The more I think about it, the more bizarre and outrageous it seems.Stephen Harper going after Tom Mulcair, accusing him of promoting an invisible carbon tax. Like Clint Eastwood went after an invisible Obama in the empty chair.For let's face it, this is MADNESS.Read more »
Continue readingTag: stephen harper
Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Business Insider reports on a new study from the U.S.’ Congressional Research Service showing that in addition to exacerbating inequality, top-heavy tax cuts rank somewhere between useless and downright harmful when it comes to overall economic growth: According to a new study by
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and the Dead Parrot
When I first started portraying Stephen Harper and his Con Regime as a sinister freak show, I took a bit of heat even from some of my friends. The MSM was busy polishing Harper's ass, and calling him a political genius, so some of them thought I was exaggerating. Or
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Adoration of Peter Lougheed moves beyond canonization into deification
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s message at Peter Lougheed’s state funeral. Below: Premier Lougheed with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who haunts us still. With his state funeral yesterday afternoon, the official adoration of former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed moved beyond canonization into deification. If other Canadians happened to pause and listen
Continue readingIt’s conclusive, the Manning Centre for Building Democracy is definitively leaning towards the Conservatives.
The [Manning] centre would not be another political party, but help build an “infrastructure” for existing Conservative parties federally and provincially, Mr. Manning said. (source) As other progressive bloggers have pointed out, the Manning Centre for Building Democracy is obviously partisan – slanted towards the Conservatives. You really just had
Continue readingIt’s conclusive, the Manning Centre for Building Democracy is definitively leaning towards the Conservatives.
The [Manning] centre would not be another political party, but help build an “infrastructure” for existing Conservative parties federally and provincially, Mr. Manning said. (source)
As other progressive bloggers have pointed out, the Manning Centre for Building Democracy is obviously partisan – slanted towards the Conservatives. You really just had to look at their board of directors,
1. Preston Manning – Reform party founder and leader for many years. Long time associates with Harper for obvious reasons.
2. Cliff Fryers – currently the far-right party Wildrose party chairman. He was also party and campaign chairman for the Reform Party in the early 1990s.
3. Blair Nixon – no explicit connections, but tax advisor to a few natural resource companies.
4. Rick Anderson – national director of the Reform party in the early 1990s.
5. Thompson MacDonald – no explicit connections, but board member of an American mining company.
6. Gwyn Morgan – ties to various big corporations, including oil company Encana.
7. Tasha Kheiriddin – self-described conservative, also the President of the Progressive Conservative Youth Federation during the time of far-right Mike Hudak.
8. Tom Long – involved and worked for the Brian Mulroney PCs, then campaign manager to various PC candidates federally and provincially, then President of the Ontario PCs from 1986 to 1989, helped get Mike Harris elected, and was a founding member of the Canadian Alliance – and this is just according to the bio on the Manning Centre!
9. Dan Nowlan – Vice president of banking investment group, and according to an Elections Ontario file, in 2009 was the chief financial officer for the Progressive Conservatives’ Tim Hudak.
10. Chuck Strahl – former Conservative MP, active in the early reform days.
This is every member on the board. Which makes 8 out of 10 (80%) having explicit connections to right-wing political parties (Conservative, and its father, Reform Party), and 10 out of 10 (100%) having either a connection to a political party or business. This is why it’s so obvious this organization is a front for right-wing and business interests.
Regardless, I compiled some more data just to make this pronouncement even more conclusive. I looked at their 2012 youtube channel, which is the msot updated, and compiled some data. There’s (as of September 21st, 2012) 12 videos – 10 of which are speeches or conferences. One of those speeches is just from Preston Manning, so I have excluded it as well. In total, we’re looking at 10 videos, and the political affiliations of those speaking and participating.
So, made a list of all the speakers in each speech, and tracked their political affiliations. Keep in mind, for this, I excluded anyone who was already a board member from this list. I also won’t be tracking business connections, as I think that’s unnecessary considering the findings. I will be tracking influential unions members, just because there’s only one, so it doesn’t really detract from the end result.
Here are my findings:
- Six current Conservative Member of Parliament
- Including four current Conservative Cabinet Ministers
- Three former Conservative MPs
- One former Reform Party MP (Remember, not including board members)
- Three others with direct connections to the Conservatives (Campaign Manager, donor, chief of staff)
- One Republican
- One British Tory
- One Union Leader
- Zero current or former opposition members
- One guy with some past connection to the Parti Quebecois
See for yourself, here is the list of links and subsequent speakers and participants:
–>
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Speaker: HON. JOE OLIVER, MINISTER (Conservative Minister)
– Dawn Farrell, Executive
– Nancy Olewiler, Economist
– Robert Blakely, Union Leader (Union)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wfJXb1WQbc&feature=plcp– March 16th
Chair: Dave Quist, IMFC
Speaker: MARVIN OLASKY, WRITER
– Michael Coren, TV Host
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p6xHAIZL4M&feature=plcp– March 16th
Chair: Nicolas Offord, Executive
Speaker: HON. DIANE FINLEY, MINISTER (Conservative Minister)
– Kate Bahen, Charity Expert
– Ray Pennings, Cardus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBKeck2fZAI&feature=plcp– March 15th
Chair: Youri Chassin, Economist
– Eric Duhaime, Commentator
– Mathieu Bock-Côté, Sociologist (activity with PQ?)
