May

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    MPlib
    In Question Period, HarperCons stonewall, defend whitewashed Senate report on Duffy. Crack jokes. But Canadians aren't laughing.
    22 hours ago | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, Justin Trudeau nails Harper scandal issues. Demands details + documents. Harper in hiding. Baird spins vacuously.
    22 hours ago | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, HarperCons in full stonewall mode on Harper's scandal. John Baird strangely obscure and uncertain.
    22 hours ago | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Harper's pitch this morning totally tone deaf. No acknowledgement of any responsibility - all an attempt to change the channel.
    Tue 6:57 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Harper's speech to Conservative Caucus totally vacuous - no accountability for secret $90,000 deal that perverted a Senate audit
    Tue 6:50 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    CANADIANS ARE NOT AMUSED! As we commemorate Queen Victoria's birthday this week, it's fitting to recall Her Majesty's acerbic way of conveying her Royal displeasure when events didn't measure up to her expectations. "We are not amused," she would intone indignantly. One can imagine those same words -- and that same indignation -- coming from millions of Canadians these days as they witness the self-inflicted ethical and legal crisis that has enveloped the Harper government. Far from amusing, it's appalling. It shatters the public's trust. The problem relates to controversial expense claims made by certain Senators. It has been ongoing for months, including forensic audits conducted by Deloitte. It all began to boil over on May 9th when the Conservative-controlled Senate published its reports about those audits. They revealed serious improper expense charges – particularly some $90,000 wrongfully billed by former TV announcer, now-Conservative Senator, Mike Duffy. Back in February, after weeks of obfuscation, Duffy had admitted his false claims and suddenly repaid the entire amount. He then refused to cooperate with Deloitte in any way. On May 9th, without allowing any opportunity for the audit reports even to be read, Conservatives sought unanimous consent to rubber-stamp them sight-unseen. Why this unseemly rush? Liberal Senators smelled a rat, refused consent, and demanded proper time to scrutinize the reports and pursue further investigations, including by the police if necessary. Liberals also uncovered documentary evidence that suggested Duffy had been given a heads-up by his Conservative colleagues about damning details in the audit, and further evidence that the final report on Duffy had been substantially watered down by the Conservatives who wrote it. All that is bad enough, but it got worse. On the following Monday, the Chief-of-Staff to Stephen Harper, multi-millionaire Nigel Wright, revealed that he had cut a personal cheque to Mike Duffy for more than $90,000 to allow Duffy to make that repayment that he bragged about last February. That money obviously had the effect of obstructing the forensic audit on Duffy. It was also followed by the suspicious special treatment afforded to Duffy by the Conservative-controlled Senate, as noted above. Was there a connection? Where is the cancelled cheque? Was there a Memo of Agreement beyond just the cheque itself? Who drafted it? Were lawyers in the Prime Minister's Office or the Privy Council Office involved? Who else knew about this deal? Mr. Wright says Stephen Harper did not know "the means" by which Duffy's repayment was made – but never mind "the means", what did he know of the repayment scheme overall? What did Mr. Wright get for his money, and was Duffy obliged to do anything other than just repay his claims? Serious questions abound. The police, ethics officers, Elections Canada, both House of Parliament and a great many Canadians are looking for complete, honest answers. But none are forthcoming. The Conservative strategy so far is to throw their impugned colleagues under the bus – first Duffy, then Pamela Wallin (another Conservative Senator with an audit problem), then yesterday Mr. Wright. But this issue isn't about them. It's about Stephen Harper. And his willful blindness is not a good explanation. He appointed all these people to be "public office holders". They owe their allegiances to him. They did his bidding. He insists on tight control over all governmental activity and information. He carries the final responsibility. Only he can be accountable. But ever since this issue exploded, Mr. Harper has been in hiding, nowhere to be found. A secret $90,000 deal is cut in the PMO with appalling public consequences, and Mr. Harper refuses to answer a single question for over a week. And then he slips out of the country to go to South America. Such behaviour is disrespectful of Canadians and a violation of their trust. There is a stench to this whole affair that will surely follow Mr. Harper across the equator to the other end of the earth.
