Ignatieff Dion Dec 2006 Photo: Simon Hayter/Getty Images
In the last few years, the Liberals have had four leaders: the shrewd Jean Chrétien, the flashy Paul Martin, the intellectual environmentalist Stéphane Dion and (repatriated from the U.S.) Michael Ignatieff, who was supposed to be the next Pierre Trudeau.
But while the faces changed, the structure, mentality and apparatus with its backroom boys remained the same. This dichotomy goes back a few decades, but two specific events accelerated the fragmentation of the Liberal party between the leadership, the MPs and the grassroots. Angelo Perschilli Toronto Star
Who is next? Will the Liberal party survive if the political party subsidy is removed through a Conservative majority?
Thirty Liberal MPs missed another budget vote this week. Liberals are not interested in doing their job in Parliament. Political theatre and games are the tools of this political party. They are unprepared or unwilling to face the wrath of the voters.
The immigration consultants that promised him the PM job should be held responsible. His own party insiders that are putting their self-interests should be stripped of their shadow cabinet posts. Ignatieff should be allowed to debate the Prime Minister on national tv and a six week campaign.
Many of us don't believe it will do any good, we also did not buy Nortel at $ 120 a share during the Tech bubble.
Let's hope his summer tour helps pay down the leadership debts and his party does not throw him under it.
Republicans for Ignatieff here. It has been an interesting ride with him at the helm since December 2008.
I have included a few articles that alluded to the missteps in 2009. They are a good read.
Everyone agrees that Ignatieff had a lousy last couple of weeks. First, he took an entire weekend to figure out how he felt about the government's latest accountability report, then promptly laid out four ridiculous "conditions" for supporting an upcoming supply motion. He tried to play chicken with the government, and Stephen Harper plucked him bald. The Liberals have now lost virtually all of the momentum they had built up since Ignatieff took over as leader, and as some wag had it, he's gone from being "lionized" to "Dionized." Oof. Rough times for Ignatieff June 23, 2009
There has rarely been a federal government as unpopular in Quebec as Stephen Harper's. Yet, in another ominous first for the PQ, unhappiness with the Canadian government of the day does not translate into increased support for sovereignty. PQ plan to anger us hints at desperation June 23, 2009
Ever since Trudeau left office, Canadians -- or at least, Liberals -- have been moping around waiting for a replacement, for an inspirational leader who would join the twin virtues of reflection and action to a statesman-like and principled approach to government. Philosophers make bad kings Sept 10, 2009
High Hopes
Words & Music by Sammy Cahn & Jimmy Van Heusen Recorded by Frank Sinatra, 1961
From the 1959 movie "Hole In The Head" (Academy Award Winner, Best Song) Writer(s): cahn/van heusen
Next time your found, with your chin on the ground
There a lot to be learned, so look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think hell move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, cant
Move a rubber tree plant
But hes got high hopes, hes got high hopes
Hes got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time your gettin low
stead of lettin go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant
When troubles call, and your backs to the wall
There a lot to be learned, that wall could fall
Once there was a silly old ram
Thought hed punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin that dam
The lazy media is busy trying to project a viable alternative to the current government. The self-immolation of the Liberal Party in nothing unusual for those that have examined their recent history.
December 2008 Ignatieff would be prepared to lead a coalition if necessary. The Liberals refused to provide any ideas for the stimulus or shaping of the largest budget in Canadian history. Liberals bet against Canada being able to recover in 2009 and they would be easily returned to power.
Michael Ignatieff. At the time, he vowed his support for the coalition, explicitly, publicly, and repeatedly. At the time, he said, “I stand at one with other parliamentary colleagues in believing that we need to present the alternative of a coalition.” At the time, he said the coalition “provides responsible economic leadership in tough times.” At the time, he said Canadians should not fear the Bloc Québécois’ role in the coalition. He even signed a formal petition to the Governor General, assuring her that the coalition represented “a viable alternative government.”
An early test of leadership by Michael Ignatieff was from his NFLD wing who were given a one time pass in voting against the budget. Ignatieff blamed the CPC. Danny Williams has distanced himself from the ABC campaign. On January 22, 2010 Ignatieff picked a Liberal Shadow Cabinet was picked.
May 2009 In Montreal promoting his book, Ignatieff admits the coalition would have deeply divided Canadians and he could not guarantee the long-term stability during the severe economic recession.
Sept 2009 - Bob Rae played a pivotal role by speaking against Coderre-Ignatieff position after it was made public. The flip-flop that shortly followed by Ignatieff allowed Coderre to resign his position as the Quebec lieutenant just before the November 2009 elections. Coderre was highly critical of the party being run from Toronto. The Liberals did lost support in Quebec. They finished above the Green Party. The CPC took a long held Separatist seat (16 years).
