While some people take the summer off......

While some people take the summer off, others are continuing to work.

Take for example this little bit from the news.

While Michael Ignatieff enjoys his summer off and walks in parades that were in a large part paid for by a grant from the Federal Government; that very same Harper led government continues to work for Canadians and signs a free trade deal with Jordan.



Agree or disagree on some of their specific policies, any objective observer would have to admit that the Conservatives have run an effective government. Perfect they are not, but they are getting it done with regards to running that behemoth known as government.

Did you know that since November of last year this government has had 26 pieces* of legislation reach royal assent? Not bad considering the world wide recession, the coup attempt, a forced deficit budget, and a new arrogant Liberal leader who changes his positions almost daily.

*This does not include the crime legislation that is currently being held up by the Liberal dominated senate while coincidentally at the very same time we see Liberal MPs running around the country claiming to be tough on crime.

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The records of the parties speak for themselves and that is why the next election is going to be much tougher to fight than what most Liberals believe.

Bring it on Iggy, we are ready. Are you?


Update: Another Harper policy that is paying off as Tim Horton's files to make their US division declared a Canadian company for tax purposes. Go Obama!

Update and Repost: More results that even lefties could love.

Summer blog notes.

With Parliament off on break, the threat of an election over for the time being, and with the arrival of summer, I am going to be cutting back on blogging for the next couple of months. I will still be making the occasional post and comment as the situation dictates but it will not be any regular basis as politics takes a backseat to other pursuits.

I would like to thank all of those who have dropped by to read or comment on my thoughts/opinions over the last couple of years and I look forward to returning on a more regular basis in the fall.

Enjoy the (election free) summer.

Hey Jennifer Lynch, file this!

It seems that Jennifer Lynch, chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, is keeping a "file" on those that are speaking out against the travesty that is the CHRC. A secret file no doubt with the names, and the examples of people exercising their right to free speech by criticizing the CHRC.

Here are her own words on the file: "Please, please, look. We have experienced 16 months of invective hurled at us, and at any time when anybody has tried to speak up and correct misinformation, gross distortions, caricaturizations, then the very next day there's been some full-frontal assault through the blogs, through mainstream media. I have a file. I'm sure I have 1,200, certainly several hundred of these things."

So Jennifer, since you are so interested in keeping a record of those that dare speak out against your operation, you can add mine to the list and file this.

You should be fired and the CHRC disbanded. We have existing laws on defamation and hate speech in this country and we have courts which can deal with these matters in a fair and procedural manner, which is something that HRC's all over have had a real problem doing as normal legal process' gets tossed aside by tribunals in their twisted quest to stamp out real and existing rights and create non existent ones such as the right not to be offended.
You speak about honest debate but you are afraid to actually debate anyone. You commission a report, using an CHRC insider, and when you do not like the findings you file it away into a drawer and spend more taxpayer money to get another report written that is more to your liking.

Cowardly, and pathetic.

Fire them all!


h/t At Home in Hespeler.

A different perspective.

I was going to highlight a few lines from this post on the blog of Liberal MP Glen Pearson. You know the usual stuff about how this Liberal MP thinks that Ignatieff had a bad week and how PM Harper should get credit for his compromise, but while I was there I took a look at a few other postings and to be honest I was not expecting what I saw.

Being written by a Liberal MP the blog is coming from a different perspective, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you will find there.


Take a look for yourself at his blog, and in particular take a look at this category. There is a posting there about Minister Peter McKay that is a must read along with a few others.

Enjoy.

PM Harper has gone too far this time.

I am outraged!


Sorry my partisan friends but I cannot keep silent on this issue any longer. When will this pandering to Quebec stop?



PM Harper has some serious explaining to do about this.

Edmonton Strathcona Nomination Update!

We have a winner. Ryan Hastman has won the CPC nomination for Edmonton-Strathcona.

In what was a late night Wednesday in Edmonton-Strathcona for the 3 candidates vying for the CPC nomination. In the end in what was described as a "redonkulous close" vote, Ryan Hastman was declared the winner over Linda Blade and Cathay Wagantall. With such good candidates it was not an easy choice for the residents of ES; congratulations to all of you for running such excellent campaigns.

Now the real work begins.

Paging Linda Duncan, paging Linda Duncan.
Ryan Hastman calling.

>=)

I guess this means...

