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Well, it looks like the leaked draft of the auditor general’s report and then the Harpercons actually misquoting her, does prove that Stevie Spiteful is made of teflon. today’s Nanos poll reflects this. What’s more, I have a feeling that no matter how brilliantly Iggy may perform at the debates this evening, it will be for naught. When the usual media commentators make their comments, I’m pretty sure they will twist themselves into pretzels to make Stevie come out the clear winner. Why? Because that’s what Stevie will want them to do.
They’ve run a poor campaign and have racked up more scandals that would put ADSCAM to shame. Bevie Odeous’ transgressions, obviously don’t matter, in her riding of Durham, she is winning by a landslide so far. There doesn’t appear to be any reason for that to change.
I remember having read a comment from someone who called themselves ‘Al’ on a CTV board where he admits that Steve is a dictator, but he’ll vote for him anyway.
This Blogging Suppository commenter wants a near totalitarian regime.
lets knock the liberals down to 2 seats and the ndp to 4 seats and nock the Block so they don’t have official party status.
He’s not alone, Remember Mary T making a similar comment last year?
We need an election to get rid of most of the opposition, non party status for the libs would be nice.
And who can forget dear sweet Wilson?
”…HArper keeping secrets is hardly news….”
And that aa, is why Harper has been the Prime Minister for 4 years and 3 months,
and Iffy is at 16% confidence with Canadians.It’s called loyalty, reliability and maturity.
Being ‘secretive’ is essential when you are privy to all the information a Prime Minister learns.
The biggest reason of all is that folks are that afraid of polling stations–to the point that they never want to vote again. Many of those pundits and media commentators parrot the ‘unnecessary’ and ‘costly’ and ‘unwanted’ election. It’s working like a charm. Perhaps if Stevie ran on that slogan he did in the 2009 by-elections, he would get more seats than Brian Mulroney ever did.
That’s it: “Action! No elections!”
Despicable irony how folks here will fight to keep their apathy in tact and/or a Harpercon dictatorship, while folks in the Middle-East literally risk life and limb, taking to the streets everyday to demand democracy.
No wonder the opposition couldn’t do much. There was no will of the people for them to be oppositional. They just wanted them to basically sit down, STFU, like good potted plants. This much is evident.
Oh yeah! We made it in The Australian, usually a more right leaning paper down under. They’re not happy with us and our willingness to allow our democracy to erode neither. I will leave you with a few words from them.
The myth of Canada being dull is captured in the apocryphal story that in an international competition for the most boring news headline of the year, the winning entry was “Yet another worthy Canadian initiative”.
Edmund Burke noted that all that was necessary for evil to triumph was for good men to do nothing. Canadians are certainly good and worthy folks, but they suffer an excess of civil obedience, politeness and lack of civic rage that could be harnessed to combat political atrophy. At a time when Arabs risk life and limb for political freedoms, Canadians seem largely apathetic about the erosion of their democracy.
The centralisation of power in the hands of the prime minister and political staffers – with the resulting diminution of the role and status of cabinet, parliaments and parliamentarians – is common to Anglo-Saxon democracies in Australia, Britain, Canada and the US, but the extent to which constitutional conventions, parliamentary etiquette and civil institutions of good governance have been worn away in Canada is cause for concern.
A minister told parliament she did not know who had altered a document that cut funding to a foreign aid group. Later, she admitted to ordering the changes, but did not know who had carried out the order. Lying to parliament, a cardinal sin of Westminster-style democracy, has become a political tactic.
Following rulings by Speaker Peter Milliken, for the first time in Canadian history, the government and a minister have been found to be in contempt of parliament for withholding information and misleading the house.
The Integrity Commissioner was so inept that she failed to uphold a single one of more than 200 whistle-blowing complaints.
Forced out of office by the ensuing public outcry, she was awarded a $C500,000 severance package on condition that neither she nor the government talk about it.
That is, a public servant paid by the taxpayer was financially gagged by yet more taxpayer money to stop taxpayers finding out what was going on.
When a foreign service officer blew the whistle on the Canadian military handing over detainees to Afghan security forces, in likely violation of international humanitarian law, the government tried to destroy him and refused to give documents to a parliamentary inquiry. The Speaker reminded the government parliament controlled cabinet, not the other way round.
