Today Ian Davey and Jill Fairbrother announced that they will be looking for ‘other opportunities’.
This comes hot on the heels of Denis Coderre’s ‘clear message’ that Iffy should clear out the Rosedale Gang. Perhaps Denis already is the new leader and Iffy is merely the figurehead.
Like the monarchy.
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Update: Please check out John Ivison’s Liberals get a lesson on branding. This ties in with a segment on Charles Adler today which eventually morphed into the question of whether or not Canada is becoming more ‘conservative’. Interesting stuff. [click on 1pm at CJOB's audio vault]
Ivison notes:
Michael Ignatieff is a story-teller – he should have the ability to reach people emotionally by speaking to their values and interests – yet there has been little evidence recently that he understands the issues that matter most to voters.
Are today’s Liberals out of touch with the majority of Canadians?
Is the CPC the new Natural Governing Party of Canada?
Or as Ivison mused yesterday, “Mr. Ignatieff seems powerless to arrest a slide that makes a Conservative majority ever more likely. His over-arching problem is that when he hears the William Tell Overture, he thinks of Rossini while most other Canadians think of the Lone Ranger.”
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Friday Update:
Grits still cleaning house. But the biggest cobweb is still there. Ignatieff staffer Dan Brock leaving OLO – Hill Times. Unemployment jumps for Liberals – Susan Delacourt. McKenna warns Liberal resurgence will take time as shakeup continues – Joan Bryden. (H/T Mary T)
Chantel Hebert seems to echo Ivison’s observations:
…the question facing the party is not so much whether it has the right leader, but rather whether it has reached the point of no return as a national institution. And on that score, Quebec is only part of a larger pan-Canadian Liberal problem.
Saturday Update:
Trudeau could block Coderre – Richard Cléroux (a bizarre little read)
Some people make it happen. Some people watch it happen. Some people don’t know what the **ll happened. Into which category does Iffy fit?
All the LPOC can be counted on is pure entertainment these days….even THAT is stretching it.
Seriously, the Waffle is not our problem and if the grass root Liberal support (that which is left and hasn’t gone Tory aka Don Martin’s NP item) should clean house..top to bottom nothing less.
There’s so much good going on in this country right now that giving the Liberals more focus just doesn’t satisfied this proud Canadian any more.
See ‘ya!
I wonder if maybe the scary level of socialism being seen to our south is causing a pendulum swing up here.
Greg – Listen to the Adler segment that I linked to in the update. That very point is made.
The Iffy Liberals are buried in the PET Cemetery.
Say goodnight, Iffy.
Goodnight Iffy.
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“Ready to fight: Canadian infantry ‘completely full,’ general says
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — So many young Canadians want to become trigger pullers in Afghanistan that the army is not accepting any new infantry recruits at the moment, according to the army’s top general.
“I am 1,600 infantrymen over my establishment,” Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie said Thursday, adding that the high numbers of recruits who want to “serve at the tip of the spear . . . completely refuted” any notion that there were problems getting people to serve in a wartime army.
“I still want young Canadians to show up at recruiting offices, but it just so happens that right now if you want to join the infantry, we’re completely full,” Lt.-Gen. Leslie said.
The military also has many more volunteers for Afghanistan duty than there are places, the general — an artillery gunner by trade — said during an interview conducted after he had spent several days “outside the wire” in Kandahar with combat troops.
Canada’s three infantry regiments have about 6,000 infantrymen, so these units — which have traditionally suffered the most in battle, as has been the case in Afghanistan — are presently more than 25% oversubscribed.
To correct this unusual imbalance, the military is “slowing down recruiting for regular forces infantry for the next year or two,” Lt.-Gen. Leslie said, adding that the army is “encouraging folks from the infantry” to transfer to military jobs where there are still shortfalls, such as vehicle technicians and fire control system technicians.
So many Canadians still want to be part of the country’s first major combat mission since the Korean War that the number of recruits and their quality is like nothing Lt.-Gen. Leslie has seen in his three decades in the armed forces.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384970/posts
There is no such thing as a natural governing party. What there is, however, are periods in our history where parties made it their business to win while other leaders pissed away opportunities.
Since Harper took over the reigns of the Alliance and merged it with the PC’s to make the CPC, his goal has been to win. Better still, he has achieved this goal not by pouting or waiting for Canadians to elect him en masse, but by hard work day in and day out, with real tangible policy for the public.
