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By Lorne, on May 24, 2013, at 10:39 am We are about to go out exploring downtown Edmonton, so just a little something for your viewing pleasure today. It might be useful to bear in mind the context within which this should be viewed, the decision by Mike Duffy in 2008 to show the false starts and stops of Stephane Dion, then the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, a decision that some say was a significant contributing factor in the Liberal electoral woes that ensued.
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council found that CTV Atlantic violated the Radio Television News Directors Association Code of Ethics in a broadcast (Read more…)
By Lorne, on May 23, 2013, at 3:07 pm David Tkachuk
Carolyn Stewart Olsen
CTV’s Robert Fife has been doing exemplary work on the sordid tale of corruption and coverups in Ottawa that has been emerging these past several days. As the true nature of our Prime Minister and his regime becomes increasingly apparent to more and more Canadians, the latest news is that the Senate’s internal economy committee chair David Tkachuk and Carolyn Stewart Olsen appear to have been the prime movers on the sanitization of the Deloitte report on disgraced Senator Mike Duffy’s fraudulent expense claims.
You can see the original and the doctored reports here.
Robert (Read more…)
By Lorne, on May 22, 2013, at 8:42 am I have a bit of a busy morning, so I only have time for a couple of short posts. For reasons I have indicated elsewhere, I rarely watch CBC’s The National anymore. However, given yesterday’s shameful and feeble refusal by the Prime Minister and his trained seals to address the rot engulfing his administration, I decided to watch a special At Issue Panel last evening.
Below, you can watch Andrew Coyne, Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson evaluate Mr. Harper’s efforts:
Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 21, 2013, at 3:14 pm This raw video from this morning’s efforts at damage control says all there needs to be said about Harper and accountability:
Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 21, 2013, at 9:35 am
Although it has been many years since I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I recall that it was a far more subtle and eerie depiction of vampiric activity than the generations of films that it spawned. The latter almost invariably portrayed Dracula as a charming yet unholy creature who pounced swiftly, gorily, and mercilessly upon his victims; the novel, on the other hand, depicted a creature that, while driven by an unslakable thirst, did not deprive Mina Harker of her life in one fell swoop, but slowly drained her of her life force, leaving everyone bewildered as to the cause (Read more…)
By Lorne, on May 20, 2013, at 7:29 pm
To watch the disgraced senator performing this new walk craze, please click here. Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 20, 2013, at 8:48 am H/t Dawg’s Blog & Alison at Creekside for the inspiration.
Oh, the great outdoors beckon on this fine Victoria Day morning, so for now, allow me to offer you this from today’s Toronto Star:
Hard to believe Duffy has no nest egg
Re: Duffy resigns from caucus, May 17
It seems egregious Mike Duffy has been running roughshod over Canadians for some time, without attracting public opprobrium. Five years ago the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council ruled that he had violated broadcasting codes and ethics. Three years ago Duffy criticized the University of King’s College and other journalism schools for (Read more…)
By Lorne, on May 19, 2013, at 12:27 pm If you watch this video from the 5:40 mark, a natural question arises: If someone knocks on your door, will the police arrive if you call them?
Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 19, 2013, at 7:29 am
Plus a sobering rebuke of Mr. Harper in this morning’s Star editorial:
“This sordid saga of improper Conservative behaviour, high-level secrecy and winking at wrongdoing has infuriated Canadians, disgraced the unelected Red Chamber, and spurred renewed interest in its abolition.” Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 18, 2013, at 2:34 pm
I can only hope that the growing public cynicism evident in these Star letters translates into a deep and abiding anger that lasts until at least 2015. Here is a sampling:
Beyond money, audit reveals a bigger problem for Duffy, May 15
This column described Mike Duffy’s problem but the Senate-appointed auditors might have used terminology that was more fitting of the crime, instead of “inappropriately claimed” expenses it might have said “fraudulently claimed.” After all, Duffy’s problem is not much different from that of Harold Ballard when the latter did time for fraudulently using funds from Maple Leaf (Read more…)
By Lorne, on May 18, 2013, at 9:11 am Here is Rex Murphy holding forth on the current ‘troubles’ in Ottawa:
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By Lorne, on May 17, 2013, at 12:08 pm There just seems to be no bottom to this cesspool. Now the Puffster is said to have tried to subvert the CRTC hearing so that the money-losing Sun News gets its wish to be carried on basic cable.
You can watch the video here.
