CPC Youth are chowing down

he CPC youth wing is crashing down in a ball of fire.  Apparently there are a number of Youth members who are acting like like they are adult CPCers and are practicing eating their own.

On a Facebook account one youth is complaining as follows:
________________
Letter to CPC National Councillors
Re: Fire CPC Staffers in the "No Youth Wing" Group
From: Graham Sproule (g.j.sproule@hotmail.com)
Sent: July 21, 2009 4:19:15 AM

To: danhilton@conservative.ca;

michaellauer@conservative.ca; mennofroese@conservative.ca; hamishmarshall@conservative.ca; gordelliott@conservative.ca; victormarciano@conservative.ca; sammagnus@conservative.ca; donplett@conservative.ca; simonchapelle@conservative.ca; markdotzert@conservative.ca; karajohnson@conservative.ca; johnwalsh@conservative.ca; gilleslavoie@conservative.ca; christianprevost@conservative.ca; judithseidman@conservative.ca; marieclaudeblais@conservative.ca; michaelmacdonald@conservative.ca; ceciltaylor@conservative.ca; liamobrien@conservative.ca; davidmcpherson@conservative.ca
Cc: rajotte.j@parl.gc.ca

To the National Councillors of the Conservative Party of Canada:
   I have already visited the office of my MP James Rajotte and I was advised to take my concerns to the party's National Councillors. As a long-time Conservative Party supporter it is with regret that I bring your attention the following blog which contains defamatory statements against myself and other members and/or supporters of the party:
http://noyouthwing.wordpress.com/
   This blog is linked to the following Facebook group which includes many current Conservative Party of Canada staffers:
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=101480646938&ref=search
   I am surprised that the party has so far decided to turn a blind eye to the activities of their own staff members against fellow conservatives. The party may not be able to control what its staff do in their spare time, but the party certainly is under no obligation to retain these staff members. In light of indecisiveness on the part of the party, I have created the following facebook group in response:
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=107179696183&ref=ts
   If the party isn't willing to fire its staff members who are promoting this character defamation and libel, than those of us who have been subjected to it are obligated to take our case directly to party members, party donors and the media. I believe this matter could be easily resolved if the party made a public promise to fire any staff members involved in a group making defamatory statements about fellow party members and conservatives.
   The seriousness of this matter should not be doubted, as identity theft and libel are indictable offenses under the law. I don't think those of us who have been defamed ought to seek legal counsel at this point, as this matter can easily be solved internally by the Conservative Party of Canada. To move to that phase would surely cause further embarrassment for all parties involved.

Sincerely,
Graham Sproule
Edmonton-Leduc

 ________________

Speaks for itself, eh what?  BTW, the noyouthwing blog on Wordpress has suddenly disappeared.

It's Saturday in Ottawa

There are two ways to tell if it is Saturday in the Nation's capital.

The first is to look at the sky. If it is raining, it's Saturday.

The second is to look at page A6 of the local newsrag. Sure enough on A6 of today's bird cage liner is an innocuous article touting FinMin Flaherty saying that Canada's has turned the corner on the recession -- green shoots are showing -- things are looking rosy. Buried in the article is a toss away line stating that the deficit for 2009 has been pegged at a measly $75 billion.

What?

Flaherty told us a few weeks ago that the deficit would be about $50 billion., Now it is 50% higher at $75 billion? Can't this guy count? Or is he just a serial liar?

In the space of 10 months, Flaherty and the Con government have gone from predicting surpluses to small deficits to large deficits to, now, a humongous deficit. And I wager to say that he is not finished yet.

In his last update, before this one, Flaherty touted that the deficit would only be $85 billion over the next 5 years. He poopooed the bank economist who said it will be more like $156 billion. Now he is up to $75 billion in the first of the 5 years and there is no end in site.

Is that what you want from a government?

Cons are toast

When the infighting begins, the end is at hand. 

