http://www.nationalpost.com/index.html
I guess it starts tomorrow. Could very well do him in. JT must be giggling.
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http://www.nationalpost.com/index.html
I guess it starts tomorrow. Could very well do him in. JT must be giggling.
Duffy has nothing up his sleeve. All that is known is known. I don't think that this will cause the PM any grief.
I'm not expecting too many surprises - like wahoo has already pointed out, Duffy has already shown all his cards as he huffed and fumed his way through this. His threats to "take everyone down" are those of a desparate man.
Problem is it's a nose to nose horse race in this build up to the fall election. The press will have something to talk about that is negative every day. If the results of the Auditor General's audit of the Senate can be made public it will likely take some heat off Duffy and Walin as most of all Senators from both parties have treated the job as a Lottery win for years. I wonder who appointed the sitting Judge?
One thing for sure is that even though it has been suggested that Harper maybe called as a witness to testify, it will never happen. He will exercise parliamentary privilege. Can't imagine his handlers letting Duffy's lawyers taking him through a series of yes or no answer questions.
I'll bet the farm that the "i's" are dotted and the "t's" are crossed. The party threw those two under the bus a long time ago. Harper warned every person that there would be zero tolerance for misappropriation the day they were sworn in and,so far,he's stuck to his word. There's no reason to expect anything different. Look what happened to Bev Oda and Dean DelMastro and nothing ever came back to the PMO. This won't be any different.
This should be interesting, one audit says he is good, another says he owes $80,000, then one of the few guys in Canada that could write a cheque that size and not worry about it does.... then seemingly because it is Conservatives there is a huge fuss and after that a trial.
Then Justin Trudeau throws all the Liberal Caucus out.... all while...
Former Liberal senator ordered to repay $230,000 in expenses
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle12499643/
and the CBC....
CBC president Hubert Lacroix repays $30K in expenses
Hotel, meals claimed while receiving $1,500 monthly living allowance
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbc-...nses-1.2546300
Expensing meals WHILE getting a $1500 living allowance....
One $10 mistake by the Conservatives will get hours on TV and there will be a non ending rant on CBC about Duffy that is for sure and no end of speculation designed by them to help the Liberals... or NDP... after all both have promised CBC millions more taxpayer dollars and their billion dollar scandals don't seem noteworthy.
If the Conservatives loose the fall election it would be a disaster for Canada's economy and Canadians in general (just look at what Liberals want to do in laws rolled backed, taxes,..) so hopefully Harper will win and also be looking at a replacement for the following election too.
With Trudough in Ottawa and Wynne in Queen's Park we would be royally screwed.
The funniest thing I heard in all of this is Duffy paid for a personal trainer. Now there's good tax money spend for no apparent outcome.
Dunno, I suspect people are finally cluing in. There are a lot of if's and buts but also starting to make hyy (on top of other issue's, like ISIS, his braincramps and more) is another fantastic faus paux by JT and the party behind him.
The liberals have launched an attack ad (gee funny that hiprocacy) attacking Harper for
a) Reducing OAS benefits....not even remotely true
b) raising the age from 65 to 67
In short, they trying a knock out punch and championing the middle class, and have left themselves wide open and the cons are raping him. Explaining the hard truth.
The with Boomers starting to retire, the strains on CPP/OAS are going to be huge.
When OAS was set up 1959 average life expectancy was 6-7 years (68), today its 18 years (80ish).
The "cost" are going to be immense.
Im not really worried about Canadians, though red Toronto could spell trouble. Ontario will be the swing vote.
I would almost guarantee you that this "personal trainer" is the son or daughter of a Conservative party contributor. Or maybe she's just really hot :silly:Quote:
Originally Posted by sawbill
Pretty hard to argue with the raise in CPP retirement age.
People need to learn what "unsustainable means". By the figures you've given (average today is men 80, women 84 btw), he should have bumped it from 65 to 75.
Most people's problem with Harper is they have no vision beyond next week.
Harper wants to see the country in at least as good of shape 10, 20, 30 years from now as it is today.
His plans for the future do not sit well with the "now" generation.
If you were Duffy's personal trainer, would you admit it?Quote:
Originally Posted by terrym
Isn't that what the 2014 provincial election in essence boiled down to Werner? The me and now generation and the GTA?
The East will go Liberal
The West will go to Harper
Que NDP/LIB or split
Ontario is the huge question mark and really, the bottom line I think is whether or not people are starting to clue in with respect to
a) foreign ploicies
b) Economies, fiscal issues and taxation.
