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May, 2005 Archives

May 31, 2005 - This kind of revelation makes people want to go and take a shower to distance themselves from the filth. 

Political survival at all costs means that anyone and everyone is apparently welcome within the Liberal patronage fold, as long as they vote the right way.  This kind of carrot dangling goes far beyond the scope of the "big tent" label that Grits like to characterize their party with.

The Liberals will have a hard time distancing themselves from Gurmant Grewal's allegations because of the appointment binge that the Prime Minister went on recently.  According to the above-linked article, between April 14 and May 19, the cabinet approved 40 per cent more orders-in-council compared to the same period last year.  This was of course brought about by genuine fear within the government that an election was inevitable.

This website understands that patronage is a part of the Canadian political system.  In fact, reference this commentary from March 2, 2004 which argues that Paul Martin's previous promises to allow parliamentary committees to vet all patronage appointments was ridiculous (an opinion that apparently Martin now shares, considering his current unilateral decision making on the matter).

On the other hand, ideology, beliefs and values should still count for something when someone identifies themselves by their partisan affiliation.  Because if an MP doesn't stand for anything in particular, then in essence, they are little more than pawns being manoeuvred by the puppet masters who control access to the political cookie jar.

And for this government, the excess of the past 12 years makes Mr. Christie look like an amateur.

May 30, 2005 - This is a quote from an unidentified top Conservative insider in this week's edition of the Hill Times:

"Look at the numbers in the House. It all depends on how the Independents will vote next time if there’s another vote. At this time, I don’t have any reason to believe that they will vote any different than they did two weeks ago. So, unless something really dramatic happens in these two weeks that we don’t know of, there’s no election until next year."

Thank goodness!  To be frank, even for the politico spirit that drives the daily political rants of this website, the current parliamentary wrangling has become boring and repetitive.

Listen to the buzz words that have defined the House of Commons over the past year: "Minority" "Scandal" "Corruption" "Non-Confidence" "Inquiry" "Explosive."  It is no surprise then that not only are politicians held in such low regard, but also that people tune out the day to day happenings behind the governance of this country.

Does a government, and indeed a political system, have relevance if nobody cares?  That is the question that everyone who is concerned with the direction of public policy should be asking themselves.  If Canada had been forced into an election campaign this summer, rest assured that once again, the Canadian electorate would have delivered the lowest voter turnout in history.

This helps no one, whether you are a Liberal trying desperately to save your job, or a Conservative valiantly trying to remain relevant.

Shut the House of Commons down for the summer break, go back to the ridings, and engage with people.  Be at events for support, take interest in local communities, ramp up your constituency workload, and earn the trust back of Canadians.

These are dark days for every parliamentarian, regardless of partisan affiliation.  Drop the theatrics, political posturing and self-serving attitudes, and for the sake of this country's sanctity, bring back honour to the profession.

May 27, 2005 - Some more rapid fire:

     ● To John G:  Yes, you were right in saying that this phenomenon is
        beginning to infiltrate Canada.  However, TDH Strategies suspects
        that a party could have no worse labelling than being associated
        with the militant religious right, and that Canadians will view the
        Conservatives with doubt and scorn as a result.

     ● This man has got be dreaming.  Listening to Beaker pontificate
        on the future of North America makes the river that Brian Mulroney
        sold the Americans look like a trickling stream by comparison.

     ● When Randy White is your voice of reason on ethical guidelines,
        you know you have a problem.

     ● "I'm mo' than qualified...I love Canadian back bacon and
         maple syrup just as much as any other good ol' boy down south.
         But of course, Canada is to the north, I'm pretty sure."

     ● With the way that Ottawa is operating these days, John Tory
         very smart to employ this approach in leading the opposition. 
         Congeniality in politics?  What's next...dignity and decorum?
         OK...let's not go too far.   