Whether you agree with Harper or not, everyone has to admit that he works diligently in all aspects of leadership – including policy, communications, organization and caucus management.
What does THAT say about Iggy’s position when the people who went out to recruit him in the first place are being given the boot?
So the Liberals are cleaning house of T.O influence, are they? Heh, it looks like Coderre was right after all. I bet Coderre is sitting somewhere with that customary smirk of satisfaction on his face right now. The Liberals are withering on the vine in Quebec. That by-election result confirms that narrative.
Liberals may complain about Harper’s leadership style, saying he is cold, ruthless, inflexible autocratic, etc. But boy oh boy, I bet many Liberals wish they had a leader right now that would demonstrate those qualities.
I listened to Alder today. Another terrific show. One thing he mentioned that I picked up on was, he was saying that it’s all about common sense and common sense is a conservative thing. People are starting use common sense maybe that’s why the gravitating toward the CPC.
Also a great segment with Minister Jason Kenny on the new Citizenship Guide.
Codere wants to be leader of the liberal party. Does he think he will get votes in the west.
New poll out and we are still 10% ahead of the libs. Perhaps the media and Bennett will change tactics and quit with their false accusations and calls for resignations. Bet they didn’t mean in the OLO office. Wonder what Dion is thinking.
Too bad that Davey and the others didn’t tell Iffy that he would have to work to be PM, it wouldn’t be handed to him, like the leadership was. At least he has a lady at home who thinks he is great.
Great post and comments.
I agree with the analysis here. Our military is in great shape, and showing invigorated patriotism and resolve to engage the enemies of freedom. On the domestic front, we’re looking good too, with the Man Of The Hour, PM Stephen Harper, reaping the benefits of persistent hard work and diligence (with or without “a little help from his friends”) in a delightful bit of quarterback not-so-sneaky political manoeuvering to unite the Right, while perhaps even gaining some from the Left. It bodes well for Canada’s future, with unity, patriotism, and practical two-way policies suitable for government and governed. The Ignominious One has been relegated to the sidelines of the sidelines; but when you’re Igneutered, what else can you really hope for in terms of political viability?
The Discover Canada brochure is available at the Globe.
BTW, I know this post went off on a tangent but to pull it all together, I think that Iffy and his party are totally missing the boat regarding what Canadians are looking for.
Where is the leadership? Who is the leader?
When this sort of thing occurs, right there in the public domain, as Canadians we would deserve exactly what we would get, if we permitted it to happen.
These guys are a complete train wreck and is Ignatieff solely to blame? Well obviously not but he is the leader and is controlled like a puppet by these OLD and NEW backroom entitled Liberals.
Adler, was awesome and called this time warped party out in exactly the nature that needs to occur.
If they have nothing to offer me and my family but the 1970′s and the old generational thinking, NO THANK YOU! It was bad then and it is worse now.
Donollo, is not a messiah and smoke and mirrors is not the answer to these backward, idealistic retoolers of days gone by.
Our Enemy, The State.
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“H1N1 a ‘dud’ pandemic, Ont. health official says
The huge investments governments made in swine flu pandemic planning might not have been justified, an Ontario health official said Thursday.
“It’s really not causing — and is not going to cause and nowhere has caused — significant levels of illness or death,” said Dr. Richard Schabas, Ontario’s former chief medical officer of health.
“But governments moved ahead regardless. They ramped up their response, spent a huge amount of money on vaccines and other things. I’m not sure the $1.5 billion includes the cost of new ventilators, the cost of Tamiflu stockpiles … the huge investment that’s been put into planning for what has ultimately turned out to be, from a pandemic perspective, a dud.”"
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/11/12/h1n1-vaccine-costs.html
Is this the next faux scandal, the govt over reacted to H1N1. Will Bennett and cbc/ctv take responsibility for their part in it.
Mary T – Oh yes. The Liberal line will be that the Government should have delivered the vaccine faster; and without cost to the taxpayer.
I think the Discover Canada brochure IS what Canadians are looking for, and part of teh CPC brand, so it ties in nicely.
Greg, I agree. And I think if you quiz most folks at your local Tim Hortons you’ll find that they will probably say that it’s about time.
Is iffy creating unemployment or creating new jobs, with all those leaving his office. 5 gone in a week, that should be a record, not counting firing all those in place from Dion’s reign.
Bourque has story re another misfire from libs, involving vets this time. Who took the picture of that MP. Isn’t that just as disrespectful of the moment. Still waiting for some pic of iffy at the Rememberance Day celebration.
