Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett and Conservative MP Dean del Mastro have this much in common at least: They both say that supporters in their ridings were hit with annoying, abusive, and possibly illegal telephone canvassing during last spring’s election. But that’s about all they have in common … Continue reading MPs Del Mastro and Bennett on robocalls; Solberg and Kinsella on that and Vikileaks
Month: February 2012
Liberals say harassing phone calls hit voters in 27 ridings
The Liberal Party of Canada this afternoon identified 27 ridings in which it says voters received harassing or threatening phone calls ahead of the general election on May 2, 2011.
Now, in these ridings, the incumbent candidate or party won 21 of 27. In six of these races, the winner won by less than 1,000 votes.
Now, as one of my Twitter followers, an unidentified southern Ontario tweep who goes by the handle revpaperboy , noted “who won the ridings is immaterial, voter suppression by fraud is still antidemocratic and despicable,” a point with which I am in 100 per cent agreement. Still, for your consideration and to put some of this robocall debate in context, here is an annotated list of the ridings identified by the Liberals: Continue reading Liberals say harassing phone calls hit voters in 27 ridings
Tories say they were victims of robocalls too
A few minutes ago, the Conservatives issues the following release:
Statement by Conservative Member of Parliament Dean Del Mastro on harassing and misleading phone calls during the 2011 federal campaign
“The Conservative Party is calling on anyone with any information about harassing calls or calls giving inaccurate poll information to come clean immediately and hand it over to Elections Canada.
My own campaign in Peterborough was the victim of dirty tricks phone calls, with Conservative supporters harassed by late night abusive calls, and our Party condemns these acts. We are providing this information to Elections Canada.
We call on Elections Canada to investigate and get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible so the truth is known.”
The cynical might wonder:
a) When Del Mastro says “We are providing this information to Elections Canada”, what information is he referring to?
b) Did Del Mastro file complaints or go public with these complaints back in May, after the election?
There is is this, from the Peterborough Examiner of May 4, 2011, in which Del Mastro takes responsibility for some phone call funny business his Liberal competitor claimed was aimed at him: Automated calls not a prank against Leal.
Housing bubble crisis? Maclean's vs. The Bank of Canada
Two national institutions, the Bank of Canada and the newsmagazine Maclean’s, are out with new publications today with starkly different conclusions about the real estate market and household debt in this country. As it’s still relatively early, I have yet to read either but look forward to doing so. In the meantime, we’ll let BMO Capital Markets deputy chief economist Douglas Porter officiate on the substantive issue at hand: Housing crisis or no? Here’s his thoughts from his morning comment (with his emphasis but my hyperlinks): Continue reading Housing bubble crisis? Maclean's vs. The Bank of Canada
So who won that GOP debate? Take our poll
The pundits think Rick Santorum missed his chance and that Mitt Romney looked best at the Arizona Republican Primary Presidential debate. It’s the last debate before Super Tuesday and the primaries in Arizona and Michigan. Did you watch the debate? Who do you think won? Vote in the poll and, in the comment section here, tell us why you voted the way you did. Continue reading So who won that GOP debate? Take our poll
Common sense? From bureaucrats?
You may have seen posts here about my “win”, such as it is, with the Information Commissioner when it comes to DFAIT. Here’s the resulting column that went across our chain today …
Only in the odd, upside-down, un-reality world in which government bureaucrats live could the idea flourish that they are doing a better job by not doing their job at all. Continue reading Common sense? From bureaucrats?
Foreign Affairs Minister ignores Information Commissioner's recommendations
Hot off the presses: A letter from the Information Commissioner of Canada, Suzanne Legault, informing me that she agrees with me on a complaint I made three years ago about the way the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade was handling Access to Information (ATI) requests to that department. Read the letter below. Bottom line: I won but Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is ignoring Legault’s recommendations. Continue reading Foreign Affairs Minister ignores Information Commissioner's recommendations
DFAIT's "smoking gun" memo to block ATI requests
Among Parliamentary Press Gallery journalists (and many others), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is notorious for being one of the worst — if not the worst — government department when it comes to handling requests for records made under the federal Access to Information Act. DFAIT can take forever to process requests and, even then, will fight a requester tooth-and-nail to withhold information. Continue reading DFAIT's "smoking gun" memo to block ATI requests
I guess the bailouts worked: GM posts record profit
A couple of years ago, Chrysler and General Motors needed billions in taxpayer-funded bailouts from both Canada and the U.S. to survive. Looks like the investment paid off. Chrysler, GM and Ford all posted profits for 2011 — the first time that’s happened in a while — and GM, in particular, posted an all-time record profit. Its 43,000 blue-collar workers in the U.S. will each get a $7,000 profit-sharing check this spring. Continue reading I guess the bailouts worked: GM posts record profit
Hoeppner celebrates death of gun registry, defends lawful access bill
Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner was in the spotlight today. First, third and final reading of the bill that will kill the long-gun registry passed the House of Commons. Hoeppner has been at the “face” of Tory attempts to kill the bill for the last couple of years. Second, as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Vic Toews, Hoeppner has had to defend the controversial “lawful access” legislation, Bill C-30. (I’m not a fan). Continue reading Hoeppner celebrates death of gun registry, defends lawful access bill