Today in Harper government infractions: “Ottawa blâmé par le commissaire aux langues officielles.” Le gouvernement Harper n’a pas respecté la Loi sur les langues officielles en nommant l’anglophone unilingue Michael Ferguson au poste névralgique de vérificateur général, révèle un rapport du commissaire aux langues officielles obtenu en exclusivité par La
Continue readingTag: Auditor-General
Polygonic: MacKay: We’re just as dodgy with our accounting as Sponsorship-era Liberals
Duhhhhr! Ooonnggg… errrrggg…. Out of the mouths of babes. It’s been an awkward delight watching Conservative spinmeisters trot out Plan A through Plan W in their Catalogue of Flimsy Excuses over the F-35 affair. Blaming bureaucrats didn’t cut it, even blaming the other parties hasn’t cut it. One waits with
Continue readingLeftist Jab: Take The "Guess The Auditor General Report" Quiz: Chinook Helicopter or F-35?
Peter MacKay: Why does Rona get everything? Rona, Rona, Rona! Between the complete ignorance of the desolate living conditions found in the First Nation reserve of Attawapiskat, the suspected widespread election fraud and the misleading of Canadians of the estimated costs of the F-35 fighter jets to the tune of
Continue readingNorthern Insight: See what happens when you split the vote
On today’s Trailing Edge from the Ledge, BC Liberal press officer Sean Leslie disclosed strategy to be followed after the party’s candidate, federal Conservative wonk Laurie Throness, fails to win the once friendly riding of Chilliwack-Hope. “If the NDP actually pulls a win out there because the Conservatives and the
Continue readingTrashy's World: Friday miscellany…
Jason Kenney edition. Is Jason Kenney Canada’s Joseph McCarthy? I think so… OTTAWA — New Democratic Party MP Don Davies says it never occurred to him when he innocuously snapped a photo at an anti-racism march in Vancouver last month that he would suddenly become the latest target in an
Continue readingImpolitical: Auditor General #F35 fallout
Terry Milewski’s report on yesterday’s remarks by the Auditor General and the reactions those remarks set off, above. It is helpful to see whose eyes are grave, whose eyes are dead and whose eyes are lit up. More on the AG’s remarks and DND apparently getting restless at holding the
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: The F-35 Boondoggle
I know we’ve been over this ground before, but remind me again… why does Canada even need this heinously expensive new class of fighter jet at all? What possible military threat are we defending ourselves from? Seriously. What is the point? Aside from the absurdity of ploughing something like $30
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: A wistful we-told-you-so on the F-35 debacle
A lot of ink and writing has been spilled elsewhere over this scandal – one where the Conservative government of Canada and its Cabinet Ministers, and it’s Prime Minister has been found severely wanting by the Auditor-General on the true costs of the planes, the deliberate attempt to prevent multiple
Continue readingFrom Orangutan: Dear Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
Why have you systematically misled the Canadian people about the costs of purchasing flying machines?
Continue readingNorthern Insight: One publication raising the bar
I am a frequent critic of corporate media but wish I could be an enthusiast rather than a detractor. When ink stained wretches — perhaps today that should be digital savvy geeks — provide incisive commentary valuing common citizens ahead of magnates and moguls, I’m keen to applaud. Good people
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Solution for the Auditor General
A person commenting on Jonathan Fowlie’s puffery in the Vancouver Sun proposes a way Premier Photo-Op can resolve her government’s dispute with Auditor General John Doyle over documents in the Basi Virk payoff: “…the Auditor General will be given a “mediator” with a zero document mandate.”
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: NL AG: Dunderdale unprecedented doc block “not a good thing“ #nlpoli #cdnpoli
From Canadian Press: The veteran auditor, in an interview Thursday, said the government’s sweeping denial of documents on the basis of cabinet confidentiality has left him no way to trace how and why spending decisions were made. "I can certainly say it’s not a good thing," he said. "The auditor
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Tories hide spending documents from Auditor General #nlpoli
The culture of secrecy that is Danny Williams’ legacy in provincial politics is firmly institutionalised. The provincial Conservative’s war against oversight and adequate oversight of their management of the province’s finances now extends to withholding information from the province’s Auditor General. When the province’s Auditor General went looking for the
Continue readingImpolitical: Clement’s G8 hangover continues
A lot going on in this thorough Canadian Press story on the latest documents to be uncovered relating to the G8 spending in Tony Clement’s riding of Muskoka. I’ll just go with this excerpt as one that jumped out: Mr. Dodds’ recollections also raise questions as to why Auditor General
Continue readingHarper shutting out auditor general from Commons committee meetings
I’ve largely refrained the past few weeks from posting about the grossly anti-democratic manner in which our government has chosen to conduct itself. Other bloggers have been documenting the atrocities better than I could and let’s face it, the whole corrupt Contemptuous mess has me silenced. For once. But this
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Effective and sustainable? Who knows?
“Old news” – new anxieties for Liberals, posted three weeks ago, mentioned Basi/Virk judge Anne MacKenzie’s reasons for sentence and her dialogue of standard clichés, wordplay, and nonsense: “…a conditional sentence is not necessarily a more lenient sentence…” “The stigma of a conditional sentence with house arrest should not be underestimated.”
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Comparative values
How we spend our money reflects our values, particularly for conscious choices, the ones we make after full consideration. That occurred to me when reader Lew linked to a Jonathan Fowlie blog, B.C.’s government watchdog working among the rodents. Lew’s comment came in response to my article about David Hahn’s
Continue readingImpolitical: Auditor general’s report on federal tobacco program
The 2008 era $284-million federal tobacco program designed to transition farmers out of tobacco growing was reviewed by the Auditor General. Looks like it was a total failure. A $284-million Agriculture Canada program to change the Ontario tobacco industry and encourage farmers to leave the business was poorly planned and
Continue readingImpolitical: Consistency on merit based appointments
In the news this past week, we have seen that Senator Leo Housakos is not thrilled with the Auditor General appointment: “Tory senator remains critical of unilingual AG appointment.” He’s against the unilingual appointment, fair enough, the job require…
Continue readingPample the Moose: Official Bilingualism, Officers of Parliament and Supreme Court Justices
Much ink has been spilled of late about the decision of Stephen Harper to appoint a unilingual Supreme Court Justice (Michael Moldaver) and a unilingual Auditor-General (Michael Ferguson) in recent weeks. We’ve seen the usual range of commentary, whic…
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