Communicate THIS!

Bon Mots from John Williamson, the PM's new director of communications:

On Michelle Muntean, the PM's in-house pyschic:

The idea that these expenses are going to be run up on the public tab and then answers aren't going to be forthcoming about how much its costing is unacceptable from a taxpayers point of view.

On The Harper Torys spending habits:

The lazy, hazy days of summer are here and Conservative MPs are crisscrossing the country and showering it with money. According to news stories, the federal government has announced some $3-billion in spending priorities since Parliament recessed for the summer less than a month ago. That is roughly $100-million a day or more than $4-million every hour. Weren’t the Conservatives elected to root-out waste in government and spend tax dollars judiciously?

[...]

Unhappily, there is nowhere for voters to turn for reform.

And some more:

The Conservatives' program of massive deficit spending is bad news for taxpayers because it will mean paying more interest to service the national debt.

Licking the 3rd rail of Candian politics:

John Williamson, executive director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, told The Interim it is “obscene that having an abortion at 20 weeks triggered maternity benefits. No birth, no benefits.”

He said it was a “perversion of the EI system,” explaining that employment insurance was designed to “provide benefits to people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves out of work.”

Trashing Quebec Delis:

John Williamson, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, thinks the loan is another example of corporate welfare and Conservative vote buying. “There is only one way to describe a zero-interest government loan to business and that is corporate welfare. And with a possible fall election, I think it is safe to also call this vote buying in la belle province," said Williamson.

On last year's election:

Williamson says the spending binge is exactly the kind of pre-election splurge Prime Minister Stephen Harper criticized the Liberals for in the run-up to the 2006 federal election.

On PM Stephen Harper:

And Happy New Year to you Prime Minister, but I hope it’s not as dark as you anticipate. With Maclean’s and with other reporters in year-end interviews, Stephen Harper warned Canadians of tough economic times ahead. To make matters worse, he says the federal government will introduce tough policies to reduce carbon emissions and the public will most likely gripe about it. On taxes, Canadians, it seems, can get stuffed. If the economy slows there will be no relief for taxpayers. What kind of message is this?

On Jim Flaherty:

For the record, I think Mr. Flaherty will keep his job. But he sure is making a mess of the nation's tax code.

Even more on (Tory) government spending:

After the March 19th federal budget, I am becoming a convert to PR. On spending and taxation, the New Government™ is increasingly indistinguishable from the old government.

And on Chrétien vs. Harper:

Another favourite Conservative talking point is that Canadians are getting more value for their tax dollars because Ottawa is better managed today — taxpayers therefore shouldn’t fret over a few billion dollars in spending. But there is little evidence of this improved management. In fact, it is no contest between the Harper government’s spending and that of Mr. Chrétien’s government; the Grits exercised greater fiscal discipline.

Thanks to Ted for this last one.