    Mon 6:42 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    HARPER'S SCANDAL There is no room under the bus for any more scapegoats. The issue is not Wright or Duffy or Wallin. The issue is Stephen Harper. He is the all-controlling centre of all action in this government. The claim that he was out of the loop just doesn't wash. The behaviour of his office caused a forensic audit in the Senate to be terminated. Who else knew in the PMO? Were the lawyers in the PCO informed and involved? This stinks from beginning to end. The Prime Minister's willful blindness is a travesty. All threads lead to him and only he can provide full accountability. His total absence on this file smacks of cowardice!
    Sun 11:49 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Happy to attend a fundraiser in Regina tonight supporting the 2 Nigerian UofR students treated so hurtfully by Government of Canada.
    Sat 6:04 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Mr Harper can give the boot to Duffy + Wallin all he wants, but the issue is not them; it's him + Nigel Wright + $90,000!
    Sat 3:16 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Don't be confused by a thousand HarperCon rabbits running in a thousand directions. The issue is Harper, Wright + $90k!
    Sat 8:44 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Liberal Senator Cowan absolutely right last week to refuse HarperCon demand to quickly rubberstamp audit reports on Duffy et al.
    Fri 3:35 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Duffy-gate, Wallin-recusal, Nigel Wright under-siege -- only complete disclosure by Mr. Harper could staunch bleeding!
    Fri 3:34 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Duffy debacle: Rightly embarrassed by the foolish spin peddled by HarperCon MPs, the government has stopped providing any spokespersons at all
    Fri 2:48 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Sorry to hear of Elijah Harper's death at 64 - far too young. He cared deeply for people and worked hard.
    Fri 8:50 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    With this news, will Nigel Wright get his $90k back + will Senate re-write report on Duffy to match Harb + Brazeau? http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/16/sen-mike-duffy-resigns-from-conservative-caucus-over-expenses-scandal/
    Thu 6:26 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Huge interest in the Duffy debacle continues unabated. Lots of inquiries. The longer this story is allowed to persist without Mr. Harper providing accountability, the more this story attaches to Mr. Harper directly. Both Mr. Duffy and Mr. Wright are his personal appointments. The machinations between the Senate and the PMO are his responsibility. The onus is on Mr. Harper to provide full disclosure about the secret $90,000 deal, about Mr. Duffy's refusal to cooperate with the Deloitte audit of his Senate expenses, the special treatment Mr. Duffy received in the Conservative-controlled Senate reports about his expenses, and the attempt by Conservative Senators to prevent all further investigation and consequences. Until the Prime Minister provides or orders full disclosure, this problem will fester. And he will own it
    Thu 11:18 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Wednesday has been a busy day responding to media requests about the Mike Duffy affair. The question of his improper expense claims has now become complicated by the revelation that the impugned Senator's repayment of some $90,000 was funded personally by the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff. What were the terms and conditions upon which such a deal was based? What did this deal require of Mr. Duffy? What was required of the Chief of Staff, beyond the money? Were all the rules relating to the conduct of "Public Office Holders" fully respected? Since all of this took place during a Senate inquiry into improper expense claims and an external audit, was the outcome of that process interfered with or prejudiced in any manner? This situation begs a great many questions. The Prime Minister owes it to Canadians to provide complete transparent disclosure.
    May 15, 2013 8:27 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    At housing summit, final speaker Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Barbara Hall: "Housing is a Human Right"!