Feb 2010 - Fast forward to Maternal Health debate and the Liberals spent weeks demanding a divisive debate about abortion funding being neccessary. Bob Rae again gained prominence for introducing the motion that had many Liberals forget to show up and included three pro-life Liberals vote against their own motion.
June 2010 - The Montreal Wing has recently earned some press for allegedly a revolt in breaking ranks over the cooperation Maurizo Bevilacqua (Shadow Cabinet Critic Citizenship & Immigration). The Montreal Wing gained some attention with the fallout of Dennis Coderre refusal to allow Martin Cauchon (potential rival) his old riding. The star candidate that was recruited now become unavailable for the Liberal Party.
June 2010 - We now have Rae talking about the need for a coalition, an extension for the Afghanistant mission without the support of the leader.
The press have been busy with running stories about the need for a coalition of the Liberals with the NDP to gain power. Has the press realized the Liberals are not a viable alternative in their current state Or is the press undermining the leadership of Michael Ignatieff by providing the critics of his leadership free publicity?
The fringe party formerly know as the natural governing party continues to hit new low on the stupid scale.
Derek Lee a Liberal MP was called to testify on allegations of lobbying. Liberals have been very vocal in having government staff, military, experts be allowed to appear. They have suggested those who refuse are hiding something and obstructing parliament.
What do the Liberals do when one of their MPs is invited to explain a website?
But when Lee arrived to face MPs, he argued the government operations committee was not the proper venue for answering those types of questions.
His caucus colleagues used up much of the allotted time with long procedural arguments and Lee left without having to respond to questions.-Winnipeg Free Press Online Edition May 27, 2010 Liberals shield own MP from committee grilling
Many of us had hoped an adult conversation would take place, policy alternatives with specifics introduced for debate in parliament.
What do we have to show?
Iffy caught in France while his team asks where the PM is vacationing.
28 day prorogue framed as unusual
Ignore all good news in Canada (Economy, Jobs, Sales, Consumer confidence)
Attack Maternal Health Initiative and replace with abortion for Congo to divide parliament
Attack female MP, call for resignation, allege husband got sweetheart deal, links to organized crime
Insist our Military, Government, staff turned a blind eye to torture, hiding details, are responsible
How many Liberal MPs will apologize for their behaviour? The next election voters should send a very clear message to the parties that want to raise our taxes, refuse to be held accountable, live in a culture of entitlements.
In another astute political observation Angelo Perischilli is hedging his bets about the future of the Liberal Party of Canada. Many of us that have not consumed the kool-aid would naturally agree with many of the points. I do expect many bloggers in Liberal la la land to deny and attack the author again.
They could adopt the latest strategy and blame Christians. Heck it worked in the 90's against Stockwell Day right?
Angelo was attacked by several in the MSM when he discussed the rumblings within the BigTent Party and their succession planning.
Although many Liberals believe that Ignatieff will not lead them back to power, they aren’t planning to try to dump him before the next election. But there is a magic number circulating among Liberals these days: 25 per cent. If their party sinks to this number in the polls, then all bets are off.
Liberals are resigned to another defeat, as long as the Conservatives don’t win a majority government. But if their party sits at 25 per cent, there is a chance of Prime Minister Stephen Harper winning a majority, which would keep the Liberals out of government for at least another four years. This scares many of them because Liberals out of power are like fish out of water. If they perceive that Harper can get a majority, the Grits would like to get rid of Ignatieff, regroup around a new leader and go to the polls trying to defeat the Conservatives.
It explains why Liberals have invoked the "cultural war" against Christians, rural voters.
January 29, 2009 The Economy, Jobs, Economic Action Plan. Liberal Priorities?
Liberals have not represented their interests or have been rewarded at the ballot box for over a decade in many regions throughout Canada. Ontario and Quebec voters left the Liberal Party in large numbers. The Western provinces left before the Mulroney PC collapse.
On March 14, 2010 Angelo noted Donolo knows that in order to get the NDP vote, the Liberals have to polarize the electorate by demonizing the right, portraying the Liberal party as the only barrier against the "right-wing ideologues." That's why they talk about Afghanistan and not the economy, and about Rahim Jaffer and not about their plan to eliminate the deficit and create jobs. When the right is demonized, it's always the NDP that pays the price. In Ontario, at the time of the battle against Mike Harris, it was the NDP that lost party status in the Legislature.A Stuck in 90's Angelo Perischilli: Confirms Liberal Party
Good news for Liberals, Ignatieff may have hit rock bottom at 11% for trustworthiness. Ignatieff has managed to hold on with a two point lead against Gilles Duceppe. The problem for the Liberals, PM Stephen Harper has a significant lead on every category. Every pollster has captured the decline in support for the leader of the Liberal Party. This decline was quicker than Dion's and an election campaign totaling six weeks may deliver another historical low as a result. No platform, no policy, relentless smears, personal attacks, pitting Canadians against each other. Polls favour government cut waste and their own budgets vs tax increases. The Liberals are rallying behind every cut as a permanent entitlement to the federal tax trough. They have invoked a war of culture and character assassination behind parliamentary privilege. It is NOT working. Voters show up to mark a ballot, it is a confirmation they believe in your policies and platform. The Liberals have successfully demonstrated they have no interest in providing an alternative or debating those inside Parliament with an adult conversation. Some MP's in the back benches should denounce this strategy and risk running as an independent. Having your own voice, ideas worked for Andre Arthur, Bill Casey, John Nunziata to respect the interest of the local constituents.
