Things that make you go Mmmm....

Fellow traveller ChuckerCanuk pointed me in the direction of this little nugget by Elizabeth Thompson.

It may shed some light on why Elections Canada went all the way to Toronto to get a judge to sign the warrant. As she said, it obviously wasn't done in order to keep it a secret:

...The folks at Elections Canada were most helpful in letting the media know where the warrant was to be found. Can't be to save gas. The Toronto court house where the warrant was issued is a four hour drive from Elections Canada's HQ which is just a quick walk from the Ottawa courthouse...

Read the whole article for the missing link.

There may actually be something to the conspiracy theory.


(At the very least, Elections Canada is guilty of not shopping locally.)

* * * *

Update: Harper says Tories followed spending rules - CTV.

Steve Janke - The Toronto judge and the warrant.

Stephen Taylor has an excellent post up - The Elections Canada Raid (supporting information and Conservative response). Alex Panetta had some nice words for Stephen tonight on MDL.

The air needs to be cleared

Yesterday's bizarre spectacle (as reported by MSM) of the CPC giving only certain members of the media an advanced briefing on the contents of the Elections Canada warrant, and then escaping down the fire stairway to avoid others, is not likely to help further the Conservatives' case in the court of public opinion.

However, there are still a few lingering questions that need to be answered honestly, and without spin from either side:

1. Did the CPC comply with all documentation requests from Elections Canada or not? If the latter, then let's see the evidence. EC should be able to demonstrate exactly which requests went unanswered. If the former, then the 'raid' on Conservative HQ looks very suspect - especially in view of the civil suit launched by the CPC against EC.

The Star reports that "the Conservatives insist they have done nothing wrong and say they were taken aback at the raid last week because they have complied with all requests to turn over documents."

But in the affidavit, Lamothe alleges the federal Conservatives embarked on a deliberate strategy to thwart election financing laws – and the party's spending limits – and to claim $700,000 in rebates for advertising expenses to which local candidates were not entitled.

Lamothe sought hard-copy and electronic copies of correspondence, emails, invoices, accounting records and other documents that would outline discussions between Conservative officials and its media production and buying agencies Retail Media, Yield or Yield Integrated, Republic Publicité + Design Inc.

2. Did EC cart away documentation from the civil case or not? There are conflicting reports. If so, why?

Investigators lined 16 or 18 people up along a hallway, one party official said, "like we were going to shoot back? I mean they had ... unfettered access to every single thing in Conservative party headquarters. They removed 17 boxes of material specific to our lawsuit, all the background stuff."

"They took away our tactics and our strategy" for the court case, said the official.

He also said the raid went well beyond the scope of the warrant, with investigators gathering information that had nothing to do with the issue.

"What does my computer and what's on there about the next campaign strategy, the next platform, the next ad campaign, and everything else, what the hell has that got to do with Elections Canada?" another official said.

"This is absolutely over the top."

Much of the seized material is likely to be the subject of legal arguments over whether it is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

3. Who tipped off the CBC (and likely the LPC) about the RCMP 'raid'? Why?


One thing for sure. Nobody's going to come out smelling sweet on this one.

* * * *

Update: Oh-oh! Somebody's nose must be out of joint (via Kady O'Malley):

...I can confirm that macleans.ca was most emphatically not welcome on the voyage. However, being unable to take a hint, we wound up hanging out in the hallway outside the backup briefing room - hastily arranged after word of the first meeting was leaked - with various other uninvited media guests: CBC, Canadian Press, and the Halifax Chronicle Herald and CanWest News, which had, in fact, originally been on the list, but was abruptly disinvited when the Conservatives realized who had been sent to cover the story...

Now I wonder who that could have been?

More sour grapes here.


Also, please check out Peter Csillag's excellent post - Don't read the MSM lips, no new election over RCMP raids.

Sandy has a great post here - Communications 101 for the Conservative Party.

Trusty Tory wants to go on the offensive - Where's the counter attack??

Elections Canada - Above reproach or undermining free speech?

Steve Maher's featured again on National Newswatch - this time with a somewhat more relevant piece than a previous one...

Today's column (Tories may only have succeeded in making themselves look bad) is fairly well-balanced, with plenty of scorn for both major parties in Canada. However, I find this paragraph disturbing:

...The Harper team instinctively attacks opponents, which is good politics, since it forces political rivals to spend half their time defending themselves. When the Tories go after independent officials, however, they look dishonest and mean, since to believe them, you are asked to believe that independent officials are corrupt. The standard of proof for that is higher than anything the Tories have offered...

Contrast that with David Frum's excellent editorial in today's Post - Elections Canad's campaign against free speech:

Yesterday on this page, Gerry Nicholls accused Elections Canada of being a power-crazed bureaucracy motivated by petty vindictiveness.

That's the optimistic scenario! Power-crazed bureaucrats can be restrained or replaced.

