It's one thing to be an incompetent Minister, but it's quite another to be delusional.In a recent interview Peter MacKay blamed a Liberal decision made 15 years ago, on his current woes. Apparently the 28 Sikorsy helicopters ordered in 2004 were supposed to roll out beginning in November 2008. The article says January 2009, but according to the DND web-site the first one was due this year.
So what are his current woes? Apparently the orders are going to be 30 months late. What is his knee jerk reaction to that delay? Blame the Liberals, of course.
Nearly 15 years after the Chretien government cancelled a deal to replace the Sea Kings, Defence Minister Peter MacKay is still blaming the Liberals for delays in acquiring a new maritime helicopter.
He makes this incredible statement:
"And this underscores the importance of making smart decisions around military procurement and not playing partisan games with peoples’ lives, literally, because the impact of not having those helicopters puts peoples’ lives at risk."
Partisan games? With respect, this almost sounds insane let alone delusional. How can you make a partisan comment then accuse the opposition of that offense? Oh, I forgot. This is how the party operates.
Would you like some facts around the subject? The Mulroney PC's had left the Lib's with a $42 billion deficit. The order for 43 EH-101 helicopters was going to cost $6 billion. Given the choice of a $500 million penalty or borrowing $6 billion while trying to slay the deficit, the Liberals made their choice. In fact, it was projected that the interest on that loan would have cost us a further $6 billion over 10 years. If you're not a numbers person, the choice was tough, but clear.
Pete's daddy was part of the government responsible for that deficit of course and obviously the man responsible for the fiasco, Mulroney, is close to Harper, MacKay and many more.
So, once again we have the Con's distorting history to their own end. In this case, not only distorting but relating it to anything that makes sense seems too much to ask. Watch for the, it's Trudeau's fault, next.
I do not know how long they feel they can keep this up. It's the Liberals fault has worn thin and if they believe that they can shift all blame for their incompetence during an election, I think they have another thing coming.
Facts are difficult to put out during an election and we need someone skilled at truth telling to sell the message. The anti-spin "spinner" if you will.
MacKay has shown his inadequacy in two portfolios. From the Prime Minister on down, the cupboard is bare. It is time to expose that and expose it clearly.
I think the statute on incompetence is about to expire.
18 comments:
"Would you like some facts around the subject? The Mulroney PC's had left the Lib's with a $42 billion deficit. The order for 43 EH-101 helicopters was going to cost $6 billion. Given the choice of a $500 million penalty or borrowing $6 billion while trying to slay the deficit, the Liberals made their choice. In fact, it was projected that the interest on that loan would have cost us a further $6 billion over 10 years. If you're not a numbers person, the choice was tough, but clear."
Sorry but it was the liberals who choose to do it this way. They didn't have to cancel the contract. It was typical of the liberal party back then to cut the defense budget. They were racking ten's of billions of dollars in surplus,and you are going to tell me that they could not find enough cash for those helicopters please give me a break.
"Partisan games? With respect, this almost sounds insane let alone delusional. How can you make a partisan comment then accuse the opposition of that offense? Oh, I forgot. This is how the party operates."
Common do you know any political party who doesn't play partisan games? Mulroney Schreiber at the ethics committee for example. You don't think its Partisan games? Oh what do you call mp's who do not vote, because they are afraid to go into an election? What about when they say that they are going to vote against a budget even before they know what is in it? Is not Partisan games or politics?
So, Johnny Maroon, were the Libs “racking ten's of billions of dollars in surplus” in 1993, 1994… 1995? When did that start to happen, exactly… and why? You might also want to take note of the fact that your own fearless leader had no objections whatsoever to cuts in the defense budget; in fact, he supported them and said at the time that he didn’t feel the DoD should be exempt from the budgetary axe as part of the effort to eliminate the deficit and reduce the national debt.
Oh, how soon the kids forget…
It's funny, you say it's 15 years ago so somehow the Liberals should not be blamed, but I'll bet anything that you blame all of the third worlds problems on the legacy of "evil" colonialism, which ended roughly what, 50 odd years ago? Face it, the Liberals dropped the ball on the chopper contract, and it's a fact that just about everybody (except maybe Liberals) accepts.
Well, there’s a real apples and oranges comparison. A military contract gone south vs. a legacy of hundreds of years of colonial dominion over millions of people, the express purpose of which was to exploit them for their cheap labour and natural resources. Yep, that squares up quite nicely. IN THE COMPLETELYINSANE WORLD OF WINGNUTS!
Stupid beyond belief. No wonder you’re “Anonymous” — I’d be ashamed to my name to that puerile drivel too.