May 26, 2005 - On May 13, TDH Strategies wrote this:

"When you get down to the policy issues that matter to Canadians, the Tories are ill-equipped against the expansive middle ground that the Liberals will always inhabit.  As can be seen by the rebound in support for the Liberal government, there is an innate comfort level that voters seem to have with the natural governing party in spite of how low they have now sunk."

and this:

"The changes to the budget initiated by the NDP are policy winners for which the Tories have little to respond with."

"Canadians have a relatively narrow tolerance for any government policy (particularly in the social realm) that strays outside of the comfortable middle."

Well this newly released poll tends to agree with the above assessments.  Without an alternative plan that plays to Canadians on the whole, the Tories will remain as an unknown entity with seemingly nothing original to offer the country.

May 26, 2005 - TDH Strategies hates to harp on a point, but yesterday this website was accused of partisan Liberal bias that was making our writing unbalanced.  If that is the case, reference this column from Stephen Harper's home town newspaper, written by the National Post's Don Martin, no less.  It echoes many of the sentiments TDH has voiced about the Tory leader over the past couple of weeks.  Maybe someone should have entered him into this research study.

May 25, 2005 - This is big.  Harper's chances of winning government are retreating quickly.

Which brings TDH to this letter from Marko Dekovic:

"Dear Mr. Ross:

I would disagree with a number of things posted on your blog today."

Among them:

"Not only does CPC have the youngest caucus in the history of Parliament, but it has good quality young members of Parliament that are creating a bright future for the party.  The Liberal Party of Canada is on a decline and it's teaching our young that stealing, corruption and lack of moral standards are the way of the future."

and:

"Belinda did not kill Harper's political future.  She has solidified it.  Canadians in the next election will have a clear choice.  Corrupt, old, dithering, left leaning, special interest group driven, over spending, fiscally irresponsible government of Paul Martin, OR the New Conservative Party of Canada under the leadership of a man with integrity..."

and most importantly:

"There is my rant, and I hope that you become once again more balanced in your reporting on your website.  I like it because it's straight shooting, but you are becoming increasingly more partisan and ignoring to report the other side of the coin."

to which, TDH can only reply:

"If the suit fits..."

May 25, 2005 - Quick hits today:

     ● Liberals across the country, no matter where they stand on the
        past, or who they support in the present, cannot allow Beaker
          to be considered as a viable leadership candidate in the future.
        He doesn't answer to the Canadian people anymore, and it
        shows.  Arguments in favour of further North American
        harmonization favour corporate interests long before they
        consider the benefits of Canadian sovereignty.

     ● The by-election has been won by the Liberals, which according
        to last week's vote, and Carolyn Parrish's continued flirting with
        her former political mates, means the government should have
        a two vote cushion for any upcoming confidence motions
        brought before the house breaks.  So herein lies the real test for
        the government...after fighting so hard to maintain power, how
        are they going to use the next 6 months to make Canadians
        remember why they voted Liberal in the first place?  Now, more
        than ever, is the time for action on the part of Paul Martin.

     ● So the party votes down a youth wing, and yet still puts this up to
        entice young people to get involved?  Confusing.

     ● This cartoon about says it all for the oblivion that Stephen Harper is
        currently looking into.

     ● One wonders if the party doesn't think that releasing the infamous
        Gurmant Grewal tapes doesn't hurt themselves just as badly as it
        might hit the Liberals.  Everyday more comes out about how shady
        this man and his wife really are.

     ● This website has hinted at it over the past week, but here it is
        stated explicity:  Belinda Stronach has hammered in the final nail
        in Stephen Harper's coffin.  Politically, the man is finished.

May 24, 2005 - Reading the business section of the Vancouver Sun this morning, TDH Strategies came across this headline: "Premature ejaculation help on the way."  If only Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of the drug, had a solution for the same condition in the realm of politics.

Because, on the day of a Labrador by-election that the Liberals are looking poised to win, it seems as though for the second time in under a year, Stephen Harper has blown his load far too early.

Harken back to last year's election campaign, when Harper emerged from the leaders' debate to declare that Canadians should vote Tory if they are interested in getting a majority government.  This of course preceded the child pornography accusation against the Liberals, which just days later, completely removed the wheels from the Conservative campaign. 