– Tasha Kheiriddin, TV Host (National Post)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3aWJEiCkN8&feature=plcp– march 14th
Hostess and Coordinator: Leah Costello, Writer
Contestants:
-Pierre-Olivier Bastien-Dionne
-Vass Bednar
-Craig Dellandrea (Conservative donor and supporter)
Judges:
– Cliff Fryers, Executive (Reform/UA activist)
– Deb Grey, Former MP (First Reform MP)
– Steve Madely, Radio Host
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE8luHStHc&feature=plcp– March 14th
Chair: Preston Manning, Manning Centre
Speaker: HON. PETER MACKAY, MINISTER (Conservative Minister)
-Barry Cooper, Professor – Duff Crerar, Military Historian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckDSQzsslgc&feature=plcp– March 14th
Chair: Dan Nowlan, Executive
Speaker: HON. TONY CLEMENT, MINISTER
Bill Robson, CD HOWE (Right-wing think-tank)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGlnbCI7mvs&feature=plcp– March 14th
Chair: Nick Gafuik, Commentator
– Monte Solberg, Commentator (Conservative MP till 2008)
– Robert Sopuck, MP (Conservative MP)
– Bob Mills, Former MP (Conservative MP till 2008)
– Michelle Rempel, MP (Conservative MP)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEtKYAf-y3M&feature=plcp– March 13th
Tom Flanagan, Professor (Long time buddies with Harper, current working for the Wild Rose Party)
Travis Smith, Professor
Ian Brodie, Strategist (former chief of staff for Harper)
Andrew Coyne, Commentator (National Post)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8OYWCTtqzA&feature=plcp– March 13th
CuriosityCat: Carbon Tax, Cap & Trade, Framing: When will Thomas Mulcair learn?
Stephen Harper, the one party leader who probably reads a chapter from George Lakoff’s magnificent work Don’t Think of an Elephant each night before he switches off the light, dragged an elephant into the House this week, and smiled contentedly as the man who wants his job kept flailing away
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: What does Stephen Harper have against attending Premier’s Conferences?
Stephen Harper has never attended a Premier’s Conference. He has been Prime Minister since 2006 and has turned down every invitation extended him to attend.
Yesterday during Opposition Day in the House of Commons the NDP put forward a motion th…
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: What does Stephen Harper have against attending Premier’s Conferences?
Stephen Harper has never attended a Premier’s Conference. He has been Prime Minister since 2006 and has turned down every invitation extended him to attend. Yesterday during Opposition Day in the House of Commons the NDP put forward a motion that the Prime Minister accept the most recent… ..
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: What does Stephen Harper have against attending Premier’s Conferences?
Stephen Harper has never attended a Premier’s Conference. He has been Prime Minister since 2006 and has turned down every invitation extended him to attend. Yesterday during Opposition Day in the House of Commons the NDP put forward a motion that the Prime Minister accept the most recent… ..
Continue reading350 or bust: Rick Mercer on Stephen Harper: He Knows Better, But Doesn’t Care
Rick Mercer’s back, and in fine form. Here’s Rick’s rant from September 18th, Omnibus Bill II: The Sequel. Wake up, Canadians!
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Saving Our Democracy: When the People Awaken
As Stephen Harper drags our parliament into the pit of democratic depravity, by accusing the NDP of supporting an imaginary carbon tax only he can see. Repeating a Big Lie over and over again like a shameless con man, or a desperate maniac. Going after Tom Mulcair, as one pundit
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Evening Links
Assorted content to end your day. – Common Dreams discusses the prevalence of inherited wealth among the U.S.’ richest individuals (as pointed out by a report by United for a Fair Economy): Forbes claims that their list of the 400 richest people is ‘the definitive scorecard of wealth’ in the
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Who is sponsoring Canada’s Democracy Week? Elections Canada, of course
Are you like millions of Canadians outraged by Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s relentless assault on our democratic institutions, traditions and values? Maybe you’re wondering if the Harper can really be stopped? This week (September 15-22) is the week to do find answers. And do something about Canada’s ailing democracy. It’s Democracy Week (September
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Tubby Van Loan and the Mighty Mulcair
If anybody still thinks that the Con regime is not out of control, the sight of Peter Van Loan in Question Period today should have been enough to cure that delusion. For there was Tubby, as his friends call him, filling in for Stephen Harper, clutching a piece of paper
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Should Mulcair channel Hillary Clinton on the Ballot Box Question?
The 2015 election is already on, with Stephen Harper trying to choose the ballot question as anything but the poor Conservative performance in so many areas, the party’s blunders and scandals, and the fact that deep down so many Canadians still do not really trust his party and particularly him.
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Bad News: Two Polls Give Harper Conservatives Edge Over News Democrats
As the Canadian Parliament returns for what promises to be another acrimonious session, two opinion polls show that the Harper Conservatives hold a slight lead over Thomas Mulcair’s New Democrats. The Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll pegs Conservative support at 34 per cent, the New Democrats at 27, the Liberals at 24
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – The Ottawa Citizen asks whether Stephen Harper’s Conservatives think Canadians are stupid enough to fall for their asinine carbon tax spin. Aaron Wherry confirms that the answer is an emphatic “yes”. – But then, we shouldn’t be surprised to see the Cons
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: A Taxing Debate
The gloves came off yesterday on Parliament’s first day back after its summer break, with Stephen Harper dealing the NDP what he evidently considers a fatal insult. Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, according to the synchronized taunts of the Prime Minister and his Conservative minions, wants nothing more than to impose
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: An Open Letter to Stephen Harper Regarding Senate Reform
Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper: I am writing today in response to reports that you will seek a Supreme Court reference on the constitutionality of your proposals for Senate reform. In a way, I can understand this. You would like clarity on a politically tricky issue, one that would otherwise
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