Thursday, November 04, 2010

The BHP potash decision: Ignatieff clueless on the law.

As most of you are now aware the decision on the BHP Billiton hostile takeover bid for Potash Corp of Saskatchewan came down today and as per usual, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was quick to jump in front of the PPG cameras to give us his take on things. His take on things though was just a little bit different than what one might expect from someone who is trying to become this country's PM because Ignatieff had no clue as to what he was talking about.

And what did Ignatieff get so wrong?    Watch the video and see for yourself.





You see, under Canadian Law, when a decision like this is taken by the government, the party that they ruled against has 30 days to modify its bid/offer etc before the government can legally make a final decision on the matter. To not comply, as Ignatieff wants to do, would open the government up to a huge lawsuit (remember it was a 40 Billion dollar deal) that this country does not need to fight.


That is the law, there is no way around it and Michael Ignatieff had absolutely no clue at all on the matter and reminds us all once again why he is not suitable to be the leader of this country.


Ignatieff, having been out of the country for over 30 years or not having ever served in cabinet might have an excuse, but Ralph Goodale was in cabinet and all he could do today while Ignatieff was making a fool of himself with his lack of knowledge on the subject in front of the TV cameras was stare at his leader like a lost puppy.  What a team.

17 comments:

Michael Harkov said...

Heh, he can't even be bothered to do his homework on such an important file, and this man was a teacher Wow.

You know, maybe if he could stop the constant electioneering/speech circuit thing, be bothered to show up in Parliament once in a while, and not be concentrating on just himself and his own ambitions he could buy himself a clue.

Imagine what a disaster this cluless, self-absorbed, flipflopping, carpetbagging fop would be as a Prime Minister, and how much that would cost our nation.

Kring said...

Is it really any wonder why Iffy is languising on the leadership index on every recent poll taken on the matter?

CanadianSense said...

Ignatieff understand the media will give him a pass on his ignorance on the legal requirements of this law.

As I have said on MANY occasions the Press are giving him and his party a FREE RIDE on factually misleading statements.

Quoting the fake costs of summits and ignoring the Kevin Page Reports is typical of the lazy media.

The reflective water effect was $57k and it was part of the Marketing Pavilion that was endorsed by the Tourist Boards cost $ 2 million.

The BBC and many international outlets used it for a backdrop. It was a shame how the media allows the distortions to go unchallenged from their favourites.

Calgary Junkie said...

Iggy once again exposes his Achilles Heel--he doesn't have a sufficient grasp of the federal files for a PM wanna-be; certainly nowhere near Harper's level.

This weakness SHOULD bite him hard during an election campaign, when normal people (and not just us junkies) are paying close attention. But again, we require SOME help from our mediocre msm--especially the reporters who will be following Iggy on the campaign trail.

In this example, there remains the POSSIBILITY that Iggy KNEW about the 30 day rule, but chose to ignore it, so as to embellish his spin. Similarly, the ppg reporters MAY have known about the rule, but chose to give Iggy a pass. We are left to wonder--is it incompetence, embellishment, running interference, or what ?

No matter, both Iggy and the reporters lose more credibility.

Anonymous said...

Talk about vacuous attacks. Harper tosses away his principles and y'all can only focus on Iggy. What a bunch of partisan losers.

When you think independently and with the future of Canada in your mind then you might have something to say.

You are following the typical Tory script: Harper does something stupid so you attack non-tories. And you wonder why 65% of Canadians will never vote for Harper.

Bert said...

Hey Anon8:50, that better than the 77% who wouldn't vote for Iggy.

Anonymous said...

Iggy and his moon faced lapdog Goodale know full well what the law states. They, as is usual for Liberals, are counting on the public not knowing what the law states. If they can stir up a little more hysteria by suggesting that this 30 day waiting period is something the Tories cooked up they will stoop to using it.
These clowns are almost as unprincipled as the Conservatives.

Anonymous said...

Goodale looks very foolish today. He said yesterday the deal had been approved and ranted on and on. He must eat crow but will spin this in the old Lib manner.