Measure this against the recent turmoil that Parliament has experienced over the past 6 weeks, and more specifically a speech delivered on April 27th, when Harper told the nation that he intended to "put this government out of its misery."  Of course, this made Harper look like a fool long before the "monumental" vote last Thursday, because of his initial enthusiastic support for the original Liberal budget.  Well, we all know the result of that exercise, which ended with Chuck Cadman's nonchalant chewing of gum in front of the nation: the Tories failed in their bid to overthrow the government, the Liberals gained a major Conservative convert in Belinda Stronach, and the pollsters have returned the Liberals as the most popular federal party in the country.

Jean Chretien became Canada's most successful politician in history because of his knack to use other people's underestimations of him to his full advantage.  Harper, on the other hand, consistently underperforms, largely because of limited capabilities that cannot pay the cheques that his mouth has written.

Disappointment, however, certainly isn't a sentiment that Stephen Harper has exclusivity over...just ask Paul Martin.  In fact, along with some other individuals who shall remain nameless at this point in time, TDH Strategies is working on a manifesto addressing that very condition of leadership within the Liberal Party of Canada.  Stay tuned to this website for a release that will hopefully make a few waves and allow the excrement to hit the proverbial propeller-based ventilation.

May 20, 2005 - Chuck Cadman is definitely the man of the hour, proving that party affiliation isn't always necessary to making an impact in the House of Commons.  This is encouraging for every Canadian sick and tired of the deep partisan divisions that dominate the fractured lower chamber.

Warren Kinsella is right...from all indications, Cadman isn't running again, making this last hurrah a fitting tribute to a man who came to Ottawa on his own terms, and now is leaving the city in a similar fashion.

Here's the thing...Cadman not only saved Paul Martin's government, but also prolonged Stephen Harper's tenure as leader of the Conservatives.  The knives are out for old blue eyes, and Harper has absolutely no chance of winning a campaign at this point. 

While TDH Strategies has said it before, and in the past been wrong, the assertion that the worst has passed with regards to the Gomery Pyle Commission makes the most sense now more than ever.  Martin made a smart move in his television address by promising an election within 30 days of the release of the report, understanding that taking control of the situation allows him to frame the ensuing campaign.

People are ready to hear about who is responsible, yet the salacious details delivered by Breault, Corriveau and Corebeil have already struck the deepest nerves in the Canadian psyche...and the Liberals still remain the choice of the people (even if by the smallest of margins).

Martin will now have the ability to build upon a record that so far has been lacklustre at best.  With the spending spree set to begin, and all the Conservatives' best cards now likely played, expect the distance in popularity between the government and the official opposition to once again widen.

May 19, 2005 - TDH Strategies has made some key calls to party insiders from both the Liberals and the Tories, and can now report the great contrast in approaches to tonight's historic budget vote.

There is a quiet confidence that has rebounded within the Liberal caucus and more specifically, inside the PMO.  While Tony Valeri's office continues to spearhead efforts to pull in the numbers for a victory, the behind-the-scenes line being passed on to Liberal MPs, particularly those from Ontario, is that either outcome is positive for the government.  Belinda Stronach's defection made for a jubilant celebration at the Liberal caucus meeting yesterday, wooing most MPs in attendance into thinking that the only place they couldn't halt the hemorrhaging was Quebec. 

And according to TDH sources, Gurmant Grewal's claims that the party tried to buy him with a plum diplomatic posting off are completely false, and senior Liberal insiders are hoping that he releases the complete recording he made of the meeting, which will apparently demonstrate Grewal trying desperately to prompt Tim Murphy, the PMO chief of staff, into making a firm offer.

