The Media Should Be Talking About This

It was in Frank, apparently the one day last month when I was not on the Internet.  It's seedy, a sex scandal, although everything between the two parties appears to have been consensual.  And the Minister is a "nice guy", and anyway it turns out he's leaving politics.  For the time being. Nevertheless, it seems an important Conservative  has been caught violating the moral code he and his ilk would like to impose on the rest of us.  We don't really know because nobody, nobody has demanded a response from Mr. Moore. And I don't like the idea of the MSM just turning a blind eye, which appears to be what has happened.  It reeks of being trapped in the same Ottawa bubble for too long with the people you are supposed to be covering, of Stockholm Syndrome, of  mistaking prey items for friends. In any case just think of what the coverage would have been if it had been  someone like Justin caught out this way.  It would have been a feeding frenzy. 

Rhyme Of The Duffster

Let's hear it for Senator Duff/Whose salary wasn't enuff/He took 90 grand/And when caught redhanded/Just grabbed 90 more from the trough
— Trevor Strong (@Trevstrong) May 15, 2013

In Ottawa

...something is clearly afoot.  BAH HAH!  But seriously folks, this sounds like the CPoC might be in dutch with the alleged Mafia.

An Anonymous Conservative Speaks Out Re Peter Mackay

If it was one of Chretien's lackeys caught doing this BS on the public dime, I doubt very much that any one of us would cut them any slack for it, so why should we do so when it happens to be someone that we voted for? The overwhelming reason that most of us voted for Harper was because we expect him to be responsible with the public purse, and everytime that nonsense like this comes to light, the more it reinforces the perception that the only difference between political parties is the colour of the posters they stand in front of when they lie to us.

 SDC

Mind you, the more often expressed view among CPoC supporters is that MacKay is entitled to his entitlements:

As a Minister of the Crown, private or commercial transportation should be used whenever reasonable to do so. That being said, MacKay's record as a Minister has earned him the right for us to cut him a little slack on this one even if it may have been inappropriate.

Rumours Of Infidelity

From Bourrie's Facebook page:

 Bourrie isn't namining names, but apparently alot of ccs on the email including one to the PM.  As to newsworthiness, you might argue that there are national security implications.

Update:



Updated again

Dissident Page Not Just Smokin' Hot But Clever

From a Tory blogger whose probably a guy (not that there's anything wrong with that):

Will this affect her career? Yep — but not in the way you might think.

First, you have to note the details for before and after her altercation — the news release, the use of Twitter to communicate her message, the post-event interview. Take all of those, objectively, and you’ll realize that, far from being a light-brained idiot, there’s a planner who know exactly what she was doing, what the consequences would be and how she would handle them. Certainly she had a bit of trouble with her interviewing skills, but if we’re honest, we have to admit: she handled her actions far better than Michael Ignatieff did the 2011 election campaign. It’s that type of go-getter attitude that got her a Loran scholarship in 2007, and probably landed her the Page position to begin with.

There are NGOs out that that could use that kind of planning, and some municipal / provincial politicians could see her value, objectively, as well. Far from snuffing it, Ms. dePape may be clever enough to use this as a springboard for a career in protest politics.

As to the whole question re the "appropriateness" of her actions: remember all that stuff about "contempt of Parliament" that triggered election #41 in the first place?  I can't see how this gal's actions top anything Bev Oda, for example, did in the way of  lowering the reputation of our governing institutions.

And yet Brigette's the one that got fired.

Even More Wally

I think the progressive blogosphere can collectively claim credit for this story, although why they chose to focus on Wally Daudrich's opinions re Barack Obama vs. his really weird opinions re MP Niki Ashton is beyond me. But whatever.

Also, I'm still not entirely  convinced that the moral and legal way to run a polar-bear watching tour is to display your customers like so many fries in a McDonald's happy box , but there's a few true Manitobans reading this blog that dispute me, so I must respect (though I don't quite yield) to their greater authority.

More Wally Daudrich

I find it hard to believe that this is legal.

What Is Wally Doing?

Meet Wally Daudrich, CPoC candidate for Churchhill, Man.

I guess this is what you would call an example of the mask slipping.  Suggesting, as Mr. Daudrich does, that Ms. Ashton's loyalties are to China is about as low as you can go.



A Tory Candidate With Issues (Legal ones)

CPoC candidate for the Yukon Ryan Leef advertises himself as  a correctional officer, long-distance runner, and cage fighter.  Although perhaps not a very good cage fighter.  Here's a story about him getting decked out in the 2nd round of his 2nd fight.  Apparently he lost the 1st one too. (PS. he's the bald(er) guy in the pic.)

