Anyone tuning into CTV’s Question Period today might be confused if they heard Craig Oliver talk about ‘MP’ Rahim Jaffer.
I cannot find Jaffer’s name among this list of current MPs at the Parliament website, and yet Craig Oliver made the following statement (at the 06:48 mark):
“…It’s not just another MP, is it Mr. Kinsella? It’s an MP who’s married to a Cabinet Minister and if we don’t know the details of the plea bargain, then doesn’t that allow people to say the system gave him a break and it shouldn’t have because of his political connections whether it’s true or not?”
Warren Kinsella did not bother to correct him.
However NDP National Director Brad Lavigne set the record straight at 8:00 mark and good for him.
So did Craig Oliver deliberately mislead viewers or was it a mistake? (H/T Sammy)
In any case I think that CTV needs to issue a formal correction and apology.
* * * *
Related:
Don’t blame judge for Jaffer’s slap on wrist, says MP Tilson – Hill Times:
…Because of the controversy, Mr. Bentley assigned his chief Crown prosecutor, deputy attorney general John Ayre to review the decision of the Orangeville prosecutor, but a spokesman for Mr. Bentley said two days later that Mr. Ayre “has reviewed the case and is entirely confident that the Crown acted properly and in keeping with the proper administration of justice.”
The Criminal Law Society at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto describes Judge Maund as a 30-year veteran of the criminal courts, including work as a defence lawyer and a Crown attorney. Coincidentally, he was scheduled to address student members of the Osgoode Hall society the afternoon of the day he sentenced Mr. Jaffer. “He has seen it all, from drug busts to domestic violence to driver over .80 and he’s happy to speak candidly about how he got to the bench, what motivated him to become a judge, what works in the courtroom, and what shortcomings he sees in the justice system,” the society’s notice of the speech said.
Mr. Tilson said sources within the Orangeville courthouse have told him police made mistakes either before or after they charged Mr. Jaffer. “People I know in the court system, the courthouse, have said the police maybe made some errors,” Mr. Tilson said…
So the case has been reviewed and the decision is final. Therefore why are the opposition parties and their media cronies flogging this dead horse?
Because they’re desperate.
* * * *
Tuesday Update
Not Caesar’s wife – Globe:
…With holders of elected office, the old proverb that “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion” has some application – but surely Mr. Jaffer, who is the spouse of a federal cabinet minister, Helena Guergis, the Minister of State for the Status of Women, is, like other Canadians, entitled to the presumption of innocence, until proven guilty of a crime...
Craig is living in the past, hasn’t had a new thought since his canoe trips with PET.
Why doesn’t he retire and make way for a younger person. He is too old for that senate seat he kissed a** for all those years.
And the second biggest lie he told today, people trust them.
Oliver is so Liberal he should just wear total red for the program. I hope Rahim takes him to a HRC for blatant lying and causing personal injury by accusing him, a visible minority and Muslim, of crimes even the Liberal Attorney General wouldn’t press.
Oh, forget the HRC, they are run by the far left Liberal feminist crew, just take CTV and Oliver to court. If Arar can win 10 million, Rahim should be able to score at least 5 million.
I think the Oliver is senile and probably forgot that Jaffer is no longer an MP. Oliver is way way past his “best before” date and should be put out to pasture. Could you imagine him in the senate.WOW
Oliver was sickening today. He calls Vic Toews criticism of the Winnipeg Free Press’s reporter as being “intimidation of the press”. Toews said the repoter was lazy and biased. I guess in his mind he is immune from criticism because he calls himself a reporter.
What did he report about Margaret Trudeau’s drunk driving charges
Deliberately mislead? Make a mistake? How about a third option: Craig Oliver is too lazy to actually ensure that he has his facts in order (i.e. do his research) before making assertions.
But the public trusts Craig Oliver Joanne, at least according to Craig Oliver.
