Stephen Harper explains why hockey matters to us

Prime Minister Stephen Harper talks to Americans about our greatest contribution to world culture.

Phil Jones and the Logic Trick

 

Phil Jones tries to explain his "trick" to "hide the decline".  It sounds like nonsense to me.

Subversive Green Police Video

Brilliant.and so so subversive.  There is a scene in the Green Police video that makes me wonder about the person who wrote it.  That person captures in a scene the reason why Americans will never accept the green movement solution for global warming, or for anything else environmental.

I wonder if that person knew what he or she was doing.

A Question for Ian Katz: What if a do-over concludes global warming is a fraud?

Ian Katz, a columnist for the Guardian, and a true believer in global warming, says, quite reasonably, that time will have to be taken to rebuild the credibility of the global warming movement.

He's on the right track, though he doesn't leave room for doubt.  What happens if a do-over reveals what many suspect, and that is that there is no global warming because of human activity?

A atmospheric model that (a) predicts observed measurements and (b) is very very bad (for global warming alarmists)

Models are only as good as their ability to answer questions put to them.  A model of the Earth is flat is fine, until you ask the model what happens at the edge.  If the model doesn't correctly predict the observation (there is no edge, but you end up back where you started) then the model is no longer helpful.

I've read about a model that correctly predicts values for atmospheric measurements.  That's impressive.  It also predicts what NASA has just recently announced, and that is that predicted global warming was offset by unexpected decreases in water vapour concentration.

That's particularly impressive.

And it's ironic too, because the guy who predicted this used to work for NASA, until he was forced out for developing a model that said global warming was a mirage and simply can't happen.

Global warming alarmists at risk of losing California; McGuinty tries to slide by

There is a movement in California to repeal global warming legislation in the face of massive unemployment.  Meanwhile in Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty brags that companies looking to cash in on the green thing are coming to Ontario instead of California.

I suppose they will until Ontario taxpayers realize they're being shafted too.

Global warming treaties: Obama considers a shift (that amounts to nothing)

The New York Times is reporting that people in the Obama administration, as well as key environmentalists, are thinking that trying to negotiate a legally binding treaty that demands emissions cuts (through unspoken actions defined by each nation) is never going to work.

What will work, they say, is negotiating a legally binding treaty that demands actions by each nation (by which unspoken emissions cuts will be achieved).

Isn't this a case of six of one, half-a-dozen of the other?

Two more errors establish trend in IPCC

The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been caught out in two more serious errors over the last few days.

Each in of itself suggests incompetence, and skeptics of the global warming theory are growing in number as a result.

But when you start looking at all the errors, incompetence is no longer an excuse (as bad as an excuse as it is).   Why?  Because there is no randomness to the errors.  The errors all tilt in the same direction.

The transnational progressivists risk losing global warming

As India announces that it will take sovereign control of the issue of global warming as it affects that country, the forces of transnational progressivism risk losing the best tool they've ever had to make their hideous dreams come true.

Environmentalist recognizes true danger of global warming

Is it time for environmentalists to save the furniture, as they say?

From hackers to spies to...the truth

A convergence of evil -- lobbyists for energy interests footing the bill for nefarious Russian cyber-spies to crack the University of East Anglia's email servers and abscond with the Climategate emails.

This from the former chief science advisor to Tony Blair.

Well, makes for a good story.  A like a good story, it was entirely fiction.

Rajendra Pachauri bypasses national governments; appeals to citizens to engage in "urgent grassroots action"

Since when does someone speaking with the authority of the United Nations deliberately bypass the national governments of member states and appeal to the citizenry of that nation to take action?

That's exactly what Rajendra Pachauri, the chair of the IPCC, is doing in an opinion piece published today.

I wonder is Pachauri will be called to account for this.

To my compatriots in the UK: Beware of Ed Miliband's war on skeptics

Climate secretary Ed Miliband has declared was on global warming skeptics.  I think UK bloggers ought to keep on Ed Miliband.  He seems to promising only moral support for global warming alarmists in fighting this war, but frankly, I don't trust him.

Climate scandals hit an inversion point

The latest scandal from the steady stream of revelations has altered the dynamic in a profound way.  Until now, the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajenda Pachauri, has been defending others in the IPCC for profound mistakes.

Now with allegations that Pachauri himself lied, the question is who in the IPCC organization is going to leap to his defense, and who will demand that he go.

NASA scientists beginning to abandon global warming alarmist dogma

In a remarkable report that I think is fair to say would not have seen the light six months ago, NASA scientists are dramatically lessening the presumed impact of carbon dioxide on the climate.

This flies in the face of global warming dogma.

But even more interesting than this is the way the scientists involved talk about their research being at odds with research by "global warming advocates".  They talk about how they are trying to be "open" and "honest".

I predicted that scientists would abandon the global warming religion, hollowing it out.  That was just two days ago.

Meteorologist: Global warming is about ethics not science

A meteorologist at Penn State has made an outstanding declaration.  We have all been deceived into thinking that global warming was about science.  It's been about ethics.

Borys Wrzesnewskyj really knows how to find the worst possible thing to say

I know that Borys Wrzesnewskyj's has already been forced to apologize for comments he made disparaging Jason Kenney's visit to Poland for the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the death camps, but what a lot of people don't realize is that when a Ukrainian makes comments like these, Poles get very very upset.

The idiot should have known that.

Scientific apostasy will hollow out the Global Warming religion

I am about to prognosticate.  I predict a major split will happen in the environmental movement over the global warming fiasco.

The split will happen because of the question of imminent danger, and it will cause the most useful faction of the global warming pseudo-religion to split away.  This apostasy may spell the end of the global warming panic.

It's already begun.

IPCC neglects to accurately describe link (or lack thereof) between global warming and hurricanes

I swear, I think we need to make hourly updates when it comes to discussing the howlers included in the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) "peer reviewed" reports.

I've two in my backlog. 

Yes, a backlog.  I can't post quickly enough when it comes to discussing IPCC incompetence.

Anyway, here's the first one.  Al Gore likes this one.  It's about how global warming is causing stronger hurricanes.

It isn't, but worse than just getting it wrong, the IPCC knew the the authors had pulled back from their original conclusion.  The IPCC simply decided to ignore that bit, and selectively quote the parts they liked, inverting the conclusion.

Pachauri is feeling the heat after personally profiting from IPCC lies

Is the planet heating up?  Maybe, but it's not our fault.  More and more people understand that to be true.

If there is any heat that can be attributed to human activity, it is the heat being applied to Raj Pachauri as a result of his own questionable activities.

It's not just that the IPCC report contained errors and fabrications, put there on purpose to scare politicians, but that it seems like Raj Pachauri has used those errors and fabrications  to profit personally.

Hey, how long before Pachauri is officially investigated?  I can hardly wait.  This is better than the build-up to Christmas.

Finally, some truth from the global warming alarmists!

It's ironic that the truth is that they lied.  But I suppose it's a start for them.

I guess that makes it doubly ironic that the start means that they're scam might also be coming to an end.

In any case, that glacier melting thing?  You know, no Himalayan glaciers by 2035?  Not just a mistake, but a lie, deliberately told purely for the political impact that the lie would have.

So let's tell our politicians they don't have to put up with the lies any longer.

NASA and NOAA cherry-picking Canadian weather stations (but it could have been much worse!)

More shocking news!

Actually, it's not all that shocking.  It's become rather boring.  The global warming alarmists have been caught screwing with the data to make it look like things have gotten warmer.

Sorry, that is to say, they've been caught again.

See what I mean?  After a while, it's not so shocking.

But when it comes to cherry-picking Canadian weather data to filter out cold Canadian data, just remember, it could have been much worse.

Had history played out a bit differently, those global warming frauds would be reporting Canada's average temperature today to be a balmy 29 degrees Celsius.

UN no longer too stressed about global warming, it seems

The Copenhagen global warming summit was seen by most to be a failure.  But there was a deadline set for January 31.  At the end of this month, industrialized countries would announced their reduction commitments.

This was seen as the best compromise that could be reached.  Global warming alarmists wanted legally binding limits to be set at the summit, but clearly that was not going to happen.

Well, guess what?  That deadline?  Gone.  Yup.  If you're an Annex I nation, the UN is not going to stress if you don't set new targets.

OK, is it just me, or does it seem that no one is taking global warming all too seriously nowadays?

Democrats insult Massachusetts voters in aftermath of Scott Brown win

By characterizing the special election in Massachusetts for the Senate seat formerly held by the late Ted Kennedy as a popularity contest, Democrats are insulting the voters in that state.

In-and-Out Ruling: Liberal idiocy abounds

A Liberal complains that thanks to yesterday's ruling that saw the Conservatives win their argument with Elections Canada, the Conservatives will continue to use election laws to win elections.

What?!

Tories win In-and-Out Case

Great news for the Conservative Party, and I would argue, good news for Elections Canada too.

Is IPCC credibility melting faster than Himalayan glaciers?

The IPCC, the UN's global warming alarmist team, declared that the Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035.  Global warming was the cause.  Those who disagreed were practicing "voodoo" science.

Now the IPCC is on the verge of retracting that 2035 timeline.  Apparently it was lifted from a magazine article.

What next?  The IPCC starts quoting from The National Enquirer?

Elizabeth May: Stay away from Latin

It's a niggling point, but frankly people like Elizabeth May ought to stay away from using Latin phrases they clearly do not understand.  Their attempts to look intellectual backfire, at least to those who actually understand Latin phrases.

Online politics goes viral! But not this time.

The magic number is 570,000!

Errol Mendes: Full of Liberal opinions

University of Ottawa law professor Errol Mendes has been in the news a lot lately, offering his opinion about just how wrong the Conservatives are about this or that.

His opinion?  Well, Liberal Party opinions, anyway.  But the media has forgotten to mention that.

In America, promoting global warming fears is a charitable enterprise

Remember when a charity helped people in need?  Apparently, people need to have the bejeebus scared out of them by global warming alarmists.  And if you are a US government employee, it's easy for you to help with payroll deductions, since this is considered a charitable effort under the Combined Federal Campaign.

Michael Ignatieff is going after low hanging fruit

This is not a good sign.  Michael Ignatieff is talking to students.

Um, well, that's nice...but when is he going to do something that makes a difference to the Liberal Party?

Or is he just content to take the easy route whenever it is presented to him?

Opposing prorogation -- by the numbers

There is a Facebook group for people upset by the decision to prorogue Parliament. 

Using what I've learned from the global warming alarmists, I give you rock solid numerical analysis.  I have the raw data, but you can't have it.

Prorogation makes sense

Until we have an elected Senate, prorogation is the only mechanism by which we can reconstitute the upper house.

Doesn't that work in favour of democracy?

Climate alarmists blame Canada for not being a bridge...that goes nowhere

In the run-up to the Copenhagen silliness, where megatonnes of greenhouse gases were emitted so that world leaders could meet to complain about megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, and then agree to do nothing about it, Canada was consistently being beaten up by the climate alarmists as abandoning its role as a facilitator for these sorts of efforts.

With 20/20 hindsight, we can see that there was nothing to facilitate.  Indeed, the signs all pointed to Copenhagen being a bust, but now that the absurdity of it all is in the past, we can talk specifics about the role Canada would never have played.

How far will climate alarmists go in turning their back on democracy?

That climate alarmists have enjoyed remarkable popular support in recent years is undeniable.  The alarmists have used that support to put pressure on democratic institutions to push for policies promoting the economic destruction of the West.  But as people have begin to grow skeptical, not just of the prescribed solutions, but of the fundamental arguments of the climate alarmists, I expect the alarmists to shift their efforts away from working through democratic institutions, and towards demonizing and dehumanizing skeptics, followed by violent direct action aimed at them.

That process has already begun.

Kill him. Kill him dead.

Give it a rest, I hear from Liberals and their friends and apologists. 

Stop going on about the photo of Stephen Harper being assassinated being posted on the Liberal Party website, I am told. 

It was just an isolated incident, or so the assurance is made.

They apologized.

Really?  I have three words for you:

Kill...him...dead.

A sick Liberal Party, and the people who protect it

Jeff Jedras claims that I am feigning outrage at the Liberal Party posting an image of Stephen Harper being murdered.

He is a presumptuous prat to make any declaration on the sincerity of my emotions.

He is also a blind fool because he totally misses the point.  Or maybe he is no fool -- which is even more disturbing.

The assassination of Stephen Harper and what it means to be progressive

Progressive Canadians see Stephen Harper, and indulge in daydreams of death and murder and mayhem.

The Solution for Michael Ignatieff: A Leadership Endorsement Ballot

The Liberal Party has a serious problem.  From Janine Krieber's Facebook rant to Denis Coderre's brutal resignation to Angelo Persichilli's jaw-dropping column, there is an assumption forming that Michael Ignatieff is party leader in name only.

The noise caused by this is keeping the Liberals from communicating effectively.

The party ought to consider calling an extraordinary convention for the sole purpose of holding a leadership endorsement ballot.  Based on my reading of the party constitution, this would be allowed.

One way or another, the leadership question would be put to rest.

Twelve more days...then peace and quiet from the climate alarmists (Not!)

If there is one thing I would wish for from Santa this year, it would be that climate alarmists would be serious when they declare such-and-such a time to be the "last chance" for a solution to the mythical notion of man-made climate change.

Replacing Michael Ignatieff just makes sense

Today we are treated to a journalist-said-politician-said controversy.  On the one hand, Angelo Persichilli writing for The Toronto Star lays out the details, including names and timelines, of a plot to remove Michael Ignatieff as leader of the Liberal Party.

Liberal MP Glen Pearson, writing in his blog, categorically denies the plot.  Pearson is named as one of the conspirators.

I tend to believe Persichilli, and the reason is simple.  It just makes sense.

Good news is bad news for those suffering from mad-climatologist disease

Good news, everyone!  Apparently, global warming isn't happening.

So why are climatologists sad?

Good news means happiness, except for these people.  It's like their brains don't work right.  I think that's the case.

They are suffering from mad-climatologist disease.

Climate Change Fraud: When Science is Subverted by Idealism

In this long wide-ranging (and perhaps rambling) piece, I think about the remarkable story of those climatologist emails that show that this group of well known scientists who insist that man-made global warming is real were in fact cooking the numbers.

As I thought about it, it became apparent to me that this is an example of what we see happen when realism is replaced by idealism.   And then it occurred to me that this is not the only place where the contrast between idealism and realism lines up with what most people agree is an existential threat to Western society.

Janine Krieber letter points to a far more serious problem for the Liberal Party

I predicted back in January that the Liberal Party would face an internal explosion of exactly the sort that happened on the weekend, when former Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's wife, Janine Krieber, published a letter excoriating current Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff and predicting the dissolution of the Liberal Party itself.

It is the left wing of the party, and Canada's Left in general, finally exploding in fury over the lost chance of the Coalition.

The benefit of not accepting the accepted wisdom

The accepted wisdom said that the Conservatives could never pull out a win in Bloc-dominated Quebec, and yet in yesterday's by-elections, the Tories took a Bloc-held riding.

First job for Peter Donolo: Getting Mark Holland to shut up

Liberal MP Mark Holland is the poster boy for what ails the Liberal Party when it comes to communications, a top priority for incoming chief of staff for Michael Ignatieff, Peter Donolo.

Ironically, Mark Holland exhibits this problem while praising Peter Donolo.  Really, Peter Donolo ought to find a quiet corner for Holland where Holland can sit quietly and watch the grownups work.

Jean Chretien and his gifts to Canadian conservatism

Former prime minister Jean Chretien might very well be the best thing that ever happened to Canadian conservatism.

Liberal Party: We can do better press releases...not!

The Liberal Party under Michael Ignatieff has made a promise: "We can do better."

For a start, let's try managing our H1N1 flu press releases a little bit more carefully, shall we?

Dislodging the Conservatives? The Liberals have only one real option

The Conservatives seem to have settled into the 40% range for support, while the Liberals continue to drop, now showing 25% in the latest poll.

Canadians are not listening to the Liberals at this point, and that is very bad news for Michael Ignatieff.  Now the Liberals face the daunting task of dislodging the Conservatives, not just trying to catch up with them.  The volatility in the electorate seems to be fading.

So how do you dislodge a dug in opponent?  By doing something very dramatic.

I just don't think the Liberals have the guts to do what I propose.

Garth Turner leaves politics as a failure

Former Liberal MP Garth Turner has abandoned his quest for a seat in the next election.

And in classic Garth Turner fashion, he blames everyone around him.

In doing so, he cements his legacy, not as a politician who merely lost, but as one who failed.

Exclusive: Statement from DCFLA Membership Chair on Garth Turner

Exclusive to Angry in the Great White North, Dufferin-Caledon Federal Liberal Association Membership Chair Janet Rosenstock reveals details concerning Garth Turner's aborted attempt to become the Liberal Party candidate for the riding.

Garth Turner is turfed as Dufferin-Caledon candidate [Update: The real reason]

Some time back, I wrote about what I discovered to be serious divisions in the Dufferin-Caledon Liberal Party riding association about having Garth Turner stand as the candidate.

A key aspect of that division was the refusal by the federal Liberal Party (Ontario) to give the go-ahead for a nomination meeting, and the suggestion that the meeting would be held off as long as Garth Turner was the only nominee.

It seems like the anti-Garth-Turner faction has succeeded, and Garth Turner has quit his campaign to be the nominee.

Latest Update: The real reason for quitting the race?  Because it was about to become a race.

Garth Turner and respecting intellectual property

Garth Turner pioneered digital democracy, or at least that's what he says.  In any case, you would think someone so into the digital world would be more careful about the use of digital imagery without permissions.

Good polls? Yay! Bad poll? What poll?

I try not to discuss polls simply because it's too easy to fixate on favourable polls and then get caught ignoring bad polls.  Personally, I would find that embarrassing.

But does Bob Rae support and follow Michael Ignatieff?

Is Bob Rae undermining the leadership of Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff.  Well, he never actually says he isn't.

Happy Thanksgiving to the members of the Liberal Party

A Thanksgiving message for members of the Liberal Party.  They might not feel like they have much to be thankful for right now.  And they don't.

So it's not a pleasant message.  But it's one they need to hear if they want still be Liberals when next Thanksgiving comes around.

Michael Ignatieff sings: Where are his handlers?!

OK, I don't know why I feel compelled to help, but here is some advice for Michael Ignatieff, not that it matters now.

After Stephen Harper's tour de force performance at the NAC Gala, you must not ever sing.  Ever!  It will be seen as sad and pathetic.

So what does Michael Ignatieff do?  He sings!

A bit too much drama injected into the head of state story

To hear it in the press, it would seem like Governor General Michaelle Jean was called out on the carpet by a furious PMO who had been monitoring her speeches.

It's not quite that dramatic, and I wonder if the media is pumping this up a bit.

Ignatieff’s game changing tax hike talk is replaced with policy vacuum

It seemed briefly like Michael Ignatieff was going to try to change the political landscape by engaging in a discussion about raising taxes.

Bold?  Foolhardy?

Who knows?  Even before anyone could applaud or criticize the idea, Michael Ignatieff backed down, leaving nothing behind but confusion, and acute embarrassment among Liberals.

Liberal floor crosser story is not a Conservative machination

How is it that people think that the Conservatives are behind the story of potential Liberal floor crossers?  The story was first reported last week by Don Martin, who says he spoke to Liberal MPs about the possibility.

Do Liberals blame Michael Ignatieff too?

If columnist John Ibbitson is right, the problem for the Liberals, who have been hit yet again with a miserable polling report, is not that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is fantastically popular, but the Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is terribly unpopular.

So if I was a Liberal, I would be wondering why Liberals aren't fixing the real problem.

Stephen Harper performs at the NAC Gala: Video crushes the opposition [Updated]

In this age of online politics, it is interesting to see how effective the Conservatives and Liberals have been at harnessing the web to get out their message and sway public perception.

Based on the sheer numbers, the Conservatives are crushing the Liberals.

Stephen Harper hits the perfect key

In a video that could go viral, at least within Canada's online political community, Stephen Harper cuts loose at the National Arts Centre Gala, playing "With a Little Help from My Friends" by The Beatles, to a standing ovation.

Oh, how far the Green Shift has fallen

Remember Stephane Dion's Green Shift tax grab?  Apparently the Liberal Party does not, since they've allowed the domain name for the French-language site to be used to peddle a masturbation aid.  And yes, you can follow links from the Liberal Party home page to find this page dedicated to...the Fleshlight!

I kid you not.

“Rape” rape?

So now it is possible to rape a girl, but that's ok, unless the rape was, you know, "rape" rape.

"Rape" rape?

Denis Coderre event in Liberal Party calendar

I suppose we'll see this get cancelled, but after Denis Coderre's performance on Monday when he blamed a Toronto-centric coterie of advisors for Michael Ignatieff's troubles in Quebec, do you think Denis Coderre is likely to be the special guest at a Liberal dinner in Ontario?

Deep divisions in Dufferin-Caledon

In a follow-up to my post pondering on the delay in making Garth Turner the official Liberal Party candidate in Dufferin-Caledon, I decided to ask around and see if I could tease out the level of unanimity in the riding association for having Garth Turner carry the Liberal Party banner in an upcoming election.

I suggested in my last post that there seems to be a division in the riding association.  It looks like I was right.

The Rosedale Gang

With the public self-immolation of Denis Coderre, much focus has been brought to bear on the Rosedale Gang, the coterie of advisors who surround Liberal Party Michael Ignatieff.

It might be fun to look a little bit at Rosedale.

Liberal MP Brian Murphy tries -- and fails -- to disrupt the economic report card presentation

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is Saint John, New Brunswick, to deliver the third and final quarterly report on progress in dealing with the recession.

Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party demanded that these report cards be delivered as the price for supporting the Conservative budget in January.

So why is it that Liberal MP Brian Murphy tried, unsuccessfully, to disrupt the prime minister's presentation.

Michael Ignatieff’s leadership costs the Liberal Party its Quebec lieutenant

How far can Liberal apologists tolerate the miserable leadership of Michael Ignatieff?  He is tanking in the polls.  Media pundits write piece after piece about his lack of policy or substance.

And now, without warning, Denis Coderre has very publicly resigned his position as Michael Ignatieff's Quebec lieutenant.

Is Michael Ignatieff already a lame duck? So soon?!

The Outremont fight has laid bare a terrible truth of Michael Ignatieff's leadership of the Liberal Party.

His leadership is already over.  Michael Ignatieff is a lame duck.

Ignatieff heckled by farmers: Warren Kinsella misses an important detail

Liberal Party partisan and war room specialist Warren Kinsella blogged about Michael Ignatieff appearing in front of farmers.   Kinsella suggests that Stephen Harper would not know what to say to a farmer.

How about what to say to a farmer heckling him?  That's what Michael Ignatieff had to face.  Actually, numerous farmers heckling the Liberal Party leader.  Funny that Warren Kinsella forgot to mention that.

Will Jack Layton fall for Liberal Party mind games?

I think the Liberal Party is playing mind games, probably taking aim at NDP leader Jack Layton.  The idea is to make Jack Layton think the NDP could fare well in an election against the Liberals right now.

It'll be interesting to see if Jack Layton falls for it.

Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party undergo psychotherapy

It is rare for a politician to reveal the base motives for his actions.  We all suspect they are there, but publicly the reasons given for doing this or supporting that are mature ones.  The weight of responsibility, protecting the common good, the obligation of government -- and so on.

Michael Ignatieff, on the other hand, seems to lack this sort of reflexive filer all politicians have.  Why will the Liberals support the Employment Insurance legislation?  Because it will make Jack Layton and the NDP look bad, and presumably that will make Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals feel better.

This isn't politics.  This is psychotherapy.

Liberal MP Michelle Simson tweets with glee at Rahim Jaffer’s arrest

Michelle Simson, the Liberal MP for Scarborough Southwest, is gleefully hoping that a private citizen who has yet to be formally charged with a crime is punished severely.

Of course, in her mind, he is already guilty of the crime of being a Conservative MP.  A former Conservative MP, though apparently returning to private life does not absolve you of the underlying crime of having been a Conservative.

We're talking, of course, of Rahim Jaffer, who was arrested on suspicion of speeding and possession of cocaine.

Rahim Jaffer is in serious trouble, requiring a serious response

The husband of Conservative MP Helena Guergis, Rahim Jaffer, is facing charges of drunk driving and cocaine possession.

No spin.  This is serious.  And that means a serious response is required.

Michael Ignatieff’s strategy magnifies role of separatist Bloc Quebecois

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has declared that the Liberals have withdrawn their support of Stephen Harper's Conservative government.  Now it falls to the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois to keep the government in power and get the work of government done.

In doing so, Michael Ignatieff has handed the separatist Quebec-centric Bloc Quebecois a commanding role in parliament.

Michael Ignatieff’s failed “probation” narrative

Though it's hardly mandatory, it can help to have a narrative to guide your actions and statements.  Michael Ignatieff created such a narrative in January when he decided to support the Conservative budget.

The Conservatives, he declared, were on "probation", and Ignatieff is the probation officer.

Too bad nobody followed the script.

Dalton McGuinty throws Michael Ignatieff under the bus by revealing secret HST deal

Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty has made life for fellow Liberal, federal party leader Michael Ignatieff, a bit more complicated.

McGuinty has announced a deal with Ignatieff to go forward with a blended federal-provincial sales tax.  It's not really a secret deal, but Michael Ignatieff has been accusing the Conservatives for shirking their responsibility for an HST in Ontario.

Funny how Michael Ignatieff wasn't present when Dalton McGuinty delivered the news, nor has he responded to the news.

Time to stop issuing report cards

As part of the agreement to gain Liberal Party support for the spring budget, the Conservatives agreed to issue quarterly "report cards" to parliament, along with a guaranteed opportunity to stage a confidence vote on the contents of that report card.

Now that the Liberals under Michael Ignatieff have indicated that they are no longer supporting the government, no matter what, then the the report card agreement ought to be torn up.

OK, I know it's a bit late in the day, with the last report card only days away, and that for various reasons, the Conservatives probably want to deliver it.

But it would sure feel good to find a reason not to deliver it.

Hedy Fry defines the concept of Liberal responsibility (and double standards too)

Liberal Hedy Fry is in trouble over a rather tasteless ten-percenter that targeted New Brunswick.  Facing criticism, she did what all good Liberals do, she said she had nothing to do with it.

Wafergate continues to unravel; and new questions for the Liberal Party and Jamie Irving

The ridiculous story of Wafergate, the allegation that Prime Minister Stephen Harper somehow desecrated the host at the funeral of Romeo LeBlanc, was revealed to be a sham over four weeks ago.

And yet another apology is being issued.  And again, it leaves the most important question unanswered.

Scandalpedia, Scamming, and the Anti-Religious Left

Remember Scandalpedia.ca?  It was one of those so-called clever ideas from the last election.  The Liberals created a website that alphabetized all the various Conservative scandals.

The site seems to be owned now by a pro-Liberal computer programmer, named Derek Seabrooke, who makes it his business to buy up defunct domain names once owned by politicians.

Sites for Conservative politicians are redirected to an anti-Conservative anti-religion website run by Seabrooke.  The religion angle is consistent with Derek Seabrooke's other hobby -- working towards the banning of circumcision by Jews.

But Scandalpedia has a different fate.  It takes you to a website that has been described as a scammer's site.

Michael Ignatieff rejected the coalition because he thought he’d be prime minister already

Michael Ignatieff rejected the Liberal-NDP coalition in January.  That much is fact. 

But that is no indication that Michael Ignatieff won't enter into a coalition after a failed fall election.

Don’t exclude the hypothesis: Michael Ignatieff speaks on the coming coalition

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has never disavowed forming a new Liberal-NDP coalition in order to wrench power away from the Conservatives.  Indeed, back in January, he explicitly said a future coalition was very much a possibility.  With his own strategists assuming the Liberals can't form a government by themselves, it is clear that Michael Ignatieff is planning to walk through the coalition door he left open.

Mission Accomplished: Conservatives get their election message onto the airwaves

There is some consternation out there about the "leaked" video of Stephen Harper speaking to a partisan crowd about the need for a Conservative majority, and the issues that the Conservatives think are important.

And the Liberals got their paws on the video!  And gave it to the CBC!  And now it's public!

Well, duh.

Who do you think gave it to the Liberals?

Is the Liberal slogan an admission of Conservative success? Or an apology for Liberal ineffectiveness?

We can do better.

Kind of catchy, in a way that platitudes utterly devoid of meaning are.  The same way Barack Obama's vapid Yes we can sounded like something ripped off Sesame Street, and yet had the power to make some slack-jawed segment of the population think something intelligent was being said.

The Liberal Party's new slogan, as such, is worse.  Analyzed, you quickly realize it is an admission that the Conservatives have governed well.

I doubt that's what the Liberals meant.  But when you read the Liberal Party slogan inside a larger context, it starts to sound like an apology instead. 

Hardly an improvement.

Bernard Lord thinking of running for the Conservatives?

I have news of an exciting rumour out of New Brunswick, where Liberal MP Brian Murphy of Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe might be facing a powerhouse Conservative candidate in an attempt to wrestle this riding out of the Liberal's grip.

I have heard that former New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord is thinking seriously of running for the federal Conservatives.

Is Michael Ignatieff’s love of things Canadian just a facade?

Michael Ignatieff insists that he loves Canada and things Canadian.

It's just a show he puts on.  A piece of theatre.  I say that because, ironically, his alleged love of Canadian theatre seems to be a fabrication, and a poorly constructed one at that.

Michael Ignatieff’s signature

A short post on a simple subject -- the matter of Michael Ignatieff's signature.

Why won’t Paul Zed run to be Liberal Party candidate for Saint John?

With the excitement over an impending election growing, it is interesting that Paul Zed has yet to be announced as the Liberal Party candidate for Saint John, New Brunswick.

Indeed, all the evidence points to Paul Zed not being involved in an upcoming election at all.

Why would that be?

Question for Michael Ignatieff: How’s that caucus discipline working for yah?

The Liberal Party is a mess.  Their leader, Michael Ignatieff, seems to be agitating for an election, and immediately, the whispers start.

Michael Bryant and a total car ban

If the allegations are proven, the former Liberal Attorney-General Michael Bryant endangered a lot of people on his way to killing a cyclist.

And of course, let's not forget that this cyclist is dead.

What could possibly explain Michael Bryant's alleged reckless driving?  Who knows, but I can be certain of this.  If the government had simply not allowed Michael Bryant, or anyone else, to buy cars or allow cars to be imported into this country, we wouldn't be talking about this today.

Another poll for the Liberals to mock (except when no one is looking)

When Ipsos-Reid declared that the Liberals had fallen 11 points behind the Conservatives, Liberals declared the poll to be a laughable mistake.

When CROP showed the Conservatives pulling up in Quebec at the expense of the Liberals, Liberals chuckled nervously.

And now Angus Reid, in association with the Liberal-friendly Toronto Star, has published a poll showing a significant 4-point lead for the Tories, as well as disheartening numbers that put Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff a distant second when it comes to voter preference for prime minister. 

I expect even more frantic laughter declaring this yet another bad poll to be dismissed as skewed or miscalculated or something. Anything.

Meanwhile, when they think no one is looking, Liberals and their apologists will grumble and wonder just why Michael Ignatieff has turned out to be such a wet firecracker.

Liberal excuses have become sad and pathetic...and boringly predictable

The Liberals are going to avoid causing an election. 

No surprise there.  The polls are looking bad, and they've been getting progressively (if slowly) worse since Michael Ignatieff cleverly dodged his own threat to cause an election in June.

The excuse is also the same old story.  The calendar timing is bad for an election.

Yup, nothing much has changed.

Liberals fighting Liberals via leaks

This past week has seen some extraordinary polls that buck the established trend.  Through the spring and summer, the Liberals and Conservatives have been deadlocked.  But a national poll from Ipsos-Reid showed a shocking (and perhaps suspicious) sharp widening lead, with the Tories jumping 11 points ahead.  A subsequent CROP poll showed the Liberals slipping 5 points and the Conservatives gaining 5 points in Quebec.

Other polls are still showing the deadlock.  No poll is showing the Liberals improving their position.

That isn't unexpected really, since the improving economy was bound to improve Tory fortunes across the country.  What is extraordinary is the messaging coming from the highest levels of the Liberal Party, aimed at other factions within the Liberal Party, and delivered through the media, in the wake of these polls.

What happened to the discipline that Michael Ignatieff was supposed to bring to the Liberal Party?

Why does Warren Kinsella have to be such a jackass?

The post that has me so incensed was posted on Thursday, and I waited.  Not one day, but two.  But the post is still up, no one has commented on it, and it is still as offensive to me now as when I saw it 48 hours ago.

Clueless Michael Ignatieff versus the Liberal Party

No sooner did I post a piece on Michael Ignatieff being pushed into an election, then did Michael Ignatieff issue a statement saying that it's all speculation.

Here's the problem.  I don't believe him.  I don't think he's lying.  I just don't think he has a clue about what's going on.

Liberal strategists to trigger a fall election; Michael Ignatieff to come along for the ride

Maybe it's a translation thing, but the French-language news report on the Liberals gearing up to force a fall election is remarkable in how it portrays Michael Ignatieff as a hostage of forces he cannot control.  These same forces put him in as leader, and now these forces, regretting what seems to have been a mistake, are going to force an election so that they can be rid of Ignatieff.

Cancel the EI negotiations; they are a waste of time

There is no point in engaging the Liberals in the bipartisan negotiations over EI reform if Liberals are planning to trigger a fall election anyway. 

A cynical and slightly paranoid view of the Liberal Party leadership

Did Bob Rae abandon the leadership race so as to avoid accidently winning it?

Mike Duffy blindsided by opinion masquerading as news

Senator Mike Duffy delivered a speech in PEI.  It was a good speech, listing in detail the stimulus funding going to PEI.  Too bad the media saw fit to make up a different speech to report on.

Michael Ignatieff preempts a nomination contest in Halton

Though Deborah Gillis is just one of four women appointed by Michael Ignatieff to be candidates in ridings for the next election, her appointment is particularly interesting because she was appointed in Halton.  That riding was the former fiefdom of Garth Turner, the larger-than-life MP who was always in the headlines, it seemed.

Perhaps Michael Ignatieff would prefer a less outspoken candidate.  Perhaps he didn't trust the Liberals in Halton to make the right choice.

The New York Times covers Wafergate

The New York Times has published an extensive article on the Wafergate scandal, including reprinting the allegations that the entire story was planted as part of a Liberal Party political operation.  That the story has gotten this sort of attention is remarkable, and likely in no small part because of the potential for journalistic corruption, and not merely incompetence, that lies at the heart of it.

If it turns out to be true that someone in the Liberal Party made this story up and got it published, the fallout could be quite severe.  A lot of eyes are watching this.

Biggest scandal in history...*snort*

Karlheinz Schreiber is finally out of Canada.  Better yet, he is in Germany, but frankly, that's just a bonus as far as I'm concerned.

He utterances as he went to face the music just further undermined his credibility, and must make any reasonable person wonder just why anyone thought he had much of value to say on any topic.

Liberals issue a non-denial about their alleged involvement in concocting the Wafergate non-scandal

Kady O'Malley of Maclean's has picked up the so-called Wafergate story.  In particular, she asked the Office of the Leader of the Opposition whether it was true that the Liberals pushed the (now discredited) story that Stephen Harper pocketed the communion host when he attended the funeral of former governor general Romeo Leblanc.  The allegation that this story was published as a result of collusion between the Liberal Party and Jamie Irving, the publisher of The Telegraph-Journal, was made by Robert Fife of CTV News.

Jamie Irving has since lost his job, as has editor Shawna Richer, over the scandal-within-a-scandal.

The OLO responded.  But it's not clearly a denial.

CTV News: The Liberals concocted the wafer scandal and used Liberal-friendly paper to spread the lie

I have always resisted falling into the habit of accusing the media of being lapdogs for the Liberal Party.

I am seriously rethinking my position.

Shawna Richer needs to answer some questions about the wafer lie

The Telegraph-Journal has apologized to Stephen Harper for publishing a story that the newspaper now admits was essentially a complete fabrication.

Not only did the newspaper print that Stephen Harper pocketed a communion wafer while receiving communion at the funeral mass for former Governor General Romeo Leblanc, the paper also reported that a priest had demanded an explanation from the PMO for what had happened.

The paper now admits that there was no factual basis for those statements.

Essentially, someone was writing elaborate fiction and passing it off as news.

The strange thing is that The Telegraph-Journal has recently been embroiled in another reporting controversy.  In that case, a reporter was fired for what seems to be relatively minor errors.

But this whopper with the communion wafer, attributed to "the editing process", seems to have cost no one their jobs.

The two stories are related, because the person who fired that reporter is Shawna Richer, the editor of the paper, and presumably responsible for "the editing process" that failed so spectacularly.

If she can't explain why the editor is not being held to account for an "editing process" that publishes fantasy as fact, then maybe the publisher can explain it.

Feel free to use the email address at the bottom of this story if you want to ask for such an explanation.

Thank God for Jason Kenney!

No, I'm not dead.

And thank God for Jason Kenney!

My prediction for a difficult fall for Michael Ignatieff

Michael Ignatieff's retreat from his election threat has put him on a path that is likely to mean a very difficult autumn.

Or that's what I think.

Michael Ignatieff continues to be vague, undercutting his own EI panel appointees, and threatening nothing in particular

Michael Ignatieff doesn't have what it takes to deliver a credible and meaningful threat.  Instead, he just yaks on and on, expressing doubt that his people can achieve results, and then threatening to do...well...nothing in particular.

The Liberal riding service package: A bag of pure magic

It looks like Elections Canada is checking into the mandatory riding services package bought by every candidate during the last election.  Elections Canada is concerned that this package of buttons and posters isn't worth the $2,500 charged by the party, and that this is a scam designed to hide the transfer of money from the ridings to the party.

I don't know about that, but I want to point out that whatever was in that bag, it was pure magic.  It seems like the candidate could use to contents to do anything -- from decorate the office to running surveys.

That is one magical bag of electoral tricks.

The choice that dooms Michael Ignatieff

There is a choice people are making that will doom Michael Ignatieff's leadership of the Liberal Party.  It is a choice of what story to believe.

Liberal Senators and the suspicious Voter Activation Network software

The Liberal Party announced that they had purchased the software package from Voter Activation Network to run their next campaign.

A judicious use of party funds, or so the Liberals are hoping.

But then, as it turns out, only six weeks earlier, the Liberal Senate Caucus had applied for parliamentary funds to buy the same software package, under a licensing agreement that does not seem to preclude the use of the software by MPs for electioneering.

So I have to ask myself the obvious question.  Did the Liberals buy their nice new shiny database package using taxpayer funds?

Michael Ignatieff: A man of answers?

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but Michael Ignatieff will trigger an election unless he gets answers on four questions.

Not action on those issues.  Just answers.

Does Michael Ignatieff really think the real world is just a classroom and he's the professor?

Was CityTV tricked by Liberals over Ruby Dhalla exclusive?

Every once in a while, a media outlet has to pull a story when they realize they got ahead of the facts.

In this case, though, CityTV out of Toronto seems to have been fooled by someone into thinking that Ruby Dhalla, who is in trouble over allegations of mistreating illegally hired live-in caregivers, was exonerated by a parliamentary committee examining those allegations.

The truth is that the Liberal minority on the committee issued a report dismissing this as a witch hunt, while the majority has recommended multiple formal investigations.

How did CityTV get this so wrong?  I am speculating that Liberals tricked CityTV ahead of the report being issued by the committee.

After trumpeting an exclusive, CityTV had to pull the story once they realized the story was wrong.  I wonder if the people in the CityTV newsroom feel that they've been burned by Ruby Dhalla and the Liberals.

Liberals continue to execute their retreat plan

I have no particular insight into the what is happening in the Liberal Party leadership, but the signs continue to point to the Liberals backing down and holding off attempting to force an election until at least the fall, and possibly beyond.

Ralph Goodale's interview today continues in that trend.

eHealth consultancy fees out of whack

At eHealth, the scandal continues to grow over the consultancy fees and bonus payments being lavished while regular folks worry about their jobs.

Though much of the criticism seems well-founded, I did take issue with the complaint that the $2,700 per day charged by a consultant was excessive.

My defense was conditional, and it looks like those conditions weren't met, so I have to agree with the critics on this one.

Michael Dion and Stephane Ignatieff

Is it just me, or are the signs pointing to Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff painting himself into a corner in the same way his predecessor Stephane Dion did, over and over again?

Jasmine MacDonnell is the daughter of Liberal Party fundraiser Ralston MacDonnell

Jasmine MacDonnell, the former communications director for Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt, is responsible for the grief Raitt has been suffering this week.

Jasmine MacDonnell is the daughter of Liberal fundraiser Ralston MacDonnell, with close ties to party leader Michael Ignatieff.

For some people, the connection is extremely interesting.

Let me be clear.  It is not interesting, except inasmuch as it shows Ralston to be a dad who has been successful in raising a daughter who decided to have a career in public service.

Good for him.  I know he's having a tough week watching as his daughter finds herself is in the eye of a storm.  He's struggling to be strong for his daughter.

I get it.  It's a dad thing.  Politics has nothing to do with it, and it never did.

Lisa Raitt's most excellent tape

At first I winced.  Then I paused.  Then I thought about it some more, and I realized that the Lisa Raitt tape was just so much nonsense.

Except for the bit about Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff being shoved around by bankers.  That was interesting.

That was worth listening to the rest of this inconsequential stuff.

Gender test leads to tough abortion questions

People are concerned that the right to abortion might be misused.  Frankly, these people are morons.  Either abortion is a grave evil (that's a Roman Catholic term) and is, by definition, a misuse of medical knowledge every time it is done, or it is an absolute right of all women, and so no one has any business passing judgment on the reason an abortion is performed.

So what exactly are these people worried about?  They are worried that new in-home off-the-shelf gender testing means an increase in girls to be aborted.  Apparently when it was a crapshoot whether a boy or girl would die, it didn't matter.

What is a reasonable consultancy fee?

I haven't written much about the eHealth scandal in Ontario, but in reading some of the news on the weekend, I need to point out that some of the numbers don't seem so out of whack.  It really depends on the nature of the consultancy firm.

Liberals line up to convince me that they are mad at Michael Ignatieff

Liberals don't like what Michael Ignatieff is doing, or so say some Liberal bloggers.  A revolt?  Hardly, I say.

Now I'm saying that Michael Ignatieff is in control of the party and that the grumbling amounts to nothing.

So what do these Liberals do?  The try to convince me that Liberals really are mad at Michael Ignatieff, and reveal confidential information to make their point.

This is nuts.

Liberal revolt? It’s just a bunch of bloggers

An exciting headline rolled by: "Liberal Revolt"!

The lead goes on to say that Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is facing "serious trouble" from the grassroots for his support of bill C-15 which introduces mandatory prison sentences for drug crimes.

I rub my hands in glee, then I suffer a deep disappointment when I see that the "grassroots" in revolt is just a bunch of bloggers.

Jack Layton shuts window on Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals

Hey, it could all change tomorrow, but what is being reported today is that Jack Layton and the NDP has agreed to support Stephen Harper and the Conservatives through to the June break of parliament.

That noise you hear is Michael Ignatieff grinding his teeth.  Or is that the sound of members of the Liberal caucus sharpening their knives?

Michael Ignatieff's questionable fury about the deficit

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is mad about the $50 billion deficit.  Finance Minister Jim Flaherty must resign, or so says Ignatieff. 

Like his patriotism, Michael Ignatieff's anger seems fake.  Former Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said that the level of the deficit is appropriate under the circumstances.  And David Dodge had a secret meeting with Michael Ignatieff just last week, lending his wisdom to Michael Ignatieff on questions about the economy.

The Liberals (presumably) leaked the details of this meeting, but it wasn't reported that Michael Ignatieff gave David Dodge a hard time about what Dodge would have told Ignatieff was an appropriate level of deficit. 

My most (tar baby) terrible post (niggardly) ever!

Liberal and NDP MPs are demanding an apology from Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre because Poilievre used the term "tar baby" twice in the House of Commons.

Michael Ignatieff messes Stephen Harper up...by snitching on him...with lawyers

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff.  Tough guy.

Don't mess with him or he'll mess with you.

And how does the Hound of Harvard mess with you?  He'll send his lawyers out to snitch on you, hoping that someone will do his messing for him.

Yeah.  So there.  Consider yourself messed.

Ruby Dhalla evicted from her constituency office [Resolved]

Ruby Dhalla, embattled Liberal MP, had an eviction notice posted at her office.

Ruby Dhalla responded to my story reporting on it, demanding a retraction, but did not deny that the letter had been posted.

I got in touch with the Bailiff.  The letter was legitimate but the matter has been resolved.

Why is the CRTC abandoning the fee-for-carriage problem to market forces? (Maybe I should just shut up and be happy)

A while back, there was a remarkable story about how the chairman of the CRTC, Konrad von Finckenstein, told broadcasters CTV and Canwest that if they want fee-for-carriage, they ought to just negotiate with the cable and satellite companies.  If the broadcasters got what they wanted, great.  If not, the broadcasters could just withdraw their content from transmission.

What the...?

Pay me, or I keep my stuff.  Isn't that the free market?  What is von Finckenstein playing at?

Does the poll hint at an opportunity about to be squandered by the Liberals?

I don't usually remark about polls.  Why?  Because I hate looking like a fool.  One day I curse polling as voodoo, then the next day I love polls for their remarkable insight into the mind of the voter, all based on whether I like the poll results, personally.

Still, the latest Ipson-Reid poll is interesting because even though it is the first poll that puts the Conservatives ahead, one some broader points, it agrees with all the rest of the polls that have been taken recently, and they all point to a difficult decision for the Liberals.

Dishonest Signalling: Is Michael Ignatieff the fiddler crab of Canadian politics?

It's always dangerous to draw too many parallels between humans and animal behaviour.  Humans make decisions based on complex tactical and strategic considerations with an eye to the costs and benefits over time.  Animals do to, to a point, but it is essentially instinctual and so is nearly as flexible.

But heck, I'm going to do it anyway.  Michael Ignatieff has been acting tough, threatening to "mess" with Stephen Harper if the Conservatives don't back off. 

When Michael Ignatieff threatens, I can't help but think of a fiddler crab.

Ruby Dhalla signs up sufficient donors; tough break for the Liberals

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla has succeeded in signing up sufficient Liberal Party donors to secure her candidacy for the riding of Brampton-Springdale.

I bet the Liberal Party leadership is looking at all that money the will be coming in, and cursing their bad luck.

Ruby Dhalla: Who exactly went to get the Aurora Villanueva signature?

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla seems to have dug her hole even deeper.  Facing allegations of mistreating illegally hired in-home caregivers, Ruby Dhalla is now alleged to have tricked an elderly woman seen as a leader of the Filipino community into signing a letter of support.

That woman is now forcefully withdrawing that support.

There is an important question that I haven't heard asked yet.  Who knew what Ruby Dhalla was doing?

Ruby Dhalla: Magdalene Gordo and Richelyn Tongson focus on the paperwork

In the case of allegations of mistreatment by Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla of two live-in caregivers and one housekeeper, the two sides have been taking turns going after the credibility of the other.

The latest salvo comes from the lawyer for the two caregivers, Magdalene Gordo and Richelyn Tongson.  The focus seems to be on the paperwork that allowed them to be hired. 

The attack ads are brilliant

There, I said it.  I'm swimming against the tide here, I know, but after the steady drumbeat of criticism aimed at the attack ads rolled out by the Conservatives targeting Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff, I figured someone had to point out that the ads are not insulting or demeaning or bad.

They're brilliant, and they perfectly frame everything that is wrong about Michael Ignatieff, everything that the media seems all too happy to ignore.

Stephen Harper: A decent, sincere and caring man, or so says another decent, sincere, and caring man

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan takes issue with Garth Turner in particular, and the media in general, in depicting Prime Minister Stephen Harper as cold and arrogant.

For the sake of balance, I think it would be useful to consider Rabbi Kaplan's view, if just for a moment.

Hypocritical Liberal criticizes parachuted politicians except his own

Can a politician just waltz into a community and expect people to ignore that this person is essentially a stranger when casting votes?

It's a complex question.  The key factor seem to be whether the person attempting to answer the question is a Liberal, and who the politician is. 

Hypocrisy abounds.

Why not ask the current live-in caregiver at the Dhalla household how conditions are?

It seems so obvious.  With the allegations and counter-allegations swirling around Ruby Dhalla and the question of how three live-in caregivers were treated, the simplest way to cut through the confusion is to ask the current live-in caregiver how she is being treated.

Michael Ignatieff flip-flops on June election threat

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has flip-flopped...again...

I know, it's gone past predictable.  It's reached the point of inevitability.

What is this this time?  Well, apparently we misinterpreted his threat to have a June election as a threat to have a June election.

Monthly payments to Mary Richelyn Tongson seemed spot on

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is fighting allegations of mistreatment of three former live-in caregivers.  One of the questions is whether they were underpaid.

Both the testimony of the caregivers and the paperwork published in the media indicate that the correct wages were paid for a 40-hour work week.

The real issue is not the money, but the hours worked.

Michael Ignatieff undermines Ruby Dhalla defense

It was either a slip of a tongue or an inadvertently revealing statement based on knowledge that he has but we don't, but either way, Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff needs to answer a very simple question.

Why did he say Ruby Dhalla employed the live-in caregivers that have alleged mistreatment, and that Ruby Dhalla denies ever hiring?

STV dies in BC: Good news for Canada

The bizarre Single Transferable Vote system has been rejected decisively by voters in British Columbia.  That's great news.

Coalition Games: Michael Ignatieff, the liar?

To accuse someone of being a liar is not a step lightly taken.  But Michael Ignatieff's irreconcilable statements concerning what he said of the coalition and what he thought of the coalition leave little wriggle room.

Who concocted the Ruby Dhalla conspiracy?

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is the victim of a shadowy conspiracy to sully her good name and ultimately destroy her political career.

The obvious question: Who is behind the conspiracy?

The real question: Who is behind the conspiracy theory?

Walking through the Dhalla handwriting

The Toronto Star published several original documents related to the Ruby Dhalla nanny affair.  I decided to walk thorugh the handwritten samples.  Nothing too surprising, but I figured I would published what I found out in case someone else sees something I don't.

Ruby Dhalla news conference? [Confirmed]

CityTV News is reporting that Ruby Dhalla is going to give a news conference today.

Ruby Dhalla is named as the employer from Hell by third foreign worker

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is having a lousy day.  Two former live-in caregivers have accused Ruby Dhalla of mistreatment.  They both maintain that Ruby Dhalla was involved in how they were treated, while part of Ruby Dhalla's defence has been that she spent much of her time in Ottawa, and that her bother Neil Dhalla managed the help.

A third foreign worker has come forward, and again, the finger is pointed directly at Ruby Dhalla, alleging that Ruby personally was involved in this sordid affair.

Clever Ruby Dhalla and her fake investigation

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is in big trouble.  Allegations of mistreatment of illegally hired live-in caregivers in her home have forced her to resign her post as Youth and Multiculturalism Critic, and has two Ontario cabinet ministers under fire.

In an attempt to get ahead of this, Ruby Dhalla wants the ethics commissioner to investigate the matter.  She hopes the ethics commissioner, Mary Dawson, will clear her name.

There's a fair chance that would happen, because the ethics commissioner's job is to deal with conflicts of interest.  There was no conflict of interest here.  So don't be fooled.

Ruby Dhalla creating even more headaches for Michael Ignatieff

If the nanny scandal that has engulfed Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla continues to grow, it could have serious implications at the federal level, providing a new means by which the timing of the next election could be manipulated by the different parties.

Michael Ignatieff is not standing by Ruby Dhalla

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla has resigned from her post Youth and Multiculturalism Critic.

That's just about sums up everything Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has to say on the matter.

The inside story on Garth Turner's non-appearance on The Michael Coren Show

Garth Turner, former Liberal MP for Halton, was supposed to appear on The Michael Coren Show.  He did not show up for the taping, and gave no advance notice, leaving CTS scrambling.  The appearance would have focused on Sheeple, Garth Turner's new book.  People at Key Porter Books, the publisher, were unable to explain what was happening.

So I asked around, and the details of the day's events are revealing.

Ruby Dhalla and strange letters

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is in the middle of a potentially career-ending crisis.  Allegations have been raised by two ex-nannies about abuse and mistreatment by members of the Dhalla household, including Ruby Dhalla.  Some elements of the allegations have been support by others, though nothing definitive has been established.  Ruby Dhalla is vigorously denying the allegations, speaking through a lawyer.

That lawyer has provided letters written by one of the nannies to refute part of the allegation concerning Ruby Dhalla withholding a passport and other documents.  I'm not sure these letters really help.

Ruby Dhalla: Nanny horror stories

Allegations of illegal hiring, of mistreatment, and of what essentially sounds like extortion?

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is facing some of the most serious allegations I've ever heard aimed at a sitting MP, of any party.

And like all allegations aimed at politicians, the truth of them (which have not been established in this case) matters less than the political impact.  In this case, unless Ruby Dhalla can deal with allegations quickly, this will become a test for new Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff.

Michael Ignatieff and his (mythical) learning society

Michael Ignatieff has finally won the Liberal Party leadership campaign!

Ok, that's not saying much, but technically, it's true.

With his win, Michael Ignatieff is starting to chart his vision for Canada.  He wants to transform Canada into something called a "learning society".

What the heck is that?

Read on and...well...learn.

Revisionism, courtesy of Michael Ignatieff

Michael Ignatieff provides us with an alternate account of how he came to be Liberal Party leader without having to actual campaign for it.  See, it was all just an accident.

Coalition Fallout: Michael Ignatieff reaps what he sowed

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff killed the formal Liberal-NDP coalition upon replacing Stephane Dion.  NDP leader Jack Layton was furious, and still is.  And now Jack Layton is having his revenge.

Tell the Liberals what you think about how to buy stocks

Scott Brison is mailing people in Newmarket, asking them, and possibly others, about their opinions about the current economic crisis.

This cuts across party lines.  I say we all offer our opinions.

Two very different meetings between Liberal MPs and Tamils

The recent demonstrations of Tamils in Toronto and Ottawa and elsewhere have resulted in some high-level but behind-the-scenes meetings between MPs of various parties and Tamil leaders.

The details of Michael Ignatieff's recent meeting gave cause to the National Post to praise the Liberal Party leader.  I wonder if Jonathan Kay knew the about a very different meeting involving Liberal MPs and Tamils that happened only a few weeks earlier.

I wonder if Michael Ignatieff knew about that meeting.

CUPE student paper links Jews to criticism of Sid Ryan and his academic boycott

Remember when Sid Ryan, the head of Ontario branch of CUPE suggested that Israeli academics be compelled to denounce Israel or be banned from Ontario universities?  It caused quite an uproar. 

Well, apparently, the uproar was stage-managed by the Jews.  Shocking, isn't it?

An attack on Stephen Harper, or just clever continuous journalism?

Yeah, I'll catch flak from conservatives on this one, but I just don't see what's wrong with the Harperdex.

David Suzuki wants to have a serious chat with Michael Ignatieff

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is having trouble making friends.  Hi problem, of course, is the way in which he will tell you one thing, then another in the space of days or even hours, depending on who he is trying to please.  Asbestos is good.  Asbestos is bad.  Israel was justified in the attack on Qana.  Israel committed war crimes in Qana.  Ignatieff will raise taxes.  Ignatieff won't raise taxes.  Ignatieff is for a carbon tax.  Ignatieff is against a carbon tax.

Michael Ignatieff has got David Suzuki pretty upset about that last one, that carbon tax thing.

Not everyone is buying into the Michael Ignatieff narrative

Michael Ignatieff, the soon-to-be-official leader of the Liberal Party, is a great speaker who charms his audiences on his way to becoming the next prime minister of Canada.

Or so the media narrative goes.

But not everyone is buying into it.  In this review of Michael Ignatieff's appearance in Niagara Falls, the Liberal leader is described as boring and patronizing.

Maybe this reporter didn't get the memo.

I call it the Smitherman Hum

A study suggests the obvious.  Being subjected to constant low frequency vibrations, like those that are caused by wind turbines, causes health problems.  Ontario's Minister of Energy, George Smitherman, has already said that the government of Ontario will simply ignore the complaints of residents and put windmills where ever he sees fit to put them.

I'm calling this Smitherman Hum.  Not the low frequency vibrations and constant background noise that might be at the root of the health problems being reported by people forced to live near wind farms, though that would be apt.  To be precise, the Smitherman Hum refers to the loud humming noise George Smitherman makes as he plugs his ears with his fingers so that he can pretend not to have heard Ontario residents who are demanding that their property rights be respected.

National Review is wrong: America can't do better than Janet Napolitano

The National Post has hit one out of the park.  The brutal lashing delivered to US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been showcased on the Drudge Report, and praised by the National Review.  But I think the National Review makes a mistake when it states that President Barack Obama could have done better than appoint someone as monumentally ignorant as Janet Napolitano to this most important post.

Something the CBC could learn from Canwest: Close the door to save costs

In a study in contrasts, the CBC, publicly funded broadcaster, is in trouble for what seems to be frivolous and insensitive spending, justified by an inexplicable inability to close the doors at meeting rooms at the CBC.  Canwest, on the other hand, has successfully negotiated past another deadline and continue to operate without government handouts.

Tamil protests in England getting hotter

As I've feared, as the Tamil Tigers face elimination in Sri Lanka, their supporters who are protesting in foreign capitals are being more frantic.

In England, several have attempted to immolate themselves.

Jack Layton and the NDP see polls and money, and so change tune

Jack Layton surprised no one when he suddenly spoke of working with the Conservative government to make EI work better.  Why isn't this a surprise?  Because of rumours that the Liberals, who are enjoying a jump in polling numbers, want to force an election in the fall.

But if the Liberals are going to attempt to force an election in the fall, they'll need the support of both the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois.  Thanks to Jean Chretien, though, the NDP might seriously look for reasons not to go to the polls.  It comes down to money, and the fact that when it comes to election timing, it is hard to imagine an election that is good both for the Liberals and the NDP.

That's why jack Layton's sudden turn around doesn't come as a surprise.

What will happen when the Tamil Tigers lose?

That the Tamil Tigers are about to be crushed by Sri Lankan forces is no longer in doubt.  An ultimatum has been issued, and refugees are streaming out of the 20 square kilometers that represent the last holdout of the rebel group.

But the Tamil Tigers have one weapon left in their arsenal, and that is the ability to rally thousands of supporters in demonstrations in places like Canada.  Such a rally is going to happen today.

What is going to happen tomorrow?

Steve Savage confirms infighting among Halton Liberals over the return of Garth Turner

Information continues to flow unabated to me from within the Halton Federal Liberal Association.

The latest is a letter from HFLA President Steve Savage asking that Liberals stop sending me information.

I guess that's sort of ironic.

But this letter is a good one.  Steve Savage discusses the internal dispute concerning strategy to fight an upcoming election, and appeals to a sense of Liberal unity to keep the dispute un wraps.

Yeah, too late for that.

Doug Allen and the Screen Actors Guild: Is there a warning for Ken Lewenza?

Chrysler Canada is in crisis.  A proposed move by Fiat to save Chrysler could fall apart because of what many see as intransigence by Ken Lewenza, the head of the Canadian Autoworkers Union.

There was another union head who came in to leader his membership to demand the best contract and only the best.  It was Doug Allen of the Screen Actors Guild.  Doug Allen was fired from his position as national executive director and chief negotiator, because his intransigence was seen as an impediment to progress to an acceptable contract by moderate members of the SAG.

So I wonder if Ken Lewenza's furious reaction to management contacting workers directly is rooted in fear.  Fear that he might end up like Doug Allen.

John McCallum: There are lies, and then there are pathetic lies

Federal Liberal finance critic John McCallum has been caught in a lie.  No he didn't steal money or fake his resume.  He drives an imported car (a Jetta, to be exact), but when asked, he bumbled and mumbled and said he drove a Chevy.

Pathetic.

Halton Liberals really need to let go of Garth Turner

Maybe it's a small thing.  Hey, as a website administrator myself, I rarely update this aspect of my website.  But the meta data for the keywords and description of a website ought to be updated when a major change happens.

It's not like it happens all that often.

Losing a re-election bid is the sort of thing that happens only once in a while.  You'd think that would be momentous enough to prompt a refresh of the Halton Liberal riding association website.  But no.  According to the meta data, the website is about Garth Turner, and providing support for him.

True to form, Michael Ignatieff attempts to clarify his off-the-cuff promise to raise taxes

Within hours, Michael Ignatieff is attempting to clarify his promise to raise taxes.  No surprise there, except perhaps with the speed at which we've arrived at the "clarification" stage.  Usually it takes a few days.

I guess Michael Ignatieff's handlers are getting better with all practise they've been getting.

Michael Ignatieff: Asbestos? Qana? Senate appointments? And now higher taxes?

When Michael Ignatieff wandered off his prepared text to answer a question on asbestos, he messed up the answer, and had to flip-flop within days.

When Michael Ignatieff wandered off his prepared text to answer a question on Israeli actions in Lebanon, he messed up the answer, and had to flip-flop within days.

When Michael Ignatieff wandered off his prepared text to answer a question on Senate appointments, he messed up the answer, and had to flip-flop within days.

Now Michael Ignatieff is threatening to raise taxes, and did so when he wandered off his prepared text.  Are we going to be treated to another flip-flop in the coming days?

A message to Michael Ignatieff: Stop with the crap about children and taxes

I should be fair to Michael Ignatieff and point out he's certainly not the only politician who does this.  But I'm calling him out on it, because he's supposed to be such a smart guy.  What irks me is this business of not loading deficits onto our children by raising taxes today.

What garbage!

Garth Turner and Michael Ignatieff crossing paths this week in Halton

Garth Turner, former Liberal MP for Halton and Stephane Dion booster, is launching his newest book in Halton next month.  The launch party is actually a fundraiser for the Halton Liberal riding association. 

Garth Turner's appearances are being arranged by Liberal riding association president Steve Savage, who seems to be focused on the Turner-dominated past, and not on a Turner-free future.

But then, maybe not.  What if Garth Turner is hoping to be part of the Liberal story in Halton again?

I wonder if Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is finally going to say anything about this.  Ignatieff has a perfect chance to put an end to some of this speculation and uncertainty.  That opportunity presents itself this Wednesday when Ignatieff addresses the Oakville Chamber of Commerce.  Oakville is, of course, in the riding of Halton.

Remarkably, this is the same day (I am told) Garth Turner is holding court (again) in nearby Milton.

Coincidence?  A setup for a big announcement?  Or a clash?

Bob Rae embraces American election software to manage donations

Liberal MP Bob Rae has shifted his fundraising efforts an American electioneering software giant, abandoning the Liberal Party donation page for his leadership campaign debts.

I know the Liberals have purchased the same software the Democrats use in the United States for tracking voter intention and integrating polling data and such, but it surprises me that the Bob Rae is funnelling donation money through the US.

Cheering for Tamil political suicides

The Tamil protests in Ottawa are a nuisance, and in all likelihood, won't escalate past the level of a nuisance.

But in looking into some of the links that lead from this story, I find myself concerned that there are those who might not mind seeing these protests become something more.

GTAA board takes action to save jobs -- their own

People are losing jobs in this recession, and it is good to hear of a company trying hard not to lay off employees.  In this case, though, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority board of directors is taking action to save their own jobs.

Oh well.  Still counts, I guess.

In any case, the GTAA is admitting that the correct response to the discovery of a security breach is to close the security breach, and not to attack the people who found the breach.

Another Mathias Rust or another Charles Bishop?

A developing story has a Cessna 172 out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, refusing to respond to ground control, now flying over American airspace.

It recalls the Mathias Rust story in many ways.  Or perhaps it will end tragically like the story of Charles Bishop.

Greenpeace admits it was behind the iodine pill scare

Toronto Police Services are investigating an incident in which what looks like an iodine pill was left at a residence, along with some sort of message about the dangers of nuclear power.

The pill and the message were left, allegedly, by Greenpeace.  [Update: Greenpeace admits they were behind the scheme.]

The Torono police are not amused.  They don't like it when medication is left out where anyone, including children, can find it.

Watching David Suzuki get blasted by self-righteous statistic-quoting environmentalists

Imagine David Suzuki being raked over the coals by a bunch of holier-than-thou environmentalists.

Well, it's happening for real, but no, it's not as much fun to watch as I imagined it would be.

It's more fun!

Michael Ignatieff is a liar? Thems fightin' words!

Calling Michael Ignatieff an out-and-out liar has got to hurt.  I doubt it'll precipitate a rebellion in the Liberal ranks, but Michael Ignatieff has been wounded by this.  He's made a mess of a question on asbestos, and in doing so, he's managed to look like a rank amateur.  That will take time and effort to repair.

