A Twitterer suggested last evening that this would be a week of Conservative diversions meant to deflect public attention from its role in the deepening Roboscam scandal:
Watch for #CPC avalanche of distracting issues this week; anything at all to get #Canada’s mind off #robocalls . #pmharper and ‘The Big Lie’
Well, lessee here:
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Elections Canada done it! Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott announced today that Roboscam was Election Canada’s fault. (You can’t make this stuff up.) Not getting our mind off robocalls, exactly, but…shifting the narrative a tad.
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Syria! Striking a massive blow against on-going government massacres of its own Foreign Minister John Baird announced that we are “suspend[ing] our services at both our embassy and consulate in Syria.”
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French language! Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) (La Francophonie), met with representatives of francophone associations of Newfoundland and Labrador, pronouncing himself “impressed” by their efforts to preserve the French language. And Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orleans, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, announced funding for three Southern Ontario francophone groups.
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Veterans! Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, today invited Veterans to share evidence they may have regarding health issues with the Scientific Advisory Committee on Veterans Health. “The Committee members and I agree that it is vital that Veterans have the opportunity to contribute to this process,” he said.
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Foreign influences! Conservative Senator Nicole C. Eaton (who last drew attention to herself by suggestion that the polar bear replace the beaver as our national animal) kicks off a stirring week of inquiry into alleged “interference of foreign foundations in Canada’s domestic affairs and their abuse of Canada’s existing Revenue Canada charitable status.” Please, try not to giggle: tomorrow she will hear from Senator Doug Finley—on the topic, “Follow the Money.”
Sorry.
[pauses, wipes tears from eyes]
This deformed brainchild was born, of course, from Minister Joe Oliver’s fatuous complaint not along ago about those alleged “influences” in the current Northern Gateway pipeline debate. The influence of powerful foreign oil companies—like Sinopec—and countries—like China—appear, however, to be beyond the scope of the Senator’s investigation.
Whew! And it’s only Monday.
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Note to readers: I’ve taken this material from Parliamentary Press Gallery news releases, so no links. Go look! Over there!