Good on Brad “interfering in Edm-Strathcona, Lavigne for correcting Oliver, it sounded more like spinning for Oliver rather than correcting him IMHO, but he too was way over the line on the Jaffer stuff. Lavigne wants Rahim to apologize for “the conduct”; apparently private citizen Jaffer owes the country an explanation for his private life. It is not the hypocrisy of this that turns off Canadians Brad, it is the blatant political games played by the NDP and the Liberals that does it.
These transparent smear jobs eat away at the credibility of the opposition and the MSM little by little and bit by bit with each lame attempt, but neither of them have figured that out yet. The public does not like to be talked down to or treated like idiots. One day the MSM may figure that out, but until then they will continue to think that they “know better” than us. The Liberals will never figure that out because they know that they “know better” than us.
Here moonbat moonbat, here Craigy!
Can’t they put this guy in a home already? I wish CTV would wise up and retire this old coot! He’s just as bad as Larry King, only far less amusing.
deliberately mislead viewers or was it a mistake?
Nowadays it’s getting harder to tell with “Old Owl Livers” whether anything he does is deliberate or just “natural ruling party” reflex.
Also in error, plea bargain.
The charges were dropped, not a plea bargain.
Oliver’s “best before” date was about 20 years ago.
C’mon CTV, put the guy out to pasture already.
In your dreams there’ll be an apology. Oliver, the dried up prune of a man, is bought and paid for. All Liberal, all the time.
Pat
Craig Oliver has become a total Harper-hater, and should be fired by CTV for stretching the truth to fit his agenda – having said that, seeing him with the toxic Kinsella as the tag team, is instructive
I’d be very surprised if CTV will say anything further about that slip-up. They’ll be too busy pursuing their next attempt to make the government look bad.
Wow! This one got a lot of reaction. I put it up, went to bed, and woke up to all these comments.
Looks like there is an appetite for a Fox Canada network.
When Lavigne set the record straight it was up to Oliver to speak up, if he didn’t, we can only assume it was deliberate. On this matter having people believe Jaffer is a sitting MP it’s much more damaging, packs a bigger wallop. You can be sure there are people who wouldn’t know Jaffer wasn’t an MP.
Through all of this Craig et al think people TRUST them to give us the straight goods.
This needs to be sorted and not in the dark of night or in the fine print, we’ll look for it first up on next week’s CTV QP, since it is critical to get the facts right,to be more expeditious, maybe fellow Liberal shill Tommy Clark will give you a chance on PEE PEE.
When Lavigne set the record straight it was up to Oliver to speak up, if he didn’t, we can only assume it was deliberate.
Good point Liz. When Brad corrected Craig Oliver, Craig should have immediately acknowledged the ‘mistake’. It was a serious and misleading one.
A retraction or a correction to this lie IS neccesary..but that would just make Craig and ctv look bad,so it most likely won’t happen.THe honest thing to do,would be have Tom Clark get Craig on tonite on PP,and issue a clear retraction,but…Tommy Boy is even more in the tank,more partisan than Oliver,and has had nothing else on his pea-brain lately than his smear job on Rahim.
QP yesterday was a non stop anti conservative pile on
What was extremely obscene was when Oliver Teed up, gift wrapped and soft balled Kinsella the Liberal character assassin , smear machine and henchman this beauty –
Oliver- Warren does the Jaffer scandal damage the conservative brand?
The CTV’s uncritical support for the Liberal Party is pathetic and corrupt
I seem to be too thick to GET exactly why the Federal Conservatives have to deal with something a FORMER MP has done and was dealt with in provincial jurisdiction. Why are the Liberal shills in the media demanding action from the Feds or connecting it in any way to their tough on crime agenda?
What can the PM say or do about the matter? Is he responsible for all former MP’s who went down to defeat? Can the PM interfere with the Justice system at any level in any case? We know the answer is NO and NO.
