He'd throw Canada under the bus too

He ordered the ejection of Bill Casey. Garth Turner. Helena Guergis.

He sent Shelly Glover to throw Tom Flanagan under the bus.

Pat Strogan, fired. Munir Sheikh, resigned on principle.

Students ejected by the RCMP on CPC orders from Harper rallies after being Facebook checked.

***

If you thought for a moment that this is your Canada, you're wrong. On May 2, vote for your opposition candidate to fire Harper!

G&M on Ignatieff: Energy and urgency. He was hot.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was fiery on tonight's national leaders debate. He covered every topic under the sun and reminded Canadians exactly why we are having this election. There were a few stumbles, these debates are never perfect. But he was on point when he needed to be and nailed Harper and his neo-Conservatives on everything that mattered: health care, spending, public safety, democracy.

Harper was the most polished of the bunch; but then again, what else would you expect from a career politician? Harper's favourite line of the night: "that's not true." His defence of poor public policy choices, circumventing parliamentary procedure, covering up the costs of billions in spending was, essentially, "I know you are, but what am I?" And let me tell you something. It. Was. Effective.

Smirking throughout the debate, Harper shrugged off of everything. He even suggested that the debate was wasting his time from working "on the economy." Wow. Harper acted as if the event was below him. But then again, he's been that way about the whole election. In fact, he has run his government that way ever since coming into power by employing a "My way or the highway" attitude. To be sure, most of the business the government has been "getting done" was either by making every bill before the house a government bill, and therefore a motion of confidence, or by pork-barreling.

Harper said that cops support killing the long-gun registry, and cited former OPP Chief Julian Fantino, CPC incumbent for Vaughan, as one of Canada's trusted police officers who believes the registry makes "duck hunters" into "criminals." Harper didn't mention (neither did Ignatieff) that Fantino supported the registry while he was OPP Chief -- before he was against it as a Conservative MP. Harper said that he's been in support of multiculturalism and immigration. And yet, his minister for immigration has been making it more and more difficult for family reunification between permanent residents and their families overseas. Harper said spending billions on jets was a purchase far, far away in the future. But neglected to mention that the contract is on the table for today.

At the end of the day, watching Harper was like watching someone before a court they feel is illegitimate. Harper doesn't have to defend anything that he doesn't think he is guilty of. And that is his election strategy from day 1: this thing is a waste of time. A kangaroo court. A charade taking him out of his office and away from "important" work. It permeates his campaign as he ejects students and veterans out of his rallies filled with card-carrying partisans. And his response to removing undecided voters from his rallies: it's not my fault; a staffer did it.

Admit nothing. Don't address your opponents or critics in the eye. Repeat the party lines that we should stay the course. This is how Harper will creep into majority territory.

Unless we act.

Unless you call up your Opposition candidate and volunteer an evening, a weekend, E-Day. I'm doing it in Winnipeg. It's time, especially after tonight, to put our money where our mouths are.

A Letter to Mr. Ignatieff: It's time to get personal against attack ads

Mr. Ignatieff,

On the Liberal campaign trail in Winnipeg there is one thing that we are hearing consistently: Canadians are sick and tired of attack ads. They hate them.

It disrupts governance, creates an atmosphere of constant electioneering, and is just plain un-Canadian. And yet, they persist through this election. An election that is being held because the governing party was found to be committing perjury in the House of Commons. A party that has proven to be ^NOT concerned with formal rules, conventions, or courtesy.

No one knows this more than you, Mr. Ignatieff. Stephane Dion surely knows it. And to a certain extent, Stephen Harper himself. (But hey, Steve's motto has got to be "If you cannot beat 'em, join 'em.") Kim Campbell did it. Chretien did it. Martin and Mulroney. They all have! And we are tired of it.

My question to you, sir, is this: will you propose reform to pre-writ election advertising? Put a ceiling on what parties can spend during session on partisan ads on radio, TV, and internet.

Moreover, will you propose instituting a US-style "I endorse this message" closing line on each and every political ad on the radio or television, so voters can hear from the mouth of the party leader that they are willing to stand behind their personal attacks?

In essence, I'm asking you to make Canada aware of Senator Dennis Dawson's bill S-227 An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (election expenses) and to put it at the top of your party's list of parliamentary reforms.

The only reason Harper can shrug off ALL of these attacks against you is because he doesn't really have to get up there and say them himself. A voice on a TV or radio will do that for him and he can act like "the party" is doing something that the "prime minister" is not.

I believe that proposing these kinds of reforms would be extremely popular with everyday Canadians. I believe people could go to the polls and vote for you because you're willing to put up or shut up. Canadians want some peace and quiet during parliament. They don't want to hear attack ads and party messages every other week! Granted, most of it comes from the Conservatives. And guess what -- even CONSERVATIVES are sick of it! It's exhausting. And the party that proposes to give Canadians some relief will be rewarded.

It's time to get personal against attack ads and propose legislation to curb this dreadful behavior that no one likes. It could very well be the game-changer progressives need.

Signed,
Dylan

Harper Party announces 2011 platform release date

For 2015-2016 if the budget is balanced. Maybe.

Meanwhile, Michael Ignatieff and his Liberal team have put together a platform for families that aims to strengthen Canada through investment, education, and responsible government.

Meanwhile in Winnipeg South Centre, Harper Party candidate Joyce Bateman has decided to bite the hand that has fed her for several municipal elections by turning on her provincial and federal LPC friends and running for the CPC. Bateman, who decided to come out of a two-week hiding since rumours of her nomination were wild in WPG, has finally spoken about her apparent change of values.

"I'm not running as a Liberal because their whole agenda right now is reckless spending. I see a very responsible approach to paying down the debt by the Conservative government."

I've heard this before. Bateman's dissappearence from the public over the better half of last month (ironic, seeing as how she IS a public servant) was clearly necessary so she could be thoroughly coached and programmed to speak all of the popular talking points without gagging or laughing -- as she surely would have last October when she ran on the following platform for School Trustee:

1. Tax Increases
2. Connections to prominent Liberals such as Lloyd Axworthy
   

Forget fear, Canada. Forget deficit bulging F-35 jets. Forget empty promises from an out-of-touch "Harper Government". Harper said it himself -- it's Majority or Bust. On May 2, let's BUST the Conservative party and their opportunist candidates who are in this race for themselves.