The more frightening possibility raised by this week's RCMP "visit" to Conservative party headquarters is that the Canadian bureaucracy has once again revealed a deep, sustained and highly ideological hostility to ordinary rights of free speech...

Frum goes on to outline how some of our supposedly non-partisan Canadian institutions like Elections Canada and the CHRC are undermining political free speech, and political freedom by extension! Please read the whole thing and then save it for future reference.

Canadians need to take off their rose-coloured glasses and take a critical look at those hallowed institutions that we seem to have placed on a pedestal. They are run by human beings.

And as such, they are not above constructive criticism and monitoring.

* * * *

Update: Check out Gerry Nicholls - Elections Canada vs. Free Speech.

Also see Dr. Roy - George Jonas on abolishing HRCs.

* * * *

Sunday Update:

Dr. Roy's found another good one here - The myth of the level playing field by Lorne Gunter.

This could quite possibly win some kind of award as the most objective editorial of the year. Lessons for everyone here.

Something stinks in Ottawa

Not a lot of time for blogging today, but Steve Janke raises a good point - "If the search warrant was leaked..." (H/T to Frmgrl in comments).

On the question of a leak, Gerry Nicholls has an op-ed in the Post - Revenge of the Elections Canada Bureaucrats. This is one scary horror story! Every Canadian should be concerned. It questions the impartiality of EC.


Finally, please focus your attention on the hyperbole in this editorial by The Ottawa Citizen's Susan Riley - New cast, same script:

...As for the latest contretemps -- RCMP raids this week on Conservative headquarters over alleged campaign financing irregularities -- Harper may be saved this time by complexity. Conservatives are accused by critics of getting around spending limits on national campaigns by filtering at least $1 million through local riding associations. The opposition says this amounts to money-laundering. Conservatives say it is perfectly legal and that Liberal MPs do the same thing. "Why are (only) Conservatives not allowed to talk about their national leader and national policies in an election," House Leader Peter Van Loan complained yesterday, a textbook example of the avowedly transparent Harper government's sophistry.

Adding confusion, we don't know yet if the RCMP is chasing this so-called "in-and-out" accounting trick, or some other misdeed. In any event, the details may be lost in Conservative side attacks on Liberals, the CBC, the RCMP, and anyone else who questions. This may be good for the Tories, but it is bad for politics. Rather than turning to an alternative party, what if more voters -- finding none -- turn off politics altogether?

Note the use of RCMP raid and RCMP chasing...

Now if you recall, it was the RCMP themselves who said they were there to merely provide assistance (and possibly even oversee the execution of the warrant so that EC didn't overstep their boundaries):

RCMP commissioner Bill Elliott said the RCMP has a "longstanding memorandum of understanding" to assist Elections Canada, and insisted his officers were simply complying with a request.

This is NOT an RCMP raid, nor is it an RCMP investigation!!!

And yet Ms. Riley has the gall to lecture us on ethics.

* * * *

This is puzzling too - Seized papers linked to lawsuit by Tonda MacCharles (H/T National Newswatch):

After a two-day search of files and electronic databases at Conservative party headquarters, Elections Canada seized material related to the party's "media advertising" in the last election.

At least some of the material that was carted or wheeled out Tuesday and Wednesday by RCMP officers assisting Elections Canada investigators was the basis for the party's planned questioning of elections officials in the lawsuit challenging their interpretation of campaign financing rules.

Included among papers and emails seized or downloaded were all of the party's documents, including a series of indexed binders of Elections Canada records, related to the Conservatives' challenge in Federal Court of the agency's decision to disallow rebate claims involving some local campaign advertising expenses in the 2006 election, according to a document obtained by the Star...

So, in spite of the Liberal party's vehement denial that this had nothing to do with the CPC court challenge against EC, which coincidentally they were due to deal with the very day after the "raid", we find out that some of the material seized did in fact have to due with that case. The Liberals kept saying they were two different issues.

Can someone please explain to me how a one party involved in a legal suit could go into the premises of the other and take away their documents relating to the court action?

Maybe I'm missing something here.

Does Elections Canada have 'an agenda'?

Just how 'non-partisan' is Elections Canada?

The fact that Gerry Nichols who is usually a thorn in Harper's side, actually backed up the Conservative Party yesterday with this post, is probably one of the most telling indicators of where the truth actually lies.

Gerry pulls no punches. And the Globe seemed impressed enough to report on his observations this morning.

Yesterday, on MDL, Garth Turner kept referring to things not passing the smell test. (Great post, Sentinel).


Well, I think something just reeks. Why were the CBC, and the Liberal party first off the block with this story? Does the NDP not watch Newsworld? Some reports have certain suspects actually waiting for the RCMP and Elections Canada to arrive. Jason Kenney said as much on the aforementioned MDL clip.


Don Martin discloses the following observations:

...The real interesting part, which has a lot of Conservative MPs in a lather, is how two camera crews magically surfaced to stake out both floors rented by the Conservative party within minutes of the search warrant being executed.