    May 14, 2013 1:39 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    LABRADOR VOTES AGAINST DECEIT AND FOR HOPE Despite being promised endless federal largess if they voted Conservative and despite being threatened with equally endless abuse and neglect if they didn’t, voters in yesterday’s by-election in Labrador resoundingly rejected Stephen Harper and elected a new Liberal Member of Parliament. A former member of the provincial legislature in St. John’s, Yvonne Jones captured nearly 50% of the popular vote, trouncing the impugned Conservative candidate, Peter Penashue. Penashue took Labrador in the 2011 general election by the tiny margin of 79 votes. To prop him up, Mr. Harper gave him a Cabinet seat, but over the ensuing two years his track record as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs was essentially nil. He became best known for the illegal fundraising and spending practices that enshrouded his 2011 campaign. This past March, after months of denials and excuses, Penashue suddenly resigned from both the House of Commons and Cabinet, admitting the “irregularities” that tainted his election. Before any investigation could be finished and the full truth disclosed, Mr. Harper declared his everlasting faith in Panashue, called a snap by-election and appointed him as the “new” Conservative candidate. Labrador voters clearly saw through that attempted white-wash. They rejected all the bribes and threats. They voted strongly against illegal campaign conduct. And they voted for new hope for the future. The Liberal Caucus in Ottawa has thus been enlarged. The House of Commons has gained an articulate new MP. And Justin Trudeau has earned his first by-election victory. For Liberals, this is an opportunity to savour a sense of renewal and growth. But it’s also a time to read carefully what voters are saying with their ballots. They want higher standards in political life. They want candidates they can trust. They want MPs who will stand-up for their ridings and speak truth to power – especially the all-consuming power in the Prime Minister’s Office. The public’s trust is a precious thing. You can’t just expect it or demand it. You have to earn it, and always treat it with the greatest respect. That’s exactly what Justin Trudeau is now working so hard to do – reaching far beyond the partisan games that dominate the political bubble around Ottawa, and rallying Canadians around a better vision of what this country has the capacity to become. It’s all built on hope and trust.
    May 14, 2013 9:29 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Labrador voters have given Liberal Yvonne Jones a resounding victory in today's federal byelection. The result is an explicit condemnation of those who would taint our democracy by campaign cheating, and a powerful endorsement of the politics of hope! In victory, Liberals must be absolutely dedicated to a course of conduct that will continue to earn and merit the public's trust. Justin Trudeau is off to a very good start!
    May 13, 2013 6:47 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Amanda Lang takes the podium at the Housing Summit to talk about the enabling power of information and the right questions to ask
    May 13, 2013 11:38 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    John Lewis at Housing Summit: Stats show average Canadian house size grew until year-2000 + has since been declining
    May 13, 2013 9:06 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Regina Mayor Mike Fougere opens his 2013 Housing Summit to a packed audience - obviously a large issue
    May 13, 2013 8:42 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Happy to attend Regina Mayor Fougere's Housing Summit - a big issue, the room is packed
    May 13, 2013 7:45 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    TV-ADS IN HOCKEY GAMES, OR JOBS FOR YOUTH? Earlier this spring, the Harper Conservatives faced a choice in their spending plans. They could invest in jobs for unemployed young Canadians (especially summer jobs for students). Or they could waste your tax dollars on expensive television advertising about their so-called "economic action plan" which is obviously a miserable failure as far as young people are concerned. They chose the ads. Hundreds of them. Running day and night. Nauseatingly repetitive. Costing many millions of tax dollars for production and for air-time. Not counting production costs, just one television ad during "Hockey Night in Canada" costs $95,000 for 30-seconds on-the-air. For that amount of money, the government could instead trigger more than 30 summer jobs for jobless students. In other words, for each second -- that's right, every second -- those brutal Harper ads are on the air, another unemployed young Canadian could have had a job, but is going without. And your tax dollars are paying for it. It's a travesty. And that's not all. Imagine what it costs to run Mr. Harper's ads during the SuperBowl and the Oscars and the Juno's and the Stanley Cup Finals! Mega-bucks! Conservatives say it's no big deal. They tell jobless young Canadians to stop whining. Canada is doing better than the rest of the world, they claim, so we should all be happy. But look again. Canada is falling behind. Under Stephen Harper, Canadian economic growth has been sub-standard for years. The only period in our history that's been worse was the dismal era of R.B. Bennett. Many other countries -- the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, and others -- will exceed Canada's mediocre growth expectations this year. And for youth, the reality in most of Canada is still recession-like circumstances. There are 231,000 fewer young Canadians working today than before the recession began in 2008. Their jobless rate is running at a stubborn 14.5%, twice the rate for other Canadians. That means more than 411,000 youth are out of work and actively looking for a job. And that doesn't include close to 180,000 others who have dropped out of the job market, because they don't see much hope right now, not under this uncaring government. The official statistics for youth unemployment are uniformly worsening in every indicator across the board. Yet Mr. Harper is content with just the handful of summer jobs that his aloof and isolated government has funded, while his costly ads continue to contaminate the hockey playoffs. Floundering from one disappointing mess to another, Stephen Harper seems increasingly walled-off from reality. He seems to be in way over his head. http://www.ralphgoodale.ca/blog/tv-ads-hockey-games-jobs-youth/
    May 13, 2013 6:18 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Grandmothers4Grandmothers dinner in Regina, celebrating Grandmother Power on the eve of Mother's Day!
