Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The 29 Liberal MPs that Ignatieff would not let do their job.

29 Liberals were absent from Parliament for a confidence vote on the budget earlier tonight.

29 Liberals were not there to do their job and represent the people who elected them to office, which is a bit ironic considering their biggest complaint over prorogation was that they were not allowed to do their job, in Ottawa, in Parliament.

Here are the Liberals that did not vote, either by choice or by being told not to show up.

Bagnell, Larry
Bennett, Carolyn
Bevilacqua, Maurizio
Byrne, Gerry
Cannis, John
Coderre, Denis
Cotler, Irwin
Dhalla, Ruby
Duncan, Kirsty
Eyking, Mark
Foote, Judy
Fry, Hedy
Garneau, Marc
Kania, Andrew J.
Karygiannis, Jim
LeBlanc, Dominic
MacAulay, Lawrence
Martin, Keith P.
McTeague, Dan
Murphy, Brian
Murphy, Shawn
Murray, Joyce
Pacetti, Massimo
Patry, Bernard
Regan, Geoff
Sgro, Judy
Silva, Mario
Russell, Todd
Trudeau, Justin

By being absent, these 29 Liberals allowed this motion: "That this House approve in general the budgetary policy of the government. (Ways and Means No. 1)" to pass 142-132 even though Michael Ignateff and the Liberals have stated that the budget is bad for Canada and they disagree with it. The Liberals are again playing games rather than doing their jobs or providing a real alternative.


Contact information is linked to names of the 29 Liberal MPs. Feel free to email, or call and ask them if Ignatieff forbid them from doing their jobs and representing you, or if it was their choice for them not to do their jobs.

Feel free to let us all know the responses.

(For some added fun ask them what was their biggest complaint against prorogation.)

32 comments:

hunter said...

Some interesting names. I wonder if they had a draw the short stick contest. Did all the Newfoundland MP's vote this time? Will their names be in the bright lights of the MSM tomorrow? HA!

The_Iceman said...

Excellent! I might print this list and put it up on my fridge.

The_Iceman said...

You posted the list so I don't have to now, but I was going to call it "Ignatieff's list".

I would like to know how these people were chosen or if they volunteered. Why 29? That high a number suggests it was on a volunteer basis. Liberals who wanted to take the afternoon off. Instead of showing up to work.

Ardvark said...

I am sure that there are many on that list that wanted to be there to vote against the budget for either principle or their own political sake, but were told not to show up.

The only way for Ignatieff to ensure the vote would pass was to pick and choose who was allowed to be there and who was not.

Paul Holmes said...

Hedy Fry was probably busy putting out lawn fires in Prince George.

L said...

Did you miss a hat tip?

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh. The trained seals of Mikey's circus of hypocrisy.

Thund'rous in their ballsy silence. Bitch, Bitch, Kvetch and hide.

TangoJuliette

t.e.&o.e.

Anonymous said...

Yes - so much IGGY and the Liberals actually caring about our Canadian democracy - those 29 MPs should have showed up and voted one or another! These MPs did not represent their constituents - did they!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Excellent work Ardvark! So how did you come up with that list? Process of elimination?

In any case, well done!

Dance...dance to the radio said...

kroThere's one niggling thing that stays with me.
Even though I am a fiscal conservative.

I used to work at a hotel.
Stockwell day came through one day during that election and his aides were brusque.

Jean Chretien came to our hotel once.
His chief of staff asked to speak to me.
He wanted to know if he could use a room for pictures and hand shaking.
Who was I to refuse?
But he negotiated with me.
Prime Minister take what you want, but he treated me with respect.
Stockwell Day's team didn't.

Stephen Harper's team came through the hotel, too.
And they were much better than Stockwell Day's team.

They booked the whole ballroom for a Q and A.
It was full of grey hairs.
And I was working so I just watched.
Different than listening.

I couldn't ask any questions.
I was working.

But they were in and gone.