The RCMP cruisers were unmarked and the police scanner didn't broadcast the "visit," so unless CBC journalists are telepathic, the only plausible explanation is that they were tipped by Elections Canada.

And being dedicated Newsworld watchers, gleeful Liberals armed with their own cameras were scrambled to record the "visitation" within minutes of the news being broadcast...

He also calls Elections Canada's actions "heavy-handed".


A comment at Warren Kinsella's blog caught my attention:

...And André Thouin just happens to be an ex-RCMP officer.

I believe the RCMP, the Liberals, and the media were there so early because Mr. Thouin arranged it so. The weapons and flak jackets make no sense at all, except to draw attention to the fact that these were no mere Elections Canada lackies. Whatever the case, it was well played. And clearly a "PR stunt" by EC.

There's nothing wrong with calling it like it is.
Sitsonsix | 04.16.08 - 7:37 pm

Canadians need to be reassured that such a vital institution as Elections Canada actually is non-partisan. Our democracy depends on it.

The optics sure aren't comforting.

Was it a setup for a photo-op?

The Toronto Star reports:

...A videographer hired by the Liberals was present as the raid was carried out, alongside mainstream media camera crews documenting the incident...

It doesn't sound like they just happened by, does it?

* * * *

From CNEWS - Tories attack Elections Canada over raid.

Elections Canada made a media "circus" out of a raid on Conservative party headquarters, inviting an opposition camera crew to observe police officers carrying out the raid, Tory MPs complained Wednesday.

The Liberals laughed off any suggestion that they were tipped off in advance of the raid, which appeared to be continuing Wednesday, saying they sent a videographer to the Tory party offices after seeing the event unfold on a television news network...

..."I do find it odd, when I look at a photograph this morning and I see someone knocking on the door with cameras, with news cameras present," Flaherty said as he left a Conservative caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.

"And to see that there were Liberal party people in the hallway, I find that very strange indeed."

( . . . )

A videographer hired by the Liberals was present as the raid was carried out, alongside numerous mainstream media camera crews documenting the incident.

Now who are you going to believe?


Stephen Taylor - Something isn't right about the RCMP "raid". 'Catherine' in comments says:

Stephen, maybe someone should correct Garth Turner's statement on Mike Duffy live, where he stated the CPC "stole" Canadians tax dollars.

Link here. In the same interview, Jason Kenney marvels at how a Liberal party official was there ahead of the RCMP and Elections Canada.



National Post - Elections Canada leaked news of RCMP raid, Tories said.

Don Martin - Elections Canada brings out the sledgehammer.

Things aren't much better in Canada

Brenda Martin shouldn't be so anxious to get back here. In the court of political and media rhetoric, Canada isn't far behind Mexico in the concept of guilty until proven innocent.

The headlines from yesterday's story have run the gamut from RCMP called in to help search Tory offices, all the way to RCMP raids Tory office in election probe.

Never mind that the RCMP clarified the situation as follows (RCMP raid a 'PR stunt', Tories claim):

...RCMP commissioner Bill Elliott said the RCMP has a "longstanding memorandum of understanding" to assist Elections Canada, and insisted his officers were simply complying with a request...

Whatever that means. However, it wasn't a 'raid' by the RCMP. But as noted in the previous post, the hyperbole and torqued headlines are spinning around the world.


The political rhetoric is also astounding. From the Liberal website:

The RCMP raid of Conservative Party headquarters is proof that Prime Minister Stephen Harper must explain to Canadians about his party’s alleged involvement in deceptive financing practices during the 2006 federal election, the Liberal Opposition said today.

Aha. They learned from the last time and added the word 'alleged'. But if this was only some assistance that the RCMP was providing to their old buddies, Elections Canada, then the preceding paragraph seems a bit contrived, n'est-pas?


And Michael Ignatieff self-righteously proclaims:

“How did it get to this? An RCMP squad raiding the offices of the Conservative Party - spinners in frantic damage control,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “I mean, how did we get here? Why did Elections Canada have to get a search warrant and the help of the RCMP in the first place? Why did they have to pry information from this government's clenched fist?”

Mmmm.... How did it get to this, Michael?

Do you think those camera-toting colleagues of yours who were descending like hungry vultures and greedily snapping photos for future ads have any idea either?



Anyway, don't rush back, Brenda. It isn't a whole lot better here either.

* * * *

Update: Via Steve Janke, Adam Radwanski weighs in with "Subtle as a Sledgehammer".

Cherniak - In and Out of the printing press. In his dreams.

I left a comment. Wonder if he'll publish it.


Tories say Liberals were tipped to raid - Star:

...A videographer hired by the Liberals was present as the raid was carried out...

But CBC's Newman said just before QP today, that they must have seen it on the news, and decided to drop by? C'mon.

* * * *

Update: Don Martin - Elections Canada brings out the sledgehammer:

...with footage in the can and a campaign script that writes itself, this is no longer an issue of guilt or Conservative innocence in the showdown with election officials.