The person who needs to talk is Jaffer but if there’s an appeal, he won’t be talking. Meanwhile he’s a private citizen and will have to deal with his own problems. Maybe it would be wise for his wife to step aside from her portfolio until all is resolved, it can’t be easy for her either.
Any Liberals wanna talk about alleged Shawinigan shinanigans?
Many commenters have made reference to Oliver’s age.
“should retire and make room for a younger person”, “old coot”, “senile”, and so on.
I would just like to point out that many “younger” people in the press are just as bad if not worse than Oliver.
Liberalism is a mental problem not exclusive to the elderly.
Lee that’s a very good point. Thanks for mentioning it.
I can’t bear to watch Owl Eyes Oliver. He’s a joke, a bad one, and it’s just too painful to listen to his constant whingeing, whining, and lying about the CPC and our Prime Minister while he unabashedly shills for and fawns over the Librano$.
There isn’t an unbiased, non-partisan bone in Oliver’s body. Methinks the guys’s totally over the hill and in his dotage — which doesn’t get him off the hook, though it sure as Hell should get him off the air.
Put this guy out to pasture. He’s a disgrace. And, NO, Mr. Oliver, we don’t trust you. We don’t believe one word that comes out of your partisan, one-sided mouth.
I refuse to watch Question Period… Listening to Jane Tabor and Oliver makes me sick – they are so liberal bias… I haven’t watched it for months… and if we didn’t turn it on, knowing full well, it is nothing but liberal lies…their rating would drop…. The last time I had it on… Jim Travers was on spewing liberal bias… now think about it – Jane Tabor – The Great white Owl – Oliver… and Jim Travers… How much more liberal can you get.. and if we turn it on… it only adds to their heatbeats getting stronger… Write and tell CTV to stuff it!
Yes Oliver HATES PM Harper because with the last Tory win , Oliver’s dream of a Senate seat went up in flames.
… actually I have stopped watching CTV news a long time ago.
The problem is that we can choose to boycott CTV but what about the people who tune in and meekly accept everything that is spoon-fed to them? There are folks out there who still do not realize the amount of bias in MSM.
Whenever I read something or watch it on TV, I first want to know what the source is and what is their particular bias? Everyone has one. News needs to be filtered through that lens.
The day that Oliver couldn’t answer MANY of the new Canadiana citizenship questions was the day that I determined with immense clarity that …
Oliver, is a legend IN HIS OWN MIND!
You can be sure, CTV and the Producers are aware of this messy mistake and hoping that only 50 of the usual 100 people that watch this mess of a show were busy! This could be lawsuit material!
“we can choose to boycott CTV but what about the people who tune in and meekly accept everything that is spoon-fed to them?”
That’s just it though Joanne, people are not tuning in at all. That’s why they need to depend on those “shock and awe” moments of sheer lunacy and twist facts. Their ratings are in the toilet with the soft tp.
I believe Canadians who do tune in, turn off QP and Power Play just as quickly.
CTV is just not in the same great place most Canadians are these days.
Did I read that John Tory was one of the other guests? Why the heck didn’t he pipe up and correct the error. Why Brad L.?
I can’t wait to hear the outrage when Michael Bryant is let go easy…and he will be because that’s the Canadian way and the Liberal courts way.
From The Hill Times story Joanne linked to: “… phone lines in his [Conservative MP Tilson's] riding offices lit up …”
The ball on this story started rolling with the fact the judge in the Jaffer case was appointed by Jim Flaherty when the latter was attorney general in the provincial Progressive Conservative government of premier Mike Harris. It was immediately assumed Jaffer got a sweetheart deal because of that.
I therefore feel perfectly justified in assuming the many calls of outrage to MP Tilson’s office were orchestrated by the opposition to stir up the controversy. The many calls lighting up Mr. Tilson’s offices were thus probably made by Liberal & NDP phone-bots.
How do I know that? Do I have any proof?