Now onto the Tories, where a degree of panic has set in.  Certain local BC candidates that have just recently won nominations are screaming bloody murder, lobbying hard to the leader's office not to pull the trigger on an election.  The caucus enthusiasm for bringing down the government has waned, and there are many whispers and rumours about who might just sit home tonight and allow for both budget bills to pass.  Tory House Leader Jay Hill has spent the past week trying to rally the troops, and has had to set up several one-on-one meetings between what Jean Chretien used to refer to as "nervous nellie" MPs and the leader's office.  And quietly (and often not so quietly), MPs are propping up their castigation of Ms. Stronach with criticism of Peter McKay, whom many from the Canadian Alliance wing of the party are calling "weak" and "naive."

Meanwhile, Mr. McKay's heartfelt interview with the CBC yesterday is making many old-school Progressive Conservative power brokers look at him in a different light, in the mould of a tragic victim cut by the viciousness of politics.  One huge detail that is not being reported, however, is that much of the heated discussions that McKay and Stronach have engaged in over the past couple of months have revolved around their mutual aspirations at becoming leader.  According to TDH sources, Stronach's decision was at least partly attributable to the fact that while neither wanted to run a leadership race against the other, both were determined not to back away from their respective ambitions. 

Mark these words...tonight's vote will never live up to the expectations that 5 weeks worth of hype has produced, and certainly won't be anywhere near as interesting as the horse-trading that has got us to this point.

May 18, 2005 - TDH Strategies first reported the carrot that was dangled in front of new Minister of Human Resources & Skills Development Belinda Stronach on January 4:

January 4, 2005 - How about this behind-the-scenes maneuvering that TDH Strategies stumbled onto yesterday:

Conservative MP Belinda Stronach is being heavily recruited by the Liberals, and is having a cabinet posting dangled in front of her as an incentive.

In terms of optics, having a second former Conservative leadership candidate cross the floor (the first being Minister of Public Works Scott Brison) would be a major coup for the government.  On the other hand, if the Paul Martin cabinet is already generally recognized as thin on talent, TDH Strategies shudders to think what it will be characterized as after Ms. Stronach is named as Secretary of State responsible for the As Prime Minister Awards.

Thus, this Globe and Mail accounting of how exactly the defection occurred is a "Jonny-come-lately" assessment, completely missing the fact that the roots of this move began long before the recent parliamentary turmoil.

Poor Peter McKay...out of all the ways to get dumped, this double whammy has to be one of the most embarrassing in Canadian history.  The fact that on a personal level he first found out only minutes before the announcement, and then politically was forced to relay the news to his leader Stephen Harper, has made Mr. McKay retreat back to Nova Scotia, head in his hands.

The momentum has clearly shifted, and regardless of how independent MPs Chuck Cadman and David Kilgour vote on Thursday, the Liberals are well positioned to enter an election campaign.  In fact, Harper is now saying that he will support the original budget bill, and defeat the amended NDP inclusions in a separate vote - meaning, he is already beginning to back down.

Funnily enough, this defection could ultimately spell the end for Stephen Harper, as the old Progressive Conservative guard (which still represent much of the money, power and backroom dealing within the Conservative Party of Canada) has just about reached their limit with the Calgary MP's tenure as leader.  In fact, according to TDH sources back in Ottawa, many political power brokers are pushing for an election now, understanding that a loss is likely, and a subsequent leadership convention is sure to follow.

Like TDH Strategies said on Monday, the Conservatives have really backed themselves into a corner, and the breathing room that once existed because of the Tory bump in the polls from Gomery has now had its air supply completely cut off.

What a difference a day makes...

May 16, 2005 - All these media reports of midnight calls to independent MPs, offers of Senate appointments to opposition MPs, and fear and loathing by every government MP, seem a little contrived, particularly after reading this.

It is still the opinion of this website that if the Liberal brain trust (a term often thought of as an oxymoron in the Paul Martin era of the party) has any sort of sense about the current political landscape, they would allow the Tory/BQ bloc to bring down the budget and the government this coming Thursday.

And, when you have your Deputy Prime Minister giving interviews about the need for a spring/summer election, it is likely that this is what they are hoping and planning for. 