That's the beauty of securing a conviction in the court of public opinion -- optics, hearsay and circumstantial evidence can instantly gas chamber the innocent with no avenue of appeal.

And on this particular count, shots of warrant-bearing cops wandering the headquarters of the allegedly clean Conservatives are Tory tarnish and Grit gold.

This is why I find Election Canada's behaviour somewhat squeamish. Nobody can recall such heavy handed behaviour before and there's no explanation why police were required when a phone call might have sufficed.

The Conservatives insist they'll have their day in court and argue convincingly that Elections Canada will be proven wrong. There's documentation suggesting the other three parties are not without sin at the ins and outs of creative campaign financing...

I smell an election

RCMP raid search Tory headquarters:

...Camera crews, including one from the Liberal party, were on hand as police arrived at the downtown building...

Funny how the CBC scooped the Canadian Press.

11:58 - Interesting. The date stamp changed on both stories, as did the headline of the CBC's post.


More at CTV.

Oh yeah. Hillier is stepping down too. CBC again. H/T National Newswatch.

* * * *

Update: This is now an international story!

Croatia - CANADIAN POLICE RAID CONSERVATIVE PARTY HQ. (Check out the photo.)

BBC - Canadian Police search party headquarters.

NYT - Canada: Conservative Party Raided.

Gotta love those torqued headlines...

* * * *

And from his new home at Canada.Com, David Akin reports that "Liberal political operatives with video cameras filmed the RCMP officers at Conservative headquarters and plan to use the footage in their campaign advertising."

What serendipitous timing!

The Dion dilemma

With polls showing the Liberals and Conservatives in an apparent dead-heat, it's disconcerting as a Conservative supporter to ponder what those polls might disclose if Dion was not the Liberal leader.

There aren't too many columnists out there still trying to paint Stephane Dion as being effective. Even the traditional left-leaning pundits seem to be jumping ship. I suppose you can only support an illusion up to a point.

Chantel Hebert thinks that Dion blew it when he sold out on the environment issue. And now Dion is facing an even bigger test, with the immigration bill being tied to the budget, and thereby forcing him to either take a stand or cut and run once again.

But the immigration issue is so entrenched in Liberal folklore that it would be difficult for Dion to sit this one out. In two different newspapers columnist Angelo Persichilli outlines the dilemma - and the hypocrisy of their so-called self-acclaimed title as Champions of Immigration.

In the Sun (Will Immigration Issue bring down the Tories?), Persichilli states:

Will the issue of immigration do what the environment, crime bill and Afghanistan failed to do? Will the debate over immigration help Canadians get rid of this dysfunctional Parliament?

The answer seems positive. However, it seemed positive in the past but, in the end, one opposition party or another chickened out. This time it looks like the Liberals are tired of their new bend-and-run fitness program on Parliament Hill every time there's a confidence vote and they may actually want to get rid of the Harper government.

So what they are talking about?

All of them know the immigration system is in a complete state of chaos. It's also clear this deterioration took place mainly under the Liberals' watch since 1993. They know what the problems are, but they don't know how to solve them.

They know Canada's economy needs tradespeople, but they don't know how to let them in. They know criminals abuse the system, but they don't know how to kick them out. They let highly educated immigrants in, but they don't know how to find them jobs other than driving taxis in Toronto. They want to help refugees from around the world settle in Canada but don't know how, forcing them to join the huge ranks of "undocumented" workers...

He goes on to point out that only immigration lawyers and consultants are benefitting from the present chaotic and sluggish system.

And then comes the clincher:

...In reality, the Liberals are not looking for a debate that would expose their shortcomings on this issue, but a platform to revitalize the myth about the Conservatives being against immigrants and them the champions of the poor and the weak. And, with this image in mind, throw (Dion) Quixote into the campaign.

Persichilli's Hill Times piece is even more revealing - Liberals now thing of June election:

.

..Last week, at a quasi-emergency meeting of the Liberal shadow Cabinet, the need to go to the polls as soon as possible was debated, recognized, and there was a general consensus that the Conservative immigration reform plan would be the trigger. According to Liberal sources, Canadians should go to the polls in June. This seems to be the plan.

After voting down the NDP motion last week to force the government to extrapolate the immigration issue from the budget bill, the bill will be debated in committee. At the Citizenship and Immigration Committee, Liberals are going to present their amendments to the reforms presented by Minister of Immigration Diane Finley. Liberals are very confident that these amendments will be approved with the help of the other opposition parties and sent back to the House for a vote.

Of course, the government could choose to accept them and change the budget bill in the House. If it does, the government is safe and the Liberals are stuck with Stéphane Dion for the summer, at least. However, in answer to a question asked by Mike Duffy last week during his afternoon Mike Duffy Live show, the Immigration Minister Finley said clearly that the government has no intention of changing anything and the Liberal amendments will be rejected. This means that the Liberals will vote the government down; at least that's what they were saying last week.