I guess this means that Michael Ignatieff is done messing with PM Harper.


And I bet the PM is so relieved too. (sarcasm off)



The Liberals are desperately trying to spin this capitulation of everything Ignatieff has been saying since January as a win, and that is OK because with a couple of more 'wins' like this Ignatieff is going to resemble the Black Knight in the video below.



h/t

update: The Hill Times on how Ignatieff overplayed his hand and how Ralph Goodale has no clue.
"I think undoubtedly he came out of this week as a winner. He was faced with a nose to nose challenge with the Prime Minister and he won," he said, noting all of the concessions that were made with regard to the EI file, the third accountability report and changes to the House Standing Orders, or rules".

Ignatieff's Mirror.

We all know that Ignatieff seems to be very fond of himself, but today Gilles Duceppe really nailed it when he said the following:

"When looking in the mirror he (Ignatieff) saw Stephane Dion."

Zing!!


Mirror mirror on the wall who is the ______ of them all.



A mirror blog post from Dr. Roy.

A little Adler for your late night enjoyment.

Charles Adler has some advice for Michael Ignatieff:

Dear Michael,

It must be very strange being Michael Ignatieff. You are operating in your usual manner. Your M.O. has the same three-boned skeleton that is the architecture of your unreliable character:

1) No firm decisions;

2) No serious commitments;

3) No 100 percent certitude.

Read the rest here.

When they start laughing at you, it's all over. Fini.

February 2008: "when they start laughing at you, it's all over. Fini."

June 2009: From the Toronto Star: Pickles or onions? Iggy needs time.

Chantel Hébert (CBC At Issue Panel) on Ignatieff says "If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it's a duck, and in this case it looks like a dead duck." and "I know that he is not Stephane Dion, but even Stephane Dion with all of his language challenges I don't think could have muffed a message that much".

All eyes are on Ignatieff.

All eyes are on Michael Ignatieff today as he ponders whether or not to throw the country into an expensive and unwanted election, and I bet he is loving every minute of it. The man does like being the center of attention and he is getting lots of it today.



I am just home from working the night shift and am off to bed. Somebody please wake me if it looks like we are going to the polls.

Something I heard last evening.

If there is one thing that really shows just how much Michael Ignatieff is out of touch with your average Canadian it is his belief that somehow the public is interested in having another federal election.

I couldn't agree more.



Have a good weekend everyone. Take some time to enjoy all that life and the weather has to offer while Ignatieff ponders spending $300,000,000 of your tax dollars in the middle of a recession to pad his own résumé.

Iggy blew his chance.

A article today from the Chronicle Herald on how Ignatieff does not have the killer instinct needed for a party leader and how this has lead to him having now missed his best opportunity to bring down the government and force an election.

My favorite line from the above article: "If Jean Chretien was somehow magically the Liberal leader right now, does anyone doubt that we’d be in an election?"

This to me is a telling line. Not so much because it is true, but it is a subtle reminder to everyone that when it comes to throw 'em down nasty politics, Jean Chretien was in a league of his own. The Liberals like to yell at the top of their lungs about how PM Harper is being such a bully, but when you compare the 2 most would have to admit that Jean wins in the "bully" department hands down.

The Nomination Candidates: Edmonton-Strathcona.

Tonight is the last of 2 scheduled CPC nomination candidates forums which will be taking place at the Granite Club, 8620-107 St at 7 p.m. If you are a current member please take the time to come out and listen to the candidates and get informed. One of these three is going to become the Conservative candidate in the next federal election and with a bit of hard work will become your Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona.

The candidates: some background and some personal thoughts on each.

(in alphabetical order)

Linda Blade: Website. Linda has been married for 20 years and has 2 children, she has a PhD in Kinesiology, has conducted research and sport-related seminars at the university level in Africa, Asia, North America and South America and is currently the Sports Performance Manager at the RoyalGlenora Club. She was the Canadian Champion in the Heptathlon 1986 and Pentathlon (indoor) in 1987 and represented Canada in international competition. She has been active in the community being a founding member of the Edmonton Sports Council and the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry as well as having experience as a multiple term Board Director for Athletics Alberta.

