Well it seems that the Bloc was pretty clever to bring forward their motion today that states, that the House express full confidence in Elections Canada and the Elections Commissioner, (paraphrased). It of course was a political move but useful in it's way. It's just too bad all of Canada didn't see the debate. Many things came to light.Poilievre spent his 20 minutes deliberately confusing issues, distorting as usual and bringing up comparisons of how the other parties followed exactly the same procedure as the Con's. Interestingly, he seems to be raising all the issues that their legal team wanted to present in the civil suit, but they were ruled inadmissible and irrelevant, (that according to Dominic LeBlanc).
Why would you do that? Oh right, to confuse Canadians!
Each and every example Poilievre brought up, was shot down by the opposition. For example, the petulant one stated that Dominic LeBlanc did the same thing in a group ad buy. LeBlanc has explained numerous times how it is different, so I won't go through that, but Poilievre went further and said that LeBlanc's office wrote a cheque for the ad to the Liberal Party of Canada, proving that the national party actually paid for the ad and allowed LeBlanc to claim a refund from EC. What Poilievre leaves out is that the cheque was made payable to the Liberal Party of Canada (N.B.). In other words, he interpretted the law as it was intended.
Over and over P.P. uses the same evidence, (all contained in a shiny new black, 3 ring binder), all of which is as solid as a snowball in hell. He speaks only to the civil suit and of course ignores the real issue, alleged over spending nationally. It's really quite bizarre.
Anyway, the debate served to shine a light on what the Con's did and their evasive responses shone a light on who the Con's are.
The Con's voted against the motion tonight and even though this was meant to be a political move on the Bloc's part, I think the Con's have made yet another mistake.
For the government of this country, not the Conservative party, but the government to indicate that they do not have confidence in a trusted institution through a vote and not just rhetoric, sends a pretty bad signal.
Will it resonate internationally? Doubtful but the risk is certainly there. Sending Canadian observers to an area that is known to be less than ethical in voting procedures is something we have been proud of. What's to prevent an unethical player to suggest that our observers are useless, using the argument that the Government of the country they represent doesn't have confidence in them? As I say, I doubt that will happen but this a group of people that seems not to think through the possible consequences of what they do.
Most of us have known their position on EC and other institutions for some time, but they have been pretty good at denying that and providing an alternate explanation that seems to receive a lot of ink. Now they are on record and that just reinforces all of their other moves and the motivation behind them.
The list has grown to be quite long but, hmmm, who was the last person they said they had no confidence in? Hint, she's suing for wrongful dismissal.
Throwing snowballs in hell. Go team!
11 comments:
The Conservatives did not fall for this ridiculous motion by the Bloc. I wonder why the Bloc did not make this motion into a confidence motion hummmm?
Maybe this is the reason why! You see unlike the Liberals they the Conservatives they show up to vote not run and hide or only have a handful of mp's to vote,because they are simply afraid of an election. This is just a wasted opposition day that's all.
Sorry if you are going to
go to my link,go to the link where it says "The Bloc and Conservatives tied."
Right, I think I made it clear that this was a political motion.
It was really about the debate and the Con's looked absolutely ridiculous trying to justify their position.
They presented nonsense and looked like duplicitous rogues.
Showing up to vote, once more to show the country how macho they are? Not intelligent, not earnest, not able to stand up for this country...just macho.
That only plays to those who believe that is a good thing to be.
Hint...very few of us.
TRIWIA - Of course it's a bit absurd that such a motion should have come from the Bloc, of all parties. But everyone and their dog knows that it was merely a political ploy designed to embarass the Conservatives. Having said that, the Cons played right into the Opposition's hands by voting against, when they could have just abstained and still made their point (however petulant and small-minded it might be).
More importantly, by voting against, they sent a very disturbing message out that the sitting gov't has no confidence in one of the most well respected and honoured institutions in our democracy. It was another stupid move by a government that would rather be known for arrogance than intelligence.
Agreed RC.
It was another stupid move by a government that would rather be known for arrogance than intelligence.
Bizarre that, but they keep building that case. I suppose that is what you do when you are arrogant.
Miss the point.
"Showing up to vote, once more to show the country how macho they are? Not intelligent, not earnest, not able to stand up for this country...just macho."
"What!" Are you kidding me? Not agreeing with this government fine,but saying that they are not standing up for this country is ridiculous.
How intelligent is it to walk out on a vote? How intelligent is it
to only have a handful
of mps to show-up to vote? How intelligent is it to have a budget or any other legislation pass and then criticize it by saying how bad it is?
The only party in this country at the federal level that doesn't stand-up for this country is the Bloc period.
Don't give me minority this and minority that. This is the system we live in. Get used to it.
We have the right of center Conservatives,the left I.E. Mr.S.Dion's Liberals,the socialist NDP and of course the separatist the Bloc who are only there to collect a nice pension.
We have had majority governments with only 38% of the votes.
Red Canuck I don't know about you but I want my mp to vote. I did not send my mp to sit on their hands. If they would have abstained you and the rest of your liberal friends would have said you see its not just the liberals,but the Conservatives too and you know it.
Oh right, were you saying that when Harper was abstaining. Give it a rest, your selective, principled outrage is meaningless.
Just abstain and shut up, you're the government, it's a national institution that people must have confidence in.
I am really tired of hearing this trite old liturgy about some 'well respected' Canadian institution or other. Is everyone so brain enfeebled that they think some government agency, once commissioned, is beyond reproach? Or that they never evolve over time? Hasn't anyone noticed how the RCMP, another 'well respected' institution has fallen into disrepute?
Bureaucracies, by their very nature, grow into turf-protecting dictatorial little empires over time. This attitude that we must never question the operations of these self serving hegemonies is what has allowed this country to become one of the most over- regulated countries on earth. It has reached the point that any government, business, or for that matter individual, can't speak, act or think without double checking to make sure they haven't violated some sacrosanct, arcane ordinance promulgated by these monolithic and untouchable establishments.
Self serving hegemony's perhaps, but change of great magnitude doesn't occur overnight. And it shouldn't change by way of usurpation. Harper is a fool and his government is done like dinner.
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