If the Liberal plan holds—and the "if" is necessary considering the twists of the last few months—the final vote against the budget will take place during the first half of May and Canadians would go to the polls in June.

"Of course the best for the Liberals," a party strategist told The Hill Times last week, "would be the removal of Dion before the vote and, even if this development is highly unlikely, it doesn't mean that some Liberals have completely given up their hopes..."

The Liberal party's biggest enemy is not the Harper government, but rather their own in-fighting and problems with moles, which are apparent with the Quebec wing's inner turmoil and with comments like this:

...Dion seems to be convinced that the only development that could save his leadership is a national election. However, even if an election was widely welcomed a few months ago by the majority of Liberal MPs and strategists, there are now doubts. The polls are so bad that many MPs, even in Toronto, are fearing for their own seats. Some are concerned that even Etobicoke-Lakeshore is not a sure bet.

"I'm not saying that Michael Ignatieff is not going to win. I'm only saying that he has to work hard to keep it," a Liberal insider told The Hill Times...

And here's the conundrum:

...And that's why they are using immigration to defeat the government. They, the Liberals, created the mess, they failed to correct it, and they don't have a plan solve it. Still they believe that the old antics about this issue ("Conservatives are racist and we are the good guys") will be enough to bring them back to power or, as a Liberal strategist said half-jokingly last week, spare them the humiliation, 15 years after the Conservative experience, from becoming "the party of two."

L. Ian MacDonald points out the further hypocrisy of the Liberal's opposition to changes in the Immigration policy - Harper is playing truth or dare on the immigration bill:

...Then the Liberal deputy leader, Michael Ignatieff, turned to refugee claimants and determination, always a hot-button issue. Under the previous Liberal government, he noted, "the queue for refugee claimants had been effectively reduced to zero."

He continued: "Under the Conservative government, the backlog has ballooned to nearly 60,000 and is said to be heading to 100,000 by 2012."

Ignatieff concluded: "What does the government have against refugees?"

Well, nothing. The real question is the reverse of the one posed by Iggy. If there are 60,000 refugee claimants today, how come there were none two years ago?

The answer is that since there are 800,000 people lined up at the front door, 60,000 people are trying to get in through the back door of refugee claims. The system isn't working in the front, and has been systematically abused by lawyers and claimants in the back. And everyone knows it. Lawyers for Karlheinz Schreiber could file a refugee claim on the grounds he would be tortured by his jailers if extradited to Germany.

The Liberals are trying to whip ethnic communities into a frenzy largely over the discretion the bill gives the minister to instruct her department to give priority to immigrants whose job skills are needed in the Canadian workforce. "Cherry-picking," Dion called it. Imagine, prioritizing immigration according to the demands of our economy. Aha. Queue jumping. Putting the economy ahead of family unification and refugee claims, sensitive issues in multicultural communities....

In view of all this, it boggles the mind that Liberal brand continues to stay afloat nationally, and even be on top in Ontario.


All of which makes me wonder what would happen if the Liberals finally did somehow get it together? Would they be back in government?

I can only hope their problems last for a long, long time.

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Chronicle Herald reporter Stephen Maher lets us in on the big 'secret' that one of Harper's cabinet ministers is gay - (like nobody knew...) Harper? Homophobic? One of his top cabinet ministers is gay:

ONE OF Stephen Harper’s senior cabinet ministers is a closeted homosexual.

Because the minister’s desire to keep his or her sex life private outweighs whatever public interest there might be in letting readers know about that sex life, reporters never write about it.

Similarly, reporters in the gallery never reported on a married Liberal cabinet minister who had a much younger same-sex lover.

Politicians should be able to have whatever kind of sex they like, so long as they don’t do it in the street and scare the horses. But it is worth pointing out that there is a homosexual minister in Mr. Harper’s government, because it shows that there are gay people everywhere and also shows that Mr. Harper is not personally hostile to gays and lesbians...

Maher thinks that Harper should take Brad Wall's lead and discuss ways to reach out to the gay community, like say, sending a Cabinet minister to the Gay Pride Parade in Toronto.

Well, I'm not sure that Harper would want to follow that exact suggestion.

* * * *

Update: Over at Cherniak's, Nicol points out in comments that many Progressives show intolerance towards Christians, and a gay commenter agrees with him:

"On the other hand, progressives should also learn that some people they know might be Evangelical or Catholic and not think lesser of them either. Trust me, the assumptions and opportunities lost go both ways and progressives are no where near as tolerant as perhaps you like to think around people who are practicing Catholics or Evangelical."

I agree with that... I'm gay/have a lot of "progressive" friends, but when religion comes up, some of them can be so intolerant.. it's ridiculous.

* * * *

Memo to Mike Duffy - in comment section.

The way things are going...

... you have to wonder if Dion is going to be putting forward a private member's bill to extend the 4-year mandate of this government in 2009?

I can just hear it now - "Mr. Speaker, Canadians still don't want an election..."

The National Post asks how much longer the Party of Shame will be able to continue with this pathetic strategy.

