Mike Duffy confirms it: CBC wrote questions for Liberal MPs on ethics committee

Mike Duffy has confirmed the statement made earlier in the day by one-time Liberal MP Jean Lapierre.

Apparently the CBC fed questions to be asked of Brian Mulroney to Liberal MPs on the ethics committee.

In attempting to deflect criticism, a Liberal researcher contacted Duffy to say that the CBC did not provide the questions, only suggestions on which the questions were based...thereby confirming that the CBC was involved in developing the questions.

Want to bet that the Liberals have one less researcher tomorrow?


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NDP MP Irene Mathyssen unites the left

NDP MP Irene Mathyssen has in one fell swoop made a mockery of Jack Layton's claim to want to make Parliament work for Canadians, and ended Jack's dream of becoming the official opposition.

The next time Jack says that only the NDP wants to make Parliament work, all the other parties have to say is, "No, all you and your MPs want to do is sling mud and cast dispersions, like you did to James Moore".

Even Stephane Dion should be able to manage that.

For the NDP to attain its goal of becoming the official opposition, they needed to demonstrate consistent professionalism and maturity. This episode has ruined any chance of that ever happening.

Jack might as well start negotiating the absorption of whatever rump remains of the NDP after the next election into the Liberal or Green party.


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Inquiring minds want to know

As of this posting it has been 85 days, 21 hours, 24 minutes, 22 seconds since Stephane Dion said he would be very pleased to visit Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

So, with his pending visit to Bali, which is right around the corner from Afghanistan, what better time for him to live up to his promise and visit the troops! Bali IS in the neighbourhood after all.

Dion's excuse for not visiting the troops to date has been that he is too busy at home in Canada with the responsibilities of an opposition leader; too busy to go half way around the world to visit the troops. Interesting then that he can immediately make time to go half way around the world to a conference on climate change.

So, is trashing Canada's reputation at a major international symposium more important than supporting Canadian troops overseas? I guess we're about to find out.

Mr. Speaker, there is zero chance of me visiting the Canadian troops in Afghanistan

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From my cold dead hands rest-of-world..from my cold dead hands.

"University of Alberta researcher Denise Young, who led the study, suggests that provincial authorities hold...buy-backs or round-ups to eliminate the threat — methods that Americans use to get guns off the streets."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313844,00.html


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h/t

Vote now! Should the government heed McGuinty's call to strip the Maritimes of seats in Parliament so they can be given to Ontario?

The Maritimes are over-represented in the House of Commons based on the number of seats they have in Parliament vs. their population. For example, PEI has 4 seats in Parliament, when in a true rep by pop scenario, they should have 1.

Last week, after the government released a plan to give Ontario extra seats, Premier McGuinty came out and said he wanted true rep by pop for Ontario. In short, he wants all his new seats, plus he wants another 10 back from the Maritimes as well.

Traditionally, Ontario, as the grandfather of confederation, has been willing to let the Maritimes "borrow" the extra 10 or so seats to which it is entitled.

This is the argument that Peter Van Loan tried, badly, to make last week when he called Permier McGuinty the "small man of confederation" for wanting his seats back from the Maritimes. Ontario has traditionally deferred receiving its full Parliamentary power so that the smaller provinces could have a bigger voice.

Now McGuinty is calling for true rep by pop. He wants the Maritimes to be stripped of seats so they can be transferred back to Ontario.

What do you think? Short sighted me-me-me Toronto-centric attitude, or is a new seat distribution in the House of Commons in order?

Time to redistribute seats in the House of Commons? Yes, I agree with McGuinty. Give the Maritime seats back to Ontario No, I disagree with McGuinty. Let the Maritimes keep Ontario's seats view results

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Stephane Dion: My family was so poor, we didn't even know what we speak about!

Stephane Dion on growing up poor: "We were the last in our neighbourhood to get a TV, the last to get a car. My parents had headaches about how to pay for the house."

Note to Stephane Dion. Before saying that you know the ravages of abject poverty first-hand having grown up as the son of a mere university professor, perhaps try to imagine this.

The poor are not the last ones on their street to get a car, they could never afford a car. The poor do not have problems paying for their house, they could never get a mortgage. In some part of Canada, the poor don't even have indoor plumbing.

If my neighbour has a Mercedes, and I only have a Cadillac. Does that make me poor too?

Stephane Dion demonstrating how much credibility he has on the poverty file

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James Travers conspicuously distances himself from official Liberal position

That the Liberal friendly columnist for the Toronto Star, James Travers, has come out against Stephane Dion's call for a wide open public inquiry into the Shreiber Affair is quite interesting.

Mr. Travers has for some time been part of the Liberal inner-santum, entrusted with secrets that those outside the party's powerful elite, like Stephane Dion, are completely unaware of. If James thought only the Conservatives would be punished, he would be joining the Liberal hue and cry for complete disclosure and investigation. For Travers to come out against a wide open inquiry indicates that there must be several Schreiber skeletons hidden in the Liberal closet.

The question this brings to mind is: what does James Travers know, and when did he know it?

