Canada Kicks Ass
Harper Subverting Democracy

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Rev_Blair @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:40 pm

$1:
Apparently if you didn’t elect one of their candidates, the Conservative government doesn’t really care what you have to say.

At least that was the impression I was left with after reading a news release from B.C. Conservative Caucus chair Dick Harris, which urged people with “concerns or issues with the Federal Government” to contact Sharon Smith, who will be running for the party in the next federal election. Apparently, according to Harris, Smith will provide residents with direct contact to the federal government, which we have not had since 2004, and will “represent constituents of her riding.”

That is quite possibly the most arrogant, ignorant and blatantly misleading thing that I have ever heard from any government or government official. Ever.


Link

$1:
Throwing in the waste bin the principles that make representative government in Canada function, Harris explained on a local radio show the other week: "To have access to the ministers, realistically, you have to be part of the government. You want to contact the Prime Minister's Office or even the prime minister when you need to, it helps immensely to be part of the government."


Link

Maybe PM Steve and his buddy Dick don't think the people have a right to elect their own representative. Maybe PM Steve and his buddy Dick should move to China where this sort of thing is acceptable.

   



Scrappy @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:54 pm

I'm sorry Blair but I'm still froathing at the mouth at those unelected liberal senators who refused to pass legislation dealing with crims who use guns. When they stop acting like the Montreal Mobsters and start acting like servants of the public let me know and I'll get outraged with Harper and his latest no-scandle issues.

Still froathing at the mouth, too bad a little boy had to die before the liberals could take the time from their lofty Tolerance and More Tolerance ethos soap box.

   



Rev_Blair @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:03 pm

Don't blame the Liberals for this, Scrappy...this one is all on Harper. Cullen was elected by the people of Skeena-Bulkley Valley. Harper has no right to just appoint somebody from his own party as a representative for that riding.

This has nothing to do with the Senate or the Liberals.

Keep on trying to avoid taking any responsibility though...it's very Conservative of you.

   



ridenrain @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:12 pm

Now, Here's The Monkey Prince; Dion himself introducing the new "Rightious Indignation line" (tm) for the fall election season.
Available only in Liberal red.

Didn't Dion already scrap riding choices and appoint women candidates?

$1:
Toronto - Liberal leader Stéphane Dion has invoked his power of appointment, naming veteran party activist Michelle Simson as the next Liberal candidate in Scarborough Southwest.


I see you're un-democratic and raise you sexist.

   



Rev_Blair @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:17 pm

$1:
I see you're un-democratic and raise you sexist.


Bullshit...that's internal party politics. This is trying to replace an elected Member of Parliament with an unelected partisan appointee.

Here's a little something from the Vancouver Sun article:

$1:
The situation in B.C. has caught the attention of Duff Conacher, coordinator of the Ottawa-based ethics group Democracy Watch.

Conacher told CBC radio the Smith appointment is "improper" and an investigation should be launched by Canada's new ethics commissioner, Mary Dawson.

Conacher says the naming of Smith as a government liaison person violates the Conflict of Interest Code for MPs.

Harris "is essentially saying that the federal government system is corrupt and is run by the ruling party only, and that voters who vote for other parties will not get served."

Conacher makes the point that Canada's public service is supposed to be impartial.

In 14 years of eyeballing politicians, the ethics watchdog reports he hasn't come across this particular tactic, though "MPs and cabinet ministers have tried pretty much everything you can think of ... to further their own interests."

He says of the Skeena situation: "What [Harris] is essentially saying is that it matters whether your MP is from the ruling party or not, which is saying, essentially, that the ruling party MPs get -- what? -- more favours from the public service?

"Is he implying that ruling party MPs can somehow solve a constituent's problems that are dealing with the bureaucracy, in terms of immigration applications or small business problems or just general citizen problems with government?"

   



Winnipegger @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:20 pm

ridenrain ridenrain:
Didn't Dion already scrap riding choices and appoint women candidates?

Nope. There are no appointed candidates in my riding. In fact, when I said I'm not sure I can run myself, a few party insiders asked me to reconsider. That included the riding association president and the guy travelling the country with Martha Hall Findlay. He was the guy with Maurizio Bevilacqua during the leadership race. Although there is a desire for more female candidates, I don't see any appointees. At least here you have to win support of the members of the riding association.