* * * *

Friday Update: Humiliation follows humiliation for Dion - Lorne Gunter:

...Now it should be clear that there is no principle greater to the Liberals than winning the next election. Nothing -- no policy or ideal -- is worth more. There is no principle they would not sacrifice for power and no principle for which they would fight a losing battle...

This knuckle-dragging redneck has had enough

I think this will be my last post on the Lukiwski affair for a while. Quite frankly, I'm getting bored with the faux-outrage from the left, and as even John Moore says, Context is Everything.

I don't think this is an issue that the opposition parties want to go to the polls on. There are all kinds of examples that could be dredged up in retaliation.

No doubt the left-wing media and politicians are trying to reinforce the notion of the CPC being a scary party of Neo-Con knuckle-dragging Rednecks, but we know that there are examples of similar attitudes in the LPC.

So if the Grits, Dippers and left-leaning media only have 17-year-old slurs and innuendos which with to smear the Conservatives, then I think we can look forward to watching this Government finish the full term.

It all reeks of desperation.

* * * *

Of course, I never said I wouldn't link to other blogs... "Knuckledraggers". (Alice the Camel)

The Quality of Mercy - missing in Ottawa

The Bard would not have been impressed.

A man makes a heartfelt, humble apology for something he said at a private party 16 years ago, but the Liberals are using it in today's Question Period as an attempt to smear the Government.

No doubt they're looking to see if this dog will hunt, but I think it's just going to come back to bite them in the rear anyway - just like every other so- called scandal that they've attempted to ignite.

* * * *

Update: Partial transcript of Commons apology here. (Post)

- Excellent post by Steve Janke who has suggested a variety of options for Tom Lukiwski.

Queer-Liberal: Tommy Douglas on homosexuality in 1968. (Via Mike McGuire)



Macleans - Homophobic slur hurts Tory attempts at image makeover. Remember this one? -

"Homosexuality is statistically abnormal, it's physically abnormal and it's morally immoral." Liberal MP Tom Wappel.

Interesting take on things here from Jonathan Kay at the National Post: Tom Lukiwski shouldn't resign.

Forgiveness hard to find in Ottawa - National Post.

SDA - Lukiwski - Stop Apologizing.

Voting record demonstrates intolerance: MacPhail

Liberal strategist Don Boudria had it right on MDL. A MPs voting record does not signify whether or not he is homophobic.

However, NDP strategist Joy McPhail maintains that MP Tom Lukiwski must still be homophobic since his voting record supposedly reflects it.

So according to Joy MacPhail, a vote against gay marriage is homophobic. Very interesting. And therefore, representing the views of your constituents is not relevant in Parliament.


Furthermore, she states, " ...he's probably amongst his own inside that caucus - they're probably all A's as he describes himself inside that caucus. So let him stay amongst his own, but he's got to go as Parliamentary Secretary..."

No generalizing there. No group slurs. No sir.


Boudria attempted to distance himself from MacPhail's obtuse remarks:

"...I don't think someone's voting record should be utilized to say whether a comment he made was appropriate or not appropriate. The comment stand on it's own...

...I want to distance myself from guilt by association remarks...

Exactly.

Joy smells blood and jumps the shark.

* * * *

Update: H/T to Reid in comments for pointing out Cherniak's surprisingly forgiving mood tonight...

Friday Update: Tasteless tape sparks tacky outrage - The Star Phoenix.

Alberta Ardvark: My sincere regrets. Real Early Edition:

...If the CBC, NDP, and this country can forgive enough to name Tommy Douglas as the Greatest Canadian, and if the Liberals can forgive Stephane Dion for being a proud Quebec separatist, I hold out hope that the public can also find it in their hearts to forgive me as well...

And from Gabby in the comment section of this post:

What this incident proves to me is the following:

1. The opposition will try ANY means to discredit the Conservatives. Let's face it, the more dirt they dig up, the less the focus will be on their own inadequacies.

2. The "progressives" believe in forgiveness and redemption only when it fits their purposes.
Lukiwski has apologized profusely for his idiotic statement, yet the sanctimonious "progressives" say it's not enough. That was the gist of the discussions on Newman's Politics, Pierre Donais' Revue Politique, and Peter Van Dusen's Prime Time Politics.
They are ready to forgive baby shakers and murderers, but the comment of someone who may have had one too many beers ... oh no! His career should be ruined.

3. The "progressives," apparently the only people who have a caring bone in their bodies, believe in guilt by association.
According to their logic, Lukiwski made a homophobic comment, he's a Conservative, therefore, all Conservatives are homophobic.

4. The "progressives" believe in the right to privacy, yet they have no qualms about digging into another party's discarded files.

5. Canadians are warned almost daily to protect themselves against identity theft. Haven't Conservative staffers been listening to those warnings? Haven't they heard of shredders?

And (#6) don't assume that the private tape made of your bone-headed remarks while partying and drinking way too much will never surface and humiliate you and your family when you've finally matured and your attitudes have changed 16 years later.

