Expect this 2001 refrain to be repeated in short order if the Robo-call scandal has legs. “The jackasses at Elections Canada are out of control.” In 2001, Stephen Harper was president of the National Citizens Coalition. That was his opening line in a fundraising letter. His loathing for the election
Continue readingTag: Elections Canada
Impolitical: The plausible deniability angle
That is what John Ivison is tackling in his latest column where he opines that the Conservatives’ voter identification database system, CIMS, is a key to unravelling the robocall scandal. In the wake of Guy Giorno’s very strong push back against the notion that the Conservative party’s national campaign had
Continue readingImpolitical: Late night
If you’re a Conservative, there’s not much to be laughing about tonight. (h/t)
Continue readingImpolitical: Conservative MP blames Elections Canada
Today, straight out of the mouth of a Conservative MP: “Tory MP says Elections Canada to blame for robocalls.” “I suspect that at the end of the day, if Elections Canada has the resources to do a proper investigation, they’ll find they’re themselves significantly responsible,” Saskatchewan MP Maurice Vellacott said
Continue readingConservatives play Whack-A-Mole with Robogate blame game. First it was the Liberals. Now it’s Elections Canada.
“Take my wife. Please.” I hope comedians around Canada are paying attention. The jokes from the Conservatives during the Robogate scandal keep on coming. Only thing is, these jokers don’t realize how funny they really are. I can only hope that Maurice Vellacott was auditioning for the Just for Laughs
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Activist Communique: Ottawa Rally Against Robo-calls Electoral Fraud
Hundreds of people, including members of parliament, rights activists and average citizens, are expected on Parliament Hill at noon tomorrow to protest the unfolding Robo-calls election scandal. Renowned activist Brigette Depape (pictured) and MPs Pat …Read More
Continue readingOccupy Ottawa: Activist Communique: Ottawa Rally Against Robo-calls Electoral Fraud
Hundreds of people, including members of parliament, rights activists and average citizens, are expected on Parliament Hill at noon tomorrow to protest the unfolding Robo-calls election scandal. Renowned activist Brigette Depape (pictured) and MPs Pat …Read More
Continue readingImpolitical: RMG call centre in Gatineau used during election?
Noted from a report this week in Le Droit, three Ottawa area Conservative candidates also hired RMG during the May 2011 federal election: Les campagnes de trois candidats conservateurs de la région d’Ottawa ont versé tout près de 30 000 $ à l’une des firmes de sollicitation téléphonique soupçonnées d’avoir
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – The blogosphere is now out in force in chasing down new angles on Robocon. Dave pointed out that the misleading calls look to be linked to a “target seat management unit” set up by the Cons’ central brain trust; Saskboy connected that same
Continue readingImpolitical: About those election call tapes being reviewed
This was a report from CBC initially posted yesterday afternoon: “Election call tapes under review by Conservatives.” The report was last updated early this afternoon. Here’s the key excerpt: The Conservative Party is reviewing tapes of every call made by the Responsive Marketing Group call centre in Thunder Bay, Ont.,
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Conservative Robo-Fraud Update
With the latest meme from the PMO in hand, Conservatives under hostile fire in Question Period, uniformly downplay the “robocall scandal” as nothing but an “unsubstantiated smear campaign”… Well, at this point in time, the Conservatives are right – at least, technically speaking. Opposition critics don’t presently have the necessary
Continue reading31,000 Robo-call complaints. 31,000!
“No, this is not a Robo-call. I’m a real human being. Don’t hang up! Fudge, that keeps happening.” That number will surely grow larger. Elections Canada assures it can handle the growing number of complaints. I’m wondering if EC can also be independent enough to withstand pressure from the Conservatives.
Continue readingImpolitical: Typical Harper in Question Period today
We have citizens across the country, who are now being awakened to the context of a certain phone call they may have received during the May federal election. They may have received harassing phone calls. They may have received calls misdirecting them to the wrong polling stations. They may have
Continue readingImpolitical: Elections Canada expands their investigation of robocall scandal
Or, if you speak Harper, it means that the “smear campaign” by sore losers is being investigated beyond Guelph and will now include calls made at the RMG call centre in Thunder Bay. CBC reported a little while ago on Power and Politics that Elections Canada is now looking at
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Conservatives Robocalls Scandal: What Canadians Are Saying
Thanks to the still-imploding Conservatives robocalls scandal, the end of the age of innocence in Canadian politics has begun. The scandal is being described in the kind of terms common in authoritarian countries. Only Federal …Read More
Continue readingImpolitical: In the robo-call affair, the law will work as intended
Oh for the love of…“In the robo-call affair, time and the law favour the Tories.” It’s not like it’s a mission or anything around here to blog about John Ibbitson columns, but if we must, a quick response. This column is mal-titled, for starters. Is that a word? Anyway, while
Continue readingThis Just in: Conservative Government Votes No-Confidence in Elections Canada
Thanks to Glen McGregor of the Ottawa Citizen I made my way to this article, which seems to be an editorial. It’s amazing that the Conservatives show complete contempt for this body, the very body that oversees elections in our country. I probably shouldn’t be too surprised though, since it
Continue readingImpolitical: Pierre Poutine to committee, please
Some of the latest developments this afternoon in the robocalls scandal… There was a bit of a heated exchange between Bob Rae and Harper in the House of Commons today on the robocoon issue. Worth a look to get a sense of how Mr. Harper in particular is reacting. Quel
Continue readingImpolitical: RCMP on the robocalls case
The lead story on the CTV national news last night was this: “RCMP investigates voter fraud allegations.” Interesting video report at the link where, among other things, a friend of former Conservative staffer Michael Sona is quoted. Yesterday Postmedia had details on a search warrant issued in November requiring production
Continue readingElection Fraud
Interesting. When I think of Election Fraud, I think of Saanich/Gulf Islands campaign in 2008. Gary Lunn v. Briony Penn. Briony was a charismatic candidate for the Liberal Party, she was Lady Godiva, a candidate for change. This lady went out on a limb to represent the people. Shortly before
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