An interesting response from the GTAA regarding the security breach

The GTAA has responded to the ballsy move by Transport Minister John Baird and Senator Colin Kenny to breach security at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

They just walked onto the tarmac, where planes loaded with men, women, and children were idling, loaded with thousands of gallons of highly flammable jet fuel.

The response from the GTAA?  Withdraw the privileges from the four RCMP officers who quietly accompanied the pair, for not having stopped the two from making fools of the GTAA board.

I have a response of my own, directed to the board.

We should fire...you...all.

John Baird and Colin Kenny: Men of action

John Baird and Colin Kenny, Conservative Transport Minister and Liberal Senator, respectively, broached security at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. 

Good for them!

Volksfront fundraiser: Thanks from British Columbia

I've just received a letter from British Columbia, with regards to that white supremacist fundraiser that I wrote about back in February.  It seems like I did indeed play some role in messing up their plans to raise money for Richard Kemp.

Sometimes, you have good days, and then you have really good days.  This is a really good day.

Battling Jason Kenney: George Galloway overcompensates

British MP George Galloway has been barred from entering Canada.  This decision has been upheld by the courts.

Predictably, George Galloway has turned this into a testosterone-soaked battle of wills with Jason Kenney.

Liberal Party: The Alfred Apps email is a dead letter

In an attempt to get ahead of the story, Rocco Rossi and Steve MacKinnon have announced that the Liberal Party will not be accepting donations to the Michael Ignatieff leadership campaign fund as a way of purchasing tickets to a fundraising dinner.  Only donations to the party count.

People who have already donated to the party at their limit are out of luck.

Before giving, ask Bob Rae how much he needs for his leadership fund

Politicians raise money.  That's fine.  Leadership candidates need money to run for party leaderships.  That's also fine.

But with the recent controversy over incoming Liberal Party president Alfred Apps email to wealthy Liberal donors encouraging them to donate to Michael Ignatieff's campaign fund, a campaign in which he is the only contender, I think it's fair to ask whether Bob Rae really needs to money.

Because Bob Rae is still asking for donations for his leadership campaign that ended back in December.

Will Garth Turner turn on the Liberals in his latest book?

Former Liberal MP Garth Turner is back in Halton, helping out the local Liberals raise money through the launch of his latest book, a tell-all expose of his time in Ottawa.

Is everyone certain that Michael Ignatieff is on board with this?

Some people miss Garth Turner

Halton Lib­er­als are up in arms. Steve Sav­age, the rid­ing as­so­ci­ation pres­id­ent, wrote warmly of former MP Garth Turn­er, and sug­ges­ted that un­der Mi­chael Ig­natieff, it wasn't likely Garth Turn­er's re­place­ment would be as ef­fect­ive as Turn­er was. That promp­ted an­oth­er group of Halton Lib­er­als to make it crys­tal clear that they nev­er want to see Garth Turn­er again.

Meanwhile, squirrels are nervous.

Michael Ignatieff and the ongoing expenses

As the sole contender in the Liberal Party leadership non-race, it stands to reason that Michael Ignatieff is not going to accrue any expenses.  It matters, because it would then suggest that pleas to donate to his leadership fund constitute a cynical attempt to get around donation limits, since any surplus in the fund will flip to the Liberal Party.

So I looked over the costs of running a leadership race to try and guess what more needs to be spent.

One Liberal tried to suggest the sorts of expenses that would need to be covered, but he just confirmed what Alfred Apps and others are denying, and that is that any donations to the Michael Ignatieff leadership fund are really destined for the Liberal Party.

Really, they need to get their stories straight.

Pierre Poilievre asks Commissioner of Elections Canada to look into Michael Ignatieff leadership fund donation scheme

The story of Alfred Apps, the incoming president of the Liberal Party, asking dozens of high-powered and wealthy Liberal supporters to donate twice to the Liberal Party, continues to build up steam.

The media is all over it already.  And now the Commissioner of Elections Canada has been asked to look into the issue.

Donation tactic generating some heat for the Liberals

Recently I wrote about a donation tactic that the Liberals are using to maximize their fundraising.  The tactic appears legal, but the optics are lousy.  Now it seems like the Liberals are scurrying to spin the message.  This is never a good sign.

Michael Ignatieff uses leadership fund surplus to do end-run around donation limits

In an email that was mistakenly distributed far too widely, we learn of a plan to have Liberal donors donated double the amount legally allowed.  They'll do this by donating to Michael Ignatieff's leadership fund, which is in surplus, and then transferring the surplus to the party.

This is legal, apparently.  I suppose every leadership candidate's leadership campaign funds could be used this way.

But somehow I don't think the legislation was intended to make leadership funds conduits for extra cash, not when everyone involved is told outright that the fund is no longer paying off campaign debts.

TV advertising primer

I'm no expert on the subject of the economics of TV advertising, but I've written quite a few pieces recently on CanWest and the need to redesign the fee model for television.  Based on comments and emails, I think quite a few people are still not clear just how cable and satellite distribution hurts broadcasters, and why broadcasters are owed some sort of compensation.

So I'm going to try and explain how it all works.

More trouble for Ruby Dhalla?

Some obscure (and rather trashy) Indian website might cause Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla even more heartburn.  Besides disparaging her political aspirations, it alleges that there is another movie in which Ruby Dhalla appears. 

A Note to George Galloway: We owe you nothing

George Galloway, the radical British MP who praises terrorists, is being denied entry into Canada. 

Predictably, George Galloway is whining about his rights.

George Galloway has rights, of course.  They're just entirely irrelevant in this situation.

The foreign buy-out bogeyman is more dramatic than the truth

Charlie Smith of straight.com online is issuing a dire warning to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Help CanWest at your peril!

Cue the ominous thunderclap.  Crash!  Boom!

It's all nonsense of course.  The truth is far more pedestrian, but also incredibly important to understand if we are to save Canadian television for the future.  Don't be distracted by the tortured imaginings of Charlie Smith and people like him.

Will Phil Lind of Rogers Communications back fee-for-carriage now?

I doubt it.  But in 2008, when Leonard Asper of CanWest and Ivan Fecan of CTVglobemedia put aside their differences to jointly address the CRTC on the question of carriage fees, Phil Lind of Rogers Communications dismissed their concerns on the basis that there was no need for carriage fees, since the broadcasters were profitable at the time.

Does that mean that Phil Lind will support carriage fees today?  Someone should ask him.

No bailout for the CRTC!

With news that the government is looking at helping out Canada's private broadcasters, it is imperative that whatever else happens, this does not a result into a bailout for the CRTC.  The regulator needs to be held to account for its considerable level of responsibility for the situation that we find ourselves in.

Will a permanent change for Canadian television come in on time?

It would be churlish of me to point out that setting up the rules for Canadian television broadcasters such that they actually have a chance to succeed is something that ought to have been done years ago.  But better late than never, as long as it doesn't turn out to be too late.

Unfortunately, it seems like it going to be a photo finish.

Launching the mobile edition of Angry in the Great White North

On the heals of the recent design upgrade, I'm also launching the mobile edition of Angry in the Great White North.  I have no idea how many mobile phone users read blogs with their phones, but providing them with a subdomain and a XHTML-MP compliant version of the website is not all that much trouble.

Tamil Tiger Rally: Did Derek Lee or Gurbax Singh Malhi see the INHCU petition?

The recent controversy that erupted when Liberal MP Gurbax Singh Malhi appeared at a Tamil rally continues to raise questions for me.  Digging deeper into the background of the rally, I find it difficult to understand how Liberal MP Derek Lee, who encouraged Liberals to attend the rally, could have believed that this rally was not going to feature a strong Tamil Tiger presence.

The Tamil Tigers have been designated a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.

I'm looking at the petition around which this rally was organized.  It demands that the Canadian government legitimize the Tamil Tigers by appointing an official contact.

Gary Goodyear and the Anti-Faith Brigade

My local MP, Gary Goodyear, is under fire, for refusing to submit to a self-appointed scientific inquisition.  Why?  Because scientists disappointed that funding is being curtailed in this recession have decided to tie that to the oh-so-important question about his belief in evolution.  Somehow they think that it is faith that is driving funding questions -- or that's what they want to think.  As if the recession isn't real.

CanWest needs a future in order to survive the present

CanWest Global has dodged the bankruptcy bullet for the moment.  First, the Aspers got an extension from creditors to mid-April.  Now they are using this time (and an injection of funds from an old debt) to work with bondholders to come up with a solution that both sides can live with.

This is great news...but that success is based on convincing banks and bondholders that there is a profitable future for CanWest.  The CRTC can do a lot to make that happen.

Liberal Helpings: Not much in the way of momentum yet

Liberal Helpings is the name for a Liberal Party fundraising effort in which people will host private parties to sign up members and raise funds.  All the parties will be on March 27, so that Michael Ignatieff can do some sort of conference call or taped greeting.

Here's an update.  It doesn't look good for the Liberals.

May be doctored? Ruby Dhalla is sounding less certain today [Update]

Yesterday news broke of an effort by Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla to prevent the DVD distribution of Kyon?  Kis Liye?, a Bollywood-style movie she starred in, filmed in Hamilton in 2003.

The film has already seen theatrical release.

She alleges, among other things, that the promotional still photos were doctored, with her head being superimposed on another woman's body.

Today, though, she seems less certain.

But the Liberals told us Ruby Dhalla's movie was a hidden jewel

It's funny how things can change on a dime.  A few years ago, Liberal Heritage Minister Sheila Copps is raising a glass to toast Chico Sihra for bringing Bollywood movies to Hamilton.  She even called Kyon?  Kis Liye? a hidden jewel.

Today, though, Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla, who starred in the film, wants distribution stopped.  And Chico Sihra?  Not so much a hero bringing money and jobs to Hamilton, but a crass opportunist.

It fits into a pattern in which Ruby Dhalla seems to be trying to erase all references to this part of her past.

Ruby Dhalla has mysterious run-in with Tamils [Updates]

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla has had some sort of trouble regarding Tamils.  The details are sketchy, and no one seems to be talking.

If it weren't for the fact that the police had become involved, we might not have even heard about it.

Tamil Tigers! Freedom Fighters! LTTE! Freedom Fighters! Our leader! Prabhakaran!

This was the roar from the crowd on March 5, gathered in front of Parliament Hill.

Not just one or two, but all of them.

Loudly.

Repeatedly.

Led by the rally organizers.

So just who exactly told Liberal MP Derek Lee that this was not going to be a Tamil Tiger rally?

Concerns about Khaled Mouammar first raised in 2005

Canadian Arab Federation President Khaled Mouammar is under some suspicion, now that the National Post has revealed that when he was on the Immigration and Refugee Board, all Arabs that came in front of him were allowed into the country.

Khaled Mouammar is the patriarch of a family of radicalized Palestinians.  His daughter supports the "No One Is Illegal" movement that aims to remove all immigration restrictions, and was named a leader of the infamous Concordia riots of 2002 that forced the cancellation of a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu.  Khaled Mouammar himself wrote approvingly of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, and in support of Hezbollah.

Concerns about his suitability for the IRB were first raised on this blog in 2005. 

Jim Prentice and Jason Kenney: Strange resemblance?

Have you noticed that Jim Prentice and Jason Kenney are almost twins?  No?  Truth is, neither have I.  They don't look anything alike.  But some people seem to be confused.

Global warming believers build in the escape hatch

As many people have heard, a new study admits that the Earth has not been warming as predicted, but actually cooling off.

But leave it to the global warming crowd to turn this into a win-win for them.

Does Gurbax Singh Malhi take Michael Ignatieff for a fool?

When an MP who spent the almost the first thirty years of his life in India earning a degree in Politics and History suddenly claims to have no understanding of the significance of the flag of the Tamil Tigers, something just doesn't add up.

But that is what Liberal MP Gurbax Singh Malhi is claiming, having been caught on video supporting the "fight" at a Tamil demonstration, one that featured a heavy presence of Tamil Tiger sympathizers.  The Tamil Tigers have been classified as a terrorist organization in Canada.

I have no doubt that Michael Ignatieff has asked for an explanation.  If Gurbax Singh Malhi is spinning the same story behind closed doors as he is stating publicly, then he is treating his party's leader with as much disrespect as he has treated us.

It'll be interesting to see if Michael Ignatieff will tolerate it.  Of course, Michael Ignatieff's track record is poor when it comes to demanding that MPs behave.

Michael Ignatieff opens the door to future scandals

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is a man of ideas.  I'm just not certain they're all good ideas.

The latest one is obligating Liberal MPs to maintain a certain level of dues-paying membership in his riding or be forced to fight a fresh nomination battle before the next election.

And with that, Michael Ignatieff has rendered donation limits meaningless.

My TV is broken -- and together we have an opportunity to fix it

My TV is broken.  Oh, I still get a picture and sound from it, but the Canadian TV model is breaking down.  I would like to fix it, but like all good medicine, a lot of people are not going to like the taste of it.

Unfortunately, the right solution will most adversely affect people who seem to think that they are the only ones with good taste, period.

Michael Ignatieff acknowledges Elizabeth May's uselessness

In a move that will continue the process in which the Green Party of Canada becomes marginalized and irrelevant, Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has announced that the Liberal Party will run candidates in every riding in Canada in the next election.  That includes whatever riding Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader, decides to run in.  In other words, the deal between Igantieff's predecessor, Stephane Dion, and May, in which the Liberals withdrew their candidate from Central Nova where May was running.

Consider what Stephane Dion got for his accommodation of May, and where that got him, and you get a sense of what Michael Ignagtieff thinks of Elizabeth May.

Liberal Helpings: Serving up a plate of unreported contributions?

The Liberals are going to try another fund-raising idea.  In this case, private get-togethers on March 27. 

Michael Ignatieff will even attend.  By video conference.

Sounds like a great idea, except for one thing.  These get-togethers are hardly private, what with Liberal Party resources being applied to make them happen.  So as party functions, the money the host puts into the party for food or space (the Liberal Party suggests renting space might be a good idea for larger parties) ought to be counted as contributions to the party, subject to all the normal restrictions (can only come individuals, can't exceed $1100 in a year, must be reported in full, receipts must be issued, etc, etc).

Funny, but the Liberal Helpings website neglects to mention any of that.

Canwest and the CBC: Problems and solutions

It would be funny if it weren't so sad.  Canwest, a private broadcaster owned and operated by the Asper family, is suffering in these economic times.  So is the CBC, our taxpayer-funded public broadcaster.

Ironically, one of the potential solutions for Canwest is not available because of rules designed to keep Americans off Canada's airwaves.  It's ironic because the CBC is looking to more American content to save its financial bacon.

Dalton McGuinty deals a blow to home sales (and targets the elderly homeowner in particular)

Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty has dealt a body-blow to home sales in Ontario.  By promising to impose energy audits on home sales, Dalton McGuinty has made selling a home a far less attractive proposition. 

And if you are a retiree living in the home you bought forty years ago, you are in for a world of pain if circumstances force you to sell.

Douglas Ferguson hopes the Liberal Party will become open, accountable, creative, well-funded, and progressive

One of the problems inherent is trying to improve an organization is that in setting goals and expectations, you are implicitly stating that these are where you are currently failing.

For the Liberal Party, everyone knows that the party needs to work on fundraising.  There's no point in trying to deny that, what with the data available at the Elections Canada site for all to see. 

But it's just the money, right?  I mean, the Liberal Party is still a great force for progressive ideals, right?

Douglas Ferguson, writing at the En Famille website, lists all the failings of the Liberal Party.

It covers essentially everything.

Bob Rae embarrasses Canadians with his man crush on Barack Obama

Sorry for the delay in getting to this, but real life just gets in the way.  These last few days have like that, and shockingly, it has had nothing to do with Barack Obama's visit.

I know, it seemed like nothing was happening but The Visitation.

Like most Canadians, though, Barack Obama's visit had absolutely no impact on me whatsoever.

But it has provided me with some grist for the blogging mill, and in particular, the comments made by Bob Rae.

Volksfront International Mid-Winter Gathering: Putting the brakes on fundraising for Richard Kemp

I've been delving deeper into the fundraiser that was to be held in British Columbia, hosted by the white supremacist group Volksfront International.  As you might recall, I posted about this fundraiser, noting that it looked like it had not been properly licenced by provincial authorities.

In just under 24 hours, Volksfront International announced via a forum posting that the fundraising element of the Mid-Winter Gathering had been canceled.

So what was the fundraising for?  Apparently it was for Richard Kemp, and that makes for an interesting story.

Did this blog kill the Volksfront fundraiser?

In my last post, I looked into a fundraiser planned in British Columbia by the white supremacist group, Volksfront International.

Now a new posting has appeared in a white supremacist forum that had been promoting the gathering.  Suddenly, without explanation, the fundraiser is off.

Volksfront Canada gambling fundraiser in British Columbia: Properly licenced? Maybe not. [Updated]

The Volk are coming to British Columbia!

That's right.  In just five days, on February 21, the Volksfront International will be having their first ever annual Mid-Winter Gathering.

There will be a raffle.  There will be poker.  There will be all sorts of fundraising.

Which makes me wonder if these white supremacists remembered to apply for their Class B gaming event licence. I'm not certain Volksfront would be eligible given the nature of their organization.

Gee, could this post put their plans in jeopardy?  Wouldn't that be a shame.

Update: Shockingly, it seems that this is exactly what has happened.  Within 24 hours of this post going up, Volksfront International announces there will be no fundraising at the Mid-Winter Gathering.

The strange math of Navdeep Bains

After a general election, candidates are required to submit a complete accounting of donations and expenditures to Elections Canada.  They have four months to do it (as per 451(4)).  The last election was held on October 14, so we're at that time.

For candidates who submitted early, the material is now online.  I grabbed Navdeep Bains' filing, essentially at random, and found the Liberal MP's filing to be very curious.

Call it New Math, but the numbers don't add up.

Queen's University blames students for diversity police fiasco; plans to rein in student organizations

You might recall the controversy surrounding the projected being implemented at Queen's University in Kingston, in which trained facilitators would listen in on the conversations of students, ready to jump in and correct politically incorrect speech.

At least that's how the program was described in the media, and despite protestations to the contrary, this element was a major part of the program.

A report has been delivered to the university, recommending that the program be eliminated immediately.  The right decision, to be sure, but it is amusing how, buried in the report, is a clear assignment of fault.  This idea that has caused so much heartburn came from the students, and not the faculty or the school administration.

Going forward, the report recommends, the university ought to exercise a great deal more oversight over student organizations who aren't directly supporting the university mission of teaching.

Michael Ignatieff, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Russian neo-imperialism, and Ukrainian nationalism

Sometimes people try to derive some humour from Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff's Russian heritage.  It is rather special -- most Canadians of Russian descent can't count Russian nobility in their family tree, while Michael Ignatieff can boast a grandfather, Count Pavel Ignatieff.

But besides an accident of birth, Michael Ignatieff has another, more interesting link, with Mother Russia.  That would be a shared attitude with Russia's modern czar, Vladimir Putin, concerning the true nationhood of the Ukraine.

This is important on a number of fronts.  Ukrainians, both at home and around the world, are worried about sharing a border with Putin's Russia, and there may come a time when they'll be looking for the support of the world community.

It is an open question as to whether Michael Ignatieff would side with Vladimir Putin if Russia was to lay claim on the Ukraine.

Also interesting is that this is another example of Michael Ignatieff running counter to Liberal policy.  But then that policy was described by Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, a Ukrainian-Canadian, who has been dumped from any role in Michael Ignatieff's caucus. 

Borys Wrzesnewskyj's demotion to the backbenches is a big deal in the Ukrainian-Canadian community.

A lot of Ukrainian-Canadians are wondering just what Michael Ignatieff really thinks of Ukrainians.

Liberal Party seems fine with a token turnout to see Michael Ignatieff crowned as leader

The upcoming Liberal Party convention in Vancouver is turning out to be a bust.  Simply put, no one is coming. Not quite no one, but as conventions go, this one will seem empty.

No one in the Liberal Party seems too concerned.  Indeed, I get a sense that top Liberals are secretly relieved.

Mike Duffy and the Senate Problem

Mike Duffy highlights, by contrast, what is wrong with the Senate.  It seems to me that people think that making the Senate work means making it elected.  Well, if we elect a bunch of do-nothings, the Senate won't be any better.

The Senate is seen to be a failure because of who is in it, not because of how they got there.

Conservatives planning for the next battle, not the last one

Thanks to Jane Taber, we have some insight into Conservative planning for the next election.  For a Conservative, it is good to read that the party is not planning to fight the last battle again.

Mike Duffy earns his keep in his first week

In his first week, Mike Duffy has done more to make the Senate relevant to Canadians, and in particular, to the people of PEI, than anyone in living memory ever has.

Not bad for a rookie.

The Liberal Party needs rules about ignoring Michael Ignatieff

Now that Michael Ignatieff has formerly recognized the principle of a one-use only coupon to be cashed in by MPs to vote contrary to the Liberal Party line, I have some questions regarding how this coupon works.

Budget Vote Fallout: Piteous cheering from a rotten borough

Watch Michael Ignatieff and Danny Williams congratulate themselves for accomplishing nothing positive with the budget vote drama.  It's pathetic.

Michael Ignatieff caves to Danny Williams

Michael Ignatieff has decided that the intransigence of MPs from Newfoundland and Labrador is going to be rewarded.  While MPs from other provinces are going to have to toe the party line, the rebels who have been promising to vote against the budget in order to please their constituents and appease Premier Danny Williams will be allowed the latitude to do so.

MPs from other provinces, however, will be forced to explain why they supported the Conservative budget.

They'll also be forced to explain why they didn't take a hard line against Michael Ignatieff.  Apparently if an MP just digs in his heels, he'll get a pass from the Liberal Party leader.

Michael Ignatieff is already wounded, even if he reins in his MPs

No matter what happens with the budget vote, Michael Ignatieff has already been wounded by a revolt in his caucus.  Why?  Because the revolt has been slow moving, incremental, and public.

More interesting is the money the Liberals didn't keep

With the release of the quarterly returns for the end of 2008, you can find all sorts of interesting nuggets.

Seriously, these don't add up to much, but they do pique my interest.

In this case, it's a matter of looking over the money returned by the Liberal Party.

Insider Leak: Purge of Stephane Dion appointees by Michael Ignatieff means Liberal Party can't afford to staff key positions

It seems like it was just last week when Michael Ignatieff warned against any more insider leaks.  Liberal Party communications would be carefully managed and controlled.

Hey, it was just last week!

I guess it'll take a while for the message to sink in, because today we are being told by an inside source that the costs associated with Michael Ignatieff's preemptive take-over the Liberal Party leadership six months ahead of the leadership convention are such that Michael Ignatieff can't afford to fully staff his office in key roles.  What are these costs?  The cost of purging all the Stephane Dion appointments.

Of course, the official Liberal Party word is very different.  The talent search is taking longer, that's all. 

I might have believed that, except for the insider leak.  That one that should not have happened.

Federal Party Financial Returns: Liberals still struggling, coalition helped Conservatives

Elections Canada has released the financial returns for the last quarter of 2008.  Overall, not much has changed.  The Liberals can't hold a candle to the Conservative fund-raising machine.  But looking closely, we see the Liberals gaining a modicum of traction, and it'll be interesting to see if they can capitalize on that.  One thing that didn't help was the idea of a coalition.  The spike in donations is quite remarkable -- for the Conservatives!

Danny Williams puts Michael Ignatieff's leadership to the test

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has rejected a coalition with the NDP, and will instead lead his caucus to vote in support of the Conservative budget.

Now that's leadership!

But disconcertingly, Judy Foote and Scott Andrews, Liberal MPs from Newfoundland and Labrador, will vote against the budget, taking their cue from Premier Danny Williams.

So who leads the federal Liberal caucus?  I guess the jury is still out on that question.

Jack Layton starts attacking Michael Ignatieff

Jack Layton and the NDP are not just criticizing Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff's decision to support the Conservative budget.  They are spending money on radio ads that put Michael Ignatieff squarely in the crosshairs.

But I don't see these ads amounting to much.  If I think they're a waste of resources, then you have to think there are some in the NDP thinking the same thing.  Is that ultimately going to cause Jack Layton problems down the road?

Betrayal and Consequences: Jack Layton versus Michael Ignatieff

The Liberal-NDP-Bloc Quebecois coalition is dead!

The noise you hear is the chortling from the right, and though I'm pleased with this particular result, I want to focus on potential consequences that are both more interesting and more serious.

Who is in Jack Layton's sights now?  Stephen Harper?  Or Michael Ignatieff, the guy who just made sure Jack Layton is not going to have any significant face time with Barack Obama next month?

Michael Ignatieff delivers an budget amendment that measures his progress (or lack thereof)

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has brought down his momentous decision on the Conservative budget.

It will pass!

Well, not so fast.  Stephen Harper has to deliver a report every three months.

Ironically, these reports are not going to measure Stephen Harper's success as prime minister, but will instead focus on Michael Ignatieff's progress as Liberal leader.

For his sake, Michael Ignatieff is going to have to turn things around quickly, because he's already off to a bad start.

Fixing the economic engine

Maybe it's because I'm an engineer, and not an ideologue, but I'm not frantic over the budget.  Some bloggers from the right are going on about abandoned principles and promising to leave the party or never vote again or whatever.

Relax guys.  Just remember two points.  First, every engine runs down on occasion, victim of the inevitable accumulation of friction, or sometimes of a dramatic failure of an important part.

And second, when that happens (and it will happen), get a mechanic who understands what needs to be done, but who is not in love with the idea of tinkering with your engine.

Dwight Duncan gives no credit to Michael Ignatieff

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and his finance minister, Dwight Duncan, are getting ready to cough up cash, a lot of cash, to meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper on infrastructure spending goals in the upcoming budget. 

That's because the expectation is that federal cash will be made available on a matching basis, and the Ontario government thinks that's fair.

That's very generous of the governing Ontario Liberals.  It is also very generous of the Ontario Liberals to give credit to the federal Conservatives for what will be in the upcoming budget.

On the other hand, the Ontario Liberals seem miserly when it comes to giving credit to Michael Ignatieff and the federal Liberals. 

Michael Ignatieff continues to construct excuses to vote for the Conservative budget

It's been interesting to watch Michael Ignatieff building up a collection of excuses with which to use to justify voting for the Conservative budget today.  It's important, because Michael Ignatieff wants neither to fight an election, nor be associated with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois in a coalition.  The only other option is to allow the Conservative budget to pass, and Michael Ignatieff needs a credible way to let that happen.

I just received Michael Ignatieff's latest excuse by email.  It is very interesting on several points.

Michael Ignatieff's tough talk tells me he will support the budget

The headline sounds so ominous: "Opposition threatens Tories over tax cuts"

But really, the threat is so meaningless that anyone who bothers the read the article would wonder who would be impressed by Michael Ignatieff.

My guess is that Liberal partisans are the only ones who would be thrilled by this chest-thumping display.  But the fact that Michael Ignatieff is playing to them tells me he is still engaged in repairing the Liberal Party, and that means he will support the budget after all.

Masoda Younasy and Jason Kenney: Two heroes

This is one of those stories for which the Conservative government will be guaranteed not to get enough credit for the actions taken.

Still, in the hope that maybe things can change, let's highlight this story of how Jason Kenney and his people acted decisively to save the life of Masoda Younasy, a brave woman in Afghanistan.

Stephane Dion is out, and so is Elizabeth May

Michael Ignatieff has revealed his list of critics, and nowhere does former leader Stephane Dion appear.

Chuckle if you will about how far Stephane Dion has fallen, but I'm thinking about what this means to Elizabeth May and the Green Party.

Thanks to an insider leak, we learn about Michael Ignatieff's warning against insider leaks

Michael Ignatieff hosted a two-day retreat with the Liberal caucus this past week.  Thanks to a media leak from a Liberal insider, we have learned that Michael Ignatieff sternly warned Liberals against leaks to the media.

If irony caused global warming, polar bears would be applying suntan lotion right now.

The coalition? What coalition? Michael Ignatieff is not talking about the coalition

Hey, what happened to the Liberal-NDP coalition?  The National Post and other papers are carrying a Reuters report on Michael Ignatieff's latest statements concerning the upcoming budget, and nowhere in the report, or in Michael Ignatieff's quotes, does the word "coalition" appear.

Based on this story, Michael Ignatieff is of the mind that there will be a budget or an election -- nothing else.

So what exactly did Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff chat about on Monday?

Michael Ignatieff talks tough, but at En Famille, the Liberal Party is not talking election or coalition

In the few weeks since Michael Ignatieff was appointed leader of the Liberal Party without the bother of a leadership convention or a vote, you'd expect he'd be busy re-building the party.

And he has been working at it, but there is a long way to go.

So why is it that he keeps threatening, in very specific terms, to trigger an election that the Liberal Party is in no shape to fight?  And this is a relatively new thing -- over the weeks his rhetoric has shifted from working with the Conservatives to rolling the dice on tossing them from power.

The reason it seems so strange is that, under the covers at En Famille, where only Liberals are allowed to look, I don't see evidence of a party gearing for an election or for governance, but instead a party that has barely started on the process of rebuilding.

Obamaspam: Computers of Barack Obama fans are being targeted

I got some spam email today that didn't appear too spammy.  I followed the link to site that seemed sort of legit, but turned out to be a site dedicated to distributing a backdoor Trojan that makes your system vulnerable to being taken over using IRC.

What makes this site interesting is that it is a polished looking site dedicated to Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  Instead of aiming at desperately lonely men who are hoping to improve their performance with questionable drugs bought online, these criminals are trying get control of computers of Americans searching for information on Barack Obama. 

Reporters, politicians, financiers -- it's a bit scary.

Library and Archives Canada -- Blogs and History

I got an email late this afternoon from Library and Archives Canada that left me at a loss for words.  Apparently, blogs in general, and my blog in particular, have a historical value worth preserving.

Honestly, it's humbling.

Michael Ignatieff and the role of a coalition

Listen to Michael Ignatieff speak about a potential coalition government.  It always seems like he's talking about the coalition as a tool to bring out the best in the Conservatives, not a means of replacing them with Liberals and NDP MPs.

Makes you wonder how Jack Layton puts up with it.

Canadian Blog Awards -- Second Place

The 2008 Canadian Blog Awards have been coming to a close, and to be honest, I've been deliberately ignoring them.  But it wasn't because I didn't appreciate the nomination.  I just decided this year to not push for votes, and just let the contest run its course.

Truth be told, I was surprised by the result.

Questions about Peter Stoffer

NDP MP Peter Stoffer is in the news for having the temerity to suggest that Jack Layton dump the knee-jerk behaviour of a ideologue and replace it with considered thought and deliberation.

And immediately all sorts of questions come to mind.

Sid Ryan gets sidelined

Sid Ryan, the president of CUPE Ontario, has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism regarding his announcement to pursue of ban of Israeli academics at Ontario universities unless they make a public denouncement of Israel's actions against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

But now on the CUPE Ontario website, history is being rewritten.  A call to boycott Israeli academics?  Never happened.  It was misunderstood.  Sid Ryan never meant it.

Polygamy: Outlawed for a reason (which few people will want to hear)

Polygamy is about to become the next great moral battleground in the legal war on marriage.  And as with gay marriage, the correct and logical conclusion on the issue of polygamy is that it is not a desirable form of marriage, and indeed, threatens society as a whole.

And as with gay marriage, I have no doubt that the people who will judge this issue will utterly ignore all of this, and decide the issue on an effort to maximize moral relativism.  In other words, the judgment will be designed to be as far from judgmental as possible. 

Indeed, it's only a religious person who cares about judgment, and a religious person is fit only to be ignored by the educated and the sophisticated, even when the religious person is making no mention of religion at all.

Canada's Next Great Prime Minister -- Not a great game

The definition of a great game is one that easy to play, but difficult to play well.  Underlying that truism is the notion that the rules of the game are consistent and predictable.

With that in mind, I wonder about Canada's Next Great Prime Minister, a CBC game show that pits concerned young Canadians in a competition in which they present their ideas for how the country should face the future.

I've been in touch with someone who is telling me that the rules are not being applied consistently or predictably.  Not only is she hurt by this, the game is undermined, which hurts the other contestants as well as CBC viewers following the competition.

Can the Liberal Party stand the strain?

Under Stephane Dion, the Liberal Party made a move to the left.  During the election, Dion and the Liberals promised billions in spending on social programs, funded by a carbon tax designed to appeal to environmentalists, while making a de facto alliance with Elizabeth May and the Green Party. 

Now Michael Ignatieff is in charge, and the few statements that he has made sound decidedly conservative.  I wonder how the Liberal Party can stand the strain from this dramatic change in direction.

Sid Ryan, Janice Folk-Dawson, and the Thought Police

Sid Ryan, president of CUPE Ontario, and Janice Folk-Dawson, chair of the university workers committee, are demanding that Israeli professors be expelled from Ontario university campuses in light of the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

I'd like to say that this echoes a similar proposal to ban Palestinian scholars until Hamas stopped firing rockets and mortars into Israel, but try as I might, I've not been able to find such a resolution reported.

But then the two things aren't the same.  See, the difference is that Hamas is right and Jews are wrong and bad and need to have their heads examined.

Hey, that's not my opinion.  That's what Sid Ryan and Janice Folk-Dawson are saying.

The ghost of Stephane Dion still lingers in the machine

On December 10, Stephane Dion was shown the door as Liberal Party leader.  Indeed, such was the rush to be rid of the man, the Liberals simply installed Michael Ignatieff as the new leader, forgoing a leadership campaign, and planning to simply confirm his appointment next May (when a leadership convention was supposed to have occurred). 

I'm surprised, therefore, that the Liberal Party still authorizing a website in which Stephane Dion speaks as the leader of the party on a wide range of issues, including promoting the Green Shift carbon tax that has been soundly rejected by Michael Ignatieff.

NDP makes no mention of coalition in its New Year's Greeting

I know the Jack Layton and the NDP are supposed to be committed to the idea of a coalition with the Liberals.  After failing to dislodge the Liberals in the last election, despite the advantage of going up against Stephane Dion for the hearts and minds of Canada's left-of-centre vote, Jack Layton threw everything into the coalition plan.

But it's curious that last week's New Year's Greeting from Jack Layton made no mention of the coalition.  I wonder if that's significant.  It might be.

The Stephen Harper Fire Engine Conspiracy Theory

Critics of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper are often marked by their penchant for hyperbole.  Harper is often compared to a dictator (either generically or to specific historic figures - I don't think I need to name them).   Harper is excoriated for his support of Israel, for his environmental policies, or for the economic direction he is following.

The criticisms are defensible (there are always two sides), and if these people could learn to stop throwing in references to Attila the Hun (or much worse) in their comments, more people might listen.

But my friendly advice would be useless for one person.  The commentary on this blog, if not some sort of strange and humourless joke, is disturbing, and if you removed the weird stuff, there'd be nothing left.

Seriously, this one rings an alarm bell for me.  That's actually a bit of a joke on my part, since as you will see, alarms figure prominently in this story.

Mike Duffy is a special guy

When Mike Duffy was appointed to the Senate, it became quickly clear that he was a special guy.  On two counts.

First, a lifetime of broadcasting excellence shaping Canadian news was being recognized.

Second, the effort to spoil his appointment goes above and beyond the sort of thing we've seen in the past.

Elizabeth May: Friends and Enemies

On March 17, 2007, Green Party leader Elizabeth May announced her intention to run in the riding of Central Nova in Nova Scotia.  Of course, there was no election then, and Liberal leader Stephane Dion would lead the Liberals in abstention after abstention in order to avoid an election, until Stephen Harper finally got fed up and forced an election this past fall.

But while we waited for Stephane Dion to find some backbone, the question of Elizabeth May going up against Defence Minister Peter MacKay gave political observers something to chew on throughout 2007. 

I just went through some old data, and it's interesting how Elizabeth May turned Central Nova into a proxy fight between groups of people who couldn't find Central Nova on a map.

Michael Ignatieff's time problem

Michael Ignatieff, the new leader of the Liberal Party, has a problem facing him.  He can't move too quickly.  He can't move too slowly. 

Who is Bob Rae going to complain to?

Bob Rae is upset.  The Liberal Party is ready to install Michael Ignatieff as the permanent leader, reserving the May 2 convention as a "ratification" vote.

So who can Bob Rae complain to?

Online/Phone Voting: Cheap, but Bob Rae's plan won't work

Bob Rae is pushing hard for an online/phone voting scheme to select the next Liberal Party leader before the end of January.  Such a scheme would not cost the Liberal Party all that much.  On the other hand, it is not likely that the Liberals could successfully pull it off.

Dominic LeBlanc should ask for his money back

Liberal leadership contender Dominic LeBlanc is dropping out of the race. 

No, that's not right.  What is happening is that the race has been cancelled.  It seems reasonable, therefore, for Dominic LeBlanc to ask for his $90,000 deposit back.  Certainly the people who backed that deposit might be feeling that they've been had.

Will Stephane Dion get the bum's rush out the door?

Is Stephane Dion on his way out as Liberal Party leader?  Of course, and he's been on his way out for some time, but thanks to his hapless performance during the separatist coalition debacle, he's shortened his lifespan as leader from 6 months to a handful of days.

For me, the real question is whether Stephane Dion has fallen so low that the Liberal Party will allow him to give a goodbye speech.

Somehow, I doubt it.

Liberal Leadership: Focused on the short term

One of the fallouts from this separatist coalition debacle is that the Liberal Party leadership campaign is in danger of becoming target-locked on a short term issue instead the long term direction for the party.

I mean, I think that's a great thing because it's a terrible thing for the Liberals, but then they don't listen to my advice, so I can write this without worry that I might convince Liberals to avoid this pitfall.

Bob Rae casts off his Liberal disguise, embraces his NDP past, and plots for the future

Bob Rae, former NDP premier of Ontario, and now a Liberal running to replace Stephane Dion, has struggled to reconcile those two elements of his political life.

Most recently, it appeared that Rae was rejecting his NDP past, in a roundabout way, in order to establish his Liberal bona fides.

But with the advent of the Liberal-NDP-Bloc Quebecois separatist coalition, Bob Rae has emerged as the new booster of the NDP within the Liberal Party.

Parliament suspended -- Stephane Dion will start to feel the pressure

Reports are coming in that the Governor General has approved the Prime Minister's request that parliament be suspended until the end of January.

Puppet Stephane Dion: Blows his big chance; annoys his boss

Stephane Dion, the puppet that is the face of the separatist coalition, had his big chance last night to explain to Canadians why the separatists ought to be allowed to take over the country.

You'd think that would be hard enough.  So why make the job impossible by showing up a half-hour late with a crappy recording?

Needless to say, Stephane Dion's boss was not at all impressed.

The French Question: Guess what's missing from the separatist coalition accord

I just breezed through the pamphlet that is supposed to justify handing power to people who were not elected to govern.

One omission jumps out at me.  I'm surprised no one has spotted it.

Separatist Coalition lies: No advisory panel

Stephane Dion, imbued with the manic energy of someone who has one last chance to avoid becoming a historical trivia question ("Name the two leaders of the Liberal Party never to become prime minister"), has to deal with the lies being spoken by his Separatist Coalition.

One of the most serious ones is the lie of the "Four Wise Men".

Mass resignations? What an interesting idea...

So there's this idea floating around of having all the Conservative MPs resign in case this coup takes place.

I admit to scratching my head about this one.  Then slowly it started to make sense.

Prorogue the House

Stephen Harper has to prorogue the House.  Not for his own survival, but as a final test of this coalition's viability by exposing the true reason for this coup.

He owes it to Canadians who are facing having an unelected government take power.

Liberal-NDP coalition: Theoretically legal but practically crappy

This coalition that might take power in Ottawa is probably legal, but it is also a crappy piece of work.

The Governor General is not obligated to hand power to a crappy would-be government.

Stephane Dion: Can't have a coalition with the NDP...period!

That was Stephane Dion's position just three weeks before the election.  I guess he was lying.

Party Subsidy Cut: Choices facing the Liberals

If the reports are true and the Conservatives are planning to eliminate the public subsidy to political parties, requiring parties to raise money solely through individual donations, the Liberals in particular are in a bind.

If they support the motion, or abstain from voting against it, the party's budget will be devastated, since the Liberals have failed year after year to expand their donation base.

But if they vote the motion down, and the other parties do as well, then we trigger an election.  I think a coalition is very unlikely.  But who will lead the Liberals in that election?

Party Subsidies: The first big confidence fight

No more subsidies for political parties!

Yeah, it's coming tomorrow.  And more than that, it's going to be a confidence measure.  The Conservatives are going to dare the Liberals, the Bloc, and the NDP to demand millions in handouts while Canadians are worried about their jobs, or to fight an election over free money for politicians.

That's a winner.

Dead white guys: Carleton University Student Association backs down, but doesn't apologize

A disease that targets white men, killing them off early?  Apparently that's a disease that doesn't need a cure.

Or so the Carleton University Student Association seemed to say.  Now facing protest, the CUSA has backed down.  No apology, of course.

Section 13: Implications of the Moon Report

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has been slapped hard by a report that it commissioned itself.  Richard Moon has come back with a surprise recommendation -- remove Section 13.

That's great going forward.  What about looking back, though?

Why is Bob Rae being quiet about switching parties?

It's no secret, of course, that Bob Rae was not always a Liberal.  The contender for the Liberal Party leadership was a member of the NDP, and indeed Ontario's only NDP premier.

In a column today, I read about how Bob Rae has not been vocal enough about his change in parties, given that this change would be some evidence that Rae would not trash the Canadian economy the way he did Ontario's from 1990 to 1993.

And then I realized that Bob Rae's long-term plans preclude him from doing so.

How the Liberals chose to define themselves

Many of the Liberal Party seem to have abdicated control of their own party to the Conservatives.

Bob Rae Hissy Fit -- Now a website!

The Liberal Party leadership campaign had barely started, when Bob Rae blew a gasket over a Q&A session that would not be open to the media.

Many say Bob Rae overplayed it. 

And now someone is in the process of making a website out it.  Of course, the story is a bit old now.  Perhaps then Bob Rae ought to take this as a warning that if he is seen as going over the top again, there is an online presence ready to milk it for all it's worth.

Lowered expectations: Shawn Murphy's curious choice of words about Bob Rae

Liberal Party leadership candidate Bob Rae got a boost yesterday when Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy declared his support for Rae to be the Liberal Party leader.

But Murphy's choice of words makes me wonder just what Murphy thinks Rae is good for, exactly.

Queen's University roles out the conversation police slash party planners

This story would be disturbing just on the count of the monitoring of people's conversations.  At Queen's University in Kingston, trained busybodies will be tasked to listen carefully to conversations, and then jump when something politically incorrect is said to gently engage in some sort of corrective dialogue.

What can I say?  It's Orwellian. 

But never stop reading an article until you hit the last line.  Besides cracking down on what people say, these facilitators are going to make sure that you go to parties.  Your religious beliefs are bothering you?  Perhaps you don't drink, and being at a kegster makes you feel miserable since your faith precludes you from participating?

Too bad! 

What the...?!

Bob Rae: Open to just some of the media [updated]

The Liberal Party leadership campaign opened with a spat between Bob Rae on one side, and Michael Ignatieff and the Ontario wing of the Liberal Party on the other, with Rae refusing to participate in a private Q&A session because the media was not invited to participate or even observe.

The Liberal Party must be open to the people, declared Bob Rae.

So when Bob Rae kicks of his high-tech Internet-savvy campaign today, he is making certain to be open to the online media.

Curiously though, only certain online media have been invited.

Elizabeth May: Back to the fringe

Remember the good ol' days, when an utterance of Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party, would be reported in the major papers from coast to coast to coast?

OK, it was only a month ago.

But since the election, in which Elizabeth May led her party to win exactly zero seats, in which she blew party resources on her ridiculous run against Conservative defence minister Peter MacKay, in which she made repeated calls for people to vote strategically (that is, not to "waste" votes for her own party), I've noted that Elizabeth May has been getting far less press attention.

It's gotten pretty low.  Today, her pronouncements on the Conservative Party plans to work with the new US administration showed up in The Canadian, a socialist paper of no particular importance.  And that's it.

Liberal Confusion: Was the media allowed to see Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae debate?

The Liberal Party leadership campaign is off to a rocky start.  Candidates Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae are sniping at each other over whether or not this weekend's planned leadership forum in Mississauga was supposed to be covered by the media, or if it was a Liberals-only affair.

So I checked into it a bit, and though it's hardly conclusive, I wonder if Bob Rae was right when he says he was led to believe that this meeting was meant to be open to the media.

The shifts in Elizabeth May's story

Green Party leader Elizabeth May has been in he news.  Not because of any remarkable insight into global warming or what not.  But because of an election report in which she seemed to blame anything that didn't go well on the people surrounding her in the Green Party, and seemed to credit any successes to herself personally.

There are two versions of that report, and the differences are interesting.

Jason Kenney on the secret of success

Jason Kenney gave a great speech on the way the Conservative Party has been winning votes.  The secret? 

Respect.

Go figure.

The National Post alone in reporting on Michael Ignatieff's ignoble comments

I've done a pretty exhaustive search, and Michael Ignatieff's nasty comments are simply not being published anywhere else but on the pages of the National Post.

Frankly, I find that to be a terrible abrogation of the responsibility of the media to keep Canadians informed.

Rerunning the final minutes of the last Liberal Party leadership campaign

I can't help but think that this is deliberate, but the Liberal Party leadership is shaping up to be a replay of the final few minutes of the 2006 Liberal Party leadership campaign.

As if the goal is to replay the tape, but this time get the right result.

Elizabeth May: Dishonest? Power hungry? Of dubious rationality?

Is Elizabeth May fundamentally dishonest?  Maybe, but then it's not my opinion that I'm writing about.

Well, the suggestion that she is power hungry is mine.

Green Party infighting: Fallout from the Elizabeth May analysis

We're a bit behind the curve here on Elizabeth May's post-election analysis.  Though most of us were reading it for the first time yesterday, it had in fact been circulating among the Green Party for short time now, and in that time, the response has been, well, not environmentally friendly is one way to put it.

Elizabeth May: The Green Party wasn't ready -- and it's not her fault

Elizabeth May has prepared an analysis of what went well and what went badly in the recent election campaign for the Green Party.  I'll summarize it for you.

What went well: Elizbaeth May

What did not go well: Anything that wasn't Elizabeth May

Win $50,000 on Canada's Next Great Prime Minister

Sorry, but I don't have $50,000 to give away, but I do know someone who does.  The people at Canada's Next Great Prime Minister are looking for applicants.  You have until November 19 to apply.

Lack of funds means the Liberals can't afford to think about the future

As the Liberal Party gets ready to kick off yet another leadership campaign, the lack of funds has made many MPs call for a shortened, cheap campaign.  Those calls are expected and reasonable, but are also going to cost the Liberal Party down the road.

Michael Coren Show

I'll be on The Michael Coren Show tonight at 8pm.  This marks my third appearance, and my second on a Monday roundtable discussion.  Tonight I was fortunate to be on with John Turley-Ewart of the National Post, and Peggy Nash of the NDP.

The show airs at 8pm on CTS.  Check your local listings.

Elizabeth May miffed at NDP for not giving her a seat in parliament

To the casual observer, Elizabeth May seems to be speaking inconsistently.  On the one hand, she says the Green Party increase in votes was a good thing for Canada and for environmental issues.  On the other hand, she says that the NDP is responsible for letting the Conservatives win another minority because they split the vote.

But when you look carefully, Elizabeth May makes sense, but she isn't being entirely up front about whose vote was split.

Professional protestor makes a (small) splash at Margaret Wente speech

Columnist Margaret Wente has come into some controversy in refusing to savage Dick Pound over his comments about savages.

Of course, that makes her a target for the professional protester.  He thinks he is clever by proving his point by using Google to quote himself.

Massive transfer from the BQ riding of Chambly-Borduas to the Liberal Party

The latest returns for the Liberal Party are in, and between July and September of this year, the Liberals pulled in less than the NDP.  Again.

In some ways, there is no news here, which has to be very depressing for Liberals everywhere.  But when you look into the returns in detail, things pop out at you.  In this case, there is a remarkably large transfer from the riding of Chambly-Borduas, a solid Bloc Quebecois seat if there every was one.

Pointlessly pushing for forced sustainability

Severn Cullis-Suzuki wants governments to force citizens to be good environmentalists.  I don't think she means green stormtroopers, but punitive taxation that forces rationing.  The problem for Cullis-Suzuki is two-fold:

1. A plan like that won't work unless the major consuming countries all agree to it.
2. Canadians know that a plan like that won't work unless the major consuming countries all agree to it.

StopIggy.ca has been registered

The "Anyone But Ignatieff" forces are lining up as the Liberal Party leadership race starts to take shape.  In 2006, StopIggy.com was well known, pleading for Liberal delegates to vote for Joe Volpe even.

Well, as the media is reporting that Michael Ignatieff is lining up key supporters, someone has registered StopIggy.ca.

The Green Shift is thrown down the memory hole

Well, this came as a surprise.  The Liberal Party website thegreenshift.ca is now redirecting to Jennifer Wright's greenshift.ca.

Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan is well and truly dead.

The Liberal Party shift

In the declaration by Dominic LeBlanc of his intention to run for the Liberal Party leadership, we see the end of a shift that Stephane Dion inadvertently started.  The shift is, of course, the green shift.

Not the Green Shift, Stephane Dion's ill-fated carbon tax plan. But the green shift, a movement in the Liberal Party away from environmental issues, leaving the Elizabeth May and the Green Party high and dry.

Maybe we should call it the anti-green shift.

From Lloyd Axworthy's union of the left to riots in the streets

Frankly, people opposed to the Conservatives just can't seem to accept that they lost an election.  The reactions range from wishful thinking to the deranged.  The thing that links them together is the notion that the Conservatives have to be removed from power, now, immediately, before they destroy everything.

Is someone preparing a new "Stop Iggy" site?

Michael Ignatieff was easily one of the most polarizing candidates in the last Liberal leadership race.  A website StopIggy.com was dedicated to convincing Liberal delegates to vote for someone else.  Anyone else.

Well, in my normal scan of domain registrations, I spotted what might be a new Stop Iggy site. Or it might be a pro-Ignatieff site.  But whatever it is, it is a hint that the new Liberal leadership race is starting to take shape.

David Suzuki: We don't need the Green Party because we don't need debate on the environment

David Suzuki is spinning around again.  This time he tries to explain himself in a full-length op-ed in the National Post.

He actually starts to come in, loud and clear.

What does David Suzuki really think about the Green Party?

There has been a minor dustup this week when David Suzuki was quoted in a Thunder Bay media report as saying that the Green Party is preventing the adoption of environmental policies by major parties.

Nonsense, says the Green Party.

I've been misquoted, says David Suzuki.

Well, then David Suzuki seems to have been misquote more than once.

David Suzuki claims he was misquoted

It's a shame, because what David Suzuki didn't say made a lot of sense.  But a press release from the Green Party clears up the matter.

Sort of.

Green Party responds to David Suzuki

I asked the Green Party to respond to David Suzuki's comments that the Green Party is in the way of further political progress of environmental issues.

David Suzuki: Right on the money when he says the Green Party must go away

I've given David Suzuki a rough ride on this blog, and I'm sure he hasn't noticed it in the least.  But when he says something that makes perfectly good sense, I have to point that out too.

In this case, he says that the existence of the Green Party prevents any real action on environmental issues by governments.

Therefore, he concludes, the Green Party must disappear.

And he's absolutely right.

The Liberal caucus can't afford to be sentimental

This Thursday, the Liberal Party caucus will meet for the first time after the election disaster.  Down 19 members, the first order of business will be to approve the decision made by Stephane Dion that he stay on as interim leader.

There are so many reasons to consider that decision very carefully.

Did Stephane Dion lead a putsch against himself?

This is a fait accompli, I expect, so just consider this an exercise in bean counting.  But Stephane Dion seems to have unilaterally put himself in the role of interim leader of the Liberal Party.

It's just not that simple.

Is the Liberal Party leadership race playing out right in front of us?

Are we all staring at a major element of the Liberal Party leadership race and not recognizing it for what it is?

The bizarre plottings of Stephane Dion

Something just occurred to me.  Could Stephane Dion be planning to lead the Liberals through a second election?

Stephane Dion: Beyond simply an idealist

As we learn more about Stephane Dion, it has to be said that Canada dodged a bullet when the voters rejected the Liberal Party.

OK, so maybe it wasn't all that close when the results were tallied, but Stephane Dion's behaviour since the election loss begs an important question.  Just who thinks Dion would have made a good prime minister?  I mean, the guy's a nutter!

The first decision for the new Liberal Party leader

It is likely, it seems, that Stephane Dion will step down as Liberal Party leader on Monday, and an interim leader will be appointed in his place.

There are a lot of things the Liberals need to sort out. But there is one thing I think even an interim leader can make a decision on, a decision that I think the Liberals need to address immediately.

The Dion Interview: CTV unfairly attacked by Liberal spin

Perhaps the image that will remain best remembered as this past elections passes into history will be of Stephane Dion being interviewed by ATV's Steve Murphy.  The Liberal leader couldn't not understand the question, despite multiple attempts by Murphy and others to explain it to him.

His look of confusion while people tried to get him to understand a subtle but not too complex a question probably gave many voters pause to wonder just what sort of prime minister Stephane Dion would be in a crisis.

Dion's defenders and apologists claimed that CTV ambushed Dion by releasing the tape of do-overs.  Everyone gets do-overs in an interview, they claimed.

That's just spin.  Here's the truth.

Maclean's pulls back on insults aimed at Mike Duffy [updated]

When CTV aired the botched Stephane Dion interview, many in the media expressed strong opinions about the decision.  Few stronger, though, than Andrew Potter of Maclean's, who called Mike Duffy a "despicable human being".

Well, that blog post is gone.

Update: Kady O'Malley's blog post in support of Andrew Potter is gone from Maclean's blog pages as well.

The Liberals start saving the pennies by dropping the Green Shift

The Liberal Party is broke.  The collapse in the popular vote means far less money coming in from the government.  Donations, which have been an anemic source of funds for the Liberals, will like drop even lower, and much of it will be vacuumed up by the leadership candidates from the last leadership convention, still struggling to pay off their debts.  That includes Stephane Dion, who will be quitting as Liberal Party leader.

With Stephane Dion gone, and money in such short supply, it is no surprise that the Liberal Party has dropped all official references to the Green Shift carbon tax.  It was costing them money in licensing to Jennifer Wright of Green Shift Inc.

Why the Left won't unite

My title is a bit misleading.  The Left could unite, of course.  But it is inherently difficult for the Left to unite, whereas it was comparatively easy for the Right to unite.

It comes down to being much easier to agree to do nothing than to agree on something that must be done.

Defending Canada against Elizabeth May

Green Party leader Elizabeth May has called Canada's first-past-the-post electoral system "perverse".

As we wait for the embargo to lift on reporting results, I'd like to defend what I think is a brilliant system against sore losers.

Stephane Dion, Elizabeth May, and the bribery statute

Elizabeth May has made her call for Green Party voters to cast their votes for the Liberals or the NDP in order to guarantee a win for the Liberal Party and Stephane Dion.

This move has been widely predicted.

But now there is a rumour is that in exchange for influencing the votes of Green Party supporters, Elizabeth May would be appointed a Senator by Stephane Dion, then brought into cabinet as environment minister.

Elizabeth May is denying everything.  Of course she is.  Someone probably introduced her to Section 481 of the Canada Elections Act.

Complaint filed against Garth Turner for sign war tactics

Suddenly, all over Halton, new Garth Turner signs are popping up.  No problem with that, except that the signs are being placed immediately in front of signs for Conservative candidate Lisa Raitt, obscuring or hiding her signs.

It's a last ditch effort, timed to avoid any action from Elections Canada.

Richmond Hill: Conservative signs vandalized with swastikas

The sheer number of signs defaced is one of the striking elements of this disturbing story.  Conservative candidate CS Leung has had numerous signs defaced by vandals.

But these vandals chose to equate the Conservative Party with Nazis.  This is not the first time we've seen this sort of thing happen, and we know that the Liberals tolerate this sort of thinking, if not the vandalism itself.

But then you can't have it both ways.  To denounce the vandalism, you have to denounce the thinking that drives it.  Stephane Dion has refused to do that.

Maybe because he believes it too.

Signs to polling station surrounded by Liberal Party signs

This is just a coincidence.  A campaign office for the Liberal incumbent and a polling station are both in the same mall, so signs to the polling station are surrounded with Liberal campaign signs.  Still, it just looks wrong.

The myth of Stephane Dion -- Team Player or Obstinate Loner

What makes Stephane Dion special?

We are told over and over again it is how he draws people together.  It's his Dream Team.

He plays well with others.

What absolute garbage!

It's not about playing well with others.  It's about downloading those issues he doesn't care about.

The Grim Reaper and Stephane Dion

Death and taxes are the only certainties in life.  The Grim Reaper takes care of death. 

Stephane Dion, on the other hand, has made it clear that he'll make certain that taxes are, well, certain.

Goofiest poll....ever!

I don't write much about polls.  Other bloggers do it better than me, and anyway, polls make me alternately giddy and nervous, depending on the numbers.  So any posts on the subject of a particular poll would reflect that mood, which is an emotional response, not a data-driven one.

But then when my response to a poll is outright laughter, I figure I can break my rule.

This poll is about the true issue of the election that everyone has missed: The Seal Hunt!

In Toronto, no less.

*snort*

Stephane Dion: The armchair quarterback melts under real pressure

The question was not really that hard to understand.  Sure, it was bit more complicated than "What's your favourite colour?" or "What's the average air speed of an African swallow?"

But really, it was an important question.  In fact, it was the most important question you could ask Stephane Dion under the circumstances.

What would you have done differently?

And Stephane Dion couldn't answer it.  He couldn't even understand it.  All he could do was bob his head and grin.

It was painful and embarrassing and thank CTV we could all see it before a terrible mistake was made.

Crazed Liberal volunteers assault people with campaign materials

Yes, these Liberals were rude and violent.

But also so very, very stupid.

Liberal vandalism targeting Conservatives in Cambridge

My house was hit.  My small Gary Goodyear sign was removed, wireframe and all, and taken over to the drainage ditch 100 feet away (I checked the distance with Google Earth).

Actually, there were several Gary Goodyear signs in the ditch.  From various houses up my block and from the signs on the corner.

Canada is home to the soundest banking system in the world

Listening to Stephane Dion and Jack Layton spouting off about how they're going to fix things (well, Stephane Dion is going to have meetings about how to fix things), I have to wonder what it is they think needs fixing?

The fact of the matter is, Canada has the world's soundest banking system.  That according to the World Economic Forum, in statement released today.

Local Halton papers endorse Lisa Raitt over Garth Turner

Garth Turner, running for re-election in Halton, has failed to secure the endorsement from the three local Halton papers.  Indeed, the editorial boards thinks re-electing Garth Turner would be a mistake, as he is seen to be a trouble-maker with only his own interests at heart.

The right candidate for Halton, the papers agree, is Lisa Raitt of the Conservative Party.

Delaying the Green Shift: Stephane Dion versus Bob Rae

Do you really want these guys in charge of the economy?

On the one hand, sociology professor Stephane Dion says that Green Shift will be implemented by a Liberal government without delay.

On the other hand, socialist Bob Rae says implementing the Green Shift might have to wait.

Garth Turner in bankruptcy controversy?

Party A owes you money.  Party A is not disputing your claim that money is owed for services rendered.  Party A being an owner of several businesses and properties, you have no reason to believe that Party A can't make good on the debt.

Then you receive a letter from Party A stating that he has no funds, and implying strongly that he is going bankrupt, so take this smaller offer or get nothing.

Maybe you take the offer.

Weeks later, Party A is wheeling and dealing with another property, and the company seems to be doing just fine today.

The latest weirdness from the world of Liberal MP Garth Turner.

Stephane Dion went to climate conference just to read someone else's report

In 2005, as Minister of the Environment, Stephane Dion opened a climate conference focused on the Arctic. The bulk of his speech consisted of reading the executive summary of a year-old UN report, word for word.

One wonders at how much carbon he emitted into the atmosphere to get to the conference, when he could simply emailed a link to the UN report. 

Just read the report.  There -- speech done!

Liberal MP Marc Godbout reworks signs -- vote locally!

Liberal MP Marc Godbout is reworking his election signs.  Like other Liberal candidates seeking re-election, he is asking voters to not look at the Liberal Party as a whole, but to consider only the role of the MP as the representative of the riding.

Liberal MP Anita Neville concedes a Conservative win (while standing on her record of abstentions)

Why I should buy wholesale -- Linda Schwey is a much better shopper than me.

Back in June I noticed that Liberal candidate Linda Schwey was planning to give away thousands of seed packets during the next election.

I figured it would cost her thousands.  I see that I really can't be trusted with the shopping.

Garth Turner's hole just got a little bit deeper

Garth Turner has posted on my blog.  Well, someone claiming to be Garth Turner.  But if we assume it is him, then he is claiming that Dan Baril is not connected to his campaign, just a constituent interested in politics.  That is important because CTV had asked that candidates attending a Halton riding town hall event hosted on Canada AM to bring people to ask questions of the candidates, but that these persons not be connected to the campaign work.

Supporters of the candidates, yes.  Connected to campaign work, no.

So I'm forced to drill down in more detail.

Hey, there's a lot of research here, but the bottom line is this.  If you are an MP and you label someone a constituent, at least make certain that the person is your constituent.  Otherwise your credibility really starts to suffer.

CTV in danger of being Garthed

I've gotten a response from Lis Travers, Vice-President (Canada AM), at CTV, with regards to the appearance of Garth Turner's pollster at a Q&A session put on by CTV.

It is so very carefully worded that I think a lawyer had some hand in it.  And that speaks volumes about how Garth Turner has hurt the integrity of a second media organization in the same election.

That has to be some sort of record.  It deserves a new word to be coined to describe it.

Did Garth Turner stage another media event?

During an appearance on CTV's Canada AM, the four candidates in the riding of Halton held a joint townhall.  The first question went to Garth Turner, and instead of asking him to define or defend some aspect of the Liberal Party platform, Garth Turner was asked to comment on Stephen Harper's lack of respect for democracy.

Lucky Garth Turner?  Hardly.

The question was posed by Garth Turner's pollster Dan Baril.  He’s Halton Liberal Riding Association board member Dan Baril, formerly of polling company Decima Research. 

Garth Turner has responded in his blog.  This is not a big deal, says Garth Turner.  The candidates were supposed to bring people to pose questions.

Well, yes, I figured that out myself.  But what I also suspected, and have now confirmed, is that there were some simple instructions regarding the selection of this person.  Instructions that Garth Turner seemed to ignore.

Jack Layton sets Stephane Dion straight

 

From tonight's debate.

Did Garth Turner and his friend contrive to ambush Lisa Raitt on CTV's Canada AM?

Even as the CPAC fiasco fades, we might have yet another example of Garth Turner attempting to use a media appearance as a stage for a contrived Q&A session.

In this case, during an appearance on Canada AM, a member of the Halton Liberal riding association, Dan Baril, is in the audience and lobs a question to Garth Turner.  The question is designed to allow Garth Turner to go on the attack, casting Conservative candidate Lisa Raitt (who is sitting beside Garth Turner) as someone who doesn't care about constituents.

Did CTV know that Lisa Raitt was being set up for an ambush?

French Debate: Deepest insight from the most shallow question

The debate tonight generally went according to script.  Stephen Harper was the target of attacks from Stephane Dion, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe, and Elizabeth May.  Stephen Harper generally played defense as made sense for someone in the lead.

But there was one question posed that turned out to be the most revealing.  And yet by and large, everyone seemed to miss the point.

Garth Turner, Green Lights, and Secret Bank Accounts

The Liberal Green Light Committee for Ontario, charged with making certain candidates standing for election meet the high standards demanded of a member of parliament of any party, will let pass.

Not all candidates have to be vetted by the Green Light Committee.  Those who are appointed just have to submit updated disclosures to the Ontario Campaign Chair.

Liberal MP Garth Turner was embroiled in a lawsuit with his former company, Millennium Media.  The suit was still active when during the run-up to this election and still active when the election started.  All we knew was that it involved the misappropriation of funds.  But the details are quite interesting.

I wonder if a Green Light Committee would have found these details interesting as well.  But since Garth Turner was appointed, we'll never know.

Video: Stephane Dion on spending

Conservative voters being intimidated in Winnipeg? New allegations surface

In Bill Blaikie's old riding of Elmwood-Transcona in Winnipeg, things are getting nasty.  Stories of threats and intimidation, aimed at people planning to vote for the Tories.

Update: It's now lunch here, and since I first posted this story this morning, I've gotten more information. 

A heat-seeking missile in the Conservative arsenal

Come on.  I get to brag once in a while.

I was one of three bloggers who were profiled on The National tonight.  I think it was a great introduction to bloggers and blogging.

But did you hear when Susan Ormiston called me a heat-seeking missile?

I'm going to be strutting all week.