Maybe it’s just because I was reading it in my rec room where a picture of my Grandad’s WWI unit and his medals are hung behind the bar, but this Discover Canada Brochure really hit me. Almost 10% of the population participated in both the world wars. I never realised that, and I should have. My kids always complained that Canadian history as taught in our schools always ended with beaver hunting. Maybe this is a sign that we’ll eventually be allowed to be proud of all of our history.
Iffy continues to follow Coderre’s advice:
talk about going from bad to worse. LOL
Going from the Toronto gang to the Quebec gang. LOL
Well, at least, getting closer to the real source of Liberal power.
Coderre: always been right near the top of my most disliked politicians!! IMHO, this is a guy who has been walking around for years with a giant chip on his shoulders!!
The sooner the Liberals clean house the better for Canada. The party needs a powerful, highly- potent disinfectant that will totally, completely, rid itself of the inherent decay.
Meanwhile, the Conservative government is doing Canada proud!! PM, take it to those guys in Copenhagen!!
Susan Delacourt reports that 30 junior staffers were let go today. NNW. Frank McKenna says it will take a long time to get back and there is no messiah.
Susan has changed her number from 30 to 9.
Thanks Mary T. I added those links. Note that McKenna is a bigwig at TD. I wonder if there are any Conservatives there at all?
Worthy of note, a comment in the NP today by John Ivison on the new citizenship brochure: “Guide to becoming citizen Tory”. He opines “it’s symbolism and is yet another step in the re-branding of Canada into a conservative country full of people more inclined to vote Conservative”.
It’s a document long overdue, makes total sense and there should be no need to stamp it with any political bent, it’s simply Canadian and what it means to be a citizen of this country, honouring the values it was built on, governed by the rule of law we are all equal.
Who can disagree with that?
I’m hoping it takes a slice out of “Multiculturalism” which is abused because some come here assuming it means it bypasses our laws.
And that is one of the reasons I refuse to bank at TD. That and they act like your money is theirs. Wait a minute, sounds just like a Liberal Government.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
Where is Liberal Doctor Carolyn Bennett, she of the body bags*?
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“The real flu story
So far, fewer have died this year than normal
Isn’t the real story about H1N1 — despite all the fears and panic over it — is it’s far less deadly than the normal seasonal flu?
I had that discussion with Manitoba’s chief public health officer Dr. Joel Kettner and some of his first-year medical students who were observing his work yesterday.
Kettner has always said Manitoba has about 100 confirmed deaths from seasonal flu every year. This year, the only strain of influenza public health officials are seeing in Manitoba is H1N1. And so far, we’ve only had eight deaths from this supposedly very deadly disease.
Shouldn’t the real story be, “flu deaths way down this year?”
http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/columnists/tom_brodbeck/2009/11/13/11731071-sun.html
*Body bags Bennett:
Liberal MPs apologize for offensive flyer- Politics – Canoe.ca
28 Oct 2009 … The flyer, mailed as a message from Liberal health critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett, features a picture of body bags in a lab and a sick …
cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2009/10/28/11559901-sun.html
Mr Ignatieff’s been touted as a great intellect, surely he is, but that intellect wasn’t trained to deal with politics, more especially the politics of the Liberal party in mess it has been left in by the Chretien and Martin feud. In fact, one could wonder if Ignatieff is a Liberal in the first place or simply the opportunist he’s been labeled. I think it’s safe to feel sorry for the guy.
Appears McKenna realized it was too much for even himself with all his political experience to take on. He must know how hopeless it is for an embryo politician like Ignatieff to even unite the party let alone be fit to govern.
Our Enemies:
The State and the United Nations.
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“How U.N. redefined ‘pandemic’ to heighten alarm over H1N1
In light of a perceived swine flu outbreak, the World Health Organization raised its influenza pandemic alert to its second highest level in May – but evidence reveals the agency may have made it easier to classify the flu outbreak as a pandemic by changing its definition to omit “enormous numbers of deaths and illness” just prior to making its declaration.
WHO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, issued its pandemic declaration – the first in 40 years – just as 74 countries had reported 144 deaths from the novel H1N1 infection.
The world was gripped with fears of swine flu as the alert increased from Phase 5 to Phase 6, the highest level. Immediately, pharmaceutical companies began working to develop vaccines, and countries tailored their responses to address the situation.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, who assumed leadership of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, on June 8, announced that the U.S. would respond aggressively to the virus.
