Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy

Jean did not stand up to Harper’s bully tactics, or uphold the law of Canada (which Harper’s own government passed!) and refuse to dissolve parliament because there had been no vote that indicated a loss of confidence in the government. She, and subsequent GGs should not have a role in government from now on. It’s time to end the monarchy in Canada, that seems to be the lesson from today’s shenanigans. If the monarchy figurehead won’t stand up for Canadians when we need it most, it’s time to move on like most other developed former colonies have done.

An election is to be held on Tuesday October 14, 2008. As I mused months ago, we are going to have an election before the one in November in the USA.

Harper’s fixed election date lie is covered here for those who’d like to tell their friends that Harper’s first and last acts as Prime Minister were to break both his word (and in the latter case, the law). Remember he appointed unelected Fortier to cabinet?

“But fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar simply for partisan political advantage.”

He said he was willing to give up a prerogative traditionally enjoyed by sitting prime ministers.

“I read the polls saying if I called an election now we would win a majority. The same polls also say no one wants an election now, and no one does want an unnecessary election. So unless we’re defeated or prevented from governing we want to keep moving forward to make this minority parliament work over the next 3½ years.”

[...]

He added: “A federal campaign is very difficult thing to organize, so this is a useful advantage that we’re willing to give up.”

Because the change would be done through a law passed by Parliament, future governments would be free to change it back.

Heck, even his own government was free to change it back, without even passing a new law!

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If you want to know how the election will go, check out the live blogs of it. Go Rhinos!

“[T]here is a clear definition of what makes an individual a criminal and Stephen Harper is not one at this time.”

-Keep it real, dawg.

Despite investigations by the RCMP and Elections Canada, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have not been convicted of any crimes, yet. You want successful and ethical politicians. You can’t get more successful than a politician who avoids charges after offering “financial considerations” to an MP, reduces food inspections right before a major food quality scandal, and whose party breaks election campaign finance laws to bilk taxpayers out of close to $1M. It takes a lot of talent and connections to do all that.

Here’s someone in Yukon getting spammed by a Winnipeg Conservative MP. The North is always at the front of the mind in the Conservative Party. The Rod Bruinooge the Minister of Xeroxing proves it.

I’m mailing the Conservatives 4 pieces of junk mail to try and keep pace with their recent example, and you should too. It’s free, just tape some junk mail into communication they make you pay for, that they mail to you. Better send it soon today though, the House may not be in session by Monday, unless the Governor General has a spine! She actually could stand up for Canadians, when Harper chooses to ask her to break his fixed date election law.

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Hat tip to comment from LF

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There is a compelling, but long letter I want to share with you, and if you agree with it I hope you’ll fax it in to the GG and email. There isn’t much time.

Her Excellency
the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A1 Transmitted via fax : (613) 998-8760

September 4, 2008

Your Excellency

In the matter of the recent news reports of the Prime Minister of Canada suggesting he will request you dissolve government, due to his lack of confidence. I am attaching an Op-ed I wrote recently,
which I feel reflects the feelings of myself and many Canadians.

Canadians have felt powerless for far too long. We are tired of being at the mercy of the whims of our elected officials. We have hired them to do a job, to represent the people of this nation and
hold our best interests in the highest esteem. I am requesting that you ask the member of the Official Opposition whether he feels he has the confidence of the majority of members of the House and if so, allow him to take over as our Prime Minister. (As is part of our Canadian Convention ) If the recent news reports are correct, it is clear then that the current Prime Minister does not want his job and does not feel he can serve. Therefore it is incumbent on you to represent the people’s best interest. I quote our Queen from this government website;

Parliamentary democracy has fostered tolerance and flexibility - a good balance between individual rights and collective responsibilities. And this is because the constitutional monarchy has always placed the emphasis on people in community - as it were, a national family with the Sovereign as its head.

Queen Elizabeth II
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
October 1987
http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/fr-rf/couronne_crown_canada/4_e.cfm

I submit that it is neither in the best interest of Canadians individual rights nor our collective responsibilities, to be paying for another election at this time. I submit that the House was sitting in the spring and did not lose confidence at that time, they have not resumed the next session and there has not been a motion which was defeated. The Prime Minister’s meetings with the leaders of the other political parties, requesting a statement of confidence outside the House is not productive to good government. This is not a game. A minority government should not request a blank cheque from the opposition leaders. This is not responsible government.