No, I don’t have any proof. No more proof than
• those who assumed the PC-appointed judge treated Jaffer with kid gloves because the latter is a Conservative
• those who assumed the current Conservative government influenced the judge’s decision
• those who assumed that, if not the PM himself personally interfering in the judge’s decision, then surely Jaffer’s wife must have interfered, because she’s a cabinet minister
• and those who assume, like CBC radio personality Susan Lunn, that conservatives voting for the PM’s questions in his YouTube event must be part of an orchestrated Conservative Party campaign, like Lorraine pointed out in her comment on March 13, 2010 at 11:44 am in the Opposition-MSM lynch mob thread.
Gabby, that’s right. They don’t have a monopoly on being entitled to make assumptions.
First of all there is no orchestrated Conservative campaign because that would require then to have knowledge of a new thing called the internet to be able to do that. Technology witch! witch! Dunk them till they confess…
[Remainder deleted by blog admin due to questionable content]
Mmmmaxime is at it again!
http://www.maximebernier.com/en/2010/03/idees-conservatrices/
“intimidation of the press” (because) Toews said the repoter was lazy and biased.’
One of their own took a shot at the media today:
”…The end result should be obvious: lazy journalism. Why search out something new when the old and tried work best?
Why be a storyteller when a ranter will have far more traffic? Why be investigative when instigative is a far quicker route to success on the Web?
“When journalism becomes nothing more than digital hits, the more provocative you are – often, the more obnoxious you are – the higher the hit count,”
“In that sense, the system pressures you to become a dick. Who cares if what you say is good, let alone whether there is any truth in it or not? When everything becomes opinion, the most opinionated, most strident and least compromising ‘journalists’ are the ones who rattle enough cages, or inspire enough like-minded devotees, to build the hit count.
“And if you can somehow get the people you piss off arguing with your devotees, then your hit count will really soar.” …………
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/when-journalism-is-about-hits-the-craft-goes-amiss/article1500373/
ps
Oliver is legally blind….just saying
Great discussion here again!!! Oliver needs to apologize and Jaffer needs to file a lawsuit!!!!
In the beginning I had no sympathy for Rahim Jaffer…. since the pile on by the MSM and opposition… I am beginning to feel sorry for him. I am sure there are other Canadians who feel the same.
Be nice to Craig. He’s getting on in years and doen’t always know what he says.
is this not how Fox news got going so strong ? – just your average everyday Joe, getting fed up with so much lazy, biased journalism getting stuffed down their throats, by leftist , clueless fools – why cannot the same thing happen here ? (in a smaller version of course)
o/t
seems Iffy’s thinkers conference is dedicated to what he considers ‘real’ thinkers,
his own MPs are not invited:
Chantel Hebert writes
‘..But the conference is billed as a non-partisan event and, as of the end of last week, Liberal MPs had yet to land a spot on their own party’s invitation list.’
(cross posted at Iceman’s blog)
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/779887–liberal-meet-likely-to-skip-really-tough-questions
Hello, wasn’t there just a budget brought forth? The economy is still on recovery mode. We’re about to leave the combat mission in about a year etc. Why aren’t they talking about those sorts of issues? No wonder more and more of the public are seeking alternative source of information.
Further proof we need Foxnews Canada.
I am thinking that we need to complain to our local ctv affiliates.The big campaign to ‘keep local news stations’ should be held accountable IF they carry programs with blatant partisan political programming. I did call Wpg ctv just this am,to complain,and told them that I will NOT watch or support any and all programming until they are more accountable.They carry QP on Sundays,and if they don’t provide a rebuttal to this disinformation put out there,I won’t watch.
BTW,Fife just on,slamming Guergis,and MAtheson comes back with ‘any other caucus members in trouble?’..poor Bobby had to answer ‘no’
Maybe Fife should do a segment on the no-show,lame duck libs that failed to show up to vote on the Budget.I haven’t seen one media clip of the list..anyone else seen one???
Sandy said “Hey guys, don’t blame Oliver’s age for his attitude.”
