"Perfect PP" is back and in fine form

Pierre "Perfect PP" Poilievre, the mighty mouse MP for Nepean Carleton has resurfaced in the news after a long absence. Rumour has it that he went back to his native Alberta to recharge his batteries and to ask his Mama for permission to continue his mission to spew invectives in the East.

Permission was granted so PP flew back to his temporary office on Parliament Hill and got back to work. Earlier this week the RCMP raided the Cons Ottawa HQ, looking for evidence with respect to the 2006 election In and Out financing tactics of the Cons. The press was in attendance, as was a liberal worker with a camera.

Perfect PP went ballistic. "Somebody should ask who in Elections Canada invited the Liberal party to make a home video out of the visit to our headquarters," he said.

I know you are just a young pup with only 5 years toward your gold plated pension so I will let you in on a little secret about political Ottawa. THERE ARE NO SECRETS IN OTTAWA. There are only some people who try to keep secrets. If you want to know how people knew in advance about the raid, just watch the dreaded CBC once in a while, not just those days you star on Don Newman's Politics show. Tear your focus away from the spiritual channel just long enough to know what is really happening around you.

While we are on the case of petty politicians, let's hear what the Minister of Impending Deficits, Jim Flaherty, has to say on this scandalous behaviour. "I do find it odd, when I look at a photograph this morning and I see someone knocking on the door with cameras, with news cameras present." I listened to what Jimmy said and I waited with bated breath for him to blame this on the corporate tax policies of the Ontario government. No mention. I guess that scandal is over... for now.

When you promote yourselves as a squeaky clean government, any bit of dirt will show. PM Harper, Minister Flaherty and Perfect PP... you are all past your best-before date.

Ottawa Citizen (and Canwest) screws its freelancers

Graham Green, Executive Editor of the Ottawa Citizen showed up at a meeting of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) on the weekend to tell the assembled masses that the Citizen and its parent, Canwest, were pleased to screw freelance journalists.

This blog, on Jan 21,2008, broke the story that Canwest and the Citizen were imposing new contracts on freelance writers. The contracts (take 'em or leave 'em) stated that if you write an article for Canwest, then Canwest owns the article and can do whatever they want, in any media form. They can also make any changes they want to your work. You get paid once, regardless of the number of times your work is placed.

To make this even worse, Canwest has announced that they are going into the newswire business, which means that they can sell your work to anyone, in any form, anywhere in the world, without ever paying an additional cent to the journalist.

The final insult, I hate to use the term... but it is accurate, is that if I write an article and want to use it, even in an altered form, in a book I am writing; I need permission from Canwest; and maybe I will need to pay to fee to them also - buy back my own work.

The death of newspapers must be nigh.