    May 11, 2013 8:27 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    A very small portion of big crowd at Grandmothers4Grandmothers "African Evening" in Regina tonight raising $$$ to fight AIDS in Africa
    May 11, 2013 6:16 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    First Nations dancers celebrate Grand Entry opening 35th annual powwow of First Nations University of Canada in Regina
    May 11, 2013 11:30 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    With the money HarperCons waste on government ads, they could save the tree farm, PFRA pastures and Motherwell National Historic Site for a whole generation!
    May 11, 2013 10:48 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    RCMP Pipes and Drums lead 600+ runners into Royal Road Race at Training Depot -- supporting Jaleta Pacers and Hope's Home
    May 11, 2013 8:27 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Assistant Commissioner Roger Brown starts Royal Road Race at RCMP Training Depot, Regina -- for Hope's Home + UofR Jaleta Pacers
    May 11, 2013 8:24 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    HarperCons boast about 36,000 summer jobs, but that's DOWN drastically from previous years, while youth joblessness is up even more. Since the recession, 231,000 FEWER young Canadians are working and 173,000 have given up altogether. With youth unemployment is up again, why is Harper still wasting $95,000 on every 30 second TV ad during Hockey Night in Canada, instead of creating 32 summer jobs per ad? Each of those irritating ads represents one foregone summer job PER SECOND of airtime! What a travesty!
    May 10, 2013 8:53 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    The HarperCons have spent $23 million to monitor the media and their own backbench. That money couldhave triggered 7600 student jobs.
    May 09, 2013 11:49 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, HarperCons brag about creating half the summer jobs this year as when they took power—404,000 young Canadians are still jobless
    May 09, 2013 11:47 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Because StatsCanada says nobody lives in Davin, SK (when 50+ residents actually do) this Hamlet loses all provincial grant $$$! http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/mobileweb/2013/05/08/national-household-survey-saskatchewan_n_3239238.html
    May 08, 2013 2:47 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, Justin Trudeau ties Harper in knots as PM tries to explain how tax-paid government ads help jobless youth—ads vs jobs?
    May 08, 2013 11:54 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    HarperCons tax-paid government ads during hockey games, Oscars, SuperBowl, etc. waste millions — could be used instead to create jobs
    May 08, 2013 11:42 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, Justin Trudeau challenges Mr. Harper to cancel government ads during Hockey Night in Canada and recyle the money into youth employment
    May 08, 2013 11:37 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Ask your local Conservative MP—do they have courage to refuse to run Harper's sleazy attack ads, like 25 other government MPs have refused to do?