I have to agree. We will all be there someday and making this about age doesn’t sit particularly well with me either. I have learned many,many things from seniors and enjoy their wisdom, history and legacy.
Oliver, has imo ALWAYS had a certain element of arrogant, ‘I am the smartest journalist around so don’t mess with me’ attitude, even as a younger guy.
Frankly the way I see it, he hasn’t figured out that he is a drag on CTV, not an asset. I just can’t imagine a 30 something giving a rats pitewee what he says!
From the paper that brought us, or rather created ‘wafergate’, now bring us this bit of hard hitting journalism.
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/984342
They are not even pretending to be balanced anymore.
Ask the PM youtube has had 109,369 hits.
Joanne at 10:01 am:
“They don’t have a monopoly on being entitled to make assumptions.”
Joanne, the reason I wrote that “the many calls of outrage to MP Tilson’s office were orchestrated by the opposition to stir up the controversy” was not meant to encourage people to make unfounded assumptions.
What I wanted to point out was that much of what passes for news, or even commentary, on the part of the MSM — with some exceptions — is unfounded rumours, just gossip mongering, or purposeful and unnecessary snide commentary. Case in point, albeit minor:
From Susan Delacourt’s blog:
“MPs were originally due to be off for the March break but the government, stung by the prorogation controversy, proposed that everyone work through these weeks to make up for
squanderedlost time.”Was it necessary for the journalist to include the “
squandered” word in the blog post?It is little things like that I personally find irritating, not to mention stories based on unfounded rumours.
And I’m with those who said Oliver’s bias and/or mistakes are not age-related. I can think of a few young lads and lasses who are just as biased or inaccurate.
you know I still think we should not comment on the media
it just feeds them Canadians know whoppers when they hear them
they are desperate and it shows they are unable to trigger an election so they slander and drag out their lies opposition and media combined
Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper is doing a good job
fh
It’s very obvious the line the Opps were screaming about the locked doors of Parliament and wanting to get back to work for the people was a sham. They really aren’t interested in any serious business when they and their media shills have jumped on the the Jaffer provincial court case and his wife for losing her cool with airport staff in PEI.
They continue to rail on about detainees about which most of the people in Canada do not really concern themselves with about, they’re concerned with keeping jobs, getting jobs and keeping the economy going.
Neither do we care about another of their favourite phony concerns when there’s nothing else they can find, Omar Khadr.
The most outrageous of all though is they pretend to care about our troops while they smear them with accusations of handing over the enemy captives to be tortured.
If this is working for us they can go home now.
BTW, was there any reporting on the McGuinty prorogue?
Gabby @ 12:25pm – All excellent points.
Soccermom says at 11:14 am:
“Mmmmaxime is at it again!”
http://www.maximebernier.com/en/2010/03/idees-conservatrices/
Soccermom, you got that right!! I just read his speech. A very creative way of presenting a view that avoids calling a spade a spade.
I don’t trust this guy period. What we hear is that same old, same old rhetoric, – the difference being that today it’s couched in very creative ways to slyly overshadow what the message really means and what it will lead to. Have your cake and eat it, too, etc., etc.. Been there, done that, too many damn times!!
Unless I’m mistaken, did I not read on BLY, from a post or comment, that Bernier said that Quebec independence was inevitable?
I don’t watch QP or any other program affiliated with CTV, Global or CBC. (including hockey and the Olympics) My reason is simple. Their corporate agenda is being carried out by the loony talking heads they have on the air. Their corporate agenda is to put back in power the most corrupt political party in Canadian history the Liberals. I didn’t realize how much the corporate agenda mattered until Global bought out the local independent station. Until that time the local news reflected the common view of most Albertans, kind of softy right wing. The day the name change took effect the local news took on a decidedly Liberal slant. After about a week of that nonsense I added Global to my list of blocked channels. Fortunately for me I discovered blogs shortly thereafter and really don’t miss the Canadian left leaning bellicosity that passes for network news. Since that time my cable provider has added at no extra cost FOX News Channel so I have something to watch in the evenings.