Michael Harkov said...

Anon 8:50,

Talk about vacuous attacks. Ignatieff tosses away his principles and y'all can only focus on Harper. What a bunch of partisan losers.

When you think independently and with the future of Canada in your mind then you might have something to say.

You follow the typical Liberal script: whenever Harper does something good for this country he shouldn't ever be given credit. And you wonder why 77% of Canadians will never vote for Ignatieff.

Kring said...

In this example, there remains the POSSIBILITY that Iggy KNEW about the 30 day rule, but chose to ignore it, so as to embellish his spin.

That would make him more dangerous for Canada then being merely ignorant.

Similarly, the ppg reporters MAY have known about the rule, but chose to give Iggy a pass.

Yeah, that would be a shocker.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous *:50, I find it rather interesting that you would whine about PM Harper and utterly ignore Ignatieff's glaring ignorance, incompetence, and/or duplicity as far was what the law is in this regard.

Calgary Junkie said...

For the longest time now, Iggy has only been holding disorganized, annoying, easily manipulated scrums.

When was the last time he held a formal press conference in either the Charles-Lynch Room in Centre Block on Parliament Hill, or the National Press Theatre on the 1st floor of the National Press Building ?

I remember the disastrously funny pressers he held, leading up to the "blue ribbon panel" compromise on EI 360, from June 2009. Iggy is coming across as a chicken-$hit, afraid to tangle fairly with tough reporters, challenging him with tough questions.

Just imagine if the ppg clowns GANGED UP on him, asking the same question about four times in a row ?

Ardvark said...

Funny how the Liberals who are running around talking about the PM abandoning his principles, are the same ones that say he is an authoritarian ideologue who cannot compromise.

The government made the decision that the Liberals wanted them to make but don't hold your breath waiting for them to give the gov't any credit for doing so.

Anonymous said...

What is this nonsense that equates disgust for the Conservative sell-out of their principles for support for the Liberals or NDP. I'd vote for Osama bin Laden before I would vote for any member of the opposition parties. At least he comes right out and says he wants to destroy western democracies and doesn't hide behind the "what's good for Canada rhetoric." I prefer to have my enemies in the open.
I also don't vote for the lesser of two or three or four evils. I vote for the party that I believe that reflects (not comes closest to reflecting)my values.
The Conservatives sold out those values when they adopted the so-called stimulus package, when they poured my tax dollars into GM and Chrysler, when Jim Prentice piles on the vilification of the oilsands, when they caved in and sent a private plane to bring Brenda Martin back to Canada from Mexico, when they parachuted candidates into electoral districts over the objections of the riding associations, and when they broke their promise on a more open and transparent government.
I'll still vote in the next election but it won't be for any of the national parties that appear on the ballot.

Ardvark said...

Too bad that the realities of actually running a government trump pure ideological stances. The Government of Canada has to represent everyone and in this case more were opposed than supported. This includes Saskatchewan who own the resource in question and whose opinions must be given great weight.

If the Saskatchewan gov't would have supported the move, it would have been a done deal.

Frances said...

And just what would Mr I's position been had approval been granted?? Anyone care to bet it would NOT have been equally critical?!?

JEN said...

Look guys
The biggest problem we face each day is the MSM.
They determine who runs the country. Period.

Do you really think that the LPOC would have gotten away with if they were in the states. Not Likely. FOX MEDIA will report every piece of their(liberals') scandals.
It would be so bad, that Jean Chretien would not have seen a second term.

Can you imagine what it would look like had the american people had only the likes of corrupt CBC, CTV, G/M, T/S without FOXMEDIA around. Obama would spend to no end with a simple excuse he definitely would use : the conservative Bush left us with a huge deficit." The same blatant excuse the liberals chant daily here without question.


Yep, without a doubt in my mind, the media contribute more to manipulation in reporting simple to uphold theirs, not ours(canada's)corrupt liberal party.
Why do you think that the media here will sooner endure their type of AL-JAZERA media in canada than FOX MEDIA-like.