Some personal thoughts and opinions: If I could sum up Linda in a single word it would be energy. This is quite evident when you meet her in person and her success in the world of sports both personally and with training/coaching others bears this out. While not having the most political experience of the bunch she is well aware of the situation in Edm-Strathcona and after speaking with her it is clear that she knows what it will take to win and the determination to make it happen. Her performance at the candidates forum was good and she was able to show off some of that energy as well as her political skills in a public setting.


Ryan Hastman: Website. Ryan is married and is a graduate of the University of Alberta School of Business. He speaks French, started his own business and was also founding director of the Edmonton Young Professionals association and Her Dream Next Door, a mentoring organization for young women. Politically Ryan has been active on many boards in the past and he recently returned home to Edmonton after working in Ottawa for a senior cabinet minister and in the Prime Minister's Office.

Some personal thoughts and opinions: Ryan may be the youngest of the candidates (which could be an asset in the riding) but he has plenty of political experience. His ability to speak French has to be considered a plus and he too knows what is required to win back the riding and has some good ideas towards achieving that goal. His performance in the forum was very good and I was impressed that he used no notes. He came across as very approachable with good political knowledge and instincts, and looks to be a good team player with fresh ideas for the conservatives.


Cathay Wagantall: Website. Cathay has been married for 33 years and has 3 married children and 5 grandchildren. She studied Physical Education at the University of Saskatchewan and served as Athletic Director at Taylor College and Seminary as well as in development, accounting, and student loans. She and her husband have ran their own business and she has been very active in the community. Politically Cathay has served on Conservative Party of Canada Board of Directors for Edmonton – Mill Woods – Beaumont since 2004 where she has been the Election Readiness Chair, President, and Financial Agent, she was a delegate to the last 2 Conservative National Conventions and was the campaign manager for MP Mike Lake for 2 successful election campaigns.

Some personal thoughts and opinions: Here is where my bias is going to show through. Having personally worked with Cathay in the past, briefly on the 2006 campaign and to a much greater extent on the 2008 campaign, I can safely say that she has a work ethic that is second to none after having seen her in action. This work ethic combined with her history and desire to serve the community will be a strong asset. Her performance at the forum was good as she came across as straight forward and honest, demonstrated a good grasp of politics both locally and nationally and like the others she knows what it will take to win in the riding.





Having spoke with each of the candidates and after having attend the first forum I can honestly say that any of them would make a good representative both locally and in Ottawa for the people of Edmonton-Strathcona. All have expressed and shown a willingness to work hard to serve their communities and have committed to increase the conservative presence in the riding. All are supporters of PM Harper, all have expressed a belief in conservative principles, and all have shown that they know what it will take to turn Edmonton-Strathcona blue once again. But only one will get to face off against incumbent Linda Duncan of the NDP and it is going to be up to the CPC members of Edmonton-Strathcona to make the decision on which of these three worthy candidates gets the nomination.

So get out, get informed, and choose wisely.




The nomination vote will take place Wednesday June 17, 2009 at the Delta Hotel South located at 4404 Gateway Blvd NW.

Voting will take place between 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Note time change!

The ballot will be preferential where you list your first, second, third choice.

Please bring two pieces of ID. One photo ID as well as something that shows your name and address within the riding. (Examples: Driver’s license, current original bank or credit card statement, current original utility bill, personal cheque, vehicle registration etc)

Ignatieff makes the sports page.

From The Lighter Side of Sports by Cam Hutchinson, Star Phoenix, Canwest News Service.


"People keep referring to Mine That Bird as a Canadian horse, even though he was foaled in Kentucky. To me, Mine That Bird is about as Canadian as Michael Ignatieff."

Zing!

I know I feel more united now. How about you?

Ignatieff in Montreal:

A great wind is coming "This wind will bring hope back to Canada, "It will bring Quebecers back to power in Ottawa. The best possible Canada is a Canada with Quebecers in power."

"With Mr. Harper's right-wing Conservatives, Canada's international reputation has been tarnished and its financial edge has been wasted. There are more unemployed, more poor children and, as concerns the environment, Canada has become the laughingstock of the world."

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Coming from the man who said this: "I support the [coalition] accord because it's fiscally responsible, it provides responsible economic leadership in tough times and it also conserves the basic principles of national unity, equality, that our party has always believed in." I can see now that Ignatieff knows all there is to know about uniting this country.


And here I thought that bad mouthing Canada or dividing us up into groups based on where we live would be more of a divisive tactic rather than a uniting one.

