Wednesday, September 09, 2009

But...But...But!



You will have noticed that Diane Finley and Pierre Poilievre have been out preaching the gospel of Untruth as it relates to the EI panel.

Sadly for them, the truth generally makes it's way out.

Do you remember when they told the country that the Liberal proposal on EI was waaaay out of line and the country couldn't afford it?

Nay, nay, I say!

Parliament's budget watchdog has put a price tag of under $1.2 billion on the Liberal's employment insurance proposal, showing the Conservative government "wildly overestimated" the cost at $4 billion for partisan purposes, Montreal Liberal MP Marlene Jennings said Wednesday

The finding shows the Conservative government distorted the price during bipartisan talks that broke down over the summer, Jennings said in a telephone interview from Montreal. A senior government official had put the $4 billion price tag on the proposal as the possibility faded of a consensus by the committee, of which Jennings is a member.

"It means that the government was in bad faith and that they wrongly used and directed public servants to do a partisan job, which they shouldn't have," Jennings said.


Another thing that should be noted. It was Harper who set up this panel. Ignatieff agreed believing that he, Harper, was acting in good faith. Oh, the horror! To think that Ignatieff actually thought that gentlemen might actually act honourably. If there was naïveté there, I'd say that has been squashed.

Anyway, another day, another lie exposed.

What is new under the sun?

10 comments:

wilson said...

from the article
''Page's officials delivered the report to the Liberals Wednesday and it is scheduled to be released to the public Friday. Page's office would not comment in advance.''

Friday?
Isn't that the day reports are made public so as to bury them?
Or is that only when Conservatives do it?

Anonymous said...

Do the Liberals even have a say as to when the Parliamentary Budget Officer releases his reports? That's a serious question. I don't know why they would have authority over them, or at least any more than any other party, but not sure how that office works. If anything, I'd think they independently determine their schedule for release.

The more obvious question in response to the "friday release" observation is this. Why would the Liberals have a press conference TODAY to announce the findings delivered - only - to them if they actually wanted to bury the story? Perhaps they would rather the news get more attention and had the press conference since Page wasn't officially releasing it until Friday.

Damn logic, always getting in the way of a good spin.

Anonymous said...

How come in the house Mike Savage the Liberals go to guy on EI said they had to cut the minimum hours do to a 40 billion dollar deficit in 1993. Yet with a 50 billion dollar deficit it is A OK to restore them? Makes no sense Liberals.

pogge said...

I know! I know!

The Joint Library of Parliament Committee agreed in July that reports from the PBO would be released to the parliamentarian or committee requesting them and that said parliamentarian or committee would get to decide if those reports were subsequently made public.

It was the Conservatives and the Liberals who wanted that control. The BQ and NDP wanted the PBO to have more freedom but agreed to those restraints in exchange for a budget increase.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, pogge.

So, not venturing into the whole side discussion of releasing reports, clearly the Liberals do want the report to see the light of day as they had a press conference today and apparently approved the release of the report by Page.

p.s. pogge - the profile you use for posting comments links to your old - 2004 blog site. It is easy enough to follow it through the link there to your current blog location, but thought I'd let you know in case you want to update your profile so the link is to your current blog url.

Karen said...

Pogge is right, wilson is spinning and wrong, as usual, Joseph is the voice of reason and anon, I have no idea what you are you are going on about...with respect.

Anonymous said...

Anon - huh?

1993 was a long time ago and there wasn't a "global" recession/verge of depression, etc., etc.

Do you have a brain?

pogge said...

Thanks, Joseph. I'm usually logged into the Google account for other reasons so I end up using that profile to comment because I'm too lazy to change it.

Anonymous said...

KNB, (sorry to be o/t) I wonder, what's your opinion of Duff Conacher/Democracy Watch? From what I know, I wish a multitude of blessings upon them- they're my kinda people! Thanks. LK

penlan said...

wilson said:

"Friday?
Isn't that the day reports are made public so as to bury them?
Or is that only when Conservatives do it?"

Just to add my little bit to this. Things to be *buried* are usually released LATE Friday afternoon or in the EVENING sometime. Something Harper does all the time if it isn't favourable to him & his Cons.

This report will be released, I'm sure, in the morning so as to let the media report on it.