It just gets better and better.

Posted by: rebarbarian at October 4, 2006 09:00 PM

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Ok.... and this matters because?

(please enunciate who would care and why... cause I'm at a loss)

Posted by: Ivan at October 4, 2006 09:37 PM

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Well Ivan, we should ALL care and I'll tell you why.

Because , if Mr. Volpe doesn't poney up the 20 BIG ONES, the LPC will probably dream up another scheme to STEAL it from the taxpayers of Canada. After all, its not like they haven't done it before.

Horny Toad

Posted by: Horny Toad at October 4, 2006 10:05 PM

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You are so nosey - that's a good quality in my world.

This is hilarious, thanks for the laugh!

Posted by: Selma at October 4, 2006 10:19 PM

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Who says there is no good news any more? ;-)

It really sucks when you don't have all those advertising contracts to hand out and the personal expense accounts on government credit cards.

Posted by: Jim Pook at October 4, 2006 10:35 PM

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Well so much for wanting to support progressive Liberal values around the world. What a joke. The party is becoming even more of a joke with their shenanigans in the House everyday. Liberals talking about pork barrelling, patronage blah, blah, blah. No credibility. It defys logic how arrogant this sorry party really is. They should be embarrassed.

Posted by: hollinm at October 4, 2006 11:01 PM

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Ivan

It does sort of put the Liberal threats of bringing down the government into perspective. I mean how can they finance a campaign if they can't come up with a lousy twenty thousand dollars.

It also suggests that the new Liberal Party is not above taking questionable money if they can find a new way to launder it.

And lastly it is damn funny to hear that they are not answering the phones because they are trying to avoid their creditors. LOL they can't answer their phones because the bill collectors are calling but they want to be responsible for a country with a 200 billion dollar budget. There really is something wrong with that picture.

Posted by: Phil at October 4, 2006 11:02 PM

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As a theory its a bit of a stretch,though entertaining.But Hey you never can tell with Canada's natural gov. party,after all the requisites for being leader aren't to strenuous:Like being out of the country for decades,never having been a politician and getting parachuted into a safe riding.

Whatever happened to working one's way up the ladder to leader.
Oh that's right,snakes can't climb ladders.

Posted by: Paula at October 4, 2006 11:33 PM

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An international society of Liberals? Sounds like a vast left wing conspiracy to me.

Sure, sure -- they claim to stand for "individual freedom, human rights, the rule of law, tolerance, equality of opportunity . . . free trade and a market economy."

But all that's a joke if they invited Canada's Liberals to join. Or if they helped found this front, as it sounds.

On the bright side, it looks like the evil spawn of Jean Crouton aren't making much headway on their crippling debt overhang (surely not $40 million? -- ed.)

Posted by: owl at October 5, 2006 12:43 AM

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In fairness, when they joined, the Liberal Party was probably the party in Canada closest to those ideas. It wasn't until later that the Progressive Conservatives embraced free trade and smaller government. (And even then... that's why the PCs broke up...)

It was later -- after St. Laurent's defeat -- that the Liberal Party ceased to be liberal.

Posted by: Ben (The Tiger) at October 5, 2006 02:04 AM

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LOL!

Ivan, to answer your question:

As I was reading this, I was almost feeling sorry for the poor old Liberals: no more access to the bottomless coffers of taxpayer dollars, so they can't pay their dues to Liberal International.

Then I started to feel really pi**ed off: just another ripoff of the Canadian taxpayer. Whether we voted NDP, Conservative, Bloc, or Liberal, our tax dollars, most likely, were being used in just one more scheme to benefit the Liberals.

No doubt, for the past 13 years, until the CPC came into power, the Librano$ had no trouble paying their Liberal International dues. 'Doesn't surprise me in the least that they're not paying these dues and are avoiding talking to the folks trying to collect the long past due $25,000.

'Can't be a coincidence, can it, that Joe Volpe's being fined almost the exact amount of the late dues at just the time that the Liberal International is getting fed up waiting?

If the Canadian Liberals are so hard up that they can't afford the $25,000-dues to this organization, then maybe they're in far worse shape than most people know.

It would be a disaster if Canadians vote them back in and allow them to raid the cookie jar for all of their pet projects, Liberal International being but one.

It just came to me today, reading about Ignatieff and Rae, both silver-spoon liberals, that it probably doesn't much matter to either of them which one gets in. They're long-time friends and whoever becomes leader will have all sorts of perks at the ready for his friend.

This thought depresses me. It seems pretty clear that one or the other is going to win the leadership, and whichever one it is, is going to be hyping the Librano$. Damn! In my books, both men are selling their souls to the Devil--or at least to a very besmirched Party, and one wonders what's in it for them? I don't detect much altruism on the part of either Rae or Ignatieff.

Just what Canada needs: more freeloaders, more moochers, more opportunists.