Ardvark @ 11:47am – I saw that too. At the very end there is this note: Hassan Arif resides in Fredericton. He can be reached by email at arif. telegraphjournal@gmail.com.
Is he one of their columnists? Anyway I agree with him. Mr. Iffy should force an election! Right now. Don’t wait Mr. Iffy.
Still lots of stories re special treatment for Jaffer. So, lets review all cases from 2001-2010 where defendants got special treatment in their sentencing. We could start with all the slaps on the wrists for gun crimes, drunken driving, drunken driving causing bodily harm, and don’t forget how many liberals got away with not going to jail over adscam and other frauds.
Would those dates include Margaret Trudeau’s arrest. And how about those plotting to bomb and behead our PM, where are they and what was their punishment. Why aren’t all of them in jail for life.
If the media is so sure special treatment was involved, how about a reverse thought. Dalton is facing an election in a while, and he must do everything possible to discredit the conservatives. Did he interfere in this case and demand charges be dropped, knowing how the media would have a field day, in their attempt to diss our PM.
Has the police officer who apparently did something wrong been removed from her position.
It is so sad the liberals and media have no idea where provincial and federal authority starts or stops.
And are the liberals/ndp still in love with the terrorists after all the innocents they killed over the weekend.
For an example of stupidity re health care, visit SDA and- I have a condition.- Seems the dutch nurses union are fighting a demand by patients that sex be provided as part of treatment, and for once I agree with the union.
The comments are hilarious.
Dear Helena – Time for you to go. Right now. Exit stage right.
Re: ‘Dear Helena’…
I afraid it does show bad judgement mostly because why apologise if you are angered by the betrayal and treatment? That simply demonstrates a BS button hypocrisy and coming from a Cabinet Minister,childish and unbecoming.
She has had a really bad year , emotionally and I think she needs to take a break and chill by reflecting on all of this stuff.
Having said that, Air Canada makes me sick re this story and Wayne Easter is a slimy sleazy snake!
“She has had a really bad year , emotionally and I think she needs to take a break and chill by reflecting on all of this stuff.
I agree Bec. She needs a nice long holiday. Might do her some good. Cut her loose. Neither she or Easter look good in this.
I thought when she first came on to the political scene she had promise, a rising star. She had potential. She’s turned out to be a spoiled diva,IMHO. It’s sad really.
Wayne Easter well is Wayne Easter!
has anyone verified this rumor about Helena?
she apologized and has taken responsibility for a moment of human frailty
who of us can continue to persecute her are we so much above mistakes? are we not human?
To err is human
To forgive divine
fh
fh,
I’m also in your camp and have been a supporter of hers during this unfortunate situation mostly because I too have had a few similar encounters with Air Canada (not the boot or meltdown but terrible attitudes and service) so I completely understand how they could completely enrage a traveller.
I feel that we only ever heard one side of this story and it was approached by AC in a horrible and unprofessional way.
Unfortunately, we rarely, if ever hear stories of Conservative insiders and that is what has twigged my attention but you are right, it needs some first person confirmation and hopefully from HER and SOONER rather than LATER!
Yeah good point Bec & others. We should wait to hear her side of the story but she really is becoming a political liability I’m sorry to say.
Helena live at cpac online
fh
We need to hear the unbiased truth, both sides, what provoked her etc. I know it’s no excuse but Ruby is still in her seat on the Liberal side and perhaps what she was alleged to have been doing doing was of more concern than an MP losing control of their emotions in public. Suppose it would have been forgivable for the Liberals had she been banned from boarding due to being drunk?
Let’s see what transpires this week on the matter before we cede to the righteous twins, Madam Neville and Madam Jennings demands.
We need to hear the unbiased truth, both sides, what provoked her etc.
True. And the way Wayne Easter got the story was just too cute by half.