So in the interest of full disclosure, I will add my voice to Stephane Dion's and call for a full and far ranging public inquiry into the Schreiber Affair.

It seems quite obvious that James Travers has to be brought before the public inquiry and compelled to tell Canadians what he knows. It is likely that he has shared/schemed with other denizens of the Toronto Star news room, so they should be brought forth for questioning too. Certainly with these two entities in cahoots, someone at Torstar corporate must have known what was going on. They will have to testify. Who else writes for the Star that might know something about Liberal/Schreiber shenanigans? One time Paul Martin advisor Scooter Reid? Haul him in as well. Now that Scooter is in the mix, we'll have to haul his old boss before the inquiry too; we know Paul Martin thinks highly of public inquiries so he should be happy to appear. But, if Paul Martin appears, his one time boss will have to testify as well. I'm sure the Chretien prime-ministerial closet could use a good airing out.

So for once, I agree with Stephane Dion. The truth must come out! Why have an inquiry when you can have an inquisition?

Of course, this is all malarkey. But it demonstrates the partisanship evident in what Stephane Dion is calling for, and how ridiculous it all is.

Rather than screaming from the rafters for an inquisition, Stephane Dion should be quiet and sit down. At least we know he has experience doing that.

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What's in a name?

I'm no political scientist or media guru, but as I see it, this whole Mulroney-Schreiber Inquiry can go two ways in the press.

1. It gets called, "The Mulroney Inquiry"

2. It gets called, "The Schreiber Inquiry"

If I was a Conservative or Liberal spinner, I'd be out there hustling and thinking up some way to brand this thing with my preferred choice...right now.


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Lost in translation

We all know by now that Stephane Dion doesn't speak English very well, but does he not understand it very well either? As the transcript below reveals, he is limited to sticking to his script when trying to push the government for answers. When the answer you recieve to your first question makes your next question irrelevant, would it not behoove a leader to be ready with a back-up question, rather than press blindly ahead and look ridiculous?

Where is the ability to adapt, improvise and think on his feet that a national leader has to have? If Stephane Dion isn't up to the job of leading the questioning in Parliament, then he should sit down and let Michael Ignatieff run the show in QP.

Dion looked a bit foolish, and his inability to press the attack almost overshadowed Liberal efforts to gain traction on the issue.

Hon. Stéphane Dion (Leader of the Opposition, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, for months the government has known about very serious allegations concerning former prime minister Brian Mulroney. It received hundreds of pages on the whole affair. The Prime Minister even received personal letters from Mr. Schreiber and yet the government did nothing for months. Why?

Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC): Mr. Speaker, last week I announced that as a result of a sworn affidavit that has been filed in court the government would appoint an independent third party to advise the government on how to proceed with such allegations. Let me make clear what we will be doing. We will be asking that independent third party, whom we will be naming very shortly, to provide us with the terms of reference for a full public inquiry as well as any other course of action that the independent party deems appropriate.

Hon. Stéphane Dion (Leader of the Opposition, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the information prompting a reaction from the Prime Minister had been in his hands for months: a letter from Mr. Schreiber, marked “To the Addressee Only - For His Eyes Only”. This from a Prime Minister obsessed with controlling everything down to the last detail, as his caucus knows all too well. The Prime Minister is hiding behind the PCO and junior staff in his own office. Will he step up to the plate and do the right thing, that is to launch immediately a full public inquiry?

Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I just answered this question about a public inquiry. The independent third party will give the government the appropriate terms of reference for such an inquiry, and such an inquiry will be launched. Let me just speak to this issue of the letters, which the Leader of the Opposition alleges I have. Let us be very clear. I remind the Liberal leader that Karlheinz Schreiber has been the subject of extradition proceedings by the federal government for the past eight years. I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that when somebody writes about his extradition proceedings, that is not handled by the Prime Minister. That goes to appropriate government officials.

Hon. Stéphane Dion (Leader of the Opposition, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, even Mr. Mulroney is calling for a full public inquiry. The Prime Minister must be the only person who does not think it is a good idea. Why? What is he afraid of? Will he do the right thing? Will he take on his responsibilities and call a full public inquiry now?

Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the problem is that the Leader of the Opposition had whipped himself up into that question and has failed to listen to the previous two answers. That is precisely what the government will be doing. Under the circumstances, the independent party that the government will be employing will be making a recommendation to the government on the appropriate terms of inquiry for a full public inquiry.

I know who is the one to be blamed

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Quotable Quote of the Week

Eager for a by-election to be called so he can get a seat in Parliament, Bob Rae quipped:

"We're getting a dog and we're going to call it By-Election, so I can call it myself."

Bob Rae



Ha, ha..good one.


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Liberal Party hemmoraging..so party president goes vacationing

Liberal party president (Senator) Marie Poulin, was nowhere to be found on Tuesday.

While her office refused to comment, confirming only she was not going to be present for the reading of the speech from the throne, sources said Poulin is vacationing in Bermuda.

CTV

Great time for a party president to be on vacation, don't you think? Not that there is a crisis in her party or anything. And Senate attendance is certainly optional, especially during a speech from the Throne.

