Author: Dave Cournoyer

Like many Canadians, I was shocked and surprised to hear that Tory MP Belinda Stronach had crossed the floor and joined Paul Martin’s Cabinet. But what shocked and suprised me the most was the wave of negativity, anger, and pure outrage that came from Conservative MP’s, MLA’s, and their supporters.

The comments, many, which came from Alberta Conservatives, were embarrassing and insulting not only to Ms. Stronach, but to all Canadians. Accusations that “she whored herself out for power,” and that she is a “dipstick” are completely unacceptable and show a complete lack of class and integrity from the politicians who threw the insult.

Yes, Ms. Stronach is an ambitious and opportunistic politician, and the voters in her riding will hold her accountable for her actions. But, the sexist outrage that has been thrown at her by her former Conservative colleagues is unacceptable and disgraceful.

It is the perfect example of how little we expect of our elected officials.

Shame.

I get the feeling this is how David Orchard may have felt…

Based on pure instinct… here I go…

Seat Projections:

Liberal – 53 (46%)
NDP – 25 (38%)
Green – 1 (10%)
DRBC – 0 (3%)
Other – 0 (3%)

Predictions:

– Campbell will keep his seat in Vancouver Point Grey.
– James will win in Victoria Beacon Hill.
– The NDP will win nearly every seat on Vancouver Island (Malahat-Juan de Fuca will be a close NDP win against DRBC Leader Tom Morino) but be the minority in the Interior and the Lower Mainland.
– Green Leader Adrienne Carr will be elected in Powell River-Sunshine Coast by a very slim margin.
– The largest amount of popular vote will go to the Liberals.
– The STV Vote will be defeated.
– Expect a low voter turnout.

So… tonight, we will all see how acurately attuned I am to the BC political climate…

This is huge. http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/05/17/stronach-liberals050517.html

Belinda Stronach, MP for Newmarket – Aurora, has crossed the floor from the Tories and joined the Liberals. She is now the Minister of Human Resources and Democratic Renewal.

Prime Minister Paul Martin said:

“I am very pleased to announce that Belinda Stronach will cross the floor and has agreed to join the cabinet as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

In addition, Ms. Stronach will assume responsibilities for democratic renewal and will help guide the implementation of the recommendations that flow from the Gomery Commission’s final report.”

wow.

more commentary later.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

LIVE FROM DAVEBERTA, HERE ARE THE OFFICIAL “UNRESPONSIBLE POLLING” ELECTIONS POLLING RESULTS…

THE QUESTION: If an election were to be held tomorrow, which party would you vote for?

Liberal – 35% (35 votes)
New Democratic – 26% (26 votes)
Conservative – 18% (18 votes)
Green – 15% (15 votes)
Bloc Quebecois – 4% (4 votes)
Other – 2% (2 votes)
Who ever Ralph Klein is running for – 1% (1 vote)

What do you think?

Alberta. Home of the beautiful baldass prairie, Jasper, Banff, and Lake Louise, the mad cow, the giant perogy, the Calgary Stampede, the Senator-in-Waiting, and of course, the Lodgepoll Pine. This free spirited province flavours its politics as western populism, where the roots of the Manning dynasty and the Reform Party flourished in a longstanding democratic tradition of down to earth politics and social conservatism. And last but not least: Alberta, the personal playground of our glorious, blessed, and beloved Leader, Ralph Klein….

Klein no doubt enjoying ‘personal time’ away from dome: Regards question period a time for opposition to ask him ‘stupid questions’
The Edmonton Journal
Sun 15 May 2005
Page: A6 Section: News
Column: Capital Notebook

When Premier Ralph Klein revealed Friday he was taking “personal time” instead of showing up this week for the closing of legislature, it marked the latest chapter in his long-standing lack of interest in house business and question period, its public highlight.

In fall 2003, he skipped out of Edmonton for trips to Ontario and England and missed about half of a skimpy three-week autumn session.

The opposition was miffed he was ditching his democratic duties — and their chance to grill him during QP — but Klein responded with contempt.

“My sole purpose to exist is not to satisfy the Liberals,” the premier said.

“Their whole performance depends on whether they can grill me and try to embarrass me and to ask me stupid questions to which I’m expected to give intelligent answers.”

For QP-watching junkies, the last one this spring will either be Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how swiftly MLAs can go through the remaining legislation debates.

You’re British Columbia. You’re hip and happenin’
but also a nice person who isn’t a snob. Career
is important to you but it isn’t your whole
life. People assume that your life is perfect
and that you have it all, like you were born
with a silver spoon in your mouth. But it’s not
true; you do have your own set of troubles just
like everybody else.