When I was a child I saw my mother treated like a child, simply because she was a woman. Women's rights was a real issue for that generation. However, in my career I have seen women in every position, from director of a computer department, manager, systems analyst, computer programmer, secretary, or going in the other direction, owner/president of the company. I've seen they have the same challenges and same opportunities as men. Equality is reality now.

   



ryan29 @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:11 am

guess it depends what this candidate is actually doing in her riding, not sure she has broken any rules or laws by doing this.


but there are certain services which an mp is suppose to do and these can be done at there constituency office . so an unelected candidate really can't do those things anyways.

i'm unsure exactly what she could do anyways being that she is only a candidate , wondering if this was not a well though out idea of advertising this on the radio .

   



RUEZ @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:21 am

What's the problem? This is a way for the government to hear about problems people may be having in an area where they don't have an elected member. All this person can do is listen to constituents and report back to her party. That's it. She can't act in any official manner. You want some tissue Rev?

   



Rev_Blair @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:57 am

There is an elected member in that riding, Ruez. His name is Nathan Cullen. He got 48% of the vote last time...the second time people in that riding have sent him to Ottawa. He has a reputation as a very hard worker who does not play cheap partisan games.

If you don't see a problem with the government appointing somebody to a position that is already filled by an elected representative, then maybe you go learn something about democracy.

   



Johnny_Utah @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:51 am

Rev_Blair Rev_Blair:
$1:
Apparently if you didn’t elect one of their candidates, the Conservative government doesn’t really care what you have to say.

At least that was the impression I was left with after reading a news release from B.C. Conservative Caucus chair Dick Harris, which urged people with “concerns or issues with the Federal Government” to contact Sharon Smith, who will be running for the party in the next federal election. Apparently, according to Harris, Smith will provide residents with direct contact to the federal government, which we have not had since 2004, and will “represent constituents of her riding.”

That is quite possibly the most arrogant, ignorant and blatantly misleading thing that I have ever heard from any government or government official. Ever.


Link

$1:
Throwing in the waste bin the principles that make representative government in Canada function, Harris explained on a local radio show the other week: "To have access to the ministers, realistically, you have to be part of the government. You want to contact the Prime Minister's Office or even the prime minister when you need to, it helps immensely to be part of the government."


Link

Maybe PM Steve and his buddy Dick don't think the people have a right to elect their own representative. Maybe PM Steve and his buddy Dick should move to China where this sort of thing is acceptable.

You're Thread title is Bias as this is the real titles from the two articles you've linked:
Appointment is a big slap in the face

'Realistic' Conservatives try to bypass an elected MP


Then again you're a typical NDP member who likes to spin the truth to suit yourself..
:wink:

   



Rev_Blair @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:47 am

Why are you afraid of democracy, Johnny?

   



sasquatch2 @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:45 am

The theme which rolls out of Blare little tirade is that he is pissed the show wasn't on the other foot.

His real problem is democracy and his heros are on the opposition side of the Commons.

The reality is, regardless the party in power, liason with that party is more effective than trying to work with a member of the opposition.

The Cretin/Martin years were ample proof of that. If you had a LIBRANO member during that period the pork barrell was dumped upon the LIBRANO locals. If they (LIBRANO locals) suspected you were not one of their faithful....you were SOL.

Blare's vocal support of the NDP, likely was not very helpful during the Cretin/Martin time but this LIBRANO member obviously had a direct line to the pork-barrel......based upon Blare's praise.

   



Rev_Blair @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:45 am

Why do you hate democracy, Sasquack?

   



BartSimpson @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:52 am

I'm sorry, but how can Harper subvert something that doesn't exist?

The notwithstanding clause essentially renders all Canadian rights and etc. meaningless.

Therefore Canada may have an abstract of a democracy for the time being but it does not in fact have a democracy as the abstract of a democracy exists at the whim of your ruling class. :idea:

   



Rev_Blair @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:06 am

Wow, you guys are really grasping at straws here aren't you?

If a Liberal did this, you'd be screaming bloody murder. By the reasoning of the Harper government, Chretien should have appointed a "go-to person" in every riding not held by a Liberal MP so that they wouldn't have to deal with elected representatives from other parties. Every Reform/Alliance/Conservative MP would have been a non-entity. What would your response have been to that?

Your response to this is predictable though. If the Conservatives do it, it's okay....at least according to you. Harper is above democratic principles, parliamentary ethics, and the law...at least according to you.

   



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