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Stephane Dion can't find a right hand man..or woman..for Quebec

After the disastrous by-elections in Quebec last month, Stephane Dion followed the rantings of the pro-Ignatieff lobby and declared Denis Coderre would be replacing Marcel Proulx as his Quebec lieutenant.

Once Proulx heard that he was to be replaced with Denis Coderre, he quickly resigned.

Then Coderre flip-flopped on his acceptance of the position, and declined to take the post.

Then Dion approached Celine Herveux-Payette, who quickly said no.

Now Montreal area MP Pablo Rodriguez has also declined to take Stephane up on his offer.

So after all their squealing, the pro-Iggy cadre now want no part of Dion's organizing efforts in Quebec. So who does that leave to guide the Liberal Party in Quebec? Well, it leaves Marcel Proulx, who Dion apparently approached and offered a second chance at the job. Proulx politely told Dion where to shove his offer.

The question now is: Who the heck is going to end up in the position of the Liberal Party's Quebec Lieutenant? Are they going to be able to turn anything around? Not likely.

Has Stephane Dion tried asking Jason Cherniak? He is looking for a new job and is up for a challenge.


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update: Celine has come back and said yes! Praise be.

Ontarians won't vote Liberal twice in one election cycle

The Dalton McGuinty win in the Ontario provincial election is the final nail in the coffin of the Stephane Dion led federal Liberal Party.

John Tory lost solely due to his gaffe on Faith Based Funding for schools. Also known as the far less menacing, Inclusive Education Funding. As I've stated before, it was a dumb idea, voted in by a short sighted membership, and inadequately sold by an earnest but ultimately ineffective leader.

But with the provincial Liberal record of lies and broken promises, my guess is that thousands of Ontarians feel a little bitter about having to vote for Dalton. But they will have a chance to get back at the Liberal brand; at Dion's expense.

Dalton got electorally lucky. Now Stephane is now in for an electoral bruising.

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It's the $900 tax cut, stupid

The 5 faux-pas' of John Tory's Ontario campaign.

Mistake #1. Not coming out of the gate saying they were going to cut the McGuinty $900 health tax.

Mistake #2. Coming up with the idea of tinkering with the school system, especially in a fall election. Bad move.

Everyone is already spending their September all stressed out about getting their kids into school, and then Tory comes along and adds to their school-related stress. McGuinty's stay the course solution obviously offers more comfort to the voters.

Mistake #3. Spending three-quarters of the election on the defensive trying to explain their education idea, instead of saying they were going to cut the McGuinty $900 health tax.

Mistake #4. Offering a free vote on their education idea, instead of talking about their plan to cut the McGuinty $900 health tax.

Mistake #5. Talking about anything else right now other than the fact they plan to cut the $900 McGuinty health tax.


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CTV's Robert Fife drums up the wrong facts?

It has been quite some time since Robert Fife broke a political news story. Likely because in past Liberal governments, inside info was extremely easy to come across; a trend we see continuing in the Liberal Party today.

With the Conservative government's tight hold on messaging resulting in less leaks to media, is Robert's lust for breaking news leading him to see things that aren't there?

Robert Fife hit the airwaves last night with a tale from an anonymous source that the Government had decided to replace General Hillier as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), and would not be renewing his term appointment.

Today, first Defence Minister Peter MacKay, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper, shot down Fife's erroneous report. Both added that the service provided by General Hillier, in his role as leader of the Canadian Armed Forces, has been top-notch.

"There has been no discussion in my office or with me with any senior officials about the possibility of changing the Chief of Defence Staff," said Harper.

And it should be pointed out that being the Chief of Defence Staff does not come with a set "term". The CDS serves at the pleasure of the Prime Minister, so there is no term to extend or end anyway.

So not only has the PM not been planning to evict Hillier from his job, the subject hasn't even come up for discussion. That is because the government, and most Canadians, realize that the General has been doing a great job. And as the Prime Minister stated, "As a matter of fact, I think I just approved a pretty good rating for (him)."

In the end, it would appear that Fife's source was seriously misinformed, and Robert could lose a great deal of credibility.

Or, is there a chance that he was purposely fed that information, so the resulting story could tell the "my way or the highway" general that he had better start toeing the government line, or he could easily be replaced?

Naahh, who could be that politically devious?

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Gilles Duceppe to quit (again) - will he give up Canadian pension?

Word has come out that separatist Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe will be retiring after the next federal election.

The question I'd be asking him is, as a staunch defender of the right for Quebec to exist as an independent country, will he now announce that he will decline to collect the MP pension provided to him by the taxpayers of Canada?

Or will he continue to suck on the teat of Canadian largesse for the rest of his life?

Hypocrite or Patriot. Which is it Gilles?

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Fox promoted, looks forward to new position as head of chicken coop

While it may be a case of keeping your enemies even closer, the promotion by Stephane Dion of Michael Ignatieff super-supporter Denis Coderre, shows that the calvacade of big mistakes from the Liberal leader's office continues unabated.

Dion is candidly admitting that his own image needs polishing and, as well, it's believed he's getting ready to name a new Quebec lieutenant, possibly MP Denis Coderre, a former immigration minister.