But more importantly for our purposes, back in 2009 Mr. Leef was charged with illegal hunting:

Two former police officers have been acquitted of illegally using ATVs to hunt sheep in the Ruby Range.They have also been acquitted of reporting false or misleading information to officials.

Greg McHale and Ryan Leef once upheld the law, but found themselves under investigation for breaking it after a complaint from area hunters was made to Haines Junction conservation officers.

And while, as the above article states, Mr. Leef was originally acquitted, this ruling was eventually overturned:

[10] The Crown has asked that a verdict of guilty be entered. I would, of course, have the power to send this matter back for a new trial. The evidence of the respondent at trial makes it clear to me that there is nothing to be gained by submitting the respondent to the cost and inconvenience of a new trial. His own evidence is such that the only result could be a finding of guilt.

[11] Accordingly, I find the accused guilty.


PS. For balance, here's a .pdf of the original judgement acquitting Mr. Leef (and then overturned).  Its also worth noting that even when the original ruling was overturned the judge felt that Leef and co. had been careless, rather than intentionally deceptive.

Updated: here.

Question Of The Day

If Sébastien Togneri can't work for the CPoC campaign by virtue of being under police investigation, why can Senator Doug Finley?

Source of image.

Sébastien Togneri Is

...in and out.

PS. I know they're different scandals.

1st Tory Candidate To Resign

Dale Saip resigns over bankruptcy revelations.

I had nothing to do with it, but if anyone wants to know what I am getting up to this cycle, "dark ops" wise, well, I'm trying to implicate a Tory cabinet minister in a sex scandal. But it isn't going well. In the end I may have to sleep with the guy myself.

What I do for Canada...

A Canadian First!

Harper Government Scandal makes news site for sex toys! How did that happen? Remember, the name of the company involved is H20 Pros. What does that make you think of. Personally, it makes me think of water filtration devices.

PS. Speaking of H20 pros, here's the management team page for H20 Global Group, the group they spun off for lobbying purposes. Here's the bio for Christine McPherson, who is thought to be the mother of Michelle:

Ms. McPherson has devoted her career to Human Resources, Human Rights and People. She developed partnerships with Makivik, Qiqiqtaaluk and Unaaq to establish the Northern Shrimp Industry. In collaboration with them she developed training programs to train Inuit on board Northern Shrimp Trawlers. She has developed and delivered programs to create the Federated Architecture/ Government On-line and to facilitate process mapping with organizations such as the RCMP – DNA Databank and DND CFSSU Programs. She has just returned from 4 years in Doha, Qatar, where she worked on behalf of Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani developing policies, procedures, process and labor guidelines.

She is passionate about people, the environment and the simpler ways.

I haven't had time to track down anything on the elder McPherson, but it would be interesting to find out what work she's done with the RCMP and federal government.

PPS. Although here's her linked in. Looks like she does HR.

PPPS. And has spoken out for gay rights and human rights (see towards bottom of page) in Qatar. Actually seems a fairly decent person.

Busty Hookers Redux?

Please Gawd, if you make Canadian politics interesting again I promise to try to believe in you.

Update: Bourque brings the porn! All hail Bourque!

On Bruce Carson

In the early 1980s, Carson was disbarred and served time in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of defrauding law clients.

The APTN did a great job with this story. Expect them to be defunded.

Maybe All Politicians Do It, But These Politicians Do It All

Fundraising letters on Parliamentary letterhead?

It is, literally, a scandal a week.

Renogate!!!

OTTAWA—A consultant hired by the federal government to smooth out disagreements in a controversial Parliament Hill renovation donated money to attend a Conservative fundraiser, The Canadian Press has learned.

I'm betting that Paradis is eventually forced to step down, and Chris Selley steals my headline tomorrow without giving me credit.

Conservative MP Devinder Shory In Deep Shit

...."implicated" in a "huge mortgage fraud". Being sued By BMO.

CULTURE O' DECEIT, BABY! CULTURE O' DECEIT!

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Says Novelty Cheques Not In Contravention, But Not Good

MPs' using novelty cheques with personal or party identifiers on them to enhance their profiles and improve their electoral prospects is not covered by the concept of "private interest" as outlined in the conflict of interest code for MPs:

3(2) do[oes] not extend to cover the type of interests alleged to have been furthered in the requests under consideration. Those interests, namely the enhancement of the Members’ profiles and the improvement of their electoral prospects, are partisan political interests.

So all those Tories who used giant novelty cheques with their name on them are in the clear.

Nevertheless, Ms. Dawson finds the increasing employment of "partisan or personal identifiers in making government announcements raises concerns that should be addressed." Helpful hints as to a means of doing so are provided by way of reference to Ontario's Government Advertising Act and Alberta's Government of Alberta Communications Policy.

So there you have it.