A summer back in the ridings would serve absolutely no purpose for Liberal MPs, unless, that is, they like abuse.  The Gomery train is in full flight, and waiting to call an election within 30 days of the release of his final report would result in serving up Tory electoral victories on a silver platter.

Here are some of the lines that will be used on the campaign trail:

"Stephen Harper does not want to let Justice Gomery complete his work.  Instead of chasing the facts, Mr. Harper is more interested in chasing power."

"The Tories are willing to sell out Canada by joining with the Bloc Québécois, proving that their politics do not put the fate of the country ahead of their own selfish interests."

"The Conservative Party of Canada has just brought down a budget that provides for children, the environment, post-secondary education, Atlantic Canadians and Canadian municipalities.  Where is their plan for those left outside of Mr. Harper's grab for power?"

"The Conservative policy convention proved that the party continues to be deeply divided on issues of morality.  How can anyone put trust in a party that can't even reach consensus within their own ranks?  Which rights will they attack next?"

The Liberals must appear to be working hard to win the vote and continue governing, a tactic which will serve to further emphasize their eventual public "disappointment" with the lack of cooperation from the opposition parties.  If the government has any hope of maintaining their 12 year reign of power, however, they must ensure a loss and go to the polls as soon as possible.

Harper has made a miscalculation on timing...now the Liberals have to let him hang himself.

May 15, 2005 - It is funny how even what is deemed to be a positive announcement turns into a mess with this current Liberal administration.

Just days after Paul Martin $170 million in aid and up to 100 military observers to Sudan, the Sudanese Ambassador to Canada has rejected the offer of having Canadian troops in Darfur, stating that her government was never consulted by the Canadian government.

What is more baffling is the fact that Martin was willing to initiate a plan where, as reported by the National Post yesterday, the military personnel poised to be sent over would not have been armed, prompting one expert to state that the mission was the equivalent to hanging signs around their necks saying "Please rob me."

It is clear that this is another example of a policy prompted by politics, meaning that there was little depth to the planning behind it.  Although ironically, the MP they were trying to buy off, former Liberal David Kilgour, is now planning on quitting politics altogether, stating his disenchantment with the political process, and more particularly, Paul Martin, in no uncertain terms:

"I couldn't live with myself anymore," he said Wednesday, pointing to "at least 10 matters in which I'm in fundamental disagreement with the Prime Minister and his version of Liberalism."

"If the highly unlikely happened, that Mr. Martin saw the writing on the wall, as to what was going to happen in the election, and for example, resigned... I would go back to the Liberals."

It isn't necessarily the Liberal party that should be kicked out of office, as Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are far from an attractive alternative.  The Prime Minister, on the other hand...well that's a completely different story.

He has got to go.

May 13, 2005 - A discussion of political fortunes:

On May 11, TDH Strategies wrote this:

"They fumbled the ball again, as evidenced by the delayed reaction of establishing a firm date for a budget vote AFTER demonstrating to the entire country that they did not have the confidence of the House of Commons. How utterly idiotic!"

So, has the vote on the budget scheduled to take place on May 19 been diminished by the fact that for two days in a row, the Liberal government has been defeated on Parliamentary procedural votes?  Absolutely.

On the other hand, Paul Martin cannot continue to "govern" this way, and thus needs an escape route that provides some traction to base his election campaign around.  The defeat of a budget that now contains provisions for post-secondary education, the environment, foreign aid, child care, and Canadian municipalities should serve as a solid base from which to derive a platform that attempts to divert attention away from issues such as trust, transparency and corruption.

Even if they are able to muster up enough support to win next week, the Liberals understand that it is not in their best interests to do so. 

Which brings the discussion to Stephen Harper, who obviously feels that his best chance to become Prime Minister is now.  A month of hard hitting evidence at the Gomery Pyle Commission has given the Tories all the ammunition needed to further incite country-wide doubt about the government. 

In the view of TDH Strategies, however, Mr. Harper has ridden his one-trick pony into unfriendly territory, and now finds himself in too deep to retreat and reconsider his path to another election. 