How much more ridiculous can this get? Did Peter forget that just recently his lord & master changed his mind about what type of naval vessels he will now approve to "protect & defend" our north? Plus less of them than originally planned & certainly not the more expensive ones he originally wanted "due to cost factors".
OT: Now Linda Keen is fired! This govt. is insane & MUST go!!! I am truly afraid for this country in the hands of these incompetent, bullying fools.
John, I know you will do anything to defend Harper and his band of stooges, but facts are facts. You can choose to ignore them of course, Harper does, but it renders your argument useless.
Fact: When the cuts were made and the contract cancelled, the Liberals had a DEFICIT of $42 billion.
Fact: When the Lib's finally got Canada's fiscal house in order, they INCREASED military spending.
Looking back: Trudeau spent more on the military as a percentage of GDP than any other PM in the past 37 years.
Mulroney was the one who began the big cuts, which Chretien continued until they got us out of deficit.
Martin increased that spending and Harper has continued that trend.
Anon @1:34 Face it, the Liberals dropped the ball on the chopper contract, and it's a fact that just about everybody (except maybe Liberals) accepts.
Your argument is ridiculous so I won't bother to respond to it, but as to the above comment, only a true Harper devotee would insist that spending $12 billion with an existing $42 billion deficit makes more sense than taking a $5million hit.
RT, sometimes you just have to shake your head in wonder.
Good to see you, hope you're well.
penian, facts seem not to factor into the Con mindset.
I have to say I was shocked to hear that Keen was fired, at 10pm last night no less!
I'm going to watch the committee meeting this morning and will likely post on it later.
I completely agree with you re' the state of this country under these guys. Incompetent fools doesn't begin to describe them in my opinion.
Ah, yes, they conveniently forget that when Chretien took over Canada was losing its credit rating and the CPP was in crisis. Awfully hard to spend money you haven't got when you have no more credit to rack up loans.
Duh, are these people absolutly devoid of any intelligence whatsoever?
I like the idea of a Facto-Meter type of thing here in Canada.
They have it in the US - done by Politico. They thoroughly check out statements that candidates in the current race make. I can't remember all their findings, but I do remember that they discovered that Guiliani lies a lot, Hillary Clinton has been pretty honest, Edwards gets figures very mixed up and of course, Romney flip-flops.
We truly need something like that here. I don't suppose Harper's newest strategist, Mike Duffy, would put anything like that on his show - CBC can't because they'd cry Liberal bias.
Good suggestion Sandi, though you would expect that all media should be playing that role.
It's especially needed now in my opinion. Every single day a comment comes out that is untrue.
This site is pretty good at tracking the hyposcrisy.
Do you have a link to what you are referring to in the US?
Now RT, you shouldnot be so hard on our little anonymous friend. See, he probably knows someone who knows someone whose cousin was once down onhis luck but through sheer hard work he managed to pull his socks up and solve his own problems.
If this guy can do it without government hand outs surely the entire third world should be able to do the same thing!
KNB - re: Keen - She has a great unlawful dismissal suit now. I hope she sues them for defamation too.
Whooee! PeteyBoy just keeps diggin'. Yer on the money a hunnert percent's worth wrt the incompetence level in this cabinet. Their talent pool was shallow in the first place but now it ain't hardly deep enough fer the bottom-feedin' carp we got runnin' the show.
Anyways, I'm always happy to see MacKay stumble. When the gal I adore, Earth Mother Lizzie May, announced she was running against MacKay in Central Nova, I was among those to question her judgment. She immediately made a good case for running in that riding. Then, she convinced Dion not to field a LPC candidate. Now, MacKay's faltering on the Atlantic Accords, the Bill Casey firing, Afghanistan in general, mismanagement and untendered procurement revelations and now this added piece of incompetent partisanship.
MacKay's goin' down along with Harper's minority. The Keen firing is just the thing to bring down the rotten Con liar megalomaniac.
JB
I don't have a link to Politico's Fact-O-Meter but they are on CNN/political shows quite frequently.
I'll try to search it out.
I only caught a very brief snippet of Lunn's appearance before the committee, but during the part I saw he was, you guessed it, blaming the liberals for the situation at Chalk River
Gayle agreed. Watching her in action I have no doubt she'll sue. I sure as hell would.
I'm not sure he's going down Jim-bobby as much as I would love to see it. I worry about his family's power in the area. We'll see, but I would love to have May in the House.
Sandi, thanks.
Gayle...sooo predictable aren't they? LOL
Don't for get there's an Elmer MacKay-Karlheinz Schrieber connection. MacKay's family ties may be a liability.
Good point JimBobby. He's be named as a witness at committee too hasn't he?
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