Bloggers profiled on The National

How far have blogs come in Canada?  When the CBC devotes time on the flagship newscast to profile bloggers, you know blogging has come a long way.

When it comes to plagiarism, the Liberals are experts [updated]

The Liberals have abandoned trying to win this based on policy, or even on moral superiority.

Now it comes down to attacks.  This time it is allegations of plagiarism.  Did Stephen Harper's speech writers lift portions of a speech by John Howard in a speech Stephen Harper delivered in 2003?

Sure looks like it.  And then what was lifted?  A few sentences in which the same opinion was being expressed.

It's not quite in the same ballpark as passing yourself as an expert in a subject based on content ripped off from a recognized expert in the field, or using someone else's work for your own financial gain.

Update: A speechwriter has admitted to grabbing the text.

Some Liberals are reaching way back for credibility

What do you do when you feel your leader is dragging you down in an election campaign?

You might pine for a leader from the past.

But some MPs are made of sterner stuff than that!  They don't just pine for the good old days.  They do something about it!

Meet Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis, part of Paul Martin's team!

Debate Predictions: People hate to be wrong, like in figure skating

People hate to be wrong.  OK, that's obvious.  But keep that in mind when you hear Liberals say that with such low expectations going into the debates, Stephane Dion is poised to do very well.

The argument is that people will be surprised that Stephane Dion is not a complete disaster, and so their estimation of him and of the Liberal Party will go up.  Heck, even Stephane Dion is saying the same thing.

I suppose that sort of make sense.  But then again, not really.  Why?  Because people hate to be wrong.

Like I said, it's obvious.

Liberals distance themselves from the Green Shift

Launch in external player

The first step for the CBC is to fire Heather Mallick

I've avoided expressing any comment on the notorious Heather Mallick column.  I've been waiting until the CBC had responded to the firestorm.  I was cautiously optimistic that the right conclusion would be reached.

My optimism was rewarded today.  The ombudsman has come down quite decisively against Heather Mallick, and the publisher of CBC News, John Cruikshank, has accepted his conclusions.

Indeed, Cruikshank says the diversity of opinion expressed on the CBC must be expanded.  I agree with him.  I'd even apply for the job.

But I wouldn't work with Heather Mallick.  She's so poisonous that the CBC would be well advised to terminate her employment immediately as a gesture of good faith to those conservative opinion writers who might lend their skills to helping the CBC represent the broad range of Canadian opinion.

Disaster politics

There is a cliche in disaster movies, at least in the most recent ones.  The heroes will avert disaster, but the audience will still be treated to a big smash up, too.  People like to see the big boom.

Does this spell disaster for the Liberals?

Marc Garneau: The arts will not put Canada back on track

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been taking a lot of heat in some quarters for his attitude with regards to art funding.

If it makes him feel any better, Stephen Harper is not alone.  Liberal Party star candidate Marc Garneau was quite clear about his attitude towards art.  It's all very nice, but really, it's not going to put Canada back on track.

Mysterious letters and blogs in Halton

Liberal candidate Garth Turner and Conservative candidate Lisa Raitt are battling it out in Halton.  Now things have gotten even more complicated with a letter from (allegedly) long time conservatives endorsing the NDP.

Tectonic shift in Canada's political landscape

It is hard to imagine a more powerful symbol of the change the is looming on Canada's political horizon.  It's literally jaw-dropping.

The Green Party versus Elizabeth May

Amuse yourself by reading a statement issued by the Green Party on the importance of electing Green MPs.

Not a statement from Elizabeth May, mind you.  According to the Green Party, she can't really be taken too seriously at times.

Farmers not buying into Green Shift

Despite the millions in special breaks and programs promised by Liberal leader Stephane Dion, farmers are not buying into the Green Shift carbon tax.

Liberal candidate in Alberta says Green Shift is the new NEP

The Green Shift is a wealth distribution program.  A new version of the National Energy Program.

Hey, don't believe me.  That's what Liberal Party candidate Mohamed El-Rafih is saying.

Lesley Hughes: A short (video) history of Liberal leadership

Or perhaps this is a history of how the Liberal Party is short on leadership.  In any case, the story of 9/11 conspiracy theorist Lesley Hughes, a Liberal Party candidate in Manitoba, has come to a miserable end.

And as we waited for the inevitable, the Liberal Party officials and apologists for the party dodged and weaved in a very amusing way.  I guess they had no choice, waiting for Stephane Dion to be prodded into some action that mimicked leadership.

Update: Watch Stephane Dion blame the Jews!

The Green Party and third party advertising

Elizabeth May of the Green Party wants people to vote against the Conservative Party, but unlike the leaders of the NDP and the Liberal Party, Elizabeth May is not particularly interested in getting votes for her own party.

That makes me wonder.  Is the Green Party engaged in third party advertising?

Green Party candidate labels Elizabeth May an obstacle

Is Green Party leader Elizabeth May helping or hurting the Green Party?

Poll fever: Hallucinations and mirages

It's all rather sad, really.  A Liberal blogger posts about a Liberal surge.  The big Conservative lead was just an aberration.  The NDP is fading away.  It's a whole new ball game.

Poor sod.  She was looking at a poll from last year.

Conservative's high credibility score thanks in part to the Liberal Party

More people are planning to vote for the Conservative Party than for any other party, according to the polls.  Part of that comes from a deep store of credibility that the Conservatives have built up. 

To give credit where credit is due, the Conservatives have the Liberals to thank for that, in part.

Life of the (Liberal) Party

Putting the "party" back in Liberal!

Woo-hoo!

PCO Hacked? Malicious email sent by Winnipeg-based hacker

As is being reported elsewhere, someone with access to a highly confidential distribution list managed inside the Privy Council Office has sent an email out to reporters.

The email is absurd in its content, but the goal is to embarrass the Prime Minister by suggesting a major breach in security.

Grumbling Liberals -- Looking for a stress point

With the Liberal Party apparently struggling, indeed slipping, as we approach the halfway point in this election, there is irresponsible speculation about whether a move against Stephane Dion ahead of the election is in the works.

Hey, I can be as irresponsible as the next guy.  But I don't like to recycle rumours.  I like to add just that little bit of semi-credible analysis that can make the rumour really take off.

So I started to look for a point where a Liberal revolt could start.  And I found one.

Michael Ignatieff is looking a bit nervous, don't you think?

The Green Shift isn't even remotely simple, but the Liberals aren't worried

It's powerful.  It's simple.  Vote for the Green Shift.

But really, it isn't simple at all.  There's a big problem with regards to how provinces will be treated differently.  Should you be concerned?

I suppose that depends.  If you are a believer in the Liberal Party, then you won't be concerned.  The Liberals don't seem to be worried.  They're not even talking about the issue.

Michael Ignatieff: Green Shift tax cuts bad, but Liberals will have no choice

Just what exactly is Michael Ignatieff talking about?  The deputer leader of the Liberal Party was talking to Newmarket council that governments ought to be spending like drunken sailors. 

And they would be too, if it weren't for cuts to the GST.  And as for the tax cuts in the Green Shift, well, the Liberals have no choice.  And he wishes it was different.

Stephane Dion dumps the Green Shift: Not central, not major, not much of anything

Frankly, I can hardly believe it.  The Liberals are chucking the Green Shift?  I suppose Stephane Dion can't be too far behind.

Garth Turner concedes the election?

I've read it several times.

People commenting on Garth Turner's blog have read it and reread it, and are confused.

Liberal MP Garth Turner seems to have given up on Stephane Dion and the Liberal Party.  He is going to spend his time trying to save his own job.

Helen Kormendy: I'm better than uneducated people

There is something stereotypical about the socialist who doesn't actually respect people.  Socialists motivated to help others not because they've been asked for help, but because they've decided that most people aren't smart enough to realize they need help.  Socialists who assume that by virtue of their education, they are the only people smart enough to provide that unsolicited help to normal dumb people.

It's not at all common, however, to find someone who actually admits to being this sort of person.

The NDP's Helen Kormendy is indeed a rare find.

Revenue Neutral: The carbon tax and the excise tax merge together

Stephane Dion's carbon tax is supposed to be revenue neutral.  I know we all know that doesn't mean all Canadians, or even most Canadians, will come out ahead.

Heck, with the inflationary effect of a global energy tax, it is likely we'll all be hurting.

But when I look at the diesel portion of the tax more closely, I realize that the carbon tax is in two parts.  Does revenue neutrality mean both parts are given back to Canadians?  Or will a Liberal government keep a big chunk of the diesel carbon tax for itself?

If that money doesn't come back to me, then how is this revenue neutral?

Garth Turner: If you're going to pollute, pollute in style

Have you heard about the well-known politician, a Liberal, who is fighting this campaign on an environmental platform, but who has chosen a means of transportation that is easily one of the least environmentally friendly?

No, not that guy.

This is about one of his lackeys, Garth Turner.

Stephane Dion's staggering drop in leadership polling numbers

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has bad polling numbers when it comes to leadership qualities.  That has been true ever since he became leader, and he has been unable to do anything to fix it.

But in trying to shore up that perceived failure at the top by showing off team leadership, Stephane Dion has made things dramatically worse for himself personally.

Effort, load, and silencing Garth Turner's sign whine

Liberal MP Garth Turner has a problem.  Well, he has lots of problems, but one of the immediate ones is the tendency of his election signs to fall over.

According to Garth Turner, forces are aligned against him and these forces are multiplying.

He's right.  No, really.

Garth Turner versus the CBC: Allegations of illegal recordings

Liberal MP Garth Turner is in a lot of trouble.  It is a mess of his own making, trying to pass off a staged interview as news, then alleging that CPAC knew of the fabrication when the news broke.

By trying to spread the blame around, he only guaranteed that that much more would fall squarely on his shoulders.

That ought to have been the end of it.  Instead, Garth Turner is trying to cast himself as the victim in this.  Now we hear that he was victimized by the CBC.

Of course, it's all nonsense.

Garth Turner turns on Esther Shaye to save himself, but is it too late?

Liberal MP Garth Turner is in a bind.  Yesterday, I revealed that a "random encounter" filmed by CPAC might indeed have been staged, since the person who answered the door was none other than the son of Garth Turner's campaign manager, Esther Shaye.

Today, faced with tough questions, Garth Turner seems to abandon Esther Shaye.  But will it be enough to satisfy the one person who might otherwise benefit from ejecting Garth Turner from the Liberal Party?

I'm speaking, of course, of Stephane Dion.

Garth Turner has the worst luck

Garth Turner can't catch a break.  The Liberal MP in Halton has a problem with signs being destroyed.

It's a familiar story, unfortunately.

Carolyn Bennett to Canadians: Depend less on facts, and more on faith in David Suzuki

If there are any lingering doubts about whether environmentalism is the new religion of the left, Carolyn Bennet dispels them.  Carolyn Bennett, the Liberal Party health critic, tells an audience that they ought to vote for Stephane Dion and the Green Shift.

The reason?  Faith.

Not in God.  What does He know?  No, all we need is faith in David Suzuki.

Stephane Dion, the Liberals, and voices from the future

After doing an early morning read of the Toronto Star, I had to shake my head and wonder if, like some sort Rip Van Winkle, I had slept through the intervening four weeks and had woken up on October 13.

Because in an editorial and in an opinion piece from Liberal-friendly columnist James Travers, it sure sounded like the election was all but won by the Conservatives, with a majority no less, and that the Liberals were already struggling with the next phase of their existence, a broken leaderless bankrupt party.

Nope, it's not even a full week into the election.  A lot can happen.  The Liberals aren't out of this yet.  Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have to work hard to earn the trust and votes of Canadians.

That's not just talk. It's the truth.  I know because I checked the calendar.  It's only September 13.

Why vote swapping is illegal (logically)

Actually, I don't know if the parallel holds, but it seems to me that the same logic that prevents Canadians from reporting on polling results in areas of the country where polls are still open suggests that vote swapping is also illegal.

Liberal Shawn Murphy: There won't be a Green Shift this winter

A new headache for the Liberals.  The Liberal MP for the riding of Charlottetown, Shawn Murphy, has revealed that for the sound and fury, the Liberals won't be implementing a carbon tax after all.

At least not right away.

Wow.

Oh, and Shawn Murphy's website has suddenly gone down.

How do you say "The Green Shift" in Russian?

Check out the Liberal Party campaign video for the Green Shift, Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan.

Part of Stephane Dion's vision for the fairer and greener Canada is more mass transit.  A subway system is shown in the video.

Apparently, a fairer and greener Canada is best imagined by watching the Moscow Metro in action.

David Orchard: Green Shift leaves no options for farmers

Hey, remember when people said that David Orchard, the Liberal candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, would turn out to be a headache for Stephane Dion?

They were right.  You see, according to David Orchard, Stephane Dion's carbon tax, also known as the Green Shift, will hurt farmers.  And farmers have no technological options other than to use diesel.

But Stephane Dion said farmers can go green with the subsidy he's promising them.

Shouldn't Dion and Orchard be reading from the same script during an election campaign?

The Liberal Party is a living example of how the carbon tax works

The Liberal Party is showing us the carbon tax in action.  And it's not pretty.

Paul Zed says fuel consumed by oil refineries not to be taxed

The Liberals are at it again.  Yet another, Paul Zed, has come out to say that the carbon tax being promised by Stephane Dion will not affect a major industry in his province.

Apparently, oil refineries don't use energy and so don't pay a carbon tax.

Carbon offsets are a campaign expense?

Give the Liberals credit.  Cash-strapped as they are, they are paying for carbon offsets.  I mean, I think carbon offsets are dumb, but the Liberals are walking the walk, as it were.

But then the Liberals are hoping to get donations to cover the cost of carbon offsets, which they say is a campaign expense.

Which leads to interesting questions.

Why the Liberals want Elizabeth May in the debate

Hey, it's just a theory, but I wonder if the Liberals want Green Party leader Elizabeth May in the leaders debate so that she can irritate voters.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but somehow it makes some sense.

Jack Layton catching Stephane Dion's Google wave [and Stephen Harper's too!]

Maybe you have to have worked in the industry, but I am quick to catch evidence of who is taking the Web as a serious channel for information distribution.

Right now, the NDP is clearly laughing at the Liberals, using Stephane Dion's strength as a Google search term to spread the NDP message.

Update: And laughing at the Conservatives too!

Appearing on the Michael Coren Show

Four noteworthy Canadian bloggers are guests on tonight's Michael Coren Show.

Garth Turner's donations: Where's the official agent?

If you're a candidate for a federal party, you can't just spend money and accept donations.  You have to have an official agent that authorizes spending, including any advertising, and who accepts cheques on your behalf.

The cheques can't be made out to you -- only to the official agent.

Garth Turner knows all this.  That's what makes this so puzzling.

This blog is "worth watching"

Well, I have to say I'm starting to enjoy this election.  Canwest News has put me on their "worth watching" list today.

Stephane Dion against tax cuts

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made an announcement regarding taxes on diesel fuel.  If the Conservatives form the government, those taxes will go down.

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion says taxes ought to go up.

NotALeader.ca

The online wars continue with the Conservatives unveiling NotALeader.ca.

Update: Stupid bird!

Topping the CBC Blog Buzz

Hey, I didn't even know we were having a contest.

Liberals have a new writ expense: Paying for "Green Shift"

The good news for Jennifer Wright of Green Shift Inc is that the Liberals are conceding that she owns the rights to the name "Green Shift" and so have agreed to pay her a license fee.

The bad news for the Liberals is that this license fee is a writ expense, and will count against their campaign spending limit.

Elizabeth May won't be in the TV debates

This just in.  Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, has had her request to participate in the leaders debate denied.

Jack Layton's response to the Barack Obama issue

Jack Layton is taking a bit of heat over a story he told at his press conference on Sunday.  In it, he told a story that sounded very similar to one Barack Obama told.

Very, very similar.

I still don't know if it's coincidence or plagiarism, but I do know that Jack Layton's response (reproduced in full here) doesn't really clear things up.

Canadians trust the Conservatives to deal with the environment

Readers of this blog might notice that I don't comment on polls all too often.  I do read polls, of course, and think they can incredibly useful.  But there are so many reasons to be cautious of what polls are saying.

So I usually don't say much about a poll unless there is some bit of news or information, not derived from a poll, that reinforces a polling result.

Such a tidbit has popped up today, reinforcing what I think to be one of the strangest, and yet most pleasing, polling results I've seen in while.  The Conservatives are trusted more than the Liberals when it comes to dealing with the environment.

Jack Layton nabbing stories from Barack Obama?

NDP leader Jack Layton tells a heart-wrenching story about the man who had to box up the equipment he'd worked on for twenty years so that it could be shipped, along with his job, to China.

Um, yeah.  Barack Obama, the nominee for president for the Democratic Party, told the same story.

Exactly the same story.

Stephane Dion's translation gets the wrong Green Shift (again) and during an election too

The Liberal Party is facing an $8.5 million lawsuit from Green Shift Inc because of Stephane Dion's decision to call his carbon tax plan "The Green Shift".

The Liberal defense is that no one would ever get the two entities confused.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Wright, the head of Green Shift Inc, has filed for an injunction, arguing that in the spotlight of an election, the damage her firm is suffering from being associated and confused with the Liberal Party is going to accelerate.

So how does Stephane Dion help the situation?  He goes on and directs people to Jennifer Wright's website to find out more about his carbon tax because of a bad translation.

Liberal Party carbon offsets

The Liberal Party is leasing a 30-year-old 737 as Stephane Dion's campaign plane.  It is, by far, the dirtiest aircraft used by the major parties.

But apparently any criticism is misguided.  See, the Liberal Party is buying carbon offsets.

Well then, that fixes the problem, doesn't it.

Doesn't it?

Car Pools and Corpses

Stephane Dion seems to live in another world from the rest of Canadians.

He has no idea what a car pool is.  The man who wants us to believe that he knows the secret of how to lead Canada to an environmental Nirvana doesn't know what a carpool is.

Of course, he probably thinks Nirvana is reached through the yoga poses he practices every day.

I hope he's working on Shavasana.  The Corpse Pose will be very appropriate for Stephane Dion's political aspirations unless he figures out how to connect with real Canadians.

Liberals spending a load of money to run a dirty campaign

No, not negative advertising.  It's about airplanes, and the stinky expensive gas-guzzler that the Liberals are barely able to get their hands on.

Jennifer Wright is pursuing an injunction against the Liberals

Ironically, forcing the Liberals to stop talking about what they call "The Green Shift", that is, Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan, might actually help the Liberals in the long term.

The carbon tax is turning into an albatross for the Liberals.

But over the short period of an election, the embarrassment of not being able to use the name they selected for their carbon tax would be a disaster.

Then again, Jennifer Wright's company, Green Shift Inc, is facing a branding disaster as an election looms.  As a result, she has filed for an injunction.

Is Bob Friesen selling his farm or selling out farmers?

Bob Friesen was the head of the CFA, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

As such, he argued against Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's carbon tax as bad for farmers.

Now he has sold his farm, moved to a house in the suburbs, and announced his candidacy for the riding of Charleswood-St. James for the Liberal Party, without the need for a messy and expensive nomination race.

And the carbon tax?  Now Bob Friesen says it's good for farmers.  Funny how that worked out.

Le Quebec Prend des Forces

An official ad from the Conservative Party of Canada.

 

Canadian Trucking Alliance rejects Stephane Dion's carbon tax adjustment

Liberals are praising Stephane Dion as someone who listened to "suggestions" about his proposed carbon tax, and then acted on those suggestions to make his carbon tax "stronger".

To others, however, it looked more like some Liberal MPs were furious that they could lose their seats unless concessions were made, and they forced Stephane Dion to make those concessions.

Hey, is anyone listening to what the truckers -- one those groups who complained loudest -- are saying.

They don't like the carbon tax, and the adjustment hasn't changed their minds.

Michael Ignatieff: No more carbon tax changes

Today Stephane Dion announced subsidies for farmers, fishermen, and truckers, as a way of offsetting the effect of a carbon tax.

So the natural question is whether Canadians can expect more changes.  According to Michael Ignatieff, there won't be any further changes.

Stephane Dion's useless subsidy

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has had to back down on a major portion of his carbon tax.  Faced with growing criticism from farmers, fishermen, and truckers, and the frustration of Liberal MPs who would lose votes from these groups, Stephane Dion is throwing money at the problem.

But not just money.  He's going to give farmers, fishermen, and truckers a subsidy that can only be applied to buy green equipment to replace existing equipment.  Which I'm willing to bet makes this an utterly useless subsidy.

Appealing to SpongeBob-Canadians like me

Elizabeth Thompson of the Montreal Gazette has an amusing piece about how she caught one of the Conservative Party ads being shown during an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Silly Conservatives, says Elizabeth, kids can't vote.

Yes, Elizabeth, but SpongeBob-Canadians can.

Apparently global warming can be defeated by complaining loudly enough

Here is a primer for those of you who still don't understand how global warming works:

• The dinosaurs came, but they got too big and fat, so they all died and they turned into oil.
• We drilled for oil, and used most of it to spray on ducks, and the rest we turned into carbon dioxide.
• Carbon dioxide is a hot gas, and it's making the Sun hotter, which is making the Earth hotter, which makes polar bears sweat, and that's a bad thing.
• To make the Earth cooler and make polar bears happy, Canadians will pay money to Stephane Dion, who will give all of it back.
• The exchange of money will cool the Earth (ok, this part is a bit vague).
• Farmers are worried that they won't get enough back after all of it is given back (clearly they are confused, because everyone is supposed to get all their money back, a process that results in global cooling in a way that is not entirely understood by non-Liberals).
• Liberals who are worried that farmers won't vote for them are complaining loudly, which is generating even more hot air (which warms the Sun and makes polar bears sweat even more, and that's a bad thing).
• Stephane Dion is going to change the plan by making the carbon tax even stronger, making farmers happy so that they stop bothering Liberals.
• This results in less hot air and comfortable polar bears.
• The happiness of farmers who might vote Liberal will cool the Earth (ok, this part is a bit vague too).

Remember, if you don't believe this science, David Suzuki is going to throw you in jail.

But perhaps you want know more details, minus the silliness.

Liberal Party handholding for Marc Garneau?

The McGill Daily has published a Q&A page with the candidates in by-election in Westmount-Ville-Marie.

Only the Liberal candidate, Marc Garneau, appears with a minder.  Michael Ignatieff takes the first question and runs with it.

Liberal blogger's brilliant carbon tax analysis

Steve V at Far and Wide has a brilliant analysis of the support for Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's carbon tax.

I urge you to read it, top to bottom, then consider what it means.

Reporters ought to expand their vocabulary

Print reporters have to listen to the spoken word, and then render it in print for us to read later.

The rise of the Internet has done nothing to change that.

So why do I get the feeling that reporters are allowing their vocabularies to wither away?  They hear a rather obscure word (though not a rarely used one), and then substitute it with the wrong word entirely.

Stephane Dion plays chicken by himself...and still loses!

Liberal Party Stephane Dion has a remarkable ability to take something as simple as a meeting and turn it into a battle of wills.

A battle of wills between himself and no one else.

And then Stephane Dion still manages to lose.

Atlantic Canada shift -- Carbon tax criticism driven by Liberal Party polling?

In the polls, a lot of focus falls on Quebec.  The Conservatives doing well, the Liberals still struggling -- clearly part of the decision to go to an election.

But there is another shift happening that matters too.  In Atlantic Canada, the Liberals number have tumbled badly, and I think that is driving two high profile criticisms of Stephane Dion's carbon tax.

Blair Wilson, the Green Party, and Elizabeth May lusting for a TV spot

History has been made today.  The Green Party has an MP in Canada's parliament.

Well, technically, the Green Party has an MP who is ready to sit in parliament, though it is unlikely parliament will sit before an election is called.

Indeed, after all is said and done, the Green Party might come out of all this never have had a sitting MP.

And certainly not an elected MP.

That might not matter much to some people, but I think these are more than just subtle distinctions.

Garth Turner lurking as "Milton John"?

At the blog Repossessing Halton, there is a convincing argument building that suggests that Liberal Party MP Garth Turner dons the pseudonym "Milton John" in order to lurk on blogs critical of him, and post nasty responses.

Martin Cauchon: Rumoured candidate that ought to give Stephane Dion pause

On the verge of an election, the rumours are flying fast and furious.  In this case, the Liberals are rumoured to making a serious play for their former stronghold of Outremont, lost to the NDP in a by-election. 

The secret weapon would be former Liberal cabinet minister Martin Cauchon.

But if I was Stephane Dion, I'd be worried about why Martin Cauchon would be willing to get back into politics.

Hoping for a visit from Liberal leader Bob Rae?

The BC riding of Nanaimo-Alberni is represented by Conservative MP James Lunney.  There is no Liberal candidate yet, and no one has filed papers yet to be the candidate.

Nevertheless the Liberal riding association president thinks the Liberals can win this riding, but it would help a lot if "leader" Bob Rae would come for a visit.

Huh?

Gilles Duceppe pulls rug out from under Stephane Dion

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has done it again.  He tries to act decisive, and ends up being made the fool.  In this case, he refused to meet with Stephen Harper until he, Dion, was good and ready. 

Well, Jack Layton decided the meeting was an opportunity to look like a responsible opposition leader, and has agreed to meet.

And now Gilles Duceppe is rumoured to be meeting with Harper ahead of Layton.

And with that, Gilles Duceppe has rendered Stephane Dion irrelevant.

Elections Canada allowance was driving Liberal Party election plans

The Liberal Party under Stephane Dion wants to fight an election, or so they say, but later this fall.  Apparently kicking off an election now, in September, is a bad thing.

A good thing would be kicking off an election in October.

Why?  Really, what difference would it make?

In either case, Stephane Dion would still have to face a leadership review in December, either as the new prime minister or as the loser of a general election, so from that point of view, there really isn't a difference.

Then it struck me that, for the Liberals, there is one big difference in starting an election in October.  All federal parties that meet the criteria get their next Elections Canada quarterly allowance in October.  The way the Liberals have been complaining about starting an election now instead of just a few weeks from now tells me that the Liberals need that money, and desperately. 

Until that cheque arrived, Stephen Harper was going to get a free ride from the Liberals.

I think we ought to have an election now.  Having the proper functioning of parliament (which includes an effective opposition) short-circuited by a broke political party that lurches from quarter to quarter on the back of taxpayers is just wrong.

A survey of Liberal Party online shiftiness

Last night I completed a survey of all the websites of sitting Liberal MPs.

I was looking to see how the Stephane Dion's carbon tax was being described, but as a bonus the survey itself turned up several interesting things.  The first thing you notice is just how un-shifty the Liberal caucus seems to be.

www.StephaneDion.ca goes nowhere

Hey, did you notice that www.StephaneDion.ca doesn't go anywhere?

The Devil and Joan Beatty

The story, told over and over again, of the guile of the Devil entrapping the greedy and the foolish is one we are all familiar with.  That literary device is one of those minor gifts of our Christian heritage (where the embodiment of evil is a lesser being than God, and so must depend on his sly words instead of brute force to win souls to his side).

When I see what has happened to Joan Beatty's name online, I immediately think of this metaphor. 

Ireland's Green Party leader dumps plan for carbon tax

Astonishingly, some people aren't as perceptive as Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion, and think that a carbon tax is a complex plan that will negatively affect a lot of people.

In Ireland, the leader of the Green Party and the Minister for the Environment in the coalition government, John Gormley, has dropped plans for a carbon tax for exactly such reasons.

This the second time the goverment in Ireland has been forced to step back from implementing a carbon tax.

Why?  Who knows?  The reasons given make no sense.  Don't they know that this tax is simple to implement, makes everyone richer, eliminates poverty, has no effect on rural voters, and saves the environment?

That's what Stephane Dion has been explaining to Canadians.  Maybe he needs to give John Gormley a call and explain it to him.

Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes or so. 

Stephane Dion does not want Stephen Harper falling into Dion's trap?

Sometimes I just don't understand what Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion is talking about.

With Prime Minister Stephen Harper making it clear that he is setting down conditions for not triggering an election, Stephane Dion is saying that Prime Minister Harper could be convinced not to call an election once he realizes such a call would only work in favour of the Liberals.

So what is Stephane Dion saying?  That he doesn't want an election that would favour the Liberals?

Wrong Green Shift (again), this time from a media pundit

I know it might seem boring, but tracking just how the Liberal Party's idea to name Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan The Green Shift, deliberately ignoring the existence of Jennifer Wright's Green Shift Inc, is damaging Wright's company serves a purpose.

It stands as a testimony to just how Jennifer Wright is right -- her company is becoming confused by one and all with the Liberal tax plan. 

Gone fishing (and back)

Sorry for the long break between posts, but I've been on vacation, and a series of unfortunate events conspired to keep me offline for the entire duration.

Heck, I only just found out about the Maple Leaf listeria outbreak.

thegreentaxshift.ca: A Liberal backup plan? [Update: More backup names?]

Interestingly, a full 11 days after registering thegreenshift.ca to be the online home of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's plan for a massive carbon tax, the Liberals registered thegreentaxshift.ca.  That was only days after being told by Jennifer Wright that she did not want to share the name.  Days after registering this alternate name, the Liberals were served with a cease-and-desist order from Jennifer Wright of Green Shift Inc.

Despite registering this alternate name, the Liberals aren't using it, preferring to fight Jennifer Wright for "Green Shift".

Update: I found some more alternate names.  And they were all registered after the launch and after the call to Jennifer Wright, not before.

Liberals still confusing GreenShift.ca and TheGreenShift.ca

Right on the heels of a news story reporting that the Liberals claim no reasonable chance of confusion between the Liberal Party's Green Shift tax plan and Jennifer Wright's Green Shift environmental consultancy firm, I find yet another example of confusion between the two.

As before, it is a Liberal who is unable to keep the two straight.

Even as he threatens to trigger an election, Stephane Dion loses yet another candidate (again)

No this isn't a double posting.  I just posted yesterday about how the Liberals lost candidate Parissa Aujla.

In reading an entirely unrelated story, I learned that another candidate has quit.

It happened at the beginning of the summer, and the reason given by Buffy Baumbrough for quitting was that she did not feel she could help the environment as a federal Liberal.

Liberal MP Karen Redman's "but": She uncovers In-and-Out in all the parties

Shocking revelations at the committee hearings looking into Conservative Party election spending.

Thanks to Liberal MP Karen Redman, we learned two things:

• Other parties engaged in In-and-Out funding and are being investigated by Elections Canada
• The Liberals are sore at Conservative efficiency, and believe that is why the Conservatives need to be punished

Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote's summer fling

The Ontario Young Liberals hosted a three day party in Guelph this past weekend.

That's great.

And they debate Liberal Party policy and strategy.

That's great.

And they want everyone to vote for Frank Valeriote on September 8 at the by-election.

Oops.

Liberal Atlantic Caucus really did avoid mention of carbon tax

Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a point of mentioning how the Liberals in Atlantic Canada avoided mention of Stephane Dion's plan for a carbon tax in the media release following their caucus meeting.

The silence speaks volumes.

But oddly, the media made it sound like a simple statement of fact -- that the Liberal media release did not discuss the carbon tax -- is some sort of clever Conservative trick meant to confuse the listener.

Even as he threatens to trigger an election, Stephane Dion loses yet another candidate

The Liberal Party has lost yet another candidate.  And this time in a riding that had lost its previous candidate mere months ago.

You would think that with Stephane Dion threatening to trigger an election, Liberal candidates would be pulling together instead of looking for the escape hatch.

Garth Turner apologizes...for no good reason

Garth Turner has apologized.

I know.  It's a day to remember.  But I'm confused, because Garth Turner has nothing to apologize for.

But let's back up and set the stage for how this happened.

Did the Conservatives snitch to Elections Canada about Garth Turner's accounting problem?

Liberal MP Garth Turner has had a relatively minor dustup with Elections Canada.  Frankly, he should have just kept quiet about it.  Instead, he makes an accusation in an attempt to embarrass the Conservative Party.

The problem is that based on the evidence I've developed, I can't see how that accusation can be justified.

Well, you can decide who's been embarrassed.

Update: Garth Turner apologizes...for no good reason

Oops: Liberal MP Hedy Fry promises high food prices but huge benefits for Alberta and Saskatchewan from carbon tax

Liberal MP Hedy Fry becomes the latest in a line of Liberals attempting to explain Stephane Dion's promised carbon tax.

It is a pitiable performance.

Robert Thibault: Who's the idiot?

The Liberal MP for the Nova Scotia riding of West Nova, Robert Thibault, is in some trouble.  In the space of two weeks, he has insulted seniors and women.  In his attempt to defend his comments, he called Senator Majory LeBreton an "idiot".

Clearly Garth Turner is working his special magic with his communication seminars for Liberal MPs.

But to the question of idiocy, I cast my eye on Robert Thibault.  Does he not know the demographic cross section of his riding?

GPS ankle bracelet a great idea...for parolees

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has announced a plan to start testing the use of GPS tracking ankle bracelets on parolees.  There is resistance to the idea, which has me puzzled.

You would think parolees would love the idea.

Garth Turner attempts to wipe his blog clean of his latest stumble

In my last post, I looked at a blog post by Garth Turner, Liberal MP and communications guru for the Liberal Party.  A senior citizen by the name of Jon C Coates had a letter printed in a Halifax newspaper, in which he proceeded to show how a single senior would suffer under Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan.

Garth Turner immediately responded by alleging that this person was not real, and indeed was some sort of fraudulent Conservative Party frontman spewing lies.

This even after Garth Turner had spoken to Jon's wife.

Well, in the best Orwellian fashion, Garth Turner has erased his old post, put up a new one, speaks highly of Jon C Coates, and proceeds to call Stephen Harper a liar.

Hmmm.  I don't see a public apology directed at Jon for publicly declaring Jon to be a liar.

Garth Turner vents his spleen on a senior citizen on long-term disability -- and prepares to backtrack

A letter from Jon C Coates of Halifax is getting a lot of attention.  In it, he describes how he is going to suffer as a result of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's carbon tax.

Well, Garth Turner is the communications guru handling the carbon tax file.  So he reveals on his blog that (1) Jon C Coates is a liar, and (2) Jon C Coates probably doesn't exist.

Jon C Coates, according to Garth Turner, is likely a fiction concocted by the Prime Minister's Office, and Garth Turner is pulling back the curtain to reveal the ugly truth.

OK, so I called Jon C Coates, and we had a long conversation.

David McGuinty can't keep Green Shifts straight

I've been idly checking out references to Jennifer Wright's website greenshift.ca, the site that supports her company Green Shift Inc.  The Liberals under Stephane Dion decided that the name "Green Shift" should really have been theirs, and so named their carbon tax plan The Green Shift, supported with a website thegreenshift.ca.

The reason I've been checking is to see whether Jennifer Wright is correct in her assertion that the Liberals are damaging her brand.  The Liberals say that no one is going to be confused and that the two entities can easily coexist.

The problem is that I find evidence, over and over again, of confusion.  This time from the Liberal's own environment critic, David McGuinty.

Liberal Party candidate Claudette Roy names greenshift.ca as carbon tax website

As I've posted before, there is something to Jennifer Wright's argument that when the Liberal Party decided to name Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan "The Green Shift", her company Green Shift Inc would suffer from the confusion that would result.

Nonsense, say the Liberals and their apologists.  People will be able to tell the two apart.

Apparently people can't tell them apart.  One such person is Claudette Roy.  She's the Liberal Party's candidate for the riding of Edmonton-Strathcona.

More Green Shift confusion

Jennifer Wright of Green Shift Inc is suing the Liberal Party.  The Liberal Party has named their carbon tax plan "The Green Shift", and Wright's position is that the use of that name is hurting her business.

The Liberal contend that there is no reason for people to be confused.

Well, for the second time, I've found a blatant example of confusion is the media.

Garry Oledzki's cold send-off

Garry Oledzki was the Liberal Party candidate for Palliser in Saskatchewan.  Until yesterday, when he quit.

The report of his resignation was, well, cold.

Frigid even.

Oil prices already too high said former Liberal candidate Bobby Morrissey

Even as Stephane Dion is making noises about a fall election (that could be as soon as six weeks from now), the Liberal Party has lost two candidates. 

Garry Oledzki in Saskatchewan and Robert "Bobby" Morrissy in PEI have both stepped down as candidates.

In the case of Bobby Morrissey, it might indeed be a problem selling Stephane Dion's carbon tax.

Confused Liberals: The Top 21 Carbon Tax Questions

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion could not explain his carbon tax plan to his own aides.

There are a lot of questions that I suspect Stephane Dion will have trouble answering.  I've compiled my favourite 21 questions that I think every Liberal MP ought to be able to answer.

Stephane Dion and the Carbon Tax: Martha Hall Findlay responds

I was among many people who commented when Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay was quoted as saying that the effectiveness of Stephane Dion's carbon tax could not be predicted, or even measured after the fact.

Martha Hall Findlay wrote to me by way of response.  I've posted her note here in its entirety:

Garth Turner: Spamming for Stephane Dion?

Liberal MP Garth Turner is very excited.  The most loyal of all Liberal MPs is hosting a town hall meeting for his hero, Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion. 

But what if no one shows up?

To make sure that doesn't happen (and so show that he can command a loyal following of Liberal voters) Garth Turner has sent out a mass mailing to encourage people to turn out for the meeting.

Here's the problem.  Pulling together various threads, I wonder if there is reason to believe Garth Turner has contravened the anti-spam rules of the US-based email marketing service he is using his effort to look make Stephane Dion look good.

Another stealth Liberal praising Stephane Dion in the press

A "resident" of Cornwall is very upset at the mailing he received from his Conservative MP, Guy Lauzon.

According to local resident Guy Tropper, the flyer is juvenile in its design, and shows how the Conservatives are not spending time dealing with global warming, the way the Liberals are.

Gee, this letter to the editor could have been written by someone in Liberal headquarters.

No wait, it was written by someone at Liberal headquarters.  Guy Tropper.

Stephane Dion remains committed to cycling

You might think I'm talking about Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's green credentials -- using a bicycle and such.

I'm not.

I'm talking about the Stephane Dion Election Cycle.

David Suzuki Foundation gets ripped a new one

The David Suzuki Foundation gets roughed up badly by the Center for Media and Democracy Watch, the group that looks to expose spin and propaganda.

Motivations unknown: Julie Couillard had no reason to take files

A report from an internal Foreign Affairs department investigation has concluded that Maxime Bernier was the victim in the events that led to his resignation from cabinet.

Riding associations backing Liberal Party loans

In my previous post, I looked at Liberal Party fundraising for the second quarter.  Not surprisingly, fundraising for the Liberals is flat.

But in looking over the numbers, I noticed something unexpected.  Several riding associations emptied out their banks accounts to move money to the Liberal Party.

Why?

Then someone reminded me of what the Liberals were doing.  The party had taken out a big loan in order to stay in operation, using the riding associations as collateral.

Liberal Fundraising: Still in the doldrums (but one shockingly generous riding transfer)

The second quarter returns of the major parties have been made available by Elections Canada.

The Liberals are the only major party that saw an increase in donations!

Yeah, but it was just a burp really. 

No surprise, but it seems clear that through the second quarter of this year, the Liberals still hadn't figured out how to squeeze any money from Canadians.

Note that the return covers a period to the end of June.  For all we know, the money is pouring in now, even as I type this.

But until we see those returns in 90 days, we can ponder a different mystery.

How did the riding association of Pierrefonds-Dollard get hold of $30,000 to transfer to the party?  No other transfer comes anywhere close to this.  It is half of all of last year's income for the riding association.

Very strange.

What was Marc Mayrand thinking?

We have some details concerning the payback plans for the Liberal Party leadership contenders who have all been granted extensions to pay back their outstanding campaign loans.

Except Stephane Dion, whose plan is still under review.

But of the others, the details are, well, difficult to reconcile with reality.  As such, I can't imagine why the extensions were granted.

Carbon tax confusion cleared up -- Stephane Dion just doesn't care

British Columbia has a carbon tax.

Quebec has a carbon tax.

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion promises to inflict a carbon tax on Canadians if he ever becomes prime minister.

The obvious question -- how do these two levels of taxation interact -- is causing no end of confusion.

But really, there is no reason for confusion.  Stephane Dion has made it clear today that whether Canadians in some parts of the country will be required to pay two taxes is irrelevant to him.

He has the power to make every Canadian pay a price for everything they do, and he intends to use it.

The devil is in the (paydown) details

As widely expected, Elections Canada has waved away the failure of Liberal leadership contenders to payback their leadership debts by granting extensions.

OK, let's be clear.  Extensions are often granted by Elections Canada to candidates who fail to hit the deadline.  Sure it looks like special treatment for the Liberals, but it is not as bad as all that.

But then, maybe it is.  The devil is in the details.

Does green living mean recycling news stories?

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion is touring the country trying to sell people on his plan for a carbon tax.

It's all about being more environmentally responsible.  You know.  Recycling and all that.

But does recycling news stories count as recycling?

Green Shift: A lump of coal or a precious diamond?

Just how prevalent is the phrase "green shift"?

Stephane Dion directs people to Jennifer Wright's Green Shift Inc

As we all know, Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion is proposing a carbon tax, which he calls The Green Shift.  There is a company that has been in operation for years called Green Shift Inc that is suing the Liberals for using the name without permission.

But one is "Green Shift" and the other is "The Green Shift", or so argue Liberal Party apologists.

Perhaps it is a significant distinction, but only if the Liberals actually use it.  So what does it mean when Stephane Dion directs people to the website for Green Shift Inc, instead of the party's website for The Green Shift carbon tax?

To me it means that Green Shift Inc boss Jennifer Wright has a point when she says that the names are causing confusion, which is why she needs relief from the courts to force the Liberals to change the name and to pay for damages.

Marc Mayrand fails the memory test -- by twenty million dollars!

Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand explained that one of the reasons the Conservatives are being targeted for investigation is that candidates and their agents weren't able to recall details of the advertising spending.

Well, that's why we write things down on things like receipts.  So we don't have to remember.

But that's not good enough for Marc Mayrand.

Marc Mayrand holds these people to a higher standard when it comes to remembering details like these. 

Amusingly, it is not a standard he seems to be able to meet.  In fact he misses the mark by a wide margin -- actually by nearly $20 million!

Misleading Liberal Party fundraising email

I received an email this week from the Liberal Party.  I am being hit up for a donation in support of Stephane Dion's carbon tax.

So far, so good.

But let's say I'm one of the majority of Canadians who doesn't know about Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan.  The email helpfully offers to send me to the website for the plan where I can "learn more".

But instead, I am sent back to the donation page on the Liberal Party site, where I'm expected to cough up cash.

That's misleading.  Even a bit spammy.

Message to Stephane Dion: Do your damn job, sir!

Stephane Dion gets a rough ride while on the road...from his own nominee!

Oops: Liberal nominee Gerry Samson can't sell Green Shift (except to stealth Liberals)

Yet again, Liberals are undermining Stephane Dion's attempt to sell his carbon tax plan (aka The Green Shift) to Canadians.

This time, we have Liberal nominee Gerry Samson in Stormont-Dundas-South-Glengarry admitting, on the record, with Stephane Dion in the room, that Samson can't get local residents to believe him when he tells them that they will benefit from Stephane Dion's new tax.

Well, one guy in the audience loved the idea of the carbon tax.  But then as it turns out, he's a local Liberal Party riding association activist (ed. actually a director and a member of the riding association executive).  Of course, that wasn't mentioned in the media report.  He's described as just a local resident who was really impressed with Stephane Dion.

Stephane Dion selling the carbon tax

Can Stephane Dion sell the carbon tax?

The question is misleading.

The real question is this.

Can Stephane Dion sell the carbon tax without alienating everyone around him?

Stephane Dion? Oh.

Stephane Dion is mistaken for a popular local politician.  When the mistake is corrected, enthusiasm for being in such close proximity to that carbon tax guy drops dramatically.

Hey, it's just an anecdote, so don't read to much into it.  But it is funny.

What's more interesting, though, is that the story became ammunition in a Liberal-versus-Liberal infighting.

Oops: Liberal MP Ralph Goodale explains how most oil consumption will not be taxed

Is Saskatchewan going to hurt badly by Stephane Dion's carbon tax?  Well, Stephane Dion admitted as much, but Liberal MP Ralph Goodale has taken the time to explain this more clearly. 

Don't worry, he says.

Almost all the oil taken out of the ground in Saskatchewan will be consumed and turned into carbon dioxide emissions without a dime of tax being applied.

Oil company profits are safe!

You might wonder how this helps the environment.  On the other hand, you might have stopped asking that question after Liberal MPs Ken Boshcoff and Martha Hall Findlay have already explained that no one expects any actual environmental benefit from the carbon tax.

Time to Wade into the Pilot Seniority Problem at Air Canada

Is it time for the government to get involved in the ongoing labour dispute at Air Canada?  With the troubles plaguing the airline, this is one issue that could be resolved.  And ought to be.

Blair Wilson and the anonymous letter

Yesterday I wrote that the story of Blair Wilson was coming to a close.  I think that's likely to be true, but today I have to point out the Blair Wilson is putting up what might be a last minute fight.

Part of that is what might be an attempt to alter the understanding of what started the Elections Canada investigation in the first place.

Blair Wilson story coming to a close

Blair Wilson had admitted to violations of the Elections Act, but there will be no prosecution.  It is also likely that there will be no seat for Blair Wilson once this parliament rises for the last time.

The Conservative Boxes: A good show for the cameras on the way out, then quietly returned

Seventeen boxes of sensitive Conservative material related to the In-and-Out affair being removed from Conservative Party headquarters by grim-looking Elections Canada officials.

The images from last April were quite powerful.

Would you like an update?  Well, for one thing, the boxes didn't leave the building, at least not until the relevancy of the seize material was determined.

And that determination was that over 85% of the material had nothing to do with the question of advertising financing in the 2006 election.  That material has been returned, but without a phalanx of cameras recording the march back into Conservative Party headquarters.

And the rest?  Virtually all of it was material Elections Canada already had.

Makes you wonder just what the point of all this was.  Just to put on a good show for the cameras?

Stephane Dion: Thief

Some strong language from Jennifer Wright, the head of Green Shift Inc, the company suing the Liberal Party over the use of the name "Green Shift".

Yasmin Ashareh: Application for a publication ban covering William Imona-Russel

One of the stories that has gone dormant for almost a year is the case of the murder Yasmin Ashareh.

Well, it was come back with a vengeance.

Disturbing details from Toronto Police about man charged with sexual assault and incest

A disturbing report from Toronto Police.  And I'm surprised at the amount of detail they're releasing.

Stephane Dion: Underwhelming performance in Guelph

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion was in Guelph this past week.

It was not an impressive performance.

Contradictions about the Cadman tape?

More news from the saga of the Cadman tape.

According to the headlines, a third expert is contradicting the claims made by two other experts that the tape misrepresents a conversation between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and reporter Tom Zytaruk.

The headline is an attention grabber, but the the truth is that the third expert is not willing to come to the same conclusion has the first two experts without access to the original tape and the original recording equipment, something Tom Zytaruk is not willing to grant.  He does say that there are irregularities in the recording though.

Not actually a contradiction as I read it.

Oops: Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay admits to Liberal greenwashing

Liberal Party MP Martha Hall Findlay talks about Stephane Dion's plan for a carbon tax.  The carbon tax will save the planet, right?  We'll be encouraged to consume less energy, right?

According to Findlay, there's no way to really know, or to be sure if it's really working.

Still, that's no reason not to impose a tax on Canadians.

Oops: Liberal MP Ken Boshcoff admits to Liberal greenwashing

Liberal MP Ken Boshcoff has let the cat out of the bag.  Apparently Stephane Dion's carbon tax program is just a big vacuum designed to suck money out of Alberta, pass it through  Liberal government social programs, and put it in the pockets of whomever the Liberals deem worthy of receiving the cash.

The whole "environmental" thing is just words slapped on to make the tax grab more palatable.  That's called "greenwashing".

You know, this just makes Jennifer Wright's argument that her company is being damaged by the Liberals lifting the name "Green Shift" all the more compelling.

Planning for a day in court

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's legal team wants to make Tom Zytaruk answer some very particular questions while under oath.

Liberals make jokes about murdering Stephen and Laureen Harper

In what has to be one of the most tasteless displays from the Liberal Party, this "joke" appearing in the official newsletter of the St Catharines Federal Liberal Association makes light of the deliberate murder of Stephen Harper and his wife, as discussed by schoolchildren.

Are the Liberals trying to hide the Chuck Cadman stories? [Update: Links restored]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has filed a $3.5 million lawsuit against the Liberal Party.  The suit stems from allegations made by the Liberal Party via their website through two so-called news stories that Stephen Harper knew of and condoned an attempt to bribe independent MP Chuck Cadman just before a crucial confidence vote in 2005.

I just checked, and you can't get to those two stories via the Liberal Party website.

Are the Liberals trying to quietly hide the stories?  Perhaps as a prelude to a settlement?

If so, they need to do a better job.  I can still get to those stories via their policy forum.

Update: The navigation is back, and the stories are accessible again through the Liberal Party website.

Jennifer Wright to sue Liberals despite veiled threat from Garth Turner

Stephane Dion and the Liberals ignored a cease-and-desist letter from Jennifer Wright of Green Shift Inc., over the use of the name "Green Shift" to describe the Liberal carbon tax.

As a result, the Liberals are about to get sued.  We don't know by how much, but it'll be over $2 million.

And this despite Garth Turner's veiled threat to dig around her private life if she went ahead with the lawsuit.

Stephane Dion to shut down the oilsands?

Stephane Dion is trying to convince an interesting cross-section of people that his carbon tax is a good idea.

These people aren't interested in taxes though.   They want Stephane Dion to shut down the oilsands completely.

Paul Cheema: The suspicions born of evidence

When Paul Cheema, the prime suspect in the murder of his wife, Shemina Hirji, was found dead of a suicide, the story was essentially wrapped up.

Nevertheless, a lot of people seemed to think that Cheema was hounded by police who had no other suspects and so defaulted to the husband.

Not too long ago I spotted a news story that revealed why the police were interested in Cheema from the start.  It wasn't widely reported.

Who's the loser, eh? It's not who you think.

Garth Turner, Liberal MP and alleged communications guru, has gotten into trouble.

Again.

This time he has called Quebeckers and Albertans who are worried about their livelihoods and their futures losers.

As a result, he's been chewed out in a big way.  Does that make him the real loser?

Yes, but perhaps surprisingly, not the biggest loser in this story.

Misappropriation of Personality

A reader on another blog asks what exactly earned the Liberals the charge of committing misappropriation the personality.  That allegation was combined with an increase by $1 million in the damages sought by Stephen Harper in his lawsuit against the Liberal Party.  The original lawsuit was tied to Liberal Party accusations that Stephen Harper had known and condoned illegal activities regarding the late MP Chuck Cadman, in particular, an attempt to bribe Cadman with an insurance policy.

I guess the basis of the misappropriation of personality charge is not widely known, so let me help explain.

Ecological harmony: Who are the real villains?

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion is prepared to tax the oil operations of Alberta and Saskatchewan, to punish them for being the source of so much carbon dioxide that is wrecking the planet.

Kyoto (the protocol, not Stephane Dion's dog) demands it.

It makes no such demand of countries like India. 

It doesn't seem fair, at first glance.  Take a deeper look, and it's grossly unfair.

And I mean gross.

Does David Suzuki sound nervous to you?

It wasn't too long ago when David Suzuki was urging young people to find ways to imprison politicians who don't interpret scientific evidence in the same way Suzuki does.

With polls showing a majority of people in British Columbia are against the provincial carbon tax, Suzuki has tried to play it a bit more casually.

The problem is that he comes off as nervous.  Like he's worried that the crowds aren't listening to him anymore.

No votes? Screw you!

Stephane Dion and the Liberals are looking more and more like the classic Liberal Party of years past, playing region against region based on vote potential.

Selling the carbon tax: Canadian apples and Australian oranges

In a remarkable story from the Canadian Press, we learn that Stephane Dion and the Liberals have been inspired by Kevin Rudd's success in winning the November 2007 general election in Australia based in part on a platform that included a carbon tax.

Really, that can't possible be true, can it?  I mean, has anyone noticed how much has changed since last November, and what next November is shaping up to be like?

The coming summer storm of carbon tax thunder

I don't have a simplistic computer model to use to predict the future.  I leave that sort of "science" to the global warming nutters.

But there are hints of what is coming.  I'm afraid it'll be loud and incessant.

My stories are seriously skewed (I hope)

Digg led the way with user-submitted stories and user voting.  But I have never been satisfied with Digg.  It had no focus, with people submitting stories from every possible area of interest.  That has led to issues with political stories.  People would vote stories up and down not based on the intrinsic value of the story, but rather with a goal of eliminating stories of either the left or right.

There is a new player in the user submission field.  It is called Skewz, and it focuses entirely on political stories.  Better yet, you're supposed to vote on whether a story skews to the left or to the right, not on whether you should read it.

Is Stephane Dion boiling the frog to create a new GST?

One thing that has been puzzling more and more is the way Stephane Dion speaks of his carbon tax changing people's behavior with regards to using energy, while his actual plan seems to be predicated on no change in behavior at all.

Then, after chatting with a newspaper columnist acquaintance of mine, it hit me.  Stephane Dion is boiling the frog.

Why didn't I see it before?

Stephane Dion and the questionable size of his reduction predictions

I wrote a post recently in which I tried to understand just how much the carbon tax being proposed by Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion would reduce emissions.  In his plan, he predicts $15 billion in revenue from a tax of $40 per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions paid on fuels.

After struggling with the numbers, and a couple of false starts, I came to the conclusion that the emissions predicted in Year 4 of Stephane Dion's new tax regime are not any different from the emissions today.

I thought that odd, but then maybe it was reasonable.  Perhaps Stephane Dion figures that four years is not enough time to see the effect of a new universal tax on energy.  It takes time for factories to shut down and move to Mexico.

But in an interview with the editorial board of Sun Media, Stephane Dion says there will be large reductions by 2012 (the impilicit assumption being that he can implement a tax in 2009).

That doesn't make sense. 

Skipping the problem of replacing the fuel source

I swing between amusement and frustration when I read comments from well-meaning environmentalist types who think that if all bought electric cars, we wouldn't need oil.

It belies a fundamental ignorance of how the world works, and makes me nervous about these people ever being in charge.

In particular, I'm looking at a comment on the Liberal Party discussion board, in which the person posting says the world will be so different in 10 years when we stop using petroleum to power transportation having switched to electricity.

I shake my head.  What did they teach these people in science class in high school?

Why the Liberal Party must be sued over the Green Shift name

This situation that has developed over the name "Green Shift" is not as amusing as it seemed to be at first.  The name "Green Shift" is a trademark, and the Liberal Party lifted it in an attempt to make Stephane Dion's carbon tax seem more palatable.

But the company that owns the trademark is mad, and is planning to sue.

They should sue.  In fact, they have to.

Stephane Dion's carbon tax means more imports from massive polluter China

Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan promises to apply a tariff against the carbon content of imported goods.

As with everything else in the carbon tax plan, there are no details, just promises that Canada would benefit.  Ignore that.  like everything else in the carbon tax plan, it's nonsense.  When you actually think about what the tariff could mean, it's clear that Canadians would suffer.

And like everything else in the carbon tax plan, it will do nothing to limit emissions.

Carbon tax: Letting Halifax airport crumble away

Peter Duffy, writing in The Chronicle Herald, suggests that keeping the runways at Halifax's international airport in good condition is a waste of time.  Fuel prices means fewer flights.

What's the point of having an airport?

If Stephane Dion gets to implement his carbon tax, I wonder just what else we can just throw away as being unnecessary.

Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote against carbon tax and the funding of green industries

Now that Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has unveiled his carbon tax, it might be interesting to gauge reaction from his own people.

If Guelph Liberal Party candidate Frank Valeriote remains consistent with his previously stated positions, he won't like it.

Morphing Signatures

This is just a quickie post about how Stephane Dion's signature on the Liberal Party carbon tax handbook is a lifted image from another copy of his signature, but altered.

Before anyone says it, this post is about nothing at all significant, or perhaps even that interesting.  Just something I noticed.

The Blogging Tories have gotten a bit grumpier

Welcome to the newest Blogging Tory, The Grumpy Voter.

Working through the carbon tax numbers

OK, I've got a question.  Where the heck did Stephane Dion get his numbers for Canadian fuel consumption?

I'm trying to see where his numbers come from, and they seem way too high.

Update: No wait, I forgot to factor for the increase in weight for carbon dioxide.  That makes the numbers work.

Update: No wait, the numbers have a problem after all.  I successfully showed that the 2007 fuel consumption rates match up with the carbon tax revenues predicted by the Liberals in Year 4 of the plan.  But that's not right either.  The whole point is that fuel usage would drop.  Why aren't they dropping?  What's the point of this tax?  Just to raise money?

[This is a reposted version of the first post, now deleted.]

Conservatives cut GST by 28% (something the media forgot to mention)

Remember when Prime Minister Stephen Harper cut the GST by a whopping 28%?

Good times.  Good times.

Of course, it was reported as a 2% tax cut, from 7% to 5% in two separate steps, not as a 28% cut, which is the percentage difference between 7% and 5%.

Now that might seem more honest, but then why is a 1.5% income tax cut proposed by Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion as part of his carbon tax package being reported as a 10% cut?

Stephane Dion: Man of the (Green) People

A trusted source in Ottawa has flipped me some details about the planned launch of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's carbon tax.

Apparently it will be a "man of the people" video.

Sex abuse allegations based on a psychic vision

In Barrie, Colleen Leduc was put through a nightmare.  Allegations were made that her daughter, Victoria, was being abused by a man aged 23 to 26.  The Children's Aid Society is investigating.

Who was this man?  The psychic who told the teacher to be only the lookout for an abused child whose name started with "V" was not that specific.

What the...?!  A psychic?

Will I pay the GST on the carbon tax?

The carbon tax announcement is coming.  All questions will be answered.  Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion will make it all clear.

Well, I have a question.  Am I going to be taxed on the tax?

In-and-Out and the question of privilege

The Globe and Mail is running a story on how Elections Canada tried to manage the story of the "raid" on Conservative Party headquarters.  But as an interesting side note, there is correspondence concerning the nature of legal privilege.

It seems to be far less strict than I thought, at least according to the General Counsel at Elections Canada.

Oily bugs: Scaling up tiny refineries

With so much of the planet's technology based on crude oil, it seems pointless to think about getting off oil.  That's just a fact.  The real solution to rising oil prices is more supply, and there is always buzz around artificially creating oil using microorganisms.  Of course, the devil is in the details. 

Not the little details, but the really big ones.

Paying the carbon tax long after the environment is no longer a concern

Details are emerging about Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's carbon tax.

As suspected, it is not a tax designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  If it was, then I would expect the tax to go away once emission goals were met.  Instead, it is shaping up to be just another tax designed to raise money for Liberal social spending.

And I thought it was going to be different this time.

Liberal Party fundraising email for carbon tax advertising: Money is not important, just personal information

The Liberal Party has sent out an email soliciting funds to support an advertising campaign to promote Stephane Dion's carbon tax.  But the odd thing is that the email says that the amount donated is not important.  The Liberal Party just wants your information.

Media analysis: There is no such thing as saying the right thing at the wrong time

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre is in a pickle.  It's of his own making because he doesn't have my training as an engineer.  But then the Liberal research bureau has been helping things along too.

Still, the reaction of the media is interesting.

Update: After posting this, Pierre Poilievre has apologized on the floor of the House of Commons.

The carbon tax: Only Garth Turner knows the truth

Apparently, the great carbon tax plan of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion is, well, just a lot of hot air.  A report today says that basic questions remain unanswered, and the rollout of the plan is being delayed week after week as Liberals try to define a plan to meet the goals stated publicly by Stephane Dion.

Goals that weren't actually backed by a plan.

But if that is true, then why is Liberal MP Garth Turner making statements that he has seen the details?

Sun, heat, and Stephane Dion's carbon tax

Stephane Dion led the Liberals into not stopping an immigration bill that they resolutely oppose.

Why?

The answer is so funny when you think about.

Stephane Dion's carbon tax details revealed -- permanent income tax cuts!

What we've all been waiting for -- the definitive explanation of just how Stephane Dion's carbon tax is going to work.

The Carbon Tax grab: Garth Turner blinks

Garth Turner, the Liberal MP who has suffered oh-so-much for being one of the few truly loyal Liberals supporting Stephane Dion, has blinked.

Yes, he has blinked.

Stephane Dion says no election -- spend the summer explaining to Canadians that they need to pay yet more taxes with his Carbon Tax.

Is Garth Turner behind his leader on this one?  Hold off on the carbon tax, says Garth Turner.  It's not the right time, pleads Garth Turner.  I'm swamped with people who hate the idea, complains Garth Turner.

*Blink*

The tax trick: A tax that, if successful, results in higher taxes overall

The Conservatives have launched a new ad campaign with www.willyoubetricked.ca, also known as The Dion Tax Trick.

It aims at the heart of the matter.  Stephane's "green shift" (his latest name for his plan after the more accurate "Really Big Tax on Everything" stunk in focus groups) is neither green nor a shift.

This is not propaganda or speculation.  It's common sense.

The tax trick: A tax that, if successful, results in higher taxes overall

The Conservatives have launched a new ad campaign with www.willyoubetricked.ca, also known as The Dion Tax Trick.

It aims at the heart of the matter.  Stephane's "green shift" (his latest name for his plan after the more accurate "Really Big Tax on Everything" stunk in focus groups) is neither green nor a shift.

This is not propaganda or speculation.  It's common sense.

The wrong window of opportunity

The rumbling out of Ottawa is about secret Liberal Party meetings.  As always, we know who was at the meeting and what was said.

Note to self: Send this link to every Liberal MP.

Apparently, meetings have been held, and more meetings will be held, in which the topic of discussion was one thing: how to get Stephane Dion to force an election.

There is a window of opportunity, Liberals are saying.  Of course, there is.  But no Liberal will find an election win by going through that window.

Stephane Dion knows it, and that's why he's dead set against an election right now.

Linda Schwey's big seed giveaway

Liberal Party candidate Linda Schwey is planning to give away tens of thousands of seed packets during the next election.

Seeds cost money.  Doesn't that count as election spending?

Zytaruk-Harper interview timeline

I'm surprised by the confusion surrounding the alleged doctoring of the taped interview between Tom Zytaruk and Stephen Harper in 2005, discussing efforts by Conservatives to have Chuck Cadman rejoin the Tories.

The Liberals chant, Explain the tape!

What about the doctoring?  Piffle, say Liberals, it's just the sound of the recorder being turned off and on at inconsequential moments.

Clearly these people have not taken the time to review the evidence submitted by the audio experts.

Still trying to peg Andre Thouin and Raymond Lamothe as Elections Canada employees

The latest data from Elections Canada regarding contracts has been disclosed today.  I've been looking forward to seeing it in order to determine if investigators Andre Thouin and Raymond Lamothe are actually working for Elections Canada.

And yet with data covering a period ending a mere nine days before the search warrant was signed off by Raymond Lamothe, I still can't find where he was rehired by Elections Canada after his initial contract ran out in March of 2007.  The same goes for fellow investigator Andre Thouin, who collected the evidence on April 15.

Expert analysis makes Tom Zytaruk look to the Liberals for source of manipulation

The analysis of the Cadman tape is pretty damning.  So much so that Tom Zytaruk himself is putting some distance between himself and the tape.  He tries to draw a distinction between his original tape in his safe, and the digital copy on the Liberal website.  Zytaruk points out, rather reasonably, that he can't control what people do with digital recordings that they put on the website.

Zytaruk is not directly accusing the Liberals of doctoring the tape, but he certainly sounds like he would prefer that questions be aimed in that direction.

The tape that wasn't there

The Chuck Cadman story takes another strange turn.  The question of whether the Conservatives offered some sort of bribe to Chuck Cadman in 2005 to rejoin the Conservatives and bring down Paul Martin's government has already been put to rest with the RCMP reporting "no evidence" to support such an allegation.

But there is still the matter of the lawsuit filed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper against the Liberal Party for having published statements on the website to the effect that Stephen Harper knew of a bribe.

Part of the lawsuit hinged on a tape recording, a tape recording that the Conservatives now say has been doctored.

What law does Stephane Dion thinks he is obeying?

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion had eighteen months to pay of his debts left over from his leadership bid.  He has failed to in a rather spectacular manner.  Of the original debt of $800,000, he has $600,000 to go.

Now Stephane Dion has to face the legal ramifications.  Unless he can convince Elections Canada that he has a really good excuse -- like he didn't know it was due today, or something like that.

CTV alters emotion-laden headline

Conservative Environment Minister John Baird has some issues with the proposed Ontario-Quebec cap-and-trade system.  But did he really sneer?

The news staff at CTV thought so at 1:47pm today.  Thirteen minutes later the news staff thought otherwise.

Interprovincial cap-and-trade: An opportunity being squandered?

