re-invest in social and environmental policy in a creative way. This is a sharp divergence from the Conservative agenda of market-based social policy, and a climate change policy designed to expand Canada’s dependence on and pollution from the oil industry. In the next election, finally, voters will have a clear choice to make.”
Janice Harvey – Freelance Writer and Director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick
“While Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pronounced Dion’s plan as ‘crazy’, Canadians themselves don’t appear to believe this. Rather, Canadians seem to be ready to at least consider seriously a plan that would impose heavier taxes on them for the sake of combating climate change but with (depending on income) part or all of this coming back to them in the form of compensating tax cuts.”
Richard Gwyn – Columnist
“Mr. Dion’s proposed carbon tax is a good example of the kind of policy Canada needs to fight climate change.”
Marlo Raynolds – Executive Director, Pembina Institute
“I don’t think the plan will be negative on growth. In fact, it will probably be positive. Because what you’re doing is taking taxes off investment and work effort and you’re putting it on to consumption.”
“…the whole concept of the plan is to say first of all we can try to improve our tax policy and our environmental policy at the same time.”
Jack Mintz – Former President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute and world-renowned fiscal and tax policy specialist
“I think that it will take a few years for the Liberal plan to start to make an impact but the point is that they’re proposing something that is – they’ve got the work right, and that’s – we really like that.”
“I actually think that the way forward really is to have a carbon tax regime such as the Liberals’ Green Shift and then over the long run implement a cap-and-trade system as well.”
“As I say, in broad brush strokes, well done, Mr. Dion.”
Stephen Hazell – Executive Director, Sierra Club Canada
“The idea is sensible. There’s a growing consensus to do something about emissions. We need to put a price on carbon.”
Don Drummond – Chief Economist, TD Group
“Well, it seems to be a solid plan. It’s relatively straightforward, but it looks like it will cut greenhouse gas emissions quite effectively, and in that regard, it probably represents the kind of federal leadership on climate change that’s been missing with this government…”
Pierre Sadik – Policy Advisor, David Suzuki Foundation
“If it’s implemented, I can see this plan making a tangible difference because it puts the machinery in place to reduce greenhouse gases.”
“If they combine these measures with a whole suite of other measures … by 2020 we may have achieved the levels that we need to stem the worst effects of climate change.”
Aaron Freeman – Policy Director, Environmental Defence
“This is a step in the right direction. There has to be a price on carbon and this is a measure that is necessary if we want to confront the issue of climate change.”
Dale Marshall – Climate Change Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation
“It’s definitely an important part of what we need to do to combat the climate crisis, and it’s great to see that we have a political party willing to put front and centre the climate change problem in its campaign proposals for the next election.“
John Bennett – Executive Director, ClimateforChange.ca
“…Soldier on, Mr. Dion. People respect true grit, and they just might shift, just might catch up with you.”
Ken Alexander – Editor, The Walrus
Uh.. where did you et the idea, Harry. that the Green Shift was “shot to hell”?
I’ll be more then happy to take that to the people and compare it to the Cons. plan, which basically is do-nothing. Combine that with the fact that the CONS were cheating and committing electoral fraud, I’m more then confident the forces of light will prevail.
The complete disregard for the law, parliamentary procedure and common decency by CRAP, I have no confidence whatsoever in these Ethics Hearings. I read Kady when I get a chance and it truly is a kangaroo court, no holds barred. Where does all of this incompetency come from? Canada is a disaster when it can’t even smackdown this circus! The Cons are cons, simple as that, they are cheaters, they are liars, they are vacuous wastrels. The incompetency of the Opposition is just as bad. Shut it down and take them to the SCC! There is already enuf on record to destroy them, what the hell is the matter with this country? I’m disgusted by all of you, every single one of you.
There must be a reckoning, I mean why do we have Have Regulations?
Pundits Guide
http://www.punditsguide.ca/parties_e.php
Harry S. your an Ass! There will be no flocking you idiot!
Here’s a example of some expenditures questioned by a resident in the London riding….
http://myblahg.com/?cat=37
Today, like everyday during the last few weeks, was a blur. We’re organizing a major event with Stephane Dion, you see and with all the rsvps, phone calls, emails, tiny details, along with regular constituency issues, it was manic. So when Garth called and said he’d be in the office in a half hour, I thought “good!” we can go over a bunch of little details. I never twigged into the odd look on his face until he came into my office, shut the door and said “look at me, I need your full attention on this.”
“What now” I thought. He started by showing me an envelope addressed to him from Elections Canada. He took out a letter which he read to me describing the charges laid against him by the local Conservatives. So after white water rafting my way threw a torrent of emotion, I got to thinking about that week in 2005, and slowly, slowly the details started drifting back. And I knew exactly where to look.
The minute I got home, I headed straight for the box marked 2006 campaign. I hadn’t looked in there for a long time. The last time in fact, we were still conservative, newly elected, filled with promise, expectation and hope. The box was surprisingly well organized, all things considered. And as I sifted through, hoping against hope that I’d kept the hardcopy of a specific email, I found something else…… a single sheet of paper, folded in half. It still has the thumbtack holes in it from where we posted it on the wall of the campaign office. This excerpt from the early days of the blog, written by a courageous, bone weary candidate. I had enlarged the font so the words that would become our campaign mantra were easy for everyone to read.
The Turner Report – Reason to believe
I have walked the streets of this riding, talked with thousands and thousands of people, spent time in their homes, on their driveways, listening to their hopes and frustrations.
At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple. People don’t want handouts and subsidies, but a level playing field for everyone. Fairness in taxes, honest in government, a good chance for everyone to get ahead. Leadership is about getting obstacles out of the way, not building them. It’s about letting people feel hopeful and optimistic, because they are your partners, not your inferiors. It’s time folks here had an MP that existed not just in householders in their mailbox, but in person at their doorstep. Always there for them.
Words written by a guy who loves his country, upholds democracy and cherishes freedom of speech. Wise words then; wise words now. It sure gives one pause doesn’t it to think that the same guys who took the time to stop and ponder these words are the same guys who wrote to Elections Canada.
Life can be funny, eh.
Just to add – if there is a definite correlation between big bucks and electoral success, then I’m an idiot and would prefer to drop out entirely. Done.
By HARRY S
An election this September-October will settle all accounts … after Canadians stop this mockery and injustice by the Opposition parties with a majority Conservative government.
Huh? The opposition parties are to blame for the CPC’s incompetence, stupidity … and possible illegalities? How about if the CPC had just played by the rules, or at the least fessed up when this mess broke, they wouldn’t be in these committee meeting right now.
But, yes, I do agree that an election is needed to redefine the political landscape. If the Liberals do win just imagine the sleezy, underhanded that could be uncovered due to Harper’s “I know best and if that means I have to lie to the electorate than that is what I’ll do” attitude.
So Garth, there’s a lot at stake if Dion pulls the plug this September and throws the country into a general elections … only weeks after the 3 by-elections.
There is a lot at stake in a national election … stop the press!!!
Or is Dion so desperate that he will cave and abstain .. in the hope that the kangaroo committee hearings will save his failed leadership..??!!!
Dion’s leadership looks more solid everyday, and I believe – although I can’t confirm this – that it is beginning to resonate with Canadians.
This whole ‘not a leader’ meme is really growing thin. Dion has more political smarts than I think he is generally given credit for and has thus far kept the ship pretty steady, all things considered, based on calculated decisions which I think this will pay off with success.
Now with his Green Shift shot to hell, he will be reduced to fearmongering and smearmongering again in the hope Canadians will flock back to their beloved Liberals.
Is it fearmongering if Harper truly is scary? I worry about the prospects of Harper majority. I imagine him pulling a ‘Bush’, which is to say he would try and destroy our institutions so badly that we could never recover.
Oh how the mighty Liberal party has sunk so low and now clinging to committee hearings to save their sorry butts.
Haha, yeah right, more like look how far the conservative brand has fallen since it was overtaken by the Reform-Alliance.
Take that to Canadians in any next election …LOL
I would have no qualms volunteering for a Liberal campaign in the next election because I would at least be working for something – a positive vision of what Canada can be – as opposed to … I don’t know … what exactly are the CPC going to campaign on in the next election? They can’t exactly voice what it is they really want to do, as well they haven’t done anything particularly well and have a more scandals then they should considering their brief tenure in government.
I know, why don’t they run on the plank that shows how they want to fine hard working middle class families thousands of dollars for their children’s computer habits … that could work toward their tough on young offenders theme.
Is our parliamentary system so fragile that all the institutions administrating the country can so easily be by-passed and negated. It is one thing to have these Conservative clowns control a minority government, but if they could have gotten a majority, would we have been compared to Uganda and Zimbabwe a short number of years from now. Maybe this is a strong learning lesson that our institutions need protection and so do the many civil servants that administrate them. Can anyone name the numerous institutions and programs this Conservative government has set out to destroy? or cancel and rename under a new program name?
Danny Williams (piece of dogturd that he is) says: But Williams has been uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
What matter? The Green Shift. Better get somebody on that a.s.a.p. Liberals!
Didn’t see this afternoon’s session but saw the one yesterday and it was so tense in the committee room, I could feel it in my kitchen.
Felt sorry for Paul Szabo. Don’t know how he can keep his cool with all the interruptions and incorrectly-used points-of-order etc. as well as all the yelling through the testimony of the witnesses and questions from committee members. I hope his doctor gives him some valium to help him keep his blood pressure down.
It was obvious the Conservatives were fighting for their souls. My husband tells me that this afternoon’s session was really boisterous and boorish on the part of the cons. As I said, they are fighting to save their souls but their posturing isn’t going to do it. I think they are really afraid.
I try not visit often because the comments are just a cesspool of ignorance of conservative trolls and it gets my blood boiling. They always claim to be “on” something though and I’d like to ask what? What sort of pills are they being given to constantly come here and not comment on the content of the post but on Dion, Mr. Turner and the Liberals?
Really, it’s old people. Look down south and you’ll see Americans waking up from the 8 year stupor Bush had them in and seeing their economy tank and looking for change.
I’ve said it then, I’ll say it now, Dion is our change for a Prime Minister not to get caught up in the soap opera style of politics but to lead with firm policy positions in all areas of social justice, economic stability and a cleaner environment, thus a better future for future generations.
I can’t wait for Dion and Mr. Turner to be the party for this country that Canadians deserve.
We certainly don’t deserve a Prime Minister who makes inappropriate statements on the national stage, allows a child to remain in a foreign jail on questionable charges, allows our economy to stumble and our environment to get progressively worse, with no hope of change for 50 years.
haha…okay I guess we all have the “on” on our nicks. Teaches me for logging on and checking comments so late.
Oh how the mighty Liberal party has sunk so low and now clinging to committee hearings to save their sorry butts.
Take that to Canadians in any next election …LOL
By HARRY S on 08.12.08 11:23 pm
Stuff it bird brain.
“Right. Because I’m not dead yet. . . . Perhaps, when these folks are gone, it may return.”
Get rid of these goofballs forever — a couple of weeks prior to xmas, citizens will have had ample opportunity to witness first hand for themselves, how completely inept and corrupt CRAP is, and will be clamoring for an election.
Trouble is, Dion’s walking into a snakes lair of a major worldwide fiscal downturn, of which he had nothing to do with.
At least he doesn’t have a religious background, as we’ve all seen what dubya has done with the US.
****************************************
“. . . Two weeks and the rest of the story comes out. . . . the melt is on
buddy, spare a dime?, 9:08 pm
Two weeks? Beginning of Sept. when children return to school — they’ll be out of the way when the shit hits the fan.
Will BC have the 2010 Winter Olympics? It’s already cost taxpayers here a bloody fortune, not including the rock slide a week or two ago.
Frankly, I just can’t wrap my head around how anyone – save, I guess, the hyper-partisans – can continue to support this Conservative government and party.
But then again – what? – 80% of Canadians still believe in a mysterious Sky Captain.
And most people don’t pay any attention to politics anyways, I suppose – except for “political junkies.”
Sad, truly sad.
What,s that again Harry?
What,s that again Harry? A majority Conservative government! You want an election. Your wish will come true but not till the time you,ve hung yourself and your party completely out to dry. Racketeering is not good public relations Harold. Strong arming your own candidates is bad policy. So! I suppose we,ll get the old-EVERY ONE ELSE DID IT. That chap testifying yesterday spilled the beans. 14,000.00 dollars in. Next day 14000.00 dollars out. No problem. Maybe some other partys did this also. No big deal. But then claiming the 60% refund of approximately 8000.00 dollars for money not spent on campaigning poses a bit of a issue. And the word is there,s approximately 50 more of Harpers little men and women involved in this Defrauding of the tax payers. You,ll be spanked on the ass and sent to your room with no majority or minority and won,t be let out until you fess up to your sins. The whole Conservative Party will be wearing electronic ankle bracelets and relegated to the back benches..
It,s beyond me how a party that defrauded honest tax payers of 35 billion dollars, with not a peep from the Governor General and a media and NDP Government complicit in this fraud can finally be brought to it,s knees over this. Harpers Party,s not only crooked. There dum crooks at that..
By the way! Thanks Esther for your instincts about this Harper Government and not being bullied into being part of this scandal. Garth never lost his honour ever,but the Canadian political system will begin to get its honour back when these Harper crooks are gone. I might even get religious if Dion forms the next Government.
Conservatives are turning the committee system into an irrelevant parliamentary institution which is their modus operandi. Tear an institution down so it’s easy to get rid of or reduce its importance.
Some of the best work done by politicians used to be done in committee but Harper’s 200 page book on how to disrupt committees have resulted in insolent behaviour by Conservative members – Art Hanger stomping out of meetings that he was supposed to be chairing. Joe Preston talking about the colour of ink in his pens – for an hour and a half!
There is no honour left in this government. Hopefully Canadians are paying attention to all of these shenanigans.
Look forward to seeing your next letter to the local papers, Garth. Tell the people in your riding about these shenanigans with the Elections Canada investigation. They need to know before they vote.
For once, Garth, I wholeheartedly and unreservedly agree with you: we do need to restore honour and integrity to our governance. But, please do not make it look like the current government is the only dishonourable government we’ve had.
I have watched our federal and provincial politics go downhill for the last 35 years and with each successive government, it has gotten worse and worse. The lack of integity began to be obvious with the Mulroney era and then continued with the Chretien era.
The arrogance and disdain for the Canadian public is beyond belief and I am talking about ALL parties, not just the Conservatives or Liberals. I never thought I’d say this but over the past couple of elections, I’ve been tempted to spoil my ballot because no matter who gets in, we Canadians are subjected to lies, evasions, arrogance, disdain, and, of course, the shaft. No matter who is in power, we get screwed. And I mean no matter which party is in power: it doesn’t matter to me, it is all bad. I am one jaded and discouraged Canadian.
And, please, nobody jump on this as an opportunity to diss only the Conservatives: they are ALL bad. At every level: federal, provincial, municipal; they all have one thing in common: who gives a hoot about Canadian citizens?
Harry S – you taunt and bully and mock -do you realize some of your CPC’s could end up in jail? You think this is a joke?
You think it’s great we have Vladimir Harper destroying, or trying to destroy our institutions?
Harry S. – you are either very slow in the brain, think you are being funny or are being paid by the CPC to troll Garth’s blog.
The Conservative behaviour in this whole mess is pretty pathetic from the start of the scheme right up to today. How Harper can sit up there on his high horse and allow all this to happen while calling himself a ‘leader’ is beyond me.
The Liberals biggest problem here is getting the word out about all of this to the average Canadian and then explaining in simple terms while it is such a big deal. Same goes for a gauntlet of other issues. People I talk to on the street have a ‘I heard something about it but I really don’t care’ attitude.
How to get through to people on the street is something the Liberals ought to be putting some thought into today, so when the election is called tomorrow you don’t have to come from behind to win them over.
This scandal and the conservatives attempts to discredit and embarrass the committee investigating it should on the minds of everyone. It is a national embarrassment not fit for a governing party.
Oh how the mighty Liberal party has sunk so low and now clinging to committee hearings to save their sorry butts.By HARRY S on 08.12.08 11:23 pm
You seem to have forgotten that after the Mulroony era, the Progressive Conservatives were sent to the bottom of the political well. The only way they might survive was to give up the party that first governed this confederation and joined the Reform/Alliance that has now taken over a once proud party.
Take that to Canadians..
Do these clowns think they can just obstruct this mess away? I hope the HOC does everything in it’s power to force them to co-operate. It’s yet another example of just how rotten to the core that party is and the rot is so deep and widespread, it can’t be remedied by throwing out a few bad apples. Clearly, the whole batch has to go.
Could Harper be asked to testify, or is he protected by his position? Who cooked this thing up? I think it’s important to find the mastermind of this scam.
Perhaps when the system is gone you`ll get that loven feeling back.
By buddy, spare a dime? on 08.12.08 11:05 pm
I have to agree here, the party system operates on the whim of the PMO and does not address the concerns of constituents. Until the party system dies, Canada will continue sliding into the abyss. Yes the CPC are acting above the law, but no other party is willing to act on behalf of the people. To me, it just speaks to who one thinks would be the more benevolent dictator. This is hardly democracy. R. was right when he said that all we can do is find fault with the governing party of the day, and that there is no real alternative. As Harry points out, the threat of a CPC majority, which could never happen, is what is sustaining others from looking elsewhere. No level headed Canadian could think of putting these unaccountable and deceitful folks back in power. Hardly difficult to see that when you see some of their supporters on here. Are these the kind of folks you would want running this country? Therefore it clouds the real issue which is, it’s the system that need massive democratic reform.
Oops, am reposting my previous comment as I may have actually hit the Say It button before I completed it.
I started watching the committee proceedings on CPAC yesterday and after half an hour of Goodyear’s, Tilson’s & del Maestro’s rantings, I switched it off. I kept checking in on Kady’s amusing blog. The arrogance of the CPC, unfortunately, is only witnessed for political junkies. Am sure if the average citizen where aware of how they conduct themselves at these committee meetings & how they’ve stonewalled various committees, they’d be truly disgusted. I hope at least that this story will get wide national coverage.
Funny, Harry, I recall seeing Reg Alcock before the Committee looking into the sponsorship program when he was at Treasury Board in the Martin governments; and I recall Pelletier, Dingwall, Ouellet and others’ appearances before HofC – most under oath, I believe. Were you writing blogs then condeming the Conservatives for siking so low and clinging to Committee, etc… or are you being a hypocrit here?
Critics blast Ottawa plan to control rights reports
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080813.wrights13/BNStory/National/home
OTTAWA — Ottawa has moved to centralize control over the drafting of Canadian embassies’ reports on the human-rights records of foreign countries, demanding they draw a sharper line around information they want to keep secret from the public.
