Thursday, April 10, 2008

Telegdi may break ranks on immigration bill

The Edmonton Journal quotes Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi as clearly not being onside with the Dion maneuver to complain and then acquiesce to the Government (H/T National Newswatch):


...But Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi, who represents the Ontario riding of Kitchener-Waterloo, said Wednesday he will vote against the bill when it comes up for third reading in the House of Commons, no matter what position his party takes.

"They can't move my seat any further back, can they?" Telegdi said in an interview, referring to his status as a backbench MP and any repercussions he might face for breaking party ranks. "It's a horrible bill..."




Mmmm. Perhaps I was wrong about Andrew being past his 'best-before" date...

Although I feel he's way off base when he calls it a 'horrible bill', you still have to give the man credit for taking a stand.

Which is more than I can say for his leader.


* * * *
Update: Looks like Telegdi may have company. John Ivison reports that "Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis, who represents Scarborough-Agincourt, said he is facing "massive" pressure within his riding to oppose the bill and he may vote against it at third reading as well."


Don Martin quotes Stephane Dion in one of his more eloquent moments:

"I will choose my time in keeping in my mind the necessity to give to Canadians in an optimal situation the possibility to have a progressive Liberal government that will replace this bad bill by a good law and that will replace this bad government by a good government," stammered Liberal leader Stephane Dion yesterday. Um, well, you figure that out...

I have to ask this question - If hell froze over and Stephane Dion actually became PM, would he really reverse the law if doing so might jeopardize his chances of retaining power?


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope he does it.

Dion will then have to decide whether or not to punish him. If he does, then the headline will be "Dion punishes MP for not supporting Conservatives" and a lot of Libs will be ticked off.

If he doesn't however, other Lib MPs might start dismissing Dion and voting how they want.

I'm lovin' it!

Reid said...

Well they have to keep their terrorist base happy no?

I wonder how much longer Dion can hold his caucus together?

Platty said...

Well they have to keep their terrorist base happy no?

Past actions coming back to haunt the Liberal MP's.

They have no idea how to handle the current government.

This is just one long train wreck happening in slow motion, and the station is no where in sight.


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Anonymous said...

I posted this on "Climbing Out Of the Dark' but decided to repost with you since yours is the most recent blog on the subject. I think it says everything about the current immigration system.

A good friend of mine wanted to emigrate from Botswana in southern Africa to Canada. She was born and raised in Zimbabwe but travels with a Portugese passport because Zimbabwe refused her a passport because she is white.
She started and operated a successful business in Botswana that employed maybe fifty people. Her Portugese husband owned the local Toyota franchise. Together they owned four investment properties as well as a very nice home of there own.
When her husband died suddenly she was refused a renewed work permit by the Botswana authorities and forced to leave the country. She and her two children couldn't return to Zimbabwe, nor did she want to, so she looked to Canada.
You'd think that someone in her situation might have had it easy. She was truly without a country, was a successful business woman, had been a model citizen and was rich.
And so it was that she was added to the backlog of people waiting to enter the country.
She was surprised though to encounter a friend of her maid at a local Botswana supermarket who said that she was moving to Canada to start a new life. My friend asked how she was able to qualify and was told that she was simply going to show up and not leave.
My friend was over here a few years ago and stayed with us for three weeks while she tried to enter Canada from this side of the ocean but it was to no avail. Not wanting to be an illegal in this country she eventually left to move to Scotland where her son was a student at medical school.
We lose a proven business woman with millions to back her up AND a potential doctor but we gain a maid.
NeilD

jad said...

If you have time, I suggest you read this report from McMaster on "Non-status Immigrants", ie illegals. Essentially it is about the problems in accessing social services faced by people who come here on a temporary visa and simply decide to stay rather than going through the proper channels.

I find it quite mind-boggling that people who think the rules don't apply to them, nevertheless feel they are entitled to their entitlements.

The other point that Diane Finlay made a couple of days ago is that by law the Government must examine each and every application in turn. Of the 900,000 on the waiting list, not only are some of them dead or no longer interested, but it is apparently quite common for people to make multiple applications, or even to repply after they have been turned down. This legislation will allow the Government for the first time to analyze the list and strip out all the multiples, etc. something they are not permitted to do at this time.

KURSK said...

Isn't it surprising that the 'massive' backlash to reform immigration comes from those who have benefitted so greatly from this dysfunctional system?

Liberals are apoplectic because they see all those years of vote cultivation being forced down the garburator..

I too have a nice story ..our neighbour hired an illegal because he thought he would enjoy the benefits of cheap labour..

One week to the day that he was hired, this gent had a 'fall' and now (even though illegal) has somehow managed to suck the teat of compensation for 4 years!..

God bless Canada! compensação!

Anonymous said...

TangoJuliette sez:

Telegdi is old. When I catch him on the tube, there he is, looking far more ill than I could ever had imagined. I think he's checking out of the game by the next election. Retiring, that is. If he runs he will likely lose this time around anyway.

As for Dion, or his party, if ever returned to power, "cashing in their markers?" As in overturning that which they claim is terrible Conservative Policy?

Oh yeah! The libs are great at keeping their word.

A few item from history, for your consideration on these matters.



All I can say is:

1.) Liberal Red Book of promises?

and

2.) Lib promiseto cancel the "terrible and horribly regressive G.S.T.?"



Sounding familiar here, are we not?

The libe party? it is to larff!!



tj


t.e.&o.e.

OMMAG said...

So Dion has a strategy!

To wait until the coffers are full enough to fight an election and then rewrite history to reflect his ideological fantasy.... supposing he could win an election .. could even these self serving LIberals accomplish turning back the clock as Didi claims they will?
I think not!
The time is ripe for an all out assault on the Tax Sucking Accomplish Nothing Liberal Programs that remain yoked around our necks.

More common sense Mr. Harper... now!