Squandering the gift of democracy

I rarely agree with Jack Layton but he's right on the money about the Liberals not doing their job in Parliament.

Steve Janke points out how in some parts of the world, it is very dangerous to oppose the government. However, here in Canada, there is no fear of loss of life - Indeed, the Official Opposition is paid to oppose.

Yet they cower and hide when it comes time to vote.

* * * *

Saturday Update- Liberals to assess best odds, Dion says (Globe):

"It's rare that the population wants an election, but we can feel it when the fruit is ripe. And at that time - it's not up to me to tell you when; it's part of the strategy that we keep close to our chest - there will be an election."

(This from the leader with 'no instinct'.)

L. Ian MacDonald calls this a non-denial denial by Iggy (Gazette) when asked about the quote in La Presse where he supposedly said that "Stéphane Dion doesn't have the stature of a leader":

"I have worked tirelessly for our party and our leader and will continue to work with our strong Liberal team to ensure we win the next election," he declared. "No one has the right to call my loyalty into question."

Back in Ron Zeigler's time in the Nixon White House, this was known as a non-denial denial. Iggy didn't deny the quote, and La Presse pointedly stood by the story.

Also, yesterday there was a good article in the Ottawa Citizen - Finding out how your MP voted can be an exercise in futility.

La révolte silencieuse against the emperor with "no instinct"

For Canadian political junkies, these are interesting times.

The Globe's Daniel Leblanc gives us a peek into the inner turmoil of the Liberal party's Quebec ranks, and it ain't a pretty picture (Dion facing revolt in Quebec ranks).

We first heard of this discord several weeks ago when Joël-Denis Bellavance alluded to a révolte silencieuse on Mike Duffy Live. Both Bellevance and Jean LaPierre had heard rumours that Bob Rae had control of the Quebec wing and was wanting to wait until the March 17th by-elections had passed and Rae had time in front of the cameras in Parliament before forcing an election.

However, the Silent Revolt is getting louder - LeBlanc suggests even more serious in-fighting and lack of faith in Stéphane Dion. Lisa Frulla in particular is surprisingly candid with her remarks:

“He has no instinct,” former Liberal minister and political commentator Liza Frulla said in an interview.

“At a certain point, people feel it if there is something wrong, even if they don't know exactly what it is. But he, poor Stéphane, doesn't feel it.”

She also has strong words for Dion's Quebec lieutenant:

Ms. Frulla also said publicly what many Liberals are saying privately about Mr. Dion's lieutenant in Quebec, Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette.

“She is abrasive and she is narcissistic,” Ms. Frulla said.

The former minister of Canadian Heritage argued that Ms. Hervieux-Payette is failing to connect with grassroots organizers.

“The more people know her, the more they run away. She has met a number of riding association presidents, and these people … are leaving,” Ms. Frulla said.

(I sure can agree with her on that one. I can barely stand to watch the woman on MDL.)

In any case, it would appear that Quebec cannot be counted on for Liberal support at this moment in time, which may push the likelihood of an election off until the fall or later - especially after the dismal performance of the LPC in two of the four recent by-elections.

If that happens, it will be hard to imagine Bob Rae ranting about the government on one hand, but then actually joining the Party of Hand Warmers on the other, as the LPC continues to run away from votes in the Commons. Will Bob Rae declare mutiny?

Which leads me to the slugfest between Jim Flaherty and Dalton McGuinty. Why would Flaherty continually poke McGuinty in the eye regarding tax policy and its alleged affect on the economy?

The answer may lie in John Ivison's observations in today's Post:

...But Mr. Flaherty's unprecedented interference in Ontario's budgetary process was not designed to persuade his Ontario counterpart, Dwight Duncan, to shred the already printed budget and present a cobbled-together alternative more to his liking.

It was designed to send the message that, even though many Ontarians often think of the federal Conservatives as villains, they are really the "goodies" -- the guardians of fiscal probity. By contrast, Liberals, both federal and provincial, are spendthrifts who will lead us all into a new era of deficits, unemployment, homelessness and rickets...

So all this may well be a carefully honed-plan to set up the CPC as looking like the party to rely on in times of economic difficulties which would, if it all goes according to Hoyle, allow a rich harvest of discontented Ontario voters assuming a worsening of the economic downturn - especially if provinces that follow Flaherty's advice end up faring better than Ontario.

And with the Quebec wing in tatters and Ontario voters looking for responsible, effective fiscal policy, the scene becomes fertile for either an election with positive results for the Conservatives, or else the Liberals continue to enable the present government to enjoy a tacit majority.


Your move, mon petit empereur.

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Update: Via Jack's Newswatch - This is an absolute must read by Luc Schulz: Ontario's Economy Run by Monkeys.

Another interesting theory here: Ottawa Citizen - Bash Ontario, Win Voters Elsewhere.

CTV - Dion urges restive Quebec wing to pull itself together.