Foreign Affairs officials have sent new guidelines to embassies that order them to make a “sharp, clear distinction” between sections of the report to be made public and those that will be classified.
Human rights should not be considered as a matter of grave secrecy and confidentiality.”
In a memo that accompanied the guidelines, the Foreign Affairs department’s deputy director of human rights, Robert Sinclair, asked embassies to send drafts of the reports in earlier than previously so that officials in Ottawa can review them and consult on the final versions.
The new guidelines follow a scandal last year over a human-rights report on Afghanistan – which Ottawa first said did not exist, then released in heavily censored form that blacked out sections embarrassing to the governments of both Afghanistan and Canada.
In the midst of a controversy over the treatment of detainees transferred by the Canadian Forces to Afghan prisons, the Foreign Affairs department responded to a request from Mr. Esau by saying no such report existed.
After a complaint to the Information Commissioner, it released the heavily censored version that notably omitted key sections about the treatment of prisoners in Afghan jails where detainees caught by Canadian troops are kept. One sentence that was blacked out read: “Extra-judicial executions, disappearances, torture and detention without trial are all too common.”
In lengthy new guidelines for drafting the rights reports, keeping portions secret is a high priority.
So much for the con’s promised open, transparent & accountable govt. they campaigned on.
This news story blew me away. Selfish or what? This is the kind of attitude that keeps us driving our cars, buying all the new toys, buying bottled water, etc. I had to re-read the story because I thought it was a joke.
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/477380
Call me crazy, but I’d call this a real priority. Perhaps Garth can champion this one, as well. This is something which affects real people in a real way.
http://healthzone.ca/health/article/477378
There is no doubt that this Conservative government is a new government and wants to shape the country in its own image. That image is a party that will manipulate, distort, and show a total disrespect for our institutions.
Whether the committee hearings are partisan in nature is not the issue. They are a part of our democratic system. It is evident that the new Conservatives either disrespect or fear the checks and balances in our system.
They have taken arrogance and entitlement to create a new level of corruption in our system. They no longer can claim moral superiority. The problem is that many Canadians, and maybe most, simply don’t care. They are so cynical that they no only expect it but they claim that they can do nothing about it. That reflects a failure of democracy.
I am ashamed of how corrupt our system has become.
Look at the bright side…When you retire from politics again, you can make the move to a more respectable career, like used car salesman or ambulance chaser or loan shark or Hell’s Angel, etc…
Harper is calling DION’s election bluff, will he or won’t he? One this one, after ALL the Liberal abstaining, Harper is right!!! Ouch, THAT hurt to say.
Hindsight is always 20/20, and based on the revelations coming to light about the conduct of the Conservatives while in office, Dion was 100% in NOT triggering an election sooner. And, should Dion decide that more time is needed for the Canadian public to fully understand what the Conservatives have been doing – then I would support that decision 100%.
And here’s how the Mtl Gazette today reported on this in & out scheme. IIRC, this is a Can West publication, so it doesn’t really surprise me. I’d imagine the same article was run in all of their papers.
Simplify rules, MPs are urged urged
Guidelines for federal election campaigns
ELIZABETH THOMPSON, The Gazette
Published: 4 hours ago
Elections Canada should simplify the rules governing candidates and provide better training for the people responsible for their campaigns, the official agent for a Quebec Conservative candidate told members of Parliament yesterday.
Testifying during hearings of the House of Commons ethics committee, Geoffrey Webber said the rules that guide Canada’s federal election campaigns are very hard for most people to understand.
“I’m an income-tax consultant and we have a tax law that is relatively complicated. … I was surprised how complicated the laws around elections are,” said Webber, who served as official agent to Brome-Missisquoi candidate David Marler.
Webber said he was also surprised to find the only training he got on how to do the job came from the Conservative Party and not Elections Canada.
MPs were among the first to agree with him.
While Liberal Marcel Proulx and Bloc Québécois MP Richard Nadeau, whose Gatineau ridings are a short drive from Elections Canada headquarters said their agents had received training, Liberal MP Charles Hubbard said many agents are volunteers and can’t take a day off work to travel to urban centres where the training is offered.
Conservative MP Gary Goodyear echoed Webber’s call for better training, pointing out the elections rule book is 700 pages and many official agents are volunteers who have never read the regulations or the hefty handbook put out by Elections Canada.
“If Elections Canada learns anything from its mistakes, it has to do a better job educating candidates, (and official agents.)”
Elections Canada has launched an investigation into the allegations that included executing a search warrant at Conservative Party headquarters in April.
Lowry told MPs he there was nothing wrong with his decision to allow the party to transfer nearly $50,000 in and out of his campaign’s bank account to fund advertising. If Goldstein had managed to get more than 10 per cent the transfer would have provided the riding with a $30,000 refund from Elections Canada.
The party transferred the money because it “was thinking of the long term,” he said, adding something had to be done to help ridings like his where the candidates don’t garner enough votes to entitle them to a refund.”
Maybe the rules do need to be simplified, but I can’t believe that the Con National Campaign HQ weren’t aware of the rules.
You seem to have forgotten that after the Mulroony era, the Progressive Conservatives were sent to the bottom of the political well. The only way they might survive was to give up the party that first governed this confederation and joined the Reform/Alliance that has now taken over a once proud party.
Take that to Canadians..
By Caper on 08.13.08 6:08 am
The point is that they did not survive. The evidence is the way in which the new so-called Conservative Party disrespects our political insitutions. A central feature of true conservatism is respect for our institutions.
Liberals rejoiced at the demise of the Progressive Conservative Party. They saw it as a means for them to achieve one-party rule. They were willing to accept the danger of an extremist agenda gaining power in order to achieve that objective.
The fact that the party system has been used to corrupt government is something that we have to face and figure out what to do about it. The established parties have found a way to create a closed political system that is rapidly losing any characteristic of democracy.
I am reading Lynne Olson’s Troublesome Young Men. I am amazed at the parallels and similarities in the state of the UK’s Parliament in 1938 and 1939 and ours today. This book is time well spent.
I enjoyed that book immensely. You are quite right. — Garth
KPN – I think you have to be aware of the rules in order to figure out a scam.
It’s pretty discouraging to watch MP’s like Tilson, Del Mastro, and the rest of the Tory junior high school Mafia thugs.
It’s embarrassing and discouraging to see MP’s that are suppose to be intelligent, dignified, to reprepresent us in a statesmanlike manner to be acting like this.
I wonder how much taxpayer money was wasted in this attempt to filibuster – Goodyear, for example, took something like 25 minutes in one of his rants.
I would love to see these hearings played again and clock the time wasted and then charge the CPC Party to reimburse taxpayers. I think we, the taxpayers, deserve better.
“The official agent for a Conservative candidate in Toronto told The Canadian Press yesterday that he and other potential witnesses were told by an organizer for the federal party as late as Monday that they didn’t have to testify at the inquiry if they didn’t want to.
Douglas Lowry said the organizer, whom he named as Carmen McGregor, gave the advice after he and others received summonses from the Commons ethics committee.
“We’ve all been told,” Mr. Lowry said.
He said he and the other Conservatives were given the advice Monday, adding that Ms. McGregor said it in her capacity as a party official.
“She said it, but she’s from the party. She would contact whoever the executive director is.”
Conservative MP Dean Del Maestro confirmed the party has a Toronto regional organizer named McGregor, but said he believes her first name is Carma not Carmen. Party spokesman Ryan Sparrow did not respond to an e-mail asking for a comment or response from Ms. McGregor. {Tim Naumetz, Canadian Press]
Perhaps The Sparrow was thrown off by the fact that her name is actually Karma MacGregor – not “Carmen” or “Carma” (and many thanks to the reader who alerted ITQ*** to the name confusion).
Otherwise, he would certainly have had something to say about Lowry’s allegation that a Conservative organizer known as “Finley’s GSA axe-woman”, according to a local Blogging Tory, was apparently offering somewhat dubious advice to at least one former candidate and future witness as recently as Monday (and whose more recent involvement in a hotly contested Mississauga nomination battle is chronicled here).
***ITQ=Inside The Queensway- Kady O’Malley
http://blog.macleans.ca/category/blog-central/national/inside-the-queensway/
“I used to feel some honour being in politics. Perhaps, when these folks are gone, it may return.”
posted by Garth Turner on 08.12.08 @ 10:58 pm
Garth, unless there is a change in the human condition, after these folks are gone, you will still have other human beings to contend with who will be in conflict with “your truth,” but it isn’t “their truth.” In today’s world of relativity, who is to say who is right?
When will we learn that we do not defeat our enemies when they are gone? We defeat our enemy through a truth and reconciliation process, and with the ultimate goal that our enemy becomes our friend.
“Does anyone think it is wise for any Conservative to testify in this committee? They do have a lawsuit ongoing with elections Canada, do they not? If there is a coming court case, they would be wise to keep quiet in this venue unless it is a criminal act not to testify.
By Marc on 08.12.08 11:28 pm”
It is the obligation of Canadians to appear before a HOC committee. You are trying to obscure the real issue here which is the Conservative Party’s complete disdain for our national institutions.
There is no excuse for this behaviour. Period.
Unfortunately there is no easy way to tell who they are just by looking at them. And with our large urban societies it’s easier for sociopaths to stay hidden in the masses.
By Greg W., Oakville on 08.12.08 12:40 pm
Greg,
Now we have Leasa out in the open, at least when she is posting under her own name. Of course sometimes when she posts under another name she will initial it simply with an “L”, hoping as is often the case, this will go unnoticed. She does this so that if questioned later she will claim that she “signed” it. This of course does not wash and is just another way she has of telling lies. She is even devious about her deviousness. Clever, but dishonest just the same.
Since Leasa is probably the most devious and dishonest person on the blog she bears watching and continuing exposure.
“We certainly don’t deserve a Prime Minister who makes inappropriate statements on the national stage, allows a child to remain in a foreign jail on questionable charges, allows our economy to stumble and our environment to get progressively worse, with no hope of change for 50 years.
By Tania on 08.13.08 12:58 am”
Well said Tania…100% agreement.
I wonder what David of the Sweet, alleged ‘promise keeper’ in my riding, ADFW, would have to say about the ETHICS proceedings on CPAC.
Mikey of (Let Mikey Eat It) from the riding next door … Burlington, received rave reviews, as did Tilson, del Maestro, and Goodyear.
“Wallace sucking on his ear phones – after he had them in his ears? Ewww. Actually, I think Wallace is drinking some joy juice – he giggles and acts like the class dunce.”
“Was Del Mastro gentlemanly enough to give this poor old soul a ride home? Hey, cry folks, Del Mastro works hard and hasn’t taken any holidays.”
Gary Goodyear – such a man of integrity, such a good chairman himself:
As Chairman:
After the 2006 federal election Goodyear was elected Standing committee chair of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (of which he chairs the Subcommittee on Parliament Hill Security. In March 2008 the Procedure and House Affairs Committee ousted Goodyear by moving a motion of non-confidence in him. The committee then elected Conservative MP Joe Preston as the chair against his will, and he called no meetings before resigning from his position. The committee currently has no chair and has not met since March 6. Jay Hill, Conservative party whip, said he is adamant that unless the opposition is willing to meet to re-elect Mr. Goodyear as the chair and to withdraw the motion to study the “in and out” election financing, there will be no Procedure and House Affairs committee meetings
As a Good and Ethical Guy:
A former campaign manager for Conservative MP Gary Goodyear admits he negotiated a lease for a campaign headquarters in 2004 that said the landlord would make a political donation to Mr. Goodyear’s election bid. In a compliance agreement with the Commissioner of Canada Elections, Reg Petersen “acknowledged an act that constitutes an offence” under the Elections Act
By kpn on 08.13.08 7:29 am
snip
“Maybe the rules do need to be simplified, but I can’t believe that the Con National Campaign HQ weren’t aware of the rules.”
That is an understatement!
No matter what “game” you play, in order to manipulate the rules, you need to know them. Every action shown by the CPC in this garbage fund raising scam proves they not only know the rules in precise detail, but tore them apart to create loopholes. Problem is, this risky strategy had a downside that they probably felt was minimal.
No risk – no reward. They took the risk, and are getting the proper returns… now.
We hear about the CPC war chest being filled with dollars. Considering that this scam would give them potential 60% return for money laundering through Elections Canada, well, makes me wonder what scams they are using to bypass other election funding rules.
Election time!
I would still like to know why the Green party does not have a plan for the environment. The absence of their plan supports my idea that political parties and politicians are all about style and power. Guess I definitely won’t be voting Green.
“The party transferred the money because it ‘was thinking of the long term,’ he said, adding something had to be done to help ridings like his where the candidates don’t garner enough votes to entitle them to a refund.’”
kpn on 08.13.08 7:29 am
Why should the establishment parties be allowed to use taxpayer money to get this kind of advantage when the smaller parties and independent MPs are so restricted? This statement reflects the arrogance and attitude of entitlement of those who represent the major parties.
It is the old attitude of “he who has is entitled to more.”
Remember when the old Reform/Alliance type of conservative made comments about the Liberals “sucking at the public teat”? Guess who has turned out to be even worse when they got access to the cow?
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 7:08 am
I would expect the local council to dispose of the NIMBY complaint very quickly … after the route & collectors are reviewed.
Oh how the mighty Liberal party has sunk so low and now clinging to committee hearings to save their sorry butts.By HARRY S on 08.12.08 11:23 pm
Remember Harry – the mighty fall, but when you are down the only way to go is up…..
By Marc on 08.12.08 11:28 pm
Since when was putting the truth on a such a rigorous schedule a good idea?
Every human being has a standard of morality and a code of ethics.
I agree that ethics is more foundational to any society than any of the other “e’s”–including the economy, the environment, education, or ecology.
My next point is to say that none of us is completely keeping the Law of Right and Wrong, or of Ethical Behaviour. If there are any exceptions among you, I apologize to them.
I am only trying to call attention to a fact, the fact that this year, or this month, or, more likely, this day, we have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from others, at least in the SPIRIT of the law, if not in the LETTER of the law.
There may be all sorts of excuses for us. We tend to judge others by their ACTIONS, and ourselves by our INTENTIONS. This is at the root of all human conflict and misunderstanding.
The truth is, we believe in decency so much–we feel the rule of objective Ethical behaviour pressing on us so–that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it ourselves at times, and so we try to shift the responsibility. (This could be a good foundation for the Commons Ethics Committee.)
For you will notice that it is only for our questionable behaviour that we find all of these excuses, rationales, explanations, and justifications. We all want to defend ourselves, and to preserve our own hide.
It is only things like our bad temper that we explain as something we were not really responsible for, because we were overtired, or worried, or hungry. On the other hand, we tend to put our good temper down to ourselves, and take full credit for it.
These, then, are two points I wish to make:
1. First, that all human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it.
2. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave that way all of the time. They know the Law of Ethical Behaviour, and yet they break it at times.
These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves, and the universe that we live in.
And, should Dion decide that more time is needed for the Canadian public to fully understand what the Conservatives have been doing – then I would support that decision 100%.
By TS on 08.13.08 7:24 am
Most of the inquiries and judicial processes don’t take place until next year. Harper et al have been casting everything forward, while stonewalling, in the hope of getting past the immediate horizon.
I’ll be DADDY’S GONE A-HUNTING, from October 15 at a MWU in N. Ontario. ‘Course, I’ll have to rename the place of concealment (no reference to the visually impaired) to STOOPITT from ‘blind’ for the C.R.A.P./S.H.I.T.’s
Martha’s set up to forward the necessary papers for notarization so I can vote, without having to return to ADFW.
The forty-four teams are already in place over three ridings … and they can travel.
Indispensible, as always, means they can’t get you through a dispenser.
I am ashamed of how corrupt our system has become.
By C. B. Innes on 08.13.08 7:13 am
‘Fraid you’ll have to be a bit more strenuous than that, CB.
Just one question for you Turner—–
If what the conservatives did is so wrong why did you not blow the whistle when you were asked to participate in this “scheme”? Your self-righteous comments and those of your lap-dogs are really breathtaking when you compare this to “adscam”. Why don’t you “public servants” try doing something the rest of Canada really cares about instead of digging up dirt on each other. You are all a complete waste of time and money.
Blow the whistle to whom? Elections Canada was unaware of something that was just being set into motion by the Conservativs. I told my party it was unworthy of support, and I acted on my own conviction, and turned it down. — Garth
Garth:
How does one stand victorious in the face of such corruption? Money is power and if the Conservatives managed to slip money in and out of your campaign without your knowledge or approval then what chance does the average Canadian have against the Conservative election campaign? It’s way below the radar of the average individual and it is a known fact that smear campaigns do work eventually.
I despair for the few honest parlimentarians who want to rise above this sewage that is our current government. Mr. Dion appears to be an honest, forthright individual with great integrity and intelligence.
Is that enough to win an election? Sadly I think not. People care only for themselves and what they can get out of the government. Harper’s crew have the money to pull another minority.
And Canadians will be the ones who pay and have only themselves to blame.
Welcome to “accountability”, CPC-style.
Brought to you by Canaduh’s Gnu Goobermint[tm].
They’ll be gone soon. Keep telling it like it is.
By Brian Wilson on 08.13.08 8:51 am
Yep another one who thinks adscam allows the CPC to do anything they like that is deceitful and dishonest. Certainly glad to see all that garbage about accountability, transparency and ethics and honesty was just plain BS in the last election. I am sure many Canadians see this for what it is!!!
Call me crazy, but I’d call this a real priority. Perhaps Garth can champion this one, as well. This is something which affects real people in a real way.
http://healthzone.ca/health/article/477378
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 7:11 am
Crazy like a fox, nice try at a diversion!!!
You are all a complete waste of time and money.
By Brian Wilson on 08.13.08 8:51 am
Where do you fit, BRINE?
On the ‘inside’ wanting out, or on the outside wanting in on shenanningans.
Does it surprise you, the public has had these suspicions of C.R.A.P./S.H.I.T.’s all along?
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 7:08 am
I would expect the local council to dispose of the NIMBY complaint very quickly … after the route & collectors are reviewed.
By PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.13.08 8:32 am
I hope so, Pyotr. When I bought my house, I chose the location because of its proximity to the bus stop. Some homeowners, who do not even use the bus complained about various stops’ locations and OC Transpo moved them, inconveniencing those of us who take the bus.
Eventually, OC returned some of the stops which they had moved or removed because of customer input.
This particular lady in Ajax is despicable. Her arrogance shows through and her complete lack of consideration for her neighbours tells me that she is a very unfulfilled individual. You know, she reminds me of Barbara Amiel who is still lamenting what happened to her poor hubby. In case it doesn’t come through: I feel absolutely no pity for Conrad or Barbara, the arrogant twits.
