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Liberals covered up Dingwall affair until after election potentially altering vote
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| Jayx1 |
And in other news, seems the Liberals didnt change their stripes even days before the election. Thank God these clowns are sitting in the backwaters.
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Grit election ploy to hold out on news of Dingwall's whopping severance package, irate Tories charge
OTTAWA -- The Liberal government engaged in a "coverup" that skewed the federal election results when it kept David Dingwall's $417,780-severance secret until after Canadians had cast their ballots, senior Conservatives charged yesterday.
The hefty compensation package for the former Royal Canadian Mint boss was approved Jan. 20 -- three days before the election -- but the ruling from the binding arbitrator wasn't made public until this weekend.
Senior Tories accused the Liberals of sitting on the information instead of being up-front with Canadians during a campaign that focused on government ethics. "It's despicable, especially for someone like Paul Martin, who came into office promising to be more transparent," said Conservative MP Jay Hill.
In the dying days of the last Parliament, senior cabinet ministers insisted that taxpayers would be on the hook only for the bare minimum in severance because Dingwall had resigned of his own volition amid the uproar over his exorbitant expense claims.
But the arbitrator ruled that Dingwall's departure was "involuntary."
"It has all been proven to be a lie by this independent, third-party arbitrator," Hill said. "He was pressured into quitting; otherwise he wouldn't be eligible for any severance."
Hill said the incoming Conservative government will explore if there are options open to challenge the severance and warned that Dingwall -- and even Martin -- could be hauled before the public accounts committee to answer questions why Canadians were misled.
Conservative MP Jason Kenney believes it could have made the difference between a Conservative minority and majority if Liberals had disclosed the information before the vote.
"This was a coverup that affected the result of the election and I think in away subverted democracy," the Alberta MP told CTV's Question Period.
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| Jayx1 |
funny how everyone has something to say about harper's cabinet choices but nothing to say about something that could have very well altered democracy in this country.
hmmmmmmm |
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| MarkT |
altered democracy? oh please, lol...that's a bit dramatic ;)
That fact being revealed may very well have handed the CPC a majority...but it would have been a backlash majority...not one that resulted from a genuine desire of the people to have a CPC majority, IMHO.
I think most Canadians will that agree a change was needed...but I also think that most Canadians are happier that we have a CPC minority vs a majority. ty Liberal move, but if it prevented a majority, then GOOD.
After all, already Harper has given us reason to pause.
He essentially campaigned on a platform of honesty and integrity...
that he would restore faith in the gov't...blah blah.
then, ON DAY 1, he pulled one of the *exact* same moves for which the Liberals were ripped...successfully "bribing" another party's MP with a Cabinet position.
Personally, I think Harper and the CPC would be better served by focusing on governing...showing us what they will do for *us*. I don't want the first 6-12 months to be spent "uncovering corruption" and trying to permanently bury the Liberal party...I want it to be spent improving this country, as per their campaign platform.
here's hoping day 2 is less dramatic (and hypocritical) than day 1, eh? ;) |
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| Jayx1 |
backlash or not it clearly could have affected voting results. and no matter what your political feelings are you cannot deny that that IS a perversion of democracy in it's purest form.
Its time for some liberals to go to jail. |
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| Abercrombie |
Hey Jay,
Conservatives aren't going to be any different. It's only a matter of time before the Conservatives will do the same things the Liberals did. I should start counting.
It's unfrickenbelievable the amount of criticism dished out at Belinda for her defection to the Liberals, when David Emerson just did it, and was welcommed with open arms, the same open arms the Liberals were bad-mouthed for. There is no acceptable reason that this case it's different, it's not, and it's worse.
Jay, DON'T get me wrong (you often mis-judge me and assume too much), I'm glad the Conservatives are in power.
AJ |
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| nacarter |
Personally, I'm not that worried about the Emerson defection in the Conservative cabinet - that's just the game - Any party would try to do it... No 'holier than thou' sentaments would change that fact.
What's more concerning is the Michael Fortier appointment. Harper has spent the last three years harping about PMO corruption, pork-barreling, influence-peddling, whatever your favourite phrase happens to be. To come in and parachute your Quebec campaign manager into a now much-scrutinzed position is irresponsible and is nothing more than chapter two of PMO cronyism.
What's the problem Stephen? Not enough competent women? (I'm sure Diane Ablonczy is having fits out in Alberta)
Not enough experienced MPs - there's certainly a fair few veteran MPs out west who would have something to say about that.
So much for Conservative promises to clean up government - It's back to business as usual. |
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| Skipper |
I highly doubt that we would have a conservative majority if this had been announced prior to the election.
Where'd the article come from Jay? You should really post the sources when you quote articles online. |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Abercrombie
Hey Jay,
Conservatives aren't going to be any different. It's only a matter of time before the Conservatives will do the same things the Liberals did. I should start counting.
It's unfrickenbelievable the amount of criticism dished out at Belinda for her defection to the Liberals, when David Emerson just did it, and was welcommed with open arms, the same open arms the Liberals were bad-mouthed for. There is no acceptable reason that this case it's different, it's not, and it's worse.
Jay, DON'T get me wrong (you often mis-judge me and assume too much), I'm glad the Conservatives are in power.
AJ |
i for one can see the objective reasoning although as i said, due to the nature of past actions by the opposition its a very dumb move.
I can understand wanting complete coast to coast representation. He just did it the wrong way in light of the recent past. So there, my first critism of the new government ;)
Belinda did it to save the party and reward her ass and nothing more. |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by nacarter
Personally, I'm not that worried about the Emerson defection in the Conservative cabinet - that's just the game - Any party would try to do it... No 'holier than thou' sentaments would change that fact.
What's more concerning is the Michael Fortier appointment. Harper has spent the last three years harping about PMO corruption, pork-barreling, influence-peddling, whatever your favourite phrase happens to be. To come in and parachute your Quebec campaign manager into a now much-scrutinzed position is irresponsible and is nothing more than chapter two of PMO cronyism.
What's the problem Stephen? Not enough competent women? (I'm sure Diane Ablonczy is having fits out in Alberta)
Not enough experienced MPs - there's certainly a fair few veteran MPs out west who would have something to say about that.
So much for Conservative promises to clean up government - It's back to business as usual. |
He wanted a representative from canada's second largest city. And for the record there is the same percentage of women in this cabinet as there was in the average liberal one. Perhaps if the citizens had elected more women, there would be more to choose from? |
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| Abercrombie |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Belinda did it to save the party and reward her ass and nothing more. |
It's all about power. period. I guess the only people who are happy with Emerson, are the people who voted for him as a candidate, rather than those who vote for a party. I guess like me. So I'm OK with that, just not OK, with what's been said about Belinda, yet the same sh-t happens. Now if I can find that Harper quote played all day on the radio all day long today. |
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| Jayx1 |
so no one has much to say about the last act of liberal corruption that cost us half a million dollars and possibly skewed the election?
This is a pretty serious issue IMO |
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| EvilTree |
| I dunno how much more anti corruption votes the Conservatives could irk out even if this news hit before the elections. I mean, it's not like the Liberals lacked being accused of corruption. |
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