I quote from an article on the government website, in bold is the critical point [bold not shown in this blog post]:

“First, in the United States the head of state and the head of the government are one and the same. The President is both at once. Here, the Queen, ordinarily represented by the Governor General,
is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of the Government. Does that make any real difference? Yes: in Canada, the head of state can, in exceptional circumstances, protect Parliament and the people against a Prime Minister and Ministers who may forget that “minister” means “servant,” and may try to make themselves masters. For example, the head of state could refuse to let a Cabinet dissolve a newly elected House of Commons before it could even meet, or could refuse to let Ministers bludgeon the people into submission by a continuous series of general elections. The American head of state cannot restrain the American head of government because they are the same person.”
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/can_am_gov_print-e.asp

Further I quote the importance of minority government (again from a government website) , surely ensures that only legislation that is in the best interest of Canadians can or will be passed. If
legislation cannot be agreed to by the majority of members of Parliament then I submit to you that it is not the will of the people of Canada.

“A reality of “minority governments” is that their life is often quite short. If the government is defeated in the House of Commons or legislature on a vote of non-confidence, the Crown’s
representative must either dissolve Parliament by calling an election or call on yet another member to attempt to form a government that would enjoy majority support. Far from existing only in political theory, this prerogative power has indeed been exercised in Canada - for example, in Ontario in 1985.”

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/fr-rf/couronne_crown_canada/4_e.cfm

In keeping with Canadian tradition, Convention and attitude desiring good, responsible government I am requesting that you act on behalf of the people of Canada, and assert your authority in this matter, sparing the people both the expense and effort of an unnecessary election.

Yours very respectfully

Catherine Whelan Costen

cc: Media

Catherine Whelan Costen
Website: http://web.mac.com/whelancosten
[...]

The Governor General’s fax number is provided within the letter, or
send email to her at info@gg.ca

Impolitical has more thoughts.

Both the Liberals and Conservatives have had scandals plague their candidates for the federal riding of Palliser near Moose Jaw. The latest person out of the federal pool is Dave Batters, who is suffering from depression and addiction. I’ve heard more details of his troubles in rumours (and they would certainly cast more doubt on the moral fiber of Conservatives {not that depression is from poor moral fiber, but Conservatives say addiction is}), but will not mention them since I’ve not verified their accuracy. Suffice to say he has enough on his plate to deal with in order to get better, than to have me nattering about his poor life management on the net.

Given the Conservative’s 10%er propaganda they mailed out a few weeks ago, it’s unlikely Batters would be allowed to remain in the party or “on the streets”, let alone out of jail if he has an addiction problem. Here’s what the Conservatives think of drug addicts:

Canadians work hard and play by the rules. But where in the rules does it allow junkies and addicts to threaten or steal from innocent families? [...] Thugs, drug pushers, and others involved in the drug trade are writing their own rules.

“Before being elected, Dave spent five years working in the health care field as a pharmaceutical representative for Pfizer Canada Inc.”
Wow, and he was a “drug pusher” (of a sort) before being an MP.
OK, I better stop looking at his website now before I find more Conservative hypocrisy.

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Palliser also lost its Liberal to scandal. Now a former police chief is taking on the nomination for the Liberals.
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Hat tip to Libertyville

Fortunately the Green Party candidate Larissa Shasko is someone I’ve met and would trust with being a Member of Parliament.

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The media cartel of CBC, CTV, Global, and TVA are putting up such a stink along with Harper’s Conservatives about including Elizabeth May in the televised leaders debate for the coming election, that it appears hopeless to include other parties that deserve to be seen on national TV debating their platforms.

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Dion appears to realize that the Green Shift needs to be made more attractive to energy intensive economies in order to win over more people to the intelligent plan.

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And here’s someone else taking on the monumental task of tracking the Conservatives’ lies, and broken promises. I have a list compiled too, ready to go for the election campaign. It was built by a few Liberals and I working on a blog that has been waiting in the wings a long time (due mostly to Liberal election avoidance).

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And on a completely different topic, I got a hair cut at a hair dresser for the first time (in memory) last night.

Just sit back and watch the other parties have a conniption fit over the Greens breaking into the political scene in an undeniably significant way this week. For the NDP in the blogosphere, Wilson joining the Greens from being an Independent MP and former Liberal, is a sign that Elizabeth May is too Liberal or maybe unethical, or a Progressive Conservative.

For libertarians, May is either too conniving or controlled, or too out of control. Others think she is just loopy or Liberal in Green clothing. And some even think that by doing something that hasn’t been done by a party since the 1993 election (accepting independent MPs into a new party to gain seats in the House {the Bloc did this}) that she’s conducting politics as usual instead of playing the crooked system to make the game fair.

The Conservatives are so confused, they aren’t sure what party she’s in. They must lose count after trying to remember if they are PC, Reform, CRAP, CA, or Conservative this year. The media, like CTV, loses track too, so maybe it is complicated.

When a funny talkin’ Green blogger from Ontario makes more sense than a half dozen of the top political bloggers combined, it’s an interesting week indeed.