Blow the whistle to whom? Elections Canada was unaware of something that was just being set into motion by the Conservativs. I told my party it was unworthy of support, and I acted on my own conviction, and turned it down. — Garth
By Brian Wilson on 08.13.08 8:51 am
Hmmm. Brian Wilson brings up a good point, Garth. You could have gone to Elections Canada and made it known what was happening. It was only after the Conservatives were elected that you began to rip apart the leader and the party. You could have spoken up beforehand, Garth or, better yet, you could have resigned from the party and run as an independent. That is, if your convictions were purely altruistic.
There is no argument to be made there. The best way to change the bad behaviour of parties is from the inside, not by walking away and putting yourself in a position of no influence. You are reading this blog, which is a case in point. Now, by the way, tell where I “ripped apart” Mr. Harper while I sat in that caucus? — Garth
Not the only one conned
In retrospect, says Charlie Conn, “they reeled me in like a lazy trout”
http://www.mississaugablogs.com/2008/02/not_the_only_one_conned.html
Wonder what LURE they were using.
By Mel on 08.13.08 8:41 am
A crass attempt to muddy the water and lower expectations. Are you a McVety supplicant?
I used to feel some honour being in politics. Perhaps, when these folks are gone, it may return.
posted by Garth Turner
My first of the morning raw response was ‘No kidding!’
BY LEASA ON 08.12.08 12:28 PM
Leasa, as you know I don’t smear and I don’t lie.
And I just noticed, that you twisted what another commenter said. He clearly was trying to goad you, but if you take a deep breath and re-read what he said, he was talking about “indisputable evidence”. He didn’t need to use that guy’s>/I> case as an example that indisputable evidence locks up a case, because he probably figured you’d superimpose the wrong thing onto yourself – and you did. Girl, take a few more seconds to type up your replies – don’t fall for things like that. Maybe you’d start making more sense. If you want to attack Liberals, don’t do it without a knee-jerk reaction. Most people, not all, but most, have good radar. You may not believe that, but it’s true. [BTW do you really think I could be an MP!?! That was very kind of you to suggest that.]
By barb the proofreader on 08.12.08 2:03 pm
Barb,
You never cease to amaze me. Your insight is remarkable. As you pointed out earlier she she does keep digging herself in deeper and deeper. Perhaps, being a compulsive liar, she can’t help herself. Obviously her claims that you lie and smear are themselves further lies.
I admit I did have reservations about drawing parallels with the pig farmer, but the parallels are obvious and the details widely known. Frankly I could not think of another example as highly visible, not only where there is so much condemning evidence, but particularly where there seems to be no end of evidence. That is the gist of the comparison. Leasa, ironically, keeps providing the evidence herself as she keeps piling one lie upon another. Her calling you a liar is a case in point.
Gord
“ACOUNTABILITY” and “TRANSPARENCEY” are words that were drummed into Canadians by all CPC members with Stephen Harper making a point of standing behind large signs with the word Accountability in bold larger than life letters. Top this off with getting tough of crime…..OMG what fools some 36% of voting public were…or were these clowns just plain liars. I say to our Senators, earn your keep, raise supeanas for the complete lot and parade them in front of we who pay their wages and paid in spades for this in and out Tory taxpayer scam!
The conservative members are showing what the prerequisites are to be a member of the conservative party.
1. Brainless – no need to think
2. Coward – Can hide at any moment
3. Followers – Just point them in the direction you want them to go
4. Invisible – Don’t be seen
The sad part of all of this is they are the party leading the government. What a sad state our government and country is in. Even worse is the lack of protest against this unacceptable behaviour.
These scandels are very upsetting. They turn people off of voting as “all politicians are liars” and worse they shrink the voter turn out.
It needs to change.
unless it is a criminal act not to testify.
By Marc on 08.12.08 11:28 pm
It is Contempt of Parliament, and hopefully will become a criminal charge, among many others.
— Garth
Not to put too fine a point on it but the best you could have expected from Elections Canada at the time would be confirmation that your suspicions are correct. If my understanding of the Vogon brain is even close to correct, they would have considered warning active participants off, unprompted, at the time to be distinctly partisan.
Ratting them out would only have at best shortened the time it took for Elections Canada to smell one themselves by a few weeks.
Harper will never see a Majority government,… unless he is staring at from the opposition benches.
By Zorpheous on 08.12.08 11:28 pm
Even better, when he has to watch it on CPAC like any other ‘average’ Canadian. LOL
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 5:04 am
Like my dad taught me ‘Son, you dont get to vote for the best man, you vote for the one that will do you the least harm!’ So sad, but ever so true.
These guys make me sick with their arrogance and their contempt of our democratic institutions.
By TS on 08.12.08 11:19 pm
Not to mention their lack of knowledge about the Rules and Procedures for their office.
These clowns are writing OUR laws? God save Canada! To which God replies ‘You have the power…use it! Vote!!!’
Watch the antics online. It is apalling. If all Canadians got a boo at this, I am sure this government would change quickly.
http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/parlvuen%2Dca/
As a proud Canadian it is getting increasingly harder to stomach what goes on in Ottawa. We have a bunch of buffoons in power (albeit a minority) who campaigned on doing things differently than the previous government. What I see are exactly the same tactics as previous governments.
The Liberals are no better, I could dig up all kinds of examples of their behaviour in committee that would easily compare to what the Conservatives are doing now. This isn’t democracy in action, it’s pathetic. I don’t honestly understand why we can’t have an open and accountable government that has nothing to hide. (And that goes for the Liberals when they were in power, equally).
Maybe it’s just time to take my cynical attitude and tune out like the majority of Canadians have already done… maybe it’s time to just stop caring
“maybe it’s time to just stop caring”
fertile ground for Fascism.
Indispensible, as always, means they can’t get you through a dispenser.
By PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.13.08 8:47 am
In the U.S. it is known as the ‘Prez Dispenser’ pretty much like Monty Python’s head that opens and out pops an even wierder image.
This is how to run a Parliamentary Investigation Committee! when those supeonaed refuse to comply.
Bill-Muskoka, your dad is a very wise man. Isn’t it outrageous that it has come to that.
This comes as a new list is published of Conservatives in the last election who had questionable financing when it came to money spent on polling.
Hmmm Garth
Cannot find any reporting on the new list. Don’t keep me guessing!!
But could it include Dean Del Mastro, Gary Goodyear and the Conservative candidate for West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast a Mr. John Weston??
The Liberal Party would do well to realize that mid-summer hearings of the Ethics Committee aren’t going to save them. People aren’t listening. And even if they were, they know better than to believe allegations of corruption coming from the gang that wrote the book on Canadian political scandals.
The strategy at play here has nothing to do with what actually happened during the 2006 election. Here are the facts:
1. The Liberals are desperate. The Green Shift hasn’t seized the public’s attention. The Conservatives are coming off a successful Quebec retreat. Let’s convene the Ethics Committee and manufacture a week’s worth of bad (and old) headlines! It’s not a bad idea, really.
3. The media are bored and biased. The press gallery hates Harper and has nothing to do. The prospect of having Paul Szabo foam at the mouth over non-criminal allegations directed at a schwack of Conservatives excites the average Ottawa political scribe to the core. This is what happens when you have journalists who wish more than anything that they were part of the cool Ottawa in-crowd, instead of actually covering the issues Canadians care about.
3. The Conservatives don’t care. They know nobody outside Inner Ottawa will take the time to read the tripe the media reports about this. Obviously it looks bad on the surface; obstructing committee, refusing to testify, etc. But, honestly, who cares? I see and talk to a lot of people during my days, and I honestly can’t recall a single person who has said, “Boy, it’s a real shame what the Conservatives are doing at the Ethics Committee!” Does the average voter even know what a committee is, what it does, or even if it exists?
The end result, of course, is gridlock. The committee is stalled because the Conservatives don’t want the headlines coming back in attack ads during an election, and they know the headlines won’t move the political needle at all right now.
It’s all calculated political manouevering. I can’t fault either party for their actions, really. If I were a Liberal, knowing the I’ve got the media on my side, I’d probably do the same.
Hindsight is always 20/20, and based on the revelations coming to light about the conduct of the Conservatives while in office, Dion was 100% in NOT triggering an election sooner. And, should Dion decide that more time is needed for the Canadian public to fully understand what the Conservatives have been doing – then I would support that decision 100%.
By TS on 08.13.08 7:24 am
TS – I agree. I believe Garth was asked a few months ago whether many of the actions of the cons could be reversed if the Libs got into power. I think he replied that they could. Whether they would be is another story. I am so upset about the number of Cdn. non-partisan, institutions that this con govt. have dismantled, accused of partisanship, etc. They have no regard for anyone or any institution that doesn’t share their vision. Their vision is all laid out in Tom Flanagan’s book/commentary.
…………
Why should the establishment parties be allowed to use taxpayer money to get this kind of advantage when the smaller parties and independent MPs are so restricted? This statement reflects the arrogance and attitude of entitlement of those who represent the major parties.
It is the old attitude of “he who has is entitled to more.”
Remember when the old Reform/Alliance type of conservative made comments about the Liberals “sucking at the public teat”? Guess who has turned out to be even worse when they got access to the cow?
By C. B. Innes on 08.13.08 8:30 am
Agree with the above CBI. The system has to change. IIRC, Garth spoke about the various restrictions, funding, etc. as an Independent. Wish my memory were better, but that’s the gist of what I recall.
Over the last 2 years I’ve read about various systems of govt., but all seem to have pros and cons. I know that I don’t agree with electing Senators & Supreme Court Judges, but believe there that is definitely room for change. Harper’s desire to change the number of seats in Canada, yet not applying his proposition to Ontario, is nothing but hyprocritcal. Correct me if I’m wrong.
I too am ambarrased by this government. Unfortunately, I believe the avg. Cdn. is too preoccupied by their daily lives to see what is happening & the MSM are largely at fault as well.
This isn’t democracy in action, it’s pathetic. I don’t honestly understand why we can’t have an open and accountable government that has nothing to hide. (And that goes for the Liberals when they were in power, equally).
By R Smith on 08.13.08 10:32 am
In a word, corruption. In a thought the Cdn government is not for the people but 100% against the people.
Sir John A had to step down in his first term as our first PM in the face of corruption charges.
Nothing has changed, the system is broken by corruption, it`s beyond repair.
Maybe it’s just time to take my cynical attitude and tune out like the majority of Canadians have already done… maybe it’s time to just stop caring
By R Smith on 08.13.08 10:32 am
“maybe it’s time to just stop caring”
fertile ground for Fascism.
By Geiseric the Lame on 08.13.08 10:42 am
I was just think hours ago how we are going down the road to fascism. So R. Smith & Molly, if we don’t stand up for ourselves, who will. There’s a saying something about when they came for him, I didn’t say anything, ……….
Look what’s happening to Cdns abroad who have been accussed/imprisioned .. yet our government’s attitude is let them rot in jail, if it’s a so-called ‘democratic’ govt./process. What’s their definition of such. What western democracy takes this attitude. Rant over. Got to get out and do some errands.
Once again the list of those who stood on their soap box and preached “Accountability” !!!!!!!
British Columbia
Burnaby-Douglas, George Drazenovic
Burnaby-New Westminster, Marc Dalton
Cariboo-Prince George, Dick Harris
Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, Troy DeSouza
Kelowna-Lake Country, Ron Cannan
Kootenay-Columbia, Jim Abbott
Nanaimo-Cowichan, Norm Sowden
Okanagan-Coquihalla, Stockwell Day
Okanagan-Shuswap, Colin Mayes
Prince George-Peace River, Jay Hill
Vancouver East, Elizabeth M. Pagtakhan
Vancouver Kingsway, Kanman Wong
Saskatchewan
Cypress Hills-Grasslands, David Anderson
Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, Jeremy Harrison
Manitoba
Winnipeg Centre, Helen Sterzer
Ontario
Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, Ian West
Davenport, Theresa Rodrigues
Kitchener Centre, Steven Cage
London-Fanshawe, Dan Mailer
Parkdale-High Park, Jurij Klufas
Sarnia-Lambton, Patricia Davidson
Scarborough Centre, Roxanne James
Thunder Bay-Rainy River, David Leskowski
Timmins-James Bay, Ken Graham
Toronto Danforth, Kren Clausen
Trinity-Spadina, Sam Goldstein
Vaughan, Richard Majkot
Windsor West, Al Teshuba
York-South Weston, Steve Halicki
Quebec
Argenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel, Suzanne Courville
Beauce, Maxime Bernier
Beauport-Limoilou, Sylvie Boucher
Bas-Richelieu-Nicolet-Becancour, Marie-Eve Helie-Lambert
Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Daniel Petit
Compton-Stanstead, Gary Caldwell
Drummond, Jean-Marie Pineault
Gatineau, Patrick Robert
Hull-Aylmer, Gilles Poirier
Lac-Saint-Louis, Andrea Paine
Laurentides-Labelle, Jean-Sarge Beauregard
Levis-Bellechasse, Steven Blaney
Lotbiniere-Chutes-de-la-Chaudiere, Jacques Gourde
Louis-Hebert, Luc Harvey
Louis-Saint-Laurent, Josee Verner
Megantic-L’Erable, Christian Paradis
Montmorency-Charlevoix, Yves Laberge
Mount Royal, Neil Martin Drabkin
Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Lachine, Allen F. Mackenzie
Pierrefonds-Dollard, Don Rae
Pontiac, Lawrence Cannon
Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier, Howard M. Bruce
Quebec, Frederik Boisvert
Richmond-Arthabaska, Jean Landry
Saint-Laurent-Cartierville, Ishrat Alam
Shefford, Jean Lambert
Sherbrooke, Marc Nadeau
New Brunswick
Beausejour, Omer Leger
Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, Charles Doucet
Nova Scotia
Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Robert A. Campbell
Halifax, Andrew House
Halifax West, Rakesh Khosla
Prince Edward Island
Malpeque, George Noble
Newfoundland and Labrador
Bonavista-Gander-Grand Falls-Windsor, Aaron Hynes
Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte, Cyril Pelley Jr.
Labrador, Joe Goudie
Random-Burin-St. George’s, Cynthia Downey
___________________________________________________
OTTAWA _ A primer on the alleged misconduct of the federal Conservative party in the last federal election, courtesy of Canadian Press:
WHAT _ Elections Canada alleges that the Conservative party organized a program to allow it to spend more on election ads than allowed under the rules through an “in-and-out” scheme. This program shifted $1.3 million in expenses to 67 local candidates who had room under election
spending limits to pay for advertising, but didn’t have the cash.
WHO _ The elections watchdog says the party sent the money to these individual campaigns, which then sent it right back, supposedly as a payment for regional ads. But the money actually was spent by the party on national ads, Elections Canada alleges.
HOW _ The agency says the party transferred money to 67 campaign bank accounts “and within a very short span of time, these funds or funds closely approximating the amounts deposited, were transferred back out of these accounts.”
WHY _ The elections watchdog says this plan allowed the national party to overspend its legal limits by about $1.1 million. And 65 of the 67 the individual campaigns involved got to claim 60 per cent reimbursement from the government for the phantom ad money that just passed through their bank accounts. The other two campaigns didn’t get enough votes to qualify for reimbursements.
PENALTIES _ Elections Canada alleges that the program violated a number of sections of the Elections Act. Convictions could bring a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine for the financial agents involved and a $25,000 fine for the party. Most violations of the act bring fines, usually $2,000 or less.
Garth, did you recieve a different letter then Mr. Will Stewert? He said his letter from the “vote cops” did not say “the letter also told that the Halton Conservative Association and its president Will Stewert had recently provided information to the vote cop…” and his letter from Elections Canada did not say that. Elections Canada is sending out 2 letters or someone is being untruthful?
Read the update. — Garth
By David Bakody on 08.13.08 11:44 am
Your list is incomplete making it partisan. You missed all the Liberal MP`s that were elected on the $40M stolen from the national treasury.
List, please. — Garth
All the foaming, frothing and vile bile that is pouring out on this fine forum is totally incongruous with the reality that everyday Canadians are facing.
Everything that is transpiring at these trumped up opposition party kangaroo hearings doesn’t measurably affect Canadians one iota … and you know it. They are only acts of desperation by a failing Liberal party with a failed leader.
Dion is flogging his Green Shift Tax (GST) and the fear of global warming .. while Liberal MPs are wasting their time and the taxpayer’s money on silly hearings of no ultimate consequence. Is this what Liberals will be peddling to Canadians in any next election??
Meanwhile, PM Harper is delivering on tax reductions, efficient government, public safety, environment and standing up for Canadian interests, at home and abroad, namely:
- Rebuilding Canada’s Armed Forces
- Defending our Arctic
- Standing up for security and human rights around the world.
And what are Liberals doing?? Abstaining, fearmongering, smearmongering and conducting ludicrous committee hearings attempting to divert Canadian’s attention from what is important to them … the Country, the Economy, stupid.
If Liberals cave again under Dion’s pathetic leadership, might as well fold up that Big Tent and burn it for all it’s worth.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080813.ELECTION13/TPStory/TPNational/Politics/
List, please. — Garth
By got rope? on 08.13.08 11:56 am
You know Gomery had his hands tied by Martin till the bank records disappeared making a list impossible.
The government, getting away with a $40M burglary, does not make it `good for the country`.
Oh, so there is no list. Sounds like you are blowing smoke then. — Garth
Bill-Muskoka, your dad is a very wise man. Isn’t it outrageous that it has come to that.
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 10:50 am
Yes he was, and it was amazing how SMART he got between my age of 18 to 21. LOL
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 12:02 pm
More Dion bashing from fearmongering and drain dead….
Garth, I`ll tell you something straight up.
You said holding off an election till the economy kicked the Conservatives out, is not a plan. Matter of fact you missed the timing I mentioned on the Libs last chance last spring. An election now will not save the economy even if it were to give the Libs an advantage.
You have on been wrong on the economy on one point only, interest rates going up and killing housing. It is the reason few people reacted, they were waiting for the predicted rise in rates.
On politics the main one I differ from you on is method.
You willingly flush the economy with all the turds, I just wanted to flush the turds.
Does anyone think it is wise for any Conservative to testify in this committee? They do have a lawsuit ongoing with elections Canada, do they not? If there is a coming court case, they would be wise to keep quiet in this venue unless it is a criminal act not to testify.
By Marc on 08.12.08 11:28 pm
Since when was putting the truth on a such a rigorous schedule a good idea?
By Geiseric the Lame on 08.13.08 8:38 am
Several points that you would know if you had watched the Ottawa scene closer last Winter.
First: Parliament is the top court of law in the land. It supercedes the Supreme Court.