Bottom line, Mr. Harper's liabilities at this point far outweigh his assets:

1) Canadians overwhelmingly do not want to go back to the polls in the summertime, and would rather wait until Gomery's report is released.

2) The changes to the budget initiated by the NDP are policy winners for which the Tories have little to respond with.

3) The urgency of bringing down the government is a sentiment that resides in and resonates with Tory political hacks, not your average Canadian voter.

4) The union with the Bloc Québécois is going to be an extremely hard association to defend against persistent Liberal attacks.  With the numbers in Quebec sitting as they are, the threat of separation will not be a false fear generated by the Liberal war room (as was done so often in last year's campaign), but rather a sobering reality that all of us must come to grips with (even if the irony of the situation is that ultimately, the Liberals are the engineers of such conditions).

5) Canadians have a relatively narrow tolerance for any government policy (particularly in the social realm) that strays outside of the comfortable middle.   Thus, there exists a very thin line between people's acceptance of the Conservatives as a moderate force and the huge backlash that is bound to occur after another an errant comment by a Cheryl Gallant or a Scott Reid.  Regardless of the Conservative spin that they are a united front, a deep distance continues to divide the "progressive" wing of the party from the old Reform elements, which still tend to dominate the grassroots membership.  

When you get down to the policy issues that matter to Canadians, the Tories are ill-equipped against the expansive middle ground that the Liberals will always inhabit.  As can be seen by the rebound in support for the Liberal government, there is an innate comfort level that voters seem to have with the natural governing party in spite of how low they have now sunk.

So unless the Conservatives can really galvanize anger towards this tired and arrogant government, one suspects that they are in for another disappointing election campaign.  And if this scenario transpires, one question immediately comes to the forefront:

Bernard Lord, now are you ready to make the jump?

May 12, 2005 - Sometimes you have to just sit back and revel in the brilliance of another commentary.  Today, that honour is bestowed upon Warren Kinsella, who shows that history isn't that far behind Paul Martin and his people, making their feigned disgust with the Tories a little hard to swallow.

Having worked for Minister Herb Dhaliwal, and been privy to much of the dirty and underhanded techniques used against him by the Martinite crowd, TDH Strategies agrees with the validity of citing the fact that cancer, or any other illness for that matter, has never mattered to those surrounding the Prime Minister.

Manipulation in terms of voting?  Ensuring certain members of the other side aren't present?  Bending the rules to work in their favour?  Naw, none of us that have been in the Liberal party for many years have ever witnessed that...<GAG>

If you're going to stand on your record, then you must be ready for it to bite you right in the ass.  This is one of those occasions.

May 11, 2005 - At first, TDH Strategies thought that allowing Parliament to be dissolved by a defeat of the budget was a stroke of brilliance on the part of the government.  The Tories and the BQ uniting to take away monies devoted to the environment, child care, the cities, etc?  A great story to go to the voters with, particularly in view of the Liberals' recent dip in the polls.

After last night's vote, however, that strategy really isn't as applicable anymore.  May 19th cannot come soon enough for most Canadians.

They fumbled the ball again, as evidenced by the delayed reaction of establishing a firm date for a budget vote AFTER demonstrating to the entire country that they did not have the confidence of the House of Commons.  How utterly idiotic!

Tony Valeri has been a disastrous House Leader, and now his party is going to pay the price as a result.

May 10, 2005 - If there was ever a low point in the political circus going on in Ottawa, it has to have taken place yesterday, when all four leaders decided to take their tired, run-out-of-town show on the road to Europe.  Problem was, VE Day celebrations for Canadian veterans had already occurred, leaving the four amigos to hold their own memorial in front of less than half the veterans that were present in the Netherlands.