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Speaking of it being easy being green, I rescued an old TV for someone on Saturday and hooked it up for them in their nursing home. I recycled my neighbours’ cardboard, and took a big box of their unwanted, kids hockey equipment to a second hand sports store. Then I picked my supper from my garden, and cooked it up with local farm raised hamburger. I also rescued a table and chair from an uncertain future, and they are being picked up tomorrow to head to a new home. I lost points for using my car for the chores, and muttering at myself for not filling up when gas was $1.319 instead of $1.389 (up for the long weekend). It was a fun “recycle day” in any case.

Red Tory has the latest Conservative election ad (before an election call just like politics in the States). Heck, non-Conservative Canadians have been paying for and seeing Conservative election advertising right since the last election, so why not see some more?

Harper’s a straight up guy, who’s ready to stand you up too. What kind of straight up guy approves the In-and-Out advertising scam, and propaganda 10%er mail outs? The same one who smiles like an android for the cameras, and needs an oily spokesblob to explain that the Liberal leader is not a leader, but he’s somehow going to lead us down a different taxation path anyway. Probably one where income taxes will go down considerably, as opposed to the Conservative’s income tax hike when they came to power.

ADDED: What kind of straight up leader wouldn’t have his political opposition sent to jail in another country, and sued for speaking against his criminal activity?

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Also, an interesting thought. What if the CHP also came to the televised debates? Wouldn’t it be nice to have another voice ‘against’ Harper?

I was really impressed by Dion’s lunchtime speech today (aside from his ESL grammar of course). He certainly was showing some charisma, and was putting Harper’s games playing in context for the media. It’s clear that soon again Harper’s Conservatives will attack Dion and Green Party leader May for a “backroom” deal in their respective riding contests, but Harper is willing to wheel and deal with Dion over the PHONE on the fate of the current parliament!

CTV has the video.

It’s not hard to see why Dion scoffs at Harper’s claim that other parties are preventing parliament from working. The Conservatives are the ones who are preventing parliament from working, because it’s busy weeding out Conservative corruption (In-and-Out, Cadscam) and ethical problems (10%ers, Bernier). Scott provides a link to why an early election call is preposterous if Harper wants to save face.

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Yesterday was quite different. After I had the afternoon off anyway, and no plans, I called up some friends and we went 5 pin bowling for a couple hours. I averaged about 176 after 44 frames, with a couple of >200 games. My car appears to be sucking gas, so either a Grand Prix sucks (likely) or someone is siphoning my tank and that’s why it gets just 18MPG in the city driving I’m doing. I could almost see the needle going down yesterday while driving between the library and bowling alley. Then it went back up again. Accuracy is not important in gas gauges, just as it isn’t for toner cartridge level meters or progress bars.

We wrapped up the night of cooking an unintentionally vegetarian (almost vegan) meal partly from my garden (and mostly from Superstore) at my place, with “Mission Impossible III” [9/10].

I remember the olden days, when Members of Parliament would only communicate with members of their constituency — the people they represent. Now, Conservtive MPs have brought a new, more partisan way of thinking to Ottawa, and that is to use our tax money to communicate with voters in ridings where they don’t have a member of parliament. Most people would call this “advertising on the taxpayer’s dime”, but not Conservatives. They have big shoes to fill when it comes to wasting taxpayer money on illegal advertising schemes. And so far Harper is proving he can fill those shoes just fine.

Join the Facebook group to end “10%er” Conservative propaganda mailings.

Here’s my solution this week.

I’m going to mail conservative junk mail to other junk mail providers who have postage-paid return envelopes. One Junk Mail deserves another! I’ll send Propagandist Spammers Rob Clarke (who I collected 9/16 fliers from in the recycling), Lynne Yelich, Leon Benoit, Gerry Ritz, Garry Breitkreuz, Brian Jean, Andrew Scheer, Rick Dykstra and the others (yet to arrive) some junk mail in return. It’s the least I can do to communicate how I feel about their representation. Conservative garbage in power… Conservative garbage get out of my government!

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Hat tip to Challenging The Commonplace and GAB for pointing out ACR’s campaign to end partisan 10%ers.

Macleans has noticed the trouble the Conservatives are trying to get themselves into with this waste of taxpayer money. Will other media put the Conservatives in their place?

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ACR’s Frink writes “I’ve managed to pick up about 20 that were delivered to my 55-suite apartment building.” That is certainly comparable to the approximately 5-9 I pick up each time the Conservatives spam my 16 unit apartment building in Liberal Goodale’s riding.

ACR’s most recent rant on the subject is available here. Pogge adds a little needed profanity. Wandering Coyote also has ongoing coverage. Garth Turner has an update, and is growing even more frustrated.