I worked at Steven Fletcher's nominating meeting, too.
I didn't realize until that day how much of a fight it was to get the nomination.

CanadianSense said...

Thank you for taking this up, this is a serious democratic breach of our parliament.

Why is the official opposition refusing to show up for work?

The dismal outlook in winning an election, tired of the rhetoric from their party, internal fighting?

Canadians need an answer.

PhantomObserver said...

It's not hard to put together such a list.

1. Look at the recorded vote in the online Hansard. Copy out the list of No votes in your favourite word processing session.

2. On the Parliamentary website, get onto the "Current Members" page and list by party affiliation. Scroll down to the Liberal members.

3. Compare the two lists. If a Liberal name doesn't appear on the No list, it's an abstention.

I want to state for the record that I did this independently of the Aardvark, and I didn't know he did this prior to my posting.

Sandy said...

AA -- Excellent work! I am going to post that list too with a h/t to you of course. The more of us that get this info on the search engines the better.

By the way, my tired old eyes have trouble reading with the grey background.

CanadianSense said...

I hope we don't worry too much about who gets credit or started it, lets all work together and get our lazy media to report the breakdown of the Liberal party in their duties.

How can you attack a budget, pass it in 2009, vote against it Sept 2009, than in March 2010 complain and make ZERO changes.

The FRIGGAN gov't is a MINORITY and requires support from at least one party.
The Liberals might be to ashamed to admit they like most of the ideas. They should have voted up or down but ALL show up to vote.

CanadianSense said...

How do I link to this post to the bottom of mine, will it work automatically?

maryT said...

Watching some of the budget debate on CPAC, and Hedy Fry was having a fit over it. She asked some questions and Ted Menzies answered them with, First I would like to ask how the member intends to vote, will she be allowed to attend (words to that effect) and she refused to answer. The next step is to get video of everyone of those absent, who made remarks re how prorogation was keeping them from working for their constituents. I am sure this will be a truth ad from the war room.
Iggy refuses to let his caucus elected members vote. Iggy prevents his caucus from going to work, and the doors were not locked.
There is that photo op in front of open doors, where Iggy is saying, unlock these doors. That should be shown, with circles around all those who didn't vote.
Wonder if that is why Layton decided to attack the liberals and Bill Graham yesterday.
29 Liberals support the budget.

Hinchey's Store said...

You are now famous - I have put your post out into the mainstream masses:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/group.php?gid=345612490687

Together we can save the world from Michael Ignatieff and his horde of henchmen/women...!

Ardvark said...

The idea for this post/list pretty much started the second I hit publish on this post when I saw the hypocrisy of what the Libs were planning to do. I initially wanted to email all 77 Liberal MPs and ask them if they planned to vote on the budget but time prevented that from happening, so when I saw that the vote had taken place last night I went for the short list.


The Phantom Observer nailed it with how the list was compiled for the most part. The only thing different was that I first used a list from the LPC website for MP's until I when I was about half way done and stumbled onto the Parliament info site while looking for something else and had to start all over again.

Thanks everyone and please feel free to send these Liberals a few emails asking them to explain why the did not show up to work.

Anonymous said...

When Harper locked the doors the Liberals complained. Now that the doors are unlocked the Liberals abstained.

Ardvark said...

Just dropped by the CBC and noticed that the abstention by the Liberals is taking a real beating in the comments

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/03/10/federal-budget010.html#socialcomments

It seems all of that bluster about prorogation made by the Liberals about how they were not allowed to work is coming back to bite them on the ass now that they don't show up. When the CBC comments don't go the Liberals way you know there is something seriously wrong.

Anon @ 10:48. With poetry like that you should apply for an arts grant. Nice one.

Thucydides said...

I suggest we use ridicule to drive these 29 out of politics. Start calling radio talk shows, writing newspapers (especially the ones in their riding’s) start or comment on blogs and talk to everyone you know,

The message is simple:

“[insert name of MP] said the budget was bad, but they didn’t show up to vote against it . Why should we take anything else they say seriously?”