The social networking site has a new group that I was invited to join.  The invite came from a contact of mine who is a die-hard Con supporter. The group is labelled, "Fire CPC Staffers in the "No Youth Wing" and it shows how concerned Harper is to losing his digs at 24 Sussex and how even more concerned are the Con Hill staffers at losing their keys to the executive restrooms.

This is how the group is described: "The Conservative Party of Canada has chosen to turn a blind eye to the activities of its own staffers who - unsatisfied with only impugning the motives of grieving parents of fallen Canadian soldiers - have now decided to employ their defamatory rhetoric to create a "phony war" against fellow conservatives in the hopes of proving their loyalty to the PMO and keeping their cushy party jobs. The party cannot turn a blind eye to the activities of those under their employ. Here are the facts:

"The CPC staffers on the hill are becoming anxious about their job security. Their "No Youth Wing" facebook group is a spin-off of previous group called "Anti-AYCC" that was deleted by facebook for its defamatory content against at least one conservative. Most of the people on this "new group" are CPC Hill staffers. The campus clubs that supposedly support their group would require an executive meeting and a vote to do so. There is no question that the the CPC wants a new program to train its staffers, and these current staffers are worried about maintaining their jobs in the party."

Can you say... panic?

By the way, I decided not to join.

.

Suggestion for Jason

Hey Jason, I know what you are trying to do, what with requiring Mexicans and Czechs to have a visa to get to Canada, but you are going about it the wrong way.

I do not often offer advice to Cons, unless I am suggesting that crawl back into the holes from whence they came, but I will break rank by offering some to Jason Kenny, Minster of All Things Not Yet Canadian.

Rather than imposing visas just prohibit all direct flights from Czech Republic and Mexico (except charters that were booked from Canada by Canadians).

That would mean that the "refugees" would have to route through another country before they get to Canada.  Then you can deny all of them entry because they should have sought refuge in country they flew through or from.

Don't say thanks, Jason.  Just leave town.

They wouldn't even listen when they were offered free food

About a month back, in July, the Cons held a $150/head dinner in Montreal with PM Harper as the key note.  The place was packed with 2000 screaming bodies -- apparently.  According to sources close to the situation, the reality was that a great number of the attendees were given free tickets.  They were there for the free food.  Now that's transparency!

Even with the free food, a large part of the crowd were asked to quiet down during the PMs scintillating 30 minute speech.  Apparently there weren't saying, "Right on, Steve" or "You go, boy,"  They were yelling across the table for someone to pass the butter or the buns.  I wonder if there was a chance of a good food fight?

Cons are toast in Quebec?  Right on!

Odd times on the Hill

We all know about the furor that Jason Kenny kicked off by requiring Mexicans to get visas to visit Canada.  Kenny's reasoning is that too many bogus refugees are fleeing Mexico to try and get to Canada and that it is clogging our system.  Never mind that a big piece of the problem is that half of the seats on the IRB are currently waiting to be filled by Harper cronies.

How does the issue square with a tri-lateral meeting that Harper is attending, August 8-11 in Mexico, with Obama and Calderón as part of the discussions on the Security and Prosperity Partnership.

Will the spat begun by Kenny evaporate before August 11 to save Harper's ass?  And if not will Harper need a visa to attend the meeting?

Let's wait and see.

Harper stays the course

Last fall Harper stated that the economy was strong and that Canada will never have a deficit. A few weeks later he admitted that maybe things weren't so rosy. A few after that, he admits that we might have smaller than expected surpluses and that dips in the TSE were "buying" opportunities.

By January he predicted a slight deficit of to cover his stimulus package. Then the estimate grew to $34 billion and then to over $50 billion.

He then tells us that the budget will be balanced in five years and that the debt will rise by only $100 billion.

In the meantime, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, M. Page, who Harper hates with a passion, predicted that the deficits will continue after Harper's target date and the debt will rise by $156 billion.

"Dumb", says Harper. Almost all economists must be dumb also, cause they agree with Page.

It reminds of the old military story that a mother was watching her son on the parade square and she remarked, with pride, "My son is the only one in step". Harper must be the only one in step.