Let's just hope that the realization is what these last three issues will look like under Justin or Tom terrific.Quote:
Originally Posted by JBen
Think about it for a minute. Ontario is going to be the deciding vote as the East & West won't change much. Quebec don't vote Conservative so Ontario is the deciding vote. Who did the imbeciles vote in Provincially the last 3 elections? Be scared, be very scared.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
Actually Terry I'm not. Ontario is the swing vote, make no mistake.
Federally...theres foreign policy ( and that matters not at all provincially) and the shine has been falling off JT since Sept and ISIS, then pariliament hill. This alone might be a game changer.
Lately even the Star is ripping Ms Wynne (more accurately the party) for tax/spend, and cost of things...and Im guessing theres a lot of people who did vote for them, who are beginning to regret it, if they don't already.
True, Onatrio's bloody apathy and the GTAs inability to look much beyond it's borders, or tomorrow is a cause for concern, but the Unions also factor heavily in prov elections and much less so Federal ones.
This stuff with Duffy is just theatre and a side show.
Civil servant unions are genetically predisposed to hate Conservatives and Harper. I predict they, the Provincial Liberals and the CBC will pull out all stops in the campaign to get JT elected. OPSEU will support CUPE financially and with boots on the ground. The working families coalition will kick in also. And if it's a Conservative minority ( my guess at this point is, it is ) then expect a coalition after the election to remove the Conservatives. I hope I'm wrong but at this point that's how I see it unfolding.
I can't see any coalition working,long term. In the past,coalitions have not lasted more than a few months plunging us back into another election....if memory serves.Quote:
Originally Posted by terrym
Terry I don't doubt for one minute the Unions, working families etc aren't going to be involved. hush hush wink wink, no shenengans, nothing to see here, move along.
Lorrie Goldstein (i''m not a huge fan of the sun, but they are one of the few that keeps the left honest, by calling spades, spades abeit in a spectacular fashion) has a good article today. I'll link at the bottom but it's unrelated to the Federal issues, so lets not.
Their impact though should be watered down. In provincial elections their influence, clout, etc can't be understated. No doubt many will simply march to their drum beat as per usual.
How many "fence" sitters though were swayed by the BS and rhetoric, and fear mongering......but that's not as "important" when it's Federal....and secondly, how many more are now seeing the "truth" and regretting having the wool pulled over their eyes. In case I'm not wording it right, a lot of people either fell for it, got swept up in it, or "devil you fear" (not counting the die hards, etc)...I suspect that will be greatly diminished come the Federal election.
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/06...ea--hike-taxes
After witnessing the media circus following Duffy into court today and later on the news, it oddly reminds me of the frenzy around Rob Ford.
I can guarantee that the public will lose interest and focus on some other shiny object.
Watch some on CBC's the National, no mention of the Liberal Senator and his 4 times the amount, no mention of their CEO and wouldn't you know it Duffy is innocent and it is all Nigel and the PMO's problem....... given that the first audit said he was OK this should prove interesting.
If Harper had stood up for Duffy, he was in trouble, just having Duffy pay it back was the easy path. Where it went sloppy was Nigel giving Duffy $80,000 but for him that would be like many Canadians giving a hundred or thousand to a friend in need to solve a problem. This seems more like a stage show, posturing and political opportunism but that won't stop CBC's rants. Heck if Duffy had just done 3 speaking engagements at a school board or charity like Justin Trudeau was he could have raised the money without Nigels offering.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wahoo
The Harper haters and anti-austerity groups will keep the interest and focus with endless speculation, rants and speculations. The speculations will get wilder and wilder the longer it runs and the closer to the election.
You can be sure that even if it is nothing, the CBC will do everything it can to make it a something, they already are.
Count on "super spin" from all the left wing media. The Star,The Globe,Global TV,you name it they;ll be feeding the BS machine for all they're worth....which ain't much.Quote:
Originally Posted by grog
Must be worth something Trimmer because a lot buy it.
Repeatedly.
Yet somehow almost beyond comprehension allow themselves to be reeled in hook and line sinker by McGuinty, the Unions and now Ms Wynne....Repeatedly. And now even JT possibly.
I'm basically a centrist, but I understand if you don't take of the $ (fiscal/economy) first...
Kind of hard to have great social programs/concerns when $ isn't there, and conversely if something does need repairing (say healthcare)...kind of hard when....
I mean if I don't watch my nickels and dimes. How often am I eating steak, and or repairing the roof on my house?
/shrug
Blows my mind the left doesn't trust Harper, but ridiculously think and believe Liberals care 2 seconds about them and gobble up everything they claim as though they are beyond pulling the wool over their eyes and shenanigans.
Not sure at all, how anyone could rant or dislike Harper and the cons ( can understand this)....but not see whats been occurring here for more than 10 years and further condone/vote for it.