The reaction of the government to a proposed cap-and-trade system being set up between Ontario and Quebec seems short-sighted to me.  Isn't there a way to make this work in a way that everyone wins?

Carbon Tax or Cap-and-Trade?

Let's say that for political reasons, there is going to be some sort of carbon pricing regime.  Maybe we'll do it to combat global warming which is stupid because:

• The planet isn't warming.
• The planet is warming, but it has nothing to do with man-made emissions.
• The planet is warming, but Canada's 2% contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is negligible, and a 10% cut, or a 20% cut, or a 50% cut, or even a 100% cut in a negligible contribution is a negligible improvement.

But hey, it wouldn't be the first time things are done for stupid reasons.  Heck, stupid reasons notwithstanding, carbon pricing might still be a good thing to do, for some good reasons:

• Pollution is bad, and assuming a correlation between greenhouse gas emissions (probably harmless) and other sorts of emissions (certainly nasty) is a strong one, then cutting back on carbon emissions means cutting back on other forms of real pollution.
• Energy efficiency is good, and carbon usage as a function of GNP might be considered a measure of efficiency, one that can be shifted in the more efficient direction.
• Maybe there's a way to make money from this.

And then there is the most important reason of all:

• Despite the best efforts of better informed members of society, the majority has drunk deeply of the global warming Kool-Aid, and demand something be done, even if it makes no good sense at all.

One particular carbon pricing scheme has always made more sense to me.  If we need to do this thing, let's at least do it right.  Or at least as right as is possible to do something that is intrinsically ridiculous.

Michael Ignatieff's last minute plea for cash

I received an email from Michael Ignatieff's fundraising operation.  It was remarkable for its stark simplicity as well as the timing.

Green Party accepting anonymous donations [updated]

The Green Party of Canada is accepting hundreds of dollars in donations from anonymous donors.  We don't know if these are people who have already reached their donation limits, or if these are donations from corporations or unions, or if these donations are actually from Canadians instead of from environmental activists from beyond our borders.

It matters because in any of these cases, the donations would be illegal.  Which is why anonymous donations are illegal in the first place.

Elizabeth May jokes about suicide

Green Party leader Elizabeth May seems to lack the most basic ability all successful politicians have to pause in order to consider her words carefully, and then answer a question without offending people or making light of a serious subject.

In an interview with the Guelph Mercury editorial board, Elizabeth May says she was close to slitting her wrists after listening to the leader's debate during the last election, finding the politicians remarks too well packaged.

The editorial board was taken aback by Elizabeth May's flippant reference to suicide, and as a result, Elizabeth May spoiled an opportunity to deliver the Green Party message.

It makes me wonder just why the Green Party puts up with her.  It isn't the first time this has happened.

Pharmaceutical patents and the return of evergreening

There has been a fight playing out in slow motion for over two years between the big pharmaceutical companies, the government, and the bureaucrats at Health Canada.  Losses in the Supreme Court by big pharmaceuticals are being redressed by regulatory changes, and as a result, the contentious practice of "evergreening" is poised to make a comeback two years after it was deemed to be counter to the Canada Health Act.

Maxime Bernier is out, but expect the Liberals to make the situation even worse (and a suggestion about Jason Kenney)

Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier has tendered his resignation, and it has been accepted.  Not much could be done in this situation -- Maxime Bernier had lost track of sensitive documents, and that's a firing offense.

The government will work swiftly to make sure that any breach does not compromise Canadian security or the security of our allies.  On the other hand, you can be certain that the Liberals will look to maximize any damage in exchange for political points.

Oh, and my vote is for Jason Kenney as the next minister of foreign affairs.

Trying to understand how "revenue neutral" works

I want to maintain a constant flow of water into a basin that has a drain in the bottom.  I have two taps.  One tap is on and the water flow in balances the water flow out.  I turn on the other tap.  The sink is starting to fill up, so I turn down the first tap by the same amount as the second tap was turned up.

I've achieved a neutral flow.

But now the flow from the second tap is starting to shrink.  It's not my doing.  It's just getting smaller and I can't control it other than opening the second tap even more.  The water in the basin is starting to shrink away.  To get back to a neutral flow, I need to increase the the flow from the first tap, or increase the flow from the second tap. 

But what I can't do is let the flow from both taps shrink away.  I need water in the basin.  More water is going to have to come in from one of the two taps.

Follow me?

Predicting Stephane Dion's carbon tax

Stephane Dion is going to roll out a carbon tax plan.  Canadians are praising it or denouncing it, without any idea of what the plan is actually going to be.

Let's try and figure it out.  Just the base carbon tax rate and nothing more.  It's not really all that hard to do.

What happened to Garth Turner's ecotourism The Credit River Company? [updated]

This was pure accident to have tripped over this.  I was Googling for local points of interest, and in my linking I came across The Credit River Company.  It promotes itself as an ecotourism company that restores heritage buildings.

It also sounded familiar.

As it is, the founder and CEO was Liberal MP Garth Turner.  Yeah.  Him again.  Honest, I wasn't looking for this.

Anyway, I went to the website, and was very surprised at what I found.  It looks like Garth Turner has gone out of the ecotourism business.

Are the Liberals quoting the CBC's Rex Murphy out of context?

The Liberal Party has just sent out an email, and in the lead piece, the party quotes experts who are heaping praise on Stephane Dion's idea for a carbon tax.

One of those experts is Rex Murphy.

I remember the piece being quoted.  Rex Murphy gave Stephane Dion credit for being logically consistent, but I didn't see any praise for the tax itself.

It's hard to tell from the two sentences extracted from the essay.

Garth Turner, the Future NDP Member for Halton

Chris Selley, aka Megapundit, who blogs for Maclean's, has the best line I've seen today.  Not only is it funny, it's prescient.

Garth Turner turns on the Liberal Party

Liberal communications advisor Garth Turner warns the disloyal MPs are hurting Stephane Dion.

Hurting who?

What sort of MPs?

Communications advisor?!

Richard Brennan, Guy Giorno, and payback time

With the news that former chief of staff to former Ontario premier Mike Harris, Guy Giorno, is taking over from Ian Brodie as chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

People are trying to get a take on who Giorno is, and reporters who have known him for some time are helping.  Richard Brennan is one such reporter, and he calls Giorno very bright, a neocon, and socially challenged.

Socially challenged?  Where did that come from?  Does Richard Brennan think Guy Giorno is applying to be a cruise director on the Pacific Princess?

Actually, there is a bit of history behind this.

Is David Smith rewriting history concerning Joan Beatty in order to protect Stephane Dion?

The Liberal nomination for the riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River is wide open.  David Orchard and Joan Beatty are both fighting to the chance to represent the Liberal Party.

It'll be interesting to see how that nomination race proceeds.

But I find it also interesting to see how studiously the Liberal Party is avoiding making too much of the fact that Stephane Dion's meddling played a key role in how the by-election played out on March 17.  Now, instead of Stephane Dion making a gutsy leadership decision (as was explained before the by-election loss), we hear that Stephane Dion was compelled to appoint the nominee because of a "tight timeline".

I guess anything that absolves Stephane Dion of responsibility.

Garth Turner and caucus confidentiality

I'm just sharing some thoughts about the implications of breaking Liberal Party caucus confidentiality with regards to Garth Turner.  Was it just gossip, or part of a plan?

Tuna, beer, popcorn -- next comes the carbon tax

It occurs to me that the carbon tax is a very dangerous policy to propose.  Not just because it'll wreck the economy and accomplish nothing whatsoever.  But because trying to sell it is going to be so hard.  Already we see hints of how defending the carbon tax is likely going to cause someone to trip up and say something really, really, stupid.

Jane Taber's weasel report on Garth Turner

Last Friday, a report by Jane Taber on Mike Duffy Live spawned some off-the-wall rumours about Liberal MP Garth Turner being run out of caucus.

As far as we know, Garth Turner continues to sit with the Liberal Party, but the actual report is a case study in knowing where to draw the line.

Real life is not a blog.

Does David Suzuki advocate exempting industry from the Liberal carbon tax?

The NDP does not like the Liberal plan for a carbon tax.  For the NDP, the problem is with charging both industry and individuals -- the NDP thinks industrial polluters should pay.

Piffle, says David Suzuki.  The Swedes have a robust carbon tax in comparison to what the Liberals are proposing. 

Interesting example.  The NDP would prefer a carbon tax that targets industry.  David Suzuki, on the other hand, is impressed with the Swedish system that exempts industry from paying the full tax, and only requires that the full tax be paid by individuals.

What?  You didn't know that?  I guess David Suzuki forgot to mention it.

Will housing prices to take a beating under the Liberal carbon tax regime?

Will a carbon tax blast housing values?

The Garth Tape [and an apology offered]

Garth Turner has caught a bit of a break.  Apparently there were two reporters at the event in which he allegedly described Canadian artillery as being solely for the purpose of destroying villages.

If we take his transcription of the tape at face value, and I have no reason to assume it isn't accurate, his comments were...well...not much different than what has been discussed already.

Cadman controversy is dead, but the Liberals uncover evidence of criminal activity

In a stunning turnaround, the Liberal Party has announced the discovery of evidence to support allegations that the Conservatives tried to bribe Chuck Cadman.  This despite today's announcement by the RCMP that the case was closed.

Garth Turner says he meant blowing up Taliban villages only (or something like that)

Liberal MP Garth Turner is in a bit of a bind.  He was quoted in a local paper as saying that the Canadian military buys artillery shells whose "sole purpose" was to destroy Afghan villages.

I called him out on that.  He wrote a post that suggested that he was misquoted.  I got in touch with the paper and the editor was adamant that the quote was accurate. 

Garth Turner seems to have largely abandoned that defense.  Now he says Afghan villages in Taliban-controlled territory are the ones being blown up.

Or something to that effect.  Really, it's not clear at all what he means.

How is that better?

Canada is right to avoid bogus "right to food" meeting

With all the other news, the fact that Canada is not supporting an attempt by the United Nations' Human Rights Council to hold an emergency "right to food" meeting has not been widely noticed.

Right to food?

Accurately quoting Garth Turner

In the tempest brewing over Garth Turner's comments that the Canadian military purchases weapons whose only purpose is to destroy villages in Afghanistan, Garth Turner raised the possibility that he was misquoted.

He doesn't actually say he was misquoted, nor provide a different recollection of the comments he made.

I hate ambiguity, so I contacted the paper in question to get their side of this particular issue.

Is the Liberal Party issuing tax receipts covering the personal expenses of Liberal Senators?

The Liberals in the Senate have a caucus fund.  Basically, it's petty cash. Senators contribute a hundred bucks or so to the fund, and the money is used to pay for food and other incidentals related to partisan caucus activities.

The Conservatives have a similar fund.

Notice that this money does not go to the Liberal Party.  It has nothing to do with electioneering or leadership debts or nomination fights or whatever.

So why does it seem like the Liberal Party is issuing donation receipts for Liberal Senators kicking money into the fund, presumably so that Liberal Senators can take advantage of the tax credit normally given to people who've donated to a political party?

Garth Turner accuses Canadian military of pursuing the destruction of Afghan villages [Updated...again...and again]

Liberal MP Garth Turner had an interesting comment about the Canadian military and the strategy being pursued in Afghanistan.  Apparently wiping out villages with artillery attacks is our main mission. 

Carbon tax issue evidence of Stephane Dion's growing problems inside the Liberal Party

After all the talk about a carbon tax, my mind keeps coming back to the same thing.  Why are we talking about it at all?  I mean, The Liberal Party has not released any details.  But by allowing the Conservatives to know ahead of time that an announcement concerning a carbon tax is in the very near future, the Conservatives have been able to frame the issue.

You would think Liberals would have learned that by now.

The story was apparently leaked.  But I thought that maybe, just maybe, the Liberals were being clever.  Perhaps this was a trial balloon.

Then I looked at it again, and realized there is no way this could be a trial balloon.  It was a leak, plain and simple.  Worse, it was designed to hurt Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion.  Worse still, the leak came from an Ontario Liberal, and not a Quebec Liberal, which means Stephane Dion seems to be no closer to solving his leadership problems, and indeed his problems might be growing.

A 1993 analysis of consumption taxes done for the Liberal Party

Ever wonder why a consumption tax (like a carbon tax) is politically unpopular compared to a sales tax (like the GST)?

The Liberals under Jean Chretien wondered that in 1993 when they took over from the Progressive Conservatives.  Jean Chretien had promised to eliminate the GST, but of course, he didn't.  Different alternatives to the GST are discussed in this report.  It is very interesting to note what the researcher had to say about consumption taxes, and it helps understand why we still have the GST.

Of course, under a government led by Stephane Dion, we would get the worst of both worlds.

The carbon tax and the cost of gas

Stephane Dion's carbon tax is not a gas tax, or so members of the Liberal Party are supposed to say.  Too bad not all the Liberals got the memo.

Stephane Dion's carbon tax will succeed

I haven't written about Stephane Dion's carbon tax idea, not since it was announced that he intended to make a carbon tax a cornerstone of a Liberal Party platform in the next election.

I wanted my thoughts to gel, to consider just what such a tax could do, good and bad.  I'm glad I waited, because as I began to peal away the layers, I realized that a carbon tax is really unlike any tax every imposed by a government.  It is guaranteed to succeed.

Victory Fund to replace the ChequeMate Plan?

The Ontario wing of the federal Liberal Party had a monthly donation program called ChequeMate.  It appears that the new central party program, the Victory Fund, is displacing it.  It isn't clear if donors are being migrated to the new scheme.

Quietly migrating long-established ChequeMate Plan members to the Victory Fund would certainly make the Victory Fund look like an early success.

Did Lawrence Cannon suggest that Gilles Duceppe threatened the media?

The story behind the story of Maxime Bernier's former girlfriend is a lot more interesting (though perhaps less salacious) than the story itself, that being demands from the opposition that Bernier resign over the fact that his former girlfriend was once married to a notorious Quebec biker.

Apparently, the media did not break this story.  The media had known about it for some time, but realized there was nothing to it, since Julie Couillard had long since been cleared of any suspicion regarding the criminal activities of her former husband.  So why did the story break?  Because the opposition Liberals and Bloc Quebecois pushed it and pushed it hard.

Of course, you'd never know it, based on their surprised expression over the "revelations".

And yet, there are hints that people know what is going on.

The real story behind Maxime Bernier and Julie Couillard

In what has been and under-reported element to the Maxime Bernier story, we learn that the controversy over Maxime Bernier's girlfriend, Julie Couillard, was of no interest whatsoever to the press.  The opposition lobbied to have the story published by a unimpressed media corps.

Victory Fund includes Central Nova, where no Liberal is running

With the launch of the Liberal Party's Victory Fund, the Liberals hope to re-energize their fundraising ahead of the next election.

In that election, the Liberals will be running 307 candidates, taking a pass on the riding of Central Nova.  Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion and Green Party leader Elizabeth May entered into a pact.  The Liberals would not run a candidate in Central Nova (where May is running) and in return, the Green Party would not run a candidate in Saint-Laurent--Cartierville (where Dion is running).

So why would the Victory Fund, which aims at raising funds to defeat the Conservatives in the next election, explicitly raise funds for the Liberals in Central Nova?

Liberals launch Victory Fund with a shocking admission

For months now, the Liberal have been saying that they are ready to fight an election.  Lack of funds?  Not a problem, they said.  The party could spend up to the limit.  Just say go!

Well, apparently it is a problem, after all.

CAIRS not a tool for openness

Elizabeth Thompson has written a piece on her blog that puts the CAIRS database question into perspective.

Despite the moaning from the opposition, shutting down the CAIRS database is not about secrecy.  CAIR was never about openness.  It was always about making it easier for the government to limit access to information.

Liberal Party fundraising implodes

Is this another reason why Stephane Dion is not eager to fight an election?

Stephane Dion poised to infuriate Liberals

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion is about to make a decision that is going to infuriate Liberals everywhere.

Age of Consent, Miley Cyrus, and Predatory Artists

In Canada, the age of consent is set to rise from 14 to 16.  This is good news, but not all predators have sex with their victims.

Pierre Poilievre brings the Elections Canada Investigators' Manual to parliament

Until now, the debate on the significance over the apparent decision not to follow its own internal rules governing investigations and search warrants with regards to the Conservative Party In-and-Out issue has been limited to the blogosphere.  That changed yesterday when Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre raised the issue in the House of Commons.

Main stream media was the first to mention the Elections Canada Investigators' Manual

I just discovered that I was scooped by just over a week on the question of whether the investigators who pursued a search warrant targeting Conservative Party headquarters had followed the rules in their own manual.

Glen McGregor of the Canwest News Service mentioned it briefly in a story printed on April 15.

Stephane Dion: Higher taxes make Canadian food more appealing

Maybe there is a subtlety to the economic principles involved that I'm not getting.  But according to Stephane Dion, if I force a Canadian farmer to pay more in taxes, he'll be selling more produce than a foreign farmer who pays none of those taxes.

Stephane Dion to make a decision this year

Ralph Goodale provides a view into Stephane Dion's to-do list:

• Bake sale for leadership debts
• Threaten to invade Pakistan to look like tough leader done that
• Get smaller dog hamster to replace Kyoto to reduce pet-related greenhouse gas emissions
• Make a decision this year

Let's look at that last one.

International observers: More power to Elections Canada, more foreign participation in Canadian politics

With the range of contentious issues facing the work of Elections Canada, from allegations of differing standards for party filings to the draconian rules about publication of polling results to the free-speech limiting interpretation of advertising rules, I thought it might be interesting to see what election observers from other countries think about Elections Canada.

Judging from a report from a branch of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe called the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the attitude seems to be that Elections Canada is doing fine, but there ought to be some rules that need to be changed.  Rules to protect the rights of prisoners to vote, to allow foreigners to become involved in Canadian elections, and such -- but when it comes to restrictions on the free speech of Canadians, well, the less said the better.  Perhaps literally.

In general, the ODIHR is more concerned that Elections Canada doesn't have enough power, and that the ODIHR does not have enough access to provide oversight of Canadian elections.

How the Conservatives were singled out by Elections Canada

One of the more difficult things for many Canadians to accept is the notion that Elections Canada had singled out the Conservative Party for special treatment.  Let's be honest -- it does sound a bit paranoid.

The actual explanation is really very simple.  Ridiculously simple.  But unfortunately, it does not dispel the conspiracy theory entirely.

Four questions concerning the search warrant

I try to eliminate some of the fog based on the speculation by asking some very simple questions.

Elections Canada warrant makes no mention of interviews with senior Conservative officials

Elections Canada investigators have a process by which they attempt to get documentation from people they suspect as having broken the law regarding elections.  Reviewing the warrant, I don't see any evidence that the process was followed with regards to officials at Conservative Party headquarters.  I wonder if that explains why officials drove all the way to Toronto to have a judge who specializes in commercial litigation sign a warrant dealing with electoral law.

What's wrong?  No specialists in electoral law sitting on the bench in Ottawa?

Maybe that's want they wanted to avoid.

Elections Canada Investigators' Manual

Helpfully, there is a manual that explains just how an Elections Canada investigator is supposed to do his job, including the level of non-cooperation that has to be reached before a search warrant is justified.

The Toronto judge and the warrant

Elizabeth Thompson points out something interesting.  Elections Canada officials drove from Ottawa to Toronto to have a judge in Toronto sign the warrant that subjected the Conservative Party headquarters to a search.

I'm not sure what it means, or if it means anything at all.

In-and-Out Timeline

A list of the major event moments in the In-and-Out story.  What's so remarkable is just how short the list is.

Guelph voters can continue with absentee Liberals, or vote for change

You always hope to have a good MP.  But when you think about it, a good MP generally has a low profile.  As a member of a federal party, big decisions are made at the cabinet level.  Issues being voted on affect the country as a whole.  Most truly local issues are properly handled by a municipal representative or perhaps a provincial MLA.

That is not to say an MP doesn't have an important role to play.  For all the money spent on polls, for example, a party would do well to listen to MPs about the feeling on the ground.  And a good MP ought to always be plugged in to his riding and the issues that people are concerned about.

When all is said and done, an election is still won riding by riding.

And a great MP, well, can do a lot for a riding.  Especially one who is well versed in politics.

I say this by way of introduction to an interesting post by Gloria Kovach, who is hoping to win in the riding of Guelph, next door to where I am in Cambridge.  No by-election has been called yet, but perhaps one ought to be called soon, because it seems like Guelph has not been well served by the former Liberal MP.

What does Stephane Dion mean when he says he won't support a bill?

Stephane Dion is clear on this. He cannot support the proposed changes to the immigration law.

Unfortunately that says absolutely nothing about an election.

Some answers and more questions about Andre Thouin

Unexpectedly, the question about Andre Thouin's exact job is turning out to be more interesting that I expected it would be.

Elections Canada: Who does Andre Thouin work for?

A minor detail, but you know Andre Thouin?   He's the Elections Canada official photographed carrying out that box of material from Conservative Party headquarters.  Here's the thing.  I can't find him in the staff list.

Can the Liberals really use this picture?

That picture of Andre Thouin of Elections Canada carrying out papers from the headquarters of the Conservative Party is quite striking.  But can it ever find its way into Liberal Party election material?

I doubt it.

If the search warrant was leaked...

...the someone could be in a lot of trouble.

Repost: Liberal and NDP in-and-out funding

Do other parties engage in the same sort of funding practices as the Conservatives?  You look at the evidence and decide for yourself.

Did Elections Canada use the Mounties as props?

What exactly was the role of the RCMP officers who participated in yesterday's visit to Conservative Party headquarters?  Did the Mounties know what role they were to play, and who was setting the stage?

What is Elections Canada hunting for?

Big news from the capital is, of course, the so-called "raid" on Conservative Party headquarters by the RCMP.

OK, call me old school, but it ain't a raid unless someone is rappelling down the side of the building.

But it is interesting even if it isn't much of a raid.

Elections Canada is looking for something.

Evidence?

Payback?

Revenge?

Jason Cherniak is not a Facebook spammer

Is Jason Cherniak helping me find out who has a secret crush on me?

This time around, Joan Beatty has to fight for the nomination

I guess Stephane Dion doesn't like a loser.

Jason Kenney and the overheated context

The funny thing about Jason Kenney's allegedly racist remark is that there is so little context provided for it. The events happened quite a while ago, but after asking for some old articles, I found an interestng story behind this story, one that helps understand better how Jason Kenney came to say what he did.

Elizabeth May ought to respond to Paul Watson and his act of war

Drama on the sea, as Canadian law enforcement officers board a ship run by Paul Watson's Sea Shepherd group protesting the annual seal hunt.

Paul Watson, who is safe in New York, is blustering away while his ship is being impounded, claiming exemption from Canadian laws and other such nonsense.

A fool like Watson is normally only good for entertainment value, though that glib attitude belies the trouble he causes for people in coastal communiities in Canada. But politically, Watson is interesting because of his ties to Elizabeth May, the leader of Canada's Green Party, and a candidate for the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova.

Liberal stooge CAITI repeats Chuck Cadman bribery libel

The Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors (CAITI) is one of those organizations that might have started as an independent group with a particular goal (in this case, overturning the decision to tax income trusts), but with the failure to reach that initial (and improbable) goal, has morphed into something different -- in this case, a stooge for the Liberal Party.

To be a stooge apparently requires that the stooge repeat libelous accusations that Stephen Harper committed a criminal act.

The Telegdi conundrum

Stephane Dion has a new problem.  An Ontario MP, Andrew Telegdi, has vowed to vote against the government on the next budget vote.

So far, the Liberal strategy has been to abstain from these votes in order to avoid an election that would likely be disastrous for the Liberal Party.

Well, certainly disastrous for Stephane Dion.

This frustration level among Liberals has been rising steadily.  Telegdi's plan poses a real threat for Stephane Dion.

Has the Liberal Party leader finally appeared?

What will be different in two weeks?

The rumour is that the Liberals will bring down the Conservative government in time for an early June election.  Usually an election runs six weeks, so that would mean bringing down the government in about two weeks, near the end of April.

Why not now?  Why not two weeks ago?  Nothing suggests a massive shift in Liberal fortunes.

The only reason I can think of is that there has been in a shift in the balance of power in the caucus, and Stephane Dion has been issued new marching orders by the people he ostensibly leads.

Which leads to the question of who the real leader is.  Is it a coincidence that this rumour of a shift to an election fighting mode follows immediately after Bob Rae's by-election win?

Is privacy in a public inquiry illegal?

Warren Kinsella makes an argument for the upcoming inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair to be open, saying any "private" investigation would be illegal.  Hey, I'm no lawyer, but his argument seem less compelling under closer examination.

Send Jason Kenney to the Beijing Olympics

Is Canada going to participate in the Beijing Olympics?  I think that's a forgone conclusion.  Several people have pointed out that my contribution to the debate has not been all that constructive, and they're right.

So if the Canadian government is going to the Olympics, who should go?  I've tried to be constructive, and I think Jason Kenney would be an ideal choice.

The Liberals respond to the Johnston recommendation

Dr David Johnston has recommended that any inquiry into the business relationship between Brian Mulroney and Karlheinz Schreiber be limited in scope and out of the public eye.

This has generated an entirely predictable response from the Liberal Party.

Olympic sacrifice

Should we boycott the Beijing Olympcs?  What of the sacrifices, say many.

Yes, what of the sacrifices?

Anonymous sources, unnamed sources, lending credibility, and unveiling the critics

Jason Cherniak has advice for the media.  The use of "anonymous" Liberal sources for dirt on the Liberal Party, and in particular, as sources of criticism aimed at Stephane Dion, makes it difficult to judge the credibility of the criticism.

Well, if you looked carefully, the sources are rarely, if ever, anonymous.

And if you consider this even more carefully, you wonder whether Jason Cherniak might have reasons to name these critics that have nothing to do media credibility.

Tom Lukiwski's penance

Here are my thoughts on what Tom Lukiwski could do to atone for his hurtful words.

Stephane Dion and Celine Hervieux-Payette infuriate Quebec Liberals

The absurdity surround yesterday's events seem to be leading to some very serious consequences.

Everyone laughed when the Liberal Party dropped an attempt to block La Presse from publishing a list of names of Liberal Party candidates in Quebec.

Well, not everyone.  The most senior Liberal in the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party was foot-stomping mad.  The target of his anger?  Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion and his hand-picked Quebec lieutenant, Celine Hervieux-Payette.

The list will be published; Stephane Dion panics

News that the list leaked to La Presse that suggests that despite Liberal statements to the contrary, that the party is nowhere near ready with a Quebec slate of candidates, has been cleared to be published.

Apparently, the Liberals dropped a legal attempt to block its publication.

Maybe the Liberals realized there was no point in trying anymore.  That the list was leaked in the first place was the most damaging thing of all.

Turns out the list wasn't actually a Liberal leak, and this post has been updated accordingly.

Memo to Paul Martin: Generosity is not a substitute for responsibility

Former prime minister Paul Martin is still a Liberal MP.  You'd be forgiven if you had to look that up on Wikipedia in order to be certain, since he has left no record of his existence in parliamentary records.

Of all the MPs in parliament, Paul Martin has not voted once.  Not even on votes that the Liberals did support.

But his response is what bothers me more.

Stephane Dion signs the KYOTOplus pledge

Environmentalists ought to be pickier.  They ought to be more careful about who they call their friends.

Bragging about how Stephane Dion signed a petition makes these particular environmentalists look pathetic.

Stubbing your toes for the Earth

Today, on April 1, I would like to unveil an idea that will save the Earth. 

Denis Coderre is dumped as Stephane Dion sends a warning on behalf of Bob Rae

The news that Liberal Party leader has demoted Denis Coderre raises many questions:

• Is Stephane Dion finished, or are more shifts on the way?
• Is Michael Ignatieff next?
• What is Bob Rae's role in all this?
• With Denis Coderre gone, who in Ottawa will represent the interests of Hezbollah?

OK, that last one is me being a jerk, but there are plenty legitimate questions to consider.

Liberal brand continues to slide in Quebec

There has been a lot of focus on Quebec this week.  For a time, it looked like Liberals in the province were ready to rise up against Stephane Dion. 

Stephane Dion reacted with a news conference and a demand for discipline and loyalty.

Now a new poll shows Liberals facing electoral disaster in Quebec, not leading in any region, anywhere in the province.

I think it's safe to say that Stephane Dion's Quebec troubles are not behind him.

Joyce Murray and her sad package of election filings

I wrote recently about Joyce Murray's nomination filings.  The (barely) successful candidate for the Vancouver Quadra by-election filed a description of her spending to secure the Liberal nomination that seemed to indicate the she ran her own copy business, pizza franchise, phone company and so on.

Every vendor charged for services, under every category, was named "Joyce Murray".

I wasn't the only one who thought this looked odd.  Kevin Libin of the National Post has carried the ball forward on this.  No one suggests that Murray has done anything wrong.  But as Libin's article shows, that such a filing is considered acceptable showcases just how campaign financing rules are an incredible burden that fail to do what they are designed to do -- provide a transparent window into how our politicians raise and spend money to secure their positions.

Elizabeth May stumbles trying to play Jack Layton's role

Elizabeth May has embarrassed herself trying to play the role of a socialist firebrand instead of her more accustomed job of environmental gadfly.

It is a small example of the trouble the Green Party is going to face as it tries to capitalize on the gains enjoyed at the expense of the NDP.

Opposing fear, fearing to oppose, and the real fear

Just a timely contrast.

Pierre-Luc Bellerose might be an idiot, but is he a useful idiot?

There is some excitement around today's news story that a former Liberal candidate Pierre-Luc Bellerose has announced his intention to seek Stephane Dion's ouster from the Liberal Party.

Liberal bloggers are almost universally scornful of Bellerose.  I think they have a point.  Bellerose is hardly the poster boy for a loyal Liberal Party member.  And his plan seems like a stretch.

But that doesn't mean Bellerose can be so easily dismissed.  He might be an idiot, but is he a useful idiot?  And if so, who is using him?

More fireworks tomorrow in Quebec

Stephane Dion is dismissing comments made in Quebec calling into question his leadership of the Liberal Party.

I guess we can expect to hear more of the same.  Apparently a group of Liberals will be voicing their opinions in a Montreal newspaper tomorrow.

Liza Frulla plunges the knife of pity deep into poor Stephane Dion

In a particularly brutal attack on Stephane Dion's qualities as a leader, former Liberal Party cabinet minister Liza Frulla cuts deep.

And she uses the sharpest knife of all -- pity.

China in a moment of profound weakness

With the violence in Tibet grabbing the world's attention, many are calling for a boycott of the upcoming Olympics.

Let me add my voice to that.  By finally winning the Olympic bid, China has put itself into a profoundly weak position. 

Now is the time to strike and strike hard.

Pope Benedict XVI puts his life on the line

Pope Benedict XVI has performed the traditional Easter baptism of adults, but the tradition is not well known.  When adults enter into the Church, it is traditional to do all the baptisms on Easter Saturday (infants are baptized soon after birth).  The pope will perform a number of baptisms as any priest is called upon to do.

But this Easter, the pope has stood apart, performing a baptism that any priest could perform, but that the pope has taken onto himself to do.  It was a surprise -- a well-known Muslim has abandoned Allah for Christ.

In the eyes of many Muslims, that is a crime punishable by death, and it would not be a surprise if the priest who performed the ceremony might be targeted as well.  That is a risk any Catholic priest would be willing to take.  It is clearly a risk the pope was not going ask anyone else to take.

An important consideration when shutting off government funding -- the spread of pornography!

The Conservative government has reduce or cut off funding to a number of programs, including quasi-private special interest groups.  Though I have no problem with the government vacating these areas, there are some unintended consequences to be considered.

In particular, of course, is having government computers help out with the spread of online pornography.

But you knew that's where I was going with this.

A move to oust Stephane Dion?

Mike Duffy reported today that senior Liberals are actively working on a plan to ease (or force) Stephane Dion out as leader of the Liberal Party.

But who?  I think I know the answer.

Putting an end to the Afghanistan fiction

Listen to the Liberals crowing about the Afghanistan motion.

Of course, we supported it, they say.  It is the Liberal plan that we forced the Conservatives to adopt.

Right.  So why did so many Liberals not vote for it?

Private Liberal grumbling on the web

Apparently, there is Liberal "private" and then there is Garth Turner "private".

Which is to say that what Liberals are saying privately are published on Garth Turner's blog.

No momentum for Liberals, and another Stephane Dion loss

Only Stephane Dion can leader the Liberals into four by-elections, win three, and be seen as the loser.

Quebec Liberals squander costly time, both their time and ours

Last Friday, it was reported that a rather ugly meeting was held in Quebec by federal Liberals.  At issue was the fact that nothing seemed to be done to get the Liberals in Quebec ready for an election.

Just what the heck have they been doing?  The Liberals have paid a high price for constantly rolling over in parliament, a price they paid in order to buy the time needed to get ready for an election.  That time seems to have squandered.

It's like a case of embezzlement. 

Is Farhan Chak planning another political run?

I know it's hard to believe, but I wonder if Farhan Chak is planning to run for office again.

The Chak came back, we thought he was a goner

Remember Farhan Chak?  He was the Liberal nominee for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont who was forced to resign when it was revealed that he had told a bunch of whoppers on his application.

Well, like the cat in the Harry Miller song, he comes back when you expect that his story is over and done.

A truly wasted vote and the legacy that comes of disenfranchisement

Arguably, no vote is wasted, at least not by the voter.  The vote cast contributes to the collective decision to select a representative for the constituency.

But with the Liberals racking 10 abstentions or so, you have to wonder if Stephane Dion is wasting all the votes cast in ridings represented by Liberals.

No matter who the vote was originally cast for.

And then you have to worry about what might come of that in the long term.

Bob Rae, the World Sikh Organization, and a curious cancellation

Bob Rae got into some heat for concluding that Sikh separatists were behind the Air India bombing.  Many Sikhs refused to support Bob Rae, and their leadership moved this bloc's support to Gerard Kennedy and ultimately to Stephane Dion during the Liberal leadership campaign.

What is interesting is that Bob Rae was scheduled to speak to the World Sikh Organization this week, but that his appearance was canceled, allegedly by Bob Rae himself.

Curious.

Joyce Murray and her weird nomination return

Joyce Murray is amazing.  The Liberal candidate for Vancouver-Quadra ran her nomination as a one-woman show.  I mean literally.  I looked at her nomination returns and compared them against Conservative Deborah Meredith's, and while Meredith raised thousands from two dozen donors, and spent thousands on local printers and communication consultants and so on, Murray raised a mere $1300 and spent nearly ten times as much...and all the expenses claimed are listed as owed to Joyce Murray, who supplied all the services.

Like I said.  Amazing.

Actually, the entire expenditure is listed as unpaid claims, which seems a bit odd.

Conservatives stay on target with libel suit

The most underrated character from the Star Wars movies was Gold Five.  We all remember Gold Five.  Stay on target!  Stay on target!  BOOM!

Well, except for the unfortunate and tragic BOOM, Gold Five is the epitome of the person who can ignore all the hurly-burly and keep his eye on the ball -- in this case, the exhaust port the spelled the destruction of the Death Star.

The Liberal Party Death Star is a lot less impressive than Emperor Palpatine's, what with Grand Moff Stephane Dion ordering that they hide at the sight of Conservatives tabling confidence motions.  But with the filing of the libel suit in court, Stephen Harper has shown that he knows how to stay on target.

And unlike Gold Five, I doubt Stephen Harper is going to get splashed.

Did Joan Beatty break a copyright by lifting her own bio?

You know, I'm not sure how this works.  Someone writes a biography about me.  It is published on a page with a copyright held by a third party.   I then create a new piece of copyrighted material, and I lift almost the entire biography, about me, word for word, to be used on that new page.

Am I breaking a copyright by doing that?  It is about me, after all.  On the other hand, how hard could be it to rewrite the biography to use different wording?

Ask Joan Beatty.  She might have the answer.

Bob Rae rattles the Liberal sabre...did I say Bob Rae?

Stephane Dion has threatened to bring down the government.

No, really.

He means it this time.

Oh, stop laughing.

I have two words for you: Bob Rae.

Liberal election readiness is a moving target

Why aren't we in the middle of an election right now?  I know it's because the Liberals under Stephane Dion refuse to bring down the government, but what is motivating that?

The Liberals say they aren't ready for an election.

But then the Liberals has said they were ready only three weeks earlier.

So which is it?

The answer?  Both answers are right.

That green scarf takes on a distinctly yellowish hue

Stephane Dion sported a green scarf at the Liberal Party convention.  He was the green choice, the former environment minister who was going to lead the Liberal Party into taking ownership of the Green agenda in Canada.  Stephane Dion would lead the Liberals back to power on a wave of environmental sensibility.

Well, push came to shove, and Stephane Dion is showing his true colours.  It isn't green, but a very obvious yellow streak.

Micro-satellites the plan or the compromise?

An interesting report recommends that Canada develop its own launch capability for satellites.  I haven't seen the report myself, but the newspaper report does not mention if the question of a launch facility and where it would be located.  There's the rub.  Picking a launch site is tricky, and it affects things like the size of the payload.  The report apparently pushes for Canada to develop a micro-satellite capability.  That might be a good idea, or it might just the best we can manage being a northern country.

Liberals continue to republish the libel posts on new web pages

Are the Liberals digging themselves deeper?  Stephen Harper identified two specific webpages on the Liberal Party website that contained allegedly libelous statements in connection to the Chuck Cadman controversy.  Stephane Dion, Ralph Goodale, Michael Ignatieff, and the Liberal Party have each received a notice of intent to sue.

The webpages are still up.

But what's interesting is that the Liberals have opened a new online presence called Forum Liberalis.  And guess what?  It includes a blog with links to those two posts, and distributed via a new RSS feed.

Does that mean that the Liberals are compounding their problems?  Are they guilty of further distributing the content even as a libel suit has entered its preliminary stages?

And does it mean that everyone involved in the Forum Liberalis website, including Joan Bourassa (National Policy and Platform Committee Chair) and Dominic Leblanc (MP and Vice-Chair of that committee) are now subject to the electronic discovery outlined in the notice of intent?

Stephane Dion to lead Liberals in condemning opposition parties who oppose

Stephane Dion and the Liberals continue to chart new territory when it comes to absurdity.  I thought they had reached a pinnacle when Stephane Dion declared that he would find a way to make sure the Conservative government did not fall.

But that was just a warm up.  Now the Liberals are putting forth a motion of non-confidence...in the other opposition parties.

Huh?

In particular, the motion condemns the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois for bringing down the Paul Martin government in November 2005.  As a result of giving Canadians the chance to vote, the Conservatives won. 

The democratic result was a huge mistake, or so suggests the Liberal motion.

Condemning democracy?  Or just condemning other opposition parties for having acted like opposition parties?

Is the Liberal Party going to buy this line, or will the caucus tell Stephane Dion publicly condemning opposition parties for opposing is going too far?

Liberals and Conservatives agree on the need for courage

What is the role of the Loyal Opposition?  To act as critics, to be a government in waiting, to protect the interests of the minority.

But as two giants of Canadian politics agree, a common thread is courage.

Abstention-palooza continues

If the Liberals are looking for a silver lining in the rapiding collapsing Chuck Cadman debacle, it is that no one noticed yet another mass abstention of Liberals today.

What makes it amusing is that Liberals made a point of not appearing to support their own amendment to the budget.

The Conservatives launch an electronic attack on the Liberal Party

The Conservatives have gone on the offensive.  The libel suit over the Chuck Cadman controversy is not a defensive move designed to chill Liberal attacks.  It is an attack designed to rip the heart out of the Liberal Party's electronic operations.

The Cadman Questions

Charles Adler asks a series of important questions regarding the Chuck Cadman controversy.  They aren't comfortable questions, but I know at least one other person who has been thinking along these lines.

Me.

Liberals lose candidate Rani Bellwood

Not widely reported is the decision of Liberal Party candidate Rani Bellwood to abandon her effort to win the British Columbia riding of Pitt Meadows--Maple Ridge--Mission.  Not a crushing blow, but it does represent a loss of a female candidate, and another riding without a candidate even as the Liberals ponder whether to trigger an election.

Truth in scandalous advertising

Ironically, the Toronto Star is engaging in an online advertising campaign to draw in readers looking for new information on the Tory Bribe Scandal.

Ironically, though that phrase is the headline for the advertising campaign, the material to which the excited reader is directed warns against prematurely labeling the Chuck Cadman story a scandal, and carefully puts the word "bribe" in quotes.

Industry officials pour cold water on Cadman insurance story

The allegation that Conservative Party officials tried to bribe dying Independent MP Chuck Cadman in May 2005 to vote against the Paul Martin government continues to keep the political watchers in a state of frenzy.

A key element of the story -- that the enticement offered was a $1 million life insurance policy -- seems absurd on the face of it.  Insurance officials now confirm that they can't imagine how anyone could believe that anyone in the final stages of terminal cancer would be offered a life insurance policy.

An incomplete apology and an unanswered question

A Liberal blogger's attempt to embarrass a part-time Conservative researcher has come to silly end with an abject apology.

All posts have been withdrawn -- including the one in which someone inside the parliament used their access to government computer resources to provide confidential information in the effort to wreck this person's life.

Too bad the apology doesn't take the time to mention who is still lurking in the halls of parliament, looking for an opportunity to send out personal information of any Conservative who looks vulnerable.

Does the Cadman Cam hold the answer?

A new story is gripping Ottawa.  Did the Conservatives try to bribe Chuck Cadman before the May 2005 confidence vote against the Paul Martin minority government?

If only there was a fly on the wall.

No wait, there was!  Let's recall the "Cadman Cam".

Stephane Dion to seek ways to keep Conservatives in power

I know that sounds ridiculous.  Don't look at me.  I didn't say it.

Stephane Dion supports a Conservative beer-and-popcorn budget that hurts the Liberal Party

The spin from the Liberal Party has been that Stephane Dion decided to support the Conservative budget because there was little in it to oppose.  That's nonsense. 

Liberal fury and the withering of the Royal Guard

The Conservative budget has been delivered, and Stephane Dion and the Liberals have announced, both in word and in print, that they will not vote down this budget.

The fury in the Liberal ranks is palpable.  Stephane Dion's guards are growing nervous and ever more desperate.

David Suzuki and uncomfortable warming

If you listen to David Suzuki, you'd hear about how human activity is causing the Earth to warm up.  Specifically, how a mere 30 million Canadians are supposed to shoulder a large amount of the blame.

His rhetoric has become increasingly heated, ironically.

Well, it seems that the heat generated by his latest comments has caused David Suzuki to throttle it back. 

Who should be be allowed to keep his job?

Sometimes you wonder if people are saying more than they mean to.

Is Kirsty Duncan suited for the world of politics?

Stephane Dion has done it again.  Without even taking the time to inform the local riding association, the Liberal Party leader has gone ahead and appointed a candidate for the riding of Etobicoke North.

Dr Kirsty Duncan will be the candidate.  Hopefully for the riding association, she will have turned out to be a good choice.  It's hard to say, given that she has no experience whatsoever in politics.  But she is a woman, and Stephane Dion needs to reach his goal of 33% female candidates. 

Still, there are elements of Duncan's personality that makes me wonder just how well she'll perform in the rough-and-tumble world of politics.

Why wildly different polls matter

There have been three very different polls released in rapid succession. 

The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey conducted from February 14 through 17 showed the Conservatives and the Liberals in a dead heat, with the Conservatives making modest gains in Ontario to pull into a near tie there as well. 

On the other hand, a poll by The Strategic Counsel for The Globe and Mail/CTV News, conducted over the same three days, showed the Tories ahead of the Liberals by a full 12 points nationally, and by 8 points in Ontario.

An Ipsos-Reid poll split the difference, showing the Tories just seven points ahead.

So what gives?

Well, guess what.  It doesn't matter.  What matters is how the information is going to be used and by whom.

Will Liberals follow Stephane Dion into an election with these poll numbers?

CTV has released the results of a new poll.   There isn't any good news for the Liberals in it.  Not even a little bit.

John McCallum reveals Liberal Party plans on the budget vote

Today John McCallum spoke to Graeme Richardson on Mike Duffy Live.  It was really quite enlightening.  According to McCallum, the Liberals have drawn a line in the sand, and the Liberals will be voting.

Confusion over John Manley as candidate for Afghanistan super-envoy

The Globe and Mail has reported, based on information from unnamed sources, that the Conservative government is proposing that John Manley be appointed as the United Nations "super envoy" in Afghanistan.

John Manley is the Liberal and former cabinet minister who delivered a report to the government advocating continued Canadian involvement in Afghanistan.

But the Ottawa Citizen is debunking the story...somewhat.

Stephane Dion trades harmful budget for personal job security

Not surprisingly, Stephane Dion is in full backpedal mode.  Yesterday he said he would be satisfied to let Canadians suffer economically if it meant he could hold on to his job as Liberal Party leader.

Yes, that's what he said.

A slap in the face of Stephane Dion

News that a popular and eminently electable former Liberal MP, Francoise Boivin, is going to run for Jack Layton's NDP is an insult to Stephane Dion.  There is no way to spin this as anything neutral.

Stephane Dion has left the building

Senior Liberals are opening discussing a coup with reporters.  Stephane Dion's response?  Nothing.  It's like he's not even there.

Bob Rae wants a Seinfeld election

Bob Rae wants an election about nothing.  That would suit him just fine.

Liberal Party is pimping out politicians

There are people out there who sell companionship, usually in hourly increments.

Well, someone order a purple velour hat (with leopard print trimmings) for Stephane Dion, because the Liberal Party has turned into an escort service.

Stephane Dion avoids leading the Liberals today

I'm confused about something.  Today, the Liberal caucus walked out of parliament in order to avoid voting on a motion designed to pressure the Liberal-dominated Senate to finally deal with the long delayed omnibus crime bill.

But it seems that Stephane Dion didn't want to be photographed walking away from the House of Commons.

Maybe he was worried it would look too much like a retreat.

So he lets Ralph Goodale do the deed.

Hey, maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that if Stephane Dion wants to earn the respect of the rest of the caucus, he's going to have to do more than make uncomfortable decisions.

He's going to have to be seen acting on those decisions.

David Suzuki: Be skeptical of scientists

David Suzuki has been in hot water this week over comments he made (on two different occasions) that politicians ought to be jailed for expressing skepticism about climate change (specifically, about David Suzuki's view on climate change).

Go way back, and you encounter an entirely different David Suzuki.  This man pleaded for Canadians to be skeptical of science, to exert influence and oversight over the scientific community, and to be careful of the hidden agenda behind scientists and their theories.

I kid you not.

David Suzuki, Salt Cay, and low hanging fruit

There is something called going after "low hanging fruit".  When confronted with a large task, one approach is to go after the most easily solved problems first.

Engineers are often taught to do the opposite -- tackle the hardest problem first.  The reason is that you will almost certainly spend too much time on the low hanging fruit.  Such a problem is solved easily, of course, but you will try to do a complete a job as possible, to the point of gold-plating (that is, doing more than is necessary).  Often it is to avoid tackling the big problem while still looking like you're make progress towards reaching the overall goal.

The bad thing is that you've used up precious time you'll need to tackle the hard problem you've put off.  In fact, you are almost sure to fail now.

Environmentalists are like that.  They go after the low hanging fruit.  Kyoto is all about low hanging fruit.  Get the industrialized world to carry the load, since they have the technological prowess to make it happen, and the democratic institutions that can be used to compel politicians to go along.  On the other hand, tough nuts like India and China are deferred until some unspecified future time.  These countries and others like them present difficult problems -- a lack of sophisticated industrial infrastructure, huge energy-hungry populations, and most importantly in the cases like China, governments that are authoritarian or even dictatorial and have no reason to listen to anyone, not to their own people and certainly not to foreign busybodies.

So the foreign busybodies make excuses about why these countries are allowed to skip any effort to meet Kyoto targets, and they go after countries like Canada that contribute a tiny percent of green house gas emissions. 

The busybodies will waste a great deal of effort on Canada because Canada is a low hanging fruit.  China, on the other hand, continues to build coal-fired power plants daily.

But here's another example you might not know about.  The Turks and Caicos Islands are negligible when it comes to things like global warming, ocean pollution, ozone depletion, or anything else.  Environmentally-speaking, the impact on the ecology of these islands is zero.

But the government of this British dependency has declared that one tiny island that makes up this tiny place is going "green". 

And David Suzuki is flying down there to celebrate this achievement.

Dear Stephane Dion: What is a security-only mission anyway?

Jack Layton and the NDP want to pull Canadian troops out of Afghanistan.  It is a cowardly position to take, it ignores the successes that have been achieved so far, and it dooms the people of Afghanistan to a life of terror.

It makes no moral sense, but at least the position makes logical sense.

Stephane Dion has a different approach.  He wants Canadian troops to stay in Afghanistan, and in particular, in the dangerous region of Kandahar, after February 2009, but demands that they stop fighting.

No more combat.  Something short of combat called "security".

What does that mean?

The Suzuki-Nexen-Marqui Axis of Confusion

I tried to explain the links between David Suzuki, the oil sands developer Nexen, and the online marketing firm Marqui.

It's confusing.

So I've drawn a diagram.

The diagram is also confusing.

You're welcome.

David Suzuki's web marketing company helps sell oil sands development

It's amusing to listen to David Suzuki.  David Suzuki wants politicians who are not avowed environmentalists thrown in jail.

Yeah, he's a loon.

But how can David Suzuki sell his particular brand of eco-nuttiness?  Seriously, why does anyone listen to him? 

The answer is simple: money. 

He spends money on sophisticated marketing professionals.  His only concern is that these people succeed in getting him in front of the cameras and in the public eye where he can revel in his foam-flecked fury.

I don't think he really cares if anything gets done in favour of the environment.  I say that because the company he pays to help get his message out also takes money from several large oil sands concerns.  If David Suzuki was really committed to his enviro-jihad, he would make sure all his minions were as pure and virtuous as himself.

But instead, he takes money from his naive followers and hands it to people who work hard to promote oil sands development.

Better yet, he takes money from the oil sands developers themselves, and hands it to the people who work hard to promote oil sands development.

There's your saint of the environment.

United States follows Canada in quitting Durban II conference while the NDP waffles

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives led Canada to be the first country to pull out of the Durban II conference, a UN-sponsored event combating racism.  The first conference in 2001 turned into a spectacle of anti-Semitism and West-bashing.  Seeing that Durban II was shaping up to be more of the same, the Canadian government announced that no delegation would be attending.

Until now, Canada stood alone.  But now the United States has announced that no American delegation would participate.

I expect more countries to follow soon.

Meanwhile, the NDP is waffling on the issue.  After initially criticizing the government, the NDP came out in support of this decision.  Then that support was withdrawn, and the NDP seems to want Canada back in.

Is David Suzuki going to fill the jails with the victims of his environmental jihad?

David Suzuki has definitely jumped the shark.  The environmental crusader has morphed into a fatwa-issuing green mullah.  Now it seems that if you don't listen to him, you should go to jail.

Jack Layton sides with Taliban against Canada and the United Nations

Jack Layton, leader of the NDP, has long held the position that Canada ought to abandon Afghanistan.  Until now, the reasoning has been vague.  Basically, it was that it was not pleasant to shoot guns and that people would not like Canadians as much as before when Canada's foreign policy consisted entirely of voting for whatever annoyed the Americans the most at the United Nations.

But now, Jack Layton has come out clearly.  Canada should not be in Afghanistan because the Taliban are invincible and Canadian troops are not up to the task.  Best that they sat in their barracks, never seen by Afghans or Canadians alike.

It's too bad that this position is at odds with that of the United Nations.  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon lists an impressive number of military and civilian successes achieved by Canada and other nations doing the dangerous work in Afghanistan.

Jack Layton and the NDP wanting to abandon the United Nations.  It's just so odd.

I would not recommend handing over your tax returns to the CBC

Now that the CBC has admitted that one of its reporters, Krista Erickson, had indeed colluded with two Liberal MPs to direct the questioning of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who was appearing in front of the Commons ethics committee investigating allegations made by Karlheinz Schreiber, the question remains.

Can this committee carry on?

Now that the committee is requesting access to Brian Mulroney tax returns, the answer has to be a limited "No".  Would you want your tax returns handed over to CBC reporters?

Globe and Mail backs off the furious Rick Hillier story

With the question of the treatment of Afghan detainees providing much of the fuel for political debate in Ottawa, one element of the opposition attack is the strained relationship between the government and the military.

According to "sources", General Rick Hillier was furious and told Prime Minister Stephen Harper exactly that in a phone conversation.

According to Hillier and Harper, though, that conversation never happened.  The Globe and Mail seems to be backing away from the story.

Francis Chartrand and Micheline Montreuil: Is Thomas Mulcair behind NDP problems in Quebec?

Though there is some confusion about the size of the fallout from the decision of the NDP to cancel the candidacies of Micheline Montreuil and Francis Chartrand in Quebec, it is clear that there has been some fallout.

Anne Humphreys, a candidate who resigned her candidacy in support of Francis Chartrand, attributes the problems to Thomas Mulcair, the former provincial Liberal cabinet minister who ran for the NDP in the Liberal stronghold of Outremont.  In that by-election, Stephane Dion's hand-picked candidate, Jocelyn Coulon, was handily defeated by Mulcair.

According to Humphreys, Mulcair has promised to bring in a dozen star candidates.  Jack Layton desperately wants these people as candidates, so longtime NDP members like Chartrand and Montreuil are chucked aside.

NDP members in Quebec are not happy about this.

Is the NDP reconsidering the support given to the Conservatives on Durban II?

On any other site, it would just be a technical problem.  But on the site maintained by a political party, the disappearance of a page makes you wonder.

In this case, the folks at rabble have noticed that the page just put up by the NDP two days ago in which the NDP agreed with the Conservative government decision to withdraw from the Durban II conference in 2009 has disappeared. 

Is the NDP reconsidering its position?  There are plenty of folks at rabble who certainly hope so.

Joan Beatty forgets name of that third party while struggling to justify her appointment

Joan Beatty was interviewed about her controversial appointment by Stephane Dion to be the Liberal Party candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River in Saskatchewan.

Her answer to the critical question about why the nomination process needed to be suspended speaks volumes.

Rejecting Durban II: Canada to pursue full membership in Holocaust Remembrance Task Force

In the wake of the announcement by Jason Kenney that Canada would withdraw from participation in the UN-sponsored Durban II anti-racism conference coming up in 2009, the opposition Liberal Party and NDP have come on board to say that the government made the right choice.

Frankly, it was the only possible choice.  The first Durban anti-racism conference turned into a West-bashing anti-Semitic nightmare hijacked by Middle Eastern dictatorships and neo-Nazi NGOs pretending to be "progressive".

Durban II will likely be worse.  The United Nations assigned the job of organizing the conference to Libya.  Iran is an executive member of the planning committee.  All the NGOs that distributed Hitler pamphlets during the first conference in 2001 are automatically invited back.

Durban II will likely be worse than Durban I.

When the announcement was made that Canada would not participate in Durban II, Jason Kenney promised that Canada would find other venues to fight racism.  One such had been identified back in June, when Canada applied to be an observer on the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research.

Now Canada has announced its intention to become a full member.

An important membership criteria?  Totalitarian, authoritarian, and dictatorial regimes need not apply.

Sounds like a good idea for the UN itself.

Liberals follow NDP in supporting Conservatives on Durban II

At the risk of offending the Canadian Arab Federation, Stephen Dion and the Liberals have issued an official statement in which the party endorses the Conservative decision to withdraw from all activities related to the upcoming Durban II conference.

The Chartrand Affair: Reports of more NDP resignations in Quebec

When Francis Chartrand was forced out as an NDP candidate, it seemed to be an interesting story of NDP spin doctoring.  Chartrand had posted an angry open letter on his blog, calling Jack Layton and the NDP undemocratic.  We learned later that NDP officials twisted his arm and compelled him to replace that post with another one that spoke highly of the NDP, and claimed that Chartrand had himself decided to step aside as a candidate.

Well, the whole story came out, and now everyone knows that Chartrand was forced out as the candidate for Riviere-des-Mille-Iles, and that the NDP tried to cover it up.  My friend in Quebec is telling me that the Quebec media is now calling this "L'Affaire Chartrand", and that the list of NDP candidates and campaign staffers resigning continues to grow.

Liberal-linked Canadian Arab Federation attacks Jason Kenney over Durban II decision

The Canadian Arab Federation has come out strongly against the Canadian government's decision, supported by the NDP, to not participate in any way with the upcoming UN-sponsored Durban II conference on racism.  The position of the Conservative government, supported by the NDP, is that Durban II is shaping up to be an exercise in the most vile and repellent anti-Semitism, as was experienced by the Canadian delegation that attended the Durban I conference in 2001.

The CAF has every right to take a different position.  But to call Jason Kenney an Islamophobe who is contemptuous of Arabs and of Islam?

But then CAF president Khaled Mouammar, who has all sorts of links with the Liberal Party, declares anyone who sympathizes with Israel to be guilty of complicity in war crimes.

I wonder if Khaled Mouammar is planning a trip to the Durban II conference.

NDP pulls back from initial criticism of Conservatives over Durban II announcement

Canada has been winning praise for taking the decision to withdraw participation in the Durban II conference in 2009, a UN-sponsored event ostensibly to fight racism, but almost certainly to degenerate into an anti-Semitic spectacle like Durban I in 2001.

Now even the NDP agrees with the government.

Stephane Dion tries to ruin lives of tobacco farmers by getting them to switch to ginseng

I'm sure it wasn't intentional.  In fact, I wonder if anything that comes out of Stephane Dion's mouth is intentional.  He just seems to say the wrong thing whenever the opportunity presents itself.

In this case, Ontario tobacco farmers were paid a visit by Stephane Dion.  These farmers are suffering because of market conditions for their product.   So what does Stephane Dion suggest?

Switch to ginseng -- another product that has producers struggling to turn a profit.

Liberals: Canada ought to shake hands with Nazis as an act of respect to the United Nations

When I wrote about the government's decision to remove Canada from the preparatory work being done in advance of the Durban II conference, I really expected this to be a non-issue.

I really expected that the Liberals would applaud.  I really expected that the Liberals, who as a government sent a delegation to Durban I in 2001 and reported the most shocking examples of widespread anti-Semitism, would consider the words of John Manley and Irwin Cotler who advised against repeating that mistake.

Indeed, the Liberals could even take some credit, publishing those quotes and pointing out that they had concluded some time ago that the Durban II conference was not the sort of thing Canada could engage in.

I was wrong.  I really don't believe I'm saying this, but the Liberal Party position is that as awful as Durban I was when the Liberals attended, and as strongly as senior Liberals have said the entire experience was grotesque, Canadian diplomats ought have meetings with anti-Semites to discuss how to best to word the demand for the destruction of Israel as a measure of respect to the United Nations.

Stephane Dion: Foreign Policy Guessing Game

Another very clever video.  It really puts your knowledge of contemporary Canadian politicians to the test.

Can you guess which politician is on the right, and which is on the left?

Canada will not take part in racist conference

The 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, was a utter fiasco.  The conference was hijacked by anti-Semites and West-hating NGOs.  The atmosphere become so toxic that the United States and Israel withdrew their delegations.  Canada joined other major nations in condemning the conference, though Jean Chretien stopped short of actually pulling Canada's delegation.

Stephen Harper, Maxime Bernier (foreign affairs), and Jason Kenney (multiculturalism and Canadian identity) are being proactive this time around.  The follow-up conference scheduled for 2009 is showing every sign of being as bad as Durban I, perhaps worse.  Major nations have voted against funding it, but the resolution to fund the conference out of the UN general budget passed the UN General Assembly anyway. 

Canada might not be able to control the UN budget, but the Canadian government can still enjoy the sovereign right not to legitimize another UN pet project that demonizes the West.

And so it's great to hear that Canada is the first country to stand up and say that it will not participate in this upcoming conference.

Hopefully, countries like the United States will follow Canada's lead.  In the end, who wants to be at a conference facility where participants hand out pamphlets that mourn the fact that Hitler was not able to complete the job of exterminating the Jews?

 

Was the CBC happy to reveal Krista Erickson's collusion with the Liberal Party?

This is pure supposition, of course, but I've been thinking about the collusion between CBC reporter Krista Erickson and Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez to use a Commons ethics committee hearing as a proxy for a CBC interview studio.

The Conservatives and others demanded that the CBC make the details of their investigation public.  The CBC has done that, to a point, revealing the name of the reporter who colluded with the Liberals, and detailing her punishment.  Krista Erickson has been reassigned to Toronto from Ottawa.

Some think the Conservative government put the screws on the CBC.  Nonsense.  If you think about it, the CBC had every reason to come clean and make it all public.

Giving Jason Cherniak credit for bucking the Liberal Party line

Krista Erickson's career as a CBC reporter has taking a blow.  She has been taken off the Ottawa beat as punishment for having worked with Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez in an attempt to make the Commons ethics committee into a means for the CBC to compel answers posed by its reporters.

Pablo Rodriguez, for his part, denies everything, and moreover, insists that actions taken by the CBC against Krista Erickson cannot be of interest to him.

Jason Cherniak, Liberal blogger and apologist for all things Liberal, has taken a different approach, and is agitating in support of Erickson.

Got that.  The Liberal MP at the centre of this controversy says CBC actions are of no interest, because he is not involved.  Jason Cherniak disagrees, and thinks the CBC actions need to be challenged.

Jason Cherniak disagrees!

Who woulda thunk it?

John Manley to Stephen Harper: Fix Liberal Party mistakes!

John Manley has delivered his report on what the future of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan should be.

Essentially, it is what the Conservative government is already doing.  Stay in Afghanistan until the job is done.

Oh, and erase the Liberal Party legacy.

Pablo Rodriguez: He might be honourable, but he's no gentleman

Now that the CBC has identified the reporter who wrote the questions for Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez to ask at Commons ethics committee hearing into the business dealings between Karlheinz Schreiber and Brian Mulroney as Krista Erickson, it is curious to hear what Pablo Rodriguez has to say.

Remember, the CBC has already declared that Krista Erickson broke the rules, and the CBC has already punished her.  She has been reassigned to Toronto from Ottawa.  For the CBC there is no question, therefore, that Krista Erickson did exactly what had been alleged, and that is write questions for Pablo Rodriguez to repeat like a trained seal at the hearing.

Krista Erickson has been taken to the woodshed over this.  So what does Pablo Rodriguez do?  He denies everything.

He's hiding behind her skirts, as they would have said long ago, a time when being a gentleman meant something.

CBC fingers Krista Erickson for collusion; Erickson reassigned to Toronto

The CBC has responded to the Conservative Party on the question of collusion between a CBC reporter and the Liberal Party.

The CBC has named the reporter.  It is Krista Erickson.

The CBC has issued a punishment.  She has been pulled from covering Ottawa and has been reassigned to Toronto.

The CBC agrees that the reporter acted unethically.  And the Liberal Party...?

What we don't know is if the Liberal Party is sticking to the line that there was no collusion.

The NDP, Francis Chartrand, and hints of fallout in Quebec

As readers might recall, Francis Chartrand was the NDP candidate for the Quebec riding of Riviere-des-Milles-Iles.  In mid-December, the party cancelled his candidacy.  Francis Chartrand was outraged, claiming that he hadn't even been told, but that he found out through news reports.

The NDP tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress his story, pressuring Chartrand to change his story so that it was his decision to step down as a candidate, and that Chartrand was happy to work for the NDP in another capacity. 

That plan worked...for about a day. 

This blog published both versions of Chartrand's story (he had them both on his blog, replacing his angry version under NDP pressure).  When confronted with the evidence that the story on his blog had change dramatically, Chartrand reverted back to his allegation that he was unilaterally forced out, and revealed that party officials in Ottawa and Montreal were compelling him to tell a very different story.

Until now, there has been little fallout reported from all this.  But a reader tells me that this could change as NDP candidates are resigning in support of Chartrand, or in protest of the NDP's heavy-handed way of handling the matter.

I have found some independent reports of resignations because of the Chartrand issue.  This could change everything.

Apparently this blog ruined NDP plans to keep Francis Chartrand under wraps

If you've been following this blog since December, you'll know I've written a series of articles on Francis Chartrand.  Francis Chartrand was the NDP candidate for Riviere-des-Mille-Iles in Quebec, until in mid-December, the NDP declared he was not going to be the candidate for the party.

That's when the fun began, and apparently, I spoiled an attempt by the NDP to keep Francis Chartrand under wraps.

Daily Times of Pakistan: Stephane Dion is uniformed, irrational, and deluded

When Stephane Dion suggested that NATO military forces intervene in Pakistan, he set off a firestorm.

And yes, from now on I will assert that this, in fact, what Stephane Dion meant.  Every reporter in the room took that to be meaning of his words.  Who am I to disagree?

Senior Liberals have tried unsuccessfully to convince people that Stephane Dion meant diplomats when he spoke of "NATO forces".

Canadians don't believe that pitiful spin.  And based on the reporting I'm seeing in the Pakistan press, no one in Pakistan is going to believe it either.

Pawns in the fight between Ralph Goodale and Tony Merchant

The Liberal Party infighting in Saskatchewan over the appointment of Joan Beatty as the candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River.  Local Liberals are up in arms, angry over the way Stephane Dion removed their chance to choose their own candidate, setting up their own riding association executive, and generally becoming a thorn in the side of Stephane Dion.

But it seems to go much deeper than this.  It appears that the major players are really pawns in a long-running Saskatchewan rivalry between Ralph Goodale and Tony Merchant.

Are Stephane Dion's supporters stuffing partisan Liberal pamphlets into Universal Child Care Benefit envelopes?

This is simply shocking.

The Universal Child Care Benefit is the program brought in by the Conservative government that issues monthly payments to every family with children under the age of 5, amounting to $100 per child per month.

The Liberals, of course, offered a universal daycare program, funded through tax increases, but in all likelihood only available to eligible families based on income.

We receive our benefit by direct deposit, but many Canadians receive their benefit by cheque sent in the mail.

This month, one person is reporting that his envelope was stuffed with partisan Liberal Party material, issued by the office of the leader of the opposition, Stephane Dion.

Allegedly, someone is using the bureaucracy to distribute partisan Liberal pamphlets and to use a government program to target specific Canadians with tailored Liberal Party messaging.

News Post India: Canadian Leader Warns of NATO Action in Pakistan

Even as the Liberal Party tries to explain that when Stephane Dion spoke of the "option" of "NATO forces" in Pakistan really meant the same diplomacy that has been in constant use for years, the obvious meaning of Dion's words continue to make news.

News Post India, based in New Delhi, India, is carrying the story.

I guess that means sending Liberal bigwigs to the subcontinent to explain to these people the subtle shades of meaning that add excitement to any attempt to understand Stephane Dion.

Latest Stephane Dion video: Don't take a chance on Dion

Liberal blogger: Peter Kent behind Stephane Dion's Pakistan gaffe?

Last week, Liberal blogger Jason Cherniak smeared Conservative candidate Peter Kent, who is also a former reporter and now a senior editor at CanWest Global.  Jason alleged that:

• Peter Kent sets the editorial policy of the media giant and so is using it to further a Conservative agenda
• Peter Kent is not really a resident of Thornhill, where he has been nominated to stand as the Conservative candidate

In a pair of posts (Peter Kent is an example of integrity that Liberal MPs would do well to emulate and Why did Jason Cherniak call Peter Kent a liar for renovating a Thornhill heritage property?), I think I successfully showed both allegations to be untrue.  Without actually providing the link, Jason half-heartedly withdrew his second allegation, claiming victory by forcing Peter Kent to go on the record, which seemed bizarre given that Peter Kent did not reveal anything new and that had not already been well reported.

But now Stephane Dion is twisting in discomfort over his latest gaffe.  In this one, Stephane Dion thinks the best course of action for Canada is to abandon Afghanistan while NATO forces (presumably with no Canadian participation) invades Pakistan.

But according to Jason Cherniak, this is a case of gross misreporting.  And Peter Kent is behind it!

Jason Kenney to Stephane Dion: Ridiculous, weak, amateurish, profoundly irresponsible

Jason Kenney takes Stephane Dion to task over the Pakistan invasion gaffe.  Read the transcript or listen to the audio feed.  Then wonder just how anyone could think Stephane Dion could run a country.

Pakistan condemns Stephane Dion's irrational comments

Stephen Taylor has checked with the Pakistan High Commission in Ottawa to get a reaction to Stephane Dion's conclusion that NATO troops would have to intervene inside of Pakistan's borders in order to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Let's just say this diplomat was not very diplomatic.

Pakistan gaffe is more than just embarrassing for Stephane Dion

The Liberal Party is fixing yet another gaffe by their "leader", Stephane Dion.  In this case, he though it would be a good idea to attack Pakistan, or something like that. 

Unfortunately, the effects of this latest verbal bombshell from Stephane Dion could hurt the Liberal Party for quite some time to come.

Was Stephane Dion worried about getting a medal from the Taliban?

Stephane Dion wants Stephen Harper to fire Helena Guergis for letting slip the fact that Stephane Dion was visiting Afghanistan.

Though the details ought not to have been released, the fact is that Stephane Dion was not likely in any danger.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

Jason Kenney is not intimidated by law clerk Khurrum Awan

Jason Kenney, the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, has been criticized in a letter for having stood up for the right of Maclean's magazine to print articles that some Muslims might find offensive, or at least discomforting.

I bet Jason Kenney gets plenty of letters, but in this case, the writer seemed to try to intimidate Jason Kenney.

That was a big mistake.

Just how duplicitous is Joan Beatty?

With her appointment by Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion as the candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River in Saskatchewan, the focus has been on the simmering anger among Liberals in the riding.

How could Joan Beatty have leaped to the federal Liberal just weeks after having fought and won a seat for the provincial NDP in Saskatchewan?

Though she has done nothing illegal, it certainly seems unfortunate for the provincial NDP that after all that money spent, Joan Beatty has changed her mind.

But did she change her mind?  Or was she already laying the groundwork for a switch even as she was carrying the NDP banner and spending NDP money?

Ralph Goodale and his flaming pants

In one week, Liberal MP Ralph Goodale is called a liar, not once, not twice, but three times.

And not by members of other political parties.  Liberals seem to have no problem in declaring that Ralph Goodale's grasp of the truth is shaky at best.

Did Francis Chartrand accuse the NDP of hacking his blog?

The story of Francis Chartrand continues to amuse me.  Chartrand was to be the NDP candidate for Riviere-des-Mille-Iles.   Then mid-December, it was announced that he was no longer the candidate.

Then the fun began and hasn't stopped since.

The latest chapter: Francis Chartrand all but accuses the NDP of hacking his blog.

[Corrected] Why did Jason Cherniak call Peter Kent a liar for renovating a Thornhill heritage property?

Jason Cherniak has called Conservative Party candidate Peter Kent deliberating misleading and a "faker".  Well, to deliberately mislead is to lie, right?

So what did Peter Kent do to earn this harsh response from the Liberal Party's top blogger?  Well, Peter Kent spends his spare time renovating his home in Thornhill.

It's not just any home.  It is a heritage property designated by the Thornhill community.  Peter Kent's work on it was recommended for an award.

You'd think that if Peter Kent was faking, he's just rent a condo.

Correstion: See the end of the article for a correction.

Stephane Dion and the mystery of the political landscape

In his book, The Way it Works, Eddie Goldenberg, a senior advisor to former prime minister Jean Chretien, relates this amusing anecdote:

The day before they were sworn into Cabinet, [Stephane] Dion and [Pierre]Pettigrew met with Jean Pelletier and myself in a small conference room beside Pelletier’s office.  We were there to tell them that they prime minister had identified constituencies for them.  Shirley Maheu, the MP for the riding of Saint-Laurent-Cartierville in northwest Montreal, would be appointed to the Senate, and Dion would be designated the Liberal candidate in a by-election in that riding.  Andre Ouellet was to leave the Cabinet and the House of Commons, and Pettigrew would run in his former boss’s riding of Papineau-Saint-Michel in the northeast of Montreal.

Dion, who knew nothing about the political landscape, asked where the riding of Saint-Laurent was.  Pettigrew was much more political and knew that in the 1993 election, Maheu  had won with a huge majority, while Ouellet had won a close race.  He said, “Stephane, if you want to know where Saint-Laurent is, just look on the map for the safest Liberal seat in the country.  If you want to trade with me, I don’t mind."

It would be nice to say the Stephane Dion has come a long way since then, but really, does anyone really believe that Stephane Dion is any better plugged into the political landscape now?

Peter Kent is an example of integrity that Liberal MPs would do well to emulate

Jason Cherniak, Liberal Party riding president of some riding somewhere, and an apologist for all of Stephane Dion's missteps and trip-ups, has discovered something remarkable.

Peter Kent, a Conservative Party candidate in the last election, but who failed to win a seat, is also a member of the media!

And therefore, we ought not to be concerned at all that the CBC is secretly writing out questions for Liberal MPs to read out during parliamentary committee hearings.

It's so sad that Peter Kent, a man of remarkable integrity, is being mentioned in the same breath as the embarrassment that is Pablo Rodriguez and his CBC ghost writer.  But the mention was made, and worse, it was made incorrectly.  Now the record needs to be set straight.

The Stephen Harper - Karlheinz Schreiber Timeline

The absurdity to which we've been subjected to -- namely watching Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez humiliate himself and his party by being exposed as a CBC reporter wannabe when it was revealed that his job at the Commons ethics committee was to read as clearly as possible the words written down on paper by CBC reporters -- is even worse when you realize that the goal of this silliness, that is, to embarrass Stephen Harper, is a fool's errand.

I guess that's the Liberals are perfect for the job.

David Orchard to Ralph Goodale: LIAR!

I expected the controversy in the riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River to get ugly, but I didn't expect it to get so ugly so fast.

Obi-Wan Dion and the Great Disturbance in the Polling Force

At some point, Stephane Dion has to realize that he has become a laughingstock.  I mean, how often do we have to hear about how Canadians do or don't want an election? 

He makes himself out to be some sort of empath, spookily detecting my mood for an election.

But it's all a smokescreen.  Stephane Dion's sense of my mood for an election seems to a striking correlation to polling numbers.

The Ruby Dhalla story becomes fractured and confused

What as the Liberal Party spins the Ruby Dhalla purse snatching incident.  After being shown on television distancing herself from an alleged police beating visited against two small children who snatched her purse, while at the same time hoping that the children learned an important lesson from all this, Ruby Dhalla has come out with a new story.

Here is the summary:

• She can't control police violence.
• She didn't know the police were violent.
• She condemns violence against children.
• She is glad that there will be an investigation.
• The children were not beaten.

No word if she has changed her position on hoping that the children learned anything from being beaten, or from not being beaten.

Yeah, I'm confused too.

Ruby Dhalla's shockingly callous attitude towards child-beating

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla has lit a firestorm of controversy in India.  Visiting the Punjab region, she was the victim of theft, her purse being snatched by two young children.  After being caught, the children were severely beaten by the police.

When Ruby Dhalla was asked to respond, she said she hoped the children learned a lesson.

CBC discusses collusion discipline, but are the Liberals leaving the CBC to twist in the wind?

In following the story of how an unnamed CBC reporter wrote questions for Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez to deliver at the Commons ethics committee hearing question Brian Mulroney in the Karlheinz Schreiber affair, the question of whether any such collusion took place has been pretty much settled.

The CBC has said it is planning disciplinary action, so the story is credible.

Does that mean the Liberal Party is planning to backtrack on the public statement that the entire issue was a "fabrication"?  Or is the Liberal Party satisfied to let the CBC report to take the fall for this?

Forcing the reporter to bear all the consequences is a plan that could work, as long the CBC keeps the identity of the reporter a secret.  But whatever happens, hopefully the media in general will come to appreciate that getting too close to politicians is a dangerous thing.

Stephane Dion's leadership causes Saskatchewan Liberals to split into two

Saskatchewan Liberals are very upset that Stephane Dion, bowing to pressure from Ralph Goodale, appointed NDP MLA Joan Beatty, elected a mere two months ago, to be the Liberal candidate for the riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, cancelling the nomination race, including the effort by populist David Orchard.

Their anger is such that some have decided to simply ignore Stephane Dion and elect their own candidate.

David Orchard, Joan Beatty, and Liberal Party elitism

When Stephane Dion appointed Joan Beatty to be the Liberal Party candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, he rolled over the nomination effort of David Orchard.

A lot of people are upset at the elitist attitude exhibited by Stephane Dion and the Liberal Party in ignoring the effort by the riding association to democratically select a candidate.

The amusing thing is that the Liberal Party is not trying to hide the elitism.

Tories to CBC: Discipline meted out to reporter for colluding with Liberal Party must be public

The issue of collusion between the CBC and the Liberal Party in questioning Brian Mulroney continues to smolder.  A CBC spokesperson has said that action, if any, will be taken in private.

In a letter to the CBC ombudsman, the Conservative Party is challenging the CBC to come clean.

Will the Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River by-election turn into an ugly farce?

Few by-elections are as charged with raw emotion as the one shaping up in Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River.  Add to that suggestions of, let us say, creative campaigning, and we could be in for some fun.

Stephane Dion appoints Joan Beatty and inches closer to a February election

Stephane Dion has committed himself to forcing an election in February.  That is one way to look at the decision to appoint Joan Beatty as the candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River. 

Disaster for the Liberals as Canadians tell pollster they're happy

A poll that asks Canadians how they feel right now is one worth looking at.  As opposed to a poll that asks how they'd vote (which essentially ignores the effect of an election campaign) or one that asks to predict the results of an election (which generally has respondents parroting back what they've heard from pollsters), this poll asks Canadians how they feel about themselves, about the country, about the economy, and about the government.

No hypothetical choices.  No scrying. 

The answer?  Things are looking good.  And that's bad news for Stephane Dion and the Liberals.

I doubt the NDP could ever stop Irene Mathyssen

The NDP was deeply embarrassed when MP Irene Mathyssen stood up in the House of Commons to accuse Conservative MP James Moore of looking at pornography on his laptop, only to have her offer an abject and unqualified apology.  Similarly, the NDP accused Liberal candidate David Oliver of offering a bribe to an NDP candidate during the 2006 election, and was forced to offer up another abject apology.

Now the NDP says they have a plan to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.  I really doubt the NDP can do much though.  It strikes at the heart of what it means to be a liberal.

An echo is not data

An interesting poll asks Canadians what they expect will happen in the next federal election.  Not surprisingly, most repeat back what the pollsters have just told them is likely to happen.

Duh.

Jack Layton's bluster

NDP leader Jack Layton is talking big.  This year, 2008, will be the year the NDP surges out of it's traditional spot in fourth place to...what?  Third would be an improvement, of course.  In a parliamentary system though, there isn't much difference between third and fourth, except for bragging rights.

The real prize with real power would be official opposition.

Yeah, good luck with that.

Micheline Montreuil and the NDP exchange barbs

Transsexual Micheline Montreuil was dumped as an NDP candidate just before Christmas, and harsh words were exchanged.  She alleged that the NDP decided a transsexual candidate was a liability.  Now the two sides are exchanging verbal blows again.

Former NDP candidate Arif Jinha dumps on Jack Layton

There has been no news or announcement as far as I can tell.  Another NDP candidate, Arif Jinha, has quit.

Why?  That would be hard to know, since his blog has been erased, but thanks to the Google cache, we know what Jack Layton and the NDP would like to keep quiet.

Arif Jinha did not enjoy being treated as what he termed as an "advertising rep" for Jack Layton.

Rich people cars exempt from greenhouse gas rules

In Europe, new emissions rules are coming into effect, and no one is happy.

The automakers are upset because the rules are too stringent.

The environmentalists are upset because the rules are not stringent enough.

Regular people are upset because the cost of a car will go up significantly.

And rich people?  Oh, they're fine.  Their cars are exempt from the rules.

Joyce Murray is Stephane Dion's sort of environmentalist

Joyce Murray is the Liberal Party candidate fighting for the seat of Vancouver Quadra.  It is a strong Liberal seat, and no one would be surprised to see it go Liberal again.

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion would be especially pleased.  Not only would the Liberals retain a seat, Joyce Murray would bolster the Liberal reputation on the environment.  As an MLA in the BC legislature, Murray was the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection in Gordon Campbell's cabinet.

Like Stephane Dion, she didn't actually do much for the environment.  And that's a good thing for Stephane Dion should she win in Vancouver Quadra.  Stephane Dion does not need another MP in his caucus quietly doubting Dion's commitment to the environment.  Another pseudo-environmentalist would no doubt tell Stephane Dion just how much of a great environmental leader he is, without bringing up any uncomfortable facts.

Francis Chartrand's NDP blog a victim of hackers...or maybe not

The story of former NDP candidate Francis Chartrand continues to amuse me.  In particular, his blog seems to be the focus of weird happenings, with Chartrand posting and deleting posts in rapid succession as a result of his candidacy being spiked by the NDP brass. 

On top of his political career being nipped in the bud, now it seems like Chartrand's blog has been hacked.

Or has it?

David Orchard and the Metis vote

In my piece on the need of the NDP to perform well in the upcoming by-elections, I made some general comments about the by-election in Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River.  Several people commented on David Orchard, who is running for the Liberal nomination, but who might not be given the chance to win.  There are reports that Liberal Party Stephane Dion is about to install a nominee, Saskatchewan MLA Joan Beatty, who currently belongs to the NDP. 

Some people seemed dismissive of David Orchard, but a letter posted on a Liberal blog suggests that David Orchard could have the last laugh if his campaign is terminated by the Liberal Party leadership.

The NDP to be tested in the next set of by-elections

Four by-elections have been called -- two in Toronto, one in Saskatchewan, and one in British Columbia.  These are ridings held by Liberals who have resigned, and so Stephane Dion's Liberals have to fight to hold on to them again.

Three ridings are probably safe, but the Saskatchewan riding might revert back to the Conservative Party.  If so, it is a net loss for the Liberal Party.

But I'm much more interested in seeing how the NDP figures in these fights.

Who is responsible for another dead Bhutto?

Apologies for the crude title, but it is the title of a thread on the Pakistani Defence Forum at PakistaniDefence.com concerning the news that Benazir Bhutto has been killed today.  There is a poll there that is very revealing.  Though we might count supporters of Pervez Musharraf or elements of the Pakistani Security Services in the ranks of suspects, it is interesting to see the world's number one villain bubbling to the top of the list in this unscientific survey.

The United States.  Of course.  It's so obvious when you think about it. 

Presumably Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are cackling in neocon glee.

Does everyone call him Iggy?

I've always avoided calling Deputy Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff "Iggy".  It seemed too familiar, and I wasn't even sure if Michael Ignatieff liked to be called "Iggy".

If he doesn't like it, then it would seem childishly provocative to use that nickname.

I then read a reference to Michael Ignatieff not liking to be called "Iggy".  Fine.  But then if that's the case, why does his website use "iggy" in the substructure?

Blair Wilson might be able to fight the Liberal Party

Disgraced former Liberal MP Blair Wilson has not given up the fight.  Embroiled in a controversy over allegations of election spending irregularities, he has been told by the Liberal Party that he will not be allowed to run in the next election for the Liberals.

The justification?  Though Wilson has yet to have had any of the charges against him tested in a court, the Liberal Party has concluded that Wilson was not forthcoming on his applications to run as an MP.

Blair Wilson has promised to fight this decision, and has retained Jay Straith, the same lawyer who represented David Oliver in his fight against the NDP.

Looking over the rules, I think Blair Wilson has a fighting chance.

Conservative, Liberal, and NDP expense accounts

How can three people take the same flight to the same place to complete the same task, and still two people can each spend full 33% more to do the task?

I don't have an answer for that.  It's just one of those things that shows how Liberals and NDP folks are more subtle and complex than Conservatives.

Stephane Dion meets the Kyoto Fairy

Stephane Dion believes Canada cannot meet the Kyoto targets.

Stephane Dion believes Canada can meet the Kyoto targets.

Who knows what Stephane Dion believes?  Who knows who tells Stephane Dion what to believe?

Does Stephane Dion believe in anything?

Maybe he believes in fairies.

Breaking: Stephane Dion disallows disgraced MP Blair Wilson as a future Liberal candidate

News is breaking on disgraced former Liberal MP Blair Wilson.  The MP forced to quit the Liberal caucus over allegations that he committed egregious violations of the Elections Canada Act has been told by Stephane Dion that he will not be allowed to stand as a Liberal candidate in the next general election.

Angus-Reid poll shows nothing much new...which is news

A new poll shows that...well...nothing much has changed.  So perhaps the excitement from last week's poll will fade away.

Former NDP candidate Francis Chartrand wanted Canada to be more like Venezuela or East Germany

Francis Chartrand was the former NDP candidate for Riviere-des-Mille-Iles in Quebec.  He was dumped as the candidate, and I posted on the shifting story as it appeared on his blog.  Well, guess what.  It has shifted yet again!

Fed up with this nonsense, I did a post-by-post walkthrough of his blog.  And boy, would he have made one find candidate for the NDP!  Nothing like having one of your candidates demanding the nationalization of everything and espousing an East German model for Canada to follow.

Jack Layton is in charge of the NDP

Jack Layton is in charge of the NDP.

You notice that I didn't say he is in charge only when he's in the room, or within earshot, or when he's had a good two hours notice of what is about to happen.

When pressed about the Irene Mathyssen case, Jack Layton is quick to mention that he had nothing to do with it.

And here I thought that as leader, Jack Layton is always responsible for what his caucus members say and do.

It's not fair, but then being leader sucks sometimes.

CBC Reporters, Liberals, and Double-Standards

So how does the CBC report on ethical lapses?

Not surprisingly, it depends on who has allegedly suffer a lapse in judgment.

But then it seems like the media establishment as a whole in this country is guilty of pulling its punches on the CBC-Liberal collusion story.

Did Pablo Rodriguez embarrass the Liberal Party by dealing with the CBC?

The allegation is that Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez colluded with the CBC, asking questions of Brian Mulroney written by a CBC reporter.  If you read blogs, you know all about it.  If you get your news from TV, radio, and newspapers, you might not.  That's not a surprise because professional courtesy makes news organizations loathe to accuse each other of wrongdoing.

It took less than 24 hours for bloggers to discover that Dan Rather and CBS had serious problems with the Killian Memo report in 2004, but it took a week before other networks in the United States dared to suggest that CBS had used faked documents to smear George W Bush.

In the same way, there is little reporting of the allegation of collusion between CBC news and the Liberal Party to embarrass or trap Brian Mulroney.

The National Post has broken that silence with a gutsy column by L. Ian Macdonald.  He makes the case that when Pablo Rodriguez asked his questions of Brian Mulroney during the Commons ethics committee hearing, it should have been immediately obvious that something was amiss.

Pablo Rodriguez rarely mutters a word in English, and yet there he was, asking  meticulously worded questions en Anglais.

I say gutsy because the column touches on two tricky issues.

The first is whether Pablo Rodriguez is even capable of functioning in English at that level.

The second follows from the first.  If you have doubts as to whether he can string that many English words together with that sophistication, then you have to conclude that Pablo Rodriguez was merely a sock puppet for the CBC.

But there is a third element not covered in Macdonald's column, and that is the conclusion that Pablo Rodriguez was looking out for Pablo Rodriguez, and the Liberal Party is now paying the price.

Stephane Dion cannot call an election

We're all guilty of it.  We all think Stephane Dion has the power to call an election.  We're all wrong.

He can only do it if Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton are on board with the idea.  We're all assuming that the two of them are locked in election mode, just waiting on Stephane Dion.  An interesting article points out that this might not be true.

Stephane Dion needs to treat women candidates with more respect

Stephane Dion wants to appoint a woman candidate in the Saskatchewan riding of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, which is fine, except for one thing.  Joan Beatty hasn't agreed to switch to the Liberals from the NDP.

It might seem like a small thing, but it suggests confusion and poor communication.  What's worse is this is not the first time the Liberals announced appointing someone as a nominee only to find out that the person had no intention to run, and worse, had never even been consulted.

In both of these cases, the potential candidates were women.  Stephane Dion thinks he is doing them a favour by handing them ridings without having to go through the trouble of a nomination battle.  He'd be doing them a bigger favour if he actually asked them first.

It comes off as rather patronizing, otherwise.

An election in six weeks and a major shakeup? Something is not adding up

Stephane Dion, who is threatening to force an election in a matter of weeks, is dramatically re-arranging his core team.  Right, sounds like a man ready to go to the polls.  In any case, communications director Nicolas Ruszkowski is on his way out.  Personal reasons.  Of course.

Is former NDP candidate Francis Chartrand still playing blog games?

Ousted NDP candidate Francis Chartrand has been playing games with his blog.  First he posted an angry challenge aimed at the NDP in response to his candidacy being terminated.  Then he posted a conciliatory post that gave a different view of the same events.

Then both posts disappeared.

That was this morning.

This evening, the blog changed again.  The angry post is still gone, but the conciliatory post has returned.

It's as if Francis Chartrand is playing whack-a-mole with the truth.

I've appended screenshots and some discussion to my original post about Francis Chartrand's terminated candidacy.

CBC VP says reporter colluding with Liberal Party will be disciplined

Aaron Wudrick has received an email from a VP at the CBC in which it appears that a decision has been reached concerning allegations that a CBC reporter was acting in collusion with the Liberal Party to frame questions to ask of Brian Mulroney at the Commons ethics committee hearings into the Karlheinz Schreiber affair.

Francis Chartrand, the NDP, and historical revisionism [now with a bonus revisionism game]

With the news of transgendered NDP candidate Micheline Montreuil's ejection as a candidate for the NDP, not much notice has been given to Francis Chartrand, the other NDP candidate in Quebec who was also told he would no longer be able to stand for office on behalf of the NDP.

Given Chartrand's unambiguous gender, the story seemed less interesting.

It might not be as salacious as Montreuil's, but Chartrand's story is far from uninteresting.

Update: Not to be satisfied with deleting posts, Francis Chartrand now adds posts back in.  Fortunately I have the screenshots to show the changes.

Suzan Pawlak story is coming to a close

Thanks to Liberals who decided not to listen to the people who run the party, the Suzan Pawlak story is coming to an end with little political fallout.

The Conservatives are demanding answers to allegations of Liberal-CBC collusion

The Conservatives are not satisfied with what has been said to date on the allegations of collusion between the Liberal Party and the CBC.  It seems that the CBC fed questions to Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez to ask of Brian Mulroney who was appearing in front of the Commons ethics committee to answer questions raised by Karlheinz Schreiber.  The questions asked by Rodriguez did not seem to have anything to do with Schreiber.

It's bad enough that the Liberals sometimes seem to be fishing, but to be fishing on behalf of the CBC, and doing it on the sly?

The fight between Micheline Montreuil and the NDP

The NDP has not had a good few weeks.  The latest is the news that transgendered candidate Micheline Montreuil has been dropped by the NDP.  It was not a friendly parting of the ways.  Instead we have conflicting stories and threats of legal action.

SlickCash, Brian Fabian, Facebook, spam, and Al Qaeda

A Toronto firm is in trouble for allegedly trying to crack open Facebook's data files.  Given the reputation of the holding companies in this porn empire, it seems like they were looking for email addresses.  I wonder if an interest in Al Qaeda four years ago was also just an attempt to get email addresses.

Jack Layton and the NDP versus transgendered ex-candidate Micheline Montreuil

The NDP has a problem.  The party is eager to build on the success of Thomas Mulcair to make a real breakthrough in Quebec.  But transgendered candidate Micheline Montreuil was problematic.  Depending on who you listen to, she was not a team player, or her gender status was considered to be a liability.

The NDP has dropped her as a candidate.

And now it looks like the NDP is going to learn what it feels like to be worked over by the Human Rights Tribunal.

Conservatives and NDP ought to make common cause against the real environmental threat of asbestos exports

Asbestos is the miracle mineral.  It can be woven like cloth and it is fireproof.  Unfortunately, those same fibres are highly toxic, killing people who are exposed to those fibres, even in small amounts, over a period of time.  Throughout the world, the use of asbestos is banned, except in some countries like India, where asbestos continues to be used in construction, and where workers will cut into asbestos sheets at the work site, exposing first themselves, and then the future occupants, to the fibres. 

And much of that asbestos comes from Canada.  This should come to an end.

Daniel Paille report reveals areas for improvement

When the Liberals insisted on an inquiry on the Karlheinz Schreiber allegations, their hope was to dig up dirt on the current Conservative government.  So far, lots of money spent, and nothing to show for it.

When the Conservatives assigned Daniel Paille to report on polling practises during Paul Martin's time as finance minister, their hope was to dig up dirt on the Liberals.  A bunch of money was spent, nothing new was reveal about the Liberals, but the report did point out that though the Conservatives are doing some things better, they need to be better organized.

Well, that was unexpected and a bit embarrassing.  But time to make lemonade from this lemon and implement the suggested improvements.  So money well spent, I'd say.

Daniel Paille report reveals areas for improvement

When the Liberals insisted on an inquiry on the Karlheinz Schreiber allegations, their hope was to dig up dirt on the current Conservative government.  So far, lots of money spent, and nothing to show for it.

When the Conservatives assigned Daniel Paille to report on polling practises during Paul Martin's time as finance minister, their hope was to dig up dirt on the Liberals.  A bunch of money was spent, nothing new was reveal about the Liberals, but the report did point out that though the Conservatives are doing some things better, they need to be better organized.

Well, that was unexpected and a bit embarrassing.  But time to make lemonade from this lemon and implement the suggested improvements.  So money well spent, I'd say.

Garth Turner's friend in the House of Commons

Glancing at the Wikipedia entry for Liberal MP Garth Turner, I noticed an interesting edit that came and went in the space of two hours yesterday.  And the identity of the person making the edit is doubly interesting.

Garth Turner's friend in the House of Commons

Glancing at the Wikipedia entry for Liberal MP Garth Turner, I noticed an interesting edit that came and went in the space of two hours yesterday.  And the identity of the person making the edit is doubly interesting.

CBC to investigate alleged collusion with Liberal MP

The Canadian Press is reporting that the CBC plans to investigate allegations that a CBC reporter and a Liberal MP worked together to frame questions to ask Brian Mulroney during his appearance in front of the Commons ethics committee.

CBC to investigate alleged collusion with Liberal MP

The Canadian Press is reporting that the CBC plans to investigate allegations that a CBC reporter and a Liberal MP worked together to frame questions to ask Brian Mulroney during his appearance in front of the Commons ethics committee.

The startling revelation reported by the CBC

There is no startling revelation. But there might have been one. If Brian Mulroney had given a different answer to the question posed by Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez, but actually written by the CBC, did the CBC have a headline and a story ready to go? Was all that was needed a "break"?

If the break was not forthcoming, was the CBC prepared to manufacture one by having Pablo Rodriguez act as a proxy reporter? And were the Liberals only too happy to help out?

The CBC and yellow journalism

One of the strangest things to come out of the Karlheinz Schreiber hearings is the allegation that the CBC and the Liberals have cooperated on designing questions for Liberal MPs to pose during the hearings.

Is the CBC trying to manufacturer the news, and guide the direction of the events? There is a name for this sort of thing -- yellow journalism.

Baseball's radioactive list

A list of names of baseball players that are going to appear on the report has been leaked to WNBC. The report is, of course, the George Mitchell report on steroid use in major league baseball. The players on this list are alleged to have used performance enhancing drugs.

Presumably the list has been secured in a lead-lined box, buried six feet underground, covered over by concrete, and marked by a sign that says "List? What list?"

NDP overshoots with racial profiling bill

The NDP is tabling a bill to ban racial and religious profiling. It is aimed at law enforcement agencies. The NDP is particularly proud that the bill includes CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The problem is that CSIS is not a law enforcement agency.

Jason Kenney speaks out in defence of our freedoms

Using the easily abused Human Rights Commission, a group of offended Muslims is taking Maclean's to court for allowing them to be offended. Jason Kenney correctly speaks out against the action.

Words are nice, but maybe one day the Conservatives will be in a position to take action.

The Conservatives are embarrassing themselves over the isotope issue

The isotope crisis has passed, and the government has dealt with it. But in dealing with it, I felt acutely embarrassed. The Conservatives must resist the urge to use the word "Liberal" like a smear. They didn't resist that urge this time around, and it was just wrong.

The Taser joins the club of clubs

As far as the RCMP is concerned, the Taser is a snazzy 21st century version of a club.

Nadeem Jiwa due back in court

In August, York Regional Police Constable Robert Plunkett was killed while trying to arrest Nadeem Jiwa and Baseer Mohammed Yousafzai, who were allegedly removing airbags from a stolen car. Jiwa is alleged to have killed Plunkett by pinning him against a tree with the car while trying to make a getaway.

Nadeem Jiwa has been charged with first-degree murder, and he is supposed to make a court appearance today.

Styrofoam religion serves a purpose for Gilles Duceppe

Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, has found religion.

Well, not really.

He wants to keep religion out of Quebec. In order to do that, he wants to fill the void with the trappings of religion devoid of faith. I call it styroform religion -- it fills the space, keeps everything else out, but when you actually take a moment to study it, there really isn't anything there.

The NDP non-apology offered to David Oliver reveals a serious problem

The NDP has delivered a fake apology for smearing Liberal candidate David Oliver during the 2006 election. I call it a fake apology because it doesn't actually name who is responsible for the decision to hide an Elections Canada letter that would have exonerated Oliver before voting day. The Liberals dropped Oliver as a candidate, and Paul Martin has personally apologized for that decision, a decision that he was responsible for.

The NDP has not identified who is responsible. That person's culpability remains hidden behind an apology that says that the "NDP" was sorry. I can only assume that the NDP wants to protect this person from any fallout that might come from being directly named as the person who hid the letter.

And that makes me think that the person is still an important, and possibly a senior, member of the NDP. Why else would the NDP care to protect him? Since we don't know who that person is, we can't be certain that he is being held to account, or or certain that the NDP can keep a promise that this sort of thing won't happen again.

It would be helpful to hear this person promise not to do this sort of thing again.

When environmentalists lobby for the chemical industry

This is a piece about the flexibility of Chris Benedetti. He is simultaneously a Liberal Party supporter, a head of several environmental organizations, a consultant encouraging companies to work hard to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, and a lobbyist for a Washington-based bromine industry front group dedicated to keeping the earth-warming chemical compounds that drive their profits from being subjected to further regulation in Canada.

Yeah, that last one is the one that is supposed to make you do a double take.

Punishing Canada for not bending over for China at Bali

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are protecting the world against Chinese bullying rooted in the chronic Chinese gripe about being the victim of humiliation. The Chinese have made it clear that environmental treaties are a tool for punishing the West. Stephen Harper figures any environmental treaty designed around that premise will not be good for Canada or for the environment.

And for that, Stephane Dion and Jack Layton have labelled Stephen Harper the enemy.

Bridgewater's smoking ban extends outdoors and invites trouble

No smoking!

Not just in a room. Not just in your own car. But anywhere where people can see you.

Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, is on the verge of banning smoking outdoors. It's a dumb law. It is a dumb law not just because it solves a problem that doesn't exist (the notion that people are getting ill from transient second-hand smoke), but because it is a divisive law.

In Calabasas, California, a similar law is taken to the obvious next level, where enforcement is the responsibility of non-smoking citizens. Given that Bridgewater police have already said they're not interested in enforcing this by-law with any enthusiasm, that might be the next step.

A video for Irene Mathyssen

One last post on the Irene Mathyssen issue. NDP MP Irene Mathyssen claimed that Conservative MP James Moore was looking at pornography. Though she was wrong and reluctantly offered an apology of questionable sincerity, there is no doubt that the NDP is dedicated to protecting women from being "objectified" by men.

Well, protecting some women from some men. Really, just those women who as a whole have enough political and economic clout to protect themselves from just those men who as a whole are no threat at all.

Women with no protection threatened by men who literally see them as objects, well, they're someone else's problem.

Was Irene Mathyssen taken to the woodshed?

Irene Mathyssen was told in no uncertain terms that she had to apologize and without any conditions or qualifications. That was not her plan. Indeed, after the NDP MP accused Conservative MP James Moore of looking at pornography in the House of Commons, an accusation that was quickly shown to be baseless, Mathyssen made it clear she intended to get an apology from Moore!

At least one reporter is saying that the NDP decided this was too absurd, even for them.

Inspections of private homes to commence

The Ontario government will begin entering homes looking for evidence of laws being broken.

In order to ease the people of this province into this new reality, the process will be done in phases.

First, only elderly gun owners will be expected to submit to a search.

After that? Who knows? Once we've established that public safety trumps individual rights, it won't be too hard to extend this principle to anything that the government deems dangerous or risky. Or for that matter, to anything that runs counter to the public interest.

As a police spokesperson said, any steps should be welcome by the public.

And here I was only welcoming constitutionally legal steps.

Irene Mathyssen is the victim and she deserves an apology (according to Irene Mathyssen)

We're often too simplistic in our allocation of blame. Most of us think that when one person wrongs another, the first person should be doing the apologizing.

That might work with children and mature adults, but for people invested in a culture of victimization, they are always owed an apology, even when they made the mistake.

You see, professional full-time victims are never totally at fault for anything they do.

Consider the story of James Moore. Conservative MP James Moore is showing pictures of an outing at the beach, and in the frame of a picture of his dog is his girlfriend in a bikini. NDP MP Irene Mathyssen sees the picture from afar, jumps to the conclusion that Moore was looking at pornography, and publicly accuses Moore both on the floor of the House of Commons and to the press. Moore denies the allegations, and the truth comes out.

Irene Mathyssen, therefore, demands an apology from James Moore.

See, you thought Mathyssen was going to do the all the apologizing, didn't you? But Irene Mathyssen is the NDP critic for the Status of Women. As we all know, women are victimized by men who are looking at pornography. Mathyssen is demanding that Moore apologize to her for that.

A dionesque threat delivered by email

I've received a dionesque threat delivered by email.

Liberal Giorgio Mammoliti wants to put soldiers in the streets. In our cities. With guns. In Canada.

Irony of ironies. After the brutal backlash against the Liberal Party in the 2006 election over the so-called military ad, which claimed the Conservatives had plans to turn Canada into a police state with soldier patrolling the streets, we have a politician today calling for soldiers to patrol the streets.

But if you happen to be a Conservative who attacked the Liberals over the ad in 2006, don't worry about having to eat crow. The politician who is asking that soldiers be allowed to take over, Toronto Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, is a Liberal.

Irene Mathyssen and the objectification of men

NDP MP Irene Mathyssen has deeply wounded and humiliated Conservative MP James Moore, publicly accusing him of leering at soft porn while he was seated in the House of Commons.

Turns out she was wrong.

She has since apologized. I don't think that's enough. Not by a long shot.

Stephane Dion's unpaid $2,000 lunch bill

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion would like to be prime minister one day. If he wants the job, he needs to convince Canadians that, among other things, he can be trusted to manage the country's finances.

Liberals have a particular problem in that regard, given the baggage of the Sponsorship Scandal.

A note to Stephane Dion. If you want to be trusted with our money, show us you can manage something as simple as a lunch tab. Running up a $2,000 bill with portions running over 90 days past due is not a promising sign.

Hey, regular folks pay for their lunch. It ain't some sort of entitlement.

The Karlheinz Schreiber story is a hole for Stephane Dion to hide in

Stephane Dion must be very grateful for the Karlheinz Schreiber story.

Since the Schreiber thing exploded, the Tories continue to do well in the polls, while the Liberals have never polled so poorly.

So why would Stephane Dion be grateful? I have no doubt the polls would be telling us exactly the same thing had Karlheinz Schreiber never uttered a word and was quietly extradited to Germany. Schreiber has not hurt the Conservatives, nor is he helping the Liberals.

But it is keeping Liberal woes out of the limelight. The story has turned out to be a nice hole in which the Liberal Party can hide. Losing is still losing, but it's nice not to have to keep talking about it.

Nagging worries that Stephane Dion is hoping to embarrass Canada at Bali

Normally, I would have no concerns whatsoever that Stephane Dion will embarrass the Canadian government in Bali, where there is a major UN conference is taking place concerning climate change. The leader of the Liberal Party has taken it upon himself to go to Bali, though it is not clear why. As the leader of the opposition, Stephane Dion cannot speak on behalf of the government or explain government policy. He has promised in the past never to criticize the Canadian government in front of foreign dignitaries.

Indeed, in a recent incident, Stephane Dion had an opportunity to criticize Prime Minister Stephen Harper to a foreign official, and yet he was very careful to avoid doing so.

At the time, I congratulated him on it, and based on that incident, I have every confidence Stephane Dion will not disappoint me this time.

And yet...I'm nervous. There are signs that Stephane Dion is planning to embarrass all of us.

Karlheinz Schreiber gets bail and an extradition delay -- and admits there was nothing to his story

Karlheinz Schreiber has told the Commons ethics committee that there was nothing to his story. Brian Mulroney and Karlheinz Schreiber never discussed money while Mulroney was still in office. Mulroney certainly never took any money. And in any case, the money that later paid (after Mulroney returned to private life) had nothing to do with the Airbus Affair, which essentially means Brian Mulroney was correctly paid the $2.1 million in 1997 when he sued the Liberal government for libel.

Now thanks the inability of certain members of the Liberal Party to recognize when they were being played for fools, Karlheinz Schreiber might very well spend the rest of his life in Canada, and never face charges in Germany for fraud.

Thorarinn Jonsson needs better friends

Thorarinn Ingi Jonsson is out on bail, facing charges related to an art project in which he planted a fake bomb in the Royal Ontario Museum. Unfortunately for Jonnson, he seems to be surrounded by "friends" who seem to want Jonnson to think he did nothing wrong.

Stephane Dion on a collision course with the NDP, not the Conservatives

Stephane Dion has set his sights on the left of Canada's political spectrum. He says he's doing this in order to instigate a collision with the Conservatives. But that's not what a collision is. He's in conflict with the Conservatives because the two parties are vying for the same limited resource, that is, votes, which they need to accomplish very different goals.

The collision is with the NDP, because Stephane Dion is trying to occupy the same space at the same time as the NDP currently occupy. Liberals ought to recognize the difference between these two concepts before they vote to force an election.

Terrible news as weather deaths continue to drop

How will environmentalists succeed at terrifying people into following them by threatening death at the hands of planetary weather when the evidence shows a steady and dramatic decline in weather-related deaths?

The first thing, of course, is to point out that Big Oil is somewhere in the picture. That way the environmentalists can skip trying to actually refute the data.

Man assaults Santa Claus for his art

Compared to Thorarinn Ingi Jonsson and his art project, involving putting a pipe bomb facsimile in the Royal Ontario Musem in order for it to be recontextualized, the story of Clint Westwood seems tame.

This Missoula, Montana college student filmed himself assaulting a mall Santa to include in a film he was making.

Police caught him as he waited to convince Santa to sign a release form.

Women candidates might become a serious problem for Stephane Dion

Do an analysis of the spread of Liberal Party nominations, and you realize that Stephane Dion has a problem. In all likelihood, he is going to have to personally appoint nominees in many ridings in order to achieve the Liberal Party goal of fielding 33% women candidates in the next general election. But as things stand, most of those appoinments are going to have to happen in Quebec.

And that is seriously bad news for Stephane Dion.

Breakthrough in Newfoundland

Stephen Harper and Danny Williams are talking. The news really doesn't get any better than that.

Is all conceptual art rooted in cowardice?

The story of the fake bomb at the Royal Ontario Museum has got me to thinking about modern or conceptual art.

Not surprisingly, my conclusion is that it is without redeeming value, but I'm going to try and go a bit deeper than that.

And in particular, I'm going to avoid simply calling Thorarinn Ingi Jonsson an idiot. Plenty of people are doing that already.

Mistress Karlheinz Schreiber the Dominatrix

OK, I have to admit, I didn't see this one coming at all. I fully expected that Karlheinz Schreiber would not say a word to the parliamentary ethics committee, even after all the political fireworks expended in getting him to Ottawa from Toronto, where he was awaiting extradition to Germany on charges of fraud and tax evasion.

But to then turn around and harshly slap the committee? Karlheinz Schreiber gives out a little bit of pleasure, then a little bit of pain, and the opposition members of the committee don't see just how disgusting this is becoming.

Many observers predicted a circus when Karlheinz Schreiber appeared. I'm not sure a circus is the right metaphor. The metaphor I'm thinking of involved whips and straps and chains and latex body suits.

The fraud that is Sharia law

Some Islamic scholars hold to the idea that there is no need for democracy. In an Islamic state, the law is the Sharia, handed down by Allah through the Prophet Mohammed. A democratic government is a means to developing laws by gathering input from the citizenry. But there is no need to consider the opinions of the citizens, since the body of laws is divine, perfect, and complete.

Interesting theory.

And complete nonsense. Not that I don't believe that the Sharia is a good basis for law. I don't but that's not my point. My point is that in countries that have adopted Sharia law, the rule of the mob is worse than in democracies.

Case in point: Sudan versus Gillian Gibbons in the case of the Teddy Bear Insult.

Rob Nicholson tries to help the opposition avoid being embarrassed by Karlheinz Schreiber

You know how they say no good deed goes unpunished? Justice Minister Rob Nicholson might turn out to be living proof of that. The opposition has succeeded at getting a Speaker's Warrant to compel Karlheinz Schreiber to testify in front of a parliamentary committee on ethics. But warrant or no warrant, Schreiber is already setting conditions and issuing demands, daring the the opposition to grow a backbone and send him back to Germany.

Rob Nicholson has a backbone, and made it clear he was not willing to lift a single finger to help Karlheinz Schreiber make a mockery of the government. Parliament, on the other hand, is being mocked at every turn as the committee shows its willingness to go to any length to have Schreiber appear. When the ethics committee asked Nicholson to use his powers to get Schreiber out of jail, he told them he couldn't. That might not have been technically correct, since experts seem to think he certainly could have. But he wouldn't do it.

I think he was trying do the committee a favour.

In return, the opposition members screamed contempt.

Stephane Dion: Isolation and manipulation

Stephane Dion is isolated. No one in the Liberal Party will deal with him. He doesn't care though, since he never listened to anyone anyway. People in the party are praying for an election and a loss so that they can get rid of Stephane Dion, once and for all.

Is this the state of the Liberal Party today? According to insiders, that is exactly where things are.

Elizabeth May, Nazi slurs, and Stephane Dion's lucky break

Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, has drawn Nazis into the debate over global warming. She has lumped Prime Minister Stephen Harper with Nazis because of his skepticism over global warming and what the right response would be.

And that makes Elizabeth May's chief ally, Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion, a remarkably lucky politician.

Why we can't leave Afghanistan

We can't leave Afghanistan to the Taliban. This is not about today or tomorrow, but about generations of children raised in terror and violence turning into suicide bombers. In Sudan, a teacher will be lashed because she allowed the children in her charge express their love for the Prophet by naming a teddy bear Muhammad.

Karlheinz Schreiber's delicate dance with honesty

Karlheinz Schreiber is using the promise of revealing significant new information about his dealings with former prime minister Brian Mulroney and the Canadian government about the Airbus contract during the early 1990s as a way of avoiding extradition to Germany where he faces charges of tax evasion and fraud.

The problem for Schreiber is that if he is going to be questioned by two different judicial proceedings (a parliamentary committee this week and an inquiry in the future), he has to be careful that he tell the same credible story both times, or he could be hit with perjury charges, and end up in Germany anyway.

Is Wajid Khan in trouble with Elections Canada?

Wajid Khan, the former Liberal MP who now sits for the Conservatives, might or might not be in trouble with Elections Canada.

It is a bit confused right now.

That's not the only potentially confusing element of this story.

Giving Stephane Dion credit for keeping his word on a very emotional subject

People can hold very strong views on the death penalty. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has set government policy that Canadians abroad who are convicted in a fair trial and sentenced to death can't depend on the Canadian government to plead for mercy.

That has the Liberals enraged, and this is more about genuine philosophical differences rather than cheap political points. And despite that, Stephane Dion has managed to keep to a promise he made a year ago to not embarrass the Canadian government abroad.

Good for him. He could have scored points with his constituency. They would not have cared about his promise. But apparently Stephane Dion does. That deserves to be recognized.

Karlheinz Schreiber's lawsuit counsel issues a press release concerning the extradition?

In what I see as a curious turn of events, Karlheinz Schreiber has issued a press release today. The contents are not remarkable -- the release concerns the question of his pending extradition to Germany -- but the name of the lawyer is.

Given that the release is about the extradition fight, you would expect to see the names of the lawyers fighting that case, Edward and Brian Greenspan, to be listed as the contacts for questions.

Instead, the lawyer is Alexander Sennecke, a partner in the firm handling an entirely different case, that being the lawsuit Schreiber filed against Brian Mulroney to recover the $300,000 payment Schreiber made to Mulroney in 1993 and 1994.

Of course, the two cases are linked politically. The government is under pressure to put off the extradition in order to allow Schreiber to testify in an inquiry into these payments. But legally, these two matters have always been treated as separate and unrelated, to the point of having two different legal teams.

But now this curious crossover.

Jack Layton leaves Stephane Dion and Elizabeth May in the dust

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's numbers continue to hemorrhage. An Angus-Reid Poll just released that compares the opposition leaders against each other has awful news for Stephane Dion, and by association, Elizabeth May of the Green Party. Jack Layton of the NDP, on the other hand, must be very pleased.

Bob Rae welcomes foreigners calling Canadians murderers

Bob Rae must be enjoying his role as foreign affairs critic. Not elected to the House of Commons, Bob Rae can issue insults and undermine Canadian sovereignty with near impunity, not being subjected to the give and take that his elected colleagues have to put up with when considering what to say during Question Period.

How else would you explain his willingness to agree with a European busybody who likens Canadian politicians to murderers?

Smoke and we'll take your kids away

If you abuse your children, the State will take them away. Forcibly breaking up a family is probably the most violent act the State can commit, and it is only done to prevent a more violent act from being committed on a child.

So when the Nova Scotia town of Wolfville bans smoking in vehicles when a child is present, I get very nervous. It is the first step to fulfilling the wish of many anti-smoking zealots of making smoking a form of child abuse. Once you've gotten to that point, all bets are off. If smokers think they have it tough now, they are wrong.

If Stephane Dion screws up this Karlheinz Schreiber thing...

Some people are seeing signs that not only is the Karlheinz Schreiber controversy not connecting with Canadians, who by and large aren't buying into the Liberal argument that this is a scandal that involves the current government, but they are also seeing signs that Stephane Dion's Liberals might find themselves embroiled in scandal instead.

I'm not sure that it can go that far, but I'm pretty sure that if there is any blowback at all, Stephane Dion is finished. The Liberal Party can put up with only so much incompetence.

Holster tasers

I've said it before and I'll say it again. By lowering the level of lethality, tasers have the effect of increasing the number of violent confrontations with police. If police won't use tasers the way they were meant to be used, tasers should be taken away.

The bottom line is this. You use a taser when you are willing to kill a suspect.

I demand a full investigation into the Schreiber-Mulroney affair

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has outlined his opinion about what an investigation into Karlheinz Schreiber's dealing with Brian Mulroney ought to cover.

Karl Schreiber? Check.

Brian Mulroney? Check.

Stephen Harper and everything ever done anywhere by his government on any subject? Check.

I bet you noticed the same thing I did. Stephane Dion, while trying to apply some constraint to the powers of an inquiry, has potentially crippled it.

Why Brian Mulroney has been quiet about the details of the $300,000 payment from Karlheinz Schreiber

Brian Mulroney has refused to explain the details behind the $300,000 payment he received from Karlheinz Schreiber that is now the centre of a growing political firestorm in Ottawa.

Brian Mulroney is not being evasive for the sake of being evasive. Remember that this $300,000 payment is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Schreiber against Mulroney. Brian Mulroney can't really talk much about it right now.

It might be nice to remember that once in a while, instead of making it seem like a reason to be immediately suspicious of Brian Mulroney.

Karlheinz Schreiber's long (and repetitive) history with Canadian courts

Karlheinz Schreiber does not take "No!" for an answer. And yet that is the only answer he seems to ever get from Canadian courts when it comes to considering his extradition to Germany.

A man of conviction? Or is he just obstinate? Perhaps Karlheinz Schreiber is as deaf as a post.

Rob Nicholson's options with regards to Karlheinz Schreiber

Interestingly, all the accepted reasons to deny a valid extradition request that Justice Minister Rob Nicholson can call upon to keep Karlheinz Schreiber in the country focus on what a wickedly unjust place Germany is, and how it is manifestly unjust in some way to send Schreiber there to face charges.

Of course, that is manifestly absurd.

Which means Canada doesn't have any good reason to insult German authorities by keeping Karlheinz Schreiber in Canada.

Schreiber's lawyers hope to win reprieve by insulting the justice minister

Maybe law is too subtle for this simple engineer, but in life, when someone has your fate in his hands, you ought to be nice to that person.

Or at least not insulting.

But for Karlheinz Schreiber's lawyers to call Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, a lawyer himself, untrustworthy, well, it is not the sort of thing that would make me want to cut Schreiber any slack, not if I was the justice minister.

Is the In-and-Out Scandal just Jean Landry's frustration blown out of proportion?

Did the Conservatives coerce candidates into questionable ad spends designed to violate campaign spending limits? That is what the Liberals would have us believe, based in large part on media interviews with former Conservative candidate Jean Landry. Dig deeper though, and you discover a far more complex story that calls into question the basis upon which Elections Canada initiated an investigation.

Did this all start because of one frustrated ex-candidate?

Karlheinz Schreiber is making life easier for the Liberals by conveniently moderating his language

Karlheinz Schreiber is facing extradition to Germany, but is trying to avoid that by leveling allegations of making shady business deals with former prime minister Brian Mulroney while Mulroney was in office. At least that's what it looks like to a lot of people.

Indeed, Schreiber seemed to confirm that when he declared that his testimony was contigent on not being sent to Germany. The truth be damned, he didn't want to face trial in Germany.

But the Liberals have also argued that it is important for Schreiber to stay in the country. Why? Not for Schreiber's benefit, of course, but so that justice can be served.

Now curiously, Schreiber's language has moderated. Now he seems to be interested in justice too.

What a coincidence.

Das other boot drops for Karlheinz Schreiber

Karlheinz Schreiber is the German businessman facing serious charges in Germany. He is in Canada fighting extradition. He is famous in Canada, of course, for his involvement with former prime minister Brian Mulroney. That relationship led to allegations of influence peddling that was investigated by the RCMP over 15 years ago. The investigation cleared Brian Mulroney. Mulroney then sued the government and was awarded $2 million. Fast forward to 2007, and Karl Schreiber is literally weeks away from a flight to Germany, and quite possibly prison. Suddenly Schreiber drops a bombshell -- an agreement to pay Mulroney $300,000 was made when Mulroney was still in office (during the last 48 hours, as it turns out).

I've made it clear that I think Karlheinz Schreiber is interested only in avoiding extradition. At 73, he only needs to delay extradition for a year or so, and he'll probably never return to German soil. By manipulating events to cause a public inquiry to be called, he has made that likely, especially since his patsies in the Liberal Party are obliging him by demanding that he not be extradited.

Robert Fife of CTV has made a similar observation.

And now Schreiber dispells any lingering doubt. He promises not to testify in any Canadian proceedings if he is sent to Germany.

The other shoe drops.

[Sorry about the title, but I couldn't resist working Das Boot into a Schreiber post.]

[Yes, I know "Das Boot" means "The Boat" and has nothing to do with footwear. It just sounds funny.]

Suzan Pawlak picked up

The former Liberal Party treasurer who is facing charges after over $13,000 was stolen from a riding association failed to make a court appearance last week. Last night Suzan Pawlak was arrested in Toronto.

Stephane Dion leads the Liberals in circles around the issue of voter identification

Stephane Dion is taking a stand on requiring the visual identification of voters. Well, I should qualify that. He had a stand last September. But now he is taking a stand this his stand is now more of a walk. Liberals are hoping that his walk will evolve into another stand soon. I expect it will a stand from a new position.

Harper Derangement Syndrome strikes Stephane Dion

Stephane Dion is suffering from an affliction known as Harper Derangement Syndrome. It is a sorry sight, and it is only through your generous support that can bring us closer to a cure.

Is Karlheinz Schreiber a Svengali luring the Liberals down a dangerous path?

CTV's Robert Fife is echoing my point that Karlheinz Schreiber is clearly using his allegations about money payments to Brian Mulroney as a way to evade deportation to Germany. But Schreiber can't do it alone. He needs allies.

Or puppets.

Liberal Party National Director Greg Fergus sends his first email, minus any references to Stephane Dion

The National Director of the Liberal Party, Greg Fergus, has sent his first email since taking over the job from Jamie Carroll. The letter is interesting for more about what it doesn't say. Not a word about Stephane Dion anywhere in an email whose purpose seems to be to inspire Liberals.

Isn't Stephane Dion inspiring?

Worse yet, Greg Fergus makes pains to remind the reader that the Liberal Party is about more than any one man. Curious.

Evidence of how the Liberals and the NDP engage in their own In-and-Out funding efforts

In a rather long post (made longer with all the evidence I'm presenting), I'm reviewing how the Liberals and the NDP organized, funded, and ultimately declared local advertising. The Liberals are claiming that the Conservatives engaged in some sort of money laundering scheme, magically converting national funds into local funds for advertising that was clearly not local, in an effort to break the law with regards to spending limits in the last election campaign.

The Conservatives have shot back that it wasn't illegal, which is why all parties do it. And you know what? It looks like they all do.

Liberals admit Karlheinz Schreiber is using them

Liberal MP Robert Thibault admits that Karlheinz Schreiber is using the Liberals to avoid deportation to Germany. Stephane Dion is taking a big risk.

Is Karlheinz Schreiber doing a John Mark Karr play?

The more I look at the circumstances around Karlheinz Schreiber's allegations involving Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper, the more I wonder whether Karlheinz Schreiber is borrowing a page from John Mark Karr's playbook.

Brian Mulroney calls Stephane Dion's bluff

The first time the Liberals went after Brian Mulroney for his relationship with Karlheinz Schreiber, Canadians ended up paying $2 million when Brian Mulroney successfully sued the Canadian government.

Now the Liberals are at it again. And I wonder if that means if Brian Mulroney will be cashing another big cheque again in the future. I say that because Brian Mulroney seems eager to go for Round Two.

How much more can the Liberals tolerate?

Stephane Dion polls in third place among Canadians when asked who they would want as prime minister.

Third place!

How much more of this will the Liberal Party tolerate?

Canada's drivers and chronic speeding

Canada is a country filled with people who like to drive fast. How do we discourage them? I have an idea that takes a different approach to punishment, and so might have some success while the traditional approaches are running out of gas.

And that's where I'm focused -- on the gas.

Brian Mulroney, Karlheinz Schreiber, and prudent steps

The Liberals are howling for a full judicial inquiry into Brian Mulroney's dealings with Karlheinz Schreiber. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a hypocrite, the Liberals charge, if he proceeds with his plan for a preliminary third-party invetigation.

Remember Gomery?! This issue deserves the same treatment!

Maybe it does -- but only in the fullness of time. But despite what the Liberals are saying, we don't really know enough to decide yet. Perhaps Stephen Harper can wait to proceed until he has enough information to make the right decision.

Paul Martin certainly waited at least that long.

China moves quickly on the Aqua Dots scare

Who said you can't teach an old empire new tricks?

In a matter of days, China has confirmed the contamination of the Aqua Dots product. Sold also as Bindeez, the toy includes beads that are covered with a substance that, when swallowed, metabolizes into the date rape drug GHB.

Children in the United States and Australia have already been showing up in hospital suffering from seizures or slipping into comas. No fatalities though. Thanks goodness for that.

And it looks like the Chinese are in no mood to squander that one bit of good news. In case this gets worse before it gets better, the Chinese are moving fast to fix the problem at their end.

More children fall victim to Aqua Dots

Even as the news spreads about the danger posed by Aqua Dots, a children's toy that is coated with a chemical that metabolizes into the date rape drug GHB when ingested, news comes of more children becoming ill.

When the story broke of the recall in Australia, three Australian children had fallen ill (but thankfully recovered).

Were Canadian and American children at risk, or was the North American product free of the problem discovered in Austalia?

It turns our we weren't so lucky. Multiple cases in the US are being reported. I have no doubt that there may already be Canadian cases.

Conservative toys are the best

With the latest toy scare involving the date rape drug GHB contaminating Aqua Dots (aka Bindeez), parents are wondering what toys kids ought to be playing with. The advice from the professionals? Be conservative. Keep it simple. Look at the sorts of toys our parents and grandparents played with.

Tamil lobbying by stealth?

Canadian intelligence officials warn of an aggressive new lobbying campaign being undertaken by Tamil groups in Canada. Now the report might be focused on a new effort compared to the ongoing lobbying. But that's the weird thing.

There is no ongoing effort as far as I can tell. I can't find a single registered lobbyist in the database associated with any keywords related to Tamil organizations.

Have Tamil contacts with the Canadian politicians (specifically Liberal Party politicians) always been this opaque?

Toronto Star hurts National Newswatch with unprofessional headline

The Toronto Star engages in some...creative...headlining.

Actually, attributing words to someone that we never actually said could be grounds for legal action if those words cast that person in a poor light.

I doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper will take any action -- the Toronto Star pulled their terrible headline. But a major Canadian news site is taking the heat for the Toronto Star's unprofessional behaviour, and that's not right.

What's worse, the headline was change but without any apology or acknowledgment, which forces National Newswatch to rely on the Google cache to defend himself against complaints that ought to be going to the Toronto Star.

Suzan Pawlak on the run?

Suzan Pawlak, the former Liberal Elgin-Middlesex-London riding association treasurer who has been charged with fraud, has failed to appear in court. This is a strange story that refuses to die.

Nanny state addicts terrified of tax cuts

Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave quite the speech on tax cuts that Canadians will see in the years to come. And yet there are people who are worried. They worry about who will take care of their parents in their old age.

Some people just don't see the obvious. Or they do, and they just don't want to face it.

Is Ralph Goodale worried? And should that make Stephane Dion nervous?

The results of last night's provincial election in Saskatchewan showed the province shift to the right, ejecting Lorne Calvert's NDP in favour of Brad Wall's Saskatchewan Party. One riding in particular interests me. The provincial riding that overlaps the federal riding of Wascana shift hard to the Saskatchewan Party.

Federally, that riding is held by Ralph Goodale. Is this a cause for concern for Ralph Goodale? And if so, should Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion be nervous about what a senior Liberal who is worried about his political future might do?

Michael Ignatieff wants you to donate the maximum allowed, and not a penny less

Michael Ignatieff is looking for new friends. Just pay some cash.

Actually, the only friends he really cares about are the ones who pay the absolute maximum cash allowed. They get what really matters -- access and therefore influence. Everyone else gets a T-shirt and a boot out the door.

The Liberals can fight an election thanks to my generousity

Thanks to public financing of political parties, the Liberals are not all that concerned about fighting an election. They are worried about picking the right time for an election because in Canada, votes equate to dollars.

Which is amusing, because the intention of the system is to reduce the importance of financial considerations in politics. Of course, it has done the opposite.

Memo to Garth: "Ciao" means goodbye, while "Chow" refers to a dog

Normally it wouldn't matter much which way you spell it. But in Canada, beside the picture of a dog, in an article refering to the NDP, the use of the word "Chow" instead of "Ciao" makes one squirm.

Don't we all remember the Mike Klander incident? Garth Turner seems to have forgotten.

Edy Haddad, the Liberal Party, and the Love Revolution

Edy Haddad wants to be Liberal Party candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh.

His platform is...well...the Love Revolution. How that defines things like taxation policy or international trade issues is difficult to fathom. Apparently it involves art, music, and dance.

I wish him luck.

Are Canadian kids being exposed to date-rape drug GHB in a Chinese-made toy? [Update: Yes they are!]

A toy manufactured in China is being recalled in Australia because it contains a chemical that metabolizes into a potentially fatal date rape drug. Bindeez has been linked to three children being hospitalized suffering from seizures.

When I say the toy, I recognized it immediately. In Canada, it is still being sold as Aqua Dots, being introduced only a month ago or so. At least that's when I remember the commercials starting to air on children's TV specialty channels.

Are Canadian kids at risk? Has anyone checked to make sure that the Canadian product is safe in light of the Australian recall?

Update: No doubt about it -- this is the same product.

Update: No official recall, but Toys 'R Us in Canada is pulling the product off the shelves at this very moment.

Could the Chinese Tibetologists really be so unprepared?

A Chinese delegation has come to Canada to patiently explain to citizens of this young and childish country that the Tibet issue is like separatism in Quebec. When uppity Canadians started exploring that parallel, the Chinese had no response other than to insult Canada.

How could these guys have been so unprepared? Maybe they were lulled into a false sense of security based on years of Canadian deference to China. This Canadian government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn't like that. I guess the Chinese hadn't really figured that out yet.

Garth Turner on negativity and how the Liberals are making a big mistake

Garth Turner has some harsh words for the negative tactics used by the Conserva...no wait...that's harsh words for the Liberal Party.

Oh yes, this will be fun.

Stephen Harper works with the effective opposition of Jack Layton on Senate reform

The word is that Stephen Harper can work with Jack Layton on Senate reform. Jack Layton has portrayed the NDP as the Effective Opposition. Can Stephane Dion and the Liberals find an opportunity to gain some traction on the issue of Senate reform?

Unfortunately for Stephane Dion, even this issue is strewn with landmines for the Liberals.

Yet another vote Stephane Dion will want to avoid

Never ask a question unless you know the answer. That is one of those basic lawyer rules**. So unless Jason Cherniak has called over 300 Liberal Party riding presidents to get their individual assurances, the idea of holding a confidence vote on Stephane Dion's leadership seems rather pointless, and probably very risky.

** Engineers ask questions to elicit information.

No Gun, No Funeral, No Patron -- Michael Bryant ousted as Attorney General

Michael Bryant is no longer the Attorney General of Ontario. Not suprisingly, he is no longer interested in the No Gun No Funeral crusade. It really doesn't fit his career plans, I guess.

Best Canadian Blog -- The race is turning ugly!

Voting is still open for Best Canadian Blog in the 2007 Weblog Awards. As the voting continues, the race is turning ugly.

Canadians are in the eye of a political hurricane

I've been thinking about how the polls don't seem to be moving for any of the major parties. Despite all the upheaval and turmoil in Ottawa, Canadians don't seem to be responding.

Why is that?

Then it struck me. The polls aren't stuck despite the upheaval and turmoil. The polls are stuck because of the upheaval and turmoil.

Like the false calm in the eye of the hurricane.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- Conclusion

Over the last nine posts, I've presented the entire package of evidence presented to Elections Canada that purports to prove that Blair Wilson engaged in a pattern of deception in order to evade campaign spending limits. The former Liberal MP, now sitting as an independent, is under investigation by both Elections Canada and the Liberal Party.

The only conclusion that matters is the one that Elections Canada comes to, but we can look at the material and make some observations of our own.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- Jamey Kramer

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson did not account properly for third-party advertising.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- The Whistler Question

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson ads in the Whistler Question but failed to report any advertising in this paper.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- The Coast Reporter

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson ran a full pages ad in the Coast Reporter but reported it as a quarter-page ad.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- The Umbrellas

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson did not correctly account for a donation of custom imprinted umbrellas worth a significant amount in dollar value.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- Canada Post

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson spent a significant sum of money, not reported to Elections Canada, on a last minute mass mailing.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- Printing

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson did not correctly account for the printing of campaign material. But in the supporting documentation, we get a sense of the tensions within the campaign between those who would be careful to account for things correctly, and those who seem to think the Elections Canada rules are an afterthought.

We also learn of someone in the Liberal Party headquarters called "the big guy".

The Case against Blair Wilson -- The Marine Drive Office

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson did not correctly account for the deeply discounted rent for the Marine Drive election campaign office.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- The Cowrie Street Office

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the supporting documentation that alleges to show that Blair Wilson did not correctly account for the Cowrie Street election campaign office.

The Case against Blair Wilson -- The Charges

We have all read the news reports about charges facing MP Blair Wilson, elected as a Liberal but now sitting as an independent. Blair Wilson is charged with serious breaches of the Elections Act. In order to help Canadians come to their own conclusions, I'll be posting the original complaint as it was delivered to Elections Canada, in its entirety, in this series of posts.

As far as I know, the original complaint has not be made available anywhere else.

In this post, we will look at the charges.

Garth Turner unenthusiastic about the Liberal Party attacks on Brian Mulroney?

Garth Turner looks distinctly uncomfortable as his Liberal Party colleagues attack his former boss, Brian Mulroney.

Congratulations to Andrew Coyne!

Moving on and up for Canada's premier political columnist!

Mauril Belanger takes a second jab at Stephane Dion

When Mauril Belanger did not show up for the confidence vote on Jum Flaherty's mini-budget, it was the sort of defiance that could get a member thrown out of caucus. But no one expects even a mild slap on the wrist for Mauril Belanger. In Stephane Dion's Liberal Party, chaos and open defiance has become the norm.

And it's been that way for a while, it seems.

Stephane Dion abstains...from Halloween?

Stephane Dion has got this abstaining thing down to a fine art. Now he has managed to abstain from Halloween.

Shenanigans in the Blair Wilson case?

Blair Wilson is the Liberal MP who has resigned from the Liberal Party caucus over allegations of personal and electoral financial misdealings. However at least one element of the story has been called into question. Given that it is part of the political side of the story, it might be significant.

Is the Toronto Star trying to push Liberal MPs into rebellion?

When the Toronto Star states in an editorial that Stephane Dion has lost nearly all his credibility, and in doing so implicity warns Liberals that the Toronto Star would withhold an endorsement in an election, I wonder if the message is being aimed at the Liberal caucus. If so, the timing couldn't be worse for Stephane Dion, as the caucus is starting to come apart, and publicly signs of defiance are being seen.

I don't think the Toronto Star would be all that upset if Stephane Dion is ousted should the editorials help forment an open rebellion against the embattled Liberal Party leader.

Stephane Dion is losing his credibility with the Toronto Star

Yesterday, the Toronto Star advised Stephane Dion and the Liberals to reverse course. The Liberals were planning to run and hide from the confidence vote on the mini-budget that they denounced, fearful of facing the voters. The Toronto Star said that this was unacceptable.

Stephane Dion held his ground and bravely retreated.

So today the Toronto Star issued the warning. Stephane Dion's credibility was hanging by a thread.

Though the editorial warned that it was Stephane Dion's crediblity with voters that was in grave danger, in truth, it is whatever credibility Stephane Dion has with the Toronto Star that will evaporate.

Is Michael Ignatieff ready to make a move against Stephane Dion?

Just some crazy speculation based on one fact -- the Stop Iggy website has come down.

Is the Toronto Star fed up with Stephane Dion?

The Toronto Star is advising Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion to vote against the Tory financial update and trigger an election.

Until now, the accepted wisdom has been that Stephane Dion would lose that election, and almost certainly his job.

So what has changed that the Toronto Star thinks an election would be a good idea?

Absolutely nothing.

Will Stephane Dion repudiate the conspiracy-spinning World Sikh Organization?

One of the stories that came out of the Liberal leadership convention that saw Gerard Kennedy and Stephane Dion work together to beat front runners Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae was the role of the Sikh vote, and especially the role of World Sikh Organization. Indeed the WSO had a relationship with the Liberal Party before the leadership convention, and since. More than once the relationship has been newsworthy because of the violence that seems to often be part of the story.

News came out today that the WSO was refused the opportunity to present in front of the Air India Inquiry. After the costliest investigation in Canadian history resulted in the acquittal of the accused in 2005, Paul Martin asked Bob Rae to prepare a report to recommend what actions to take next with regards to the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, which was blown up over the Atlantic, killing 329 people, including 280 Canadians. Bob Rae recommended an inquiry into how the case was investigated and prosecuted. Prime Minister Stephen Harper acted on that report and appointed John C Major to head that inquiry. The inquiry is hearing from witnesses.

The WSO had announced in July that it had important information to share. John C Major is not interested. The information? The WSO, close friends with the Liberal Party and one of the major power blocs, wanted the Air India Inquiry to consider the what the WSO believes could be true -- that Sikhs were not responsible for the terrorist act, but instead were victims of a plot by the Indian government, aided by CSIS and the RCMP, to destroy the Air India jet and so cast blame on peace-loving Sikhs.

Right. And the CIA blew up the Twin Towers with the help of the Jews.

Stephane Dion needs to make a decision. He can let this stand, or he can tell the WSO that the Liberal Party does not believe for a moment that the RCMP and CSIS had anything to do with this horrific criminal act. Given the key role the WSO had in putting Stephane Dion at the head of the Liberal Party, I'm not optimistic that we're going to hear anything soon.

Blair Wilson is doomed

Blair Wilson will be forced to give up his seat. No question of that. The Liberal Party has plans for that seat. But unfortunately we need to rely on rumours to know what those plans are.

The Liberal focus on scandal masks a deeper problem

The Liberal Party has been focused on the In and Out Scandal. Why? The Canadian people don't seem to think it's much of a scandal. Neither does the media. With the eruption of the allegations against Liberal MP Blair Wilson, inarguably a scandal, you would think the Liberals would do well to drop the whole thing. But they haven't.

Why not?

I think it's a deliberate decision motivated by desperation.

If the GST cut is coming tomorrow, does that mean the Stephane Dion's clever trap has worked?

Jim Flaherty is supposed to be delivering his economic update tomorrow. We'll find out if the much-anticipated GST cut is going to be announced tomorrow. If this tax cut is in the update, does that mean Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's clever trap has caught Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government?

Another Liberal resigns and blames Stephane Dion, but this time in Ontario not Quebec

A Liberal Party riding president has quit and in a parting shot, blames leader Stephane Dion for her decision. At some point Stephane Dion will succeed at uniting the party, if only at the moment in time when Stephane Dion will be the only one left.

Seriously, though, this was the riding president for an Ontario riding. Is the discontent that has focused in Quebec starting to manifest in seat-rich Ontario?

The Liberal Green Light Committee needs a new light bulb

How did Blair Wilson ever pass the tests all nominees must undergo before being allowed to stand for the Liberal Party as a candidate for a riding? Some of the news being reported about Blair Wilson's resignation today makes me wonder if that part of the process is going to undergo some intense, and perhaps uncomfortable, scrutiny.

Curiously, though this incident on balance is just more bad news for Stephane Dion, in one way, it might work in his favour.

Blair Wilson resigns from the Liberal Party caucus

Stephane Dion has lost his national revenue critic and a member of his caucus. Blair Wilson, whose financial problems were splashed all over the news on Sunday, along with allegations of campaign irregularities, has resigned.

Does this solve a problem for Stephane Dion? Not at all, unfortunately for Stephane Dion.

In Garth Turner we trust? [Update: How to restore that trust]

Read Stephen Taylor's step-by-step comparison of the rules covering trust funds and the apparent method Liberal MP Garth Turner uses to collect funds.

Let's hope Garth Turner hasn't made a mistake. He was just recently appointed by Stephane Dion to be responsible for Liberal Party fundraising.

Update: Well, that was quick. Within a few hours, Garth Turner has changed his website. Instead of asking donors to send cheques to the problematic payee "Garth Turner Campaign, in trust", the cheques are now supposed to be sent to ""Halton Liberal Association -- Garth Turner Campaign".

With that comes some very interesting questions.

Who does Elizabeth May blame for missing the Kyoto commitments?

Elizabeth May blames Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Canada being in the situation in which it finds itself, and that is that Canada cannot meet the Kyoto commitments.

But Elizabeth May also blamed Stephane Dion, or so it seems.

A bit of a blooper, I think.

What will Stephane Dion do about Blair Wilson?

The allegations of financial mismanagement and electoral malfeasance being made against Liberal MP Blair Wilson are serious and apparently supported by documentation in addition to eyewitness accounts. Already people are speaking to the issue of whether Blair Wilson is even fit for office.

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion was badly burned by the Jamie Carroll incident. How will Dion react to the emerging Blair Wilson controversy?

Liberal MP Blair Wilson unfit for office, friends and family say

Liberal MP Blair Wilson, the national revenue critic in Stephane Dion's shadow cabinet, is facing some extraordinarily serious allegations. The man whose job it is to keep an eye on how the government collects our tax money is alleged to have borrowed and misspent literally millions in the family fortune. He is also alleged to have signficantly under-reported campaign expenses, running his election campaign on cash payments with no supporting receipts. Indeed, the questions are so serious, and the supporting evidence so compelling, that the Liberals have referred the matter to the party committee that evaluates potential nominees for suitability for public office.

The Liberal Party pleads poverty while on the way to the luxury resort

The Liberal Party is running the One Night, 100 Dinners (also being called One Week, 100 Dinners) fundraising push next week. Individual members will be asked to come up with $50 donations while at one of 100 fundraising dinners (each with 50 guests attending and donating) happening across the country.

While they are contributing in dribs and drabs at modest dinners being hosted in people's homes, the Ontario wing of the federal Liberal Party is gearing up for the Annual General Meeting at one of the poshest resorts in the province, Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville.

Really, the optics are just awful. I mean, at least make an effort to look like you need the money before asking for it. Please give generously to the Liberal Party or we might be forced to cut back on big blowouts at top-notch luxury resorts in the future.

Michael Ignatieff's worrisome answer to a simple question

Michael Ignatieff is asked a relatively innocent question, and still manages to answer it in a way that sets off alarms. He gets clever and evasive in a way that could suggest he wants to be prime minister, and that he wants to start immediately after Stephen Harper no longer has the job. Well, then what about Stephane Dion?

The Liberals have succeeded in resurrecting the Sponsorship Scandal

The notice of intent filed by the Conservatives against the Liberals is not directly concerning allegations that the Conservative Party broke campaign financing rules.

No, the libel being alleged is related to a Liberal statement that Conservative staffers were given jobs in return for committing criminal acts that benefited the Conservative Party (related to that campaign financing, as it turns out).

Of course, the Gomery Commission established that the Liberal Party was doing exactly that -- arranging for jobs for Liberal staffers who then acted in contravention to the law. And now the Liberals have managed to bring that bit of history back to the forefront.

Notice of Intent Confirmed by Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre has confirmed that a legal action has been initiated by people in the Conservative Party against Liberal Party staffers.

Update: Details in the mainstream press, and how this links to the Sponsorship Scandal.

Breaking News: Conservative Party staffers serve libel notice on Liberals [confirmed]

From a trusted source who knows, news that just adds to Stephane Dion's troubles. The Conservatives have served notice that they intend to pursue a libel action against the Liberal Party.

Update: Confirmed

Update: Details in the mainstream press, and how this links to the Sponsorship Scandal.

Is CIMS off the radar now?

After the focus on CIMS and whether the Conservatives are being ethical in the way constituency data is being treated, the Liberals have been quiet on the issue. Two days have come and gone. Two more rounds of Question Period. After the theatrics of Monday, nothing has been mentioned.

Have the Liberals decided this is not such a big deal after all? If so, I wonder why.

Update: News just in. The Conservative Party has delivered a notice of intent to pursue a libel action against the Liberal Party. That could part of the explanation.

So that history can record this day for the Liberal Party

A record for the sake of posterity, should anyone wonder which Liberals today followed Stephane Dion's lead and abstained when asked if they would challenge the Conservative vision for Canada.

On a page, then into Google, and so into history.

The value of having Stephane Dion in your corner

Stephane Dion has been fighting for months on the issue of poverty. Today we have learned just what having Stephane Dion fighting on your behalf is worth.

Arctic UAVs and the Arrow

The Canadian military is considering the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to patrol the Arctic. Getting our hands on some, though, might be a bit tricky. Maybe we should consider designing and building our own.

A new Avro Arrow for the 21st century? Why not?

And hopefully a happier ending this time around.

Kyoto was wrong to start with

Kyoto was a fundamentally stupid plan.

And its failure wasn't the fault of George W Bush or of Stephen Harper.

Heresy has reached new levels. Gwyn Prins of the London School of Economics and Steve Rayner at Oxford would run the risk of being burned at the stake by enraged environmentalists if it weren't for the carbon dioxide that would be released as a result.

Why Stephane Dion will never get credit for doing the right thing

Should the Liberals force an election that in all likelihood they will lose? And not just lose, but quite possibly suffer devastating losses?

Of course not. That would be stupid. The smart thing to do is to wait until the situation gets better.

But doing the smart thing is not earning Stephane Dion and the Liberals much praise. Nor should it.

Who is Jack Layton talking to?

NDP leader Jack Layton hosted a big get together of NDP workers brought in from across the country. The message to these staff? Reach out to disaffected Liberal voters.

But in reality, is Jack Layton reaching out to Liberal MPs?

Garth Turner sows confusion

Like some sort political Loki, Garth Turner sows confusion in whatever party decides to take him in. All the contortions that Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has engaged in to avoid voting against the Throne Speech and so forcing an election seem to have been pointless, since the Liberals have a plan to bring down the government anyway.

Or so Garth Turner explains.

Jack Layton's announcement

Tomorrow morning. Nine sharp. NDP leader Jack Layton to speak to his caucus and to the national media.

Feel free to post what you think the announcement will be.

Update: No announcement that I can see reported in the press.

Update: It turns out that Jack Layton gave a very interesting talk to his people.

The ManagElect "merge" step

We've been told in no uncertain terms that the databases used by the Liberals to run their constituency offices are separate from the databases that drive the election effort during election campaigns. This despite the marketing literature from AIT Corp that explains that the two systems, AdminElect and ManagElect, actually share the same database.

Interestingly, during the installation of ManagElect, a Liberal MP is directed to identify to the central installation of ManagElect that the "merge.csv" file needed by ElecSys, which is the name for the combined AdminElect and ManagElect package, is located on the MP's local harddrive.

I wonder what is being merged, exactly.

Database privacy raised in Question Period (with video)

The issue of how constituent and voter databases track and share data has been raised in Question Period. In an exchange between Government House Leader Peter Van Loan and Liberal MP Garth Turner, I seem to have been caught in the crossfire.

Read the transcript of watch the video.

Kittens make violence OK!

Kittens are so cute. Even the psycho killer ones.

Still, this image is one for the And-If-A-Conservative-Did-It file.

Election databases and Liberal accusations [updated]

The Liberals have accused the Conservatives of using constituency data in their election database. Though I have to admit I'm not sure what the hubbub is about, I find it amusing to read about exactly this sort of functionality in the database marketing brochure...for the custom-developed Liberal system.

Update: More information added, including the tidbit that the Liberal Party itself developed this software and associated database.

Liberals regroup or just resting between rounds?

Has Stephane Dion weathered the worst? Is the chaos that has been besetting the Liberal Party finally faded away? Though things have been quiet, with even a mote of good news about candidate Marc Garneau, observers suggest that the calm is deceptive.

Creating political ghettos in Quebec

Pauline Marois and the Parti Quebecois are proposing partitioning the citizenry of Quebec in order to constrain the political influence of undesirable citizens. Creating ghettos has a long and proud tradition among certain political movements.

Appoint the NDP the Official Opposition

The Governor General ought to consider the way in which Stephane Dion and the Liberals have abrograted their responsibilities and use her power to appoint the NDP as Canada's Official Opposition.

Tackling the truth on the Tackling Violent Crime Act

For some reason, the Canadian media reporting that the Conservatives are re-introducing the Tackling Violent Crime Act but demanding that it be passed without amendments.

Shame on Stephen Harper! He has no respect for democracy! cry the Liberals and their supporters.

Except that it isn't true. The Conservatives are demanding no additional substantial amendments. The bill being introduced is the bill as it was amended at the end of the last session of parliament, as agreed upon by the government and the opposition parties.

That's a significant difference, but people don't seem to be getting it. At least CTV is reporting on it, and making a point to focus on the confusion.

Building Bridges with Ethnic Communities and New Canadians

The Conservatives have taken some heat because of a leaked presentation that discussed how the Conservatives had analyzed ethnic voting patterns and were planning to target ethnic communities. The presentation is called "Building Bridges with Ethnic Communities and New Canadians", and was presented by Jason Kenney, the minister responsible for multiculturalism.

Some people were offended.

I could say this is a tempest in a teapot, but I won't. That would be a lie.

This is a big deal. And it's a fascinating story.

Stephane Dion blinks and Stephen Harper has a majority

With a speech delivered this afternoon, Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has signalled that he will not force an election. That the Conservative government of Stephen Harper has said that it intends to rebalance Canada's federation, that it has walked away from Kyoto, that Canadian troops will likely be in Afghanistan well past 2009 -- on none of these issues is Stephane Dion confident that he has the ability to sway Canadians to vote for the Liberal position.

Until that changes, I suppose the Liberals will excuse themselves from any votes that could force an election. With the Liberal Party in hiding, Stephen Harper has a de facto majority.

I suppose that means the Liberals will make noises but do nothing, at least until Stephane Dion figures out why he can't win an election leading the Liberal Party, or the Liberal Party decides that its only hope to win an election is to do it without Stephane Dion.

Richard Brennan caught sourcing his own stories?

I wrote a post voicing my concerns that a senior reporter in Ottawa, Richard Brennan for the Toronto Star, has undermined his own ability to gather and report on news in what would be seen as an unbiased manner because of an interview he himself gave to a hard-left online magazine, in which he harshly criticized the government of Stephen Harper using language typically found in the most partisan left-wing forums and chat rooms.

Apparently this was not the first time Richard Brennan moved from being a reporter to being the news story. And when it happened the last time, his editors decided he had fatally crippled his ability to work on that file ever again.

Stephane Dion and the Throne Speech -- How many options are there?

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has to make a decision. Does he support a Throne Speech that declares Kyoto dead, or does he fight an election that in all likelihood he would lose?

Those are the options open to him: one or the other.

So why does Ralph Goodale talk about all the options that are open to the party? What other options are there?

Elizabeth May pays down her debt to Stephane Dion by selling out Kyoto

Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, listened to the Conservative Throne Speech. In it, the government made it clear that Kyoto was no longer a concern. The targets could not be reached, and there was no interest in even trying.

Her response to Mike Duffy during an interview last night? That's fine. We don't need to fight an election over this.

You could almost see the strings reaching up to the rafters where Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion was pulling on his Green puppet.

The Throne Speech: Michael Ignatieff says no election

Michael Ignatieff responded to the Throne Speech on behalf of the Liberal Party. And something he said tells me there won't be an election.

Why would any Conservative talk to the Toronto Star?

Richard Brennan is a reporter in the Toronto Star's Ottawa Bureau. Though reporters are humans with political leanings of their own, it is a job requirement to maintain a measure of non-partisanship. And not merely as a facade, but a real and honest attempt to make sure that all sides of a story are treated with fairness. Not doing so undermines that reporter's ability to be perceived as a fair reporter, and so limits his or her ability to gather story information.

So why would Richard Brennan agree to be interviewed for a hard-left online magazine, and use the opportunity to attack the Conservatives using language worthy of the most partisan NDP supporter? Worse yet, he speaks on behalf of his colleagues in the press.

Stephane Dion loses, or is strippped of, his Quebec lieutenant

The CBC is reporting on a major problem that has struck Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion. Marcel Proulx, his Quebec lieutenant, has quit that position, and Stephane Dion can't find a replacement.

But read the CP version of the story. It suggests a much stranger sequence of events.

Stephen Harper, Bill Casey, and the Corrective Quality of Excommunication

Bill Casey, the Nova Scotia MP ejected from the Conservative caucus for voting against the budget, has some people fighting in his corner as he considers a run as an independent.

Though some of his supporters, like Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams, are clearly troublemakers, the support being offered by the Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley Conservative riding association is more troubling. Not because of the potential political damage -- I think it would be minimal. But it does suggest that some people involved in politics are misunderstanding just what it was that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was doing when he ejected Bill Casey.

It didn't help that Stephen Harper's comments on the subject are absolute.

You see, to me this whole situation seems to mimic the situation of someone being excommunicated, and when you understand what excommunication really means, you realize there is always room for reconciliation.

But since it also requires that Bill Casey admit to making a big mistake, I don't expect this will end happily.

Stephane Dion, Paul Martin, Kyoto, and who to believe

Jean Chretien's memoirs are of great interest with regards to Canada's recent political history, but what of the present?

Clearly, the element of the yet-to-be-officially-released memoirs of immediate interest is Jean Chretien's allegation that Canada was on track to meet Kyoto Protocol commitments until Paul Martin took over, with Stephane Dion as his environment minister.

But what might most significant is the apparent insignificance of Stephane Dion.

Ex-BC Liberal neglects to register as a lobbyist

Graham Bruce, the former labour minister for the BC provincial Liberals, has been lobbying on behalf of the Cowichan Tribes in negotiations. The problem is that he is not registered as a lobbyist.

Notable for the facts, but also because a blogger had already broken this story.

Jean Chretien, public revelations, and stupid f*cking idiots!

Jean Chretien's memoirs are coming out, and boy, don't they just play into the whole "don't air Liberal Party problems in public" issue in a big way?

Stephane Dion is not going to be served well by the assertion by Jean Chretien that Canada was on track to meet Kyoto commitments until Paul Martin took over as prime minister in December 2003. Paul Martin quickly put Stephane Dion into his cabinet as environment minister in July 2004. Dion served in that role until the fall of Paul Martin's government nearly two years later in February 2006.

Sure sounds to me that Jean Chretien's published memoirs are going to put the blame for Canada's poor environmental performance right on Stephane Dion's shoulders.

And we already know that people who go public with problems inside the Liberal Party are "stupid f*cking idiots".

Ralph Goodale and the Liberal annoyance with democracy

NDP leader Jack Layton was the target of some choice words from Liberal Ralph Goodale. Ralph Goodale seemed eager to blame someone for costing the Liberals the chance to implement a universal daycare program. But really, Canadians are the ones to blame. Too bad Ralph Goodale doesn't have the guts to say that.

B'nai Brith calls Liberal MP Marlene Jennings "sinister"

Liberal MP Marlene Jennings puts her foot in it again. Jewish-Canadians get Rosh Hashanah cards from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, so Jennings wants to get the Privacy Commissioner to investigate how the Conservatives are tracking the Jews or some such nonsense.

B'nai Brith to Marline Jennings: We know you and the rest of the Liberal Party don't care one jot about the Jews in Canada or anywhere else, and we don't appreciate being used for your political games.

Ouch!

NDP makes its move on Stephane Dion's Liberals, as per the tipping point plan

I have been considering the possibility that Stephen Harper's recent moves have been organized around a plan to push Canadian politics to a tipping point that would dramatically reconfigure Canadian politics. Part of that reconfiguration would be an attack on the Liberal Party from the left by the NDP.

Today, the NDP gave notice that this is their plan as well.

Is John Manley's appointment part of Stephen Harper's tipping point strategy?

I've pondered whether there is a deeper plan behind Stephen Harper's actions over the lasts weeks and months. I can't shake this feeling that Canadian politics is skirting a tipping point, and that Stephen Harper recognizes that, and is deliberately trying to move towards it.

News is that Liberal heavyweight John Manley has accepted a position on a panel set up by the Conservative government to evaluate the Afghanistan mission. Manley has done this despite the fact that Stephane Dion has already pronounced his policy on Canada's mission as one of his non-negotiable items (a pullout in 2009 and nothing less), and so not an issue for debate by Liberals.

This appointment has the hallmarks of a tipping point play.

Stephane Dion's calculatedly impotent indignation

News from the CBC is that the upcoming Throne Speech will make it a guiding principle of this government that the Kyoto targets are not attainable. Stephane Dion will have to backtrack on a year's worth of statements if he is going to arrange that the Throne Speech not be defeated and so avoid an election he doesn't want to fight.

So Dion is likely to let the Throne Speech pass, counting on a combination his own Liberals staying home as per Dion's orders, while being protected by a phalanx of Conservative MPs voring for the Throne Speech. Safely protected by the Conservatives, Liberal leader Stephane Dion will be able to speak loudly and strongly in favour of Kyoto and how he has the solution.

Lots of words, but no action. Deliberately no action.

Sounds like the definition of political impotence.

Jamie Carroll story winds to a close, and we tally up the score

When Jamie Carroll allegedly told Quebec Liberals that if followed their advice to hire more Quebecers, he would have to hire more Chinese too, Quebec Liberals went ballistic.

A crisis quickly erupted as Quebec Liberals, none of them fans of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion, went to the press to tell any reporter who would listen just how awful Stephane Dion's handpicked team leading the Liberal Party really was.

At first Stephane Dion said that Jamie Carroll was misinterpreted, and that no action was required.

Then Stephane Dion fell silent, and the Liberal Party made it known that Jamie Carroll would be shuffled out of his position as National Director and into another role.

Then Liberal Party fell silent, and a leak revealed that Jamie Carroll was threatening to sue the Liberal Party for defamation unless he was generously compensated.

Finally, over a week after the alleged comments that kick off this whole episode, Jamie Carroll is gone. Apparently action was required, and there was no role for Jamie Carroll in the Liberal Party after all. As for compensation and lawsuits, no word on those subjects. Presumably no lawsuit, but money remains a "confidential personnel matter".

Putting Bob Rae into the Shadow Cabinet is a bit of a gamble

When Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion appointed former leadership rival Bob Rae to the Shadow Cabinet as Foreign Affairs critic, a lot of eyebrows were raised. Bob Rae isn't a sitting MP. But he is running in the Liberal stronghold of Toronto Centre, so it will only be a matter of time before Bob Rae is in the House of Commons.

Still, is Toronto Centre all that safe for Bob Rae? If not, appointing him Foreign Affairs critic is a bit of a gamble on the part of Stephane Dion, since if Bob Rae were to lose, Stephane Dion would look foolish. Even if the likelihood is low, I'm not sure that Stephane Dion has enough credibility as leader to afford to make such a wager.

You know the Liberals have got problems when Denis Coderre is their top news story three days running

I know it was the long Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, but when you look at the news, Stephane Dion has been utterly out of sight. The leader of the Liberal Party has not been heard of or seen since last...what...September 29? That was the Friday appearance in Halifax when Dion state unequivocably that Liberal Party National Director Jamie Carroll was not guilty of a firing offense for what he allegedly told Quebec Liberals when advised to hire more Quebecers.

Since then, Jamie Carroll has been under a political deathwatch, Stephane Dion has not been seen (as far as I know), and Denis Coderre's laughable trip to Afghanistan is just about the only news coming out of the Liberal Party.

Making a 6% investment sound like a lot

On the same day that Dalton McGuinty government handed the Durham Region Courthouse project to Access Justice Durham (March 2, 2007), the Australian investment firm of Babcock & Brown bought 100% equity in AJD.

Now be clear on this. The courthouse is going to cost $214 million, assuming no overruns. To gain 100% control though, BBPP only had to invest $15 million, since in this "partnership" the private side is only putting up enough equity to cover 6% of the cost of the project. The Ontario government (meaning us taxpayers) will be footing the bill for a 5.015% bond that is raising the other 94% of the cost.

Still, BBPP is reported over and over again as have 100% equity interest. Technically true, but rarely is it mentioned just how little that actually amounts to in terms of exposure (which can be a measure of just how careful and cost-conscious the project management will be). With this "100%" equity in major overseas projects, BBPP stock goes up and up, no doubt already making the $15 million back and then some.

Meanwhile, the courthouse is still two years from being completed.

You'd think the government partnership agreement would include a requirement for enough equity to be invested that would not so easily be recovered, just to keep the private partners keenly interested in the success of the project.

Durham Region Courthouse project has insignificant equity investment

More on the Durham Region courthouse project. In this post, I'm considering something else I've noticed. The private partnership building this courthouse in Oshawa for the Ontario government has kicked in just over 6% of the cost of the project. As it happens, this is a extremely low contribution, and a study I've found states the obvious.

When you don't have much at stake, you have little reason to work too hard to be successful. Even less reason when your partner is likely to go to extraordinary lengths to make sure the project succeeds for political reasons.

In other words, did Dalton McGuinty's government make the mistake of letting the private partners sign on with virtually no skin in the game? Is that is what happening in Sarnia, where another P3 project for the construction of a hospital has been revealed to have more than doubled in cost.

You are paying a premium to let Dalton McGuinty help private investors

When in March the private consortium awarded the contract by Dalton McGuinty's Liberal Ontario government to build the Durham Region courthouse issued a bond offering to raise the $214 million needed, I noted that the interest rate offered was significantly higher than the rate offered by government savings bonds that have traditionally been used to raise cash for public projects.

Since the cost to pay investors the principal and interest is passed back to the Ontario government and so back to us, the taxpayers, the interest rate mattered. Compounded over thirty years, it could matter a lot.

But what is really spooky is that back in March, a media report quoted a Moody's analyst who characterized this deal as a template. That means this plan to pay a premium to raise funds for Private-Public Partnerships (P3) is the norm.

Denis Coderre will find little evidence of reconstruction efforts funded by Canada

I predict Denis Coderre will discover little evidence of the reconstruction effort being funded by the Canadian government in Afghanistan. The Liberal Party defence critic will see a lot of Canada's military though.

That's not because Canada's efforts in Afghanistan is skewed to military action at the expense of reconstruction, as the Liberals charge. In fact, Canada has been incredibly generous in funding reconstruction in Afghanistan.

It's because the "infrastructure specialists" Coderre will be meeting with in Afghanistan happen to work for the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, an operation funded almost exlusively by the Europeans (the UK and Scandinavian countries in particular). The Canadian government has contributed to the AREU, but only an inconsequential amount.

See, no evidence of Canadian reconstruction efforts here.

Dalton McGuinty's half-billion dollar courthouse?

The Sarnia Hospital is in the news. A P3 project designed to save the taxpayers money, it has been hit with huge cost overruns. Guess what? No matter what Premier Dalton McGuinty tells you about the risk of overruns being taken by the private partners, the fact is that the costs are going to be borne by the taxpayers. Indeed, the increased cost paid by us is likely designed into the contract at the outset, protecting the private partners from an overruns.

I know because I've been studying a bond offering to pay for another P3 contract, the Durham Region Courthouse.

We'll be paying a half-billion dollars over 30 years to pay for a 5% bond offered up by the private partners to pay for the courthouse. The Ontario government can raise funds on the bond market at 3% to 4% interest.

You do the math.

[Actually, I should do the math more carefully myself. This piece was originally titled "half-trillion" instead of the correct "half-billion", and the mistake was repeated in one place in the text. If the link you are following still says "trillion", I apologize. In any case, the feed has been republished, and the correction should propagate out to any links using the feed.]

Ignore this poll!

I mean really, why would anyone take an online poll seriously? I suppose it is possible that if Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion was nominated Quebec's top traitor, it would be a problem for the Liberal Party:

"We wanted to make our voice heard," said François Gendron, spokesperson for the Jeunes patriots du Quebec, a separatist group.

"It's not vengeful and, above all, it's humorous," Gendron said of the poll. "But the fact remains that these people are traitors."

But it's no laughing matter for Michel Rochette, the director of communications for the Quebec Liberal Party.

"I don't know if they know what the definition of the word 'traitor' is. It's worrisome to see them use it without thinking."

Right then.

Don't participate in this poll!

And by the way, "S'abonner à la liste de diffusion" means "To subscribe to the mailing list", in case you're interested.

The military ad was nothing compared to what we're going to see

You think Liberal Party advertising was wild in 2006? We might end up wondering where those genteel days have gone after living through an election campaign if one starts this month.

It takes leadership to steer towards a tipping point

Stephen Harper has delivered an ultimatum. If the opposition parties pass the Throne Speech, he will treat votes on bills that explicitly enact Throne Speech promises to be confidence votes.

Is he setting a trap for Stephane Dion and the Liberals?

Maybe, but I think Stephen Harper is subtler than that. He's a trained economist, so he is familiar with the concept of the tipping point. I think he recognizes that it won't take much to reach a political tipping point, and that in order to resolve a lot of the problems that have plagued this parliament, we need to reach that point.

And so he is pushing us towards it.

Is it time to roll out StephaneDionSucks.ca yet?

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion had better be nice to his aide Gianluca Cairo. Over a year ago, I noted that Cairo had registered domains named "stephanedionsucks". I wonder if Cairo would have any buyers if he decided to sell.

Stephane Dion: Firefighter or Imprisoned Leader? [plus Michael Ignatieff goes on a tear]

Stephane Dion has cancelled a trip to the Arctic, unable to perform his function as Opposition Leader and Leader of the Liberal Party because of the chaos that has engulfed his office and his party. Stephane Dion is now a firefighter, trying to keep the Liberal house from burning to the ground.

Or maybe that's the wrong metaphor. Maybe he is staying in Ottawa because he is afraid of what might happen if he and his key people are away for any length of time.

Update: Someone who doesn't seem to be too worried about moving about the country and talking to Liberals is Michael Ignatieff. Interesting.

Exclusive: Stephane Dion's Liberal Strategy Guide

Just what are the Liberal plans? Though I don't have all the details, I've gotten my hands on Stephane Dion's Liberal Party strategy guide. From it you can understand just what is in store for Canadian politics for the forseeable future.

Jason Cherniak vs The Mission

Jason Cherniak, Liberal blogger and defender/apologist for Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion, has had enough. He has gone on the attack, trying to remind the "stupid f*cking idiots" who are attacking Stephane Dion that they are hurting the Liberal Party in the process.

That argument won't work. These people don't care. Found at all levels in the Liberal Party, this secret cadre is on a mission. A mission to remove Stephane Dion and anyone who worked for him from the Liberal Party. If the Liberal Party is wrecked along the way, so be it.

Call it collateral damage. It doesn't matter. Nothing can get in the way of the mission.

Marlene Jennings' big mistake could hurt Stephane Dion

Liberal MP Marlene Jennings is not the sort of person to put in front of reporters. She has made a rookie mistake that could have serious implications for the coverage of the ongoing problems besetting Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion. By expressing a level of suspicion that Stephane Dion is the target of a coordinated campaign to remove him as leader, she has moved the question of a Liberal coup from the opinion pages to the news pages.

Anonymous Sources (and the Missing Man)

Jason Cherniak had a scoop this afternoon. Jamie Carroll would not only be staying in the Liberal Party, he would be keeping his job as National Director. Of course we know that not only was Jamie Carroll chucked out by the Management Committee, Jamie Carroll is reported to be threatening to sue the Liberal Party for defamation unless he's paid 18 months salary.

Well, Jason deleted his scoop by erasing the post called "Anonymous Sources". But we have a glimpse of it caught by Google.

Jamie Carroll turns on the Liberal Party, while Stephane Dion loses control

Jamie Carroll has been relieved of his position as National Director of the Liberal Party. An honourable end to this story? Carroll falling on his sword in order to protect his boss, Stephane Dion? Hardly. Jamie Carroll has spoken to a lawyer, and unless the Liberal Party pays him off generously, Carroll threatens court action for alleged defamation.

Just when you thought things couldn't get any uglier...

Gilles Duceppe (predictably) denies a secret plan to quit politics

Gilles Duceppe denies that he has already decided to quit politics. A denial was inevitable, and that means it isn't really credible.

Jamie Carroll to resign today

CBC News is reporting that Jamie Carroll is going to resign today. Stephane Dion's leadership of the Liberal Party suffers another blow. Meanwhile the leak is not clear whether Dion demanded Carroll's resignation. Typical, when you think about it. It's never been clear if Stephane Dion has ever truly made a tough decision since becoming leader of the Liberal Party.

Gilles Duceppe's secret plan to quit politics is bad news for Stephane Dion

La Presse is reporting that Gilles Duceppe is planning to quit politics after the next federal election. Now that Duceppe's intentions are public knowledge, the odds of an election have gone up, and Stephane Dion has to face fighting an election in Quebec without his closest ally in a position to help.

Canada needs the NDP

Yes, NDP bloggers, you can quote me on that.

Canada needs to have the NDP succeed. And not because of some Machiavellian plot to weaken the Liberals and some such thing. I mean for Canada's political health.

The Liberals should take a stand but not stand up

The Liberals should take a stand but not actually stand up. That's the advice being given to Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion by advisor Bryon Wilfert. It's good advice too if you're a Liberal. It is consistent with the way Liberals think, and is in line with Liberal goals.

Can Stephane Dion control half his caucus and avoid an election?

Bryon Wilfert, a close advisor to Stephane Dion, says the time is not right to have an election. If the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois vote against the Throne Speech, it would be up to the Liberals to support the Throne Speech and so avoid an election. Wilfert has a plan for how that would happen, but it hinges on Liberal MPs being in support of Stephane Dion, and I can't think we can just assume that.

Stephane Dion's Caricature: I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!

Is Stephane Dion the little yellow dude of Canadian politics?

CP reports of massive Liberal infighting over Jamie Carroll's Chinese joke

The Jamie Carroll story continues to spiral out of control. The list of Liberals publicly demanding that Stephane Dion take action grows by the hour. That Stephane Dion's leadership has taken another huge body blow is no longer in question.

Stephane Dion is openly challenged

An official call has been made by Robert Fragasso, the president of the Liberal Party in Quebec, that Jamie Carroll resign as national director of the Liberal Party. Carroll is Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's longtime ally and an important party of Dion's inner circle. His position as national director is key to what control Stephane Dion has over his party.

But with this news, we have the first open sign of a serious challenge to Stephane Dion's leadership.

Update: Massive Liberal infighting goes public.

Liberal blogger demands Stephane Dion denounce Jamie Carroll's Chinese crack

We hear from Liberal sources that at a meeting with Quebec Liberals in the aftermath of the Outremount by-election loss, Jamie Carroll responded to demands that more Quebecers be included in Stephane Dion's inner circle. Jamie Carroll is the Liberal Party's National Director and a close supporter and advisor of Liberal Stephane Dion.

Jamie Carroll's response: If I hire more Quebecers, will I also have to hire more Chinese?

A Liberal blogger has had enough and wants Stephane Dion to slap Jamie Carroll down.

Meanwhile I am amazed at just how eager Quebec Liberals are to make sure that any misstep by Stephane Dion or his inner circle is made known to the press.

Update #1: The president of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada, Robert Fragasso, is demanding that Jamie Carroll remove himself as national director.

Update #2: Massive Liberal infighting goes public.

Liberal Party in Quebec in rebellion?

Apparently the Liberal Party in Quebec will shut down tomorrow unless Liberal Party headquarters in Ottawa sends them $250,000 immediately.

I don't know what is more remarkable. That the Liberal Party in Quebec is shaking down HQ for money, or that we're hearing about it.

But to me, it comes near to confirming a pattern suggesting that the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party is in full rebellion.

Dalton McGuinty's $63,000,000 crystal blob

Is $60 million a lot of money to Dalton McGuinty? Don't expect a straight answer. If my sources are right, then for the premier of Ontario, it really depends on who is getting the $60 million and why.

Autistic children? Um, sorry, too rich for his blood.

Goofy architecture backed by Ontario's wealthiest citizens? Sure, and who can Dalton McGuinty make the cheque out to?

Maybe it really depends on which group of people is worth more in political donations in the future.

Janine Krieber labels the BlackBerry a terrorist's tool

The wife of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion, Janine Krieber, recently gave a speech at Queen's University. It was an official Liberal Party event, and the audience was treated to Krieber's insights into the ins and outs of terrorism.

And guess what? Apparently the BlackBerry from Canada's RIM would make a real good tool for terrorists.

The rising cost of Stephane Dion's leadership

The Liberal Party has paid a steep price since electing Stephane Dion leader. And yet as bad as it gets, there always seems to be room for things to get worse. Now news that Marc Garneau, Canada's first man in space, and a former star candidate for the Liberal Party, won't run for the Liberals this time around. But the way in which Marc Garneau explained his decision, the way it portrays the Liberal Party in the worst possible light, especially in Quebec and in particular attributed to Stephane Dion's style of leadership, has pushed that price up even higher.

Frankly, I can't imagine how much longer Liberals are going watch idly as the cost of Stephane Dion's leadership rises.

Gilles Duceppe's conservative nature

Gilles Duceppe faces an uncertain future. The only certainty, therefore, is that he would want that reckoning to be delayed as long as possible.

The Liberal Party is a bigger tent than I thought

I've always had a stereotypical view of Liberal Party members, both federal and provincial, as having a unified set of opinions on such issues as homosexuality. I was surprised to see just how far off of Liberal Party policy you could veer and still be called a Liberal. In this case, I'm looking at Dave Yadallee, a riding president for the Alberta Liberal Party, and his opinion that homosexuality is a slur on society.

Well, that isn't very Liberal of him.

Why Kyoto is doomed

Put aside that the Kyoto Protocol is fatally flawed, based on bogus number that even supporters admit would have little impact on their own much-vaunted (but equally useless) computer model predictions. The fact is, where it matters, no one cares.

China is exempt from the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, given a pass because it argued that the "world's factory" needed more growth to finish emerging from the status of a developing country. Sure. Whatever. But even if China, as one of the planet's largest producers of greenhouse gases, was included in Kyoto, it wouldn't have mattered.

As illustrated on Car Free Day, one of the world's most carefully controlled populations under the rule of one the world's most enduring dictatorships simply ignored the government-supported environmental initiative.

Canada blessed with warriors (or not)

The key to being an effective politician is to be flexible in your thinking.

Imagine something flexible, like an overcooked noodle.

Liberal Party abandonment in Quebec

The website for the federal Liberal Party's Quebec wing is a complete mess. I'm not talking about a couple of bad links. I mean a site that would never be released as a beta. For a working website to have reached this state suggests a site that has essentially been abandoned.

I find that very interesting.

The Liberals need to connect the dots

Scanning the news in the aftermath of the Quebec by-election results that saw the Liberal Party under Stephane Dion suffer humiliating losses in every riding, I am struck by the pattern that emerges. Different stories on different topics, and yet knitted together they paint a picture of a Liberal Party in disarray, but even worse, a leadership that isn't acting in a way that suggests they recognize it.

Michael Ignatieff fundraiser...with puffins!

Michael Ignatieff is having a fundraiser in Vancouver. Can't find it? Look for the posters with puffins on it.

I'm not kidding.

Liberals have to stop fighting Liberals

The Liberals must stop fighting among themselves. Listen to this guy, he knows what he's talking about.

Gilles Duceppe and Stephane Dion and the bottom line

Aside from the shift in the MP distribution, what do the number of votes cast for each candidate in the Quebec by-elections tell us about what arguments are going on behind closed doors at the party headquarters of the Liberal Party and the Bloc Quebecois?

Dion deposed after debacle

Stephane Dion's time as leader of the Liberal Party might well be done. He will retain the position, but the comments of an anonymous MP quoted by the media suggest that Stephane Dion's days of actually being allowed to lead are essentially over.

Observations of a Liberal in Outremont

A Liberal blogger who volunteered in the riding of Outremont has some obervations related to the allegations that factions in the Liberal Party, specifically Michael Ignatieff's supporters, are throwing the by-election in order to embarrass Liberal leader Stephane Dion and so set the stage for another leadership race.

Though he doesn't see direct evidence that would allocate blame to Ignatieff's people, he says that there was something very odd going on in Outremont. This was not a campaign designed to win a seat for Stephane Dion and the Liberals.

Confirmation that the source of the Ignatieff allegation was legitimate

Thanks to the sleuthing work of Jason Cherniak, we know for certain that the allegation that Michael Ignatieff loyalists are actively trying to undermine the Liberal efforts to win in the Outremont by-election, and so sink the leadership of Stephane Dion, came from a real Liberal source.

Liberal infighting and past patterns

The serious allegations that Michael Ignatieff and his people are working against a Liberal win in the by-election in Outremont as a way of pushing Stephane Dion out as leader is not the first time this story has played out in the press.

But what is very revealing is that the two stories are very similar.

And I mean very similar.

Sabotage! Liberal in-fighting in Outremont

In my last post, I considered the possibility that enemies of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion from within the party would like to see their own party lose the by-eletion inthe riding of Outremont. A Liberal stronghold, the Liberal candidate is Jocelyn Coulon, an academic cut from the same cloth as Stephane Dion himself, a candidate that was not nominated by the Liberals in the riding but appointed to be their nominee directly by Stephane Dion. A loss would reflect poorly on Stephane Dion on a number of levels -- weakness in Quebec, poor decision-making skills, etc -- and might accelerate his departure as leader of the Liberal Party.

If I was Michael Ignatieff or Bob Rae, I might see such a loss for the Liberal Party as an opportunity to get a second chance at the party leadership. If not Ignatieff and Rae personally, then maybe their more devoted followers in the party. With that in mind, I considered that elements in the Liberal Party would work towards a Liberal loss.

It made logical sense, but frankly I was being speculative. There was no way that my musings could ever be backed by evidence. These sorts of things happen so far back behind the scenes that we'd be lucky to learn the truth of it decades from now in some memoir or autobiography.

Or maybe not. How about confirmation of my theory before the day is out? Political musing at internet speed indeed.

Outremont and reluctant troops

Just how close is the by-election in Outremont, Quebec? And can Stephane Dion influence the outcome? I don't mean influencing voters. I mean influencing people in his own party to pull for a win in that traditional Liberal riding.

From the Ontario Liberals to the ALF-CIO to the Working Families Coalition

Just tracing the money from the Ontario Liberal Party to the AFL-CIO in the United States to member unions in Canada to the Working Families Coalition working hard to make sure that Dalton McGuinty's Liberals win the upcoming Ontario election.

Stephane Dion's advertising spending trick

Ottawa is embroiled in controversy. The Conservatives are being targeted for having moved money from the national campaign office into local riding associations to use to buy local advertising. But the advertising was in fact purchased from the national campaign. It consisted of the national ad with the local candidate's name added to the end (connecting the local candidate to the national party brand).

Elections Canada is calling foul, saying the ads weren't truly local. The Conservatives argue that the ads were local, and in any case, that sort of judgment call is not for Elections Canada to make.

The Liberals are in a frenzy, demanding inquiries and such. People go to jail for this sort of thing! Fraud! Fraud!

Hey. No one is doubting that advertising was actually purchased by the Conservatives.

The Liberals ought to be careful. A quick look at one shows something that looks, well, strange. I was looking at Stephane Dion's returns.

Dalton McGuinty, John Tory, LIUNA, and construction wins

Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government in Ontario has awarded a number of lucrative infrastructure construction projects to a consortium bankrolled by the Labourer's Pension Fund. When you look at the history of the fund, the union behind it, and the political links surrounding the players, you can't help but wonder if everything is connected somehow.

The important thing is that he wasn't smoking

Funny how priorities are set nowadays. On the one hand, a film with explicit depictions of child sex and rape is praised as art, with an extra showing scheduled by the Toronto International Film Festival. This despite the fact that people have been arrested for having cartoon depictions of underage sex in their possession. But while a lot of latitude is given to the depiction of child sex, Ontario will not tolerate the sight of anyone smoking.

I mean really, we have draw the line somewhere.

Conservative advertising controversy is insulting

That Elections Canada is even involved in passing judgment on whether a particular ad is effective as a local ad is fundamentally insulting. Political advertisements are aimed at me, the voter, and not at Elections Canada. I get to pass judgment on the ad campaign when I vote. Elections Canada ought to butt once it has confirmed that the money was spent on advertising.

All quiet at Michael Bryant's No Gun No Funeral

Glancing over at Michael Bryant's No Gun No Funeral website, I see things are quiet. They've been quiet for quite some time.

Garth Turner's 100-to-1 advertising campaign

Garth Turner keeps insisting that local funds out of existing budgets are covering the mass mail campaign preceding his Lost Tory Tour. But the more I read about the issue of MP-originated mail, the more I discover that this is a significant controversy with a big impact on costs, costs that are paid for by the taxpayer. Now I've learned that it is the difference between spending $1 to send a bunch of flyers, and spending $100 to send the same flyers.

It looks like Garth Turner and his friends chose the $100 option.

Fiscal responsibility would require, at the very least, being up front about the difference in cost.

Tracking Garth Turner's secret admirers

For the heck of it, let's create a central post for tracking, if we can, which Liberal MPs are charging Canadians first class postage rates to deliver thousands of anonymous flyers on behalf of Garth Turner. Garth Turner says he doesn't know who these MPs are, so we'll have to build up a list of Garth Turner's secret admirers on our own.

Trying to estimate the cost of Garth Turner's franked mail campaign

With some insight from a postal worker, I can start to put some potential costs to the taxpayer to advertise Garth Turner's Lost Tory Tour.

Update: Made some changes now that I have some more hard data on the way these mailings work.

Not thinking about who sent franked mail for Garth Turner

Since I can't figure out who the 15 Liberal MPs who helped Garth Turner with his franked mail campaign, I'll have to think about something else. Something completely unrelated.

Liberal Party suffering from an inoperable brain tumor

That's not my metaphor. That's the image painted by Katharine Parsons, a Liberal Party activist and a director on the board of the York-Simcoe Federal Liberal Riding Association. She has issued a remarkable press release that shows that things are not well in York-Simcoe. What is even more remarkable is the Liberal Party infighting is not so in anymore, but is being done out in the open via press releases.

Junk Mail

This blog post shares the name with a Garth Turner blog post on the same subject. Garth Turner poses some very good questions that deserve some answers.

Is Garth Turner making you pay for an expensive targeted mail campaign?

Another example of a generic Garth Turner tour flyer being delivered by individually addressed envelopes to people in the areas where he will be making an appearance. Another example from what might be an expensive advertising campaign being paid for by taxpayers, but more interesting is what the recipients have in common.

It could explain why we're being made to pay for this.

Garth Turner's expensive mass mailing on your dime

I've been reviewing my thoughts on the material sent to people to encourage them to see Liberal MP Garth Turner speak as he tours western Canada. Now with photographic evidence, I think I was wrong in my initial assessment. Special thanks to Garth Turner for helping me understand what is going on.

Garth Turner's taxpayer-funded Liberal-organized Quebec-based advertising program?

I got an email from a Calgary-based reader, relating to me the strange snail mail letter he received advertising the Garth Turner Lost Tory Tour. I'll relate to you what he told me, and let you muse about what it all means.

Update #1: The mail was sent from 15 different Liberal MPs into western ridings where Garth Turner would be doing his presentation. I suspect these were "10-percenters", a tool provided by the House of Commons to faciliate communications between an MP and his constituents, but increasingly used to send aggressive partisan mailings to voters in ridings held by other parties without spending party funds. If so, just how is this not a Liberal Party operation and just how does this not cost the taxpayer money?

Update #2: Having received a photo of the material sent, I've changed my mind. I don't think these are 10-percenters at all. I think this is expensive franked mail containing the equivalent of a 10-percenter. That's a huge leap in expense. Imagine the local dry cleaner sending you their monthly flyer via first class mail. Imagine then that the post office bill for that dry cleaner was paid for by you, whether you used that dry cleaner or not.

Seniors are demanding action on income trusts!

Liberal MP Garth Turner of Halton is on a speaking tour of western cities, outlining the multitude of reasons why Stephen Harper and the Conservatives ought to be thrown out of office. One of those reasons is the October 31, 2006 announcement by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that income trusts would no longer enjoy tax-free status.

That announcement quickly devalued trusts, and investors whose portfolios were top-heavy with income trusts felt burned. That hit seniors particularly hard. Garth Turner says as much:

The Harper Party has repeatedly attacked its own bases of support. It betrayed seniors by taking their income trusts – folks who consistently have voted blue.

Seniors had their income trusts taken away? Why would seniors be so heavily engaged in income trusts in the first place? They are not a low-risk investment appropriate for a retiree's portfolio, at least not in a large proportion. You would think that the advice given by investment dealers is the real problem, especially since the taxation sword had been hanging over income trusts for quite some time.

Actually, you would be right to think that. A lot of seniors are thinking that too. If they are angry with Jim Flaherty, it is because they don't think he's moving fast enough on cleaning up that industry, an industry they believe is home to people who are little better than con men and who have been able to collect fees and commissions while dispensing poor advice to people who were too trusting.

Not exactly the spin Garth Turner has been putting on things.

Don't take my word for it though.

Check out other entries from the Garth Turner Lost Tory Tour category
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Targeting guns instead of criminals

In Britain, we have an interesting case study of what happens when guns become the focus of police efforts instead of the criminals themselves. The results are obvious in hindsight, but are also so absurd that perhaps the British can be forgiven for not realizing what would happen.

But in Canada, we have no such excuse, since we can study the British experience and draw lessons from it.

The vague and redundant Ministry of Health Promotion

The Ministry of Health Promotion is one of those ministries that doesn't seem to do anything unique. Everything it does was either done by another ministry in the past, or worse, is currently being done by another ministry simultaneously.

So I have to say that it looks like this Ontario ministry, with its vague mandate and its generous year-end handouts, seem to be more about promoting the electoral health of Premier Dalton McGuinty.

The twisted revolver at No Gun No Funeral

I am intrigued by the imagery used by the No Gun No Funeral website. It seems completely at odds with what Attorney General Michael Bryant's group wants to accomplish.

Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal Party, the Senate and Puffins

The news is that Michael Ignatieff is going to borrow a page from the Americans. He wants his political party, the Liberal Party of Canada, have an animal symbol, as the Democrats have the donkey and the Republicans have the elephant.

In a stroke of brilliance, he has suggested the puffin. It is such an appropriate choice.

Stephane Dion's image used in a mean-spirited negative personal attack

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has repeatedly promised to avoid personal attacks. The high road would be his, he insists. Indeed, at one point, he said the Liberal Party as a whole would present a positive message to Canadians.

Criticism is not the same as negativity. Stephane Dion can (and does) criticize Prime Minister Stephen Harper's policies.

But when Stephane Dion implicitly allows his image to be used in a partisan political cartoon in which Dion is roasting Stephen Harper alive on a spit, Stephane Dion's promise is seriously undermined.

Did Michael Bryant deliberately obscure the link between No Gun No Funeral and the riding association?

If you look at the registration records for the two domains attached to Michael Bryant's No Gun No Funeral website, there are two obvious differences.

If those differences are connected, then it suggests a deliberate effort to obscure the link between the website and the constituency office.

No Gun No Funeral is registered directly to Michael Bryant's constituency office

Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant has admitted that the website No Gun No Funeral is his. It is promoting his idea of a handgun ban, but is doing so anonymously. Or it was until it was revealed that all the people who administer the site were members of the Michael Bryant's constituency office.

Bryant insisted, however, that constituency resources were not used to make the website.

Perhaps we should revisit that question, since it can now be revealed that the .com version of the domain was registered in the name of the constituency office itself.

But then maybe none of this will matter, as the site itself seems to have suffered a serious technical problem, with the SQL database that serves up content now offline.

Update: The site is back up (it's 1pm on Thursday). No apparent changes that I can see. The registration information isn't any different either (though changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate). I would say they had a serious SQL Server issue, or a major upgrade or patch being applied -- something behind the scenes.

Jack Layton will protect Canada's claim to the North by making it cold

NDP leader Jack Layton will protect Canada's claim to sovereignty in the Far North by making sure it stays cold.

No, I don't know what one has to do with the other either.

Paul Cheema, suspect in the murder of his wife Shemina Hirji, is found dead

A stunning development in the case of the murder of Shemina Hirji. The prime suspect in the case, husband Paul Cheema, has been found dead in the family home. Police have the house cordoned off and little else is being reported.

The paucity of inbound links to No Gun No Funeral

The key to success for any low-budget grassroots website is inbound links. A blog is a good example. Unless you are a celebrity of some sort, a new blog will get zero direct traffic. That is, no one is going to know the name of the blog or even know to look for it. Instead, you build up traffic by going to like-minded websites (other blogs, forums, etc) and leaving comments and links back to your new site. Visitors come trickling in, and if you are lucky, one day you reach a tipping point when people come to your site because they know about it already.

So when I study the inbound links to No Gun No Funeral, I am struck by the fact that the only inbound links are from conservative blogs who are criticizing the site either for its message or for the way it was being delivered without full disclosure of the source.

There are no links from liberal-minded blogs, from left-of-centre forums, from any site that would send traffic supportive of the No Gun No Funeral message.

Given that this purpose of this site, ostensibly, is to collect petition signatures, this doesn't look good.

More of Michael Bryant's associates tied to No Gun No Funeral website

The site created by Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant to promote a handgun ban in Canada, No Gun No Funeral, has strong links to the Liberal Party and to Michael Bryant in particular. More information is available, and even more links are discovered.

Garth Turner seems confused about what it means to be "no cost"

Garth Turner is embarking on a speaking tour to 10 western cities. Garth Turner was very insistent that taxpayers would not have to pay for this.

But as Dan Cook points out, taxpayer-funded flights will take Garth Turner westward.

Stephane Dion must topple Stephen Harper's government

Liberal leader Stephane Dion has no choice. The threats must end. If Stephane Dion can make Kyoto work with his plan then he must force an election and just do it, instead of threatening to possibly call an election if Prime Minister Stephen Harper doesn't implement Stephane Dion's plan on Dion's behalf.

Pulling the curtain back from the Camp Okutta video

The War Child Canada shock video Camp Okutta raised alarms for many viewers, including me, because of what appeared to be children firing weapons and being exposed to pyrotechnic special effects. Though no one seriously though live rounds were used, even blanks are dangerous, something not always appreciated by people accustomed to mock gun battles on television dramas. Given the recent news of children allegedly being injured on another television production, the concern was real.

War Child Canada immediately responded to those concerns, and gladly provided some insight into how the video was produced, and the precautions taken.

Is Working Families planning to expand into the tricky business of user-generated content?

WorkingFamilies.ca is insisting that it is an independent organization, not tied to the Liberals, and that it is only discussing issues.

When you control a website, it is relatively easy to make sure you don't cross the line.

But once you invite your user base to contribute content, you have to be careful. If you've cultivated a rabidly partisan fan base, your delicately constructed facade of non-partisanship can quickly disintegrate as your users make votes and not issues the most important subject of discussion.

I bring this up because it looks like WorkingFamilies.ca might be planning a move in this direction.

Michael Bryant's crazy hotel bills

Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government seems to have issues when it comes to protecting the public purse. Nothing criminal, but reckless. The latest involves Attorney General Michael Bryant. First, a legal conference paid for by the government quadrupled in price from one year to the next, in no small part because it was held at a luxury resort instead of a more utilitarian conference centre. An isolated case? Well, it turns out that Michael Bryant spends a lot of money on hotels. Very nice hotels.

Canadian kids used as props and exposed to real danger in order to protest putting kids at risk [Updated]

A viral video showing Canadian kids firing assault rifles is supposed to make me think about child soldiers. Actually, I was happy that none of the kids in the video lost an eye.

Update: War Child Canada has responded to explain just how carefully the video was managed.

Elizabeth May notes most of her party really needs to exercise more

An amusing statement by Elizabeth May on the average shape of the progressive protester in Canada makes me wonder what the Green Party would look like if the membership ate fewer potato chips and went out for a walk once in a while.

Did Stephane Dion hand over the secret keys to ClimateForChange.ca?

I keep coming back to the SSL certificate. Why is the SSL certificate for ClimateForChange.ca listed to be the certificate for stephanedion.ca? The more I think about it, the more uneasy I become. There is just no way that should have happened by accident. What I do understand of how certificates work suggests that this connection is a big deal.

Just how closely connected are ClimateForChange.ca and the federal Liberal Party?

ClimateForChange.ca s going to sue the federal government over its Kyoto Plans. An example of grassroots action? Or a political move by one of the opposition parties?

But how could that be if ClimateForChange.ca is an independent non-profit group?

Is Cedrika Provencher alive?

Quebec police are saying that they have reason to believe that Cedrika Provencher, a nine-year-old girl from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, who disappeared on July 31, might be alive.

Taxpayers' bill for lawyer's bash quadruples in cost

Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant is defending a conferences of judges and crown attorney's paid for by the province and hosted at luxury resorts in Ontario. He is being forced to defend them because the cost has quadrupled since the year before.

The Working Families website, the Ontario Liberal Party, and Privacy

The Working Families group is clearly designed to boost the Ontario Liberal Party and hurt the Progressive Conservatives in the upcoming Ontario election. Though the group is very careful to say that it is not working for the Ontario Liberal Party, there are elements to the privacy policy that give me pause to wonder if the wall between the party and this group is strong enough.

Content is still king, and GreenStone Media pays the price

Content is king. That is how a media outlet lives or dies -- compelling content that catches the interest of the audience, or some sector of the audience. Any media outlet that thinks it is entitled to an audience because of who they are instead of because what content they are offering will die.

GreenStone Media, the all-woman radio station, has died.

Garth Turner's Mystery Tour

At a town hall meeting in Halton last night, Liberal MP Garth Turner was asked about an upcoming speaking tour he was embarking on. Who was funding the tour and how did it help constituents in Halton?

A simple question and one that ought to have had a simple answer. But Turner's angry reaction as reported by the person who posed the question makes me wonder just why such a simple question should have irritated Garth Turner so.

Wondering about the No Gun No Funeral petition

No Gun No Funeral might be getting a fair share of traffic from me. I've been linked by Instapundit, and the link is bound to drive Americans to the No Gun No Funeral site. Many of them will not be fond of gun control, and even less fond of what looks like an attempt to be underhanded in promoting a gun control agenda. Others will like the idea of a ban in Canada, since it might help their own efforts to promote strict gun control in the United States. Either way, they might make their opinions known to Michael Bryant via the online petition.

And whether these visits are critical or supportive of Michael Bryant's idea of a total handgun ban in Canada, their visits are bound to make things more complicated for Michael Bryant.

Stephane Dion's cabinet by chromosome

Stephane Dion has some harsh criticism for Stephen Harper's new cabinet. Not enough women!

Yeah, well, we could take Stephane Dion's approach of appointing women nominees over the wishes of Liberal constituents. The latest was the appointment of Michelle Simson. Funny, though, how Michelle Simson was furious at how a Progressive Conservative MPP helped out a dying female constituent in his riding get the medical help she needed, and then dared to make a point of the failings of Ontario's health care system by criticizng the Liberals.

For female Liberal candidates like Michelle Simson, the important thing is to never criticize the Liberals, even if a woman's health is at risk. That's the sort of woman Stephane Dion is hand-picking to boost his credibility among women.

Is No Gun No Funeral political advertising now?

Before yesterday, the website No Gun No Funeral was not considered political advertising by Elections Ontario because it did not promote a party or a politician.

Well, hasn't that changed? The silly thing is that it was staring me in the face, and it was only now that I actually realized it.

Who made No Gun No Funeral for Michael Bryant? I have a theory.