Paul Martin cries political foul, citing the heavy duty politicking that was apparently being cooked up by the nasty Conservatives on a Sunday?  Then there was Stephen Harper, whose talk of the consequences that the government was going to have to pay back in Canada was just plain classless and tacky.  Meanwhile, Gilles Duceppe was calling for Martin's resignation because of the bungling of the trip, and Jack Layton actually had the guts to spread accountability out equally amongst each of the party leaders.

So, to make up for their disgusting political posturing and incompetent event planning, all four of these sorry souls have now cooked up a $1 billion deal to help young veterans settle back into society once they leave the military.

Ugh...this is politics at its worst, and although it sickens this website to do this, TDH Strategies must agree with Stephen Harper's assessment a couple of weeks back: it is time to put this government out of its misery.

But not for the reasons he is preaching...it is clear that the Canadian people do not want to go back to the polls now, nor do they want to rush to judgment until the Gomery Pyle Commission releases its final report.

Alternatively, however, without an election, this country will continue to flap in the wind as politics continues to grind the wheels of government to a stagnant halt.  Currently, there is absolutely no consideration for the greater good, with each leader being motivated strictly by the potential of victory or the fear of defeat.

It is time for a house cleaning, regardless of how the electorate decides the composition of a new Parliament should look.  Here's hoping for a defeat in tonight's confidence/non-confidence (depending on who you speak to) vote, which with any luck just might prompt the business of the nation to return from permanent vacation.

May 9, 2005 - Whether you are a sports fan or not, this achievement is truly monumental in scope:

First Canadian.  First white player since Larry Bird in 1986.  2nd shortest in NBA history.  3rd lowest points per game average in NBA history.  A man who had the guts to stand up and speak out against the Iraq war during the NBA All Star weekend.  And on, and on, and on.

In the end, it all adds up to 3 letters: M.V.P.

This is truly one of the greatest sporting feats ever by a Canadian athlete.  And it couldn't have happened to a more humble, generous and classy guy.

With the kind of negative attention that Canada has been receiving for the alleged rampant corruption in our public service, this achievement will reverse the trend as quite possibly the most internationally covered news story emanating from this country since the awarding of the 2010 Winter Olympics to Vancouver.

Steve Nash...a Canadian ambassador to the world that we can all be supremely proud of.

May 6, 2005 - Has TDH Strategies become a too glib about the current Ottawa circus they call federal politics?  One reader certainly thinks so:

Dear TDH Strategies,

You are starting to sound like Mme Defarge at the foot of the guillotine cackling with glee while the aristocrats are loosing their heads.  What was once a Feyeau farce is now turning out to be a  tragedy. Not for the Liberal Party, as its arrogant past is starting to haunt them, but a tragedy for the nation as a whole.  Irrelevant of the possible Tory electoral victory, I cannot see any good benefiting the country as a whole. As one wag put it recently in Canada they get rid of one corrupt bunch en masse only to be replaced by the other bunch. There is absolutely no guarantee that the Tories will be any cleaner than the Liberals were. (remember...they were elected to throw out that corrupt bunch of Tories led by Mr. Mulroney . For some odd reason there seems to be a national amnesia about that), More and more this Commission is showing us that the Party in power  plays politics with our money never mind which colours the Party wears. And in politics we know there are strange bedfellows. Why one may even find criminals in the same bed with virginally innocent politicians.  As the tsunami relief funds so clearly demonstrated where there is a potential to make lots of money corrupt individuals prosper. That however does not in any way diminish the good the relief agencies are doing. 

J.

J is of course right...this is turning into a national crisis that traverses selfish political games.  The public realm is now little more than cess pool in the minds of many disgusted (albeit uninformed) voters.

This isn't an issue that anyone should assess with "glee."  If that is the impression this website has given, then a correction is necessary:  politics is still an honourable profession, and abuse and degradation of the public trust is a real tragedy.

May 5, 2005 - Wow, wow and WOW!  Yes, it is all speculation and just testimony at the moment, but for a figure with not much else to lose (his reputation - shot, his criminal status - in limbo, his career - a shameful legacy), Chuck Guité seems like a witness that is really ready to spill the beans.