The constant mudslinging by the opposition appears to be sticking to the NDP as Layton's leadership numbers have begun a downward slide. Will the NDP continue to follow the strategy of voter suppression, cultural war in an attempt to save the furniture by the Liberals?
Months ago, some of us noted the NDP did not join the Liberals in calling an unnecessary or unwanted election. We hoped they would find a third way to replace the Liberals as the official opposition by finding some common ground on the larger issues and supporting restraints of government to address fiscal reality.
Instead of adopting a mainstream fiscal platform supported by the majority of Canadians, the NDP will hold on to their ideological position of the Robin Hood fairy tales and wealth redistribution. The lesson of socialism in Eastern Europe 1945-1990's have been ignored. The NDP refusal to understand the effect of these socialist policies in Greece, Portugal, Spain, California. The steady increase of taxes, fees being levied by cities, provinces and federal governments and the lack of capacity for the middle class to absorb another tax increase. The increase of our standard of living as a direct result of Canada's growing expansion into Global trade. They wanted to fight the American rise of protectionism by adding more protectionism in Canada. The NDP have taken the mantle of special interests again in blocking every free trade deal being negotiated by Canada. This is not the responsible third way, Canada has a relatively small population of 34 million, we are export nation that is highly dependent in accessing more markets for our products and services to maintain our standard of living. Erecting barriers, relying on internal trade won't work.
The most trustworthy leader
Stephen Harper: 23.9% (-1.1)
Jack Layton: 16.8% (-4.0)
Michael Ignatieff: 11.0% (+0.6)
Elizabeth May: 6.8% (-3.0)
Gilles Duceppe: 9.0% (+1.2)
None of them/Undecided: 32.6% (+6.4)
The most competent leader
Stephen Harper: 30.2% (-3.4)
Jack Layton: 11.7% (-2.5)
Michael Ignatieff: 15.1% (+1.2)
Elizabeth May: 2.2% (-1.2)
Gilles Duceppe: 8.2% (+1.7)
None of them/Undecided: 32.6% (+4.2%)
The leader with the best vision for Canada’s future
Stephen Harper: 25.1% (-1.7)
Jack Layton: 16.3% (-0.9)
Michael Ignatieff: 14.7% (-1.3)
Elizabeth May: 5.2% (-1.2)
Gilles Duceppe: 3.9% (+1.0)
None of them/Undecided: 34.6% (+3.9)
Leadership Index Score
Stephen Harper: 79.2 (-6.2)
Jack Layton: 44.8 (-7.4)
Michael Ignatieff: 40.8 (+0.5)
Elizabeth May: 14.2 (-5.4)
Gilles Duceppe: 21.1 (+3.9)
The choice is clear on priorities, the coalition should unite as a single ballot choice and give Canadians an honest option in 2010-2011. Increased free trade, more competition at home and access to a global market or a socialist nanny state that promised to punish the "rich", "grotesque profits" earned by big banks, oil companies. Canadians are much smarter than the merry men of Robin Hood Tax Party. Mel brooks movie clip here.
As a public service an update from an important product placement opportunity here. Face-book advice for those unhappy with Harper here.
A member of the Liberal riding association in Westmount-Ville Marie has filed a complaint with Elections Canada - about his own organization. Daniel Sweeney is complaining about a lack of paperwork on a 20-thousand dollar loan then candidate Marc Garneau made to the riding association back in 2008. That's when a by-election was interrupted by a general election call and Garneau ended up on the campaign trail for much longer than expected. The riding association did repay Garneau, with interest, last summer. He is now Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's Quebec lieutenant. -CJAD
Elections Canada has ruled that no investigation of Liberal MP Marc Garneau is warranted after he loaned his own election campaigns $20,000 without a written contract.
However, in a phone call yesterday, Marc Laperriere, Mr. Garneau's official agent for the 2008 campaigns, admitted the loans were made on the basis of a verbal agreement alone -- which is not prohibited by the Elections Act.
In a decision letter written in French and addressed yesterday to Westmount-Ville Marie Liberal association president Brigitte Garceau, an Elections Canada official wrote that all loans made by the Garneaus to Mr. Garneau's own campaign were "duly reported."