Second: When a House of Commons Sub Committee issues a subpoena to appear and testify, it is mandatory without exception. One is not even allowed to refuse to fully/truthfully answer the questions posed. Failure to do so is an act of Contempt of Parliament. The Committee has the right and responsibility to report such contempt to the Full House and then if the House votes to concur, the penalty can be just a sanction or as severe as 6 months in prison. Refer to the Committee hearings on the RCMP Pension Plan investigation and Deputy Commissoner Barb Busson’s testimony that was deemed to be not fulsome and truthful. She was sanctioned only. The last case of failure to appear was in the 1800s which did result in 6 months in prison.
Third. Testimony before a Committee is protected and cannot be used against a person in a lower court of law. I am not sure but it maybe used in a Court of Law as evidence against someone else that does not have that protection! We may see this in the Mulroney/Schreiber Inquiry Commission where previous testimony from the House Ethics Sub-Committee may be introduced.
Now all that aside. What is by far the most important is the Court of Public Opinion! What are the “optics” of refusing to appear under subpoena and swear under oath to state what are the facts under investigation? (especially when it is alleged to be under orders from the PMO) JUST BLOODY AWFUL! Here you have Parliamentarians acting as if the laws and rules don’t apply to them or their party and the Prime Ministers Office.
In short, the system is broken, and we do not have a ready viable method of repair short of a general Federal Election. And when ever that is invoked there will be such a smoke screen no one will be able to see the real issues and solutions. So expect more of the same unless some event(s) shock the nation into action and to their senses!
Oh, so there is no list. Sounds like you are blowing smoke then. — Garth
By got rope? on 08.13.08 12:07 pm
lol, $40M is a lot of smoke and I didn`t blow it. Hope it doesn`t blind Cdns to how corrupt our elected federal government,,,, in total,,, really is.
Fine, but you have no proof. Smoke. — Garth
Wow, I just read the Ottawa Citizen’s article about Robert Thibault. I am appalled by what he said. Now, before I am buried under a barrage of Peter MacKay and other anti-Conservative remarks, I don’t excuse him either. Just as I don’t excuse either leader for not publicly making any sort of statement.
Both men made intermperate remarks. What galls me the most is that whenever any politician makes a stupendous gaffe like this, he never ever stands up and accepts full responsibility. Nor does he apologize meaningfully.
Thibault’s “explanation” of his “making tea” remarks is beyond the pale. Now, if history repeats itself, I’ll bet that this blog castigated MacKay and that other guy who made some anti-gay remark and I’ll also bet that the Conservative bashers had a hay-day with those two incidents.
For some reason, I’m not reading anything from the Liberal side on this blog castigating Thibault for his ageist and sexist remarks; not to mention ignorant and very stupid remarks.
Now, given the past gaffes of two Conservative men, you’d think that Thibault would have gathered that making intemperate remarks like that would be not a good thing. Looks like the Liberals have their own ignorant idiots as well as the Conservatives.
It still puzzles me, though, why there is no outrage from Garth or Garth fans. At the very least, I would have expected some of the women posters to castigate Thibault for his ignorance.
Oh, Thibault is also not overly bright because LeBreton is not some little weakling who will back down and take crap like that. Hey, I’ll at least give Thibault points for taking on somebody who is much more powerful than he’ll ever be.
As for Sue referring to LeBreton as an old bat (yesterday), I sure hope you live long enough to become one, yourself. Such disrespect for our seniors. I wonder what the Helens would say about this whole thing.
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 12:02 pm
LET’S HIGHLIGHT HARPER’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS HARRY, SEEMS YOU LEFT SOME OUT:
STEPHEN HARPER LIED TO INVESTORS ON INCOME TRUSTS.
STEPHEN HARPER ADMITTED ON TAPE he was aware of a financial offer to Cadman.
STEPHEN HARPER ADMITTED THE CPC used the “IN & OUT SCHEME” in their campaign financing. The investigator for Elections Canada denied claims by the CPC that other parties did it in 2004 & 2006. NOW THE CPC IS TELLING IT’S MEMBERS THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW!!!
STEPHEN HARPER’S chief of staff, most likely under instructions from Harper, tried to INTERFERE in another country’s election process, commonly known now as NAFTAGATE. I am sure Sen. Obama will not forget this trespass.
STEPHEN HARPER tried to SMEAR Liberal MP Bains in the House of Commons. (The character of HARPER exposed, like the smear against Martin as favouring child pornography and Liberals supporting the Taliban)
STEPHEN HARPER ran on having an ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT, then immediately appointed an unaccountable minister. (Hiding Michael Fortier in the Senate, the same senate he opposed as unelected, then appointed Fortier)
STEPHEN HARPER SAID HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD BE DIFFERENT from the dishonest Liberal government, they are the same if not worse.
(too many scandals to get them on one post, Baird, Day etc. etc..)
STEPHEN HARPER MUZZLES HIS MINISTERS and only allows them to talk in public after the content has been cleared with the PMO. Now he wants to muzzle all government offices by having them clear everything with the PMO before releasing information. Then he scraped the Co-ordination of Access to Information Requests to deny access to Canadians to millions of pages of once secret documents.
STEPHEN HARPER BROKE HIS WORD on the Atlantic Accord.
AND DON’T FORGET HIS LITTLE BOOKLET TO DESTROY DEMOCRACY IN COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
So Harry, this should keep you busy for a few hours trying to come up with some explanation…oh NO…you will just come back to bashing Dion trying to cover for the most dishonest PM in Canada’s history!!!!
Read the update. — Garth
I read the update and the letter he wrote you. I just did not read if there were 2 different letters from Elections Canada in the update. You stated in the original post “the letter also told that the Halton Conservative Association and its president Will Stewert had recently provided information to the vote cop…” did it not? Do you stand by your original writing and the letter you refernced? Either there were 2 different letters delivered from Elections Canada, or someone is untruthful?
There is no argument to be made there. The best way to change the bad behaviour of parties is from the inside, not by walking away and putting yourself in a position of no influence. You are reading this blog, which is a case in point. Now, by the way, tell where I “ripped apart” Mr. Harper while I sat in that caucus? — Garth
I would like you to tell me how this can be accomplished.
One of the major problems is that if you try to change the climate or challenge what is being done within the party you are immediately shunned. Your membership may be deleted from the record, you will not be informed of meetings, and people you once considered friends treat you as an enemy. You are considered a “trouble maker” and are deemed unfit to be a party member.
That is why reforming parties from within fails. This is why I am sceptical that if the Liberals get back in power that they will be any different.
SMOG…Harper’s legacy?
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=b6589ae4-dc61-4d50-a548-f236d76ec6e8
Here is a good laugh, the man who ran Ontario into deficit suggest we should learn financial planning…LMAO
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=b6589ae4-dc61-4d50-a548-f236d76ec6e8
Commodities up on dropping global demand.
The many trillions sitting in cash accounts and the tens of trillions at stake moves one step closer to investing in WW3.
oops, sry off topic. Didn`t mean to interrupt the vote against theme.
- Rebuilding Canada’s Armed Forces
- Defending our Arctic
- Standing up for security and human rights around the world.
This is a great Liberal government initiative from just several years ago.
http://www.navy.dnd.ca/leadmark/doc/index_e.asp
Harper decides to have more secrecy:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=b6589ae4-dc61-4d50-a548-f236d76ec6e8
Oh, so there is no list. Sounds like you are blowing smoke then. — Garth
By got rope? on 08.13.08 12:07 pm
You should never do that GR. Any kind of smoke is bad for your health. In this case, it’s an attempt to mislead people.
I AM A SMOKER … I never attempt to mislead anybody.
If, for example, I light up in a no-smoking area, I always thank those around me for holding their breath.
How many ‘k’s in hypokondriakk?
Oh, so there is no list
There is no list because no agency with the authority to investigate bothered to investigate. This despite the testimony in the Gomery inquiry that at least 10 Liberal Candidates accepted illegal cash donations in brown envelopes. Because the Liberal Party never named those candidates – indeed never showed the slightest curiousity about that sworn testimony – all Liberals carry the stench of that episode. Until the party discloses and expels those candidates all Liberals are presumed guilty. You all knew and you all co-operated in trying to hush it up. Don’t bother telling me how you weren’t there. You’ve made it abundently clear that you will not object to devious behaviour until you see which way the wind is blowing.
Self-interest is your only guiding principle, Turner.
One would presume if Elections Canada uncovered illegal activity with regard to election financing (I understand they investigated thoroughly), charges would have been laid. But, no charges. No list. No story. — Garth
My Prediction: The first party to run a TV, Radio or print advertisement that says “On behalf of all polititians, WE ARE SORRY FOR WHAT WE HAVE DONE! will win the next election.
Canadians are tired of this shit. All I want to see now is some leader of some party take the hit and appoligize flat out for all the bullshit. Just for once flat out say “We’ve screwed up many times in the past, we admit it, we’re sorry. We will do better in the future.”
Okay, I’ll go out on a limb here: what is this MSM that keeps popping up on this blog?
“At least he doesn’t have a religious background, as we’ve all seen what dubya has done with the US.”
Sorry, but this is silly. There are religious and secular people in all parties. When I read remarks like that, it makes me shake my head and wonder exactly what type of a person would make such a statement. Totally insensible remark.
Quite ironic for the Harper government to be clamping down on youth crime.While our youth sit back and watch their corrupt antics and “above the law” attitude.Some role model these thugs are for the youth of our country!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 12:02 pm
Why doesn’t Marjory LeBreton do her job?
When our group attended the Mikey (Let Mikey Eat It) forum, July 10, Marjory the Minister for Seniors, said …
At the September party caucus she anticipated they would bring forward a meaningful “cut” to the burdensome gasoline, oil and natural gas costs.
What does that mean?
To date, the gnu government has done nothing while costs are spiralling out of control. Those costs impact virtually every segment of society due to being an integral element in the overall cost structure. The government continues to rake in the tax revenue.
There were ~=100 people at the meeting.
There were ~=15 so-called ‘dignitaries.’
In the last two weeks we’ve seen a more pronounced gouging by the oil industry.
Consider,by the numbers
4.5 per cent: dip in gasoline sales in Canada, June 2008 versus June 2007
$147.27: record-setting price of oil, July 11, 2008
$113.01: yesterday’s close for a barrel of oil
$1.26: average gas price in Hamilton yesterday
94.4: average gas price in Hamilton one year ago
Source: Statistics Canada
I reason the cost/litre should be $1.15
I have encouraged all my friends and neighbours in ADFW to become active by encouraging the government and the Minister for Seniors to do their job.
A nice polite e-mail of reasonable length.
lebrem@sen.parl.gc.ca
That is, unless it was another lie from C.R.A.P. which could be readily accommodated on the heap of lies they’ve told already.
Garth;
Every day brings another scandal.
So far, you’ve been one step ahead of the law. My feeling is that this will end soon…
Maybe you’d be better off worrying about people who actually have been accused of law-breaking, like the Conservative Party and its in-and-out candidates. — Garth
- Rebuilding Canada’s Armed Forces
- Defending our Arctic
- Standing up for security and human rights around the world.
HARRY S on 08.13.08 12:02 pm
- Rebuilding Canada’s Armed Forces
*as opposed to rebuilding, wait, saving our economy
- Defending our Arctic
*Glad to see Duddly Duright is still on the job but meaningless to the holders of the defuct 40/0 mortgage.
- Standing up for security and human rights around the world.
*We have the highest number of parent denied children in history with over half the Cdn population denied constitutional rights. Exactly who`s rights are they standing up for?
Is that what you`re bringing to the next election in the face of a growing and serious recession or even a depression? This should be interesting,.
Investment opportunities for the coming election
http://www.ropesuppliers.net/?source=google&gclid=CI_-yv6ri5UCFSBciAodcVvO1w
Mr. Got Rope, please provide you list, my list is from the Canadian Press and is now available “World Wide” Each and every member can if she or he wished come clean to Canadians or the World for that matter… this list will not go away even with all disruptions in name of truth, justice and yes Sir: Accountability…to which you of course must stand behind….your list may be posted when submitted. Now once again for every man women and child and of course all who must deal and live with these people it is posted above. If you miss it here look on other web sites around the world ya never know where it just might pot up.
Mr. Garth TurnerMP, FYI 10% another
I got another CRAP 10% from Daryl Kramp MP, today. Th one with ‘Safe?’
I’d like to know why they close the safe drug injection sites programs to help people get off drugs and stop dieing? I guess there corporate buddies can make more profit by throwing human beings that need help in to a jail cell, run by private companies.
Self-interest is your only guiding principle, Turner.
One would presume if Elections Canada uncovered illegal activity with regard to election financing (I understand they investigated thoroughly), charges would have been laid. But, no charges. No list. No story. — Garth
By Lawrence on 08.13.08 12:54 pm
It seems to be the CPC guiding principle as all the supporters use the adscam affair to justify their actions…they are scum of the earth Larry and you know it…they campaigned with the bullshit they would be accountable, transparent, ethical and honest…and now all you CPC supporters are clinging to adscam to justify yourself…you guys are a joke!!!
“List, please. — Garth
By got rope? on 08.13.08 11:56 am
You know Gomery had his hands tied by Martin till the bank records disappeared making a list impossible.
The government, getting away with a $40M burglary, does not make it `good for the country`.”
got rope?…. I guess you are proving yourself to be just another neoCon bobblehead by posting outlandish claims without a shred of substantiation. Obviously you won’t mind if the readers of Garth’s blog who happen to have some living brain cells simply ignore anything you post.
Can anyone tell me what DelMastro contributed this morning to the Ethics Meetings in Ottawa?
By got rope? on 08.13.08 1:28 pm
Hey R….Harper is going to hold a cabinet meeting up there so he can tell all his little serf how they can continue to subvert democracy…and I am sure Mr. Obama will be very impressed with his Northern venture especially in light of the fact Harper tried to screw Obama out of office…this should be a blast!! Dudley Do Wrong up north with his band of Merry serfs….
Maybe you’d be better off worrying about people who actually have been accused of law-breaking, like the Conservative Party and its in-and-out candidates. — Garth
I’m better off worrying about my representative in Ottawa. So far, I’ve been disappointed.
As well, the comments you’ve been making lately (re: Alberta, Quebec, John C. Coates) have me deeply worried.
I’ve been so worried, in fact, that I’ve been in communciation with Scott Blurton (Electronic Communications; Officer Liberal Party of Canada).
There’re not too high on some of your comments, Garth…
Mr. Blurton tells me he gone one email on my comments about those “separatist losers,” so I guess that was yours. Congratulations, Posie (or is it Lex?), you were the only one of 33 million Canadians who cared. I am touched. Hug? — Garth
By Potsie Webber on 08.13.08 1:27 pm
I am surprised you have a feeling, what’s that old saying “No sense, no feeling!” … LMAO …
If Dion caves this September and continues to abstain, he won’t have anything to campaign on except some obscure negative crap that Canadians don’t want to hear about.
Oh you say Conservatives cheated in the last election .. so do Liberals.
Oh you say Conservatives are covering up on Mulroney .. Liberals haven’t on Chretien..??
Yes … try to run an election on these obscure negatives and see how far that will take the Dion Liberals …LOL
I dare yah ….!!!!!
Totally insensible remark.
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 1:02 pm
Maybe so, but the extremists in many religions have been responsible for most of our wars…
Ugly. Just ugly. Harpo is accomplishing what he set out to do: the general discrediting of all forms of federal process, regardless of merit. It his political heritage, that of Tom Flanagan, and Flanagan’s mentor’s mentor, Strauss. Once this rot sets in, it takes full scale war to get it out.
Just look at how ineffective the Democrats are in the US. And that’s with 40 years experience with this type of toxicity.
your list may be posted when submitted.
By David Bakody on 08.13.08 1:30 pm
The list as to who stole the $40M as per the gomer report, `the LPC`
I dare yah ….!!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 1:41 pm
Somebody is scared that this might go to October 2009 and many more CPC sacandals will hit the fan!!!
Canadians vote parties out not in…LMAO…run scared Harry!!!
posting outlandish claims without a shred of substantiation.
By TS on 08.13.08 1:37 pm
lol, the stolen $40M that Chretien said was good for the country is hardly unsubstantiated
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 12:56 pm
Main Stream Media…
Ah, where is dim Jim lately?
Dudley Do Wrong up north with his band of Merry serfs….
By wjp on 08.13.08 1:39 pm
Pity NAP time about economic conditions will interfere with the Duddly Dunothing meet with Duddly Duwrong. That might be worth the taxes used in paying for this extravaganza.
the melt is on
By got rope? on 08.13.08 1:28 pm
You will be interested to know that the previous Liberal Government had 3200 Artic Rangers in the north.
Enough…I have had with the Conservative yappers on this blog..yapping about Dion’s cowardice and refusal to call an election….Hey dipsticks, its up to the PM to ask the GG to disolve parliment….who is the chicken here. If Dion is such a poor leader, if the Government believes so strongly in the righeousness of their cause…let the Goverment call the election to get their majority government. Hey guys and gals, let’s not forget the argument cuts both ways. Harper is gutless because he won’t call an election to get a majority mandate, ….he can’t win one either….some kind of leader he must be….has to resort to an oil blob to campaign….has to resort to negative attack ads….cause he has no record of worth to campaign on….true or not, its a matter of opinion and there is a body of opinion to suggest that Harper is every bit the leader that he claims Dion is.
Garth,
If MP’s choose not to appear before the ethics committee, can the Speaker deny them from speaking or a vote in the fall session of parliament?
Hi Gord on 08.13.08 8:04 am,
You could be quit right. But since to usually skip over the stuff she writes I haven’t been keeping track.
Thank For your thoughts on,
’she bears watching and continuing exposure’. I’ll try an keep it in mind.
I like to thing anybody can change for the better.
But of course true sociopathes just aren’t wired to do that. It’s so hard to tell who they are when they hide in the masses.
But then there is PMSH and his gang being cot in the light!
I wonder what the Helens would say about this whole thing.
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 12:22 pm
The Thirty Helens, in addition to reiterating their call TO NOT SCRIMP when buying a good pair of shoes, would invoke the additional call, “feet, don’t fail me now, because, my god, your feet are what you walk on.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDTZcj8Xink
There are a good number of Helens, or near-Helens in motivation, on our forty-four political action teams. The senior ladies and their daughters comprise about 85% of team makeup. I have been FORCED to commit to their total support. If I am called back from the MWU in N. Ontario, I must return immediately … No IF’S AND’S OR BUT’S.
Their one rallying cry; “We’ve been told lies, far too often, by the Harper government.”
Very interesting article about recent history on the Chinook helicopters.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/on-the-verge-canadas-47b-program-for-mediumheavy-transport-helicopters-02390/
Hi Mel on 08.13.08 8:41 am,
Thanks for your thoughts.