Also worth reading - Fuschi's Canadian Forum - The great (taxcuts vs. bribes) debate.

Terence Corcoran - In Ontario, it's spend and be damned.

Liberals denied sweep - Pity

As Molarmauler stated yesterday, winning all four by-elections would have likely spurred an election, since Her Majesty's Loyal Party of Abstainers might have finally amassed enough intestinal fortitude to vote for their own non-confidence motion.


Unfortunately now as the Globe suggests, "...the loss in Saskatchewan may have tempered any Liberal desire to take down the Conservative minority in the very near future..."


On the other hand, I can't imagine Bob Rae sitting on his hands very long. On the other other hand, as Stephen Taylor points out in this excellent analysis, it may well be in the best interests of all the current leaders to allow this government survive a while longer:

...Luckily for Harper and Layton, Dion's strategy is also to survive and the only way this can happen is for the government to survive. Liberals will be chomping a the bit in order to "get back to power as soon as possible" and most realize that this is impossible under Dion and much easier when they hold a leadership race and select a more capable leader...

So it may all boil down to the internal power struggle between all the Alpha males on the Liberal Dream Team as each one gauges his own best chances for leadership coup based on election strategies.

My money's on Bob Rae.

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Update - Pithy analysis from Molarmauler in comments:

The only way Harper will get an election before 2009 will be if they initiate an 'Adopt-A-Liberal' program... sort of a voting-buddy system.
He can assign a Con to each Lib and match abstention for abstention. If a Lib leaves the House on a vote, his Con buddy follows him out waving a chicken feather and clucking.

Force them to vote.

Hey, if SDA can do it...

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Bob Rae talked about a 'progressive coalition' on Canada A.M. this morning:

"...I think we need to build a progressive coalition of people in the country who believe in dealing with climate change, who believe that the search for jobs and justice need to go together, and who want Canada to have a stronger voice in the world," he said.

"We certainly pulled that coalition together in Toronto-Centre."

Update from National Post editorial board on election results here:

...The correct short summary of Monday night’s results is that the party may have gone three-for-four, but the leader batted .000.

Oh well then!

No need for Liberals to worry. Bob Rae is confident they can win all four byelections.

No point in voting then, right? It's a fait accompli.

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Monday Update:

Sun - Even a Grit sweep could hurt Dion:

...Even if his party sweeps all four races, Dion will face unusual pressure, warns Kathy Brock, associate professor in the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University. If the Liberals take Toronto Centre, "Dion is going to have to look out, because Bob Rae does not know how to be the Number Two person," Brock says.

"It'll make it very tough for Stephane Dion: He's going to be sitting in the House (of Commons) with Bob Rae on one side of him and Michael Ignatieff on the other and with both of them getting the camera at different times...

Beware the Ides of By-election Month, Stéphane!

So it would appear that the Government still has its carte blanche this week.

Stéphane Dion figures Canadians still don't want an election at this exact point in time. Next week - who knows? Perhaps Dion consults astrological charts to determine the precise moment when Liberal fortunes will align with rising moon of electorate unrest.

Judging from what still remains of Dion's leadership debt, that could be a while off yet.

Bob Rae is in much better financial shape and has been rumoured to be the primary force in stalling an election before his expected win in next week's by-election. Then he'll likely want at least a few weeks to jockey for the limelight in Question Period in the House of Commons, instead of merely relying on his blog and TV interviews for appropriate exposure.

I'm guessing this Conservative government has a free pass, oh, let's say until mid-April.

That should give the CPC war room plenty of time to amass an extensive ad-campaign of Stephane Dion emphatically castigating the government on one hand, while meekly allowing every confidence motion to pass unchallenged.

And lots of time for Bob Rae to try to expunge his NDP past. (Also of interest is Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman's level of participation in Rae's campaign! At least that keeps busy, with the Legislature not sitting for so long.)



My prediction: LPC Leadership review this fall.

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Update: No election just yet... - Ottawa Sun.

Kill the bill

Will the Liberal Party support their colleague's PMB or will they back down yet again?

The game of political chicken is about to reach a showdown.

However, perhaps this time it will be the NDP:

...Mr. McTeague said he would be prepared to fight an election on the issue and blamed Mr. Flaherty and the Conservative government for eroding what had been fat budget surpluses.

NDP finance critic Thomas Mulcair said making RESP contributions tax deductible would mainly benefit upper-income Canadians.

"We would have by far preferred to see some real action to help families, and all families of all income levels, because you're right; on the face of it, it's people who have the money to put into these programs that are actually going to be able to benefit from it," Mr. Mulcair said.

"It's better than nothing, but it wouldn't have been our first choice."

Better than nothing???

The NDP - Defender of high-income families.

Who knew?

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What the heck does this mean? John McCallum:

"I think we're accepting the leadership of our leader and we are happily but slightly uncomfortably voting the way we have been voting. Okay?"

Wednesday Update - Via SDA... A very disgruntled Liblogger - Wake me up when it's over.