Mr. Sweeney said Mr. Garneau and the riding association should have acted in a more transparent manner.
"They've admitted that there is no loan contract that was written between the MP and either the riding association or his campaign," Mr. Sweeney said, calling the agreement "unethical and not transparent, unprofessional and irresponsible in my view."
"It's ridiculous and absurd for the MP to go into an alleged loan agreement" without documenting the terms, he said.- NP May 7, 2010
Looks like Elections Canada is satisfied "no rules were broken" but a long time liberal Mr. Daniel Sweeney is justly critical of his party to have a higher standard of conduct. Kudos for him.
What were Liberals thinking?
That paragraph said "Mr. Lee's valuable contributions to our clients include acting for foreign and offshore organizations in obtaining operating licenses, securing regulatory and governmental approvals for mergers and acquisitions ... advising government bodies on international issues regarding cross-border tax collection, anti-dumping issues, and lobbying government on policy issues as well as facilitating inter-governmental relationships."
Mr. Baird's counter-attack seemed to catch Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and other Liberal MPs by surprise and Mr. Ignatieff was clearly not pleased with the revelations. He did not speak to reporters yesterday.
"This raises a number of questions about the Liberal Party," Mr. Baird said. "Who is the Liberal Party's member of Parliament lobbying for? When he advises government bodies on cross-border tax collection, when he lobbies government on policy issues, when he calls a minister's office, who is he fighting for? Is he fighting for his constituents or some foreign, well-paid interest?" NP May 07, 2010
You'd think the Grits' first priority before climbing on the high horse would be to make sure every caucus member was squeaky clean. Because this is not in the collective DNA, however, Michael Ignatieff's hapless group handed the embattled Tories a wonderful opportunity to counterattack. Edmonton Journal May 07, 2010
This has been an interesting week for the Liberal Party of Canada, a pile on from friendly pundits, negative polling results, questions about the mistakes of judgment of the leadership and the future of the party. How many mistakes will Liberals allow for the appointed leader and his team before they pull the plug?
This post is a note to the importance of a step of faith,(conviction) in taking a course of action, making a decision.
The leadership of the Liberal Party initially decided against participation and attendence of their own senators, members of parliament. They folded days later.
Liberals, please think harder encapsulates the Montreal gabfest quite nicely. Jeff Jedras a Liberal blogger has many posts on the event. We should try to engage the other camp.
Ronald O'Dowd has a blog called Political Civil Discourse and I recommend chatting with him regarding his expertise in Quebec.
We should always engage and debate Liberals on solutions and real ideas. In the end the government will be held responsible at the ballot. A willingness to seek a mandate from the voters should never be discounted.
The Liberals did not want to seek a mandate in January 2009. The NDP did not want to seek a mandate in September 2009. Both parties are taking cheapshots at each other for cooperating and not triggering an election.
The Liberal Party voted no-confidence once against the CPC Agenda in four years. They are avoiding triggering an election.
The Liberal Party refuses to introduce any motion that might trigger an election citing the long game but attack every idea being introduced by the government.
History has many examples of leaders who were able to take decisive action without having all their ducks in row.
Some may be unhappy with the progress in stopping the activities supporting AGW, deficit and policies not being "conservative" enough, let's keep talking about the viable alternatives. We need to keep pushing for good policy without following into the trap of the left's arrogance and culture of entitlement of being the only acceptable solution.. A good idea, is a good idea regardless of what camp it originates.
For the record I agree with Michael Ignatieff and Peter Donolo in banning the Liberal MP's and Senators from attending the Canada 150 meeting in Montreal.
Michael Ignatieff is the leader and is responsible for the delivering the party back to power.It has taken him a year to come to the conclusion the current Liberal members of parliament don't have the right stuff.
Public Opinion Polls
Financials
Policy Formulation
Question Period
Best of luck with cleaning up the party with some fresh ideas to help Canadians. Nanos Research has some insight on key issues.
Jack Layton, meanwhile is the only national leader with a positive rating, and one that is improving. However, his party, despite being a strong second-choice for many voters on the centre-left, hasn’t budged from its third-place spot, far behind the front-runners.
45% confirmed Liberals voters Job Approval for Michael Ignatieff 5/7
46% confirmed Liberals voters Job Approval for Jack Layton Pg 6/7
BBM provides Weekly Top Program data to members of the press and to the public. These reports contain the top programs which aired on conventional networks, ranked by Average Minute Audience and broken down by market.
Can you find ANY CBC current affairs, news show, program, or product that reaches the reaches the weekly Top 30?