That is the unfathomable hipocracy of the left in Ontario.
CBC rants about Harper, yet Ms Wynne and the Unions? Too funny
*****
The Conservatives are the arch enemy of the CBC and the Liberals are the opposite. Cons don't believe in subsidizing media with borrowed tax money and the libs and left/Socialists feel entitled to live off other people's taxes. There is a very comfortable living to be made off the CBC culture. The Suzukis, Ghomeshi, Atwood, Strombos etc have done a great job conning people. Never underestimate the power of media to sway voters.
Best political move so far....
Conservatives to introduce balanced budget legislation, Joe Oliver says
http://business.financialpost.com/ne...oe-oliver-says
It will put a good light on the fact the Conservatives have been doing a good job economically, even though they have been forced to up the debt. WHEN the NDP and Liberals come out against it will point out their spending plans (and tax increases too), it will pass and Justin will say he will roll it back too of course, (he is rolling Canada into a sewer seems to be his plan)
1) IF the Liberals win, once when they roll it back, another demonstration that they are financial idiots with all the tax cut roll backs, carbon taxes etc. that should guarantee the following 2 or 3 elections will be Conservative majorities when people realize how badly they are screwing their future, their kids, grand kids etc..
2) IF the Conservatives win, a tool to use for continued balance aimed at a better Canada's future by reducing the budget without huge cuts.
Many a philosopher and deep thinker has chimed in on the power of the pen Terry. Theres two schools of thought.
1) Media forms/sways public opinion, trends
2) Media feeds the apetite
Basically a chicken or egg argument. I tend to believe it's both, after all the media needs to sell. However, one really only need look the 2014 provincial election to see how much it can sway/determine things. Or Fashion magazines, or communist countries and state controlled media/propaganda.
The Left bias has been discussed/debated here many times. I surely hope by now its deadish and if people can't see/agree at least credit it exist to an extent.
/sigh
This is what we have to look forward to. Regardless of the "political issue's/party". Federal or Provincial.
Political awareness (or the lack of it), basic math skills and more from kids coming out of University (or not) know, no allegiance.
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/ca...erity-in-video
Voter Apathy is one thing and a big problem, but...........
They better get back to class quickly and I mean high school cause it seems they flunked out , and how they got into university is mind blowing.
Yeah I read that one this morning. What a bunch of self entitled spoiled imbeciles. These Quebec students have heavily subsidized tuition and the protestors are just professional students who aspire to a government job. They complain with full bellys let's just say. They spend more time in pubs and texting on $100/mth iPhones than they do studying and investing in their future.
Getting back to the Duffy scandal, hard to say how it will end? Many have already disconnected and made up their mind that the Senate is nothing but a leftover from days where the ruling Monarchs felt they needed a "House of Lords" or in our case a Senate to oversee the non Aristocratic and elected house of Commons. Pretty well how I see the Senate. The whole somber second thought thing is a farce as most are just patronage appointments of party hacks with little constitutional law expertise anyway. I think the biggest winner will be Mulcair not having any NDP Senators. trust me if he ever became PM he would stack the place like every other sitting PM. Harper wanted to reform the Senate, campaigned on it and even took his case to the Supreme Court. Other than letting them hang themselves there isn't much left maneuvering for him on that file. JT did a preemptive strike and kicked the Senate out of caucus because he knew that the coming audits would expose the rest of his piglets as not that different than Duffy , Walin and Harb.
There will no doubt be shocking revelations, the CBC will run with it but these electors gave Wynne a majority after years of fraud, theft and incompetence. Who knows....
And really is this about Duffy or is it about the Harper haters attacking Harper? The haters will hate and the fans will support him. Being a fan , I see a party that used private money to repay fraudulent expense claims and he got the boot from the party. I wish the Provincial Liberals handled their own scandals like that. :ashamed:
Seems the circus can't keep the clown(s) away:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/ca...y-during-trial
Good God. What a douche.
Was watching PowerPlay on CTV and Don Martin was speaking with a York U Prof who presented a really interesting scenario regarding Duffy's appointment to the Senate. First point is that it was very clear to the Prof that Duffy did not qualify as a 'resident' of PEI. He said that if Duffy was NOT eligible to have been appointed to the Senate, how could he be convicted of submitting the receipts for expenses he was never entitled to in the first place? Will the Judge void the appointment? Do they make him pay back wages too?
Justice Vaillancourt has his work cut out for him, that's for sure.
Brazeau appeared at Duffy's trial to day to observe - an unwelcome guest. :)
I can't imagine Duffy's legal team was thrilled with him showing up !Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharon