Thanks to the strong sense of integrity displayed by Nova Scotia MP Bill Casey last week new fuel has been added to the fiery battle over equalization and the heat being given off is forming cracks in Stephen Harper’s armour. New poll numbers show a clear decline in federal Conservative support in Atlantic Canada. The latest poll was conducted before Mr. Casey stood up against his own government, voting against the party line in the House of Commons, yet they prove that Atlantic Canadians were already fed up with the situation in Ottawa. Thanks in large part to this long time federal MP defying his government over their mishandling of the Atlantic Accord the next poll will likely show an even sharper decline.
When it was just Newfoundland and Labrador’s Danny Williams making media noise over Harper’s broken promises many people in Canada found it easy to ignore the issue. Thanks to Bill Casey, it isn’t as easy to dismiss today, especially for other Atlantic Conservatives.
With Casey’s expulsion from the Tory caucus in the wake of his decision, I suspect Foreign Affairs Minister, and number two man in Ottawa, Peter Mackay, will have an even tougher time facing his constituents than he did before. It was Mackay after all who recently said, “"We will not throw a member out of caucus for voting his conscience. There will be no whipping, flipping, hiring or firing on budget votes”.
Nice try Peter, or should I say nice lie.
While Conservative polling numbers fall in Atlantic Canada, largely over issues like the Atlantic Accord, further “inconvenient truths” are making things tough on the party right across the Country.
Harper’s environmental plan is being panned around the world as little more than a way to help George Bush and his oil buddies destroy the world while turning obscene profits.
Harper seems intent on fully aligning his attitued, actions, words and policies with those of his mentor and idol, U.S. President George Bush, and his poll numbers are starting to reflect those of his hero.
In a further debacle, at a press conference today in Germany, where Harper is meeting with other G8 leaders, the PM was taken to task in front of the world’s media by music legends and anti-poverty activists Bono and Bob Geldof. The two accused Harper of being “the blocker” to ensuring that G8 nations meet their commitments on aid to Africa, one of the world’s poorest regions.
Most political parties do their best to publicly offend as few people as possible (it helps them get re-elected). The entire Harper government, with the exception of Bill Casey, seems to be intent on doing the exact opposite. Since taking power they’ve managed to upset at least 5 provincial premiers, countless native groups (remember Kelowna?), women, the poor, the illiterate, stock market investors, military families, homosexuals and now two internationally renowned rock stars.
Its moves like these that will help secure Mr. Harper’s legacy of trickery and deceit long after he’s left politics.
No matter what anyone says, in some respects there’s at least one thing Harper and his band of mindless drones are actually good at, treating everyone equally. Equally as bad that is. If you don't agree just wait a while. I'm sure he'll get around to you shortly.
Your post today is so appropriate Patriot and so well written.
ReplyDeleteI want to comment on the excerp below from your post:
QUOTE "Harper’s environmental plan is being panned around the world as little more than a way to help George Bush and his oil buddies destroy the world while turning obscene profits.
Harper seems intent on fully aligning his attitued, actions, words and policies with those of his mentor and idol, U.S. President George Bush, and his poll numbers are starting to reflect those of his hero." UNQUOTE
Patriot I am wondering if you saw The Fifth Estate last night. Bob McEwan talked about Big Oil and the countries of the world which are turning a blind eye to Global Warming. It is going to spell the end if it continues to go unabated. And it appears at this moment we are right on target to do so.
The Fifth Estate showed excerps of statements made that put a spin on everything from Cigarattes are non-addictive to Big Oil does not cause Global Warming.
Governments and big industries hire people with good communication skills to spin situations the way that they want to have things portrayed, so as to influence the world's population into accepting their points of view as being the Gospel.
That practice is the recipe for disaster. By denying that Cigarette Smoking is non-addictive, millions of people have died from lung diseases over the years since the policy of denial was adapted. And, no doubt, millions will die from Global Warming if the situation is not nipped in the bud right at this juncture, that is, of course, if it is not already too late.
Oh no....the issue will still beeasy to ignore, don't worry. Nova Scotia has as much clout as, well, Newfoundland.
ReplyDeleteAll you ocean bumpkins are easy to ignore.
Yes, steal our resources, use our strategic location and just ignore. That has been the game that has run this province into the ground. You are a pack of pilfering continental scum! Lower than pond algae!
ReplyDeleteYes, steal our resources, use our strategic location and just ignore.
ReplyDeleteWhat is "our strategic location" being used for, and by whom?
Isn't it an article of Newfoundland nationalist faith that "we" have a "strategic location"?
If so... isn't the whole point of having this "strategic location" for someone to use it?