I'm sure Denis Coderre will improve things for the Liberal Party in Quebec, just don't expect the infrastructure to be in place for the next election, more likely the results of his efforts wiill come to fruition in the election after next, when Michael Ignatieff is leader of the Liberal Party, and far too late to help Dion.

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Dion: What to do, what to do... I know, support a terrorist!

Reeling from an ignominious defeat in this weeks by-elections in Quebec, including the loss of Liberal redoubt Outremont, what has Stephane Dion planned to resurrect his fast plummeting leadership?

It's not what I would advise him to do, but Stephane Dion is going to be backing the effort to have Canadian-born terrorist Omar Khadr returned to Canada.

No joke.

Stephane Dion spent the day following the Quebec defeat riding a tractor in rural Ontario, where he has zero prospects of victory. Then follows that up the next day by coming to the defence of Canada's most notorious terrorist.

It begs the question, is the infamous Liberal mole running Stephane Dion's agenda!?

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Happy Jack

And he's got reason to be. Mulclair is the real deal, having the charismatic MP in the NDP caucus is a big bonus. However, it is also likely Jack just recruited his own replacement.

Outremont

Last updated: 22:40 ET

Liberal
Jocelyn Coulon
4,964
28.9

NDP-New Democratic Party
Thomas Mulcair
8,424

49.0

It's the end of the world as we know it

And I feel fine.

NDP: Outremont

Conservative: Roberval

Bloc: Saint-Hyacinthe

Liberals: zip

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Stephane Dion's TSN Turning Point

And another reminder why you should leave your jacket unbuttoned.


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Peter Mansbridge questions Stephane Dion's Afghan credibility

An oldy, but a goody.

Peter Mansbridge: When you look at other countries — the U.S., Britain, the Dutch who are facing a big vote, parliamentary delegations go a lot. Why have you personally not gone to Afghanistan?

Stephane Dion: I will do my best to go, Peter, but in all fairness, you cannot dispute that I did a lot since I am a leader in order to travel everywhere in Canada.

Mansbridge: This is the issue that you say is crucial and you want the government to take a particular stand, and yet you haven’t been there.

Dion: I will do my best to go there.

Mansbridge: All right, we’ll leave it at that.

Ouch.

Broadside starts at 1:13.

Trudeau meets Fidel

Sorry Martha..

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Stephane Dion Gallery - or - people that live in glass houses..

A "creative" Liberal blogger cropped a photo of Stephen Harper caught in an awkward moment, and has urged his fellow Liberal bloggers to copy it and use it in their blogging.

What a lucky find for this young man. It's a good thing there aren't any bad pictures of Stephane Dion.

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Gun crime, and what to do about it. (It's not a ban)

Banning guns does not reduce gun crime.

The reason? Well..does mayor Miller have a handgun? Does the reader? Do I? Not likely. That's because we are not criminals or in gangs, and have no reason to have Glocks on us at all times.

Criminals will continue to get guns, regardless of there being a ban or not...that's because they are c-r-i-m-i-n-a-l-s, and need guns! A ban will have no effect, and will only waste valuable resources in taking guns away from legitimate target shooters and collectors.

It is the guns that make their way into the hands of Toronto's criminal gun dealers that are the problem, not those in the hands of responsible owners.

These smuggled guns make their way into Toronto on the province's 400 series highways, and that is where the gun problem should be addressed. You can go from Cornwall to Toronto and see no OPP cars...not one. At most you will see two in the same trip, that's all. Same for from Buffalo to Toronto. That is not acceptable.

There has to be more money from the government of Ontario for policing of the 400 series highways. Only this can help stop the stream of guns entering Toronto. And as a side benefit, more officers on the roads can only make things safer for everybody.

This cannot be laid entirely at McGuinty's door, all sides do need to do something. The feds arming border guards is a good step. An armed guard is more likely to search individuals he believes may pose a danger, but the federal government could also increase the training of guards, and the resources available to them.

Mayor Miller needs to address his own fiscal shortcomings and provide more money to the Toronto Police force. Toronto's social safety net is admirable, but it comes at the expense of the policing budget. Miller has to face facts and find more money for policing in the community.

There is a sensible way to address the problem of criminals with guns in Toronto, but a call to ban handguns is a red herring.


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Afghanistan mission public relations 101

This is exactly why Stephen Harper has to take to the national airwaves and provide an unfiltered explanation of the whys and whats of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan.

The firm said the “communications landscape” is dominated by mounting casualties, and a feeling that “things are getting worse.” Many Canadians believe that the soldiers are part of a U.S.-led mission, and some even think Canada invaded Afghanistan.

Relying on the national media, which are obsessed with body count and little else, will not get the message out on our involvement in Afghanistan.

The media will gladly cover Jack "Taliban" Layton and his cries for retreat, because he is in a comfy media centre just down the hall from their air conditioned offices. The media will not cover the digging of a well in an Afghan town..too far, too hot, too boring. The media will not cover the opening of a girls school in a remote Afghan district..too far, too hot, too boring. The media will not trumpet disgust at the Taliban for beheading a 10 year old boy for delivering bread to an Afghan police station..too far, too hot, too incendiary for peaceful Canadians to read about. (Good on Don Martin for this one.)