This should also be trotted out any time these 29 speak on any subject whatsoever and especially at any public event where they are speaking and you can ask questions. (video and YouTube any response please).

An especially concentrated effort should be made against Trudeau to derail any leadership aspirations and unhinge those in the liberal party who are pinning their hopes on the “young dauphin”

Bert said...

This is what I got back in reply from the Liberal Party of Canada:

Dear **** *********:

On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your recent email regarding the Conservative government’s recent budget.

This budget contains little more than freezes, cuts, and gimmicks. It shows the laissez-faire approach of a government that doesn’t believe in government, and expects Canadians to fend for themselves. This is what we’ve come to expect from Stephen Harper’s tired government: a lack of vision and ambition, and a clear distaste for what government must do to help its citizens and the country prepare for an uncertain future.

The budget comes up short on jobs and innovation, and even plans for more job losses. It contains nothing on pensions, clean energy jobs, culture, or health care. It cancels planned Overseas Development Assistance and cuts research funding.

This is not a budget that looks ahead at the challenges of our times – and it’s not a budget Liberals can support. The Liberal Party will vote against this budget and register our opposition responsibly, but we’re not going to cause an election that’s not in the national interest and that Canadians don’t want.

In the meantime, Liberals are focusing on building a better alternative for Canadians. We’ve made clear proposals on jobs and pensions, because we’re the party that stands with youth, middle income Canadians, seniors, and families struggling to get by. Our party will continue to work to develop the ideas, policies and concrete actions that we believe should be brought forward by a responsible, caring and future-oriented government.

Once again, thank you for writing.

Yours sincerely,


Office of Michael Ignatieff
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
www.liberal.ca

Lewis said...

You're complaining that several dozen MPs abstained. However, if these same Liberals voted against the budget, you'd be attacking them for trying to plunge Canada into an unnecessary election.

In other words, you're a hypocrite.

CanadianSense said...

Lewis,

I would NOT call the Liberals hypocritical for voting against the budget they don't support.

We call it being accountable. Without the Liberals showing to vote, we have reduced parliament to a three ring circus.

Ardvark said...

Nice logic. I am a hypocrite because of something you THINK I might do in a hypothetical situation, but the Liberals are not when their (real) actions do not reflect their (actual) words.

Brilliant! You would make a good cabinet minister in a Liberal government.

Rural and Right said...

The best comment I read in the CBC article was ...

From the article: Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has said Canadians don't want an election and that he won't force one until they do.

Translation: "I have no hope in Hell of winning even a minority right now."

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I want to state for the record that I did this independently of the Aardvark, and I didn't know he did this prior to my posting.

So we have a scientific consensus on the date. Excellent.

Regarding Mr. Iffy - Who knew anyone could be worse than Dion? But he did it!

maryT said...

And maybe when Canadians do want an election it will be to get rid of all the opposition who say one thing and do another. A majority for PMSH.
If the PM has done such a great job with a minority, think what he could do with a majority.
So what liberals were on prorogue today during QP and to listen to iggy respond to the speech from the throne.
Their attacks on prorogation have come back to bite them, their attacks re the terrorists being in jail has come back big time to haunt them, with Layton asking questions re Graham.
And anyone who thinks Rae would be a better leader has rocks for brains. Best thing iggy could do is refuse to sign nomination papers for several liberals. Libs don't need a new leader, they need a new caucus.

Anonymous said...

In fairness, Ms. Dhalla couldn't find a sitter.

The_Iceman said...

On that list is 67% of the Liberal PEI caucus. I guess PEI doesn't want to participate in the budget.

The_Iceman said...

67% of their New Brunswick caucus (with 67% of their PEI caucus and 60% of their Newfoundland and Labrador caucus) skipped the vote. Atlantic Canada does not want to participate in the budget.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Maybe someone already mentioned it, but here is another resource: How'd they Vote?