Silly Ardvark.

Ouch. Scott Feschuk on Ignatieff the politician.

Scott Feschuk on Ignatieff the Politician. Read it all for yourself at Macleans.

Some of the highlights:

"People of Canada, I ask you: is Michael Ignatieff—typist of books, enthusiast of yoga, trimmer of eyebrows—really a threat to “mess” with anyone? More important: is this what passes for tough-guy talk in academic circles?

“Mess with me and I’ll mess with you.” “I can take a punch.” It’s beginning to seem that Ignatieff considers his position as party leader less a job to do than a role to play. He behaves the way he thinks we expect politicians to behave. He makes the empty promise. He utters the empty threat. He’s so determined not to be defined as Prof. Tweedy McMonocle that he’s inadvertently becoming the next can’t-miss WWE villain: the Hyperbolist.

You half-expect him to turn to the camera and say: “I’m not a two-dimensional caricature of a modern politician, but I play one on TV.”

Ignatieff is widely perceived as a deep and respected thinker. But if you actually listen to him these days, you’re likely to conclude that the problem isn’t that he left Canada for 34 years. The problem is that his intellect failed to clear customs on the journey home."

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I guess there is more to this quote from Ignatieff than I thought: "Nothing is personal in politics, because politics is theater. It is part of the job to pretend to have emotions that you do not actually feel."

and the Oscar goes to......

Does that mean she is a liar?

Did Michael Ignatieff call a 26 yr old hill staffer who worked for Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt a liar? Here is a bit of what he said on the subject.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff called the minister's allowance of a staffer to take the blame "despicable". "It's presumably the same staffer responsible for the isotope shortage and it's presumably this 26-year-old who is responsible for the whole darned department" "How are we supposed to believe such a fiction?"

The staffer in question has taken responsibility and resigned over the incident.

I am just a knuckle-dragger so tell me dear Liberal friends if I have got this wrong. If Michael Ignatieff thinks that this is all a "fiction", does that not mean that he thinks the staffer is lying? Because that is what I am getting out of it.


Related: Michael Ignatieff: "I don't like people blaming 26 year olds."

Yes Michael, blaming 26 year olds, even if they take responsibility, is not the Liberal way. This is more the Liberal way*.

Any comments on the staffer incident from Judy Sgro yet? Just askin'.



*This works as long as the brother is not 26 because Iggy doesn't like that and what Iggy doesn't like could never be the Liberal way.

Director of the Liberals' Quebec wing from 1999 to 2000 pleads guilty to fraud.

Benoit Corbeil, director of the Liberals' Quebec wing from 1999 to 2000 has plead guilty to fraud and influence peddling charges. Corbeil, who was also implicated in the sponsorship scandal was accused of using false invoices to bilk more than $100,000 from the federal government and the LPC.

It is a sad day when you trust someone to help bilk money from the sponsorship slush fund for your party and they end up taking money from your own party instead. What is this world coming to.


FYI: Info from the Gomery commission on Corbeil.

• Denied receiving between $75,000 and $100,000 from Michel Béliveau in 1997.
• 
  
• Maintains he only received two cash payments from Béliveau in 1997, one for $5,000 for MP Denis Coderre's Bourassa riding, and $4,000 for Yvon Charbonneau's eastern riding of Anjou-Rivière-des-Prairies.
• Confirmed he got $50,000 from Brault through Commando Communications Marketing and $50,000 cash to pay eight Liberal workers during 2000 election.
• Corbeil's allegations spur a series of denials from campaign workers, including Daniel Dezainde who testified he never received $3,000 cash.
• Claims Gagliano knew about underground fundraising scheme.
• Denies pocketing any money for his personal use.

Update: Ignatieff is not going to be happy about this.

However, Corbeil says he will reveal who profited from the scam, suggesting more names will come out in connection with the scandal.

It is an international border you idiots.

Mike Bradley the mayor of Sarnia, Ontario, a man who I doubt actually saw the Berlin Wall, told CBC News that "That longest and friendliest border in the world is now an invisible Berlin Wall" due to the "heightened militarization".

Maybe he should just do what these guys did and threaten to storm the Canadian Border Services post.

Why is it that people think that because they have a drivers license that they should not be required to get any other type of ID documents. Is it really that hard to just get a damn passport and be done with it.