The only way to reach everyday Canadians is to speak directly to them through a state of the union type address. Harper needs to explain the UN/NATO involvement in the mission, the reconstruction work, the training of the Afghan Army so they will be better able to replace us and provide security, and he needs to describe the ruthlessness of the enemy. The Taliban are not only brutal enemies of the Afghan people, they are enemies of civilization.

If Paul Martin can go on national TV to beg for his job, surely Mr. Harper can do the same to explain to Canadians why our soldiers are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the people of Afghanistan.


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The face of cowardice

Shame.

Harper and Graham get it done for New Brunswick

Stephen Harper was in New Brunswick today, providing $210 million for road improvements across that province.

Tuesday Harper will be in Thunder Bay, announcing $15 million in funding for a molecular medical research centre. This is one of several projects that are estimated to create 400 jobs in the region. (Not to mention that Harper will welcome one time Liberal, Joe Commuzi, to the Conservative Party)

My guess is that this summer, Harper will criss-cross all over Canada, announcing funding for this here, that there...money for major projects everywhere...except for in NFLD and Nova Scotia.

You think major projects requiring federal funding in those provinces may find it a little sparse?

Newfoundland already gets $2,325 per person from the feds each year, and Nova Scotia gets $2,838 per person, in transfer payments. That is $4 billion each year, before any additional transfers for road work, port improvements, or other infrastructure projects which are funded by the federal government. Projects that create jobs and pump money into the local economy.

Through belligerence and petty politics, Premiers Williams and McDonald (to a lesser extent) are putting those extra monetary benefits at risk.

Those that take the greater federal largesse for granted, would do well to look at the bigger picture, and what the federal government already provides, before going to war with them over a $100 million dollars.

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The political philosophy of retreat -- explained

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Will Denis Coderre show his support for Canadian troops?

We know that Denis Coderre likes parades. In fact, just last summer he marched in a parade that called for Israel to stop its war against the terrorist organization Hezbollah.

But will the aptly named Liberal defence critic attend a parade of Quebec's finest when the Vandoos Regiment parades in Quebec city on Friday before shipping out to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban terrorists?

Even if Coderre does attend, which side of the line will he stand on?


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The daily "Who gives a crap?"

I'm an urban voter, and hell, I'll go so far as to admit that I voted Liberal provincially in the last election. Urban/rural, doesn't matter, all we want to do is to elect someone that is going to represent our interests.

Which leads me to this Randy Hillier that Warren Kinsella has such a hate on for...and I don't get it. Is Hillier outspoken? Sure. Does he speak for me? No. But does he represent the views of some of the people in the area in which he lives. You bet.


I know that rural and urban folks have different priorities, even different outlooks on life. But Hillier does speak for a large number of people from his area, and he is likely to get elected to represent them. It's democracy, and it's the way things should work.

Warren's a known political operative, a "pit-bull" even, but I don't think his attempt to change the channel from McGuinty raising taxes, by trying to silence/ridicule/demonize a rural voice, is going to work. It might have in the 90's, but people have seen this before with Harper and his scary secret agenda. Voters have been there, seen that, not scary.

Kinsella's ravings about Randy Hillier won't make me vote against John Tory. No sir. But Dalton McGuinty's bold faced lie about not raising taxes, then raising taxes, guarantees I won't be voting Liberal this fall.

Urban voters aren't so dumb as to think that some outspoken fella from out on the farm running for the Tories is going to mess with their way of life. It's just not going to happen. People, especially those in Ontario, are open to others having different views than their own. It's what makes this most multi-cultural of provinces work so well.

And the story here of Warren attempting to pit rural citizens against urban ones, well that just ain't cool man.

I genuinely believed that McGuinty was going to get re-elected, now I'm not so sure. I sense a bit of fear and desperation in the Liberal camp with this whole Hillier schtick.

It's almost as if whoever advised McGuinty to raise taxes is starting to feel the heat.

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Atlantic Accord battle all blow, no show..

It seems, conveniently, that the "fight" may be over.

I have been of the opinion for quite some time now that this whole Atlantic Accord Affair is a political set-up. And the entire, Danny "Apoplectic" Williams, Rodney "Fight or Die" MacDonald, and Bill "Martyr to the Cause" Casey, crew are in on it.

Let's face it, if a new deal has been signed and there is federal/provincial peace. All sides are going to come out ok.

Peter MacKay and Gerard Keddy will have won the "let's work for Nova Scotia from within the Conservative Party" vote, and Bill Casey has wrapped up the Nova Scotia nationalist vote. Should it be successful, watch for the same thing to happen in NFLD.

By being the provincial strong man, standing up to Ottawa, both Williams, and now MacDonald, have locked up provincial Conservative majority legislatures in their next election.

And by "giving in" and making a new deal, there will be lots of love and votes directed to federal Conservatives in the next federal election.

What we are witnessing is political strategy at its finest. Sink low..then rise above.