After the last elections, when the opposition parties were close to agreement on a coalition majority government, rather than face the house in a vote of confidence, Harper talked the governor-general into shuttering parliament for a month until he shored up his own support.
When the time came to choose a new governor-general, Harper opted for someone who had carefully drawn up terms of an inquiry commission to exclude the potentially most damaging aspects of a scandal involving a former conservative prime minister.
Four conservatives have been charged with exceeding campaign spending limits in the 2006 election that put Harper into power. A minister used public office and material to pursue party-political goals of courting ethnic vote banks for the conservatives.
Having come into office on campaign promises of greater transparency and accountability, Harper has silenced civil servants and diplomats, cynically published guidelines on how to disrupt hostile parliamentary committees, and suppressed research that contradicts ideologically-driven policy, for example data that show crime rates to be falling.
Judges who rule against the pet causes of the government’s ideological base are not immune to attacks from cabinet ministers.
Civil society groups that criticise any government policy or ideology risk loss of funding and hostile takeovers by boards stacked with pro-government ciphers.
Article from Australian H/T: Mound of Sound.
As usual, Sis, you’re jumping to conclusions. The Nanos poll reflects a rolling poll of 400 people. This AM’s poll released counts the most recent 400 from yesterday, plus the prior 2 days, and if you’re telling me that those would all have seen or heard about the A.G, then you’re simply looking for another reason to cry woe and gloom. (As it was, the Cons dropped from an 11 point lead to an 8.5 point lead.. not insignificant).
Let’s wait a few days after this sinks in plus the debates and then see where ALL the polls (not just Nanos) stands.. before you start the doom and gloom prophecies.
ck Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 9:29 AM
I have a strong suspicion no one will be able to shake the more powerful fears of polling stations and ‘evul’ coalitions. Blogging SupposiTories and some pundits are already speculating as to what would happen if Steve got another minority; what would the GG do if the throne speech is voted down?
It doesn’t help when politicians like Bob Rae and David McGuinty attempt to give civics lessons. They’re probably correct, but correct doesn’t work as well as misinformation.
Those quotes above I gave? I’m sure I could find plenty more like that and even more outrageous if I took the time to research them.
Also, media is in lockstep with Stevie for the most part. That’s not likely to change anytime soon. Watch for most of Canada’s newspapers to endorse the Harpercons, yet again.
If Stevie is knocked down a peg or two, it will be thanks to groups like Catch 22, Unseat Harper and Swing 33.
Those who would give up liberty for security deserve neither…..
ck Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 9:18 AM
evilscientist, I’ve heard that before, and you’re probably right. Fools are so frickin’ scared of everything: polling stations, coalitions without Harper in charge, anything left of tea-party…
well the NDP went up 1.6%, so the progressive side did go up and so it’s good because we do want a progressive govt right?
ck Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 10:22 AM
You need to take a math class. A whopping 1.6%. Your guy is still a distant third. Harpercons still in majority territory. What is it with you Dipper partisans who see reason to celebrate whenever you go up a percentage point or two, or when the Liberals go down, yet you still remain in third place??
ck Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 10:24 AM
Oh, and I must ask, who are you rooting for, Harper or Iggy? You know Layton ain’t going to form government.
I sure do wish that Harper could just appoint all 308 MPs! I mean my polling station is almost a whole mile from my house and I can’t be away from my TeeVee that long.
(disclosure – Stevie told me he might send me a check for 20 bucks, once the deficit is slain and the F-35s are paid for – I hope I’m still alive by then and 20 bucks will still buy a bottle of beer)
“This Blogging Suppository commenter wants a near totalitarian regime.”
Good grief. When the Tories were knocked down to two(2) seats back in 1993, I don’t recall anyone — especially liberals, but not even conservatives — asserting that Canada had been taken over by a “totalitarian regime”. I guess this only applies when the party getting its ass handed to it is the LPC?
Partisan politics at its best.
ck Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 6:33 PM
did you read his comment? Only 4 seats for the NDP, 2 seats for Liberals; and no more Bloc; the rest; 302 seats; Harpercon; that’s pretty totalitarian. Given neither 2 nor 4 seats amounts to official party status, thus, no official opposition; what would you call that?
