Glen McGregor takes cheap shot at Ed Fast. Fails miserably.

Glen McGregor's tweet from this morning:

Isn't it still a bit early for poppies, Ed Fast? Not even Hallowe'en. Cue: "I make no apologies for...." pic.twitter.com/Yq2bB1Du

Here is what The Royal Canadian Legion has to say on the matter:

• When is a Poppy worn?
• There is no set period when the Poppy should be worn. In fact, a person may wear a Poppy at any time. Traditionally, however, the Poppy is worn during the Remembrance period, which is from the last Friday in October to the end of the day on 11 November. It is also suggested that Poppies be worn at other commemorative events throughout the year, such as the Battle of the Atlantic, the Battle of Britain, a memorial service at a Legion Convention and other similar occasions.The Poppy is also worn by Colour Parties when on parade and by members attending funeral services for veterans.

Here is a link to a few pictures from the Alberta Legislature taken this past Friday of people who obviously are not as smart as our pal Glen.

You get the point. The evidence is clear.

Too bad McGregor didn't.

Excerpts from some of McGregor's follow up tweets.

@Albertaardvark Your Google search shows poppies are on sale. So are Christmas ornaments. What's your point? 

 

@mooseandskwerl @albertaardvark I would have raised the same q if it was an MP from any other party. Nice try. 

@Albertaardvark @mooseandskwerl Fast is the first person I've seen wearing a poppy. If I'd see Mulcair or Trudeau first, I'd have Tw'd that. 

And for the win!>>  @Albertaardvark @mooseandskwerl You are really a relentless troll, aren't you? Go for walk. Get some fresh air. 

Check out McGregor's twitter feed for the entire conversation.

UPDATE: Alberta Ardvark, along with the lovely and talented Natasha aka mooseandskwerl, get results!   

McGregor apologizes: .@Albertaardvark Before Nov. seems too early to me, but, you're right. I shouldn't have suggested Fast was premature. Apologies, minister.



 BC Blue and CAW Worker's Voice of Reason offer their thoughts

Redford and the gang that couldn't shoot straight in full damage control on transition allowances.

Premier Alison Redford is in full damage control after the news that the PC dominated Member Services Committee had voted in favour of increasing their taxpayer funded perks.

The PCs, 7 of them if you include the Speaker*, voted to end their own contributions to their own RRSPs and have taxpayers cover 100% of the cost. They also voted to create a new transition allowance giving them one month’s pay for every year up to a full year’s pay after numerous promises made during the election campaign by Premier Redford saying "on a go forward basis there would be no such thing as transition allowances"


For the record here are the names of the 6* PCs who introduced the motions and voted to soak the taxpayers:  Quest, Jablonski, Dorward, Goudreau, Calhasen and Steve Young. ALL opposition MLAs on the committee voted no (Forsyth, Mason and Danielle Smith) or abstained in the case of Raj Sherman.

Today Redford came out and said that she remains against transition pay under any name and claimed not to know the details on the change of having taxpayers foot 100% of the bill for RRSPs.

Funny that, considering Steve Young, the party whip and the one responsible to make sure the PC's follow the party line, was one of the 7 who voted in favour of the changes and to make matters worse tweeted at the time of the Member Services Committee meeting/vote that he was doing so on behalf of the PC caucus!

Steve Young's tweets:

"PC Caucus takes Targeted Benefit Pension off the table at the Member Services Committee due to the small potential liablity (sic)." link

"PC Caucus propose no pension rather an RRSP"  link

"With all the talk of pensions PC caucus rejects a pension at Members Services Committee and goes with an RRSP #ableg #pcaa" link 

That's right. These changes to increase their MLA perks and soak the taxpayer were a "PC caucus" decision. At least according to what Young was tweeting. I have asked the Premier's office to clarify.


Alison, I think you may have a little problem here when your own whip votes for something you claim you do not support and while doing so claims to speak for the PC caucus. How you fix it I do not know but it is going to be fun watching PC whip Steve Young whip the vote against the very same transition allowance that he voted FOR when this does come up for a vote in the legislature.

Update: * It has been pointed out that the Speaker as Chair does not vote. This post has been edited to reflect the information.


Sun: Tories pushing to double the amount taxpayers contribute to MLAs RRSP plans to 100%

Herald: Alberta MLAs move to enrich retirement pay.

Related: How Redford has "managed" MLA pay/perks in the past:

Redford flip flops again. Desperation on committee pay issue boils over.

Former Liberal MP Joe Fontana caught being a Liberal?

From QMI

"LONDON, ON — A federal government cheque for $1,700 was used to pay the deposit for the 2005 wedding reception of one of London Mayor Joe Fontana’s sons when he was an MP and federal cabinet minister.

The former general manager of the Marconi Club has told QMI Agency that several months later, another cheque issued by Public Works Canada in the amount of $18,900 arrived to pay the balance owing on Fontana’s account."

Some things never change.