We were used as a strategic location during the Second World World War by thousand and thousands of Military Personnel from both the United States and Canada, countries which had Military installations here.
ReplyDeleteWe were used and abused, but when the danger had passed, every province wanted those military personnel on their soil. As you know Military bases bring in big dollars to the places they are established. There are Military bases all over Canada, but Labrador was promised a contingency of 650 Military Personnel to be stationed in Goose Bay, but so far that promise has been broken.
Why aren't you fighting for the 650 Military Personnl for Goose Bay from your ivory tower. It seems all that you want to do is blow of your mouth, and try to create dissention. It is shocking how the Central Government works. It has worked to the detriment of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador for 58 years now.
And can you imagine that there are people from this province who are will to act as traitors.
From the Daily News (Nova Scotia):
ReplyDeleteCasey a casualty of Harper's paranoia
Vote against budget a matter of principle
PAT CONNOLLY
The Daily News
There are many things to admire about Bill Casey's difficult decision to split with the Conservative government on the issue of the Atlantic Accord.
There has been no personal political gain, only loss of place and privileges for the veteran MP for Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley. This was not a dramatic, floor-crossing in the manner of Belinda Stronach, Scott Brison or, eventually, Garth Turner. Rather, is was a matter of personal conscience prevailing over political expediency or, some might say, survival within the system. It's also consistent with the honesty and integrity Casey has shown since first being elected to the House of Commons in l988.
This was not an impulsive decision, but a well-considered result of what Casey described as 80 to 90 days of intensive study and consultations with government officials, taken together with fellow Nova Scotia MPs Gerald Keddy and Peter MacKay, in an effort to salvage the original Atlantic Accord.
As he struggled with his choices, Casey received a public assurance from his friend and colleague MacKay, "we will not throw a member out of caucus for voting his conscience. There will be no firing on budget votes as we saw with the Liberal government."
Then, Casey spoke with former Nova Scotia premier John Hamm who, with Newfoundland premier Danny Williams, negotiated and signed the original Atlantic Accord with Prime Minister Paul Martin. Casey also talked to his constituency executive and, finally, his wife before deciding to vote against the budget.
Locked in room minutes before the vote was taken on the floor of the House, Casey was hustled into an ante room, surrounded by Foreign Affairs Minister MacKay, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and a staffer from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office. The door was locked.
There were vague and hastily created "new" proposals and promises, including one not to claw back the $830 million already given to Nova Scotia in 2005 under the terms of the original accord. Claw back? The Cumberland-Colchester-Mus-quodoboit Valley MP had no idea such a preposterous plan was even being considered, nor, presumably, did anybody else.
Premier Rodney MacDonald was conscripted by phone to present some suddenly- discovered documents purportedly showing progress in provincial-federal negotiations. The one thing missing was the only assurance Casey wanted: complete restoration of the initial Atlantic Accord.
"Open the door," he demanded.
With that, one of the most committed Conservatives in the land walked onto the floor of the House of Commons and voted with the best weapon at his disposal, his principles.Within hours he was expelled from caucus, contrary to the earlier promise. Why should he - or anybody else, for that matter - have continued to believe a Tory government that arbitrarily cancelled an agreement signed by two Conservative premiers and a prime minister that would have given Atlantic Canada its best opportunity in history to gain a full measure of self- sufficiency? An agreement unconditionally endorsed by Harper as leader of the Official Opposition and then scrapped by Prime Minister Harper only because it was negotiated by a Liberal prime minister.
The Atlantic Accord has become a victim of a prime minister clearly spooked by the Grits, whom he blames for everything that has gone wrong in Canada since Confederation. It's an obsession akin to McCarthyism in the U.S. when Americans were looking under their beds for Communists.
The Prime Minister's Liberal phobia is matched only by his utter disdain for Atlantic Canada, a disrespect his apologists will dismiss as East-Coast paranoia, which of course it is nothing of the sort. Stripping away all the other phoney reasons for scrapping the Atlantic Accord, it's Harper's way of putting us in our place. The way he put Bill Casey in his place by relieving him of his parliamentary responsibilities as punishment for voting for Belinda Stronach in the Conservative leadership race.
Some might say this is payback time for Casey, but my feeling is that Harper's snub in 2006 had less to do with his decision to vote against the budget than an honest desire to do the right thing. It has added to the respect Casey has earned over his 19 years respresenting his constituency. Future party affiliations, if any, are uncertain and don't really matter because Bill Casey can probably be re-elected in Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley on any ticket he chooses. Given his gutsy performance over the past week, that's exactly as it should be.
Our federal government, what an incredible let down. My hat is off to Bill Casey, a couple of more MP's with balls would be nice.