In 1993, it was pretty much a pizza parliament. Tories had 2 seats. But How many did Reform and the official opposition Bloc have? And that majority the Liberals had was scanty at best at about 37%; not 98%.
JJ Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 3:41 AM
So if the Liberals won a 98% majority, you’d be equally concerned about a “totalitarian regime”?
All I’m saying is, one side is no different than the other in terms of wanting “their guys” to win, and the more of “their guys” that win, the better. Words like “totalitarian” are only ever bandied about by the losing side, and should the losing side start winning, their high-minded rhetoric about the dangers of totalitarianism quickly evaporates. That’s the hypocrisy of partisan politics.
ck Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 6:36 AM
Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a political system where the state, usually under the power of a single political person, faction, or class, recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible.[2] Totalitarianism is usually characterized by the coincidence of authoritarianism (where ordinary citizens have less significant share in state decision-making) and ideology (a pervasive scheme of values promulgated by institutional means to direct most if not all aspects of public and private life).
[3]
Totalitarian regimes or movements stay in political power through an all-encompassing propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, a single party that is often marked by personality cultism, control over the economy, regulation and restriction of speech, mass surveillance, and widespread use of state terrorism.
I think that fits Stevie to a tee, don’t you? That and a house with 98% of the seats.
Partisan politics? I guess you’re comfortable with a Harper dictatorship then? Pick a copy of Lawrence Martin’s “Harperland” and read it. Steve is unprecedented.
Also, I’m not mainstream media, I can be as partisan as I like. You make that sound as if it’s a bad thing.
I suppose you’d rather have Harper with 98% of seats?
This quibbling about the word “totalitarian” is beside the point. The fact is Spiteful Stevie manages to govern like a totalitarian dictator with a minority. With his 1/3 of Canadian support he has already managed to render Parliament almost irrelevant, committees useless, turn the Senate into the first of his new jails (for white collar crooks) and confuse many Canadians about how Parliamentary Government is supposed to function.
If he gets his majority, he will have four years to change enough laws that your grandchildren will be ruled by his grandchildren!
{{{Sigh}}}
I’m cognizant of what “totalitarian” means, thanks. And no, I don’t think Harpie quite makes the cut.
“I suppose you’d rather have Harper with 98% of seats?”
Please point out where I said that, or anything even close. Of course you can’t, because i didn’t.
But that remark encapsulates everything that’s wrong and dumb and depressing about politics today. Anyone who doesn’t concur with spittle-flecked hysteria about “totalitarianism” must therefore be cool with the concept of Harper having 98% of seats. It’s George W Bush-style “with us or against us” and nothing in between.
This is why the average Canadian is so apathetic about politics. This is why there’s a great big huge disgusted segment of the electorate, big enough to give someone a healthy majority, that is completely disengaged and wants no part of it. Because all that’s left on both sides of the feces-littered political landscape these days is a small minority of shrieking hyperpartisans to whom the idea of nuance or critical thought is anathema.
ck Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:02 AM
This is why the average Canadian is so apathetic about politics. This is why there’s a great big huge disgusted segment of the electorate, big enough to give someone a healthy majority, that is completely disengaged and wants no part of it. Because all that’s left on both sides of the feces-littered political landscape these days is a small minority of shrieking hyperpartisans to whom the idea of nuance or critical thought is anathema.
Willing to sacrifice everything? Wow! Willing to have a dictator?
Stevie is not like the Progressive Conservatives of days’ past. He is unprecedented. It’s just me saying that. Books have been written about him saying the same thing, like Lawrence Martin’s Harperland. And before you call Mr. Martin a Liberal partisan, he was no fan of Chretien neither and has written a couple of books, critical of him years ago.
And apathy is one cause of fascism…apathy and fear. Unfortunately, they will probably learn that lesson too late.
“Willing to sacrifice everything? Wow! Willing to have a dictator?”
“Dictator”.
{{{sigh}}}
So if Harpie wins a majority (unlikely but possible), how long do you think it will be before we’re all marched off to concentration camps? A week or two? I hope so — I need time to pack my concentration camp cruisewear.
{{{sigh}}}
How easy it is for a PINO to sit on the sidelines and snipe. JJ, if you’re going to be the referee of good behaviour, please start up your blog again and do it without riding on another’s wings. And if you do, please don’t call yourself a ‘hippie’. That would be the height of hypocrisy.