Can anyone tell me what DelMastro contributed this morning to the Ethics Meetings in Ottawa?
By Johnny on 08.13.08 1:38 pm
Nothing, nada, zip … Use your google translator … that’s what it’s there for. They’ve been caught … and they’re fully prepared to slouch to the lowest common denominator during their silly posturing.
Hi wjp on 08.13.08 9:18 am,
Regarding,
eastofeden on 08.13.08 7:11 am.
She has a piont to bring to our attention that is as valid as any other.
If we don’t help others, were will our humanity go?
What will happen to ours quallity of life, everyones, including your families?
I guess there corporate buddies can make more profit by throwing human beings that need help in to a jail cell, run by private companies.
By Greg W., Oakville on 08.13.08 1:32 pm
It`s not the drug companies my friend, it`s the revolving doors of the courts that generate the increased cash flow and profits.
neoCon bobblehead by posting outlandish claims without a shred of substantiation
TS on 08.13.08 1:37 pm
distract, dismiss, deny
How many ‘k’s in hypokondriakk?
By PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.13.08 12:50 pm
distract, dismiss, deny
I dare yah ….!!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 1:41 pm
Last time I heard that it was a challenge to a battle of wits. How long will it take to arm yourself?
Is it just me or did the mutual respect amongst our elected representives of any political stripe disappear with the advent of the Reform Party. I was reading about how the parliamentary cafeteria is empty most of the time as members take their meals back to their offices. I often hear the cons on here and on other blogs complaining about Trudeau, but at least he respected those opposite him. Just remember the eulogy delivered by his son Justin, he related a story from when he was a boy which taught him that very lesson. Today conservatives complain about a lack of respect. Lesson: The best way to earn respect is to show respect.
Yes … try to run an election on these obscure negatives and see how far that will take the Dion Liberals …LOL
I dare yah ….!!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 1:41 pm
Why I guess you are admitting your bashing of Dion is pointless then…finally you have seen the light!
Okay, I’ll go out on a limb here: what is this MSM that keeps popping up on this blog?
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 12:56 pm
MSM . Main Stream Media .Do try and keep up .
I am wondering what the Conservative strategy is in all these 10%ers I have been recieving. These flyers are pretty much attacking the Liberal party and Mr. Dion especially. I think the brain trust thinking up this attack is not thinking very clearly. I live in New-West-Coquitlam-Port Moody riding. Our riding has had 1 Liberal M.P. in the last 20 years and that was won through a by election so he had the seat for only months and maybe just over 1 year. The M.P. was our former mayor, and now city councillor Lou Sekora. This riding while being mostly N.D.P. provincially has split between Reform-Alliance-Conservative and NDP. The Liberal party finishes 3rd for the most part and the M.P. now is N.D.P. member Dawn Black. Should these flyers not be attacking Jack Layton for the most part, seen as the riding should be battled between N.D.P. and Conservative? I don’t know what attacking the Liberal party and Dion will acheive here out here?
One would presume if Elections Canada uncovered illegal activity with regard to election financing (I understand they investigated thoroughly)
You understand wrong. Elections Canada declined to investigate saying that the deadline for laying charges had already expired (ignoring the fact that a criminal conspiracy is an ongoing crime).
charges would have been laid. But, no charges. No list. No story.
… And no interest from yourself or other Liberals. Proving my point that all your pompous blather about ethics and honour is nothing but posturing for the rubes who gather here.
Mr Garth TurnerMP, FYI
The latest good science based studies have shown that drinking fluoride does not help in the prevention of cavities.
It has been shown to lower the overall IQ level of people! Will will have less really smart people to help run and solve problems and more retarded people that will need assistance just to live in a normal way.
Using the precausionary principal we need to stop adding fluoride to the drinking water NOW. And do more studies on it’s affects to the whole human body first, before even thinking of putting in everyones drinking water supply.
Why have not the people in health Canada, that PMSH payed to not look at the newest science, still think it’s not harmfull to drink?
They sayed 350x more than in mothers milk was ok. Now they are trying to tell us 175x more that in mothers milk is ok. But this is false if you actually read the latest good scientific studies.
India, there have set they upper safe limite at a level that is half of ours so-call safe limit. The India governmnet as a fider that is on there limit that says ‘the lesser the better’ for fluoride ingestion/exposure.
Don’t we want people to be as smart and healthly as possible???
We simple need to turn off the tap that puts toxic fluoride waste into our water supply. (If the stuff they are adding to our water gets splashed onto a workers skin it will kill them! That’s what they delute into our drinking water supply and still claim it’s good for our teeth and is a benin to the reset of our bodies. It is not!)
Get the good science facts on the effects fluoride has on the soft tissues and systems of your body.
The world fluoride conferance held last week at UoT, on the effect on the brian and soft tissues that fluoride has will also be added to this site soon.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/
It seems to be the CPC guiding principle as all the supporters use the adscam affair to justify their actions…they are scum of the earth Larry and you know it…
It only seems that way because you don’t pay attention to what others write… I’ve never defended the “In and out” campaign, not once. In fact I have condemned it in the harshest terms possible. Pay attention, if you can.
Wait until Canadians find out:
- how the Conservatives cheated in the last election with their in and out scheme.
- how the Conservatives are tainted with Mulroney and Bernier,
- how the Conservatives lied to senior and cost them $35 billion,
- how the Conservatives increased income taxes after elected,
- how the Conservatives ruined the economy and the surplus,
- how the Conservatives tried to sabotage Obama,
- how the Conservatives appointed a senator from Quebec,
- how the Conservative MPs were muzzled by Harper,
..and once Canadians find out:
- how nice and decent Dion is,
- how good the Green Shift is,
- how bad the Conservatives are,
Canadians will re-elect another Liberal government and a majority too, starting with the three byelections coming up this September.
Yes … try to run an election on these obscure negatives and see how far that will take the Dion Liberals …LOL
I dare yah ….!!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 1:41 pm
THE FIRST OBSCURE NEGATIVE
THE HARPER PROMISE ON INCOME TRUSTS
…FOLLOWED BY THE LIST OF LIES, including claimed accomplishments. We’ll be very specific, as WJP so often is.
…WITH PICTURES FROM CAMPAIGN LITERATURE, like cluster bombs/bomblets
CPC assured Ad firm “in & out transfers” legal!!!
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=195ee8d1-ac02-44f2-93e7-3b278a568c54
“One of the ad agents also told the Commons ethics committee that Patrick Muttart, a top aide to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was the main campaign contact for the “in and out” advertising scheme which has drawn fire from Elections Canada.”
Goes right to the top it seems!!!
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080813/ad_scheme_080813/20080813?hub=Canada
An election this September-October will settle all accounts … after Canadians stop this mockery and injustice by the Opposition parties with a majority Conservative government.
When they are chipping ice off of the gates to hell . That is when there will be a Con-bot majority .
Garth, your Paul Szabo and the rest of the liberal MAJORITY on this committee are trying to make a good show for the MSN. That is all they care about.
Szabo refused to allow the CPC to bring in their own witnesses. He also refuses to allow them to question openly the witnesses that are there, frequently shutting them down before they can make any defense. As it was with Mulroney this so called ethics committee has been hi-jacked by the partisan liberals and is indeed a kangaroo court. No wonder people with brains do not want to take part or take this seriously. It’s a joke. As is Elections Canada, they bend over backwards for Dion and look for ways to hang Harper…’nuff said. Leasa
Harper’s Green Plan is having Dim Wits for his Caucus. His science advisors tell him that means less energy consumption and GHG emissions, as well as CO2.
Clue for Steve! CFL means Compact Flourescent Lights, not Canadian Football League, and just because your Dim Wits are under control does not mean the environment is.
Unlike CFL’s which can output the equivalent of 60W and only consume 14W, the same does not apply to your Dim Wit CRAP MP’s.
Okay, I’ll go out on a limb here: what is this MSM that keeps popping up on this blog?
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 12:56 pm
I think that it was mentioned earlier in another thread that it is an acronym meaning Main Stream Media for lack of a better description of the commercial public news propagators! [CPNP]
Did Will Stewart give you permission to releases his letter to the public?
Actually it’s a letter to my Official Agent and me, and Mr. Stewart had no authority to release it to a Conservative blogger. More on this later. — Garth
New immigration class unveiled
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/476977
We need to look at their residency in Oddawahaha based on their ‘value to Canada.’
BY BILL-MUSKOKA 08.13.08 9:30AM
Bill, great post, re: immigrants and experience.. and those politicians.. total agreement, and thanks for the book suggestion.
NeoCons have no intention of creating effective immigration rules, just prejudicial. It’s all Smoke & mirrors. Seems the Cons do 2 things:
Set up social engineering, behind a facade they sell us.
Set up selling out Canada, behind a facade they sell us.
These Canadian NeoCons set up rules on-the-fly, to suit narrow, untoward goals. They have no idea the consequences, and someone else is pulling the strings.
For instance, The Conservatives Income Trust Lie & Massacre will create tax leakage, where before there was none:
Income Trusts and Canada’s Energy Sector:
http://www.caiti.info/ndp.php
“That’s right. The very policy that was supposed to stem (imaginary) tax leakage will actually cause tax leakage”
And what a mess. Look at jobs. Cons certainly don’t create jobs, in Canada.
The 2 major telecommunications co’s now outsource to Phillipines, India. We could have used those jobs in many parts of this country… corporations have no loyalty.
The only thing NeoCons know is conning, badly. Speaking of that – just got 2 more ten-percenters today from Lee Richardson, MP Calgary.
That makes 3 ten-percenters in one week.
Let’s see: A repeat of “Canada’s Back” that he sent us months ago. Hmm, repeats are illegal!
Today we have “The Senate must change” with the word “must” in dark letters and a whole bunch of lies inside.
And also today he sent us “Breathe a little easier” with a smiling child, freed from it’s Lightweight Dust/Filter Mask. Is that kid about to sand some wood? Because that mask won’t protect it from what Lee’s flyer claims.. smog, car exhaust, green house gas emissions. Why doesn’t Lee just tell moms to stop letting their kid use the mitre saw?
Lee Richardson, GET A GRIP! A “dust” mask does not work against what you claim in the flyer!!
http://tinyurl.com/56sov8
And all the flyers we tax payers are paying for have election ballots instructing us to vote for Harper.
uh… against the law!
I used to feel some honour being in politics. Perhaps, when these folks are gone, it may return.
posted by Garth Turner on 08.10.08 @ 9:41 pm
And when will HONOUR return to MSM ? ? ?
We have without a doubt the most arrogant party acting out with it’s minority gov’t.
They have lied to us and they have shown no signs of accountability for literally everything they do.
And our FREE? press thinks nothing of it. It’s no small wonder that most Canadians just don’t get it. How can Canadians be informed when the MSM chooses not to do the right thing. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part the press is dropping the ball.
I know the MSM reads this and other blogs on a daily basis; and to you in the press , YOU are just as quilty as this present Gov’t.
When YOU print the half truths, YOU are printing lies. What are you afraid of?
You’ve all become ambulance chasers and you didn’t need to get a law degree. Congratulations.
Once again Harper follows Bushie’s lead in support of Nukes….see the following…
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/382742
Garth, just to save you some time this evening:
TSX up over 200 points…Harper government are geniuses!! I just figured that since any time it goes down you point out how it’s Harper’s fault, I would save you the time writing the balanced story that I just KNOW you were going to do this evening. No thanks required.
By Ron p on 08.13.08 4:18 pm
Ron, what exactly do you want the media to say? Let them know, I’m sure they’ll fit it in… Leasa
By PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.13.08 3:02 pm
Dion has failed to ’sell’ his Green Shift Tax (GST) to Canadians … so how do you expect him or his MPs to ’sell’ all that rubbish that you and WJP are flooding this fine forum???
Do you expect that once Canadians are informed in complex election pamphlets and struggling door-to-door canvassers about all this confusing stuff, that they will eat it up and automatically vote Liberal???
Not even the least realistic election strategist would make that neurotic mistake … because during an election campaign the cardinal rule is K.I.S.S.
If Dion couldn’t sell his Green Shift Tax, do you think Canadians will want to listen to all this smearmongering rubbish you are preparing for the next election?? You are totally deluded ..!!!
Is not ethics and morality relative to the individual and to the people grouping with whom one chooses to associate?
How we hate those who seek to impose their ethics and their morality on us, and now we have an Ethics Committee, moving in a partisan manner, but trying to look objective, imposing a narrow definition in the interpretation of the letter of the law to score political points.
When Jean Pelletier, Jean Chretien’s former chief of staff, appeared before the Ethics Committee a few years ago, when his interpretation of the law was questioned, he simply responded, “I am telling you MY truth.”
Now we have the CONS also giving “their truth” to the so-called “Ethics” Committee.
Who is to say who is right, and as to which party is more ethical? It seems to depend upon whose ox is being gored.
But then in an age of relative ethics, how can we avoid morality being decided on “might making right,” or whoever can afford the shrewest or cleverest lawyer?
And who is to ultimately decide as to who is more ethical than another when all of these things are relative and subjective anyway?
All this self-righteous anger at others has nothing to do with any objective standard of “ethics,” but is partisan politics, pure and simple.
1. ERASE THE DISGRACE – ÉCRASEZ L’INFÂMIE!
2. Esther, thanks for reposting the “Reason to believe”. It contains the only two items I would like to see in a political platform: “Fairness in taxes, honest[y] in government …”
3. EastofEden, Marjorie Lebreton became :powerful” by virtue of being appointed to the Senate by Brian Mulroney on his way out of the door. Services rendered for this reward: she had been his maitre d’ at the public trough (Appointments Secretary.) So how does she warrant respect? (I’m her vintage, so skip the age factor.)
MSM Presstitutes
Bought, paid for, and well used. Just another rotten apple in a barrel full of them.
By Ron p on 08.13.08 4:18 pm
Ron, what exactly do you want the media to say? Let them know, I’m sure they’ll fit it in… Leasa
By Leasa on 08.13.08 4:32 pm
HOW ABOUT THE TRUTH ! 18 pages to be exact.
It only seems that way because you don’t pay attention to what others write… I’ve never defended the “In and out” campaign, not once. In fact I have condemned it in the harshest terms possible. Pay attention, if you can.
By Lawrence on 08.13.08 2:46 pm
Will you vote CPC in the next election? If yes, then you condone their actions, and your words mean nothing.
It’s a joke. As is Elections Canada, they bend over backwards for Dion and look for ways to hang Harper…’nuff said. Leasa
By Leasa on 08.13.08 3:30 pm
You’re the joke LIAR . Keep on spinning idiot you’re almost to China .
Lyon’ Leasa queen of the trolls .
If MP’s choose not to appear before the ethics committee, can the Speaker deny them from speaking or a vote in the fall session of parliament?
By AToryNoMore on 08.13.08 2:07 pm
There will be some similar issues dealt with tomorrow at the Ethics committee hearing. Watch CPAC TV starting at 10:00 EST
I think you will find that a duly elected member of the House cannot be denied to speak unless he/she is out of order, or evicted from the House for refusing to apologize for unparliamentary language, ie. swearing or calling another member a liar, etc.
Check Google: Parliamentary Procedure
You will find there are numerous books on the subject but this one is a most often quoted reference:
House of Commons Procedure and Practice
Edited by Robert Marleau and Camille Montpetit
By AToryNoMore on 08.13.08 2:11 pm
Thnaks for very valuable link.
Note how many DND RFP’s are active. Lots more than the MSM reports.
“Garth, your Paul Szabo and the rest of the liberal MAJORITY on this committee are trying to make a good show for the MSN. That is all they care about.
Szabo refused to allow the CPC to bring in their own witnesses. He also refuses to allow them to question openly the witnesses that are there, frequently shutting them down before they can make any defense. As it was with Mulroney this so called ethics committee has been hi-jacked by the partisan liberals and is indeed a kangaroo court. No wonder people with brains do not want to take part or take this seriously. It’s a joke. As is Elections Canada, they bend over backwards for Dion and look for ways to hang Harper…’nuff said. Leasa”<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<what a stupid,twisted statement!……a fine example of why some people should be listening and instead of talking!:-)Obviously a harper supporter!!
It seems to be the CPC guiding principle as all the supporters use the adscam affair to justify their actions…they are scum of the earth Larry and you know it…
It only seems that way because you don’t pay attention to what others write…
By Lawrence on 08.13.08 2:46 pm
I suspect I`m included in that rant for my recent posts on adscam.
I spent 30 years working my way to the top of the main industries here in BC. Federal government policy of both Parties has denied my right to work, unjustly. Unlike the deadbeats that spend their lives in the federal government and only count work as a paycheck ever two weeks I lost 30 years of hard work on top of the 30 years of paychecks.
This is not the Canada I grew up in and I want my Canada back for our children.
I think I`ve expressed what our elected federal government is all about regardless of party so piss off on the name calling.
no justice, no investment
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 4:41 pm
I can smell your desperation from here.
Last time I heard that it was a challenge to a battle of wits. How long will it take to arm yourself?
By got rope? on 08.13.08 2:23 pm
His response to reality
By Mel on 08.13.08 4:42 pm
Another attempt to obscure the main issues by arguing a flexible, personally chosen morality. Corrupt is Corrupt. I’m very happy I don’t use anything you say to establish a ’standard’ for anything. You would have us ALL settle for low expectations.
BTW, I don’t have a shrewest lawyer. Flim-Flam Dim-Jim Flaherty appears to have one by virtue of threatenting to sue a financial advisor if he did not return the 18 blacked-out pages. In other words, using taxpayers’ money to defend HIS LIES.
Well Leasa, here it is:
Garth has often pointed out Leasa spreading lies:
http://www.garth.ca/weblog/2008/07/29/time-to-turn-mps-off/#comments
“Leasa”
You are a liar, once again
But you knew that. — Garth
BY LEASA ON 07.30.08 7:33 AM
I say again, if the Conservatives don’t like the minority and government and all the hassles it entails (like the Committes with Liberal chairs interrogating the Government) let them ask for an election. All this crap about Dion calling or not calling an election is all just that, crap
Okay, I’ll go out on a limb here: what is this MSM that keeps popping up on this blog?
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 12:56 pm
Stands for mainstream media, East.
Lets just have pot de-criminalized and we can all forget about politics altogether. It is a win win situation. More pot plants, less carbon polluting the atmosphere, tax it and no need to green shift. It is so easy, why has noone thought of it yet?
Today we received 2 more of the so called 10%ers in the mail, you know the phony ballots! The one with the printing plate # 6003 is about Senate Reform. Now from this layout does Harper propose to make 2 Senates? One for Conservatives and one for Liberals? This does not recognize that there are other parties in the House with elected members, either!