Posted by: 'beenn around the block at October 5, 2006 06:20 AM

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GRITS HIT BY SCANDAL

A Toronto lawyer will file a complaint today over allegations hundreds of new Liberals were improperly signed up across Canada as part of the ongoing leadership race.
national news watch

Posted by: maz2 at October 5, 2006 06:26 AM

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In an earlier post, Ivan asks why this matters?

It matters because it shows how the Liberal party treats its commitments. Failure to pay debts is not a sign of good character.

The LPC is a founding member of this organization, they have been members for many years. If they did not truly believe in this organization, why would they help found it, and why stay a member all these years ?

Surely they can come up with $25,000 to pay their debt.

Posted by: Concerned Torontonian at October 5, 2006 06:31 AM

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If Volpe ends up paying the $20,000 donation (OOPS, I mean fine) does he get an Income Tax credit?

Posted by: Grook at October 5, 2006 07:15 AM

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"Concerned Torontonian": You should be concerned enough to vote Conservative, give them a majority and give the Liberals a message, we do not accept sleazy politics. They are currently bankrupt in every interpretation of the word. Yelling and screaming about patronage and pork-barrelling when they wrote the book.
They're under very bad management as well. To think they're fooling anyone by fining Volpe the exact amount owed Liberal International is rich.
Tapping the Piggy-bank crowd and canvassing graveyards should be a hint that money is scarce.

Posted by: Biddy at October 5, 2006 07:29 AM

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Yesterday was payday for Canada's political parties.

The Liberals received a cheque for $2,096,926 which is their quarterly contribution from the taxpayers.

More details at www.netnewsledger.com

Posted by: Net News Ledger at October 5, 2006 07:39 AM

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Biddy, I thought it was clear my post was critical of the LPC's lack of ethics. I did indeed do my part last election to express my displeasure with the Liberals.

That being said, the Conservatives do not automatically get my vote. I am not beholden to any party, but I tend to lean somewhat to the right. I like the way the CPC has governed so far, but if they start going down the wrong path, they need to go as well. I am very concerned at the defense of Zaccardelli, for example. I think that there was enough cause to give Zaccardelli the boot before the Arar affair blew up.

Zaccardelli is clearly not going to resign, so the government needs to do the right thing and force the issue. Failure to do so will cost the government much respect, in my opinion.

Posted by: Concerned Torontonian at October 5, 2006 09:08 AM

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I find it creepy and disturbing...I never knew there was an International version. They may have defended against Communism and Totalitarianism once, but now they've become those very things themselves.

I don't think a Canadian political party should have any international affiliations...it should be against the law.

Posted by: Sticky at October 5, 2006 09:28 AM

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It looks like the Libs are going to use the Senate as their cash cow, did you see what they are asking for!?

Posted by: at October 5, 2006 10:04 AM

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What? Liberals pay? This is the antithesis of a liberal sociallist.Where are the tax payers in this request.It is moronic to ask money from a liberal.

Posted by: tulip at October 5, 2006 10:05 AM

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Sticky - it's like the beginnings of the trade union movement, a "good thing" in the beginning with noble intentions for all, now they are more dishonest and corrupt than the companies they were trying to protect the working man from.

Skal!

Posted by: AlbertanfromBC at October 5, 2006 11:08 AM

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I agree, (Skal!, is it? :)

The whole thing smells of the old 'New World Order'. The international liberals would be a great place to organize foreign aid kickback schemes and things like that.

How can the liberals even claim that they are 'for the people of Canada, by the people of Canada', if they're in this?...taking their directives from the head office in Brussels or wherever it's at?

I think this should be investigated further, and come next election, it should be presented to the people of Canada...exactly who these shady 'International Liberals' are and what they're about.

Posted by: Sticky at October 5, 2006 02:45 PM

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This is a lot of fun but maybe a sidelong glance at this is timely. . .

The results of lax Liberal attitudes towards ciminals in France. They group and start an intifada. Cops call for armoured vehicles and combat gear.

http://tinyurl.com/pjdx6

= TG

Posted by: TonyGuitar at October 5, 2006 03:43 PM

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Or you can go to this excellent site ..

http://mesowest.blogspot.com/

= TG

Posted by: TonyGuitar at October 5, 2006 03:47 PM

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IVAN SAYS "Ok.... and this matters because?

(please enunciate who would care and why... cause I'm at a loss)"
I SAY
You care Ivan. You read the whole story did you not? I would say you are always at a loss, even when your winning. Them the breaks. Get a job!

Posted by: Ivan Slayer at October 5, 2006 08:27 PM

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Just goes to show Liberalism is a mental disorder.

Posted by: at October 6, 2006 02:21 AM

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Ivan,

Do YOU pay your debts? I understand that at times people and organizations have cash flow issues and cannot pay but they can ALWAYS PICK UP THE PHONE. It is not the debt that creates the character issue here, it is the refusal to communicate. You know, pick up the phone and tell your creditor that you are having cash flow issues but are willing and desire to pay. Creditors really appreciate that and respond positively most of the time.

If anyone is alongside Ivan reading this post, here is a tip, "don't lend Ivan any money".

Posted by: Eric at October 6, 2006 10:51 AM

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