Now I think this whole thing is a set up, and I believe Bill Casey will be re-admitted to caucus in a big show of party solidarity.

Even if, somehow, none of this is a brilliant political construct from the depths of the strategic mind of Stephen Harper, Casey should still be let back into the Conservative caucus. He's a Conservative lifer, and a classy guy, and deserves to be given a free pass.


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Aibus barking up a catless tree

In an attempt to bypass the Department of Defence, Airbus is soliciting MPs directly trying to reopen the bid for transport aircraft for the Canadian military.

Airbus is talking about fairness in the procurement process, and how the sole sourcing is undemocratic. Nice sentiment, but it's not going to change any minds.

The fact is, the Airbus A-400 has yet to be built. No Air Force in the world has them in their fleet.

Canada is buying 16 C-130J Hercules, because they are reliable, available, and serving in dozens of militaries all over the world.

Advice to Airbus. Forget what's fair, and open and transparent.

You want Canada to buy your airplane? Then give us 25 A-400s for the price of 16 hercs, and the first 8 off the assembly line.

Anything less and your chances are less than zero.


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Take advice from Scotty Reid? No thanks.

Stephane Dion is a weak, ineffectual leader. So it stands to reason that Scotty "Beer and Popcorn" Reid might be able to weasel his way into Dion's confidence.

Scotty is in fine form today in the Star, telling Dion to pull the rug from under the Conservaitves in the fall and trigger a general election.

Lets hope Dion's smarts are able to make up for his lack of leadership, and he keeps the requisite ten-foot pole between himself and any of Scotty's sage advice.

Because let's face it, with Dion skidding along the bottom in personal support numbers, including a distant 4th place finish in his home province of Quebec (behind Jack Layton even!), unless Harper is found in a closet with hookers and hamsters over the summer, the fall is not the time for Dion to try and go to the polls.

I think this advice has more to do with the Scott Reid wanting to get rid of Dion, so the horse he backs (Ignatieff?) can become leader, than it does wanting to see Dion succeed.

Scotty obviously does not have Dion's best interests at heart.

Remember that banning people from the Liberal Party for life that Scotty and his crew introduced? Well maybe Dion should look into reviving that.

With advisors like Scotty, who needs enemies?


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Space case Denis Coderre claims UFO sighting!

Awesome. He MUST have been kidnapped, and they tinkered with his modesty and inherent human goodness. It explains a lot.

Young Denis describes his UFO sighting





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Conservatives take lead in Quebec, next...the world! (or Ontario anyway)

What may be the last of the relevant polls we will see until the fall was released over the weekend, and the headlines seemed to trumpet it as a return to where we were at last year's election. (37-31-16)

But there was one interesting fact in the results that I am quite surprised did not receive more play.

The Conservative Party is leading the polls in the Province of Quebec. Leading the Bloc by four points, and the Liberals by eight. (28-24-20)

Stephane Dion's Liberals have no real chance to claim any of the ridings currently represented by the Bloc, so the Conservatives are well placed to have a HUGE breakthrough in the province.

This is especially surprising as the opposition has labelled Quebec as queasy and uneasy about Canada's involvement in Afghanistan, and they feel that any deaths occuring when the Vandoos regiment is rotated to Afghanistan will destroy the Tories. I don't think that will happen at all. If anything, I think it will put the people of Quebec more solidly behind the mission than ever.

The Conservative Party is well placed, and the longer they are in power, more of the federalist vote in Quebec will realize that the Conservative Party is a real alternative. And with that, more and more erstwhile Liberal voters will cross the divide and enrich the Conservative seat count.

We have all seen over the years that a switch in Quebecoise political tastes soon transfers over to Ontario as well, putting the Conservatives in position to clean up in Central Canada in a 2008 spring election. (Or this fall if McGuinty gets trounced at the polls)

The Liberals being in the 30s in this poll is an indication of the strength of their brand, not Stephane Dion. I am still convinced that the Conservatives could have received their majority had they gone to the polls this spring. In a direct Harper vs Dion comparison, there is no comparison. As one elderly fellow said to me after meeting Dion at an event this weekend, "what a nerd". No one has been exposed to Dion for an extended period. At the end of a campaign the Liberals would have fallen to the low 20s in popular support.

The Conservatives should use the summer to get their legislative act together (it has been a little sloppy recently), come back in the fall looking like a party ready to lead the nation, and the people will give them their majority. They need to draft a clear and concise message, stay on that message, and the votes will come their way.

And maybe kick the unelected and unaccountable Senate a couple times for good measure.


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Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next President of the United States of America

Mr. Fred Thompson

In his speech, Thompson criticized Democrats as he discussed terrorism, Iraq and national security. "Our choice is not whether or not we're going to fight. Our choice is where we're going to fight," Thompson said. "And the only debate going on right now with regard to this most important issue facing our country on the Democratic side of the aisle is the date of our surrender. My friends, I don't think that the American people are going to turn the keys of this country over to a party that invests their political capital in defeat.""


Just putting it on the record. Am willing to wager.



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Two-step Duceppe wusses out

One bad poll. That's all it took for Gilles Duceppe to start running for the hills.