I love sleuthing. Poking around and seeing what sort of inferences I can draw from the smallest clues. In this case I found a small clue that might point to who designed the No Gun No Funeral website for Attorney General Michael Bryant.

No Gun No Funeral is Michael Bryant's site

Attorney General Michael Bryant has come out to say that he is responsible for No Gun No Funeral. But it is not political, nor is it designed to have him re-elected, nor is it using Liberal Party resources.

Or so he says.

Gun ban group -- Grassroots organization or Liberal Party sock puppet?

No-Gun-No-Funeral is a group dedicated to having handguns banned outright in Canada. The group will apply pressure to the federal government.

It implies that it is a grassroots organization.

If so, why is it that the only information I can find out about this group points to the Liberal Party, both the federal and Ontario wings of the party. Very interesting is the fact that the phone number for the site goes to the riding association for Michael Bryant, Attorney General of Ontario, who has promised to lobby for a handgun ban.

Update: Attorney General Michael Bryant announces that No Gun No Funeral is his website.

A ranking of political blogs in Canada

Any list that ranks me above Warren Kinsella and Andrew Coyne is clearly insightful and worth checking out.

OK, blame Alexa for the odd rankings, but as a list that provides a great cross-section of Canadian blogs from across the political spectrum, both pros and amateurs, and including Rick Mercer's blog that resists categorization.

China warned off cheating at the Olympics but the focus is on drugs and not genetics

Dick Pound of the World Anti-Doping Agency is warning China in no uncertain terms that if they are caught sending doped athletes into Olympic competition, then the Olympics will be a disaster.

True enough. I think the Chinese will work very hard to hide their doping program. But then what about the genetically-enhanced super-athletes?

Huh?

Raymond Lavigne case shapes up to be Liberal Party embarrassment

In the case of Raymond Lavigne, the Liberal Senator charged with fraud, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice, there was no stone to be left unturned in investigating the allegations.

Indeed, the shining light of justice was cast into the darkest cracks in order to find the truth.

Newton, Leibniz, the Kerala School, and the gulf between invention and contribution

The question is raised about who invented calculus.

Let me answer that question. Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz share that honour. The Kerala School might have come up with the Taylor expansion of trigonometric functions, but that is not the same as calculus. Nor did they contribute their discovery to the body of human knowledge.

No need to rewrite the history books on this one, even if it means evil Westerners retain the credit for something good.

Mattel initiates a staggering recall of Chinese-made toys

A huge recall of nearly 20 million toys is underway. Mattel is recalling toys because of lead paint and because of magnets that could come loose and be swallowed.

Another example of the risk of doing business with China? Only partly, I think.

Chinese CEO commits suicide over toy recall

News out of China about the suicide death of Zhang Shuhong, the CEO of Lee Der Industrial, the company that supplied Mattel with toys covered in lead paint, prompting a massive recall.

I found one particular aspect of the story -- the question of just how common these sorts of suicides are in China -- particularly fascinating.

Stephane Dion's Douglas Jung gaffe reported in the English-language press

The Hill Times, the weekly covering politics and government, is reporting on the efforts expended by both the Liberals and the Conservatives in courting the vote in different ethnic communities. While the Conservatives are able to point to action like redressing the Chinese head tax, the Liberals are struggling to put the Douglas Jung gaffe behind them, as suggested by the amount of focus Stephane Dion's mistake in front of the Chinese-Canadian Liberal Association was given in this article.

The Cliff Tang case is under a publication ban

Cliff Tang has made an appearance in court. If you are following the case of this serial scofflaw with a penchant for reckless driving and responsible for one death (so far), this will be the end of the line.

A publication ban has been imposed.

A publication ban? For a case of driving while suspended?

China's heavy-handed surveillance is misdirected

China is implementing even more wide-ranging surveilliance of its citizenry. George Orwell's 1984 come true? Not quite, and it is in the differences that hope for China stays alive.

The Order of the Stick serves up an order of laughs

I don't know how many of my readers are old Dungeons & Dragons players from years gone by when TSR's 1st Edition AD&D ruled the roost, or are current players using Edition 3.5 of the dramatically reworked Dungeons & Dragons now owned by the Wizards of the Coast, but if you are familiar with all the silly archetypes of fantasy and the strange traditions and protocols of pen-and-paper roleplaying, and need a good sustained laugh, head over to Giant in the Playground Games and check out The Order of the Stick.

The Order of the Stick is an online comic that follows the story of a group of adventurers as they fight the forces of evil while trying to get used to the new third edition rules. I know it sounds strange, and if you've never played a pen-and-paper RPG you probably won't get it. But if you have, you'll laugh. Lots.

Hated by both the Nazis and the Commies

It seems normal to think that parties navigating the near-centre of the polical spectrum would be attacked from the left and from the right. But when you look at how the far-left and the far-right terms their attacks, you have to wonder if there is really a difference between the far-left and the far-right.

Maybe it's a good versus evil thing.

Protester's story reveals Chinese espionage aimed at Canadian citizens

The story of the Canadian protesters arrested in China is interesting because of what one of the protesters, Lhadon Tethong, revealed about the way Chinese espionage works in Canada.

Tracking down the Vancouver restaurant shooters

The hunt is on for the restaurant assassins in Vancouver. I'm not holding out much hope that the killers will be found.

The dilemma for Nadeem Jiwa

I wonder if the case of Nadeem Jiwa, the man accused in the first degree murder of Constable Robert Plunkett, is turning into a prisoner's dilemma. That would be very bad news for Jiwa.

Nadeem Jiwa facing first-degree murder charges in death of Robert Plunkett

Nadeem Jiwa is now facing first-degree murder charges in the death of Constable Robert Plunkett. Jiwa's lawyer is Azam Murji, and he has offered subtle hints as to the defence strategy. But one thing Murji demands is that his client not lie to him.

Michael Ignatieff only looks like a leadership contender

Michael Ignatieff is adding to global warming in a big way by crisscrossing the country, visiting riding association after riding association. This immediately after his much talked-about New York Times piece in which he made it clear that the Liberal Party was right and that he agrees with them now.

It walks like a leadership campaign. It talks like a leadership campaign. But Michael Ignatieff insists that it is not a leadership campaign.

I wade into the MMP debate by adding to the noise...about noise

A lot of bloggers and other observers of politics are weighing in on the question of mixed member proportional representation. Well, time to join the herd, like my individual opinion actually matters.

I guess I need to work in concert with other like-minded people to convince as many different people as possible...hey...

Little-known branch of US Department of State involved in Jim Flaherty email investigation

It is being reported today that Lloyd Dewitt Tiller of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been charged with sending two threatening emails to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, allegedly because Tiller was angry over the decision to tax income trusts.

Interestingly, the news brings out of the shadows a little known branch of US law enforcement, the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service.

Dalton McGuinty's Liberals not likely to ask for the Citizenship money back

When $32 million in grants distributed by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration was determined to have been distributed without transparency and without oversight in a scathing report from the auditor-general, Premier Dalton McGuinty did not argue. The minister in charge, Michael Colle, was out of a job, and "corrections" are being implemented.

But the biggest correction of all -- recovering the $32 million and redistributing it under proper management -- is not being pursued. Indeed, Greg Sorbara, the finance minister and the man in charge of the province's books, seemed uninterested in the issue when asked.

When you think about it, the Liberals can't really afford to do the right thing.

Why does it take "sources" to know the scope of danger to children?

We know that police investigating the disappearance of nine-year-old Cedrika Provencher are interviewing registered sex-offenders in the area.

Seems like a prudent step.

But when I learned just how many registered sex-offenders are potential interview subjects, I was shocked.

I thought maybe...what...ten?

I was way off.

Alleged cop killer Nadeem Jiwa was out on bail

If Nadim Jiwa's charges on possession of break-in tools, mischief, and theft had been dealt with four months ago, Robert Plunkett would be alive today.

That seems to be the harsh truth of the matter.

On the other hand, if he is denied bail, time spent in pre-sentencing custody will reduce any sentence he might receive.

Cedrika Provencher search shifts to mystery man

The search for missing nine-year-old Cedrika Provencher has shifted to a search for the man who was seen approaching other young girls in the area, and who is suspected of approaching Cedrika.

Major theft from a Tory riding association

There has been a serious breach of trust at a Tory provincial riding association in Alberta. An arrest has been made. Thank goodness that the justice system has been allowed to do its job without interference.

Individuals are role models, not sitcom characters

Though I applaud Peter Regan for acting on his convictions, at the end of the day, he will learn that his action was essentially pointless.

Repeat offender Cliff Tang challenges the legal system

The story of Cliff Tang is a remarkable one.

He is a scofflaw and a repeat offender, having been in and out of jail for various offenses, but mostly for street racing and other serious vehicle crimes.

Including criminal negligence causing death.

And yet despite this history, he continues to drive while under suspension, and was picked up again.

No doubt his driving suspension will be extended now.

I think that is entirely the wrong approach.

I-35W bridge collapses in Minneapolis

A disaster has struck Minneapolis, Minnesota. A major bridge, the I-35W, has collapsed into the Mississippi River.

German sex books for children are boring...dangerously boring

News of two books, now withdrawn, offered by the German Ministry of Family Affairs advocating sexual touching of children is creating a buzz. But I managed to find the books online, and in truth, the vast majority of the text is devoted to mind-numbingly boring psychobabble.

Does this mean that the concerns are overblown?

I don't think so. Something about the boring bits has me even more worried.

Popularity, responsibility, and the Canadian Wheat Board

Chuck Strahl's attempt to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly on barley sales through a regulatory change was rebuffed by a judge who said that such a change required a change in law, and that means going to parliament.

Online pedophile site says to go Montreal festival to look, but offers how-to guides for touching

Disturbing news about a pedophilia site encouraging pedophiles to attend a Children's Festival in Montreal to "watch". Police are worried, but because the site strictly discourages approaching children, it is not illegal.

But here's the thing. This site is in Amsterdam. On a completely unrelated story, I was poking around the dark corners of the Internet looking for two books. I found those books, official German government publications which encourage sexual touching for the health of the children, at an Amsterdam site that is for pedophiles who claim to like only to look at young girls.

Well, then why are those books there?

Michael Colle's official Liberal Party biography still needs the truth added to it

Michael Colle's official Ontario Liberal Party biography has yet to be updated. The obvious problem is that it mentions that he was made the Minister of the Citizenship and Immigration, but has yet to mention that he was forced to resign in disgrace.

But besides that obvious correction, his list of accomplishments ought to be carefully vetted. It's more subtle, but evidence of the Grant-a-palooza scandal is there too.

Garth Turner's election team has some Green in it

Reviewing Garth Turner's Board of Director list for the Electoral District Association for Halton, I can't help but note two notable (former) Green Party members on the list.

Well, one is officially on the board. That one is former Green Party strategist Dan Baril who quit the Green Party under less than amicable terms.

The other is the Green Party candidate for Oakville in the 2004 election, Tania Orton. She is listed as requiring "follow up". Still trying to get her to formerly join Garth Turner's team, I guess. Does Orton think that running for the Green Party is less helpful than helping someone else run for the Liberal Party?

I wonder if that attitude is more widespread through the Green Party under Elizabeth May.

Who brings a pitbull to a gunfight?

A strange story of dogs being used during a fight, and confrontation with police, and the demise of the two beasts.

A grant-based ministry with a family history of poor management

Dalton McGuinty, premier of Ontario, has a headache with Citizenship and Immigration. The reckless distribution of millions of dollars of year-end grant money with little or no oversight has cost McGuinty a minister.

What if I told you about a ministry that does nothing but give out grants, and that had already been pegged by the auditor-general as having serious oversight problems, and that was being run by the same guy who had told us that there was nothing wrong at Citizenship and Immigration?

Let me introduce you to the Ministry of Research and Innovation.

A chance to start cleaning up the mess left by Michael Colle

A charitable organization with tight ties with the Ontario Liberal Party was a recipient of once of largest grants tagged as suspicious in the auditor-general's report.

Though the minister responsible, Michael Colle, has resigned, the aftermath needs to be dealt with. Already there are rumblings of tryng to recover the money.

And in that lies an opportunity.

Michael Colle's largesse overwhelmingly benefited Liberal ridings

Though Liberals reeling from the resignation of Citizenship and Immigration Minister Michael Colle are quick to point out that the auditor-general's report that cost Colle his job did not conclude that the cash the ministry was recklessly distributing amounted to a slush fund, I decided to look at the distribution of the disbursements.

I found that Liberal ridings overwhelmingly benefited from the grants, both in number of grants and in the total cash given out.

Though some skewing is expected, that itself suggests an interesing question.

Stephane Dion's apology for the Douglas Jung gaffe

When Stephane Dion addressed the Chinese Canadian Liberal Association, he spoke to the contributions of Chinese Canadians. He spoke in particular about Arthur Lee, whom he identified as Canada's first MP of Chinese descent. Lee was elected as a Liberal MP in 1974 in Pierre Trudeau's government.

The problem, of course, is that this was utterly wrong. Douglas Jung, a Chinese-Canadian, was elected in 1957 to sit as an MP in John Diefenbaker's Progressive Conservative government.

None of this is difficult to find out.

Now the Sing Tao Daily, Canada's largest circulation Chinese language newspaper, has reported on this gaffe. The article ran in the Toronto and Vancouver editions. I've got an English translation of the article, approved by the author, and I've been given permission to reprint it in its entirety.

Even the bit about Jason Cherniak.

Let's not blame China for everything...but if it is China's fault, then blame away

Lyn Cockburn, writing for the Edmonton Sun, argues that too much effort is being expended on demonizing China. She proves her point on China not being the source of all ills by bringing attention to a toy recall unrelated to China, and to international incidents that are unrelated to China. Having established that the press is suffering from tunnel vision, she wants more focus on Darfur and less on China.

Problem #1: The toy she discusses in detail is manufactured in China.

Problem #2: Those international incidents involved China.

Problem #3: China in primarily responsible for the lack of action in Darfur.

Problem #4: The editor at the Edmonton Sun seems to have gone missing.

I can infer the last one based on the sad lack of factual correctness in this column.

The Liberal Party history with diverted funds

If history is any guide, Suzan Pawlak has nothing to worry about. The story of Jesse Davidson suggests that the Liberal Party has a lot of tolerance for people who allegedly steal from them -- as long as they're Liberals.

In the end, what really mattered was avoiding any embarrassment.

David Pretlove's offer mixed hardball bargaining and a hint of undesirable consequences

I have more direct quotes from the offer LPC(O) Financial Director David Pretlove made to the London riding association to replace the money allegedly stolen by Suzan Pawlak, his staffer.

It is interesting because he offers to cut a cheque from the LPC(O) to cover half of the amount alleged to have been stolen, and seems to be challenging the other amounts.

The cheques he was willing to cover were made out to Suzan Pawlak.

Except for one...that was a hotel bill. [Update: Turns out it was for a riding event at that hotel that might or might not have actually taken place.]

The message to the riding association? Take the $7,200 I'm offering and clean up the rest of the $15,000 mess, or else you'll miss your Elections Canada deadline, and we wouldn't want that to happen.

David Pretlove was going to use Liberal Party funds to cover up a criminal act

The National Post is reporting on the case of Suzan Pawlak, who allegedly stole $15,000 from the London riding association of the federal Liberal Party, and the attempt by David Pretlove, the financial director of the Ontario wing of the party, to hide what happened.

The bombshell? David Pretlove was going to use party funds to cover up the alleged crime.

If Stephane Dion can't say it in French, who can?

A little gem from the video of Stephane Dion addressing the Chinese Canadian Liberal Assocation is how Stephane Dion struggled with the French translation of the name of the group, and listening to someone's comment on Dion's fumbling in French get picked up by the camera microphone.

Tory pledge drive at the office just adds to the stress

Some observations on the story being reported that senior political staff are being asked to donate to the Conservative Party, and the bad feelings that have allegedly been expressed.

Stephane Dion doesn't need this sort of help

Once again, Steve Janke of Angry in the Great White North got the facts wrong.

Now read the post. Then come back. I have three observations to make:

1. Anyone can make a mistake in research. But it's fun to watch Liberals do it. They admit to being mistaken about the "fact" that was central to their argument, and then say "none of it matters".
2. If I was Stephane Dion, I'd ask Jason Cherniak to stop helping.
3. As for Jason's closing point on apologies, he just shows what a class act he is.

That's it.

Check out other posts from the Douglas Jung category
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Liberal fundraiser nets $750 per leadership candidate

In what can only be described as pathetic, all the leadership candidates met in Halifax to hold a fundraiser. Sixty guests shelled out $250 each to attend.

Total take: $5,400 after expenses, to be split between the seven leadership candidates.

That's $750 for Stephane Dion to pay down $850,000 in loans. Just another thousand fundraisers to go.

Liberal blogger says no apology necessary for ignoring Douglas Jung, because Jung wasn't a Liberal

According to this Liberal blogger, Stephane Dion's gaffe at the Chinese Canadian Liberal Association dinner when he said that Liberal Arthur Lee was the first Chinese Canadian member of parliament, elected in 1974, is not really a mistake at all. The first MP was really Douglas Jung in 1957, but since Jung was a Conservative, and since Stephane Dion was speaking to a roomful of Liberals, it was understood that the only MPs that count are Liberal MPs.

Stephane Dion reaches out to Chinese Canadians with an insulting ignorance of history

Stephane Dion succeeds in ways few Canadian politicians ever can. All the Liberal Party leader had to do was say a few words to the Chinese Canadian Liberal Assocation about how great it is to be a Liberal. But he decides to give a history lesson -- and in doing so, besmirches the memory of a great Canadian.

Why would he do that?

Maybe because that great Canadian, Douglas Jung, was a Progressive Conservative.

And so Stephane Dion wipes him from history.

Some thoughts about private restitution

David Pretlove has been quoted (allegedly) as saying he was trying to help out Suzan Pawlak when he offered to pay back the London riding association of the federal Liberal Party the $15,000 that was missing from the bank accounts, on the condition that the police not be called.

If true, this means that he had reason to believe that she would be held responsible for the missing money. Pawlak was the riding treasurer until August 2006. At the time the money was found to be missing in January 2007, she had moved on and was working for Pretlove, the director of the federal Liberal Party's Ontario wing.

Was this a simple matter of restitution? I guess it depends on what constitutes true restitution.

The unintended consequences of non-lethal police encounters

With the recent spate of incidents in which police used non-lethal means against suspects and were roundly criticized, I wonder if there an unintended consequences to these new police tools. Are we increasing the frequency of violent confrontations by making those confrontations less lethal?

Unapproved habit-forming Chinese sleep aids containing clonazepam being recalled

Health Canada has pulled a set of sleep aids off the market because they contain a habit-forming ingredient, clonazepam, that is not listed on the labelling. These products have not even been submitted for approval by Health Canada.

The Health Canada advisory does not mention the ties to China, though. So I'll describe them.

Similac scare in Canada -- not the first time baby formula targetted

Falsely labelled Similac, a best-selling baby formula, is being sold in Canada, sent to liquidation outlets by an unauthorized distributor. This is not the first time this sort of thing has happened. Mohamad S. Mostafa made millions in the US selling bad baby formula. When he was caught, he ran north of the border only to be caught in Alberta by the Mounties. He is serving four years in a US prison.

I wonder how harshly Canadians caught doing this sort of thing will be treated?

Obstruction of Justice and Accessory after the Fact

Just checking on the formal definitions of obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact.

David Pretlove's explanation includes admitting he was specifically helping Suzan Pawlak

I've received, third-hand, an explanation by David Pretlove of why he was involved in the London riding association missing money problem. If we accept this at face value, his explanation includes confirmation that he was specifically help Suzan Pawlak out of a jam.

David Pretlove was leaving the party, so no suspension in the works

The Liberal Party is trying to play down the question of David Pretlove's apparent attempt to coverup a major theft of money from the London riding association.

David Pretlove story continues to gain momentum

The twisted story of missing money, criminal charges, and what looks like an attempted coverup in London, Ontario, continues to gain momentum. Questions concerning why David Pretlove, the director for the federal Liberal Party in Ontario, would have offered to reimburse a riding association that had been the victim of a serious loss of cash on the condition that the police not be involved continue to be asked, even as the media confirms that the person who was ultimately charged with the crime, Suzan Pawlak, was working directly for him.

Stephane Dion must suspend Suzan Pawlak and David Pretlove, NDP demands

In my post about the weird mess in London, Ontario, I pointed out that it looks like the director of the federal Liberal Party in Ontario, David Pretlove, tried to prevent an investigation into the apparent theft of $15,000 from the London federal riding association. What was disturbing was that Pretlove attempted to suppress the investigation that ultimately resulted in charges being laid against Suzan Pawlak, the former treasurer for the London riding association, and at the time Pretlove made his offer, one of Pretlove's employees.

Given that at the time no one knew who Pawlak was or that she would be facing charges, Pretlove's prescience looked very suspicious. The obvious question to ask is whether Pretlove actually knew Pawlak was involved when he made the offer, and if so, why try to suppress the investigation.

I'm not the only one wondering. The NDP has issued a press release calling on Stephane Dion to suspend both Pretlove and Pawlak until these questions are answered.

Conservative judges favour the Individual over the State, and this surprises some people

A fascinating study on judicial biases in Canada confirms something that should be obvious. Conservatives will always favour the Individual over the State whenever there is room for doubt. And yet the academic who prepared the study thought this was crazy.

Did a senior Liberal try to protect Suzan Pawlak from prosecution?

When $15,000 went missing from the federal Liberal Party riding association accounts for London, Ontario, David Pretlove of the Ontario wing of the federal party offered to cover the shortfall as long as the police were left out of the picture. The riding executive turned down the strange offer and called the police.

Today police have charged former riding association treasurer Suzan Pawlak with 42 counts related to fraud and forgery.

But here's the strange thing. Suzan Pawlak was working for David Pretlove when the riding association first discovered the financial irregularities. Coincidence?

David Chernushenko quits Green Party because of frustration with Elizabeth May

David Chernushenko is resigning from his high-level position of Senior Deputy to the Leader in the Green Party, and from his position as Green Party nominee for the riding of Ottawa Centre.

This is a serious blow for the Green Party, as David Chernushenko was the Green Party's most successful candidate ever in a general election, and a member of the National Round Table on the Economy and the Environment, providing policy advice to the Conservative governmnent.

But then those are likely the reasons he left.

Peer Syed Sahib and Ajmeri Baba -- The same scam and links to Taliban terrorism?

I've written a piece about the strange advertising of mystic Peer Syed Sahib I spotted in a Toronto-area Indian-language newspaper. The ad, or what little I could understand, seemed to promise miraculous results after a mere phone call, and a wad of cash.

Plenty of people have complained about Peer Syed Sahib's tactics -- constant phone calls asking for more money (large sums) and for family information. Moreover, I'm not sure that this sort of advertising is allowed in Canada.

But in poking around, I've noticed that at least two of the largest mystics seem to share a lot in common. Too much in common, I think. And suddenly the darker rumours that surround what these people do seem more credible.

Peer Sayed Sahib advertises his astrological magic in Canada

I was cleaning outside, picking up the odd bits of trash that inevitably get blown around on garbage day, when I picked up a sheet from an Indian language newspaper. Unfortunately I can't tell you what newspaper it was -- the header on the inside pages lacked the name. It was only identified as the Toronto Issue, #714, covering the week starting June 20.

My eye caught a full-page ad for Peer Sayed Sahib. Virtually all the text was not in a Roman script. Besides the name and a phone number for Britain, the only English text was the phrase, misspelled, "100% GUARNTEED RESULT IN LESS THAN 1 WEEK", repeated over and over, forming the border of the advertisement.

I just had to figure out who this guy was and what he was selling, and I have to say it was quite interesting. It also begs the question of just how the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards covers this sort of thing.

Wrapping up the Adriane Carr fake website story with an apology

Looks like a disgruntled ex-Green Party worker, presumably Jayun McDowell (though this has not been confirmed), was responsible for the faked website at Adriane Carr's old domain. And Jim Harris has offered an apology to Liberal Hedy Fry for accusing her of being somehow responsible for the website.

Funding for the Canadian Journal of Urology to go to Africa

In a followup to a post on AORTIC, the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer, I have received a letter in which a major Canadian medical journal has been asked to attend the conference and issue a special supplement covering the conference and the papers presented.

I've argued that this sort of aid to Africa, focusing on helping Africa become an integral part of the modern world, has more potential to solve Africa's social problems than the cycle of lending African countries money, watching the money frittered away but corrupt officials, and then forgiving the loans in order to start the cycle again.

Adriane Carr website almost certainly under the control of Webtide Internet Solutions

A detailed look into the IP addresses and mailservers associated with adrianecarr.ca, the website that formerly hosted the website of former BC Green Party leader Adriane Carr, now the candidate for the federal Green Party in Vancouver Centre, suggests that the site is still firmly in the control of Webtide Internet Solutions, as it has been since its inception. That's significant in determining who would have changed the site to show a strong endorsement of Liberal Party incumbent Hedy Fry by her opponent Adriane Carr, an endorsement claimed to be fraudulent by the Green Party.

More on the Adriane Carr website

Another look at the adrianecarr.ca website, currently the subject of interest since it started to show a message from Vancouver Centre Green Party nominee Adriane Carr endorsing Liberal Party incumbent Hedy Fry, reveals it's long history, and the changes it has undergone, but more important, the changes that have not happened.

Adriane Carr fake website -- Constructed by one of Carr's supporters?

The Green Party candidate for Vancouver-Centre, Adriane Carr, is the target of an online joke in which the domain adrianecarr.ca offers a strong endorsement of Liberal Party incumbent Hedy Fry.

The Green Party is claiming that the Liberals are behind it.

An analysis of the website, though, points to one of Adriane Carr's supporters.

A story of marriage, murder, family, and Sikhism, with a Canadian link

This is a fascinating story of an abused wife who had become a liability, a husband who arranged for her murder, the help he received from his family to commit the brutal deed, and the police work that uncovered the alleged plot. It links a Sikh family in Calgary and in India.

Anger over mixed marriages prompts promise of "dire consequences"

While the investigation into the murder of newlywed Shemina Cheema (formerly Shemina Hirji) continues under utter secrecy in Burnaby, British Columbia, the question of the possible role the mixed marriage into which she entered is being asked. The fact is, though, that mixed marriages between Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims is a particularly sore point for many in their respective communities, given the history of violence in India and Pakistan where these religions meet. It did not take me long to find a story of a violent reaction in a Western nation perpetrated by those who are bringing that violence from the old country. It happened in Birmingham, England, only three weeks ago, and thankfully only resulted in property damage.

But in a post in a Sikh forum, "dire consequences" were promised if mixed marriages were allowed to be conducted.

Environmental groups boost for the Liberals, not to save the planet but to turn back time

Environmentalist groups seem to boost for the Liberal Party regardless of the poor Liberal record on the environment. Some people are starting to wonder exactly why that is. If they read my blog, they would know. But I don't mind explaining it again. It has nothing to do with the environment, of course. It has everything to do with money, and more accurately, going back to a time when money was dolled out with no strings attached.

Two distinct views on murder of Shemina Hirji

A newlywed, Shemia Hirji, was murdered during a home invasion in British Columnia. Her husband, Paul Cheema, escaped with minor injuries. Random tragic violence, it seems, according to the English language press. But the problem is that the East Indian media outlets are calling this a possible honour killing.

Stephane Dion's imaginary meeting with Mahmoud Abbas -- Significant Update

Stephane Dion and the Liberals have issued a press release to tell the national press gallery and thus the rest of us that Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, is visiting to speak to the leader of the Liberal Party.

Problem is, it simply isn't true.

Update: When I got wind of the screw up, I figured that it was the fault of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. It was their email, after all. But it wasn't their email after all, or more accurately, it was filtered through someone else. And I was really quite surprised to find out who it was.

Next on Fox, when diplomats attack!

Diplomats caught behaving badly in Canada are protected by diplomatic immunity. As a result, they sometimes get away with their crimes.

Good thing, too.

Bollards play a key role in defeating terrorist attack in Glasgow, Scotland

The attack on Glasgow Airport in Scotland today was foiled in large part by bollards. Ever see a bollard in action? No? Then you've never seen a speeding transport truck ripped apart like so much tissue paper. It's quite the sight to see.

This Newfoundlander needs to brush up on his history

One expatriate Newfoundlander is taking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to task in the budget fight Ottawa is having with Premier Danny Williams. This Newfoundlander living in Switzerland makes a point about how Newfoundland out to work towards becoming the self-sufficient nation it was prior to joining Canada, after which things went downhill.

The problem is, things went downhill long before Newfoundland joined Confederation, and what many people might not realize is that at the time Newfoundland joined Confederation, Newfoundland had long since stopped being self-sufficient, and could hardly be called a nation as it was directly governed by an unappointed foreigner.

Reciprocal agreement to aid law enforcement comes under attack from Liberals and NDP

Foreign law enforcement officials will find it easier to bring their weapons into Canada in the pursuit of their duties. Of course, the same goes for Canadian law enforcement pursuing criminals in other jurisdictions. Apparently this is a threat to Canada's sovereignty, or so says Liberal MP Dan McTeague, who brings up an incident in which unarmed Canadian border officials abandoned their posts in the face of armed American criminals and the US law enforcement giving chase. That's an odd example to bring up, because the truth is that until the Conservative government started arming our border guards, Canadian border officials depended on US law enforcement to use their weapons on our side of the border.

I would be proud to be associated with NASCAR

Should Canadians be embarrassed because the Conservative Party has decided to advertise by sponsoring a NASCAR team? Despite the foam-flecked rantings of Canada's left, NASCAR seems to be a sport that demands good character of its participants.

Is NASCAR going to be a target for Canada's liberal press?

I don't subscribe to the theory that Canada's media as a whole cannot be trusted to report the news in an even-handed and fair manner. But I'm not so naive as to believe either that there a not pockets within the media that do use the media as a way to promote a partisan agenda under the guise of news.

With the Conservatives sponsoring Pierre Bourque's NASCAR efforts, I wonder if NASCAR will become the target of media trickery in order to embarrass the Conservatives. It has happened before.

Supersmart dolphins chomping down on stupid humans

A diverting bit of news of humans being attacked by dolphins.

NASCAR is part of the long tail of success

The Liberals and the NDP are taking turns criticizing the Conservatives for sponsoring Pierre Bourque's NASCAR efforts, and then laughing at the Conservatives for targeting this small demographic.

Maybe people laughed at Google once. Not anymore.

Toothpaste scare spreads

The fake Colgate toothpaste has turned up in Ontario and Florida and Kentucky.

London-area Liberals fuming at stolen funds and party coverup

A massive theft of funds from the Liberal Party riding association in London has prompted a criminal investigation. But there is a serious political side to this as well, with allegations of an offer from the Director of Finance of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), David Pretlove, to cut a cheque to cover the shortfall with the promise not to take this to the police.

Here is revealed the end of the Harry Potter story

How will the Harry Potter saga end? I can reveal at least one important ending that we will see soon enough.

Andrew Stronach's SheTips gambling venture seems to be offline

A catch-up post about Andrew Stronach's babes-and-betting SheTips gambling site. I think it's out of commission, having never gone live, and yet I can't be certain.

Bucking the trend on Paris Hilton

I've discovered I'm in a distinct minority when it comes to Paris Hilton. I just don't like what I see in the larger picture. A lot of people I've spoken to seem all too happy to watch Paris Hilton being jerked to and fro by the various elements of the justice system. I find that attitude odd. What did Paris Hilton ever do to them? I, for one, don't enjoy this at all. Not only do I think we can feel for Paris Hilton, I think the way her case is being handled suggests the machinery of justice is definitely out of kilter.

Garth Turner's revisionism on income trusts

Garth Turner tells an audience that it was the decision to tax income trusts that led to his ejection from the Conservative Party caucus. The problem is that this is not consistent with Garth Turner's statements at the time, the decisions he took after he was thrown out of caucus, and with the timing of events.

Vancouver Olympic Committee targets coin dealers (whose taxes helped pay for the Games)

After pleading for hundreds of millions of additional taxpayer dollars in order to put on their two-week show, you would think the people running the Vancouver Olympics would be a bit more humble. But when Canadian coin dealers wanted to help support and promote the Olympics by selling Royal Canadian Mint Olympic coins online, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) not only told them that their help was not welcome, it threatened to have the RCM cut the dealers off.

Since when did the Royal Canadian Mint take orders from insolvent debtors like the VANOC?

Just who do these Olympic people think they are?

Is Michael Ignatieff holding an illegal booze party for young people?

There is a booze-up at Michael Ignatieff's residence exclusively for Young Liberals! Pay $25 at the door, and you can enjoy the open bar.

Sounds like fun. The problem is that I'm not at all certain this is legal.

Elizabeth May and Stephane Dion want Canadians to be gas poor

Elizabeth May and Stephane Dion want Canadians to be gas poor. Pay more and more for gas until they can't afford much else. Maybe this is not what they really want to happen, but it will be the consequence of raising taxes on gas. Gas consumption is pretty much inelastic unless you are wealthy and have a lot of disposable income. Trying to choke off that disposable income used for driving by affluent Canadians will result in choking the rest of us...literally.

Controversy overshadows the new hotdog eating world record

Despite the dogged efforts of the organizers, the hotdog eating world record event has been dogged by controversy. The feeling that one contestant was unfairly penalized is so thick that you could stab it with a fork and cut it with a knife.

David Suzuki says Canadians want to pay more taxes; Angus Reid says otherwise

David Suzuki says Canadians are willing to pay, nay, are demanding that they be forced to pay, carbon taxes. An Angus Reid poll suggests exactly the opposite.

Questions about the JFK fuel line terror plot

Law enforcement officials in the US have foiled a plot to ignited the fuel supply to John F Kennedy Airport in New York. But I have to say that I'm confused by just what the alleged terrorists thought they could accomplish.

Canada's large measure of green credit

Environmentalists moan and groan that Canada is not doing it's share when it comes green issues. The fact is that Canada has plenty of green credit to spend.

Father tries to kill daughter in a Tamil-version of Romeo and Juliet?

A father allegedly tried to run down his daughter and her boyfriend in Toronto. Looking deeper into the story, you find out that there is a major division within the Tamil community in Toronto. I wonder if the attack was motivated in part by this division.

"We never actually got warrants on bank accounts"

The Public Accounts Committee continues to investigate the RCMP Pension Scandal. During this remarkable exchange, we get to the heart of the matter. Just why would anyone have tried so hard to get around the bidding process?

Carbon offsets are less like indulgences and more like tithes

John Oakley's column in the National Post relates carbon offsets to indulgences. I think he's on to something, but I think his analogy is off. Carbon offsets are less like indulgences and more like tithes paid to the Church of Green.

Stephane Dion is heckled at a labour rally

Stephane Dion addresses a labour rally, quite possibly for the last time. The boos and catcalls are easily picked up by the cameras recording the appearance.

Discrimination aimed at women by gay males?

Discrimination against women from gay males horrified by the sight of a woman drinking in their presence. Yeah, it's as stupid as it sounds.

Organic food and the bitter taste of success

Fans of organic food are bitter because the commercial success has attracted big business. But of course, they reserve their anger for big business. What about the organic food producer who was all too happy to sell out for a handsome profit?

NDP organized dinner to raise funds for group with alleged ties to Hamas

The NDP organized a fund-raiser for IRFAN, a registered charity, but one that has been alleged to have strong ties to Hamas. Those allegations have been known to the highest levels of the Canadian government, and widely reported in the press. But despite that, the NDP feels that helping raise thousands of dollars for this group is a worthy exercise, and MPs Alexa McDonough and Irene Mathyssen lent their presence to make sure as much money as possible is sent from Canada to this group.

Shiraz Dossa blames Jews and Christian boys for the criticism aimed at him

Last year, the Iranian government hosted a conference roundly denounced by the West as Holocaust-denial gabfest. One Canadian attended, Shiraz Dossa, a professor from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Drossa was condemned by people both within the university and across Canada. Dossa has now issued a defense.

The problem is that his defense seems to bring focus on his not-so-latent anti-Semitism.

Liberal Party environment policy authored in part by corporate communications expert for the Coppertone people

When the Liberal Party fashioned its environmental policy, would it suprise you to learn that one of the people called out for special mention in helping complete that work is in fact the Director of Communications for the multinational manufacturer of Coppertone sunscreen products? That company has, for over ten years, been working very hard to ensure that North American consumers are obsessed with the question of sun exposure, while at the same time making sure that those same consumers understand that the only protection against UV rays comes from the liberal application of sunscreen, instead of, say, wearing a light shirt.

Schering, the pharmaceutical in question, has been attacked for taking climate science, as imprecise and questionable as it is, and spinning it a certain way for corporate profit. I am curious if Liberal Party environmental policy was similarly nudged this way and that in order to profit the shareholders of Schering. The real question, of course, is why the Liberals would have given such a key position to a senior member of this particular corporation.

Tetrodotoxin in Chinese monkfish

Mixing plastic component melamine in pet food.

Antifreeze diethylene glycol in cough syrop and toothpaste.

Deaths suffered by both animals and humans.

Imports from China have killed, and continue to kill.

Now Chinese monkfish is contaminated. And with one of the deadlist neurotoxins known to science. Tetradotoxin is best known as active poison in the deadly pufferfish.

Old News Alert: Liberal scandals have hurt Canada economically

A report attributes Canada's slip in productivity in large part to Liberal scandals. Shocking? Well, I wrote an analysis suggesting that this was happening two years ago.

No, really.

And I've waited patiently all this time to be shown to be right.

Is Justin Trudeau a sock puppet for the Paul Martin faction in the Liberal Party looking to come in from the cold?

I find it interesting that Justin Trudeau's contribution to the Liberal Party Renewal Commission appears to have been ghost-written by an Earnscliffe/Veraxis/Gandalf employee. It is doubly interesting that the report bearing Justin Trudeau's name has determined that Canadians want a return of activist government. Is that a subtle reference to a Paul Martin legacy of universal childcare and same-sex marriage and Kyoto enforcement and such? Does this suggest that Justin Trudeau is being used by ex-Martinites to surreptitiously inject their influence back into the party?

David Suzuki: Hypocrite or Henpecked?

In my first post on uber-environmentalist David Suzuki, I wonder if he sees himself as some sort of Medieval lord.

In my second post, I wonder if he is just a garden variety hypocrite.

In this post, I look into just what drives David Suzuki to do what he does.

More accurately, who drives him.

David Suzuki's grand Tangwyn property is a struggle for him

Consider David Suzuki's grand property (named "Tangwyn") on Quadra Island for him and his wife in contrast to my disgusting excess of a three-bedroom detached home on a tiny lot for a household of six. I suppose environmentalism has been good to Suzuki. Everything I hear suggests the world Suzuki wants me to have doesn't include a vast forested estate.

But then Suzuki says he struggles with what it means to be an environmentalist.

Must be so hard for him.

Environmentalism, the Middle Class, the Middle Ages, and Dynasties

Ever notice that the world the environmentalists want us to live in is a lot like Medieval Europe? And in more ways than you might think?

Will Yvo de Boer be declared an apostate by the head priests of the Church of Kyoto?

This senior UN official, Yvo de Boer, seems satisfied that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have a satsifactory approach to the Kyoto Protocol. What is the punishment for apostasy from the Church of Kyoto?

Probably watching David Suzuki videos.

Earnscliffe makes money lobbying for and against Kyoto at the same time

Lobbyists are an interesting breed. They use their specialized knowledge to help companies and organizations make their view known in government, and hopefully influence public policy. I have nothing against that. But the case of Earnscliffe principal Velma McColl is particularly interesting, since it appears that this former senior Liberal Environment Ministry official is using her specialized knowledge to simultaneously help companies at opposite points of the same issue, Canada's commitment to Kyoto, to influence public policy.

Brush your teeth...and die! Chinese toothpaste is 5% antifreeze

Breaking: Ersatz Colgate toothpaste in the United States might contain DEG. And I just bought a suspicious tube of toothpaste in my local dollar store in Canada.

Brush your teeth...and die! Thanks to Chinese quality controls. On the other hand, the toothy grin on the skull-and-crossbones has never looked so bright and shiny.

Elizabeth May sells Mulroney-era environmental initiatives

I guess it's hard to highlight environmental initiatives undertaken by Environment Minister Stephane Dion when the Liberals were in power.

Al Gore to Canadian teachers -- don't sweat the facts

Al Gore's Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth is being shown in Canadian schools, often over and over again. Kevin Libin of the National Post makes the point that the film has problems with the facts, making it a questionable educational tool. But if you look at the curricula guide that accompanies the film, it becomes clear that facts aren't all that important.

Not all Liberals agree with Stephane Dion's ideas or are fans of his record

Stephane Dion is going to have some fun in the next election if the Liberal Party is going to field candidates who are on record as severely criticizing the leader. This is not the case of long-time Liberals who no doubt have critical comments on record. I'm talking about one Liberal in particular, Drew Adamick, hoping to win the nomination in Cariboo-Prince George.

Chinese culture of lies endangers their economy

The Chinese are terrified that the pet food scandal will cause their food exports to collapse in the face of angry Western consumers.

What they don't get is that China primarily exports lies. We ought to close the doors until that changes.

Garth Turner's tasteless sense of humour

Liberal MP Garth Turner turned his razor wit on Conservative MP Dean del Mastro. It is an exercise in tastelessness. It's only redeeming quality is that it gives us an opportunity to hear the story of man who has led a life anyone would be proud of.

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny finds himself not guilty, and sits in judgment on his accuser

Did Jeffrey Kroeker ever have a chance?

In one of those head scratching moments, we learn that a Senator accused of misspending government funds sat on the committee that decided that he had done nothing wrong.

Moreover, this senator, Liberal Colin Kenny, sat in judgment of Jeffrey Kroeker, the man who got him in trouble. After finding him guilty, Kenny is going after Kroeker's boss.

Does Garth Turner stalk people who annoy him?

The Liberal MP for Halton, Garth Turner, is a very polarizing person. What of people who annoy him? Apparently, they can expect Garth Turner to lurk around parking lots, looking at their cars and taking pictures.

Royal rumbles in the House

Because sometimes the news seems so silly:

An ugly brawl broke out today in the House of Commons, where a Liberal MP claims he was physically accosted and threatened by a Conservative who "flipped out."

Ottawa MP David McGuinty accused Tory MP Royal Galipeau of storming across the floor and unleashing a tirade of insults. He called the unruly conduct the worst he's seen in his three years on Parliament Hill.

"The member was clearly out of control, using unparliamentary language and in a threatening fashion grabbed my left shoulder and only left my side when several of my colleagues urged him to stop and to leave, but he would not," McGuinty said. "He was really completely out of control, raising his voice, flailing his arms, gesticulating in a threatening fashion and making wild accusations."

Royal Galipeau, 60 years old, is one scary-ass parliamentarian. Run, McGuinty! Run!

Law to ban immigration for strippers earns mockery from self-centred women

The Conservatives actually plan to do something that would improve the lot of exploited women. One woman on Canada's left scoffs at the move, suggesting that this is about Christian morality and not about protecting women. Indeed, since the exploitation happens behind closed doors, she admits it is not a concern of hers.

Asking after the source of the funds -- Stephen Harper vs Jamie Carroll

The Liberals are trying to find fault with Stephen Harper's fundraising activities from five years ago, when it is clear that by the law of the time, nothing wrong actually happened. If they want to play that game, maybe we should be asking where Jamie Carroll got his hands on $30,000, since unlike the case of Stephen Harper, the answer to that question does indeed matter when it comes to the legality of the donations.

Stephane Dion's toleration of the intolerable...sometimes

Stephane Dion shows his leadership qualities with regards to Jamie Carroll, the National Director of the Liberal Party and a major Dion backer who is in trouble for suggesting that other senior Liberals can't be trusted, by telling him that the mistake cannot be tolerated before giving Carroll a second chance. And if you're confused, Stephane Dion helpfully announces he is being a leader.

Is Michael Ignatieff going to win over Stephane Dion?

Michael Ignatieff wants Jamie Carroll fired. Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion says absolutely not.

Of course, Ignatieff wins.

Did embattled Jamie Carroll earn Stephane Dion's loyalty, or did he purchase it?

Jamie Carroll is in trouble for making some serious allegations against the losing Liberal Party leadership candidates, saying that they are working to undermine Stephane Dion. As a result, there are calls for Carroll to be fired from his position as National Director. Stephane Dion is refusing to do this. Stephane Dion is acting very loyal to Jamie Carroll. There are many ways to earn loyalty.

Will Dalton McGuinty tell Jesse Fontaine to flick off?

Young Jesse Fontaine is very concerned about the way the Ontario government has decided to communicate with teens. I don't expect he'll get an answer, but I think he's posed some interesting questions.

Didn't Jeff Monaghan admit to being an anarchist?

Jeff Monaghan, the former Environment Canada contract employee arrested for allegedly leaking secret government documents, has written a letter to a newspaper taking issue with being labelled an anarchist. Has the media made a mistake, extrapolating from Jeff Monaghan's known associates to judge Monaghan by the company he keeps? Or is there some sort of documentary evidence in which Monaghan states that he is an anarchist?

Gilles Duceppe's position in the Bloc Quebecois weakened

Has Gilles Duceppe's flip-flop on running for the PQ leadership hurt his position in the BQ? I think it clearly has, but the real question is whether there will be consequences?

Jeff Monaghan: Stephen Harper is a radical neocon theocrat, the media is too even-handed, and Environment Canada is all style, no substance

In his own words, on his radio show.

Jeff Monaghan's Monday Morning Radio Show

Is Jeff Monaghan a quiet and withdrawn character driven to act by the hypocrisy of the Harper government, as some would allege? I'm not so sure, if only because quiet and withdrawn characters don't host talk radio shows.

Anarchist punk band uncomfortable with the media attention

I suppose it's one thing to be part of an anti-globalization riot, where you are lost in the mass of rock-throwing mask-wearing anonymity. But when the media focus is like a laser-beam, then anarchists get nervous.

The Suicide Pilots, the band for which Jeff Monaghan plays the drums, has issued a statement.

Anarchists discover authority

Just an amusing aside about how, despite their best efforts to be the human equivalent of chaos, when push comes to shove, anarchists fall back on heirarchy and order in order to save their hides.

Jeff Monaghan, Anarchists, and Spring Cleaning

Jeff Monaghan was arrested for leaking the government's environment plan. Is this anarchist posing as a government worker the only dirt-worshipping, granola-eating, tree-hugging druid wannabe who got by the background checks?

Another Liberal Slumber Party with Janine Krieber -- North Korean style!

The Liberals are holding another slumber party to raise money for the party. The exciting news is that the wife of the Great Leader will be making an appearance.

Great Leader?!

Nicolas Ruszkowski to fix Stephane Dion's image

Nicolas Ruszkowski is taking on the challenge of rehabilitating Stephane Dion's image. It tells you something about Stephane Dion's problems when you go to someone like Ruszkowski.

Peter MacKay is sexy. Sexy!

OK, I don't have an opinion one way or another about how hot Peter MacKay is. But at least I know the difference between "sexist" and "sexiest":

Is Casey Computing another Abotech?

As the investigation into how contracts to manage the RCMP pension fund continues, we learn more about questionable contracts. Casey Computing is raising some red flags.

Abotech's key role in the rigging of RCMP pension contracts

We are finally learning the details of the way David Smith and his cousin Frank Brazeau gamed the bidding system to make sure pre-selected contractors won competitive bids to manage the RCMP pension system.

The National Post embraces the blogger

There's a subtle hint on the National Post website that speaks to how the newspaper perceives its own value in the world of news media.

The true story behind the Million Dollar Coin

It's about spying on the Americans!

Warren Kinsella the target of hitman spam

Is someone threatening to kill Warren Kinsella and his family? Not likely. In fact, it is a known, if rarely encountered, form of email extortion spam.

David Smith's attendance was an amendment to the PACP meeting notice

David Smith is appearing today in the televised meeting of the Public Accounts Committee investigation into the RCMP Pension Scandal. David Smith's former company, Abotech, has been implicated in the scandal. The firm once run by the former Liberal Party member of parliament for Pontiac is alleged to have been given directed contracts by Frank Brazeau, David Smith's cousin, who worked at Consulting and Audit Canada. The Auditor General has reported that these contracts bypassed the competition guidelines, and the work amounted to little more than passing cheques around, hardly worth the hundreds of thousands charge by Abotech.

What is interesting is that David Smith's appearance was amended to today's schedule.

The notice of the meeting indicates the David Smith was added to the meeting notice as an amendment. It probably doesn't mean anything, but it would be interesting to know just when David Smith was originally expected to testify, if at all, and what prompted this change. Really, just curious.

David Smith and Frank Brazeau to testify today about the role of Abotech in the RCMP Pension Scandal

David Smith and Frank Brazeau are testifying today on the role of Abotech in the RCMP Pension Scandal. I'm looking forward to some very interesting testimony.

Mohammed and the Tali-band

How long before the jihad is declared against MySpace? Or against this blog for daring to link to this blasphemous parody, "Allah Allah Allah"?

But seriously, how long before someone gets MySpace to pull this parody?

Bloc Quebecois, NDP and the Liberals to go after CKNW Radio

Shane Doan's alleged slur is nothing. There are even more vicious targets for Canada busy-body do-gooders with too much time on their hands to go after. There are typos that must be punished.

Liberal Party using slumber parties to raise funds

I'm not sure whether to giggle or to be impressed with the creative thinking. Well, giggling is out -- too much of that happens at slumber parties as it is.

What happens when the shoe is on the other (big) foot

The Conservative MP for Edmonton-Mills Wood-Beaumont, Mike Lake, delivered a petition on behalf of his constituents. Some people are mocking him for that. Critics have to remember that Mike Lake is working on behalf of his constituents, and not on behalf of Bigfoot.

Bigfoot?

The Green Party of Canada, American Apparel, Fair Trade, and Sex

The Green Party of Canada uses an American company to make the t-shirts it sells via the party website. Not only does this beg the question of just how committed the Green Party is to Canadian economic sovereignty, the choice of American Apparel as the supplier makes me wonder just what the Green Party really thinks about sexual harassment and labour standards in the workplace.

Chakmate!

Farhan Chak has bowed to pressure and has informed the Liberal Party that he will not be the candidate for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont. I have some thoughts on all of this.

Gary Goodyear demands action of Stephane Dion in the House of Commons with regards to Farhan Chak

My member of parliament, Gary Goodyear, took to delivering the most recent jab at Stephane Dion and the Liberals over Farhan Chak.

Farhan Chak's doctorate degree in question

Farhan Mujahid Chak has some problems on his hands. As the Liberal Party candidate for a riding in Alberta, he has been in the news dealing with the fallout of extreme-sounding writings of his, and serious firearms-related criminal charges that he seems to have not disclosed to the Liberal Party.

I'm going to add a new one to this list. His doctorate from the University of Durham? No such thing.

Segolène Royal, Elizabeth May, Farhan Chak -- They demonize the opponent and we live with the consequences

Segolène Royal, Elizabeth May, and Farhan Chak have all recently engaged in vicious attacks on their opponents, likening them to dictators of the worst possible kind. When violence erupts because well-meaning fools decide that history ought not to repeat itself, and that these budding Hitlers must be stopped by any means possible, they insist they've been misinterpreted. That is, of course, nonsense.

B'nai Brith demands action from Stephane Dion on Farhan Chak

B'nai Brith is adding its voice to the chorus demanding that Farhan Chak be removed as the nominee for the Liberal Party in Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont.

Pierre Poilievre raises the issue of Farhan Chak in the House of Commons

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre raised the question of Farhan Chak in the House of Commons today. Poilievre brings into it the question of Liberal leadership, as well as what the attitude of the Liberal Party as a whole is towards terrorism and extremism.

Elizabeth May, Nazis, and the voters of Central Nova

Elizabeth May would trade appeasement of Nazi Germany if it meant less pollution today. I can't imagine that will play well in Nova Scotia.

Farhan Chak was exonerated

Just pondering the details of Farhan Chak's exoneration on the gun charges.

Insensitivity bordering on racism at Marlowe (and the food wasn't very good either)

I've stumbled across an incident that, if described accurately, is a shocking display of insensitivity. If it is any consolation to the Sikh gentleman who was refused service at Marlowe in Richmond Hill because of his turban, the consensus seems to be that he missed out on what would likely have been a very disappointing meal.

Has Belinda Stronach become an unperson in the Liberal Party?

Belinda Stronach is out of the Shadow Cabinet. Perhaps not a surprise, but the press release is interesting for what it doesn't say.

Farhan Chak tries to defend himself

Farhan Chak is snapping back. He is arguing that his prior views have changed and that the firearms charges were dropped. But that doesn't matter. When he applied as a Liberal Party candidate, he was obligated to tell the Liberal Party all this information. And it is clear that the Liberal Party did not know.

Conservatives demand action on Farhan Chak

In the first official response concerning Liberal nominee Farhan Chak, Conservative MP and Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, Jason Kenney, has called on Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion to denounce Chak as an extremist with a history of violence who has no place in Canadian politics.

Is anyone listening to Diane Marleau?

If the Liberals want to win the next election, they have to stop talking to the media. Or so says Diane Marleau. I guess some Liberals are more interested in other things than winning.

Did Farhan Chak, who is now out of town, discharge a shotgun into a crowded club?

Given the information dug up by Kevin Libin at the National Post, Liberal Party candidate Farhan Chak is a poster boy for gun control.

Is Liberal candidate Farhan Chak a nut with a gun?

Was Farhan Chak, Liberal Party candidate, charged with discharging a firearm in a nightclub? Some people would think his opinions would classify him as a nut. Would this make him a nut with a gun? And is he enjoying the protection of Stephane Dion's people?

The Cost to Flick Off

The Flick Off campaign has cost $500,000, and will cost more for T-shirts, rings, action kits, and so on. But in this Web 2,0 world, there are online costs to this global warming campaign that a lot of people think was not well thought out.

Liberals accuse Conservatives of sodomy?

There have to be limits to what is acceptable political criticism in this country. The Liberals seem to have crossed that line through sheer incompetence.

A politically motivated war crimes complaint?

Michael Byers, a professor from British Columbia, wants foreigners to pass judgement on Canadian officials and soldiers, hoping to find them guilty of war crimes.

Conservatives look confused and befuddled

They say that in an emergency, it is panic that kills. The Conservatives need to stop looking like they're on the verge of panic.

Trusting Jean Chretien with an important mission

Stephen Harper has asked Jean Chretien to represent Canada at Boris Yeltsin's funeral. It's a good choice, because in many ways that are most important, Jean Chretien is a trustworthy man.

What would motivate a person to cheat the RCMP more than once?

Testimony at the Purblic Accounts Committee alleged that Dominic Crupi continued arrange for sham contracts relating to the RCMP Pension Fund to be directed to a select group of contractors. This after Crupi had been caughting cooking the contracts already. You have to ask yourself why Crupi would take on such a risk. The most obvious answer is startlingly clear.

Amir Attaran and Michael Ignatieff -- Making sure Canada is blamed for what happens to the Taliban

Amir Attaran, a vocal critic of Canada's treatment of Taliban prisoners and of the Canadian government, has a deep and personal relationship with the Liberal Party. Are his attacks motivated by his academic background, or are they partisan political attacks scripted by the Liberal Party?

Stephane Dion buys kudos from environmentalists fearful of accountability

Follow the money, and suddenly it becomes perfectly clear why Canadian environmentalists are so happy to heap praise on Stephane Dion, who as environment minister was an unmitigated disaster. And why they are happy to blame Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the mess that Dion left behind.

Garth Turner rewrites the history of the 2006 Afghanistan vote

Garth Turner's strange self-contained world only gets stranger. The Liberal MP recalls how most Liberals supported the Afghanistan mission extension last year. Oddly, I always thought "most" implied at least more than half, and not less than a third. But in Garthiopia, math runs by a different set of rules.

Is Stephane Dion getting campaign advice from France?

Just one of those bizarre sets of coincidences that almost certainly doesn't mean anything. But it's fun to follow the links.

Farhan Chak's views in focus at the National Post

Farhan Chak holds some strange views for a person running for political office in Canada. Running for the Liberal Party, he is an apologist for terrorists and a promoter of conspiracy theories that shift the responsibility for terrorism onto Western governments. Jonathan Kay has written an editorial in the National Post that holds that, in Canada, the concept of multiculturalism requires us to nod our heads when faced with such nonsense, lest we be labelled as cultural atavists who pine for the good old days of colonialism.

The Western Standard on the Stolen Files

When the Liberals found those Conservative personnel files, they must have been ecstatic. A juicy scandal hidden somewhere among them, and no one would spend much time worrying about how the files came into their hands. But instead, a year later, Liberals are falling onto each other, pointing fingers and casting blame.

Stephane Dion's brilliant Taliban concept

Stephane Dion wants to bring the Taliban to Canada. No. Really.

Stephane Dion is a very different leader in Garthiopia

Garth Turner, Liberal MP for Halton, thinks Stephane Dion is a leader who listens, who comes to decisions by consensus, who isn't dictatorial, who values the input from his MPs. Well, the rest of us don't live in Garthiopia.

RCMP Pension Scandal and Adscam

Enjoy these quotes leading from the RCMP Scandal to Adscam.

Just how much trouble is Elizabeth May in with the Green Party?

Has Elizabeth May ignored the wishes of her party membership when she entered into a deal with Stephane Dion? The Liberals won't run a candidate in Central Nova against May, and in return, the Greens won't run a candidate against Dion. Not only that, May will endorse Dion. But there is some debate about whether Elizabeth May was allowed to make such a deal, and even if she was, whether the Green Party membership voted with the intention to not allow such deals.

Jack Layton on the phone with foreign leaders, pushing for help to change Canada's foreign policy

In an act that brings into question the word "loyal" in the title "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition", Jack Layton is bragging about opposing government policy outside of the confines of the House of Commons by calling up dozens of foreign leaders and arguing that Canada's presence in Afghanistan must end. He admits to seeking outside help to change Canada's foreign policy. The fact that the Canadian public rejected his appeal to vote for the NDP in sufficient numbers to make it possible for Jack Layton to make that change through the mechanism of Canada's parliamentary democracy is just a minor sticking point. If Canadians won't change Canadian government policy, then by golly Jack Layton will find someone else who will.

The Must-Hear CBC Radio One report on Abotech and RCMP Pension Scandal

In December of 2005, CBC Radio One aired a two-part report on Abotech and Liberal MP David Smith. All the pieces linking Abotech to the RCMP Pension Scandal were mentioned, but at the time, the scope of the scandal had yet to be fully recognized. Now that it has, it's time to listen to that report again.

RCMP Pension Scandal widens; Abotech on the radar

David Smith's firm Abotech will be the subject of questioning aimed at former Liberal Party cabinet ministers as the investigation into the RCMP Pension Scandal moves forward at the Public Accounts Committee.

Mark Holland has a problem with the truth

Mark Holland has two statements on his website -- each depicts a different set of events. One must be a lie.

Latest poll shows Conservatives ahead of Liberals by 10 points; no election coming

Mike Duffy on CTV's Mike Duffy Live discusses the as yet unreleased poll numbers from Ipsos Reid, and reveals the inside scoop on the chances for an election this summer.

Garth Turner hopes we'll forget about his stand on Kyoto

Garth Turner's confusing stand on the environment. Captured in print, no less.

Gerrymandering fop who can't order a pizza

Two laugh out loud videos for you to check out. Starring Stephane Dion!

Note: Stephane Dion does not appear in these videos.

Green on Green fight to define internet liability

A fight between elements of the Green Party being played in in British Columbia might define the level of responsibility shared by bloggers, commenters, and service providers for things written online.

Liberals are waiting for Canadians to fund the next leadership race

You can hear a lot of rumbling about a move to replace Stephane Dion gaining in popularity. The only thing keep the knives sheathed is the election many think will come soon, with no one in the Liberal Party wanting to go into an election immediately after another leadership race. That's not quite right. The Liberals need the election loss to happen first in order to fund a leadership race.

Stephane Dion and Farhan Chak -- the question that will never be asked

A scrum question I'd pay to see:

Intrepid reporter: Monsieur Dion! A question please. As a citizen of the French Republic, are you personally offended by the position taken by your candidate for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont, Farhan Chak, who seems to deny that Algerian Islamic fundamentalists exist or were responsible for massacres in Algeria and attacks on French citizens in North Africa and in France itself, but maintains that shadowy groups within the French government itself perpetrated these atrocities? As a Frenchman, do you have a response to Mister Chak's allegations painting France as a sponsor of terrorism?

Monsieur Dion? Monsieur Dion?

Not likely.

Garth Turner's cable channel confusion

Garth Turner is a Canadian politician. Quick, someone remind him!

Liberal Party candidate Farhan Chak and his views on terrorism and a few other things

Sometimes you come across someone who wants to seem so reasonable, that you just have to check on what he's really all about. Farhan Chak is one of those people. He is one of the newest members of Stephane Dion's new Liberal Party and a supporter of Dion's during the Liberal Party leadership race. His views on Stephen Harper and on the Western media and on Islamic fundamentalism make for interesting reading.

Jack Layton is not a hypocrite

Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, is upset because NDP leader Jack Layton makes time to talk to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but hasn't returned her calls. Obviously there might be many reasons, but one of them is not hypocrisy. Stephen Harper is an elected MP and the head of a group of MPs with party status in the House of Commons. Elizabeth May is neither. Of course that means they'll be treated differently when it comes to discussions on politics.

Svend Robinson off to France; Canadian jewellers breathe a sigh of relief

Svend Robinson has announced he is off to France to work for Public Service International. Though jewellers across Canada hailed the move, I am disappointed by what this says about Svend Robinson's dedication to democracy.

Stephane Dion is embroiled in Wienergate

Stephane Dion tries to show just how down to earth he is by eating a Kelekis hot dog. It takes a special kind of elitist to flub something as simple as that.

Stephane Dion is just that sort of special.

Update: A written account of the photo-op. Not very successful, as it turns out.

The subtle plan to unite the left based on turning the NDP into a newspaper

Jim Laxer, a political scientist and a major figure in the NDP, thinks the way to unite the left is to have more left-of-centre parties. Or something like that. OK, I admit it. I didn't get it at first. But the more I read about Comrade Laxer's plans, the clearer they became. He wants Canada's left-of-centre parties to align behind the Liberals. Jack Layton needs to stop asking for people to vote for him and have the NDP act more like a newspaper instead. Trying to win seats by giving voters a choice is threatening democracy.

Darn it. I'm confused again.

The Dion-May dynamic

Maybe Elizabeth May was hoping for the credibility that comes with being elected to parliament, but even with Stephane Dion withdrawing the Liberals from the riding of Central Nova, not too many people are holding out much hope for Elizabeth May against Conservative Peter MacKay, including most Liberals.

And in return for this near-guaranteed election loss for the Green Party, Elizabeth May is compelled to deliver a potentially credibility-busting endorsement of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion as the best choice for prime minister at every opportunity.

Doesn't seem like a fair deal to me.

Green Party strategist Dan Baril resigns over deal with Liberals

Dan Baril, strategist for the Green Party, has resigned from his position (or was fired) because of his sharp disagreement with Elizabeth May's decision to strike a deal with Liberal leader Stephane Dion.

Gerard Kennedy was collecting $100 donations from Nova Scotia Liberals in Central Nova on March 22

Liberal party members don't have much hope for Elizabeth May to win in Central Nova. Her chances would diminish to zero, though, if it becomes clear that even as the Liberal Party was sending one of the most important members of the party, Gerard Kennedy, to Nova Scotia to collect large donations from Nova Scotian Liberals, the party had also decided that the money would not be used in Nova Scotia at all. And yet, that might be exactly what happened.

Liberal insider reveals Dion-May deal will allow Liberal Party to crush Greens across the country

According to Liberal blogger Jason Cherniak in a message to despondent Nova Scotia Liberals, the deal between Stephan Dion of the Liberal Party and Elizabeth May of the Green Party is a good thing. Why? Because it will enable the Liberals to bleed the Green Party dry of votes across the country. I wonder if Elizabeth May knows that this was Liberal plan. Worse yet, what if she does, but doesn't care, as long as it means she can her own seat in parliament.

The Earnscliffe Investigation: Flawed competitions, excessive payments, unnecessary work, and political connections

In a very long post, I review the Earnscliffe story going back ten years. I refamiliarize myself with the major players, the timeline, the allegations, and the unanswered questions. With the Conservatives initiating an investigation into the polling contracts, this might be of use in the weeks to come.

The title of the piece comes from Warren Kinsella's testimony to the Public Accounts committee. It describes what he thought of the polling contracts handed out by Paul Martin's Ministry of Finance.

Watching Canada's left attack itself

With Canada's left fractured, and with the Green Party becoming a new viable force, the viciousness of the attacks between competing left-wing parties is going to go up. It has already begun.

Angry makes a mistake, and Garth Turner calls him an idiot...twice!

