In the weekly newsletter to his Regina constituents, Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale (left) talks about election timing and what he expects his leader Stéphane Dion is considering:
Three factors are coming together to create a compelling rationale for change.
First, there’s that disturbing pattern of unethical Conservative behaviour which reinforces a strong feeling that this government cannot be trusted.
Secondly, Mr. Harper’s short-sighted and ideological mismanagement of the economy has destroyed Canada’s fiscal security and is bringing the nation to the brink of an unacceptable deficit.
Third, Liberals are laying out a generous, ambitious vision for Canada’s future – all within the bounds of fiscal responsibility – providing powerful reasons to vote for a new government, and not just against the old one.
Does Mr. Goodale really want to talk about ethics and accountability?
Was he not paying attention when Karen Redman, House Leader for the Liberal Party of Canada said on Mike Duffy Live that Ministers are responsible for anything and everything that happens in their department?
Would this not mean that by Liberal philosophy here, that Mr. Goodale was, in fact, responsible for the Income Trust leak that occurred while he was Minister?
Oh sure, he can talk about strong feelings towards distrust, but I challenge him to provide hard evidence to the fact. And stand by his wild accusations outside of the House of Commons. If he truly believes they are the truth, he can't be charged with libel can he? Or wait, maybe that's why the Liberals are so cock-sure in the HoC, but can't seem to commit outside of it.
His second issue would be correct……from a Liberal point-of-view and a Liberal Philosophy. Make sure the government collects FAR more than it could ever possibly need during the fiscal year, so that they can shower the country with these useless “Good News” projects for the purposes of winning votes in certain small areas where support is soft.
What Mr. Goodale fails to see in his own short-sightedness is that when the Canadian Economy comes through this downturn/slump/mini-recession intact, without the need to gouge the country through over-taxation and at the same time maintaining a good balance between taxes and stimulus, they will have FAR more confidence in the strength of the Canadian Economy and in their own security within it. Such attitudes further strengthen the economy through self-reinforcement.
This will naturally come as a shock to Liberals, such as Mr. Goodale, as it is their belief that only the Government can solve the problems of the country and that if left to their own devices, Canadians will destroy themselves. Exit Common-sense stage left, Enter Nannystate stage right.
Third. The Liberals keep talking about this “Vision” that encompases all the solutions to all of the problems for all Canadians in all circumstances…….This sounds vaguely familiar to me. Sounds like Paul Martin's “All Things to All Canadians” approach. As I recall, that approach (as well as Paul Martin himself) fell flat on it's face because it was inherently incapable of prioritizing. How can you prioritize when you literally make everything a priority?
If the Liberals truly feel that they have the answers, I challenge them to bring them forward in the House of Commons NOW. If these things are good for Canadians, why wait? Oh, that's right, their name won't be on the legislation and they won't be able to claim “Saviour Status”. To me that says that these things are only good for Canadians when Liberals are in power, otherwise they're not a priority.
Grow up Ralph. Get off the Rhetoric, it's softening your brain again.
I'll correct myself in that Karen Redman is the Party Whip, and not the House Leader.
My bad.
Mr. Goodale has to be one of the most pompous, igotistical politicians I have ever seen sitting in the House of Commons. His feigned outrage daily during QP is legendary and has even resulted in the Speaker publicly admonishing him for his antics.
Mr. Goodale is best known as a finance minister who presided over 3 budgets in 2005; one so they could buy the support of the NDP. That is unheard of from any government. Sound fiscal management I think not. He helped destroy the income trust market when John MacKay speculated that the Libs were considering a 30% tax on income trusts. Then facing pressure backed off going into an election but allowing sufficient time to let Brison advise his friends in the banking industry.
This former finance minister is part of a party who stole/misappropriated some $250 million of taxpayers' money so they could buy probably three elections in Quebec. Yet with all the hypocrisy he can muster accuses the Conservatives of being less than honest.
Now that he is in opposition he looks like a wild man appearing on Mike Duffy Live or other shows interupting people, sitting on the edge of his chair as if he about to jump out of it at any time. He is a true wind bag of the highest order.
Goodale should show us where the Conservatives have stolen taxpayers' money. He could not do it. He talks about the faux scandals.
Mulroney/Schreiber…anybody who believes that Harper and the Conservatives had anything to do with the relationship between these two men are dreaming in tecnicolour.
Cadman….nobody believes that the Conservatives would offer a dying man a $1 million life insurance policy. What the Cadman family may have heard or was told just not make sense. Canadians aren't buying it either.
The Conservatives did the right thing. If they don' agree with Elections Canada's ruling then let the court's decide. I hear all this talk about the integrity of Elections Canada. There are only humans running Elections Canada not dieties. They make mistakes. The courts have ruled against them before.
Canadians are not falling for the Liberal spin so Goodale and the Liberal crew can continue to hyperventilate but nobody is listening.
The biggest gift the Liberals have given the Conservatives is Stephane Dion. He will be the gift that keeps on giving in the election campaign.
Consequently, I'm wondering if the raging Mr. Goodale will be complaining if this Government's contributions to several world crisis contribute to a small deficit? Would he argue that we shouldn't have made the contributions because we're “so close to an unacceptable deficit”?
Or will he complain that the Government should have continued raping the Canadian Taxpayer's wallets and bank accounts to ensure they continued to have disturbing amounts of “play-money” to throw at the priority of the day…..no, wait…that was Paul Martin's government. This government is trying to take it's hands OUT of the public's pockets.