Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Say it! Say it! SAY IT!!


As a number of folks have pointed out, the Stephen Harper Party of Canada is now treating the federal treasury as their own personal fiefdom:

HALIFAX (CP) — NDP MP Peter Stoffer says he’s going to ask the federal ethics commissioner to investigate the placing of a prominent Conservative party logo on a large ceremonial cheque for $300,000 in federal infrastructure funding.

“In my view, I think they’ve broken every rule in the book in this regard,” Stoffer told the CBC on Tuesday.

The federal funding for a rink upgrade in Chester, N.S., was made last month by Nova Scotia Tory MP Gerald Keddy.

But here's what I think is the more interesting bit:

Keddy, when asked Tuesday about the cheque, said: “I didn’t order it, it wasn’t me. I’m not sure how that happened.”

However, Keddy said it’s an MP’s job to make announcements of this type “and I would absolutely do it again.”

Now, that first statement would seem to indicate that Keddy realizes this was a lapse of ethics, would it not? Why else would he be trying to pass the buck and disavow any responsibility?

And yet ... and yet ... he then follows this up by stating that, yessir, you damn betcha, he would absolutely do it again. So it seems to me that before anyone launches an ethics investigation, it behooves someone to ask Keddy very clearly whether he believes what he (or someone else) did was entirely proper.

It's a simple enough question, and one Keddy should be prepared to answer. Does he believe he (or anyone else in his party) has the ethical right to slap their party's logo on federal funding cheques?

Is anyone going to ask that question? And do any of us expect an answer?

33 comments:

sooey said...

New Conservatives: caught red-handed. First instinct: lie; second instinct: go on the aggressive; third instinct: order your staff to take the fall for you.

Anonymous said...

fourth: But the Liberals.....

Unknown said...

fifth: this gets you to 41% in the polls.

Southern Quebec said...

It seems to me if the Conservative logo was on the cheque, they should have to make good on it!

sixth: Adscam, Adscam...never gets old...

Geekwad said...

Is it so different from those road construction signs that prominently mention the ruling party? And if its not so different... Can we do something about those, too?

CC said...

Thanks, Wayne, for demonstrating that there are a number of people that are attracted to the Stephen Harper Party of Canada precisely because of their shared lack of ethics.

That was the point you were trying to make, right?

LuLu said...

Shorter Wayne: It's okay when the Conservatives do it.

James Bow said...

Is it so different from those road construction signs that prominently mention the ruling party? And if its not so different... Can we do something about those, too?

Yes. Because those road construction signs don't mention the ruling party, they mention the premier/prime minister and the minister of transportation. That's different. That's crediting the officials who are responsible for bringing the project about in their capacity as _officials_, NOT in their capacity as Liberal or Conservative MPs. Here, they are representing the government, and not the party.

To do otherwise is to imply that the Conservative or Liberal Party interest and the Canadian government interest are one in the same, and that's not the case. The Liberals were criticized for implying that those who opposed them were un-Canadian, and rightly so. Canadians are right to hold the Conservatives up to the same standard.

Ti-Guy said...

Is it so different from those road construction signs that prominently mention the ruling party?

I think this is a manifestation of the problem here. It's not just that Canadians don't know how the government is structured, they also don't realise there's a difference between the government and the party.

The Conservatives have exploited that.

Lindsay Stewart said...

Wayne learns a Conservative lesson! Graft and bribery really do work.

thwap said...

This is revolting behaviour. It appeals only to revolting cretins.

Holly Stick said...

So is ConAdScam the best name for this?

Unknown said...

CC, Lulu, Lindsay:

I come from a Reform Party background, this kind of thing goes against every fiber of my being.

When you are elected in a first past the post system, you have to remember that a lot of people did not vote for you and that you absolutely must represent them as well.

Completely unethical, and low.

I do not want to see a win at any cost rules/ethics out the window mentality, mistake or not.

"Graft and bribery really do work." I am afraid that this lesson is not lost on any party.

Sick. Sick. Sick.

Ti-Guy said...

I come from a Reform Party background, this kind of thing goes against every fiber of my being.

"Fibre" is good way to describe it. Cellulose, to be specific.

We all know what a moral and ethical imbecile you are, Wayne, your grandiosity and preening self-regard notwithstanding.

Unknown said...

I'm a conservative I use the American spelling, Ti-Guy.

You can measure the ethics of a man or governments by their actions. This does not make me happy.

CC said...

And yet, Wayne, there you were in the third comment up there, crowing over this new development because that's what it takes to get a party to 41% in the polls.

Jesus, but you're a lying turd, aren't you?

Unknown said...

I meant to mock.

James Bow said...

If you're really a conservative and a Canadian, you should be using the British spelling, surely?

Unknown said...

My attempts at "humor" are failing.

Ti-Guy said...

My attempts at "humor" are failing.

When have they ever succeeded?

I don't know how people who screamed blue murder about Adscam for years, even after Martin commissioned an inquiry to investigate his own party, can find this funny.

Unknown said...

I do not find this situation funny in anyway.

"When have they ever succeeded?" Never here, I get no respect.

Ti-Guy said...

Oh, stop crying. No one here gets any respect.

Anna said...

@Holly Stick - My vote is ConScam, it's gotta be short and sweet, and this can refer to all the shenanigans they've been pulling.

Unknown said...

It was a Dangerfield.... I'm now drowning.

sooey said...

I'm sure someone will be around soon for your close-up. Hold your breath.

New Conservatives clearly believe that our money is their money.

Unknown said...

Real Conservatives believe that your money is better in your hands, not the hands of government.

Jon Pertwee said...

Wow that is possibly the lamest attempt at backpedalling I've seen in a while Wayne. I guess being a Conservative, farmer, businessman and politician is too much for you to juggle eh? Maybe you should focus on one thing and try to do it right.

Thanks, btw for proving that Conservatives can't do comedy either.

Holly Stick said...

Anna, ConScam works for me.

Unknown said...

Jon: It is not backpedalling... use what I said to measure what is actually going on.

NDP/Liberals/Greens would be worse.

Anna said...

@Wayne: Real Conservatives believe your money is best in the hands of their friends, not the hands of the government or you.

Námo Mandos said...

FWIW I got Wayne's joke.

Unknown said...

Thanks Námo.

Anna: I am going to have a hard time saying you’re wrong when there are people who claim to be conservative living that stereotype. Sad.

toujoursdan said...

Blogger Wayne said...

Real Conservatives believe that your money is better in your hands, not the hands of government.


So how does this work? Who builds the highways, repairs the bridges, ensures that the food and medications I buy are safe, breaks up the ice in the St. Lawrence so that ships can come to port, maintains law and order, puts out fire and everything else? Are we supposed to take our money (much of it generated because government has put the infrastructure in place in the first place) and privately donate it to Health Canada and the transport department? What happens if we don't?

It's a nice enough slogan, but pretty shallow...

Real Conservatives generally think they can get something for nothing.