Next comes that declaration that Harper will not raise taxes or cut programs to balance the budget. Then just yesterday he clarified it all by stating that he will not cut taxes or slash programs to meet an arbitrary deadline for balancing the budget.

So let's get this straight -- Harper tells us that the PBO is dumb to suggest that the deficits will last longer than he declares and that he will not raise taxes or cut programs. Then he tells us that he will not raise taxes or cut programs just to meet the dates that he has already stated?

Stay tune -- the next logical thing for Harper to say is he may have to raise taxes or cut programs to get the country's budget balanced. But you can be sure that he will find someway to blame it on the Liberals.

Who is the dumb one now, Pinocchio?

Fall election, says Harper

The best way to predict an election is to watch what PM Harper and his band of Cons do when they thinks that no one is watching.

Example 1:  Harper agreed with Iggy to strike a committee to look at ways to improve EI for Canadians.  Then he turned around and assigned his pit-bull moppet, Poilievre, to the committee.  Harper knows that PP does not have a single cooperative bone in his body so he is using PP to scuttle the work and send us to a fall election.

Example 2:  I am sure that it is no coincidence that AECL waited until Parliament was not sitting to announce that their one month-turned three month shutdown of the NRU reactor in Chalk River is now one year, and maybe it will never come up again.  Liberals have been saying this for months but Harper stalled the announcement hoping that no one will notice?

Example 3:  Cons are churning out the ten percenters in record numbers.  I am waiting for the one that accuses Iggy of starting WWII.  Regardless of what they say, ten percenters are propaganda aimed at the pre-election writ.

I am glad you made it clear, Pierre.

On June 12, 2009, Nepean Carleton's mighty mouth MP, Pierre Poilievre entered, voluntarily, a scrum outside the House of Commons.  For those who may not be aware, a scrum is one of the few chances that reporters get to ask questions of Cons MPs.  Generally, guys like PP only like media types that have a camera in both hands. and no mouth.


Julie VanDusen, from CBC, was part of the scrum and she asked this seemingly simple question:
"How many jobs have been created through the federal investment in infrastructure."

The answer should have been simple enough.  After all The FinMin had been talking about creating 160,000 jobs just a few minutes earlier in the Commons.

  “Lots of jobs,” Mr. Poilievre said.
   “No, but I need a number,” the reporter protested.
   “Lots of jobs,” Mr. Poilievre said.
   “You've got more than 3,000 - where are you going? I mean if it's a great news…” the reporter said.
   “I'm going to the grand opening of a new radio station here in Ottawa,” Mr. Poilievre replied.
   “Okay. How many jobs have been created to date?” the reporter asked.
   “Lots of jobs. Lots of jobs,” Mr. Poilievre said.
   “Be specific,” the reporter said.
   “I'll be specific,” Mr. Poilievre said.
   “Okay,” the reporter said.
   “We're building roads, bridges, hockey arenas, other construction projects all of which create jobs. We're lowering taxes so that people can spend and invest in the economy to create even more jobs. So the answer to your question is lots of jobs. Thanks,” Mr. Poilievre said.
   “The Prime Minister said 80 percent of the projects are underway. How many jobs? Give me a number,” the reporter said.
   “Lots of jobs,” Mr. Poilievre said.
   “Give me a number,” the reporter said.
   “Lots of jobs,” Mr. Poilievre said.
   “That's not an answer,” the reporter protested.

With that, PP walked away to his next photo op.

I will bet you that if you asked PP how many votes he got in the last election, he could tell to the last number.  I bet, if you asked PP how many times he has been named by the Speaker he could tell you, but then he'd tell you that it was the Liberals fault, not his.

So why can't PP answer a simple question on employment numbers?  Is it because he doesn't know?  Is it because he doesn't care?  Is it that he is no more than a stuffed shirt who when he does not have a script, he cannot operate?

I guess we will find in the fall during the next election.

Time to come out of the closet, PP

The tiny perfect MP for Nepean Carleton has some 'splainin' to do.