The other one is plate # 1002, suggests that cross border drug smuggling is a major source of problem in Canada. It ignores that there is a major problem with grow ops and chemical labs here at home. Yesterday a Canadian was arrested entering the USA from Ontario with $6.5 million dollars worth of Extacy pills.
It might make more sense for our crime fighters to track the purchase and delivery of some of the specific chemicals used in the manufacture of such devastating drugs. This is not rocket science and it is very easy to spot who is a legitimate chemical manufacturer from a shady fly by night back yard “soup” mixer. The solvents used are highly flamable and explosive plus they place many unwitting people at risk.
Some chemicals should only be available to licensed legitimate commercial operators. You have to have a license to own and use a gun, or use gasoline in a car, so why are these chemicals for sale to just every one. You also have to have a license to buy explosives and be trained to use them safely.
Just like the Propane Depot problem, the politicians have not done there home work and want to blame our American neighbors for illegal drug imports when it is the other way around!
Oh Harry, where are you? Calling Harry – take a boo here:
Poll suggests possible trouble for Tories in a fall election
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
Do you think Harper’s doing a good job?
OTTAWA – A new poll suggests there could be trouble ahead for Stephen Harper’s Conservatives as the governing party prepares for the possibility of a fall election.
The Canadian Press, Harris-Decima survey suggests the Liberals have pulled ahead in support in Ontario and Quebec, crucial battlegrounds that will determine the outcome of a nationwide vote.
Nationally, Liberal support was up slightly to 33 per cent, statistically tied with the Tories at 32 per cent and followed by the NDP at 15 per cent and the Greens at six per cent.
In Quebec, the Liberals were statistically tied with the Bloc Quebecois, at 30 per cent and 29 per cent respectively, followed by the Tories at 24 per cent, the Greens at eight per cent and the NDP at six per cent.
In Ontario, the Liberals enjoyed a healthy lead with 40 per cent, compared to the Tories with 31 per cent and the NDP and Greens with 14 per cent each.
….yup, when you are down the only way is up!
C.B.INNES 12:28pm
I agree with your statement as the only time I worked within a party was at the territorial level. I was a hero when I stated that “every resource has more than one value” was made the opening statement of the parties environmental platform. When I then offered my opinions on how this could be implemented which precluded the operation of all of the resource industry as it was being operated at that time I was quietly pushed out the door. Ironically today much of what I proposed is slowly being implemented as we are heading towards a leadership role in this country when it comes to regulations regarding use of natural resources.
At least he doesn’t have a religious background, as we’ve all seen what dubya has done with the US
****************
08.13.08 1:01AM?
There are religious and secular people in all parties. When I read remarks like that, it makes me shake my head and wonder exactly what type of a person would make such a statement. Totally insensible remark.
BY EASTOFEDEN ON 08.13.08 1:02 PM
Maybe so, but the extremists in many religions have been responsible for most of our wars…
BY WJP ON 08.13.08 1:44 PM
Religion can be nice or it can be nasty. If someone beefs – they are talking about the nasties. You’ve heard of cults. Same diff. Any religion or person pursuing harmful goals has strayed from deserving respect – and are downright dangerous.
Human brains require safety at all costs, so our instincts provide us with fear, to allow us to flee harm. Even false safety will satisfy a sense of control. That’s a problem – when crooked people use that, because with mind and body comforted, trust gets assigned to the source.
Religion, just like anything else, politics, commerce, you name it, can be corrupt and result in very destructive behaviour.
The NeoCons in the U.S. have very cleverly wrapped their arms around an entire network of groups, different types of people, who are basically now trapped in their mutual zests to propel each other to the top. It’s not news.
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 4:41 pm
I can smell your desperation from here.
By PYOTR PETROBITCH on 08.13.08 5:02 pm
………………………………….
You must have your head stuck up uranus …. and smelling your own desperation .. because the way it looks now, Dion will continue to force the Liberals to abstain … and after the 3 by-election results are known, he may commit political hara kiri too …!!!!
I read with interest Mr. Stewart’s email.
Wow! A polite Conservative – no name calling, no blaming, he actually seems reasonable.
Been following Kady’s blog and it’s mind-boggling how the MP’s spout the party line over and over.
And it appears that Harper is again trying to force Mr. Dion into an election. When are the Conservatives going to stop campaigning and get on with the business of running the country?
If Dion couldn’t sell his Green Shift Tax, do you think Canadians will want to listen to all this smearmongering rubbish you are preparing for the next election?? You are totally deluded ..!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 4:41 pm
You are so out of touch with the average voter, people do NOT vote in governments, they vote them out and if you can sytematically show the deceit and dishonesty of the present party in power, they are history, happened to the Liberals last time, will happen to the CPC this time. Your Dion bashing is only allowing others to see how afraid CPC are…too bad Harry but you had your day…and now dishonest Harper has done the reform movement a death blow…
LMAO…
Imagine the howels of outrage from the Con-bots if a Liberal had refused to appear before Justice Gomery ?
We would never hear the end of it and we’d still be hearing echos of the scream .
Harpo has a big career ahead of him as magician he made thirty five billion dollars disappear into thin air .
Way to go liar .
Why is it almost almost Con-bots and the truth are complete strangers ?
By got rope? on 08.13.08 5:00 pm
I am well aware you are not a CPC supporter, so no you are not included in that…your reasons are not to justify CPC actions but rather to point out the system is broken…something I happen to agree with….parties have to go!!!
Good news!
Aug 13 Harris Decima Poll
Libs 33/Cons 32/ NDP 15/ Green 6
Ontario Libs 40/ Cons 31/ NDP 14/ Green 14
Quebec Libs 30/ Bloc 29/ Cons 24/ NDP 6/ Green 8
Projected outcome of September
by -elections.
Three more Liberal seats .
Buh,bye ! Harpo you cretinous polly wog .
Enough…I have had with the Conservative yappers on this blog..yapping about Dion’s cowardice and refusal to call an election….Hey dipsticks, its up to the PM to ask the GG to disolve parliment….who is the chicken here. If Dion is such a poor leader, if the Government believes so strongly in the righeousness of their cause…let the Goverment call the election to get their majority government. Hey guys and gals, let’s not forget the argument cuts both ways. Harper is gutless because he won’t call an election to get a majority mandate, ….he can’t win one either….some kind of leader he must be….has to resort to an oil blob to campaign….has to resort to negative attack ads….cause he has no record of worth to campaign on….true or not, its a matter of opinion and there is a body of opinion to suggest that Harper is every bit the leader that he claims Dion is.
By Louis Bobet on 08.13.08 2:06 pm
Louis, I too have had just about enough of those lying CON Artists. I think most of them are members of Master Stevie’s caucus & it won’t surprise me in the least if bird brain Harry isn’t Steve himself. I think these jokers had better be looking for another job real soon & if they were smart, they would not use the past 3 years of their work ethics on their résumé. Maybe they could apply for a job at Timmies or MacDonald’s.
Cheers
having a committee where the majority of members are from one party looking into the actions of another party does raise concerns. Ideally each member of the committee would rely entirely on what information is brought out in a thoroughly non-biased body of evidence brought out at the hearings. Sadly, I’ve watched enough of the various committees in action to believe that doesn’t happen in the real world. It isn’t just this committee; the level of bickering and partisanship raises the issue of just what is actually achieved.
KPN 11:12am
We already have laws on the books that would fix the problems you point out. It is called the clarity act which Harper passed and has only followed about 40%.
The most important pert of it is a policy whereby all political appointments which are currently handed out by the government in power will be picked by an all party panel (hopefully not unbalanced). This includes I believe every senior department head and some positions below that, judges and heads of permanent commisions and panels. this was passed to ensure we ended the power of the governing party stacking these positions with party hacks and friends rather tham the best person available.
One thing that never gets mentioned is that every time one of these positions is replaced with party hacks it costs tax payers up to two years salary in compensation. If it isn’t in the act then 5 year terms should be written in with every job going up for competition at the end of its term with a standard three month severence package if the incumbent doesn’t get chosen. Just imagine how much better our real government would run (everyone except the elected members and party morons) if striving for excellence were replacing the old pork barrel we have now!!!
If the Liberals made implementing this act a major plank in their election platform they would probably gain enough votes to swing many of the hundred or so ridings that will decide any election their way considering the low quality of party hacks that Harper has put into positions of power over the last two years. If the Liberals are smart they will make every appointment since the act was passed open for competition so that competent people can be chosen for a change.
Let’s remember that we are all fellow human beings–interconnected, intertwined and inter-related. What affects one negatively affects all negatives, and what affects one positively affects all positively.
Let’s begin to accentuate the positive and leave the mud-slinging and the dirt throwing only to those who expect to lose ground.
We really do live in a beautiful country, many of us would say the best country in the world with a government that is far superior to what most people in the world have to live with.
Let’s count our blessings!
we have an Ethics Committee, moving in a partisan manner,
By Mel on 08.13.08 4:42 pm
That’s the whole point of having an opposition. It’s the only way WE THE PEOPLE and let me remind you that WE are the gov’t,can demand accountablilty.
If the KING and his merry men don’t want to cooperate then RED flags should be flying. Our freedoms are at risk.
Of course the committee is partisan, do you honestly think that Harper will police himself. Would you trust the oil industry to not polute?
I join in with all those who want our Canada back and that means taking our gov’t back.
It’s a joke. As is Elections Canada, they bend over backwards for Dion and look for ways to hang Harper…’nuff said. Leasa
By Leasa on 08.13.08 3:30 pm
Marc Mayrand was a Conservative appointment to be head Elections
Canada .
Get that into ‘ya stupid .
I think that it was mentioned earlier in another thread that it is an acronym meaning Main Stream Media for lack of a better description of the commercial public news propagators! [CPNP]
By Truth B Told on 08.13.08 3:35 pm
Technically it is not an acronym .
An acronym uses the first letter of the descriptive text to form another word .
Ie: SCUBA
Self
Contained
Underwater
Breathing
Apparatus
the system is broken…something I happen to agree with….parties have to go!!!
By wjp on 08.13.08 5:40 pm
I`ll walk the common ground with you anytime wpj
“Imagine the howels of outrage from the Con-bots if a Liberal had refused to appear before Justice Gomery ?” –Men with hats.
For the record, a judicial inquiry is not the same as the Commons Ethics Committee which has no judicial authority whatsoever.
If you are called before a judicial inquiry and fail to appear, you will be charged with contempt of court.
What is coming up later on the Chuck Cadman debacle is not a mere committee of partisan politicians. It is an actual court case, and thank God we have courts who can and should rise above partisan politics in contrast to the circus that we see going at with the Commons Ethics Committee.
The credibility of this committee divided along party lines is extremely low, and certainly does not carry the weight of a non-partisan judicial body.
Hey dipsticks, its up to the PM to ask the GG to disolve parliment….who is the chicken here.
By Irene on 08.13.08 5:59 pm
You are clearly the only dipstick here Irene. If you had half a brain you’d know that Parliament passed fixed election date legislation into law (psst… over a year ago) and now the PM CANNOT go to the GG and ask for an election whenever. The next election is fixed, under law, to be Oct 19/09 UNLESS the government is defeated in a confidence vote (ie the OPPOSITION votes no confidence in the government).
Actually, she’s right. The prime minister can argue with the GG that Parliament is not functioning properly, for a variety of reasons (like committee gridlock), and request dissolution. She would grant it. — Garth
Garth, your Paul Szabo and the rest of the liberal MAJORITY on this committee are trying to make a good show for the MSN. That is all they care about.
Szabo refused to allow the CPC to bring in their own witnesses. He also refuses to allow them to question openly the witnesses that are there, frequently shutting them down before they can make any defense. As it was with Mulroney this so called ethics committee has been hi-jacked by the partisan liberals and is indeed a kangaroo court. No wonder people with brains do not want to take part or take this seriously. It’s a joke. As is Elections Canada, they bend over backwards for Dion and look for ways to hang Harper…’nuff said. Leasa
By Leasa on 08.13.08 3:30 pm
Lying again eh Leasa? You just can’t help yourself can you? Soon you’ll be cut off the con-bot troll gravy train when your master is imprisoned.
I watched the full three days of the Ethics Committee and Szabo did a great job of the herculean task of trying to keep those slimy lying Cons from derailing the issue. It was unbelievable that they even tried to besmirch the clerk!
When this is all over, Leasa, go pick some crows off on your farm, and bake them in a pie, all for Sleazy Stevie and little Leasa Lie.
You can share it when you visit him in Kingston
Have a great day!
Over the last 2 years I’ve read about various systems of govt., but all seem to have pros and cons. I know that I don’t agree with electing Senators & Supreme Court Judges, but believe there that is definitely room for change. Harper’s desire to change the number of seats in Canada, yet not applying his proposition to Ontario, is nothing but hyprocritcal. Correct me if I’m wrong.
I too am ambarrased by this government. Unfortunately, I believe the avg. Cdn. is too preoccupied by their daily lives to see what is happening & the MSM are largely at fault as well.
BY KPN ON 08.13.08 11:12 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KPN,
I totally agree.
In a way it’s not the system. It’s the people – open to their own self-interest and ‘safety’. I guess you could say it’s just natural. We should all be taught in school to put more effort into finding out who we vote for. Which backs up your point about the MSM. You and Ron P are both quite correct about that. It would just be so much easier if we could trust what we read.
In my opinion, ‘Canada’ generally seeks to give people their freedoms, but knows enough to watch corporations closely. Harper appears to want to do the opposite.
Someone here wrote quite eloquently about this whole Senate thing. From what I recall, it’s been tried, and it failed. ‘Appointed’ sounds bad, but that’s the only way to have the Senate look like us.. males, females, different colours, different ages, etc. If we switch to electing the Senate, guess what.. same old, same old.. white males, qualified or not – aided by cronies, Corporations and special interests.
So it turns out that ‘By appointment’ is fairer to the general population. I think my instincts told me that anyway.
And then there’s all the election third party tricks that Harper has long fooled the people about. As Bonnie has pointed out, his Senate bill is a back-door method for Harper to have his cake and eat it too. Very tricky guy, as Flanagan boasted about Harper.
I hope all the real Tories “suck it up” and realize what they’ve got themselves into.. at least some have.
Good news!
Aug 13 Harris Decima Poll
Libs 33/Cons 32/ NDP 15/ Green 6
Ontario Libs 40/ Cons 31/ NDP 14/ Green 14
Quebec Libs 30/ Bloc 29/ Cons 24/ NDP 6/ Green 8
By Margaret Bedore on 08.13.08 5:41 pm
…………………………………………….
Even though Decima = Liberal, can we be assured that Dion will pull the plug on the Harper minority government at the first opportunity after Parliament reconvenes on September 15th … and I don’t mean 2009??
Then we will see who wins the leadership contest and leads their party to ultimate victory.
Liberals vs Conservatives vs NDP vs BQ vs Greens
Dion vs Harper vs Layton vs Duceppe vs May
Let the next election begin this September and culminate in late October or early November..!!!
Who agrees with me on this ….???!!!
If Dion decides he must continue abstaining and thus sacrificing the Canadian economy and people to the Conservatives … well then he doesn’t deserve anything but rejection and a decisive defeat.
Only a traitor to Canada would abandon the country in it’s greatest time of need. Step us Dion and lead your Liberals into a Fall election …!!!!
Marc Mayrand was a Conservative appointment to head Elections
Canada
BY MEN WITH HATS 08.13.08 6:12 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Men,
Worth repeating!
Ah,yes ! Your old friend Porky Del
Mastro .
He wouldn’t know bi-partisan if it came up and whacked him on his nose .
These foolish antics are right out of the “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” handbook autored by Tom Flanagan et al .
Actually, she’s right. The prime minister can argue with the GG that Parliament is not functioning properly, for a variety of reasons (like committee gridlock), and request dissolution. She would grant it. — Garth
By Reid on 08.13.08 6:21 pm
Hey,tough guy, you owe our Irene a complete apology .
Better check your facts before you spout off .
It makes you look stupid .
Only a traitor to Canada would abandon the country in it’s greatest time of need. Step us Dion and lead your Liberals into a Fall election …!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 6:29 pm
You look so foolish, you are the joke of the blog Harry…you spout numbers when they are in your favour and then run like hell when they go against you…Harper is DEAD in Canada Harry, face it, you backed a loser, and why not, birds of a feather….LMAO…
So did you embelish the letter you recieved, or did you lie about what was written? I read the letter on Steve Jankes blog, and no where on that letter was anything regarding a Mr. Will Stewart, except for the last line that showed he was carbon copied of the same letter. You had written that Will Stewart called the election cops, so that is either an embelished story that I am sure you would not do, due to Calgary Harold embelishing your rant on seperatists, or it is a lie, that I am sure you would not do due to you being a principled M.P. What was the reason to link Will Stewart into this?
Read the update. — Garth
By Reid on 08.13.08 6:21 pm
I am sure Irene would accept your apology for calling her a dipstick.
The vast, mysterious influence of The Frozen Beef Pie across the ever-expanding universe we live in, leads to interesting questions:
1) What is the meaning of life? 2) Are Frozen Beef Pies eaten frozen, heated or microwaved for 30 continuous days on high? 3) Wot’s for supper tonight?; and 4) Did FBP’s precede UFO’s, Yeti’s / Sasquatch and Guinness?
Answers to these, and other vital questions in the next lifetime!
Further to An Old Wives Tale . . .
*****************************************
AN OLD CHRISTMAS TALE
Not long ago and far away, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip, but there were problems everywhere.
Four of his elves were sick and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular elves do.
Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule. Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mom was coming to visit, and this stressed Santa even more.
When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and gone, heaven knows where to. More stress!
Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the ski boards cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys everywhere.
Totally frustrated, Santa went back into the house for a cup of coffee and a shot of whisky. When he went to the cupboard, he found the elves had hit the booze and there was nothing to drink.
In his annoyance, he dropped the coffee cup and it broke into hundreds of pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom, but found that mice had eaten the straw that it was made from.
Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed his way to the door. He opened the door and there was a cute little angel with a great big Christmas tree.
The angel said:
“Where would you like to put this tree, fat man?”
And that, my friends is how the little angel came to be on top of the Christmas tree!
****************************************
There seems to be plenty of bickering going on, as there always will be.
Re: Mel, 6:08 pm one should bear in mind that one cannot live without the other, i.e., for each positive, there will always be an opposing negative, war / peace, up / down, heaven / hell, male / female, etc.
That is part and parcel of everyday life down here and unfortunately, we have to live with it.
The line from “Hotel California” (The Eagles) rings true: “You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave”; individually, we have to live with the consequences of our choices. There are no shortcuts in life.
****************************************
Only a traitor to Canada would abandon the country in it’s greatest time of need. . . .
Bondage . . . hairy bondage 007, 6:29 pm
Precisely what harpo and CRAP are now and always will be — TRAITORS.