“There has been excellent global cooperation with the World Health Organization, with countries around the world,” Frieden said. “This is one of the many conditions that reminds us that we are all connected and many of our decisions in the U.S. will rely on good information from countries in Latin America, in Africa, in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. It’s very important that we confront this jointly.”
The current WHO phase of pandemic alert remains at 6, indicating a full-blown global pandemic.
But in early May, just prior to the initial declaration, WHO made little-noticed changes to its definition of a pandemic.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385412/posts
“Where is Dr Carolyn Bennett, she of the bodybags*”? Ive been wondering that as well, maz2.
Perhaps she’s put herself into isolation, ditto Hedy Fry, to avoid spreading any more foot in mouth.
If she we’re anywhere but Toronto, the brain free Liberal voting capital of Canada, her political career would have been bodybagged long ago.
Here’s…..Janey
She is confirming that Spinsella remains…… Wow, just wow!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/the-last-man-standing/article1361976/
I wonder if all those being laid off are Donalo’s demands before he took on the job. Or, are they financial and the OLO can’t afford the staff. Is the OLO funded by his parliamentary budget or can donations be used. It was said he laid off Dion’s guys/gals for budget reasons.
Bec, I can’t believe that Iffy kept Spinsella. Amazing.
Donolo is a Chretien guy, Kinsella is a Chretien guy, Rae is a Chretien guy ….
I believe the technical term is “isolate and destroy”.
Wow. Good point, Jad. Powercorp is back.
It all comes together in this article. Check out the main players.
Great piece by Wells, Joanne. And this quote sort of puts the whole Donolo-mania in perspective :
“Once we scribes convince ourselves of a figure’s importance, we can be hard to dissuade.
Read the comments re Tabor’s piece. I can’t believe people can say she if very pro PMSH.
I read John Ivison’s column in the NP yesterday. He really hit the nail on the head, particularly when he made the reference to the William Tell Overture.
By the way, Joanne, here’s an interesting post on Calgary Grit‘s blog, (somewhat, but not totally OT) about another political party with it’s own difficulties. Our Liberal friends can be thankful that at least their party is not imploding with anywhere the speed of that of the ADQ.
So Catsmeat says he’s a volunteer? How is he paying his bills? Is he on retainer with any company? If he is, is it not illegal under the Elections Act for that type of situation to occur?
If he is not being paid by the Liberals who is paying his way?
Where is his money coming from?
I wonder if any of the LPOC personnal medias (you know who they are) are fired?
Hebert puts the Iffy Liberal party, in the form of a rhetorical question, into the PET Cemetery.
Sauve qui peut, Iffy; every man for himself. That was the shout of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard as it retreated in ignominious defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
Iffy, are you off to the ‘loo, too?
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“As a result, the question facing the party is not so much whether it has the right leader, but rather whether it has reached the point of no return as a national institution.”
“Hébert: While Liberals were snoozing, the competition woke up”
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/725207–hebert-while-liberals-were-snoozing-the-competition-woke-up
o/t Here is an interesting little piece on Justin Trudeau.
“Integrity is the connection between what you say and what you do – your commitment to your values when the going gets tough. As Justin Trudeau ramped up his rhetorical rant to the small bevy of relatively weak questions lobbed at him yesterday afternoon, I became less and less interested in hearing what he had to say. Yes, I could watch it, feel it happening: that self-same disgust and disenchantment against which he had so seemingly genuinely railed in his opening remarks manifesting in myself as a reaction to his own hollow proclamations. I began to feel that Justin was playing the game just as eagerly as his cohorts in the Capital, and that even worse, even more deceivingly, he was playing it while condemning it, while pretending not to.”
http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/thegargoyle/archive/2009/11/13/the-son-remains-the-same-justin-trudeau-as-the-consummate-insider.aspx
OT, just received and completed my 3rd AR poll/survey in two wks. Lots of questions re, would you support ndp/lib coalition, would you support ndp/lib amalgamation, and other question re not running candidates in others riding.
Are you satified with said leaders, has you opinion improved, stayed the same, or worsened re leaders.
I answered strongly disapprove to all questions re ndp/lib.
Why are they polling for this, is the coalition still on the back burned, are they planning to spring it on us.
Will be anxious to see the results.
Also questions re handling of H1N1.
Anyone else get this.