A CROP poll on Saturday showed Duceppe may have had a challenger for the PQ crown in one Pauline Marois. Ms. Marois was defeated by Andre Boisclair in the last PQ leadership race, and was set to make another run.

This poll showed Marois favoured by a margin of 45-21. So did Gilles wait for the next poll before doing something rash?

No.

Gilles decided, based on one early poll result (the first in fact) to "take it back" and not run for PQ leader after all.

"I quit"

Had he not referenced any other polls before making this momentous decision? Did he only enter on a hunch? Did he not think he might have to FIGHT..to lead the Parti Quebecoise? C'mon..

By stepping out of the PQ leadership race within 24 hours of his entry into it, Gilles Duceppe may have ruined his career, and the chances for the Bloc in the next election.

Gilles "No stomach for a fight" Duceppe will be subject to ridicule for the rest of his time in the Commons. He will no longer command the respect required in the House to be taken seriously.

If the Bloc does not remove Duceppe from his leadership position soon, it will be tarred with the same brush full of wussyness.

And no one votes for a wussy.

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Harper, take it to the airwaves

The opposition has had a field day of sorts in the past few weeks with their constant bombardment of the Conservatives over the treatment of terrorist/insurgent detainees in Afghanistan.

The Bloc would like to see these prisoners offered a get out of jail free card, the NDP wants them to be included in some sort of restorative justice program, and the Liberals would like these criminals kidnapped from their native land, and jailed in Canada.

The ungodly Conservatives want Afghan prisoners to be (gasp) imprisoned in Afghanistan.

So how is it that out of these four options, the Conservatives ended up wearing this mess? The appearance of inconsistent messaging, that is how.

Any little alteration of message by a Conservative MP was picked up by the opposition parties and the press and distorted to the max.

As the opposition picked away at this issue for weeks upon end, it was obviously of great importance to them, and through them their constituents, who represent a majority of Canadian citizens.

On a matter that important, it falls to the Prime Minister to go directly to the people and explain the situation. Harper should have done a prime time address on national TV, and laid out the situation once and for all, without the usual media filter.

After all, if Paul Martin can go to the airwaves in a freak-out over the chance he might lose a confidence vote, surely Stephen Harper can go to the people when the representatives of 60% of the Canadian population are foaming at the mouth demanding answers?

Perhaps it is too late now, but as Harper's previous skirting of the press gallery by going to the local press showed, if your message is being purposefully distorted, there are other ways to get your message out. One well timed address to the Canadian people on our role in Afghanistan, the treatment of terrorist/insurgent prisoners, and the absurd solutions offered by the opposition, would have taken the air out of all this, and quick.


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More than a little shocking

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When asked to raise their hands if they don't believe in evolution, Sen. Sam Brownback, Gov. Mike Huckabee and Rep. Tom Tancredo all said they do not.

"I believe in evolution," Sen. John McCain said. "But I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset, that the hand of God is there also."

-- CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich


I'm sorry, but belief in evolution should be a Presidential prerequisite. And yes, I know that means Myron Thompson can't be President..so spare me.

UPDATE: Interesting that the picture used in the CNN story..is a screencap of MSNBC! Where do CNN producers get their news? MSNBC apparently.. ha, ha..

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Is the Enviro-craze coming to an end?

Tonight...on The National (where the CBC's just apologized for using footage of Canadian soldiers in a story about Bush and Iraq ((that's what, the fifth time in the last month that the CBC has had to apologize for some error of bias?))), not one mention of Climate Change, Climate Crisis, Death of our Planet, etc..for the first time in forever.

Could this be the sign that fascination with the environment is on the wane?

The main stories were on Shane Doan, and Afghanistan. Better for the Conservatives that the voters are focusing on hockey and Afghanistan than on the environment. A majority of Canadians support our troops in Afghanistan.

With all economic indicators predicting, at the least a mild economic recession, citizens will soon be preoccupied with the necessities of life: jobs, mortgage payments, and taxes...not the environment.

Moral of the story? Stephen Harper should not seek an election this spring. Wait it out.


update: I was wrong, but right. The environment came up at 54 minutes past the hour. When Rex Murphy called the exaggeration of the climate situation loony. It's over, and the blowback has begun. Thank Elizabeth May.


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Turn up the volume on Denis Coderre's hate-on for Captain Canada

Liberal members of Parliament want to haul Hockey Canada officials, including Steve Yzerman and other hockey greats, before a Parliamentary Committee so they can "explain" why Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes was made Captain of Team Canada at this year's world championships.

Shane Doan's supposed crime? Belligerent Liberal MP Denis Coderre says Doan once called a hockey linesman a frog. Doan denies the incident ever happened. Doan has even gone so far as to take Coderre to court to get him to retract his accusation, and be compensated for the resulting impact on Doan's reputation.

So it was no surprise when this issue surfaced in Parliament with Coderre henchman, Liberal MP Marcel Proulx, carrying the torch for Coderre, who can't comment on the matter (conveniently) due to ongoing litigation.

So why does all this matter? Well first off, it's stupid.

