![[small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg]](/b6414e4e9c770c63580c059521fd6de7/_WGczmWu7Wwc/SdCJyy2LN1I/AAAAAAAABWE/ABYCkbJaKaQ/s1600/small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg)
Out of two major events in federal politics this week, Harpercon Robocop Fantino added insult to injury with our veterans just when you think that he and his Harpercons couldn’t stoop any lower.
Over the past week, after two months of 8 veterans committing suicide, therefore a group that really needs help, those “support the troops” Harpercons announce they closed 8 veterans affairs offices. With the help of Service Canada workers’ union, Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the veterans were trying to organize a meeting with our very ‘empathetic’ veterans’ affairs minister, ol’ Robocop himself.
Here is a timeline of events leading up to Robocop’s award winning performance. While looking at the timeline, boys n girls, please note that Robocop’s office agreed to meet with the veterans under the condition that no union representatives show up and that PSAC agreed to those terms. That’s right, only the veterans showed up for this meeting for those who think otherwise.
Basically, Robocop initially wasn’t going to show up according to his Parliamentary secretary, Parm Gill along with Laurie Hawn and Erin O’Toole who showed up in Robocop’s place. Eventually, 70 minutes later, Robocop shows up and gets rude with a veteran who asked him a question. Yes, he sent his minions.
Of course, Robocop, when all else fails, picks up his boss, Stevie Spiteful’s mantra of “blame the unions!” Sadly, given that many Canadians have been brainwashed to hate unions and that any job loss or any economic issue for that matter, many will buy into it and have.
They also claim that those offices that closed on January 31 were offices that didn’t carry large enough case loads. Those Harpercons, unfortunately for them, distorted the facts to suit their own ends:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended the government’s action this week by saying these “duplicate” veterans offices had a “very small caseload.” But, figures put before Parliament in 2012 showed each of the affected centres handled anywhere between 2,065 and 4,113 client cases.
Thomas Mulcair in Question Period illustrates an example how the closure of the office in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland would indeed cause hardship. It would mean that the nearest office is in St-John’s; an 8 hour drive from Cornerbrook. Many veterans are disabled, physically and psychologically; many of whom probably can’t even drive to the nearest convenience store, let alone 8 hours to go beg for services. Watch the video below.
As for this whole blaming PSAC, more specifically, Robocop Fantino dismissing the last veterans meeting as PSAC using them as their pawn, so to speak, it’s too easy. Sure PSAC is trying to save their workers would lose jobs following the veterans’ service center closures, but as Ronald Clarke, a veteran who appeared on Question Period with Bob Fife this morning pointed out, the arrangement was quid pro quo. PSAC provided the logistics and financial backing for these veterans to go to Ottawa to meet with Robocop, but as Mr. Clarke pointed out, the veterans themselves planned the event. As Mr. Clarke pointed out, they would never have been able to make the trip without PSAC’s help. As for them trying to save their workers’ jobs, think logically. Without those workers at those centres, who will help those veterans? And sorry Chrissie Blatchford , local legions can only do so much. So, for Robocop to patronize the veterans into thinking PSAC is using them falls flat.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, that same week, the widower of a soldier who committed suicide recently was forced to return 581$ and change. Yep, that’s great support.
Veterans are now calling for Robocop to step down, which he arrogantly refuses to do. In true vintage Stevie Spiteful, he is standing up for his minion…for now, that is. We have seen Stevie initially stand up for minions, cheerleaders and senators who blundered and/or caused scandal only to toss them under the bus at a later time. What is surprising is that Stevie had never done it sooner, even before he became Veterans’ Affairs minister. While this was perhaps Robocop’s worst performance, it is not the first time. As Michael Den Tandt, usually a Harpercon cheerleader in the media, basically called him “The wrong man for every job” . Hyper partisan and either boring or just plain stupid.
I remember one particular moment during the Canada Post lock-out, when the NDP held a filibuster, late at night, ol’ Robocop’s best effort was a grossly erroneous statement. Something along the lines of how organs for transplanting to patients would be transferred if Canada Post employees weren’t back on the job. It was perhaps the dumbest thing from the Harpercon side of the house during that entire long week-end.
When minister for CIDA, he turned the place into his hyper partisan backyard.
When appointed basically as Petey MacKay’s babysitter, no two people have screwed up the F-35 purchase the way they had.
Yet Robocop is never forced to the nosebleed section of the House of Commons, let alone be kicked out of Harpercon reindeer games. Why is that?
My hunch, and I’m sure I’m not alone, is that Stevie’s people when courting a retired Robocop (with a 6-figure pension, no less–didn’t need to work anymore) to run in the November 2010 bi election in Vaughan, he was promised a cabinet seat if he won, which he did and sure enough, he was given a small junior portfolio to cut his teeth on, minister for seniors. The kind of portfolio that was symbolic more than anything else. Not one that would require much visibility and the like. Sadly, after Stevie promoted him to babysit Petey MacKay, things went downhill.
Some suggest that Robocop may end up resigning and then Stevie will send him straight to the senate like any other failed MP, bag man, partisan. Possible, but this would be very bad optics just after the senate scandal plaguing many Harpercon senators, especially after Justin Trudeau’s senate bomb shell last Wednesday. As arrogant as Stevie may appear in the face of the senate scandal and how Skippy Poilievre can try to ridicule, they have failed miserably on that front. Not to mention, Stevie appointing Robocop to the senate in response to Justin Trudeau’s ballsy move to cut his now former senators loose would definitely look worse–that he his simply appointing yet another cheerleader, hack and failed minister.
There is another matter. Robocop Fantino has found himself in a campaign spending scandal in 2012.