Weekly Top 30 TV Programs Feb 15-21
Dragon's Den highest rating on CBC # 5
Wheel of Fortune # 22
Jeopardy # 24
Cornation Street # 30
Usually Hockey Night in Canada is the highest rated TV programs offered by the CBC. The Olympics caused a pause in the NHL.
I am confident Canada's cultural icon Don Cherry can find work at CTV, TSN.
Update: Is this what Michael Ignatieff considers protecting Canadian Culture regarding foreign investment, American TV Gameshows?
This is not a timely suggestion regarding a deficit or budget. Wasted use of taxpayers dollars.
March 2009 There is no moral or philosophical justification for using one billion of taxpayers' dollars to subsidize the viewing and listening tastes of a shrinking percentage of the population and the ideological hobby horses of CBC executives and editors. Would you favour hundreds of millions of your hard-earned dollars going to subsidize Crossroads Television System (CTS), the Christian service with stations in Ontario and Alberta? Or how about al-Jazeera, the English-language Arab station that now has a place in Canada's channel line-up? Neither is anymore overtly biased than the CBC is to the advancement and defence of its causes. So where is the justification in denying those stations subsidies while lavishing nearly one-third of Ottawa's cultural budget on a service that captures less than 8% of Canadian television viewers and just about the same number of radio listeners?- Lorne Gunter
When a crack team of Liberal insiders travelled to the U.S. to replace Paul Martin did they ever imagine their pick would end up as roadkill?
If you look at the leadership polling numbers for the national political leaders, the Liberals have a serious problem. Divisions have continued to plague his leadership. He has has been at the helm for over one year.
NFLD MP's budget break in support of Danny Williams over liberal leader
Janine Krieber on fractures within party and failure to stop CPC with the coalition
Denis Coderre alleges Michael is unable to deliver results for Quebec
Nancy Charest on her leader failing to deliver results for Quebec
Paul Szabo on his leader pro- abortion statement
Bob's Rae's supporters leaking embarrasing details to MSM
One can almost hear Ignatieff’s silent tears when he realizes that Layton, if he were leader of the Liberal Party, would actually stand a better chance of returning the former Natural Governing Party to the government side of the House of Commons.- Werner Patels
Trudeau didn't play the populist. He didn't hide his education or erudition. When a reporter asked if he had struggled with his conscience before invoking the War Measures Act, he launched into a disquisition about democracy and the rule of law, including a reference to the clash between Creon and Antigone in Sophocles' play. He did not mention Tim Hortons. Even once.- Dave Gardner
The Ottawa Citizen’s Dan Gardner runs Michael Ignatieff over with a pickup truck, then throws it in reverse — the hook being Mr. Ignatieff’s recent, embarrassingly brain-dead op-ed in the New York Times, and the subject being Mr. Ignatieff’s painful and thoroughly unconvincing transformation from public intellectual into man of the people. Gardner recalls the famous photograph of Pierre Trudeau sashaying confidently into the Grey Cup final looking like Oscar Wilde on a particularly fancy-free afternoon, and then imagines Mr. Ignatieff at next year’s game. “He has a giant foam finger on one hand, a can of Blue in the other. He rises and declares, ‘Who among us does not like the CFL?’ He is pelted with hotdogs.” Great stuff.
Will our members of Parliament follow the leadership of PC MPP Peter Shurman? Peter Shurman was able to unite ALL political parties and MPP's in our Ontario Legislature to admonish the destructive monologue on our University Campuses?
We will we squander the Olympic Spirit and return to gutter politics when our Federal leaders return to Ottawa?
Shurman gets Queen's Park to unite
Shurman, the member from Thornhill, moved a resolution to condemn the now annual event on Canadian campuses known as Israeli Apartheid Week, “I want to be clear about what it is I’m trying to do,” Shurman said. “I want the name changed. It’s that simple. It’s just wrong.” Shurman said he had no objection to people criticizing Israel, or debating the thorny issues of Palestinians and the occupied territories. “My problem is the name,” he said. “Israeli Apartheid Week is not dialogue, it’s a monologue. The name is hateful, it is odious and that’s not how things should be in my Ontario. It’s a term that frankly I’m sick of hearing. Get rid of this word apartheid.”
Bad word banned
Legislature passes Tory MPP’s condemnation of ‘apartheid’
By JONATHAN JENKINS, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU
Apartheid is an ugly word that just shouldn’t be used, Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman said Thursday.
And he got all of Queen’s Park to agree. Shurman, the member from Thornhill, moved a resolution to condemn the now annual event on Canadian campuses known as Israeli Apartheid Week, “I want to be clear about what it is I’m trying to do,” Shurman said. “I want the name changed. It’s that simple. It’s just wrong.” Shurman said he had no objection to people criticizing Israel, or debating the thorny issues of Palestinians and the occupied territories. “My problem is the name,” he said. “Israeli Apartheid Week is not dialogue, it’s a monologue. The name is hateful, it is odious and that’s not how things should be in my Ontario. It’s a term that frankly I’m sick of hearing. Get rid of this word apartheid.”