What Canadian Province Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I’m very excited to let the blogosphere know about an exciting business oppurtunity which I may soon be part of! I have attached the email corresponse below, please feel free to read and be jealous of my soon to be overflowing bank accout! I will post any response which I receive!

Cheers.

D 🙂

To: daveberta@linuxmail.org
From: moeyademaa@adinet.com.uy
Subject: Business Proposal(Confidential)
Date: Date: Sun, 8 May 2005 18:34:47

From: Moses Eyadema
Av. Joaquin Vilumbrales,
3 Alcorcón – 28924 (Madrid) Spain.
Mobile Phone:+34686717232.
SAT TEL; +873 763 430 525.
SAT FAX: +873 763 430 526.

Dear Sir,

I am Moses Eyadema the son of President Gnassingbe Eyadema,the
president of Togo, Africa’s longest-ruling leader, who died on –
Saturday February 05, 2005 3:29pm after suffering a heart attack.

I know this letter might come to you as a surprise but I honestly do
not intend to surprise you. I write this letter in respect of my
intention to invest the sum of US$56M (Fifty Six Million United
States Dollars) with you.

I escaped to Madrid, Spain because of the fear that I might be arrested
by my stepbrother Faure Gnassingbe, who is now the country’s new
president.Actually his mother and my mother are not in the best of relationship because of
who among them will be the first lady Tussle and this ultimately affected
us their children. My father disclosed the existence of these funds to my
mother before his death.

My mother advised me to leave For Madrid, Spain where these funds were
deposited cash in a trunk box for safe keeping in a Storage Vault in Madrid Spain.

On getting to Spain where I have been living now then as a political
refugee I am seeking for a reliable foreigner who can come down to
Madrid,Spain for a meeting and to clear the funds in his name as the
sole beneficiary of the Consignment as I am afraid of being defrauded.

Honestly I contacted you because I don’t want to invest this money in
Madrid Spain due to my status here as a political Refugee. And moreover
I wouldn’t want to take risk because this money is all that my Mother and
I are depending on. My stepbrother Faure, who is now the present leader
of my country has seized all my father’s assets and he left us empty handed
without knowing about these funds deposited here in Madrid. That is why
I decided that investing this money abroad should be the best investment
for me. I will be honored if I can be given the privilege of investing this money with you.

I expect you to be trustworthy and kind enough to respond to this
distress call to save My Mother and I from a hopeless future. And if
you agree, I hereby agree to compensate your sincere and candid effort in
this regard with Twenty percent of the total amount.Whatever your decision
is please reach me immediately, and keep this letter tight secret for the
interest of my Family. I will get your immediate response through my fax
number stated above.

Best regards,

Moses Eyadema

To: moeyademaa@adinet.com.uy
From: daveberta@linuxmail.org
Subject: Re: Business Proposal(Confidential)
Date: Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 18:31:23


Dear Mr. Eyadema,

I thank you very much for the email which you had sent me last week. I feel truly privileged that you chose to send this very important correspondence to myself, a lowly university student, when you could have sent it to possibly millions of other email addresses. I am always looking for exciting opportunities, and this seems like an exciting one indeed.

Being a prudent minded individual myself, I have taken the liberty of “googling” your address in Madrid. I was very surprised to find that this is also the address of Mr. Antonio Savimbi, (the exiled son of the late Jonas Savimbi founder of Unita – the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola), and Mr. Moses Kabila (the son of the late Democratic Republic of Congo President Laurent Desire Kabila “of the blessed memory”).

I am glad to see that a young group of exiles such as yourselves have found comfort and companionship by sharing a flat in sunny Madrid.

Regarding our potential business deal, though I am not sympathetic towards the family of any tyrannical dictator, I am a liberal at heart and do very much feel the need to help my fellow man (or woman). This in mind, due to the risk involved in this venture, I’m afraid that a 20% gratuity will not be sufficed. A 40% gratuity would be more appropriate in my mind.

Please advise me of your decision at the earliest convenience.

Best regards while in exile,

daveberta

hhmmmm. The article below sounds vaguely similar to what my friend, Howard, and I had written in our op-ed peice in the Hill Times a couple of weeks ago…

so, I agree. Good work for calling it how it is, Justin.

Quebec separation close, Trudeau warns, Criticizes Liberals

Joe Paraskevas
CanWest News Service

May 12, 2005

CREDIT: Marie-France Coallier, CanWest News Service

OTTAWA – Federal political life has become so concerned with mundane affairs
that it has blinded both voters and politicians to issues of real
importance, such as the growing appetite for separatism in Quebec, the
eldest son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau said yesterday.