Secondly, the Conservatives are currently getting grief from all the media focus on their embattled Defence Minister, Gordon O'Connor. So what do you do when you are catching flak from one controversy? You change the channel by creating another controversy.

There will be plenty of Canadian media interest if Yzerman et al appear before the Committee. The Conservatives should be a loud voice of reason on this issue, and the defenders of Canadian hockey. Video clips of the proceeding would see petty Liberals picking on hockey greats, and Conservatives decrying the waste of taxpayer dollars such an exercise will surely be.

I'm sure the politicians might be startled to know this, but the NHL playoffs are on, so Canadians aren't very interested in what is happening on the Hill right now. What they would be interested in however, is a Liberal attempt to mess with Team Canada's ability to win the World Hockey Championship. And they would certainly take notice if the Conservatives raised the volume on this issue, and painted the Liberals as haters of everything hockey.

The Liberals have given the Conservatives a great opportunity here to draw attention to the Liberal anti-hockey hysterics, Coderre's petty vendetta against Shane Doan, and in the process lock-up the hockey vote and move attention away from the Defence Minister.

That all this is happening while there are still two Canadian teams in the playoffs, and the Shane Doan led Team Canada is likely to bring home the gold...is too good an opportunity to miss.

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Global warming? Sure, but not why you think

Climate change hits Mars

Mars is being hit by rapid climate change and it is happening so fast that the red planet could lose its southern ice cap, writes Jonathan Leake.

Scientists from Nasa say that Mars has warmed by about 0.5C since the 1970s. This is similar to the warming experienced on Earth over approximately the same period.

So is global warming actually caused by a periodic cycle of heightened sun activity, one that affects the other planets in the inner solar system as well?

Perhaps the real danger to the environment is the hot air currently being spewed by so many eco-lunatics.

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New Brunswick gets down to bidness, and starts romancing Alberta

In January, New Brunswick premier Shawn Graham paid a long overdue visit to the economic heartland of the maritimes, Alberta. Well I've heard that since that visit, the NB government has been very persistent in pushing Alberta firms to create positions for NBers.

What? Alberta?, you say. Well, if you did not know, there are already a large number of Nova Scotian and NFLD expats working in Alberta, but they do not live there. Sure they pay to share an apartment, but the bulk of the money they make gets sent back to their loved ones at home, and is spent in the local economy.

This speaks to the passion and commitment Atlantic Canadians have to their home provinces.

There is also a tertiary benefit to the east coast from having so many of their citizens working in Alberta. With so many people working in Alberta, inevitably a large number will move into management roles.

Now who do you think these managers are going to want to do business with? Well, they tend to deal with firms from back home.

So the other Atlantic provinces DO have pre-existing business with Alberta, and to their benefit. And until recently, it appeared that NB had no interest at all in the vibrant Alberta economy.

For some reason Bernard Lord did not latch onto the send-home revenue, or the possibility of future business. So Lord never encouraged long distance commuting, or even any business development with Alberta.

As a result, New Brunswick is way behind NS and NFLD in these revenue producing areas.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and New Brunswick can't be expected to eclipse NS and NFLD in the near future. But the steps Shawn Graham is taking are the necessary first steps in building a productive and prosperous relationship with Alberta.

Good on him.

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Protest vote my ass. That's a revolution.

With an Action Democratique win, Premier Dumont will lead anything but a silent revolution in Quebec.

Even if he ends up a close second, Dumont will control the rudder of Quebec politics.
What a night!

Premier Dumont?

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The Birth of the Community Surgery Centre©

CP - John Tory said he's sticking to his guns but welcomed the opposing viewpoint – and the interest his position has generated. ``I think people recognize I'm prepared to take a stand on an issue,'' Tory said. ``I don't apologize for the fact I say I would explore and embrace (private knee surgeries) because I think we have to think outside the box.''

What Tory said here takes real cahones.

I'm not that interested in Ontario provincial politics, but I believe there is an entire segment of Ontario's middle class that wouldn't mind spending a little extra money to have a procedure done more quickly at a Community Surgery Centre© (aka a pay-for-care hospital).

What if Tory start talking about how the entrance of private facilities would free up public hospital space so they could focus on more of the vital surgeries? Or what if he pointed out that Community Surgery Centres© would create more spaces for doctors? Our schools would be able to train and graduate more surgeons, and we'd be able to accept more foreign physicians. There really do seem to be some advantages in pairing Community Surgery Centres© with the public health care system.

And what would happen if Tory's Tory party suggested this surgery alternative possibility as part of his platform? I think a number of middle class Liberal voters might actually go for it, and vote Blue. And the left end of Liberal support would cry out in horror, and run to vote for the one-public-health-care-system-come-hell-or-high water NDP, thereby splitting Liberal support.

Would some Tory support move left to the Liberals, definitely, but enough to turn the tables? I don't know. But it might be worth the gamble.

At the very least, if he proffered a limited form of what might, in some circles, be known as two-tier health care, you know everyone in the province would be talking about it during an election campaign. And if they are talking about you, they are more likely to vote for you.

(the author of this post is in no way a supporter of any facility that would operate in contravention of the Canada Health Act©)


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