The resolution passed with unanimous support from both the Liberals and the New Democratic Party.
Will Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton, Stephen Harper, Gilles Duceppe join in passing an unanimous resolution and join the Ontario legislature in sending a message?
Tewanee Joseph (left), executive director of the Four Host First Nations, said the 2010 Games changed Canadian attitudes about First Nations and that's only the beginning.
"I think the legacy will really be (for) us to carry it forward and new relationships to addressing the things like poverty and suicide and other things," Joseph said in an interview. "If we come together on a world stage like this, we can tackle those challenges and I think we can contribute more significantly to this country."
Joseph envisions a very different aboriginal community 10, 20 and 50 years from now.Turtle Island Native Network
Helping the four host First Nations with the Olympic legacy are cash payments from the federal and provincial governments ranging between $20 million and $30 million each.
Since 2003, aboriginal businesses have received $56.7 million in contracts, a 2010 Aboriginal Youth Legacy fund has benefited by more than $56,000 and 96 First Nations artists from across the country have been used to produce permanent art as part of the Venues Aboriginal Art Program. -Terri Theodore, The Canadian Press26/02/2010
Do you think this leadership is missing from our opposition parties in our Parliament who prefer to use publicity stunts?
The strategists left on the payroll of the Liberal Party are forced to pause their divisive politics.
The LPOC since 2000 have been self-immolating with Chretien, Martin, Dion and now Ignatieff. Bob Rae is positioned as the next successor to the Liberal Party.
The apologists for the Liberals would like it to rest squarely on the shoulders of Dion the historical record low in support P.O.P.. They blame his communication skills, his Carbon Tax Policy, the CTV airing his fumbled interview days before the election. They also blame the negative television ads that framed him a "Not-A-Leader".
It has been over a decade since the Liberals were given a majority. The perfect storm or stars aligning to return them to power for most people is simply not a SERIOUS consideration.
The majority of Canadians have not warmed up to the latest mouthpiece to lead the party in December of 2009. His numbers and support have fallen faster than Dion's in terms of leadership.
Is it realtistic to expect a six week campaign with a leader polling worse leadership numbers than Dion to re-ignite the Liberal voter or our nation?
The Liberals have asked voters to pick them to stop Harper's since 2004 from a hidden agenda. They have regularly asked NDP, Bloc, Green voters to switch to only party that can prevent a CPC majority.
Smiles, nationalism, Olympics are toxic for opposition parties pushing negative stories
Marginalized : The cast and crew of destructive politics and self loathing risk the wrath of consumers, voters for being overly critical and negative during this time in our nation.
The turnout rate among 18 to 24 year olds remains low. Youth turnout went from 37 percent in 2004 up to 43.8 percent in 2006, and back down to 37.4 percent in 2008, However, it should be noted that, for the 2008 general election, other age groups had even larger declines, including those aged 35 to 44 years old (a decrease of 7.8 percentage points), 45 to 54 year olds (a decrease of 10.3 percentage points), and 55 to 64 year olds (a decrease of 9.8 percentage points). Part of the decline observed in youth turnout may therefore be due to factors other than age. - Elections Canada
The Liberals managed to make history in the October 14, 2008 General Election: one of the worst results in popular vote for the party in over 100 years. Since than losing all four contests in 2009.
Are the opposition parties and MSM skating on very thin ice if they focus on the negative in March 2010 as the Parliament re-opens?
Voters will have an opportunity to select their proxy by electing a local MP, but ultimately our Politics has morphed into Politics of Leadership. What leader has a clear lead, what leader has dominates on the most important issues?
If Canadians are asked to cast a ballot on who they trust with the Jobs/Economy as the most important issue in 2010 another "teaching moment" may be necessary. The last time the Liberals threatened an election the gap went from five points to double digits for one month. Have the Liberals learned their lesson to NOT pre-announce their intentions to seek a mandate?
Is Michael Ignatieff a liability for the Liberals winning in 2010?
Since returning to Canada a few years ago, Ignatieff has done everything in his power to curry favour with Canadians. He had been lured back to Canada after decades of being away by a cabal of Liberals, who thought that he could be the next Trudeau and give the Liberal Party a much-needed booster shot. -Werner Patels
On leadership the Liberal leader has been in the job for one year and has now fallen behind Jack Layton recently. Dion did not post leadership scores this low in his tenure at the head of the Liberals. Dion managed to hold the environmental issue and unity. Have voters written off Michael Ignatieff for failing in Trust, Competence and Vision? Do apologists for the Liberal Party believe, a six week campaign will rehabilitate his third place scores?