    May 08, 2013 11:35 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    TAX-PAID GOVT ADS vs SUMMER JOBS FOR STUDENTS Each HarperCon TV ad during an NHL playoff game costs at least $95,000 for every 30 seconds on air. The average fed govt subsidy involved in creating one summer job for a student is $2,989. For $95,000 the Govt of Cda could support the creation of (95k / 2989) 31.8 summer jobs. Thus each ad is the equivalent of 32 jobs, and that doesn't include what it costs to design and produce the ads. Which is the better investment of your tax dollars - partisan self-promotion thru govt TV ads or more jobs for students? RG
    May 07, 2013 1:38 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, Justin Trudeau points out that each Harper TV ad costs $100,000+, enough to create 32 summer jobs for youth
    May 07, 2013 11:49 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, Justin Trudeau challenges Mr Harper on his advertising waste - more than $100,000 per ad during HOckey Night in Canada!
    May 07, 2013 11:35 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, HarperCons squirm when confronted with $550 million/year in new taxes on small businesses + $600 million/year in new taxes on payrolls
    May 06, 2013 11:35 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    In Question Period, HarperCons have no explanation for $2billion/year in new taxes they've imposed on the middle-class + those trying to get there!
    May 06, 2013 11:33 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    A DODGY ECONOMIC RECORD BECOMING EVIDENT Last week’s damning reports from the Auditor-General are raising tough questions about the fiscal and economic credibility of the Harper government. Among many other things, the A-G disclosed $29-billion in delinquent taxes, search-and-rescue deficiencies that put lives at risk, multi-million-dollar sloppiness in administering Employment Insurance payments, and more than $3-billion unaccounted for in security spending. Also last week, neither the Defence Minister nor the Minister of Public Works could explain why this government appears to be paying 10 times more than other countries for just the design work on its new Arctic patrol ships. The Conservatives also had to admit the mess they’ve made of the Temporary Foreign Workers program, aggravating employers, employees and especially the jobless and the under-trained. And information began to emerge about the last four Conservative budgets imposing hidden tax increases, especially hitting middle-class Canadians, to the tune of billions-upon-billions of dollars. All of this is on-top of a special audit report last year about the F-35 fighter-jet boondoggle, which involved massive costs close to $50-billion, non-competitive untendered contracting, duplicitous book-keeping, and a deeply troubled aircraft. The Parliamentary Budget Officer characterized the government’s management of that project as incompetent and deceitful. What’s surprising is that some people are surprised at these revelations. Remember in Opposition, Mr. Harper and his colleagues were advocates of some pretty bad economic advice. They wanted to scrap the Canada Pension Plan. They favoured a more US-like banking system for Canada with less regulation and big bank mergers. They also wanted Ottawa to cut deeper into transfer payments to provinces. Once in office, the Harper Conservatives immediately over-spent by three-times the rate of inflation. They eliminated Contingency Reserves and Prudence Factors from federal budgeting, exposing taxpayers to greater financial risks. At the same time, they killed income trusts, thus vaporizing about $25-billion from the retirement savings of two-million middle-class Canadians. They also experimented with high-risk 40-year home mortgages which added substantially to the heavy debt-loads now burdening many Canadian households. Such dumb decisions have long-term consequences. In barely two years, the Harper Conservatives squandered a decade of Liberal surpluses, putting Canada back into deficit again BEFORE, not because of, the recession which arrived in late 2008. And they haven’t balanced the books ever since. Mr. Harper failed to anticipate that recession, just as he has failed to meet every one of his fiscal projections, while adding more than $150-billion to the federal debt. It should be no surprise that there’s more trouble now accumulating.
    May 06, 2013 6:35 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Lots of sailors in WW2 from Sask -- remembering today the sacrifice + valour of all who gave their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic!
