24 Sussex "Bomber" Brought Soap, Deoderant For PM

From the Ottawa Sun:

No charges are anticipated in connection with the bomb scare at the prime minister's residence Sunday, RCMP say.

Police found the man they believe was responsible for throwing a black gym bag onto the 24 Sussex Dr. property late in the afternoon.

[...]

The bag contained personal hygiene products.

Police questioned the man, who has no fixed address and was located in Ottawa.

So, a homeless man feels compelled to donate a care package of "personal hygiene products" to the Prime Minister of Canada? I guess everyone thinks they're an image consultant these days. But what exactly what are we paying Michelle Muntean for, anyway?

Did It Come With A Free Bowl Of Soup?

In what is surely a political two-fer, the equivalent of a trick shot in pool, the Harper government has managed to "support" both Culture and Canadian Veterans for the princely sum of "up to $2,000 " donated to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra:

The funds, provided through Veterans Affairs Canada's Community Engagement Partnership Fund, will be used to support Remembrance Day concerts.

"Music is a universal language with an amazing ability to speak directly to our emotions and imagination," said Minister Thompson. "Through music, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's concerts will allow listeners to more deeply understand the feelings of the men and women who served our country during the Second World War."

$2,000? You couldn't bury 1/3 of a soldier for that price! It's not half of Bev Oda's Limo Bill and, although the Tories won't say, given the standard rate for psychic hair-dressers, I expect Michelle Muntean hauls in way over $2,000 per pay.

And what's going on with the "up to" stipulation? Does this mean that if the Clarinet player breaks a reed, for example, the replacement comes out of his own pocket? Are the musicians even getting paid in Canadian $s, or stale donuts? And how much did it cost send out this news release (to get anything on Canada news wire usually costs at least a couple $100).

h/t to the Shotgun Blog.

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.

Prominent Tory Defends Harper's Psychic

From the Maclean's 50 comments on this story, John Reynolds speaks:

Michelle is a wonderful person and doesn't deserve the treatment she is receiving. I wonder what all our wonderful TV personalities would look like if somebody wasn't combing their hair and applying the makeup.

When Michelle travels with the PM her expenses are paid by the party...

Yes, her expenses are picked up by the party but her salary is picked up by the Canadian tax-payer, and this is the part that many people find offensive. It is also a bit bizarre that a leader who prides himself on his "ordinary guy-ness" would need someone to powder his nose and apply lip-gloss for him so that he looks like someone who doesn't wear make-up.

Finally, the "treatment" people like myself are dishing out is aimed at Mr. Harper, not Ms. Muntean. But, frankly, if she was any good as a psychic she would have seen all this coming, and advised Harper accordingly.

Conservatives Employ Psychic Chick!

Remember Michelle Muntean? Stephen Harper's psychic primper? Turns out she's off the public payroll and getting her cheques straight from the CPoC. Holy Fuck! Maybe its not Iggy dragging the party down; maybe they put a spell on us!

Harper To Canada: Get Your Own Damn Psychic!

From Canoe.com:

OTTAWA (CP) - The cost to taxpayers for Stephen Harper's personal stylist is destined to remain the prime minister's beauty secret.

The NDP attempted to part the curtains blocking access to details about the public cost of Michelle Muntean's services, and who oversees her work. MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis submitted a formal question in the House of Commons that requires a government answer, but received no details.

So I consulted with the amazing Wanda here, and she gazed deep into her crystal ball. Her reading?

$9.00 an hour, and Michelle gets first crack at any meeting munchies that everyone else has left behind.

(On a slightly more serious note: stupid move on Harper's part. People will keep looking until this information comes out. Might as well volunteer it and be embarrassed just once.)

Return Of The Psychic Hairdresser

Reading this, you have to figure that Michelle Muntean is still on the payroll:

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper had already made the decision to kick a controversial cyber crime bill to committee even before Opposition howled because he sensed a public backlash was rolling his way, QMI Agency has learned.

Actually, any fool should have seen this one coming, given the response to SOPA.  Vic Toews is one of those rare fools who did not.