You do have a magnificent way of stating the obvious, hairless in James Bay!
Only a traitor to Canada would abandon the country in it’s greatest time of need. Step us Dion and lead your Liberals into a Fall election …!!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 6:29 pm
The only one to abandon Canada was Harpo and his ,sleazy, sucking up up to GWB .
Canada the fifty first state .How’s that sound you traiterous son-of-a-bitch ?
Any questions regarding the neocons stirring nuts?
· · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · ·
Arkansas Democratic leader dies after shooting
Ausust 13, 2008
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jm9DYuIE_x8ICCCwKAhyi3PneK_A
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas was killed Wednesday by a gunman who barged into the party’s state headquarters and opened fire
The violent attack is the second in several months targeting the Democratic Party.
· · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · ·
Shooting raises question: Is it safe to be a liberal?
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/aug/02/shooting-raises-question-it-safe-be-liberal/
August 2, 2008
“One of the biggest contemporary ironies is that being liberal in America, home of history’s greatest democracy, has become dangerous. That danger is particularly acute for religious liberals, as the recent tragedy in Knoxville demonstrated”
… a Tennessee aficionado of conservative talkshows, took their hosts’ invective all too literally and shot up a ‘liberal’ Unitarian Universalist congregation, killing two and wounding six congregants watching a children’s musical.
Caught up in a world of conservative talk radio, he reportedly expected to be able to carry on shooting unimpeded by the spineless, gay-loving pacifists, and was surprised when they tackled him and brought him down.”
· · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · ·
’nuff said. Leasa
By Leasa on 08.13.08 3:30 pm
You got that right Leasa – you only say the exact rhetoric and paranoia that the Tory thugs say……..you call that thinking?
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
Edmund Burke
Irish orator, philosopher, & politician (1729 – 1797)
How ironic that the above came from the man who has been described as the father of modern conservatism, and who would, no doubt, take great issue with the likes of Mr. Harper and his Reform Alliance crowd calling themselves conservatives.
Please Mr. Turner, it is past time to get rid of this pack of thugs before the damage is too great to repair.
Never mind the “right” time.
It is time to do the right thing.
You, Mr. Dion, and your colleagues must trust Canadians to do the right thing.
Three copies were mailed. To me, my official agent and the president of the local Conservative association, Will Stewart.
I have mine. My former official agent is out of town this week, and his letter is unopened. — Garth
If I were a lawyer (or an MP), I’d say “Indisputable”.
By wjp on 08.13.08 6:43 pm
By Men With Hats on 08.13.08 6:47 pm
………………………………………………………
So when will you ardent, hate-filled liberal-types call on Dion to pull the plug on the minority government so that Canadians can quickly decide who they want as their government??
I say as soon as possible this September … while many Lib lovers say wait until October 19, 2009.
If I hear Garth right, he wants Dion to pull the plug this September … right Garth ??!!!
By barb the proofreader on 08.13.08 6:51 pm
Well Harry advocated the assination of the Leader of the Liberal party so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised!
By Charles Oxley on 08.13.08 6:46 pm
Charles you have the best posts on this blog…thanks for the great sense of humour you share…
Garth
So I missed all the challenges to the Chair at the Ethics Committee today (busy trying to drum up clients for a new business enterprise.)
There seems to be a lot of chatter today about the Sponsorship scandal vs. the In and Out Scheme. Neither abuse of power is a stellar example of government working for the people. Agreed, Mr. Harper promised a government whiter than the driven snow. Well, he over promised.
If we could restrain our tendency to talk over other points a view; I guess we need to discuss where do we go from here?
Now what? Cynicism is rampant from voters, so this latest pantomime will only reduce voter turnout. I am not saying that the Conservatives need not account for this “interpretation” of Elections Canada laws but stand up and accept the consequences.
All Members of Parliament need to understand that this latest folly is not good for democratic engagement.
While the Ethics Committee should only be viewed with popcorn and beer (sorry Mr. Reid) and is really entertaining for political junkies – we are lucky that many Canadians are on vacation.
Seriously, if Gary Goodyear does one more “Law and Order” prosecution closing statement in the middle of witness statements (he is a chiropractor not a lawyer) we should ask him to stop and act like a gentleman – an honourable Member of Parliament.
In fact, the entire Committee should all act like honourable Members. (You too Pat..)
Harper will never see a Majority government,… unless he is staring at from the opposition benches.
By Zorpheous on 08.12.08 11:28 pm
I agree but Dion will never form a government.
Oh, so there is no list. Sounds like you are blowing smoke then. — Garth
By got rope? on 08.13.08 12:07 pm
Garth, were not a couple of Liberal hacks convicted because of the adsacm? Yet most of the Liberal Mps including your leader claim they saw nothing, heard nothing and didn’t say anything just like the the monkeys.
By Marc on 08.13.08 5:24 pm
You must watch Stephen Colbert’s show from Monday night. He has a Pot Head, who is LEGALLY using medical Mary Jane, but that is California Law, not Federal.
The irony of it is so typical of the very statement Frank Zappa made ‘We are a nation of laws, randomly enforced.’
I agree but Dion will never form a government.
By Van on 08.13.08 7:23 pm
Jack Layton will be thrilled!
By wjp on 08.13.08 5:36 pm
He is, however, in touch with himself…repeatedly!
If I hear Garth right, he wants Dion to pull the plug this September … right Garth ??!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 7:05 pm
I vote for October 2009, by then our present PM could be behind bars…
its a matter of opinion and there is a body of opinion to suggest that Harper is every bit the leader that he claims Dion is.
By Louis Bobet on 08.13.08 2:06 pm
Thank you Louis for stating the OBVIOUS-Harper is NOT a leader he is a sepaRATist
By barb the proofreader on 08.13.08 5:30 pm
I hope you caught Dubya’s latest brilliant remark regarding religion?
So when will you ardent, hate-filled liberal-types call on Dion to pull the plug on the minority government so that Canadians can quickly decide who they want as their government??
I say as soon as possible this September … while many Lib lovers say wait until October 19, 2009.
If I hear Garth right, he wants Dion to pull the plug this September … right Garth ??!!!
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 7:05 pm
Hate filled is when you want the Leader of a political party killed like you advocated, I don’t want Harper killed Harry, just behind bars for his illegal “in & out scheme”.
Too bad, loser….
By got rope & Can You spare a Dime. Know you’ve been really ticked off that your wife has sole custody of your children. All I can say, based on your posts, there may well be a very good reason why she did.
Not necessarily the best way to do good PR work.
http://tinyurl.com/5qnhcj
*******************************************
Monsanto won’t like this.
http://tinyurl.com/65spcq
****************************************
Bullion and silver have been declining recently — silver is an especially good buy, but it is noteworthy that the US govt. (supposedly) stopped selling bullion to the public in the early ’30s, and started again years later.
http://tinyurl.com/64pndv
****************************************
Main thing anyone can do is to note if this coming winter is warmer or cooler than normal — little or no snow, compared to being dumped on.
http://tinyurl.com/6×4fan
Yet most of the Liberal Mps including your leader claim they saw nothing, heard nothing and didn’t say anything just like the the monkeys.
By Van on 08.13.08 7:28 pm
Speaking of monkeys, that group that sits around Harper in the House, with their heads bobbing up and down, what will they do when their leader goes down, are any of them able to think for themselves?
If I were a lawyer (or an MP), I’d say “Indisputable”.
By barb the proofreader on 08.13.08 7:04 pm
But judging by the M.O of the CPC, wouldn’t they have had to run that by the PMO before it got leaked?
By barb the proofreader on 08.13.08 3:58 pm
May I summate? LOL The Cons are more clueless than Inspector Clouseau!
So did you embelish the letter you recieved, or did you lie about what was written? I read the letter on Steve Jankes blog, and no where on that letter was anything regarding a Mr. Will Stewart, except for the last line that showed he was carbon copied of the same letter. You had written that Will Stewart called the election cops, so that is either an embelished story that I am sure you would not do, due to Calgary Harold embelishing your rant on seperatists, or it is a lie, that I am sure you would not do due to you being a principled M.P. What was the reason to link Will Stewart into this?
Read the update. — Garth
By Marc on 08.13.08 6:45 pm
Marc – the more I read your posts the more I realize you are a con troll. You initially come off as a non partisan, but you increasily show your true blue colours. Guess your just like Harper who’s been taking small steps, to hide what his true policies are. Marc, I don’t trust you one bit. I’m seeing you for what you truly are – a neocon bot. You pretend you believe in democracy, but bit by bit I see you for what you truly are – a true hyprocrite con, disguised as a non partisan.
Christian groups want SCOC chief justice removed….
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e044e361-88e6-4bbf-b734-2418860f5464
What is the “punishment” for contempt of parliament? Is there any?
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/477517
PM outraged….but not enough to push Bushie and NATO to invade the area in Pakistan where the Taliban & Bin Laden’s boys are hanging out, planning these ambushes…then running back to safety…
Words are cheap…
Hey,tough guy, you owe our Irene a complete apology .
Better check your facts before you spout off .
It makes you look stupid .
By Men With Hats on 08.13.08 6:43 pm
I am sure Irene would accept your apology for calling her a dipstick.
By wjp on 08.13.08 6:46 pm
Not at all. Irene stated the PM can dissolve Parliament whenever he wants. Sort of like the way Chretien did. This is actually not the case now. Considering the committees are dominated by the Opposition parties, it’s still the actions of the Opposition that would cause the dissolution of Parliament. Whether by vote of non-confidence, or locking up the committees, these are all actions controlled by the Opposition parties. If the Opposition parties actually did the committee work, instead of using them for ridiculous partisaned purposes the PM wouldn’t be able to argue that Parliament had become disfunctional now could he? The GG wouldn’t grant such a request unless the committees actually had become disfunctional.
The life of this Parliament is entirely in the hands of the Oppositions parties.
Irene is still a dipstick. So is Garth. And so are the two of you.
Take my example. An apology won’t kill ya. — Garth
Oh, Thibault is also not overly bright because LeBreton is not some little weakling who will back down and take crap like that. Hey, I’ll at least give Thibault points for taking on somebody who is much more powerful than he’ll ever be.
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 12:22 pm,
I suspect that Thibault and LeBreton have about the same I.Q. That does not excuse his behaviour. That being said both deserve about the same level of respect!
By Reid on 08.13.08 8:13 pm
Nothing better than some ass who has been proven wrong to try to make his same point again..LMAO…
Must be a CPC supporter…
What is the “punishment” for contempt of parliament? Is there any?
By Tim N on 08.13.08 8:07 pm
Tim, have you watched question period?
That whole thing in one mass of contempt for the Canadian voter!!!
By kpn on 08.13.08 7:50 pm
Just a suggestion, you might want to hear the full story before you reach that conclusion…
He is, however, in touch with himself…repeatedly!
By Bill-Muskoka on 08.13.08 7:41 pm
LMAO…
you’ve been really ticked off that your wife has sole custody
kpn on 08.13.08 7:50 pm
distract, dismiss, deny
we have a record number of parent denied children and the problems that causes
My ex didn`t create them, go back to abusing children or counting the votes or money you make from those that are abusing them.
no justice, no investment
Shooting raises question: Is it safe to be a liberal?
Yes, and it’s harder to be a Conservative. Socialists enjoy a moral high ground which makes them look good. Often conservative look heartless. Green Shift makes the Liberals look good while stealing some thunder and voters from the green party. Liberals calling ethics foul over a shell game is laughable after sponsorship. The voters don’t care. Mactigue and Minna were on my cable channel trying to explain green shift. It is so complicated, with credits, rebates, deductions, etc. it is absolutely unsellable. It sounds like a Jack Leyton idea. No one will buy into it. I believe that most people are philosophically green, but Dion’s plan will be just another bureaucratic nightmare. Perhaps its the French predilection for creating massive bureaucracies- the socialist mind set: “everyone else is a criminal” Maybe the Liberals figure that green shift will play out in an election, tank, blame Dion, drop him, have a convention, voila- new leader.
Projected outcome of September
by -elections.
Three more Liberal seats .
Buh,bye ! Harpo you cretinous polly wog .
By Man With AssHat
I’d take this bet.
A guy is visiting San Francisco, and walks into a small store in
Chinatown.
He notices a small bronze statue of a rat.
He asks the owner “how much”, and the owner replies “$50 for the bronze
rat, and $1000 for the story behind it”.
The guy says, “forget the story”, and buys the rat.
As he’s walking down the street he notices two live rats following him.
As he continues to walk, more rats start following him.
He starts to get a little concerned, and heads for the waterfront. By
the time he gets there there are thousands and thousands of rats
following him.
He walks up to the end of the pier and throws the bronze rat into the
bay, and the rats all follow and leap off of the pier and drown.
The guy rushes back to the store and walks in. The owner says, “Ah!, so
your back for the story”.
The guys says, “no, I was wondering if you have any bronze Neo-con politicians?”
EoE i’m a yr Older than YOU and you set my Bullshit meter off.Yeah Lebreton is a lying spouting Con talking points old Bat Hag. You are nothing but a “concern troll” saw many like you on the USA PROGRESSIVE blogs spoutiing Bullshit while makin g EXCUSES for Bush’s Cabal like you do for the PRICK Harper.My Parents raised us TWELVE kids to be Accountible.My Father fired my one of my brothers when Dad was the Foreman of a job site in Churchill Falls back in the late ’60s because he would’ve fired anyone else for the same Eff Up.You go on&on with your rambling posts that you state are looking at “Both sides” while implying Garth Ripped harper while Garth was in the CPC which is bullshit like most of your “Concern troll” posts.I live in Garth’s riding but i couldn’t vote for him last time JUST because of the Harper ECK Factor not because of Garth.I would still give my vote to garth next election even if he was an iNDY or Green party for he now has none of the Harper ECK .You will Only Vote CON because you’re a CON.
My mother also taught us kids to “Believe NONE of What You HEAR and HALF of What You SEE”.She also made us sceptical of Politicans and Priests. My Mother only had a Gr 2 education who my father had to teach to read.She may not have been as Clever as you and the Hag Bag CON Lebreton,but she was a hell of alot WISER. So you and the Rest of the HarperCONS can kiss my Progressive arse. Oh I’m only a GED grad I don’t have the Flowery Big Words ,but when you are seeking TRUTH you don’t need to “Baffle them with Bullshit while you try to Dazzle with your Brilliance”.
Enough…I have had with the Conservative yappers on this blog..yapping about Dion’s cowardice and refusal to call an election….Hey dipsticks, its up to the PM to ask the GG to disolve parliment….who is the chicken here. If Dion is such a poor leader, if the Government believes so strongly in the righeousness of their cause…let the Goverment call the election to get their majority government. Hey guys and gals, let’s not forget the argument cuts both ways. Harper is gutless because he won’t call an election to get a majority mandate, ….he can’t win one either….some kind of leader he must be….has to resort to an oil blob to campaign….has to resort to negative attack ads….cause he has no record of worth to campaign on….true or not, its a matter of opinion and there is a body of opinion to suggest that Harper is every bit the leader that he claims Dion is.
By Louis Bobet on 08.13.08 2:06 pm
*****
Louis, I too have had just about enough of those lying CON Artists. I think most of them are members of Master Stevie’s caucus & it won’t surprise me in the least if bird brain Harry isn’t Steve himself. I think these jokers had better be looking for another job real soon & if they were smart, they would not use the past 3 years of their work ethics on their résumé. Maybe they could apply for a job at Timmies or MacDonald’s.
Cheers
By Irene on 08.13.08 5:59 pm
*****
Brian you said this [* Not at all. Irene stated the PM can dissolve Parliament whenever he wants.] I think you’d better re-read that post again Brian & tell me where I (moi) stated that the PM can go to the GG and ask for an election whenever. Oct 19/09 UNLESS the government is defeated in a confidence vote (ie the OPPOSITION votes no confidence in the government).
****
Now who’s the dipstick Brian. Btw, I do expect an apology from you & for what its worth, I do agree with Louis. Just a little advice though, read the entire post before you flab your lips dodo.
**** Thanks guys for calling Brian off.
By Irene on 08.13.08 5:59 pm
The credibility of this ethics committee divided along party lines is extremely low, and certainly does not carry the weight of a non-partisan judicial body.
I am looking forward to seeing Stephen and Stephane face one another in a real court over the Chuck Cadman debacle.
There will be no kangaroo tactics allowed in that particular court room, and witnesses will be cross-examined by professionals, not partisan politicians.
I expect the judge to keep order in the court room, and that witnesses will have to come clean and defend their case with a fine tooth-comb cross-examination.
Let the evidence lead where it will.
That will be a real judicial proceeding in contrast to the circus of the present Commons Ethics Committee which Canadians simply do not take seriously any more.
If anyone thinks that this is an objective judicial proceeding in the House of Commons Ethics Committee right now, they are sadly misled. It would be funny if it wasn’t pathetic. How can Paul Szabo take himself seriously?
If this were a real court, how could a mere witness order the judge to remove himself from the chair before the witness will proceed? Yet this is what Elmer McKay did with the chairman of the Ethics Committee when he refused to testify with Paul Szabo in the chair.
It was like the tail wagging the dog. Yet Paul Szabo acquiesced and agreed, making the authority of the chair look like a joke, and making the chairman look week, ineffective, and not in control of the proceedings.
Yet people here are comparing these proceedings to the Gomery Inquiry. That, too, is a joke. Gomery was a real judge with a degree of judicial authority. Thisi Ethics Committee has no judicial authority, let alone objective moral authority.
“Main thing anyone can do is to note if this coming winter is warmer or cooler than normal — little or no snow, compared to being dumped on.”
By Charles Oxley on 08.13.08 7:52 pm
I thought you were smarter than this – the aggregate of the weather for one season does not constitute ‘climate’.
I can absolutely guarantee you that between 1 December 2008 and 1 March 2009 there will be parts of Canada that have more snow than the average for 1970-2000, others will have less, some will be warmer, some will be colder. None of these in and of themselves constitute anything more than a record of what actually happened there. Only when these events are merged with the entire historical record and subsumed within that record do they become climate data.
The range of weather that can be considered ‘normal’ at any location in Canada is much wider than you would think.
None of this applies to Vancouver of course, where if you can see the north shore it is going to rain, and if you can’t its raining. (chuckle a little)
By barb the proofreader on 08.13.08 6:51 pm
Well Harry advocated the assination of the Leader of the Liberal party so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised!
By wjp on 08.13.08 7:05 pm
I wonder if he is related to the Rev. Pat Robertson, or was it Jerry Falwell? Which one was it advocated the assassination of the Iranian President, and Venezualan Pres. Hugo Chavez? Now wasn’t that very upstanding Christian values!?