Fallout continues to spread to overseas for Michael Ignatieff trying to ingite the "hidden agenda" among the Catholics. National Catholic Register
That is, until one realizes that "Canada Command" will not possess any dedicated resources beyond a handful of staff officers. Last December when the tsunami shattered southeast Asia, Canada’s Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) clearly illustrated the folly of such a concept. Without dedicated personnel or equipment, it took nearly two weeks for DART to scrape together its’ "rapid response" team from bases across Canada – and then had to rent two Russian cargo planes to transport them to Sri Lanka.-Canadian Military
Harper's Military Plans Only Please Bush, Not Canadians
by Barbara Bedont and Erika Simpson
Embassy, 15 February 2006 (Same magazine ragging Harper Today?)
OTTAWA, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A specialized Canadian military team arrived in earthquake-ravaged Haiti Thursday aboard a C-17 aircraft containing a portable hospital.
In Halifax, Nova Scotia, two Canadian warships with 500 sailors and tons of relief supplies also got under way for Haiti in what Defense Minister Peter MacKay told reporters was "record time," the Globe and Mail reported.
The mobile hospital can treat 250 walk-in patients per day and house 10 in-patients. The team also took water purification equipment, communications gear and rescue equipment such as concrete cutters and chain saws, the military said.
The federal government announced it would match all personal relief donations up to a maximum of $50 million, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.-UPI
You decide, if a modern well equipped military capable of delivering AID in a timely manner is important.
You decide, it's your Canada.
Only between 5-11% are buying into the hysteria or fearmongering by the media and opposition parties. Anyone shocked the highest rate of disinformation is in Quebec?
Liberal MPs apologized Wednesday for distributing a household flyer that attacks the government’s handling of H1N1 among aboriginals with the slogan “No vaccines, just body bags.”
The flyer, mailed as a message from Liberal health critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett, features a picture of body bags in a lab and a sick aboriginal child.
Grand Chief Ron Evans of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs told a parliamentary committee the flyer was “very disturbing...it’s really troubling to our people.”
The pamphlet arrived on doorsteps after an investigation into an incident in which an official ordered 100 body bags for a First Nations community in Manitoba struggling with an H1N1 outbreak. The investigation concluded there was no ill will and the number was a miscalculation.
Evans said the fact the flyer was apparently sent after the incident was resolved suggested the affair is now being politicized.
Bennett apologized
"It seems to me their was alot of lag time and we knew this was coming down the pipe for a long time so I wonder why is this so disorganized"-Mark Sakamoto
Fall out:
The Lib-CBC Mutual Admiration Society
The first ethical lapse was Sakamoto's: He should have told the reporter who he was and declined to do the interview. When I worked in Ottawa -- for the Liberals -- we refused all the time. We weren't impartial players and it would have been dishonest to affect the public debate by pretending we were, so we were instructed to refuse participation even in opinion polls.
Then there is the lapse at the CBC. It seems hard to believe that no one in the production cycle recognized Sakamoto as a former network lawyer and insisted his brief appearance be snipped out. Maybe no one did, but if someone did and did not insist on editing him out, then this is an ethical lapse on par with Sakamoto's.
This incident adds to the impression that the Liberals and the CBC are too cozy with one another, even if it was entirely accidental.
Your Constitution and the flu - Ottawa is responsible for supply while the provinces control the delivery By L. IAN MACDONALD, The Gazette November 4, 2009
This is a grown-up moment we're living in, one in which the Liberals are in need of adult supervision.
In Ottawa, the political class doesn't seem to be checking much of anything, except checking its common sense at the door.
For example, the production line at GlaxoSmithKline was stopped and restarted to enable the production of unadjuvanted vaccine for pregnant women, understandably concerned about the effects of the higher doses of the adjuvanted version on their unborn children.
But the World Health Organization, which had advised pregnant women to get the unadjuvanted shot, especially in the first term, reversed itself on Monday and declared there was no risk from the higher dosage.
No time to play politics - or jump queues
The Gazette November 4, 2009
A crisis brings out the best in people, and the worst in people. So far the H1N1 swine flu seems to be bringing out mainly the less admirable side of some Canadians, starting with queue-jumpers and including those politicians who are stretching common sense badly out of shape in an effort to profit from public concern.
Votes don't spring from misery - John Ivison
But those Liberals who think votes may spring from misery would do well to watch NDP leader Jack Layton, whose tone has been much more measured. Yesterday in Question Period, he suggested Ottawa should commit to picking up the tab for 90% of costs incurred fighting H1N1, as it would in the event of natural disasters. Mr. Layton learned the hard way that trying to profit from the misfortune of others doesn't work -- during the 2004 election, he was roasted for blaming then-prime minister Paul Martin for the deaths of homeless people because of lack of funding for affordable housing.
