Monday, May 09, 2011

Chretien urges PM Harper not to follow through on election promise.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper should reconsider his vow to end the direct per-vote subsidy for political parties, says former prime minister Jean Chrétien.

Sort of arrogant, no? Having a former PM ask the current PM not to follow through on his election promises?

Thank you Jean, but cutting party subsidies was an election platform promise, in fact I would call it a major plank of that platform, and the Conservatives were elected on that platform. The Conservative Party of Canada is not the Liberal Party where promises to abolish the GST or the numerous times they promised a national child care system are never followed through on.  This PM will follow through on his platform promise.

If a party's own members do not care enough to support that party with their own money, why should the taxpayer have to prop them up?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Harper urges PM Chretien NOT TO STEAL taxpayers money for ADSCAM".

Oops - too late - they stole the money - it's a gone.

STFU ex-PM Chretin.

Michael St.Paul's

L said...

As if the CPC is going to listen to him! He is being hypocritical, as he designed the system to reduce the $$ that Paul Martin could raise. Ha ha! We taxpayers voted to get rid of it. Liberals should figure out how to pay their own bills!

Ardvark said...

Someone should ask Joe Clark what he thinks?

It is just as relevant.

fernstalbert said...

If PM Harper does nothing else, this obscene poltical slush money has got to be killed dead and the ashes scattered throughout the realm. Chreitien giving advice - he should advise his own party to manage a grassroots fundraising operation. Liberals - no ideas, no funds no credibility. Somehow I don't think Chretien is on the PM's speed dial. Cheers.

BobC said...

Here's why:
Jean Chretien implemented the per vote subsidies precisely to ensure the Liberals (and Bloc - who he secretly supported by creating the Clarity Act which is a "howto" manual on secession) have a secure source of funding. Note, it is not a per riding subsidy, but rather a per vote subsidy. He knew that the people's stomach for corporations donating heavy sums to the LPC wouldn't go unnoticed any longer and so ended the corporate paper bag filled with "donations" cash process. And replaced that with a place at the trough.

PMSH has a chance here to eliminate the Bloc for good. Defund them. Period. Our democracy in Canada needs the Bloc gone.

Unknown said...

Amazing how Chrétien opening his yap made me remember his own years in office. And not fondly.

Kill the subsidy tout de suite, s'il vous plaît, M. le Premier Ministre. "The Anti-Chrétien-hand-in-your-pocket Bill" might be a suitable title...

Anonymous said...

Just 10 days ago Chretien was trotted out by the Libs as a last resort of desperation to save their
sinking campaign. He slagged the Conservatives and the people of Canada responded by giving Harper a majority.

Remember when Iggy told the Conservatives to go to hell?

This is priceless.

Ardvark said...

I could be persuaded to allow business' being allowed to contribute to political parties again, but only $1,600 like the rest of us and NO tax rebates.

Michael Harkov said...

So it has come down to Chretien begging Harper to keep the vote subsidy, and thereby save the Liberal party? Hahahah, I don't THINK so.

No quarter. Liberals, I know you are reading this thread; our boot is on your throat and we are NOT going to take it off. In fact, we are going to grind down harder and squeeze the life out of your corrupt, principle-less, and morally defunct party. And we will enjoy every single minute of it; it has been a long time coming. :D

Jen said...

Chretien promised to get rid of the GST but since he saw billions of dollars comming his way, why not help oneself to a few millions.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Harper. Please apply your boot to the Liberal party neck and press till the beast stops squirming. Great to see Liberals begging for mercy though!

Anonymous said...

Retire already and tell Broadbend to do the same thing.Stop sticking your nose's where it doesn't belong. Canadians had enough of Liberal backroom crooks and your golf balls.PM Harper has the Majority NOW!!!!!!

Liz J said...

The nerve of the man of Adscam fame to assume this PM will not keep his promise.

This is the same Gaffer who promised to get rid of the GST and didn't. He even denied he said it even though we had it on tape. Even Sheila Copps believed him,ran on it and had to resign her seat and run again over it.

People support the party of their choice, the only way to go in a democratic society.

Bye bye Jean.

Ghost Dancer said...

Youll have to excuse me Mr Chretien, but can you repeat that?
Give us ONE good reason why we should support tax payer funded political parties.
Bloc deserves to be defunded for trying to stir up a hornets nest using language as a wedge.
The Liberal party will have to get funds the old fashioned way- earn it.

Sean M said...

The arrogance of a crook like J. Chretin lecturing the elected Government and the PM on any issue is staggering. I guess Chretin thinks he's still the King of new France ( Canada). What an a-hole! Get lost Chretin! Chretin and the Liberano$ are still under the delusion that all Canadians should be forced to pay for the Trudeau party, and the Separatist party that the Librano$ nurtured. As I said the arrogance is staggering. Go to hell Mr. Chretin, nobody gives a s##t what you think!

Anonymous said...

What's left to say?
Jean Chretien, shut your G*d-d***ed crooked mouth.
YOU have done all the damage to this country that you ever will. Now just go away, you miserable, corrupt crook.
NO QUARTER

RJ65 said...

Perhaps their is room to look at possibly increasing the limit per donation, but the mandatory subsidy from taxpayers has to end.

As an above blogger said, if you don´t believe in your party to voluntarily donate to them, people who do not believe in your party should not be forced to donate against their will.

Try coming up with something to believe in, principles, policies - something other than the feel good and apple pie kind. People may pay for that.

Anonymous said...

Its a pretty good bet the Chretien is getting senile in his dotage.

However, beyond that he should just fade away as there is nothing relevant about him or his brand of politics.

Dave B. said...

I say keep the funding for all the parties but the Liberals and Bloc. The Bloc, because they are working to break up the country. The Liberals, because they stole $40,000,000.00 from the taxpayer. So deny the Liberals until the would be subsidy equals the $40,000,000.00 plus interest. At the current vote level, this should be for a good 15 yrs.

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

I wish there was a tradition in this country of former prime ministers keeping their mouths shut once they have left office.

Bill said...

A little history. Back in the bad old days when the Libranos ruled, they extorted most of their campaign funds from corporations, like: "If you want to do business with the federal government, call me when the cheque is ready." And there were also lots of corporate and individual suckholes fawning for Liberal favour; might be handy someday. Crouton was happy...

Happy until Preston Manning pointed his finger at the practice. Crouton brushed him off, but then came Librano Paul Martin's bid to topple him. In spite, Chretien decided to reform politics and cut parties and leadership candidates off from corporate and union donations (mostly), thus making it very difficult for Martin to raise funds. Nice guy, eh? That would all be in the early 2000s.

Harper in his first mandate finished the job and cut corporations, organizations and unions out altogether from the funding.

Note that party subsidization takes several forms: the direct per-vote allowance; rebates to parties and candidates for election expenses; and the generous tax credit for individual donors.

Harper hasn't ruled out continued subsidy, but he has said that will require parties to make effort to raise funds or run campaigns. Such policy eliminates the direct per vote subsidy, and parties like the BQ will have to get off their butts and earn such support -- like the Conservative Party does.

maryT said...

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