How is his government going to pay off the $156 billion in debt that be lumped onto Canadian thanks to their spending spree?

Tell us Pierre: will you cut services?  Will you cut transfers to provinces?  Will you sell off all the country's assets?  Will you raise taxes?

Or will you just run for the hills to avoid the question?

Lest we forget

In the fog of the 2008 war over the fiscal update delivered by everyone's least favourite government, most of us remember the brouhaha over the funding of federal political parties. The Cons still try to make hay with their continuing use of the coalition terms. Scary thought, wasn't it? Parliamentarians working together on the Hill. What could be scarier than cooperative politicians, ask the Cons?

Well in that fog there were two very important initiatives that the voters in Nepean Carleton should remember -- and ask PP about during the next election.

This is a direct quote from their economic update: "As indicated in the Speech from the Throne, the Government is introducing legislation to ensure predictability of federal public sector compensation during this difficult economic period."

What, you ask, does that mean? Here is another quote, "For groups with collective agreements already covering 2008–09, the 1.5 per cent would apply for the remainder of the three-year period starting at the anniversary date of the collective agreement." What that means is that collective bargaining for civil servants was being suspended and a 1.5% increase was being imposed. Sounds a bit like wage control, doesn't it?

But the piece de resistance was this gem. "In addition, the legislation would suspend the right to strike on wages through 2010–11."

And you still want to vote for the Cons?

The second issue forgotten in the coalition talk was this little tidbit from the economic update: "the Government will introduce legislation to modernize the pay equity regime for federal public sector employees,...". This was a sneaky attempt by the Cons to rid themselves of the pay equity issue by putting onus on the collective bargaining system to solve their problem. Let me explain it this way. If you are a char-lady making $8.00 per hour and you do work deemed the same value as the street sweeper who makes $9.00 per hour, you could appeal to the government for equal pay for work of equal value. The problem is who could figure out what work is as valuable as another job? Well the government wants to make that a union issue. Fine and dandy, as long as the government negotiators accept the union's determinations.

For example, what if the union says that the street sweepers are equivalent to, say, electric engineers who are cleaning up the tritium spill from the reactor floors at Chalk River? Does that mean the the government accepts the argument that the street sweepers should get a raise to $70 per hour? And with them go the char-ladies? Betcha the answer is no.

Before the nest election, public servants, and all Canadians, will want to look closely at what the Cons have been doing to Canada and Canadians. They protected the pensions of the CAW by bailing out GM and Chrysler, but the said "Piss off" to Nortel pensioners.  They protected the assets of the US-owned car companies but turned their back on technological innovations at Nortel that have been paid for by Canadians.

This is a shameful government -- and you should see it as just that.

The arrogance of GM

GM is a basket case. It produces vehicles that hardly any one wants. It moves at a glacial pace to be innovative and it's finances are so far into the toilet that the government needed to bail them out.

Hand's up all those who expect to ever see a single cent of the $10 billion, given by our lawmakers, returned to Canadian taxpayers in the next -- oh say-- ten years.

No one willing to take a guess? Well,. you are right. The answer is zero or negative 200. We will never see that money again.

As part of its "restructuring" plan, GM sold its OPEL division to Magna, a Canadian company owned by Belinda Stronach's dad. The deal helped justify the government's bailouts.

Magna stepped up to the plate and is planning to invest in OPEL, raise its product, profile and markets and make it a success story. The deal was good for GM, good for Magna and good for OPEL.

Now... GM is showing that it is still as arrogant as ever. They are demanding that they have the right to take back OPEL when they are back on their feet again. To hell with Magna. To hell with the increased value of OPEL. GM's making demands and, damn it, you better listen!

Piss off, GM. You will have the right to declare that you are back on your feet AFTER you have paid back every cent given to you by Canadians. And not a minute before.

And if you want to buy back OPEL, you do it at market rates and at the price demanded by Magna... not some arbitrary number you want to put on it.

The arrogance.