“I think we are far closer to the separation of Quebec than we have been in
a very, very long time, and I don’t think anyone in Ottawa particularly, but
in the rest of Canada [as well], are either enough aware of it or ready to
properly deal with it,” Justin Trudeau said at a Parliament Hill reception.

Mr. Trudeau, 33, did not say the rise of Quebec nationalism is due to the
alleged mismanagement in the former government’s sponsorship program.
Instead, he suggested Canadians and their politicians have simply forgotten
what matters in political life. “We live in a very fast-paced, easy world,
where we’re looking for immediate gratification, immediate satisfaction,” he
said. “And the kind of politicians we have now are all about satisfying
those immediate responses. And that, while it satisfies you, allows for sort
of long-term hunger.”

He did, however, criticize the Liberal government over the sponsorship
program, which was set up to promote the federal government in Quebec after
the 1995 sovereignty referendum.

Mr. Trudeau said the Liberals failed to renew their party since taking over
almost 12 years ago. By acting complacently through the 1990s, a time when
their opposition was also relatively weak and could not check government
authority, he said the Liberals gave rise to conditions that allowed the
sponsorship scandal to happen.

“[The sponsorship scandal] is a symptom of having had no real opposition for
a long time to be able to counterbalance what’s going on in Ottawa and to
keep an eye on it,” Mr. Trudeau said.

“People in power for too long tend to get a little bit sloppy. There’s a
lack of rigour perhaps and a little looseness that happens around the edges
— not at the centre, but around the edges — that allows for things like
this to happen. It’s unfortunate. It links back to the fact that
Confederation or Canadian democracy isn’t set up to represent regional
interests.”

He said the Liberal party should be included among the many aspects of the
federal political scene in need of renewal.

“I think there was an opportunity for renewal when [Jean] Chretien stepped
down [in 2003], and that was attempted but wasn’t really taken on.”

Asked about his own political future, Mr. Trudeau, a former teacher who has
pursued an engineering degree in recent years, demurred, saying he is happy
as chairman of the board of directors of Katimavik, the federally funded
organization that sends youth across Canada to do year-long volunteer work.

He declined to comment on the hostile climate that has enveloped Parliament,
as the Conservatives and the Bloc Quebecois try to bring down the Liberals.

He maintained that if Canadians are unhappy with the partisanship in the
Commons, they should consider themselves responsible. “It’s vicious because
we’ve allowed it to become so; we as voters, we as citizens,” he said,
adding he is not in favour of a spring election.

Someone found my blog by googling: laval “nasty show”

wow?

Today’s Word of the Day

resile \rih-ZYLE\ verb

: recoil, retract; especially : to return to a prior position

Example sentence:
The politician said he was sorry that his comments had caused offense, but he stopped short of resiling from his position.

Did you know?

“Resile” is a resilient word; it’s been around in English since at least 1529. It’s also a cousin of “resilient” — both words derive from the Latin verb “resilire,” which means to “jump back” or “recoil.” (“Resilire” in turn comes from “salire,” meaning “to jump.”) “Resilient” focuses on the ability of something to “bounce back” from damage, whereas “resile” generally applies to someone or something that withdraws from an agreement or “jumps back” from a stated position. “Resile” is a word that shows up only occasionally in U.S. sources; it is more common in British and especially Australian English.

Not in my books.

I thought this was good for a laugh or two. It looks the like Conservative Party solution to their youth problem: Don’t give them any real power within the party, instead, give them a website.

Watch out! Here come the fiscally conservative radical youth of the CPC! 😛

More commentary on this soon.

D : )

hmmmmm. You’ve been awful quiet lately. Perhaps a little two quiet…

Me thinks treachery is afoot.

BBC has declared a Labour Majority victory. This is Tony Blair’s 3rd consecutive majority.

As of 9:30pm Edmonton Time:

Labour: 331 (-36 difference dissolution)
Conservative: 159 (+23)
Liberal Democrat: 52 (+10)
Scotish National Party: 6 (+2)
Plaid Cymru : 3 (-1)
Repect: 1 (+1)
Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern: 1
Independent: 1 (+1)

Check out the full scoreboard

Best Quote of the Night

George Galloway (Respect Party Leader and newly elected MP for Benthal Green & Bow) to Tony Blair: “I’ve come back to haunt you.”

UK ELECTION FULL SCOREBOARD

BBC is so entertainingly British. I’ve never heard any Canadian politician talk about how “delightful” it was to campaign in my constituency.

How would you like to the Member of Parliament for Southhampton Itch? What a name.

‘Edmonton’ has gone Labour. I’ll update when I find out the results.