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By Lorne, on May 16, 2013, at 7:53 pm …. people showing such contempt for my intelligence really inflames me:
A senior PMO official told Fife that Duffy couldn’t afford to repay the $90,000 and did not want to borrow money from a bank, fearing that his wife would be stuck with the large debt if he died suddenly from a heart attack. Duffy has battled cardiac problems over the years.
Jennifer Ditchburn and Steve Rennie present an alternative view of The Puffster’s finances here.
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By Lorne, on May 16, 2013, at 9:49 am
In Act 5 Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, when the overthrow of the ruthless, power-drunk politician/king is nigh, Angus speaks these words about him:
Now does he feelHis secret murders sticking on his hands.Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach.Those he commands move only in command,Nothing in love. Now does he feel his titleHang loose about him, like a giant’s robeUpon a dwarfish thief.
Despite the fact that English literature is dismissed by many of our current ‘masters of the universe’ as something of a frill, with nothing to offer the practical, results-driven mentality (Read more…)
By Lorne, on May 15, 2013, at 9:06 pm If you start at about the 5 minute mark, you will witness Harper’s pet parrot Pierre, through endless repetition, parody a Member of Parliament actually answering a question and showing respect for Canadians’ intelligence.
* Show an absolute absence of anything that could be even remotely interpreted as integrity. Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 15, 2013, at 8:52 am
It must be very comforting indeed to the increasingly odious Senator Duffy that his relationship with the Prime Minister is so ‘special’ that the latter is willing to exercise unethical, perhaps even illegal interference on his behalf during the Senate’s investigation into his fraudulent expense claims.
For the rest of us, the stench of corruption has reached near-asphyxiation levels.
Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 14, 2013, at 10:02 pm
Thomas Walkom explains why. Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on May 9, 2013, at 4:05 pm
Could it be because Senator Duffy was tipped off by the man investigating him for expense improprieties?
Or could it be because once more, an errant staff member is to blame for Conservative ‘irregularities’? Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on April 19, 2013, at 5:12 pm So asks MP Charlie Angus about the subject of this video report, Mike Duffy, who, as we learn, has even less integrity than it would be thought possible for any person to have:
UPDATE: Unbelievable – now Duffy claims he repaid the money in March. Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on March 29, 2013, at 8:23 am
My, my, my, they are incorrigible, aren’t they?
Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on March 21, 2013, at 11:19 am
While we are witness to almost daily examples of greed, venality and dishonour (think of Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin, Mac Harb and Patrick Braseau as but a few odious examples) in public life, we don’t often get to see its obverse, personal integrity. That is why I take particular pleasure in posting this link to the story of Michael Houghton, who holds a $10-million Canada Excellence Research Chair in virology at the University of Alberta.
Dr Houghton has the singular distinction of being the only person in its 54-year history to turn down the Garnier Award, worth $100,000, given to
. . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Another Face of Integrity
By Lorne, on March 8, 2013, at 8:42 am
While even I can reach my saturation point when it comes to tales of Senate fraud and corruption, I found this portrait of Senator Pam Wallin in today’s Toronto Star rather interesting. Apparently the former broadcaster is known for her political ambitions, having unseated and replaced Liberal Colin Kenney from the chairmanship of the powerful Senate committee on national security and defence.
The article notes that since her elevation, the committee has become far less critical of government policy. As well,
The ascendancy has fuelled speculation in some circles in the red chamber that she has her eye on the
. . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: A Portrait of Ambition
By Lorne, on March 5, 2013, at 8:29 am A message from your Harper Government to all E.I. claimants:
A message from your Harper Government to all Canadians regarding allegations of fraud in the Senate:
Fortunately, the NDP didn’t get the memo. Recommend this Post
By Lorne, on March 2, 2013, at 10:03 am
The host of letters appearing in today’s Star attests to the ongoing public outrage over the Senate porkbarrellers. Although in many ways a mere sideshow to the endemic and systemic problems that face our governance, it nonetheless illustrates that Canadian anger, when it can be aroused, can be formidable.
I am taking the liberty of reproducing a few of the shorter missives below, and I also highly recommend Thomas Walkom’s column, in which he lambastes the almost jesuitical reasoning being propounded by defenders of this Senate malfeascence:
They preach austerity but secretly practice gluttony, stealing from the poorest of
. . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: Ongoing Outrage
By Lorne, on February 28, 2013, at 8:36 am
But apparently our Prime Minister heartily disagrees, constitutional requirements notwithstanding (BNA Act 23:5). Recommend this Post
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