As far as Veterans’ Affairs go, again, Fantino is only the gravy on the goose. Veterans were abandoned under previous Harpercon veterans ministers, Stephen Blaney and Jean-Pierre Blackburn. H ere is a timeline of all the veterans’ affairs cuts under the Harpercons. How do you like that for “Supporting the troops”? They can claim all they like that veterans are dwindling, but the fact remains that however few veterans remain, their issues tend to be more complex and they still need help. Closing the 8 offices last Friday certainly reflects how they “support the troops”. Their mantra is obviously selective.
Long before Robocop was appointed Veterans’ Affairs minister, let’s not forget the other cuts as well as other acts of ignoring them; patronizing them; dismissing them. Isn’t that what former ombudsman, Col Pat Stogran brought attention to? Why he, of course, did not have another contract to do this job which he was so good at?
Medical records being released as in the case of Sean Bruyea?
How about soldiers and their families being forced into living in substandard housing on military bases ? One of whom in Alberta, forced to busk to make ends meet .
You see, Stevie can preach “Support the troops!” until his face turns Conservative blue, but look at his actions and those of his party. Sorry, but Remembrance Day regalia along with expensive War of 1812 just doesn’t cut it. Doesn’t it just seem obscene to spend millions on War of 1812 reenactments that suit Stevie’s version of history when cuts for disabled veterans and the families of fallen soldiers are happening?
As for us, we sport poppies around the end of October / early November of every year and perhaps give a little something for local legions and that tends to make us feel like we’re supporting our vets. But in reality, we should be doing more. Much more. How many of those poppy wearers are actually aware of how badly treated veterans are?
If Robocop somehow magically resigns and it’s still a possibility, who would be the next Harper flunky to take his place? It should be noted that he will still follow Stevie’s orders and do nothing but patronize and smile and say “there there” to the veterans while they commit some other hideous act like further cuts or releasing of medical records and being dismissive overall. As much as I would like to see Robocop disappear, there will be some other partisan hack and cheerleader taking over from where he left off.
Also, the veterans who are generally a core part of the Harpercon base should think twice before voting those clowns back in office in the next election. Regalia and ceremony just don’t pay the bills and they don’t heal their injuries and illnesses.
|
Trackback for this entry
It is very hard to miss, Harper’s dirty tactics.
What people don’t see is? Are the 3 Amigo’s plots. Their plots have been going on, for quite some time. The 3 Amigo’s meeting is coming up shortly. I have been tracking the meetings of the 3 Amigo’s for quite some time. This meeting is about the TPP corporate give-a-way. The Amigo’s meeting,is for the NAU.
Corporations are bottomless pits of greed. They have been pushing for the NAU. They don’t want to deal with three government, they only want one government, makes it easier for those parasites to thieve. Corporations are demanding, a cheap labor pool. This is why Harper is bringing, thousands of foreigners here and training them for the oil patch and for his Chinese Northern BC mining plan and the oil patch.
Harper is an evil dictator and a sociopath. That Harper wouldn’t cheat our Veterans, is laughable. He doesn’t even hesitate.
[ Reply ]
I used to be a PSAC member. We benefitted the military membership with every raise, every benefit we won, the military rank and file won too. PSAC members have worked alongside the military, taking over some of the logistical tasks here at home to allow the forces to hone their trade. We support the forces in so many ways that this Government is failing to do. I suspect the Harper Gov just lost the military vote. Big mistake.
[ Reply ]
It’s not the point I know – not even close to the point – but somehow I don’t think Conservative donors – whose average age is 68 – will appreciate seeing vets humiliated, regardless of whatever rhetoric the Cons think up to accompany it.
[ Reply ]
ck Reply:
February 2nd, 2014 at 10:18 PM
Why not? Seniors have been treated poorly too regarding OAS and GIS among other things. Health care is being chipped away in favour of the American model; affordable health care would be a necessity for seniors especially, yet they don’t fight for it. Au contraire, many seniors I speak with would still vote for Stevie. Go figure. I would love to be proven wrong in this case though.
[ Reply ]
Unfortunately, I don’t know if military types will stop supporting the Conservative Party. They sure won’t go Trudeau. Mulcair might win them over with his steely determination, and as the only one consistently pointing out Harper’s hyposcrisy in the House.
I’m just thinking of how the second Dubya term started in the U.S. He punked out of service like most pretend-Hawk / connected Repugs, ran against a guy with a Purple Heart, and people played off Kerry like he was the ‘Fortunate Son’ (apologies to John Fogerty) and Bush Jr was the tough guy who would get things done. Furthermore, Dubya cut military pay and benefits during his wars, and his military still backed him up!
I think Harper is still following Dubya’s playbook- yesterday he announced his plans to reduce voter fraud in Canada (as well as re-drawing the electoral map to squeeze more Conservatives in, but digress)- as if we have rampant voter fraud, instead of a lack of people ever even bothering to vote. The nearest we’ve come to voter fraud in modern Canadian history must be the robo-call scandal, brought to us by these democracy-preserving Conservatives.
As for Fantino, he is the most political-minded, opportunistic cop I can remember in modern Canada. I read his book with an open mind, thinking this “cop’s cop” might have some interesting or entertaining recollections of Toronto’s crime scene in the 70′s. Instead, it’s a horrible bit of self aggrandizing propaganda. Throughout, he laments he only ever wanted to be a good cop, solve crimes, put criminals away, he distrusts politicians (yeah, sure!) etc… the predictable platitudes of a wannabe politician, since everyone who runs for office has to pretend they don’t want the job, that they’re just bowing to public pressure and civic duty, of course.
The only interesting bit in retrospect is is professed admiration for Dalton McGuinty’s government, because they gave him his first political appointment. It figures he ran in Vaughan, the self-described ‘City Above Toronto’ is a cesspit of political corruption, their elections are constantly followed by police investigations, re-counts and law suits.
[ Reply ]