ReplyDeleteJust a note to the anonymous posters who are pissed off at WJM, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, WJM or Ottawally or Wallace J. MacLean is a complete a$$hole. He is employed by the federal government to seek out these blogs and try to disrupt any conversation that is pro NL. His response to anything on this blog is always in the form of a question. So don't buy into it. No matter what anyone posts he always questions everything. Not because he is curious, but because he's an a$$hole. He's just trying to bait you into answering his questions. Don't waste your time, he'll just ask more stupid questions. Ignore him he's an a$$hole. If you see WJM, just arrow past it, don't even read it. There is no use wasting your time. Same goes for Crazy Eddy, or Ed Hollet. These two guys are here for only one reason, and that is to suck you into arguing with them. Don't do it. Don't even read what they post just arrow past it and post your opinion. I've been watching these 2 a$$holes for quite some time and believe me they have no value or credible opinion, just ignore them. Don't let them high jack this blog. Remember, this is "Webtalk Newfoundland and Labrador". Not, "Let's Listen to the A$$holes before they wander off for a circle jerk".
Forever strong the nation of Newfoundland and Labrador
He is employed by the federal government to seek out these blogs and try to disrupt any conversation that is pro NL.
ReplyDeleteNo, he isn't.
His response to anything on this blog is always in the form of a question.
When there is something to cast legitimate doubt on, to try and obtain clarification, or to show that the original poster didn't have a clue what they are talking about.
See: proved you wrong!
PDFTTs
ReplyDeleteLOL, that WJM, what a childish a$$hole.
ReplyDeleteTAIWFDW
ReplyDeleteTAIWFDW is an acronym for what sentence?
ReplyDeleteIYCUADUTIO
ReplyDeleteIf You Can't Understand Acronyms, Don't Use Them, Ignorant One.
"LOL, that WJM, what a childish a$$hole.
ReplyDeleteTranslation:
"LOL, that WJM, you make me weak in the knees."
Pardon Me, You are the ignorant one. I am not into the culture of substituting Acronyms for sentences. How would I know what TAIWFDW stands for? I still don't know. And since I am not into whatever culture that requires it, I guess now I will never know. I suspect it was your Acronym and you hold the secret, which nobody else is in on. Or is it a blogosphere thingy?
ReplyDelete"We were used as a strategic location during the Second World World War by thousand and thousands of Military Personnel from both the United States and Canada, countries which had Military installations here."
ReplyDeletethe thing about strategic locations is that theyre, well, strategic. they have use in relation to other locations. when the big enemy is russia and/or germany, then nl is very strategically located. when the big enemy is iraq or afghanistan, nl is not so strategically located.
whether or not anyone agrees nl should be in canada, we ARE on planet earth and we have to live within whatever geopolitical forces exist. getting caught up in the fact that we WERE a strategic holding in the elizabethan period or we WERE strategically located during ww2 or the cold war is a red herring. where are we NOW? what is our strategic or other advantage NOW. work on that instead of chewing on historical grievances and cultural myths.
But Babe in Boyland, can we really trust Greenland?
ReplyDeleteIs the second anonymous the same anonymous who wrote PDFTTs?
ReplyDeleteWho cares??? All you need to know is that WJM is an a$$hole.
ReplyDeleteDon't get baited by some anon using acronyms. They're just trying to play with your hear. Don't waste your time.
Playing with your hear doesn't make any sense.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it an article of Newfoundland nationalist faith that "we" have a "strategic location"?
ReplyDeleteIf so... isn't the whole point of having this "strategic location" for someone to use it?
June 09, 2007 6:31 PM
Now this is what I call the Propaganda machine that is Ottawa.This Idiot wants this Blog to accept the fact that "Ottawa DOES NOT MAKE MONEY" on Newfoundland and Labrador's Air space.
Ya wanna now something B'ye,you had better get your labradorian Ass back to school Dudley becuase like he stuff thats coming from your mouth ,its full of S%@#.
Hey Wally ,don't feel bad about the badmouthing .Everybody in the province knows how hard it is find a job.So if you have to make your money "Judas" on the back of your fellow citizens ,hey why not right.Typical canadain.
Hey Wally,why don't you try and get a Job from the Liberial Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.You should fit right in with that Lot........scumbag!!!!
Now this is what I call the Propaganda machine that is Ottawa.This Idiot wants this Blog to accept the fact that "Ottawa DOES NOT MAKE MONEY" on Newfoundland and Labrador's Air space.
ReplyDeleteHow much does "Ottawa" make on that airspace?
How does Ottawa make that money?
Hey Wally,why don't you try and get a Job from the Liberial Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.You should fit right in with that Lot........scumbag!!!!
Hi, "Pius Lasaga"!