    May 05, 2013 7:30 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    A THIRST FOR CHANGE – TO BOLSTER OUR DEMOCRACY I had the pleasure of speaking to the Annual General Meeting of the Liberal Party of Canada in Saskatchewan this weekend. There was optimism and buoyancy in all the discussions. A lot of topics were covered. Among them, I was happy to see people anxious to get on with comprehensive political, electoral and Parliamentary reforms – to safeguard our democracy against the corrupting behaviour that has dominated the past seven years under the Harper Conservatives. Honest questions never get answered in the House of Commons. Parliamentary Committees are forced to go behind closed doors to do the public's business in secret. The public's access to information is delayed and subverted – even the Parliamentary Budget Officer gets stonewalled. Hundreds of millions of your tax dollars are wasted on self-serving government advertising and abusive attacks ads. There's a systematic campaign of character assassination and intimidation, aimed not just at political figures, but also at charities and non-governmental organizations, public servants, scientists, statisticians, Officers of Parliament, public interest watchdogs – even independent electoral boundaries commissioners. From the Parliamentary Budget Officer to the Nuclear Safety Commission, from church groups like KAIROS to world-renowned researchers – the message from this government is clear ... if you dare speak truth to power, you can expect to get slandered. And don't forget the avalanche of election "irregularities" (or worse) that have been discovered on this government's watch. More than ever before in history. So much so that Elections Canada is looking for new powers, new investigators and new penalties to try to catch up. The Conservatives hold the dubious distinction of being the only political Party in history to have been charged with serious election financing offenses, dating back to 2006. They pled guilty, were fined and forced to make restitution. More recently, over 165,000 voting "mistakes" have been unearthed from the last election – more than enough to have contaminated the results. Serious investigations of other alleged violations are underway in at least two ridings, Labrador and Peterborough. And of course there's the "Robocall" fraud that started in the Conservative campaign in Guelph and could have afflicted more than 200 different constituencies all across the country. Such abuses reflect a Conservative attitude of impunity – never mind the rules, never mind what anyone else might believe or hold dear, never mind the damage that will be done, never mind that Conservatives have only a thin mandate from just 24% of the electorate... let's just have our way! So democracy gets compromised. Integrity is the first casualty. Cynicism grows. And good people just walk away from any engagement in politics. To fight back, Liberals need a rich agenda for reform: * Open, democratic nominations in every riding to select candidates to run for office. No pre-canned appointments. * In Parliament, less whipping and more free votes. The Throne Speech, the Budget and explicit campaign commitments should be matters of confidence requiring Party discipline, but not much else. Let individual MPs think for themselves. Let Ministers work to earn back-bench support – don't just expect it and whip it. And let them all be accountable for how they perform. * Strengthen Parliament's control over government spending. Set an annual deadline for presenting the Budget. Give MPs real power, for example, to cut the budget for tax-paid advertising. Require the government to seek Parliament's approval every year for any plans to borrow money. * Make the Parliamentary Budget Officer truly independent with the powers and resources necessary to do that job. * Put clearly defined limits around the use of Omnibus Bills, Closure and Prorogation. * Make every vote in every Parliamentary Committee fully public. * Strengthen Elections Canada to properly supervise honest, competent elections, investigate and root out fraud, and prosecute wrongdoers in a timely fashion – before another election rolls around. * Reinforce the independent, arm’s length, non-partisan and quasi-judicial nature of the vital process for adjusting federal electoral boundaries from time to time – free from harassment or undue influence. * Bring Canadians together around a fairer, more accurate voting system to replace the current first-past-the-post regime which too often allows a Party with only a fraction of the popular vote to seize a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. A "preferential ballot" would be a big step forward. A common theme in these nine ideas is a power shift – less control in the hands of a domineering Prime Minister, and more control in the hands of ordinary Canadians and individual MPs. The result will be more individual responsibility and accountability. The quality of local candidates will be crucial. Becoming involved will mean something. There will be little room for the so-called "door knobs" or "trained seals". Participation and voting will actually matter once again. And our democracy will be enhanced!
    May 05, 2013 2:10 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Sincere wishes for joy, peace, hope and love to all members of the Orthodox faith on this Easter Day, 2013!
    May 05, 2013 5:01 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Wonderful plaque presented to me by Regina Prof Firefighters Association (IAFF Local 181) recognizing House of Commons Motion 388
    May 04, 2013 4:59 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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    MPlib
    Proud to be attending the annual awards dinner and ceremonies for the Regina Professional Firefighters Association
    May 03, 2013 8:10 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana

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