Now, Warren Kinsella will defend his record to the death and fight false accusations BECAUSE HE CAN BACK UP HIS WORDS WITH DOCUMENTATION.  So, Norman Spector's innuendo that has once again inflamed the feuding pundits is not worth much more than a Peter McKay contract.

That being said, Jean Carle, Jean Pelletier and Paul Martin might be in a bind to explain how their claims of non-involvement have been so completely repudiated by Guité, simply for the fact that none of these men seem to have the foresight and accessible proof that the Prince of Darkness of Canadian politics does.

So if Guité can be called back a second time to clarify contradictions in testimony, then why not Carle, Pelletier or even Martin?

By the way, anyone else notice that Jean Chretien's name has never once come out as directly implicated in controlling the contracting?  Hmmm...quite an interesting wrinkle that the media never seems to acknowledge.

May 4, 2005 - Because Stephen Harper continues to be mystified as to how he can take Ontario, here is the man that will make sweet dreams or electoral nightmares for Paul Martin:

With the Chretien/Martin split of the Liberal party still in full effect, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty should be referred to as the Unofficial Leader of the Opposition in federal politics.

As so regularly demonstrated by Warren Kinsella, McGuinty provides many a federal Liberal with a viable political alternative and a safe perch to throw stones.

So now on the eve of a federal election and what is expected to be another lacklustre Ontario budget, McGuinty is getting the meeting with Martin that has been talked about for many months now.

Problem is, Martin isn't the only Liberal leader to have somewhat of a credibility problem these days:

"There will be no new taxes in this budget," McGuinty said before a Liberal caucus meeting.

Snickers could be heard all around, including some by his own cabinet ministers, when McGuinty made that pledge.  Let's take a trip down memory lane...

Fortunately for McGuinty, Martin is in even worse shape, making this weekend's powwow an opportunity for both leaders to come out ahead - politically speaking, that is.

Because, Martin is going to have to pony up big dollars for the privilege of having the Ontario Premier shut his mouth and sit on his hands during a federal campaign...and if he wants him to actually stump for the survival of the federal party, then he is going to have to transfer through the nose.  Ontario is claiming a fiscal imbalance of $23 billion, and for the most part, Ontarians are siding with the province.

Martin had better watch it, because his spending spree on appeasing the NDP and now potentially his provincial counterparts is going to ding the government coffers in a significant way.

On the other hand, he doesn't really have a choice - when rats overrun the ship, it's time to pay the piper.

May 2, 2005 - Every time you think that the Tories are going to grab the brass ring, they somehow, someway, fumble their own good fortunes.

Take for example Stephen Harper's premature public utterances last week of how he was going to "put this government out of its misery at the earliest opportunity," which is a mirror image of his blunder in last year's election campaign where he began to speak about how he would govern with a majority a full 2 weeks before e-day.

It now appears that even within his own ranks, Harper might not have a unified caucus when it comes to going to the polls.

And despite the current backtracking, this is what Larry Miller, Conservative MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, told a radio station over the weekend:

"I've said for a while that I don't think we should be going to an election right now."

This is of course before House Leader John Reynolds et al. started the spin machine on Sunday, whipping Miller to get in line publicly, and also hitting the political talk shows to dispel the earlier comments.

Now herein lies the stupidity of the Conservative leadership:  they spend weeks telling the country that they are going to wait and see what Canadians want them to do in terms of an election, but when their MPs relay what they are hearing back from their constituents, they don't accept it.

Harper at first supported the budget, and then long before the Liberal/NDP budget deal, changed his support because of certain Gomery testimony (something that has no bearing on the content of the budget bill).  Harper said he wanted to hear from Canadians, and then goes and disregards what they say.  Harper predicts that he will lead a majority government after having a decent televised debate, and ends up being disappointed as Leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition.

With the way that the Liberals are currently recovering, every ex and new Tory candidate who has lined up excitedly at the prospect of electoral victory is already smacking themselves trying to figure out exactly what they have got themselves into.