I made a mistake, based on an assumption, and for that I'm labeled an idiot. A bit harsh, but then perhaps not. I've been called worse. The whole thing was rather silly, but out of it came an interesting comment from Garth Turner, Liberal Party member of parliament for Halton in Ontario. He doesn't seem all that interested in the overall opinion held by his constituents on the deal between Stephane Dion and Elizabeth May. That's an odd attitude for a member of parliament, don't you think?

Garth Turner supports Dion-May deal, which gives me an idea

Let's find a riding which would benefit both the Liberal Party and the Green Party to withdraw the Liberal Party candidate and endorse the Green Party candidate, as Stephane Dion has done for Elizabeth May in the riding of Central Nova.

Oh, I found one. Halton. And the great thing is that the current Liberal MP for the riding, Garth Turner, is open to the idea.

Update: I made a big mistake. Dresden is not in Garth Turner's riding. Thanks to Garth for pointing that out and calling me an idiot.

Shiela Copps' former campaign co-chair comes out against Dion-May deal [and is shut down]

Liberal Bryan Leblanc has started a movement to elect a Liberal in Central Nova.

But now the group, not even a day old, has disappeared. Silenced by Stephane Dion's people? Shut down by the owner, as it turns out.

Jack Layton and the NDP are the true target of Stephane Dion and Elizabeth May

Is Peter MacKay in trouble now that Stephane Dion has promised not run a Liberal candidate in Central Nova, and is boosting Green Party leader Elizabeth May instead? I don't think so, and not just because of his strength as a candidate. I don't think Peter MacKay is the target. The real target is Jack Layton and the NDP, and I think Jack Layton knows that.

A not-so-hypothetical question about Liberals supporting Elizabeth May

Some Liberals are looking forward to helping Elizabeth May. Is that even legal?

If I was a Liberal in Central Nova, I'd sue

The Liberal Party has been collecting money from Nova Scotians to help fund the election campaign of a Liberal candidate in Central Nova in the next election. Stephane Dion has decided that the voters in Central Nova don't deserve the opportunity to vote for a Liberal. Fair enough. But don't you think, then, that the Liberal Party doesn't deserve to hold on to that money?

Stephane Dion to be endorsed by al Qaeda fan

Stephane Dion is maneuvering to gain an endorsement from Elizabeth May of the Green Party. But the Green Party is the home to a candidate who cheered when thousands were killed in the 9/11 attacks. I wonder just what what lengths Stephane Dion is willing to go to for an endorsement.

Stephane Dion sells out Liberal voters in return for an endorsement

Stephane Dion has done something entirely unheard of in Canadian politics. He has bought an endorsement from a rival political leader, Elizabeth May of the Green Party, by selling out Liberal voters in the riding of Central Nova and agreeing not to give them a Liberal candidate to vote for. Apparently they will be good little Liberals and vote Green for Stephane Dion's benefit.

Or not. It doesn't really matter. Nor do the Liberal Party supporters of Central Nova. Stephane Dion has gotten someone to say he would be good prime minister.

Stephane Dion explains why a culturally superior Quebec still needs the rest of Canada

Every time Stephane Dion opens his mouth, it seems to be his mission to explain just how much better Quebecers are than Canadians from the rest of Canada. I'm starting to think this is not a case of a clumsy politician. I think he is grossly ignorant of Canada beyond Quebec's borders, and that this ignorance shows through whenever he compares Quebec to the rest of Canada.

Quebec's flag as the Liberal Party's symbol of a strong Canada

The Liberal Party shows again how its priorities are all about Quebec through a remarkable image that talks about a strong Canada...with only the Quebec flag as the backdrop.

Angus Reid poll shows Tories trusted on environment over Liberals

An Angus Reid poll shows that Stephen Harper's Conservatives are trusted over the Liberals when it comes to the environment. And when you artificially change the rules of the game to favour Stephane Dion, he only barely squeaks out a win.

Magna beats the Liberal Party with the Belinda Stronach news

Clearly Belinda Stronach has been in discussions with Magna International ahead of her decision to leave politics. It is also just as clear that Belinda Stronach gave the Liberal Party and leader Stephane Dion no heads up whatsoever.

Belinda Stronach quits, effective immediately, and Stephane Dion's leadership suffers another blow [update]

Belinda Stronach has announced her intention to quit politics, effective immediately. The means of her departure, and the presumed motives, can only hurt Stephane Dion just as he is struggling against the perception by Canadians of being an ineffectual leader.

Update: Is she staying on until the election, whenever that is? It's not clear.

Stephane Dion says non-Quebecers are simpletons

The first time Stephane Dion talked about how sophisticated Quebecers were politically, I was annoyed, since the implication was clearly that the rest of Canada is made up of political rubes. Then again, maybe that's not what he meant. But now that he has said it a second time, there is no mistaking it.

Stephane Dion thinks people outside of Quebec are simpletons.

Is Jean Chretien laughing right now?

Overheard at the Jean Béliveau reception:

Hat tip to Warren Kinsella for the photo.

Background: The Conservatives are announcing an investigation into the Liberal Party contracts with the Earnscliffe research firm.

Paul Martin's Earnscliffe contracts to be investigated

The Conservatives are launching an investigation into how the Liberal Party spent taxpayer's money on polling contracts. It was an area that was deliberately made forbidden territory by former prime minister Paul Martin when the Liberals set up the Gomery Commission to look into the Sponsorship scandal. Now we're going to get a light cast on this dark corner of Liberal government mismanagement.

Paul Wells' criticism of Rogers gets yanked...almost

Paul Wells at Maclean's criticizes the boss in front of the new employees, but the posting is quickly erased, never to be seen again.

Well, not quite.

It's very important to have pithy comebacks ready when you're in a fight

Dirty Harry Callahan has some of the best lines ever uttered by a hero in cinema history:

I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

If you are in a fight yourself, and you're looking the bad guy square in the eye, most of us would have nothing clever to say. But then sometimes the words just come.

Stephane Dion's election ravings rots a blogger's brain

Stephane Dion is constantly burbling on about how Stephen Harper is trying to trigger an election. Dion's ranting is clearly affecting the ability of people around him to think straight.

Cindy Sheehan's Crawford Peace House riven by internal dissent

News from Texas about Crawford Peace House, Cindy Sheehan's base of operations. Apparently, there are questions being raised about where all the money went.

A link from Daily Kos is not much to brag about

Q: What could be more exciting than a link from Daily Kos?
A: Anything.

But then maybe I'm just jealous.

Nah.

Jason Cherniak makes the news again...and hurts the Liberal cause

Jason Cherniak's attempt to portray Prime Minister Stephen Harper as someone who enjoys the news about Canadian soldiers dying in Afghanistan continues to pay dividends. Now a column in the Ottawa Sun makes prominent mention of the ad, and the Liberals are hurt as a result.

The Chinese government rejects any responsibility for the pet food poisoning

The Chinese government is weighing in on the pet food contamination that has been linked to imported wheat gluten. Not surprisingly, the Chinese are insisting they were not responsible.

Bob Rae and Bill Clinton fail to draw a crowd

Bob Rae is ill today. I don't know if it's the stomach flu or the disappointment blues from a failed public appearance last night with Bill Clinton, but Rae skipped out on an appearance with Stephane Dion as a result.

The real story behind the Vimy Ridge ceremony invitations

Let's look at the media coverage of the controversy over the Vimy Ridge ceremony invitations and the opposition spin, and then compare that against what really happened.

The weasel Jason Cherniak deletes his latest outrage...but doesn't get away with it

Jason Cherniak tries to portray Prime Minister Stephen Harper as some sort of callous villain who is enjoying the casualties being visited up Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.

Based on the violent reaction to his post, he failed.

Then he tries to delete the post and pretend it never happened.

He fails...yet again.

The Liberal Party Blog Conference Call -- two very different reviews

The Liberal Party hosted a conference call for bloggers. Of all the attendees, only two saw fit to blog about it. I find that very curious, especially since part of the message, apparently, was that their blogging should be supportive of the party...always.

One possible response to the Ontario lottery scandal

Lottery vendors stealing winning tickets from customers -- the enormity of the scandal in Ontario requires enormous action. I've got one idea.

Stephen Harper got off easy -- Imagine if Harper had said something about Jason Cherniak's weight!

Jason Cherniak is in a bit of hot water for slinging insults at the Prime Minister. Well, let me tell you that Prime Minister is a lucky man. Jason might well have accused him of bestiality, pedophilia, or of engaging in sodomy with a foreign object -- or all three at once! Jason's done it before.

In defence of our media

A lot of comments over the weekend made mention about our lazy main stream media. I'm taking issue with that point of view.

Did the RCMP raid the home of one of the people caught up in the pension scandal?

While I was working on the Abotech story, I got word of an RCMP raid on the home of Frank Brazeau. At the time, there was no obvious connection to the pension scandal that is now top news in Canada. Now looking back on it, the raid takes on a different complexion.

Is CTV the perpetrator or the victim of the Ben Mulroney April Fool's joke?

CTV is running a story about the son of Brian Mulroney taking on the son of Pierre Trudeau. Classic April Fool's hilarity. But I'm wondering just who is pulling the joke here.

And so it turns out I was the one completely fooled. D'oh!

The RCMP Pension Scandal, David Smith, Abotech, Morneau Sobeco and the ties that bind them

As we wait for an inquiry to begin into the RCMP pension scandal, there are few specific details into just how the RCMP mismanaged the pension. On one specific aspect of the Auditor General's report, I happen to have quite a bit of information, all stemming from my investigation of Abotech, the firm run by former Liberal MP David Smith.

Liberal Party to unleash Nerf ads

The Liberal Party is preparing to unleash attack ads aimed at Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. Call them Nerf ads, because it's hard to see just how they will hurt.

The Scott Reid Meltdown and the Chretien-Martin War

Scott Reid had a major meltdown on CTV's Mike Duffy Live last night. But putting aside the humour value of watching a senior Liberal Party strategist foam at the mouth, there is something significant to be gleaned from the outrageous display.

Stephane Dion is not quite notable

Hey, don't take my word on it. He's not in the database. I checked.

A new kind of political web filter at FreeDominion.ca aimed at Stephen Taylor?

How is it that my attempt to post a comment to a thread to the conservative website FreeDominion.ca referencing blogger Stephen Taylor gets modified into references to Liberal MP Belinda Stronach?

Update: I have an explanation, and it's not pretty.

Gloria Kovach: Stephane Dion had me fired!

Stephane Dion has another problem on his plate. Gloria Kovach, who was recently and mysteriously fired from her job as head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, is blaming Stephane Dion for pressuring the Federation to fire her. Kovach, a Conservative, is seeking legal advice from a lawyer.

Scott Reid to Mark Holland and Marlene Jennings: Thieves and Liars!

A remarkable delivery in the House of Commons yesterday, when Conservative MP Scott Reid went after Liberal MPs Mark Holland and Marlene Jennings, accusing them of theft, of lying, and of being in contempt of Parliament.

Developing: Scott Reid challenges Mark Holland and Marlene Jennings on a point of privilege

On the story of Liberal MP Mark Holland and the boxes of Conservative Party documents that never got moved despite being labeled, we have developments in Ottawa.

I've been told that, just after Question Period was concluded, Conservative MP Scott Reid raised a point of privilege and asked that Mark Holland and fellow Liberal Party MP Marlene Jennings be declared as having acted "in contempt of Parliament". Apparently the argument hinges on the fact that the boxes were labeled. Speaker Peter Milliken has reserved judgment until Holland and Jennings have responded to the charge.

More details as they become available.

Thanks to Hunter for the head's up and to my sources in Ottawa for the preliminary details.

Read on for details on what "contempt" means.

Update: Scott Reid accuses Mark Holland and Marlene Jennings of being thieves and liars.

David Suzuki vs Steve Shriver: Talkers talk, walkers walk, and some just run

Part of my problem with David Suzuki is the credibility gap. Driving a diesel bus around the country and flying to all points to tell the rest of us to lay off the gas is not the way to make a believer out of me.

On the other hand, actually running the 260 miles under your own organically-powered steam to prove a point gets my attention.

Mike Duffy shows a different way to handle confidential information

So what do you do when you realize you have come across something that doesn't belong to you quite by accident? What do you do if you have the public ear?

Liberal MP Mark Holland hides the goodies, then starts handing out confidential information to one and all to gawk at. Other people like Mike Duffy have taken a different approach.

Workplace Safety

I recently went on training to be a certified Health and Safety Board Member at Geosign. But whatever I know from reading books and studying the statutes pales to insignificance to what Rob Ellis knows, from deeply personal experience that no parent ought to have to go through.

If you work in a factory, or in an office, or outdoors, or if you stay at home with your kids, you should take the time to check out WorkSafely.com (it includes a blog covering a wide variety of topics from sports safety to the role of age in workplace accidents). You might learn something that could literally save a life one day.

The Board of Internal Economy, Speaker Peter Milliken, Mark Holland, and the stolen boxes

Mark Holland is trying to cook up a scandal to embroil Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, and he's using confidential papers he found in boxes that, for some reason, were not delivered to the Prime Minister's Office, even though it appears that they were properly labelled to be moved.

As a side show, the Liberal Party is also trying to make this into an example of how the Conservative Party failed in its responsibility to move these boxes, leaving them to be found by a nosey backbench opposition MP.

The Liberals know better. They know full well that managing office moves falls under the responsibility of the Speaker of the House, through the function of the Board of Internal Economy. This all-party Board exercises remarkably broad powers when it comes to the smooth administrative functioning of Parliament. When confidential material under the Board's care falls into the wrong hands, and worse yet, is made public, the Board has failed dramatically, and ought to be making waves of its own to find out just what happened.

Related: Not everyone faced with having confidential information inadvertently in their possession takes it as a signal to start publishing it far and wide.

New York Times: Daycares linked to disruptive children

The New York Times is reporting on a study that shows that children who spend their preschool years in daycares are actually more disruptive in school than children raised by a parent in a home setting.

Mark Holland: An example of how to handle private papers

Mark Holland, Liberal MP for Ajax-Pickering, is scolding the Conservatives for not controlling access to documentation properly. Here are boxes, labeled clearly as belong to the Prime Minister's Office, and also labeled as awaiting pickup by movers, left in the general vacinity of Mark Holland. So of course, the right thing to do is teach the Conservatives a lesson by opening those boxes up, rifling through them all, and handing over what nuggets he finds interesting to the mass media.

Did Stephane Dion just call me a rube?

Stephane Dion hopes to showcase his ability to united Canadians behind his leadership. But by his own words we're not all too smart. We might not be sharp enough to spot his obviously superior qualities drawn from his status as a sophisticated Quebecker.

Wouldn't that be ironic?

Duh, what does "ironic" mean?

The myth of the electorate group-mind

Jean Charest, winning only enough seats in last night's Quebec election to build a minority government, spoke of the wishes of the electorate for a strong opposition. I'm not sure why politicians invoke the metaphor of the electorate as some organization with a single message. No such message exists.

Gilles Duceppe's awful night

Gilles Duceppe has so many reasons to be miserable tonight, now that the Quebec election results are in.

Battlestar Galactica: Rebutting Paul Wells and remembering a moment of transcendence from the old series

Season three of the new Battlestar Galactica has wrapped up with another jaw-dropping season cliffhanger. Paul Wells of Macleans magazine shares his opinion, and I feel compelled to offer a rebuttal.

Pet Food and Aminopterin: The irrational application of pesticides by Chinese farmers

Aminopterin is still the prime suspect in the food poisoning that has claimed the lives of over a dozen pets, and quite possibly hundreds. Suspicion keeps coming back to the wheat gluten used as a base for the preparation of these foods by Menu Foods. The wheat gluten was imported by China, so I started reading some background on Chinese agricultural practises.

The application of pesticides has been descibed as "irrational" as recently as last October.

Poisoned pet food: Did aminopterin get on the wheat?

The story of the poisoned pet food has not progressed much since the revelation that the poison aminopterin is almost certainly the culprit. The question remains. Just how did the wheat gluten get contaminated, if indeed that was the source?

Hezbollah, Israel, and the Cease Fire: Was Jack Layton right?

Jack Layton's plan for Canada during the war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah was to run to the UN and demand a peacekeeping force to keep Israel and Hezbollah apart, blaming both sides equally. Prime Minister Stephen Harper had no qualms in blaming Hezbollah for the fighting, and in pointing out that Hezbollah is interested only in Israel's destruction. Hezbollah would use a ceasefire as an opportunity to repair the damage inflicted by Israel, and to be re-armed by Iran.

Guess who was right?

Ward Churchill's Legacy: A new process to fire academic cheats and liars quickly

Ward Churchill's legacy to the world will not come from any of his academic writings, plagiarized or not. It will be a new process at the University of Colorado that will see professors who are clearly unworthy of their position removed from their lifetime position in a matter of three months.

Aminopterin, PETA, Anna Nicole Smith and conspiracy theories

Pet owners across Canada and the United States are worried that they've been feeding their dogs and cats poisoned food. Today, that poison, aminopterin, has been blamed for over a dozen animal deaths, and more are likely to be blamed on the contamination. The company that made the food, Ontario-based Menu Foods, is trying to understand how the poison, which is not licensed for use in North America, got into the supply chain. While we wait, I'm going to indulge in some irresponsible musing about who would stand to gain from this.

Sensitivity for the confused, but not the faithful

In Canada, it is not so important to be sensitive to the needs of those who live on the edges of what the majority of people call normal or average. It is more important to be sensitive to the needs of specific groups of these people. People living on the borders of gender identity get special treatment, but those who religious beliefs require some flexibility are out of luck.

David Suzuki's air travel restrictions -- only one-and-a-quarter times around the globe this year

The David Suzuki Foundation responded to a survey to an NGO researching just how environmental groups were reducing air travel. But the travel itinerary of David Suzuki shows little sign of being throttled back.

Indeed, he's been traveling farther in recent years.

Michael Ignatieff offers another view on the value of apologies

Michael Ignatieff is demanding that the Minister of Defence resign over a mistake for which an apology was offered.

Strange, but the words "Michael Ignatieff", "mistake", and "apology" trigger a memory for me.

Denis Coderre stands only for Denis Coderre

Denis Coderre, defense critic for the Liberal Party, was furious when Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggested that it would be nice to see the Liberal Party stand up for Canada's military with as much vigour as they've shown over the Taliban.

That's funny. That's very funny. Denis Coderre has never once stood up for the troops. And he's had ample opportunity.

Deadly pills from overseas being sold through phoney online Canadian pharmacies

The death of Marcia Bergeron has cast a spotlight on online pharmacies. They've been around for a while, but now there is a new twist. Overseas suppliers looking to unload substandard, even dangerous, pharmaceutical supplies are posing as Canadian-based online pharmacies in order to entice Americans who trust the Canadian health system to supply quality drugs at low prices.

You want the bear dead? Fine, you kill it

Animals rights activists want to kill an animal. A baby bear, in fact.

Why? Because it is being humiliated.

How? Well, the humans give it milk, and shelter, and attention. Wicked stuff like that.

Elizabeth May's clever move in taking on Peter MacKay

Elizabeth May, leader of Canada's Green Party, is planning to take on one of the Conservative Party's most powerful and popular MPs, Peter MacKay, in the next election.

Is she nuts? Hardly. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Jason Belfiglio: Innocent bystander or guilty of attack on the Chabad Jewish Centre?

A Jewish community centre in Toronto was the target of what appears to have been a hate crime. Jason Belfiglio has been arrested, charged with smashing the windows at the Chabad Midtown Jewish Community Centre.

Jason Belfiglio claims innocence, but he is being congratulated by neo-Nazis who seem to think he's being too modest.

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Stephane Dion's plan to fail

Stephane Dion's new plan for saving Canada from the sun (or whatever) involves -- wait for it -- a brand new government program! It's shocking that there are people in this day and age who don't understand that a government program can never achieve its goals. Not if those goals mean the end to the program.

Deb Frisch is being chased out of the blogosphere [updated -- she's been pwned]

Deb Frisch, one of the blogosphere's most infamous members, is being run out of the blogosphere.

Nine blogs up, three blogs closed down. Another blogosphere first?

Update #1: Add one more blog down, and one taken over by...a gerbil?!

Update #2: One of her backup blogs has been activated.

Jumping to the defence of Belinda -- CTV makes the correction (almost)

Earlier this afternoon, CTV reported on how Belinda Stronach had been eclipsed in the Liberal Party lineup. In that report, CTV Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said that, among other things, Belinda Stronach did not have a critic's job.

That's simply not true. Belinda is the Critic for Competitiveness and the New Economy. A few hours later, and CTV has corrected their story.

Well, almost.

Jumping to the defence of Belinda

CTV is reporting today that Belinda Stronach might not run in the next election, whenever it comes. But CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said something that didn't ring true. I'd like to set the record straight.

Update: It looks like CTV has corrected the mistake...mostly.

YouTube Fight Video: "Happy slapping" has come to Canada

A little-reported incident in Ottawa might actually have been an example of a disturbing internet phenomenon sweeping Europe. "Happy slapping" is posing a challenge to parents, school administrators, law enforcement, and civil rights advocates alike.

Is Stephane Dion's plan to hire more Mounties a public relations sham?

Hiring more Mounties will not do anything to reduce violent crime. In fact, it is a sneaky way of hiring more Mounties to go after people in possession of marijuana for personal use.

You think I'm wrong? Hey, don't look at me. I didn't say it.

Ward Churchill: Builds more lies on Canada's residential school tragedy

Ward Churchill has been accused of academic theft, and now new allegations have been levelled against him. But this time, he's stealing research related to one of the most painful episodes of Canada's history with its native peoples. To pretend to be an advocate for First Nations by stealing the academic efforts of a non-aboriginal researcher is truly a new low.

Assassinate Stephen Harper? Canadian blogger (and would-be priest) learns his limits

The Canadian blogosphere is buzzing with the story of blogger Allen Varlaki, a student at the University of Toronto and a would-be Catholic priest, who called for the assassinaton of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Within hours, his blog was shut down.

The name of his blog was Nullus Fines. I took Latin in school -- it means "No limits".

Well, looks like he hit a limit.

Canadian "denier" threatened with death -- and it is not reported in Canadian news

A Canadian scientist questions the science of climate change, and he begins receiving death threats.

I read about it in a British newspaper. Isn't this newsworthy in Canada?

YouTube and Turkey: A situation that could easily happen again

Turkish courts tried to keep YouTube videos that transgressed Turkish law from being seen in Turkey, and successfully blocked all of YouTube for two days.

I can see the same thing happening in Canada. Easily.

Environmental lobbying on the sly?

Young people are being encouraged to "adopt" an MP to push for action on the issue of climate change.

My question is just where does democratic participation end and formal lobbying begin. Has this group crossed the line?

And who is behind this group in the first place?

Stephane Dion's call to Canadians to take over the world

The Liberal Party annouces on its home page that "Canada Must Take on the World."

But in an unfortunate confusion of prepositions, world domination became the focus of Mr. Dion's speech to the Canadian Club of Ottawa.

Banned toy still for sale in Canada and is being aimed at kids, despite what Health Canada says

Back in November, I reported on a banned toy that was still being distributed by a company out of Montreal called Party Starter. I asked Health Canada about this, and they responded that an inspector checked out the situation, and reported back that the website was mistaken, the toy was in fact unavailable, and all was well.

So imagine my surprise when I wandered over and discovered that not only is the toy back under a different part number, and that I could proceed through the checkout process with my Canadian shipping address without any indication that the item was not available.

But what really made my jaw-drop was the fact that the text for the item in the catalog has been changed. Now it is directly aimed at 3-year-old children.

Update: When I placed a call to the firm, the person who answered said they don't sell the product anymore, but no one can explain the website still advertises the product (an offence under the Hazardous Products Act), or why it seems to take an order. Of course, maybe this is all the inspector did.

Is the NDP encouraging illegal political donations?

The new donations rules enacted by the Conservatives limit political donations. Only individuals can donate, not organizations, and there is a limit of $1,000 per year. No more donations from corporations and unions, and the old limit of $5,000 is out the window.

So how is it that the NDP has a page up encouraging donations from unions in excess of $1,000?

Stephen "Skip" Harper at the Brier

Stephen Harper gives an interview to TSN at the Tim Hortons Brier.

The NDP is finally coming down on MyBlahg -- and just as I've advised them to

For quite some time, I've been providing free advice to the NDP about how to use the blogosphere more effectively. Their problem is unique. Their main blogger, Robert McCelland of MyBlahg.com, is routinely offensive, sometimes shockingly so. That in turn would keep the NDP from establishing any formal relationship.

So I've been clear to the NDP -- you own your brand, so take control of it. And take control of the blogroll. Set some standards and enforce them.

Looks like the message has gotten through.

The poll David Suzuki doesn't want you to see

Canadians are not supportive of Kyoto, according to his poll taken by the David Suzuki Foundation.

A poll that has disappeared.

Don't worry. You can view the poll here, and even add your vote as well.

According to David Suzuki, Kyoto targets are always achievable

When David Suzuki was asked last month if Canada's Kyoto targets are achievable, he said it would be difficult. I have a problem with this. My problem is that two years ago, an eminent proponent for Kyoto said at the time meeting the Kyoto targets would be difficult. So seven years has turned to five, and Canada's emissions have grown, not shrunk. In effect, we've taken a difficult task, increased the scope dramatically, and signficantly compressed the timeline.

The project manager in me says the window for success has slammed shut.

Unless that other climate change expert was wrong in characterizing the situation as so tough two years ago. Maybe it was well within reach. It has only been between then and now that it has become a tough problem. If so, it might not be too late. But I don't think that's the case. I think this person was right, and that reaching the Kyoto targets two years ago was a very difficult task, which is also why I think it's impossible now.

And I also know David Suzuki would never disagree with a word this person says.

Interview with NDP leader Jack Layton

A remarkable example of citizen journalism with NDP leader Jack Layton sitting down with NDP Liberal Conservative blogger Stephen Taylor to deliver a 15 minute interview. Sometimes Jack Layton makes sense, sometimes not so much. But it's a fascinating conversation to listen to.

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Liberal Blogger: If Stephane Dion was a one trick pony, it would be an improvement

Some cruel honesty on the part of a Liberal blogger makes for some fine reading.

Stephane Dion and the Liberal Party are losing core support

When we look at polls, we often look at what the actual support numbers are right now. As many point out, this is a snapshot, and so can change.

They are right of course. But that does not reduce the usefulness of a poll. Indeed, it reminds us to look at the flow of opinion that led to that particular snapshot.

Presumably the flow is more stable and long-term. And the pattern of the flow right now is shattering news for the Liberal Party.

Conservatives lead in the polls (and the rewards of patience)

The buzz has been about polls. I've held off saying anything in part because yesterday we only had one poll. Now today we have two. And the Conservatives are swimming in good news.

Is Stephane Dion writing the headlines for the Liberal Party homepage too?

I only ask because it reads the way he would say it.

David Suzuki vs a Terrorist: A difference of degree

In the debate over the environment, it is often a difference of degrees.

I'm not talking about the obvious -- is the earth warming by 5 degrees or 2 degrees or not at all.

I'm talking about something entirely different. But it also just a difference in degrees.

Can you be the next Michael Ignatieff? Take the Sideshow test

Do you have what it takes to be the next Michael Ignatieff? Take this simple test and find out for yourself.

The National Post says the unspeakable -- Stephane Dion sold out Canada's security for personal power

In a stunning editorial by Jonathan Kay at the National Post, Stephane Dion stands accused of selling out our national security for a win at the Liberal Party convention.

It doesn't get much more serious than that! And the consequences might go far beyond Stephane Dion's place in the history books.

Stephane Dion wins one -- and will likely lose big

Stephane Dion must face the consequences of a three-line whipped vote that was defied by two important Liberal MPs. Tom Wappel and Irwin Cotler did not follow the putative Liberal Party leader, and that makes Stephane Dion's leadership situation all the more precarious.

Stephane Dion: Asking politely if it is his turn to be leader

Stephane Dion supporter, riding president, and leading Liberal Party blogger, Jason Cherniak, is calling on the Liberals to let Stephane Dion as more questions in Question Period.

But I thought that would be a decision for Stephane Dion to take. I mean, he is the leader, isn't he?

An article from 2005 makes a direct reference to Stephane Dion's pressure from lobbyists

I added some extra elements to my bromine timeline, and in doing so, stumbled across an article in The Walrus in which the author Paul Webster, makes an explicit reference to Stephane Dion's lack of action because of intense lobbying.

A timeline of environmental (in)action

In doing to cleanup research on the question of bromine lobbying by key Liberals, I assembled an interesting timeline. It is revealing.

For five bucks you can be an environmental hero just like David Suzuki

I decided to figure out just how much it will cost uber-environmentalist David Suzuki to drive his monster bus across the country and still be carbon neutral.

The results were surprising, and frankly, they made me laugh at the whole Suzuki circus.

Charles Rust-Tierney: This is a reason child pornogrpahy is just banned outright

The former chapter president of the Virgina branch of the American Civil Liberties Union has been arrested on charges of posessing child pornography.

Given the ACLU's position on child pornography, you have to wonder just what happened to Charles Rust-Tierney.

Prominent Sikh Liberal resigns over Stephane Dion's position on anti-terror bill

Stephane Dion is attempting to face down a growing revolt over his insistence that two provisions in the anti-terror bill designed by Jean Chretien's government be allowed to lapse. Not only are his MPs grumbling, Liberals outside of the caucus are upset.

I have just received a copy of a letter from Sarwan Singh Randhawa, a prominent Sikh community member and member of the Liberal Party, resigning his membership with the party over this issue.

Kyoto targets an unachievable fiction: Liberal insiders

By 2012, Canada's emissions must be 6% below 1990 levels in order to meet the Kyoto targets. Of course, we all know that in the years since the Liberals ratified the treaty in 2002, emissions have risen by over 30%. As Stephane Dion has plaintively cried, priorities were elsewhere. It wasn't his fault.

Actually, he's right. No one could meet the targets. Eddie Goldenberg, a senior Liberal advisor, has revealed today that the government of Jean Chretien always knew that the targets were unachievable. Worse yet, another source explains that the targets were set in a completely capricious manner, unconnected in any way to any kind of science.

It seems to me that the sooner Stephane Dion realigns his priorities, the better. He's a fool if he continues to carry the standard of Kyoto, now understood to be an utter fiction, and foisted upon him by his Liberal Party predecessors who no longer have to answer for their decisions.

Stephane Dion: Dim bulb

Australia, not a signatory to Kyoto, takes concrete action under its Liberal government.

Canada, signatory to Kyoto, achieved nothing in a dozen years of its Liberal government.

But remember, the Liberal Party of Australia is centre-right, that is, conservative. Canada's Liberal Party is centre-left, that is, ineffective.

Malaysia to recruit spies to help enforce Islamic law and custom

George Orwell's nightmarish world of 1984 is taking a step closer to reality in Malaysia, where Islamic forces are taking their cues from the most purely atheistic society ever described in literature.

Letter from the Canadian Coalition Against Terror takes aim at potential Liberal Party rebels

National Newswatch is reporting that Stephane Dion is preparing to withold his signature from the nomination papers of Liberal MPs who bolt and vote in favour of extending the provisions of Canada's anti-terrorism bill.

Those same Liberal MPs have received a letter from the Canadian Coalition Against Terror imploring them to vote in favour of extending the provisions, as many have said they are inclined to do. What these MPs have to consider is whether the threat to withold his signature, if real, is also likely to happen. That is, Stephane Dion can only follow through with a threat like that if he is actually the leader when an election comes. If Liberal caucus members have reason to doubt that, or to think that as an unpopular party leader, Stephane Dion is likely to cost them their seats, then they might just bolt after all.

Is Stephane Dion surrounded by anti-Kyoto Liberals?

When confronted by Michael Ignatieff on the fact that the previous Liberal governments, despite signing on to Kyoto in December of 2002 had failed to make any movement toward getting Canadians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and had in fact watched them increase significantly, Liberal Party leadership candidate Stephane Dion whined mightily. Mewling, he cried, "That's unfair! Do you think it's easy to set priorities?"

Amazingly, this person was elected leader!

What is even more amazing is that I continue to find evidence that the Liberals are simply not serious about Kyoto. This is not about whether the targets are easily met or priorities are easily set. This is about how, when you scratch below the green sheen that the Liberal Party has put on itself, there is nothing but twisted links and ties to organizations that, right or wrong, are dead set against Kyoto.

This time I'm talking about senior Liberal strategist Randy Pettipas.

One the one hand, the Liberal Party insists that Kyoto must be implemented. On the other hand, senior Liberals are being paid to lobby against implementing Kyoto. Which is it? Maybe Stephane Dion's first priority is to get this sorted out.

John Duffy knows my name

Stephen Taylor has an amazing video that I haven't seen before. Taken at the Liberal leadership convention, John Duffy is confronted by a camera held by the Blogging Tories. When he finds out, imagine my surprise at the name that pops out of his mouth.

Bromines, Ozone and the Greenhouse Effect, Lobbyists, and Liberals

Bromines? Who's afraid of bromines? Who's even heard of bromines?

I had to look them up, and it turns out bromines are an environmentalist's nightmare. Bromine compounds in the atmosphere are far more destructive to the ozone layer than chlorine, and at the same time trap heat like carbon dioxide.

So it came as a surprise to note that two high profile Canadian political figures with close Liberal ties are on the one hand running a pro Liberal, pro Stephane Dion website devoted to promoting the Liberal Party as the party to save the environment, and on the other hand have been for years lobbying on behalf of the industry organization that promotes the continued use of bromine-compounds and aggressively fights attempts to regulate bromine use.

I wonder if John Duffy and Robert Asselin will face questions from Liberal Party members who are legitimate environmentalists about what role the two might have played in the lack of action shown by the Liberals on just about anything to do with the environment during their 13 years in power.

Lieberals? Let's grow up

Something that has been bothering me for some time is the debasement of political dialogue. I, for one, would like to see that change.

CTV Report: Liberal poll numbers tanking -- Liberals asking "Who's the leader?"

In what can only be described as disastrous news for the Liberal Party, CTV News last night led off with a special report revealing that polling numbers show that the Liberal Party is tanking at the polls. More importantly, though, it seems that the charge to the political basement is being led by Stephane Dion personally, who is not seen as a leader by Canadians. On the other hand, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's personal numbers continue to climb.

Marlene Jennings: Lies about her citizenship

For Liberal MP Marlene Jennings (Notre-Dame- de-Grâce—Lachine), the concept of citizenship seems to be something that morphs and changes based on what sounds good at the moment.

A perfect metaphor for how Liberals think -- whatever sounds good right this minute. Fortunately, we can look to the past, and see that the sob story Marlene Jennings is peddling right now is just that, a story. It is designed to embarrass the Conservatives, and if altering the facts helps get that done, well, so be it.

Charles Adler: "Our bellies are full. It’s time to plunder."

In tomorrow's column by Charles Adler, presented here at Angry in the Great White North in its entirety with permission, Charles looks at the various missteps and ill-considered statements coming out of the Liberal Party under Stephane Dion, and wonders if there is any way we can avoid an election? Stephen Harper will need the patience of Job not to call an election to rid himself of these troublesome Liberals by winning a Conservative majority.

But the timing of an election call is tricky even in this sort of situation.

Adler is the host of Adler on Line on the Corus Radio Network.

You can contact Charles at adleronline@gmail.com

Or through his website www.charlesadler.com

Stephane Dion: An inspirational leader?

Can Stephane Dion inspire Canadians? The real question is whether he can inspire his own Liberal caucus.

Maybe Michael Ignatieff can give Stephane Dion some pointers.

Bob Rae to undergo sex-change operation

No, Bob Rae is not going under the knife. Too bad for Stephane Dion, because as it is, his promise to run women candidates in one-third of the ridings in the next election won't result in many more women MPs, since all the safe ridings are going to be held by the boys, or given to important star candidates, who happen to be male.

Hezbollah lackey criticizes a Conservative prop

Denis Coderre indulges in some stone throwing in the glass house in which the Liberal Party lives.

Nicole Foster Woollatt: Big oil's pipeline to Stephane Dion and the Liberal Party [Updated]

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has made it clear, either in his own words or through his point man, Mark Holland, that Canada's oil industry must restrain itself in order for Canada to meet Kyoto commitments. And if the major petroleum companies, almost all located in Alberta, don't limit themselves, Dion will legislate limits and restrictions on their activities should the Liberal Party be returned to power.

So it came as quite a surprise to me to discover that the same petroleum interests have hired Nicole Foster Woollatt, a senior member of the Liberal Party executive, to be their lobbyist.

The Conservative Party of Canada in bed with American political operators

Oops, did I say Conservatives? I meant to say the Liberal Party of Canada.

First hints at replacing Stephane Dion

Chantale Hebert is one of Canada's best known columnists, commenting on national affairs for the Toronto Star. In her most recent column, she discusses the importance of fluency in both official languages for Canada's top political leaders. But along the way, she obliquely discusses the consequences of bilingualism for Stephane Dion's successor.

Stephane Dion is barely two months into his new role as leader of the Liberal Party, and already Hebert is discussing his successor?

That's not a good sign.

Layout changes

Feedback has led to some changes, hopefully for the better.

Is Garth Turner joining the Liberals? Is Garth Turner a liar?

Is Garth Turner joining the Liberal caucus? If so, what will Garth Turner have to say about this?

My harrowing escape from Venezuela North

I've been off the blog since last week as my family made good our escape from Ajax, also known as Venezuela North, represented by Hugo Chavez wannabe Mark Holland of the Liberal Party. Now that we're safely relocated in Cambridge, Ontario, and represented by Gary Goodyear of the Conservative Party, I feel I can speak freely of Mark Holland's frightening plans to nationalize Canada's oil industry. Or not. But whatever is done, or not done, the important thing is that the Liberal Party does it. Or doesn't do it. Whatever.

Artistic license? Or cherry-picking Liberal lies?

The Conservative ads attacking Stephane Dion, new leader of the Liberal Party, are particularly effective because they use statements made by other Liberals criticizing Stephane Dion's record.

One Liberal blogger is trying to counter with his own ad. But it flops. He manages to find a clip of John Baird, Minister of the Environment, stating "our party has got into a mess on the environment".

The problem is that Baird was quoting Liberal Michael Ignatieff. And Ignatieff was talking about the Liberal Party.

Nice try, Jason, but what you call artistic license is in fact a lie.

A note to the opposition: Kyoto is spelled with a 'K'

The opposition MPs, Liberal, Bloc Quebecois, and NDP, were all sporting green "Save Kyoto" ribbons.

And only one was wearing it the right way.

You know, if you are going to position yourself as the "Kyoto" bloc, you could at least make an effort to appear like you know what you are talking about.

Stephane Dion is getting plenty of press because of his comedy stylings

Stephane Dion's razor wit has earned him a story on the wire services. And it makes me think about humour, and Stephane Dion's history with spontaneity.

Video of Stephane Dion mocking Stephen Harper's waistline

Here is the video of the news report in which Stephane Dion mocks Stephen Harper for being overweight.

Note to Stephane Dion: Leaders don't act like children and indulge in fat jokes

Stephane Dion seems to have a real problem when it comes to exhibiting leadership qualities. The Conservatives have released ads that highlight Dion's problems in setting priorities.

Though I think that was effective, I'd like to point out that calling the other guy fat is not the sort of behaviour you want from your leader either.

Perley Edmund Holmes: Proponent of drug testing

An interesting comment left on a union blog prompts a guffaw.

Will the Conservative attack ads ever run on TV?

Ezra Levant, working with the research of Stephen Taylor, has written a brilliant piece that makes me wonder if those devastating Conservative Party ads targeting Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion will ever make it to television.

If not, what can we do to help?

New Conservative ads targeting Stephane Dion

Get 'em right here. Fresh to your browser. Three devastating ads unveiled by the Conservative Party targeting Stephane Dion, the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Russian interest in Perley Edmund Holmes

I just spotted a curious reference in my search links. So time for some wild speculation about the Russian mob and drug trafficking in Canada.

Perley Edmund Holmes: First drugs and now guns

An arsenal of weapons have been found in connection to the arrest of Perley Edmund Holmes, the BC union leader picked up in Washington state with over $4 million in cocaine in his possession. Now is the time for a cheap political shot.

Jack Layton wants to give a buck a month to Canadians and calls himself a hero

NDP leader Jack Layton is demanding legislation to stop banks from charging fees for using bank machines. He claims he is helping working families. The problem is that the math suggests that his "help" amounts to just about nothing. This is the same party that says giving families $100 per child each month is "bogus".

It seems to me that working families would do well to choose the bogus allowance over the kind of help Jack Layton is offering.

Ward Churchill story races to a conclusion

The story of Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado professor facing dismissal for academic fraud, is quickly coming to a conclusion. In 30 days, a decision will be taken.

Perley Holmes, Stephane Dion supporter and alleged drug dealer, triggers union audit

The CBC is reporting more detail about the arrest of Perley Edmund Holmes, the BC union official arrested in the US on charges of possession of cocaine. In particular, there will be an audit to see if money was used illegally. That could be very interesting for this supporter of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion.

I am not authorized to look at what Stephane Dion's drug dealing friend Perley Edmund Holmes has said about him

A union leader, Perley Edmund Holmes, has been arrested in connection to the trafficking of over $4 million in cocaine. Perley Edmund Holmes came out strongly for Stephane Dion during the Liberal Party leadership campaign. Of course, Stephane Dion can't control what his supporters do. But the Dion people were quick off the mark to expunge the website of Holmes' endorsement. What's wrong with these people? Have they never heard of the Google cache? By doing that, all they've done is pique my interest.

Stephen Harper, Canadian

A dad taking his boy to an exciting Leafs game.

It doesn't get more Canadian than that.

Bet Stephen Harper doesn't feel short-changed in not having French citizenship.

Postscript: For those who are wondering, it's not my video. Some people think it is. Someone sent it to me and I put it up. And Simon captures it well -- how a man spends his time speak volumes about his character. Stephen Harper is well educated, but has not had the love of the Game learned out of him, so to speak. And he's trying to do things with his son that will do more to build his son's character than all the political debates that Pierre Trudeau apparently had with his kids (according to Justin). Things like loyalty to the team, the importance of shared experience, how people from many walks of life still have so much that can bind them together. Things all sons can learn from their fathers, not just fathers who are prime ministers.

I'm somewhat disappointed that I had to write all this -- I would have thought it was obvious what I was getting at. But some people think this has to do with being a Leafs fan. Oh well. Too subtle, I suppose.

Stephane Dion rebuilds the Liberal Party...the old Liberal Party

Stephane Dion is quoted as saying he thought key figures in the Sponsorship Scandal were unfairly punished when they were banned forever from the Liberal Party. It is not the only example of Stephen Dion rebuilding the Liberal Party to look like the old Liberal Party. What has not been reported is that a scandal-tainted figure from the Paul Martin government and an early supporter of Dion's leadership bid, David Smith of Pontiac, has a position in Dion's office.

NDP calls for advice on effective blogging

The NDP has started to solicit opinions on how Canada's left-of-centre party should use blogging more effectively as a means of delivering its message.

Funny they should ask, since there is a clear example right now of just how the NDP message is being sabotaged by the current crop of NDP bloggers. It's too bad, because I really want blogging to succeed, regardless of the political views espoused by any particular blogger. I think bloggers for the Conservatives and the Liberals are by and large a decent bunch of bloggers. But the NDP has some serious problems. This is just one of them.

Deb Frisch is at it again -- and lawyer Jeralyn Merritt is demanding that Frisch stop

Deb Frisch is at it again. This time she is making comments about the lawyer, Jeralyn Merritt, who is blogging about Frisch's scrap with Jeff Goldstein.

Among Frisch's comments:

• Jeralyn Merritt is a shyster, which means someone, in particular a lawyer, who acts in unethical or unscrupulous manner
• Jeralyn Merritt is a hypocrite because she defended Oklahoma city bomber, Timothy McVeigh
• Jeralyn Merritt is inciting violence against Deb Frisch through Merritt's blog
• Jeralyn Merritt is over 60

Islamic taxi drivers pushed too far -- and now they've become the dhimmitude

In Minneapolis, there has been a recent problem with Muslim taxi drivers refusing fares at the airport. People who were carrying alcohol or were accompanied by dogs, including seeing eye dogs, were told that they could not get a ride. Why? Because of Islam's ban on alcohol, and the fact that dogs are considered unclean.

In case you were wondering just how big the problem is, almost 75% of the taxi drivers are Somali Muslims. But they are being influenced by an very fundamentalist Arab Muslim group, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Well, the cabbies, prodded by these imams, pushed too far, and the regulating authority is about to put in tough new rules. New rules for a group of religious believers designed to limit they ways in which they can express their religious beliefs. Sounds familiar.

Dalton McGuinty and smoking in casinos: Doin' it for the money

Dalton McGuinty is taking a lot of criticism for allowing government-run casinos to build smoking shelters for their customers, while bars and restaurants are forbidden from doing the same. George Smitherman, Ontario's health minister and anti-smoking crusader, has said nothing.

Dalton McGuinty seems eager to get his hands on those gambling dollars -- at any price.

Jean Dorion: No racism in Quebec, despite what Quebeckers say

A recent poll shows a majoority of Quebeckers admit to harbouring racist attitudes. Given that Quebeckers have so much invested in Quebec nationalism, this darker expression of group-identity politics should come as no surprise to anyone.

That racist attitudes are so prevalent does come as a surprise to Jean Dorion, the president of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society, a group that leads Quebec's sovereigntist movement.

What is interesting is that this is the second time in less than a year that Dorion has been shown evidence of racism in Quebec, and professed surprise. Then some name-calling. But mostly surprise.

Google: The virtual battleground in the War on Terror

You know that the Web 2.0 has come into its own when it hosts the the war being waged by the forces of civilization against the terrorists.

In one week, we have learned how both sides are using Google in particular as a means of striking at the other side.

Deb Frisch is not in Canada

Gateway Pundit excitedly posts that notorious blog stalker Deb Frisch is in Canada.

Though I'm certain he is joking, some readers might be confused. So I should point out that in her post, she mentions that 3 inches of snow fell. On January 11, that much snow was forecast and indeed observed in and around Eugene, Oregon.

I think Canadian bloggers, especially in the Far North, are safe for the time being.

Update: It looks like Gateway was serious. Relax guys, she's still close to home, I'm certain.

Did Stephane Dion force Jean Lapierre out as a preemptive move against Justin Trudeau?

Jean Lapierre announced his resignation from politics this week, leaving the federal Liberal caucus another vote short, just days after MP Wajid Khan crossed the floor to join the Conservatives.

But these are different cases. Wajid left the Liberals essentially of his own volition. I'm hearing rumblings of rumblings that Lapierre was given the shove out the door by Stephane "Tous Ensemble" Dion**.

But for Dion, this was not only an act of revenge on Lapierre. It was a move against the biggest threat to his leadership, Justin Trudeau.

** "Tous ensemble" is French for "All together", and was the chant at the Liberal leadership convention to show all Liberals uniting behind their new leader. To date, three have very publicly left the party, including two sitting MPs.

Mark Persaud's move to Conservative Party prompts Liberal name calling instead of self-analysis

Mark Persaud was the Chair of the Liberal Party Standing Committee on Multiculturalism. Note that Persaud is not a sitting MP, so he's not up for a cabinet post.

On the other hand, he's had some time to be disaffected by the Liberal Party.

So he's switched to the Conservative Party...and the Liberals are saying they never really liked the guy. Not only that, but that Persaud was an idiot. A high-ranking Liberal Party idiot.

Did the CBC twist the story about the prime minister's motorcade?

The CBC takes Prime Minister Stephen Harper to task because his motorcade was idling for several hours on Parliament Hill.

See, the Conservatives don't care about the environment!

Really? What I see is deceptive reporting by journalists who don't care about people.

CBC offers soapbox to bitter childcare advocate and calls it news

The CBC is providing a soapbox for a Liberal-funded attack on the Conservative Party's policy on childcare. And a terribly inaccurate attack at that, delivered by someone who is more interested in restoring her government funding than in actually delivering on childcare spaces.

Larry Zolf: Stephen Harper wins him over with his morality

Larry Zolf is about as left as they come:

Veteran journalist and Canadian political expert Larry Zolf is a regular contributor to CBC News Online. Larry has been a critic, reporter, producer and consultant for CBC news and current affairs since he joined the CBC in 1962. Born and raised in North End Winnipeg, the hotbed of general strikes and socialism, Larry has covered stories such as integration in Mississippi and the October Crisis in Quebec. He was one of the hosts of the CBCs flagship current affairs television show "This Hour Has 7 Days." He is now retired.

A natural enemy of Prime Minister Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party, right?

So how can Stephen Harper reach out to people like Larry Zolf? Apparently by being morally upright.

Note that this is not the same as agreeing on policy.

So Zolf disagrees with Harper on policies, but recognizes Harper as a good man and a good leader. Who woulda thunk it?

Another example of why NDP bloggers are struggling to be taken seriously

Recall how I said that NDP bloggers are not enjoying any serious support from the party because their leader, Robert McClelland, is reflexively insulting to just about everyone.

Well, the problem goes beyond McClelland. And that does not bode well for the Blogging Dippers. In this case, it is Eugene Plawiuk glibly accusing Foreign Minister Peter MacKay of being a pedophile.

Jack Layton cherry-picking a book review

Jack Layton and the NDP advertise Jack Layton's books on the party website. That's fine, except that the review excerpt is misleadingly quoted out of context. Instead of praise for the entire book by a major newspaper, the reality is that one columnist praised the first chapter only.

It's all very tawdry, really.

Giving the NDP credit for their position on Wajid Khan

I was wondering just how the NDP would react to news of Wajid Khan leaving the Liberals to join the Conservatives. It matters to the NDP because the the new distribution of seats means that an agreement between the NDP and the Conservatives is enough to pass a bill. Before, it took the agreement of three parties. The new reality is that the Conservatives are more likely to consider the NDP as potential allies, which gives the NDP more influence.

So the question is, what is the official position of the NDP? They are sticking to their principles on this one, and for that they ought to be given credit.

Stephane Dion ch-ch-changes

Stephane Dion was certain that Wajid Khan would remain a loyal Liberal even as Dion supported Khan's work. After having a sit-down with Khan, Khan promptly joined the Conservatives. Suddenly Dion was never comfortable with Khan's work.

Right. Makes me think about ch-ch-changes.

I had neglected to give credit to the sources when I first posted this silly video. The first two Dion quotes came from this article at the National Post, courtesy of Bourque. The third statement was made by Stephane Dion at the Liberal leader's debate in Montreal. The soundtrack is a sample from David Bowie's hit single Changes from 1971.

Jason Cherniak wants to go after anything connected to Wajid Khan

Of course emotions run high when someone feels betrayed. But bloggers like Jason Cherniak ought to know better. Cherniak, a supporter of Liberal leader Stephane Dion and generally a thoughtful guy, wants to picket the business of Wajid Khan, the member of parliament who crossed the floor to join the Conservatives, abandoning Dion and the Liberals.

Cherniak crosses the line. He wants people to go after Khan's business. What next? Khan's home? The school where his kids go to school? The restaurant he likes? Anyone with a name Khan?

The incredible shrinking Liberal Party

A Liberal MP, Wajid Khan, has crossed the floor to join the Conservatives.

No bribes were offered, no special consideration given.

On the other hand, Khan was given an ultimatum by Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion. And so Khan bolted. Maybe Stephane Dion should exercise more "leadership" on the rest of his caucus.

The Liberal Party's Billion-Dollar Museum

The Liberal Party is annoyed that the Conservatives are not willing to spend a billion dollars on a museum. Of course, spending great wads of taxpayer cash has always been a profitable business for the Liberal Party of Canada.

Liberal insiders bad-mouthing Belinda Stronach

In the discussion about whether Liberal MP Wajid Khan is planning to cross the floor to join the Conservative Party, Liberal insiders are using Belinda Stronach as an example. And not in a very complimentary fashion.

In fact, these insiders are confirming what everyone knows, but what the Liberal elite have been denying since May 2005, that Belinda Stronach accepted a bribe to cross the floor and save Paul Martin's dying Liberal government.

Wajid Khan: Rumours of a move

Rumour has it that Wajid Khan, the Liberal member of parliament for Mississauga-Streetsville, might cross the floor to join the Conservative Party. Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Khan as his special advisor for the Middle East, a act of bipartisanship that was rewarded with scorn from the Liberals.

Interesting, you would be hardpressed to discover that Khan was indeed a Liberal by looking at his website.

Raising the minimum age to buy cigarettes: Can it make a difference?

It's a given that teens ought not to be allowed to purchase cigarettes. Everyone knows it is an effective way to keep a cap on the rate of teen smoking.

Really?

I stumbled on a story out of the UK in which 2007 will see the minimum age to purchase cigarettes rise from 16 to 18, but the rate of teen smoking in the UK is already the same as in Canada, where the minimum age is 19. So what will this age change (and presumably the resulting prosecution of store owners trapped by overzealous tobacco inspectors) do to the rate of teen smoking in the UK?

Probably nothing at all. And the UK government knows it.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's New Year message to Canadians

Jew-controlled bookstore picketed in Toronto for philanthropic actions of its boss

Canadian philanthropists are helping out lone soldiers in Israel. What is a lone soldier? I have never heard of the term either, but apparently it is an issue in the Israeli Defence Force.

Of course, helping Jews is unacceptable in many quarters, and those who can't stomach the idea are targetting Chapters/Indigo, the Canadian bookselling mega-chain, for the private actions of its CEO, Heather Reisman.

Another evil Jew-controlled (and profitable) corporation -- heck, it deserved to be picketed.

NDP blogger hot on the trail of Kittygate!

Robert McClelland is hot on the tail of Kittygate, in which Prime Minister Stephen Harper is at the centre of a conspiracy to fake a photograph of his family.

Suddenly, a kitten appears where none existed before.

Yes, a kitten!

I can't tell if McClelland is being serious, but the post is so absurd that it deserves to be parodied.

Methadone left on a Toronto bus

A large quantity of liquid methadone was left on a Toronto bus. Who was carrying the methadone, and for what purpose? And what questions are raised by this potentially deadly incident?

Severe static on the NDP blogging line

Why does the NDP ignore their stable of bloggers? Maybe because there is some terrible static that would prevent the NDP from getting any sort of coherent message out via bloggers.

Maybe the Blogging Dippers need to rid themselves of the static.

Iran and Nuclear Weapons: Should we wait them out?

Is Iran a problem that is going to solve itself? One economic analysis suggests exactly that. But the same data can be used to come to a very different conclusion -- that the moment to affect change has come and gone, and that the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his government have embarked on the path to developing nuclear weapons knowing full well their time would soon come to an end.

A Christmas Wish from Prime Minister Stephen Harper

And from the entire production team at Angry in the Great White North, well, me, a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, and best wishes for Kwanzaa.

Shiraz Dossa: A smart move by a poor professor

Shiraz Dossa is under fire for having attended a conference in Iran. The conference hosted many notable Holocaust deniers. Dossa, a professor of political science at St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is lashing out against his critics, saying his academic freedom is under attack.

Interestingly, Dossa had many critics before going to his conference. I wonder if his trip was calculated, at least in part, to immunize himself against further criticism.

Rick Mercer: Giving up Christmas at home for the troops

I know from comments left on this blog that a lot of my readers are not big fans of Canadian comedian Rick Mercer. I don't count myself in that group. I realize Rick and I don't agree on many political issues, but then actions speak louder than words.

How many of Rick's friends or critics would give up a Christmas to spend in the heat of danger of Afghanistan?

Mothers Against Drunk Driving: MADD predictably hits the funding wall

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is in the news, as a result of a Toronto Star investigation that revealed that something like 81 cents of every dollar donated to this charitable organization goes to fund telemarketers and door-to-door fund raising campaigns. I can't say as I'm surprised. I first wrote in November of 2004 that MADD had reached the asymptotic end point of its effectiveness. It was inevitable that the shift would occur from fighting drunk driving to fund raising.

That piece is as relevant today as it was when I wrote it two years ago.

Bob Rae: Did anti-Semitic remarks come from long-time Liberal supporter, Palestinian activist, and former immigration official Khaled Mouammar?

I have to say that I find the issue of the anti-Semitic remarks being made during the Liberal leadership convention -- aimed at Bob Rae, or more accurately, aimed at his wife, who is Jewish -- fascinating. Not just because of the creepy view into Liberal Party groupthink -- this is about power, and nothing is off limits when it comes to achieving power -- but also because the main player in this, Khaled Mouammar, has a long history with the Liberal Party.

I know, because I wrote a long piece about the Mouammar clan in relation to an entirely unrelated story. At the time, I thought the links to the Liberal Party were disturbing, as both Mr and Mrs Mouammar were appointed to positions of responsibility with the Immigration and Refugee Board, even as they and especially their children enjoyed the notoriety that comes from in-your-face activisim, including events like the infamous Netanyahu riot at Concordia University in 2002 and long-term positions such as dismantling the entire immigration system in Canada.

Conservative's new Chemical Management Plan: Stephane Dion's lousy first week just got worse

Stephane Dion has had a rocky start as leader of the Liberal Party. Most of the energy coming out of the leadership convention has been expended on the question of citizenship. And now his number one reason for being prime minister -- to save the environment -- has taken a blow as the young Conservative government of Stephen Harper has released detals on a new initiative to regulate dangerous chemicals.

At least one environmentalist points out that the plan is long overdue. One guess to remember who the minister of the environment was for nearly two years before the Conservatives came into power.

Stephane Dion's dual citizenship: It's important to his mom, but not that important

In my previous post on this topic, I discussed how Stephane Dion had allowed the debate about whether it was appropriate for a prime minister or a potential prime minister to hold dual citizenship to become inetnsely emotional and personal.

Instead of trying to understand that for most people, this was a general discussion, and not about making a special rule for Stephane Dion, Stephane Dion was reacting very emotionally, as if it was a personal attack.

News now is that Stephane Dion is willing to give up his French citizenship. Unfortunately, he sounds bitter, talking only about political liability, which says to me that he still doesn't get it.

But curiously, he doesn't seem to mind so much if disappointing his mother is the price to pay for political power.

Search engine pay-per-click advertising being used to fund terrorists?

Is Google being used as a funding source for Islamic terrorists?

According to a news conference held yesterday, the AdWords programs is being used to generate funds for terrorists.

Stephane Dion: Crossing the line into intrasigence and belligerence

The question of Stephane Dion's dual citizenship is not so much about split loyalties (though I think in general it is a valid question to debate, even if Stephane Dion's own loyalty to Canada is not in question), but about how Stephane Dion has allowed a debate to become dominated by intrasigence and belligerence.

It does not bode well for his ability to lead his party and the country.

Deb Frisch: Wanted on an arrest warrant

Deb Frisch gained some notoriety a while back when she issued death threats against the two-year-old son of a conservative blogger -- presumably for the crime of being a conservative.

The uproar cost Frisch her position as a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona.

The situation reached the courts, and the news today is that Frisch was alleged to have violated a restraining order. Instead of appearing in court to explain her side of the story, she seems to have disappeared.

An arrest warrant has been issued.

Stephane Dion: Hottest Canadian politician ever!

Is Stephane Dion, the new leader of the Liberal Party, as dull and pedantic as some people suggest?

No way! He is hot, Hot, HOT!

"Hot Hot Hot" was originally written and performed in 1982 by Arrow. This audio clip was grabbed from the David Johansen version, performing as Buster Poindexter.

Canada's Gun Registry: Memo showing Anne McLellan knew about the cost overruns

In May, a report was issued by the Public Accounts Committee censuring former Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Anne McLellan, faulting her for ignoring the advice of her senior bureaucrats and not reporting the cost overruns of the troubled gun registry. Instead of going to Parliament to ask for additional funds, the overrun was moved forward in time, against accepted accounting practices.

The Liberal Party members of the committee dissented, claiming that Anne McLellan was given bad advice by her staff.

I have a memo that shows exactly what advice was given directly to the minister from the commissioner of firearms, and it suggests that Anne McLellan was told the whole truth, and was given accurate advice, including about the accounting rules that would need to be followed.

Alexander Litvinenko: Where did the polonium come from?

The Russians are circling the waggons, refusing to cooperate in the investigation of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. The former spy died in Britain, after being exposed to a lethal poison incorporating the radioactive element polonium-210. You know the Russians are hiding something when they resort to bald-faced lies. The Russian Prosecutor-General Yuri Chaika made the outrageous statement that the poison could not have come from Russia. That would only be true if the Soviet space program used up every last bit of polonium for the Lunokhod moon walker program. They certainly had enough polonium on hand in 1970 to keep not one, but two moon rovers warm through the frigid lunar night.

Effective Online Advertising: NDP ad as a case study (and some free tips)

Maybe it's my new job, but I spend a lot more time paying attention to ads on web pages. The Globe and Mail has a large spot for a paid ad at the top left of the page, just below the search box.

I was surprised that the NDP was running an election-style ad in that spot. There is no election on, but Jack Layton's face is there, asking me to make a decision that will stop Stephen Harper. So I decided to check on what that decision is that I need to make.

I never did figure that out. But I've got some tips for the NDP on how to make their advertising a bit more effective.

Conservative Party mind games targeted Bob Rae

Remember that memo by Doug Finley? The one that said the Conservatives feared Michael Ignatieff and hoped Bob Rae would win? Some people said it was a Jedi mind trick designed to manipulate Liberal delegates.

I thought it was legitimate.

Now it is being said that it was indeed a fake.

Uhm, yeah, I knew that all along.

What next for Michael Ignatieff?

The answer depends on how his expectations were set when the Liberal Party recruited him from his teaching position at Harvard. If Michael Ignatieff left his directorship at Harvard to fulfill a burning desire to represent the people of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, then everything is fine, because that's what he's doing today, even as Stephane Dion prepares to take over the role of Leader of the Opposition.

I suspect, though, that Etobicoke-Lakeshore is not all that important to Michael Ignatieff. Not when he first came back to Canada to run for the Liberal Party, and not now that he has been rejected by the Liberal Party for the only position of power and prestige it has within its power as an opposition party to offer him.

Stephane Dion is not scum

Shame on the fellow hiding at IP address 72.137.65.179 for calling Stephane Dion scum. And for vandalizing Wikipedia with nasty comments about David Miller.

The new Liberal Party looks like the old Liberal Party

The Liberal Party leadership is finally over, and Stephane Dion has won, taking the prize on the fourth ballot, beating out Michael Ignatieff.

Congratulations to Stephane Dion and his team.

And congratulations to the Liberal delegates for acting in such a...conservative...way.

Banned toys can still be purchased in Canada

News from Australia of legal action against companies importing illegal toys into the country from China. At least one of these toys is also illegal in Canada, and has been since 2003. So why can I still buy it from a Montreal-based importer?

The Abotech Affair: Will the Mounties get their man?

Report of RCMP action with regards to the Abotech affair.

Liberal corruption eroding view of Canada internationally

The folks at Transparency International compile an annual index of "Corruption Perceptions". They review many sources of information (the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Global Competitive Report, the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, and so on) and put together an aggregate ranking of 0.0 (most corrupt) to 10.0 (least corrupt).

Canada is not doing well.

Beyond next steps -- the future

Would the Conservatives have won an election if they could have forced one last night? On the basis of Gomery, probably. But that's a negative win in that the people are voting against something, not for something. I'm wondering how we get Canadians to vote for Conservatives, and not just against Liberals.

I keep coming back to Stephen Harper yelling "me too" to every promise the Liberals made. Maybe what I'm about to suggest is a recipe for disaster, but shouldn't the Conservatives have a different agenda from the Liberals? Shouldn't their platform be no Kyoto, no nationalized daycare, low taxes, less red tape, and no obligation to follow up on any promise the Liberals made?

At least the agenda would not be hidden.

Paul Martin, his Ontario co-chair, and Women's Clubs

The co-chair of the Ontario chapter of the National Liberal Campaign Committee, announced by Paul Martin in March, is a woman by the name of Brenda Kurczak, had some nice things to say about Paul Martin during his campaign to win the leadership of the Liberal Party.

More evidence of pollster GPC leanings

Was the latest poll favourable to the Liberal Party done by people who were, well, favourable to the Liberal Party?

Probably a fair assessment. What, given that a co-chair of the National Liberal Campaign Committee is a senior member of the staff at that polling firm.

Dangerous secrets of Stephen Harper revealed!

Murray Dobbin, great Canadian writer (though I have to admit I've never heard of him) has discovered a damning quote of Stephen Harper, sure to destroy his chances to become Prime Minister.

Toronto Star: "Stephen Harper eats babies!" -- Well, almost

It'll all be sunshine and roses, but for the evil Conservatives, as reported today in the Toronto Star.

Is this a dead cat bounce?

Of falling felines and wishful thinking.

Are the bureaucrats part of the problem?

Bob seems to think so.

Polls show dead heat?

One weird poll and suddenly the race has turned around? Puh-lease.