The Liberals have tried to make the most of the squally conditions but having sown the wind, they may yet reap the whirlwind if voters judge they have been more concerned about their own welfare than with that of the people who elect them.
Yes, there are legitimate political questions to be asked. But the rehearsed question period variety, soaked in a combustible mix of faux fury and disingenuous indignation is irresponsible. Instead, questions rooted in fact and posed with a measured tonality are needed.
For example, what is the real story with the “alleged” shortage of vaccine? Last Friday I tweeted and asked: With almost 6 million doses of H1N1 vaccine — as per the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) website — distributed, have 6 million doses been administered?
A national tally today would likely indicate less than 2 million injections, at best, so what is the status of the other 4 million doses? This is where provincial and territorial health ministers must step up and demand answers and assurances from their respective medical officers of health.
They need to explain how they are estimating demand in concert with cities and towns and their logistics approach to regional distribution, security, refrigeration, etc. And if these public health officials are having problems, then reach out to the military or any national grocer for best practices in supply chain management, specifically, the flow of date limited product.
Liberal launches political storm by comparing H1N1 response to hurricane Katrina
By David Akin, Canwest News Service Liberal party president Alfred Apps suggested Monday that the H1N1 crisis is Prime Minister Stephen Harper's "hurricane Katrina," a metaphor that outraged many Conservatives — and also had some Liberals suggesting Apps may have hurt his side with an overheated analogy. In an e-mail circulated to dozens of Liberals — including the party's public health critic Carolyn Bennett, other MPs, and members of Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's inner circle of advisers — Apps also lambasted Harper for gambling with the health of Canadians and for failing to act quickly enough to make sure any Canadian who wanted a vaccine for H1N1 had access to one.
You're an idiot. What's worse, you're a partisan idiot who doesn't appear to have an original idea in your head.
The problem isn't Conservative or Liberal government. The problem is what government has become thanks in part to partisans like you and your Conservative counterparts, who lie awake nights figuring out not how you can help Canadians, but how you can blame the other guys for everything.
Canadians are sick of it. Want to know why barely half of them bother to vote anymore? Look in the mirror.
One reason Canada is ill-prepared to deal with a pandemic, as my July column noted, is that hundreds of thousands of Canadians don't have a family doctor.
Maybe you should talk to Liberal MP Bob Rae, smugly blaming the Conservatives for HIN1 deaths now, about how, when he was the NDP premier of Ontario, he was instrumental in cutting back medical school enrolments -- as did politicians of all stripes across the country -- in a knee-jerk, disastrous attempt to save money.
Why? Because it led to today's doctor shortage and the fact that far too many Canadians don't have a family doctor -- one of the things you need to fight a pandemic effectively.
On Sept 3, 2009 Bob Rae had no problem, would not change how he conducts himself including if that includes having a campaign during H1N1 pandemic. What has led to the change of his perspective? His comments are around the thirty minute mark of this clip linked below.
Two of Canada's most senior bureaucrats said the Conservatives broke no federal rules or guidelines when MPs handed out prop cheques plastered with the party logo or political signatures at funding announcements.
Treasury Board Secretary Michele d'Auray told MPs on the Commons government operations committees Tuesday that MPs who used "ceremonial cheques" as props at such funding events weren't covered by the federal communications and wordmark policies, so they were free to use them the way they did.
Opposition MPs shook their heads in disbelief. Liberal MP Martha Hall-Findlay said she was "astounded" because the Conservatives advertising campaign had the "look and feel" of party advertising, which only confused the image of party and government in the eyes of Canadians "to benefit the party."
Hudson's Bay Co.'s 2010 Olympic uniforms prompt political, military comparisons -Thursday October 1st, 2009 James Keller, THE CANADIAN PRESS
A stretch for some, but close enough for inflammatory political fodder in the House of Commons.
"Here is another embarrassing example of crass politics," Liberal MP Hedy Fry said during question period shortly after the uniforms and their retail counterparts were released on Thursday.
"Can the prime minister at least stop trying to politicize the Canadian Winter Olympics?"
The suggestion was promptly dismissed by Conservatives - and was met with laughter from the woman who oversaw the designing of the uniforms.
"That was a first for me," said Suzanne Timmins, the Hudson Bay Co.'s fashion director, who chuckled when asked about the comparison with the Conservatives. "Certainly, that wasn't any intention on our part, not at all."
As for the air force logo, Timmins acknowledged the Olympic graphic is similar.
She insisted it was strictly a coincidence, but they were close enough that lawyers for the company and the air force sat down to talk about the resemblance. In the end, they decided the Olympic uniform logo was different enough that it could be used.
What is next on the Liberals list of priorities, is the letter "C" safe anymore in a Liberal world?
Nik Nanos Graph may demostrate the results of foot and mouth behaviour by some in the Liberal Party.