Why do you not filter out some of the left-wing wackjobs, Garth? Seriously. I can understand debate, but when morons say “Harper is a separatist” I can’t help but laugh hysterically. Please.
Christian groups want SCOC chief justice removed….
The only abortion that needs to be dealt with is this fraudulent and dishonest Harper government that passes itself off as Church going ethical Fundamentalists.
McVety is described as having “the ear of the Conservatives. The ear of Prime Minister Steven Harper no less.
In the spring of 2008, McVety was involved in the promotion of the pro-Intelligent Design and anti-Charles Darwin film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.:- Pretty well describes Petty McVety.
Interview with McVety, The Hour–Gives a person a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing Petty McVety has the ear of Prime Minister Harper and the NEW CONservative Government.
Take my example. An apology won’t kill ya. — Garth
By Reid on 08.13.08 8:13 pm
It takes a real man to stand up and apologize when he knows he’s wrong .
Ol’ Reid is a couple of balls short of that measure .
I vote for October 2009, by then our present PM could be behind bars… — wjp, 7:42 pm
It will be well worth the wait to see how many ways the mighty fall; Nixon, Enron, dubya and Bre-X — every dog has his day; harpo is no different.
****************************************
In the KDC a day or two ago, an ad from a financial whiz stated that China’s GDP compared to debt was just shy of 20%, whereas the US’s figure was 70%, which is probably why the net US debt increases by roughly $3 bln. each day.
Now a German economist says a plan to stimulate their economy should be nixed — if one plays with fire, one can get their fingers burned.
http://tinyurl.com/626jfm
****************************************
Didn’t Rumsfeld or dubya once speak of pre-emptive strikes?
The shoe is on the other foot now; what’s more, no one expected The Bear to be this efficient in crushing Georgia, especially as the US is one of Georgia’s closest friends.
http://tinyurl.com/6j8f9d
****************************************
“. . . one step closer to investing in WW3.”
got rope?, 12:34 pm
Hello Robert.
Read an interesting theory the other day. WWIII actually started — albeit ever so quietly — on 08/08/08, when the Olympics began.
If that theory is proven, it will be interesting to note when it finally winds down — 12/12/12, maybe?
December 12, 2012; the Mayan Calendar finishes it’s cycle December 21, 2012.
Cash, silver and bullion are good!
Do you really have to bloody moderate everything I post??? Is this the type of behaviour you’d exhibit in government? Good thing that’ll never happen again.
What is the “punishment” for contempt of parliament? Is there any?
By Tim N on 08.13.08 8:07 pm
If a case of contempt of Parliament is presented as a motion in the House and it passes, like the one last Winter re: RCMP Deputy Comm. Barb. Busson for her testimony being less than complete and truthful, the penalty can range from the simple word “Sanctioned” without any fine or penalty or up to as much as 6 months in jail. (They left Busson to the RCMP internal discipline review committee. Her status, rank and pension are in jeopardy). Once back in the 1800’s a man refused to testify and was sent to jail by that Parliament for 6 months.
We also learned last Winter that Parliament is a higher court than the Supreme Court, and that such a judgment by Parliament is not appealable!
Why must you delete every comment I make?? Seriously. Is this the type of behaviour a Liberal government would display if in office? Good thing that’ll never happen for a long, long time.
There ya go, Trusty. Now you’ve played on a Big blog. — Garth
I don’t care how this big bird lands, as long as the conservatives are gone.
More on this Chinook Helicopter story.
http://www.casr.ca/ft-mackay-hooked-1.htm
“Hey, I’ll at least give Thibault points for taking on somebody who is much more powerful than he’ll ever be.”
By eastofeden on 08.13.08 12:22 pm,
He has the chutzpah, all right, but does he have the wisdom?
This could easily hurt the Liberals in an area that was once perceived as their strength.
Nor was Thibeault’s apology unequivocal. He basically believed only that he was misunderstood, but failed to acknowledge that there was a real sexist undertone to his remarks which he is still blind to.
What you say off the cuff only reveals what is in your heart, your true belief system. Let’s not pretend that we don’t mean what we say after we say it. It would be better to clearly and unequivocally apologize for what was said, as it was hurtful and demeaning to all women.
Nor is this a time for Thibeault to be on holidays while his colleagues take the heat. Disciplinary action would be in order, and would help to restore confidence.
By The Trusty Tory on 08.13.08 9:52 pm
How could you be a tory when they are all gone?
Definition:
1. history American supporter of Britain: a resident of the American colonies who supported Britain during the American Revolution
2. British Conservative: in Britain, a member of the Conservative Party
3. Canadian Conservative: in Canada, a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
4. history English royalist: a member of an English political party, active from the late 17th century until the 1830s, that supported the social order represented by the monarchy and the Church of England
5. supporter of conservative principles: somebody who holds politically conservative views
6. history 17C Irish outlaw: in 17th-century Ireland, any of the Irish people who became outlaws harrying the English settlers who had displaced and dispossessed them
[Mid-17th century. Via Irish tóraidhe "highwayman" < Old Irish tóir "to chase"]
To·ry adjective
To·ry·ism noun
By kpn on 08.13.08 8:03 pm
I will try not to lose any sleep.
hope you caught Dubya’s latest brilliant remark regarding religion?
BY BILL-MUSKOKA 08.13.08 7:47 PM
In China? Tell it.
Louis, I too have had just about enough of those lying CON Artists. I think most of them are members of Master Stevie’s caucus & it won’t surprise me in the least if bird brain Harry isn’t Steve himself
BY IRENE ON 08.13.08 5:59 PM
Irene, the fun thing is, you are so right about Harper – he is so amateur that he probably does his own blogging too.
Three copies were mailed. To me, my official agent and the president of the local Conservative association, Will Stewart.
I have mine. My former official agent is out of town this week, and his letter is unopened. — Garth
The lettter on Steve Jankes blog is written to a Mr. Lorne Greenwood. Is he your former official agent? If so, did Steve Janke open his mailbox, or does he know someone who opened his mailbox?
Is this an act? — Garth
Paul Szabo’s email is Szabo.P@parl.gc.ca
I sent him a brief note today congratulating him on taking the high road of professionalism and respect, and for showing Canadians how our representatives should behave in our federal institutions.
He seemed very appreciative for the support. He might just appreciate a few more such notes.
It is the obligation of Canadians to appear before a HOC committee- – -the real issue here which is the Conservative Party’s complete disdain for our national institutions. There is no excuse for this behaviour. Period.
BY TS 08.13.08 8:03 AM
I second that emotion.
Do you really have to bloody moderate everything I post??? Is this the type of behaviour you’d exhibit in government? Good thing that’ll never happen again.
By The Trusty Tory on 08.13.08 9:46 pm
Garth moderates for stupidity .
Read an interesting theory the other day. WWIII actually started — albeit ever so quietly — on 08/08/08, when the Olympics began.
By Charles Oxley on 08.13.08 9:46 pm
Well that is not surprising when I already know that WW2 started before WW1. The Japanese began their invasions into mainland Asia in 1905 at what is now Vladivostok. Formerly part or near Port Arthur. They continued on into Manchuria after was it 1922?
http://www.questia.com/library/encyclopedia/vladivostok.jsp
Bet you did not know that one!
December 12, 2012; December 21, 2012.
By Charles Oxley on 08.13.08 9:46 pm
12 12 2012 12 21 2012
Must be computer language for delete last enter or Mayan for kiss your ass goodbye
How’s that sound you traiterous son-of-a-bitch ?
By Men With Hats on 08.13.08 6:47 pm
…………………………………………….
At least I had a real father … not like you .. you son-of-a-batch …LOL
Johnny: Dean Del played the religious card today.
He was “offended” that Pat Martin used the Lord’s name in vain ( guess he never hears profanity around his fellow Con M.P.’s) So Dean decided to tell all that he is a Roman Catholic and goes to church every week and never uses bad language.
I was waiting for Pat Martin to quip: the Mafia are all Roman Catholics, too–
Since when does being “religious” equate to being “superior”?
Leasa: Have you actually watched Gary Goodyear in action? Makes one wonder what exactly he doesn’t want the public to hear?
And Del Mastro hasn’t watched enough court T.V. Everyone knows you don’t ask a loaded question unless you know exactly the answer you will be given.
He looked stupid today. (I didn’t call him stupid, he just looked stupid–for all you sensitive types)
what scams they are using to bypass other election funding rules
BY MAYBE RHINO? 08.13.08 8:19 AM
· · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · ·
Rhino, I think they’re still more to come about the third party money spent on the 2006 election via Friends of Science, who even boasted that their ads swung several Ontario ridings.
Ad campaign funding
The FoS has repeatedly stated that “large projects, such as our video and radio ads” were funded by *Barry Cooper’s research fund, partially supported by the Science Education Fund. In an email the **University of Calgary stated they “specifically asked Dr. Cooper — whether any of the funds received by the FoS, the Science Education Fund, or any related organizations or funds for which a tax deduction for receipt of a donation was issued by the U of C, were used in any election-related ads or communication or activities not related to education or research. The answer was an unequivocal no.” However, this denial does not specifically address donations for which tax receipts were issued by the Calgary Foundation and also rests on Cooper’s definition of “activities not related to education or research”, which may not correspond to an accepted objective or reasonable definition… Indeed, since then, the U of C has severed FoS funding and Cooper’s “Research on Climate Change” account was shut down, following a determination by the U of C “that some of the program funds had been used to support a partisan viewpoint on climate change.”
· · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · · · · · — — — · · ·
*
Barry Cooper, Flanagan’s closet departmental pal
**
http://tinyurl.com/5dlad8
Read an interesting theory the other day. WWIII actually started — albeit ever so quietly — on 08/08/08, when the Olympics began.
By Charles Oxley on 08.13.08 9:46 pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well that is not surprising when I already know that WW2 started before WW1. The Japanese began their invasions into mainland Asia in 1905 at what is now Vladivostok. Formerly part or near Port Arthur. They continued on into Manchuria after was it 1922?
Bet you did not know that one!
BY TRUTH B TOLD ON 08.13.08 11:10 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Truth B Told -
As Johnny Carson would say “I did not know that!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles -
I finally got one on you too! Just reading the other day.. WWIII was the Cold War and.. WWIV as with the others.. planned.. started.. is the series going on now c. 2001 —
Well Harry advocated the assination of the Leader of the Liberal party so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised!
By wjp on 08.13.08 7:05 pm
please, please, give that a rest you tedious douche.
The games being played in the Ethics committee by CPC members and agents choosing not to show up reeks of Karl Rove’s methods in the US.
When will the CPC realize that Canadian voters can see through this game playing?
I hope the Parliament convenes long enough for a motion for contempt of Parliament to be brought forth against each person who did not show up? Maybe Garth can be the one who presents it.
Life can be funny, eh.
BY ESTHER SHAYE 08.12.08 11:58 PM
Esther, sometimes I miss seeing posts. Okay, I often miss seeing posts. I just happened to look back and see this. You are a very good person. Boy the Liberals are lucky to have you support them. I’d be humbled to be half the wonderful person you are.
Well, Sue, my mother taught us to believe that resorting to name-calling is a sign of defeat and lack of a rational argument. You certainly covered that base with the hostility which you leveled at me. Oh, and by your definition, my mother would be an old bat; which, of course, she would vehemently refute.
As far as your judgement of me, well, you don’t know me so it is beyond me how you can make such judgments. If you wish to attack, attack what I say and not me. I notice that you prefer to call me down rather than analyze and logically refute what I say. The tells me that you can’t come up with anything to refute what I say in my posts.
A concern troll? I have no idea what that is so I’m not even going to address it.
As for your educational level, it matters not to me. I have met wise people of all educational levels and backgrounds so, as far as I am concerned, it makes no difference to me. With regard to my flowery words, well, I read a great deal and I also listen to erudite and articulate people in order to learn from them. That’s another thing my wise mother taught us: to learn from others.
Oh, as far as background goes, I’m only a couple of generations off the boat and one thing that was drilled into our heads from day one was to always respect other people’s opinions even if they are contrary to our own and, above all, treat people with respect. That includes avoiding name-calling. I do my best to avoid name-calling because it accomplishes nothing.
Call me whatever you like, Sue, it doesn’t affect me at all. And, remember one thing, you’re reading my posts so that must mean that you are interested in what I say. If you didn’t, you’d simply ignore them and not resort to personal attacks on somebody you have never met.
Have a great day, Sue.
Garth moderates for stupidity
Then I wonder why he continuously lets you post here. It certainly isn’t for your insight.
By the way, Garth, forget this “big blog” nonsense. Just because you have 260 comments from partisan Liberal wackos does not a “big blog” make. But thank you for the opportunity to write.
In China? Tell it.
By barb the proofreader on 08.13.08 10:48 pm
Bush pushes religious freedom at Olympics
BEIJING — President Bush, in a clear reference to China’s tight control of churches, said today that no country should “fear the influence” of religious freedom.
“It just goes to show that God is universal.” Bush said. “No state, man or woman should fear the influence of loving religion.”
Boy, with the ‘love’ Bush shows the world will soon be consumed by it, and if he has forgotten that Russia is a Super Power, albeit weakened a great deal, someone needs to tap him on the head and say ‘Hello? anybody home?’ This is what we get from a drunk who used his daddy’s influence to avoid serving in combat, and taxpayer paid training.
EoE you may have the rest on here fooled with your Bullshit I bet most of them voted for Harper last election and Now have voter remorse.I saw Harper for what he was and didn’t vote for the CPC last election.No EoE your mother didn’t teach you to name call she just showed you how to slyly insinuate that the person isn’t being honest like you’ve tried to say Garth was Ripping Harper while he was in the CPC.I think he called you on that Bullshit so like I said you set my bullshit meter off. As far as when you got off the Boat that doesn’t make a difference because Bill Muskoka has Only been here since the ’90s and has shown to be a Better Canadian than any of the CONs that sit in OUR HOC or any of the CPC supporters. Bill is more right than I am but he’s a progressive ,you are just a CON playing at being Oh so “non partisan” with your looking at both sides and than conclude it’s the Liberals fault.
Boy, with the ‘love’ Bush shows the world will soon be consumed by it, and if he has forgotten that Russia is a Super Power
By Bill-Muskoka on 08.14.08 8:24 am
In his haste to use WMD as an excuse to invade IRAQ, I make the case that if WMD’s were the concern, then it would seem more fitting to invade Russia, considering they have the largest stockpile of WMD’s.
260 comments from partisan Liberal wackos does not a “big blog” make. But thank you for the opportunity to write.
By The Trusty Toryon 08.14.08 7:15 am
You might want to shave the 260 down a bit. Emilie only shows up when Bill is gone and Sue never misses a chance to praise Bill. My guess is there`s about 6 full time Liberal Hacks with 3 Cons, the rest troll as a personal hobby.
The trolling is out of control, even bringing up old meaningless personal attacks from one thread to the next.
This is a Liberal blog working to inspire door knockers following the traditional bash the opponents into losing political plan.
I have yet to see one thread that had continuity of any value, except of course the usual bash fest, top marks there.
Pity, it could be so much more
arth moderates for stupidity
Then I wonder why he continuously lets you post here. It certainly isn’t for your insight.
By the way, Garth, forget this “big blog” nonsense. Just because you have 260 comments from partisan Liberal wackos does not a “big blog” make. But thank you for the opportunity to write.
By The Trusty Tory on 08.14.08 7:15 am
Oooo! Your mommy write that for you,idiot ?
You can just beat it over to Blggingmorons.com where you belong .
Your inpit is neither needed nor desired .
GFU
Con-bot handbook named “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap “
How’s that sound you traiterous son-of-a-bitch ?
By Men With Hats on 08.13.08 6:47 pm
…………………………………………….
At least I had a real father … not like you .. you son-of-a-batch …LOL
By HARRY S on 08.13.08 11:35 pm
Says a guy whose father was a turkey
baster and a petrie dish .
Knock it off, both of you. — Garth
Knock it off, both of you. — Garth
By Men With Hats on 08.14.08 3:32 pm
Sorry .
And again, how infuriating – what’s with the bottom right hand corner of the flyers: Compliments of Rob Anders? when it is in fact unwillingly paid for by Canadian taxpayers. Liar!
I’ll give you compliments of Rob Anders:
Here’s a quick video of him – click the play button:
http://tinyurl.com/57pnr3
When Tory MP Rob Anders Was A Paid U.S. Political Heckler:
http://tinyurl.com/6bzv3l
BY GOT ROPE? 08.14.08 11:20 AM
Okay Rope, if you would like to stop trolling and bashing Garth’s blog, that seems fine with this voter. But I’m a middle aged Canadian concerned about what’s going on, who thinks Garth’s blog is a good place for people to share thoughts, think freely and question what’s going on, what do I know.
I can see that Bill, Sue and Emily who you just smeared as not being ‘real’ people, are very real and concerned citizens. It’s not hard to tell. Their truth and passion rings true. Your inuendo that they are not real people has revealed your true intentions here. You didn’t think that we real people across Canada are watching. Thanks KPN for catching that comment from Rope and posting it on the next thread. With enough of us doing it, we can catch ‘em at their little tricks. Another one identified.
And for anyone else, I think we have a huge amount of really fun, really smart, and caring people here. I’m here because it’s just my way of learning and helping. If anyone dare bash me for that, your actions speak volumes for your poor character and lack of morals.
Garth, your Paul Szabo and the rest of the liberal MAJORITY on this committee are trying to make a good show for the MSN. That is all they care about.
By Leasa on 08.13.08 3:30 pm
Lyin’ Leasa,
Spoken like a true neo-con.
“liberal MAJORITY”? Liberal majority indeed!. Can you not count?
Another one of your lies, Leasa? Or are you going to argue that it is not a lie because “liberal” is lower case? Whether it is a deliberate lie or just another attempt to deceive it is equally dishonest and just as reprehensible.
Do you really think that your compulsive dishonesty is going to influence the swing voters in your favour?
By Leasa on 08.13.08 3:30 pm
Lying again eh Leasa? You just can’t help yourself can you? Soon you’ll be cut off the con-bot troll gravy train when your master is imprisoned.
I watched the full three days of the Ethics Committee and Szabo did a great job of the herculean task of trying to keep those slimy lying Cons from derailing the issue. It was unbelievable that they even tried to besmirch the clerk!
When this is all over, Leasa, go pick some crows off on your farm, and bake them in a pie, all for Sleazy Stevie and little Leasa Lie.
You can share it when you visit him in Kingston
Have a great day!
By Liz on 08.13.08 6:22 pm
Liz,
Well said.
You must have been watching the same proceedings that I was. Glad that you and many others are keeping a vigilant eye on Leasa.
Don’t surprised if she accuses you of stalking!