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 readingTag: Peter MacKay
BigCityLib Strikes Back: Breaking Bourque! MacKay Tossed From Helicopter! Paradis meets Paradise! Toews phased out! Fantino Basically Fucked! Bernier Back In, Cleared To Date Bikers!
BREAKING: Bourque insiders are reporting late this afternoon that Prime Minister Stephen Harper may soon shuffle his Cabinet. It remains unclear at this time if the move will be a major re-jig involving several known political figures or if it will be a more modest housecleaning to address certain deficiencies.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The F-35 Debacle: Will There Be Fallout?
Not counting this post, in the past year I have written nine times on the F-35 jet controversy. I point this out, not to claim any particular perspicacity on the subject, (many others have written much more and in much greater detail than I have) but only to demonstrate how
Continue readingImpolitical: Chart of the day
And maybe of the year (click to enlarge): (Source) 2.76 We also have significant concerns about the completeness of cost information provided to parliamentarians. In March 2011, National Defence responded publicly to the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report. This response did not include estimated operating, personnel, or ongoing training costs (Exhibit
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Cons and the Man Who Would Drown his Dog
Uh oh. I see Stephen Harper ran into a little moral turbulence today, courtesy of the Auditor General. But he just shrugged it off, claiming he never said we would buy the fancy jets that don’t work, and we don’t need. After spending years telling us they were essential. Not
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Mackay, Conservatives should wear F-35 boondoggle
The auditor general’s report Tuesday on the mismanagement by DND and the government of the F-35 is drawing major attention, and rightly so. But the fact is these revelations have largely been known for some time and all these objections raised previously — the Conservatives simply elected to ignore them.
Continue readingLeDaro: General Walter Natynczyk and Peter MacKay
From the Toronto Star: “….the Conservative government was behind a plot to damage his reputation when reports emerged last fall that he had used a Challenger jet to join his family on a Caribbean cruise, the Toronto Star has learned.” Now this General is complaining that it was the Conservative
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Mark Kennedy reports that once again, Canadians are largely opposed to the Cons’ plans to attack social supports: The poll found that 49 per cent of Canadians are preparing for a “bad news” budget from federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and that 57
Continue readingNew longer Anonymous video re Vic Toews and C-30. Liberals, MacKay mocked, too.
Anonymous on MacKay: “Anonymous has been relatively civil in our videos up until now. But these statements are so absurd we must declare this a giant steaming bowl of bullshit”. Thanks to Sassy in the comments to this post, here’s a long video (9:24) from Anonymous getting into specifics about
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Robocon Strategy Emerges
The Conservative party does not need to investigate the issue of “robocalls” any further, according to Defence Minister Peter MacKay. He also refers to the “one individual involved”, who is no longer with the party. Didn’t see that one coming. Update: OTTAWA—Callers on behalf of the federal Conservative Party were
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – There’s been plenty of followup on Robocon, with columns from Andrew Coyne and Thomas Walkom on the Cons’ increasingly unethical culture, along with followup reporting from Stephen Maher and Glen McGregor on live voter fraud and Steve Rennie and Bruce Cheadle on Elections
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Peter Has Some ‘Splainin’ To Do
Peter “The Prevaricator’ MacKay apparently has some ‘splainin’ to do to Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk regarding his misuse of military resources for political purposes. However, don’t expect MacKay, an emblem of the amorality that pervades the Harper regime, to be offering his resignation anytime soon. That kind
Continue readingImpolitical: Let’s not overlook Peter MacKay today
Must read post from Dave at Galloping Beaver: “Airshow” MacKay is now well over the line. On Peter MacKay’s abuse of his position by asking military personnel to provide him with political ammunition against a member of the opposition who questioned MacKay’s personal use of military assets. Dave, with military
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Bald-Faced Lie From The Defense Minister
Not that he has any credibility left, but Minister of Defense Peter McKay has told yet another whopper, this one at the Conference of Defence Association’s annual meeting. Recommend this Post
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Friday reading. – Jim Stanford points out that free trade hasn’t delivered any productivity gains as promised – and has in fact moved Canada further away from the model that’s working elsewhere: The famous Macdonald Commission, influenced heavily by market-oriented economic analysis, made two core
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Conservatives: They Giveth, Then Accuse You of Taketh
Such appears to be the attitude towards Bonavista-Grand Falls-Windsor MP Scott Simms, who was subject to an investigation by Peter MacKay into Simms’ ride on a Search & Rescue Cormorant – a ride extended to Simms by MacKay’s office, according to Simms. From the CBC: Emails that have now been
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to end your week. – Sure, it’s a plus to know that Canada’s military is ready and willing to leap into action to protect what matters most to the government of the day. Now if only that meant something other than serving as political operatives to protect the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Harper’s Continued Debasement of Democracy
For those with a naive trust in the ‘integrity’ of the Harper regime, I heartily recommend that you start educating yourselves about the machinations being orchestrated in Ottawa by our dark lord. Here and here would be two good places to start. Otherwise, continue to bury your head in the
Continue readingMore “clean and ethical” politics from the Conservatives
On the heels of assurances from Jenni Byrne and Stephen Harper that Conservatives would never, ever do anything unethical despite the voter suppression accusations hanging over them, comes this bit of unwelcome news that the party worked in cahoots with the military to cover up Peter MaKay’s lavish lifestyle. OTTAWA—Military personnel were asked to
Continue readingMore "clean and ethical" politics from the Conservatives
On the heels of assurances from Jenni Byrne and Stephen Harper that Conservatives would never, ever do anything unethical despite the voter suppression accusations hanging over them, comes this bit of unwelcome news that the party worked in cahoots with the military to cover up Peter MaKay’s lavish lifestyle. OTTAWA—Military
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