Sorry, but I call BS on the reports by Bleach Blondie Bobby Fife and regrettably, Tasha Kheiriddin, who used to be a very rational conservative commentator.
First of all, the rumour was denied by Transport Minister Baird during QP period when that harridan Anita Neville brought it up.
Secondly, Bleach Blondie Fife said that senior Conservative members have told him that the lawsuit was in the works, that the rest of the cabinet doesn’t like Guergis, all without naming a source.
Consider this: is it possible that these so-called reports are similar to the wafer story — unfounded and untrue?
Is it possible that it is designed to stir up discord among members of the Conservative caucus?
Why am I suspicious?
There is a commenter who often posts comments at Susan Delacourt’s blog who claimed at one point that he was the one who contacted the media about the wafer. This is what that commenter wrote on Nov. 20, 2009 “For the record – I started the wafer gate story – …”
He has suggested he’s well-connected, and some time ago he and I had a lengthy debate about … guess who? Ms. Guergis. That commenter hates her with a passion. His comments about Guergis are found under the thread Bob Rae and the Naked Truth and his claim to have started the wafer story is in the thread Distemper of the times, both at Delacourt’s blog.
Is it possible that he’s using this airport incident to finally get rid of Guergis from his riding to get his jollies?
I’m speculating, I know, but holy moley! Doesn’t the woman deserve a bit of privacy, and yes, even some understanding? For all we know, she might have had serious PMS issues that particular day. Surely many of us female commenters should be able to understand that.
As for Kheiriddin, apparently she’s another one who didn’t read the ANONYMOUS letter sent by the Air Canada rep. to Wayne Easter.
Kheiriddin writes:
“As if it flinging your footwear in public …”
Arrrgh! To fling = to throw, cast, or hurl with force or violence, which suggests Guergis threw her boots, maybe even at someone. But she did no such thing!
According to the description in the letter I linked to in another comment http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/02/helena-guergiss-adventures-in-prince-edward-island.html:
“At this point the Hon. Helena Guergis took a seat and huffily started to remove her footwear, upon their removal she slammed her boots into the bin provided by Ms. [redacted name - blacked out] and then the Minister of State for the Status of Women said to [redacted name - blacked out], a single mother working to support herself and her son, “Happy F***ing Birthday to me!”
See, dear gentle people? Guergis did NOT fling or throw her boots about.
And if this letter is NOT a political statement in the guise of a complaint about unruly conduct unbecoming an MP or a cabinet minister, I’ll eat a pair of those red Olympic mittens!
Why in the hell would the letter writer say “… then the Minister of State for the Status of Women said to [redacted name - blacked out], a single mother working to support herself and her son …”?
What, was that airport worker wearing a sign around her neck identifying her as “I’m a single mother working to support my son”? so Guergis should have known not to speak roughly to her? Total crap!
As far as I’m concerned, this is part of the ongoing agenda to discredit the Conservatives, and Easter, Cruella Neville, and others are digging in the knives deeper and deeper.
A pox on them.
Any hoots from Owliver, et al on this?
…-
“Name dishonest researchers, government urges
The federal government has been pushing Canada’s largest research council to release the names of scientists who fudge research results, plagiarize reports or misspend grant money, according to federal documents obtained by Canwest News Service.
But the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council has yet to change its rules, despite pointed recommendations from its political masters. The council, which distributes $1 billion in federal funding every year to thousands of researchers across the country, says federal privacy laws prevent it from identifying scientists involved in misconduct.
Jim Prentice, who used to be industry minister and in charge of the council, was so concerned about the “rogue researcher issue” in 2008 that he asked the council to strengthen its rules and start naming offenders, according to the documents obtained through access-to-information requests.
Rather than keeping details of misconduct secret, Prentice, now minister of the environment, wanted the council to get tougher on enforcement “so you can overturn a university decision and publish names like in the U.S.,” says one memo.
“Most people find it quite unacceptable that people found guilty of research misconduct are not exposed,” says an e-mail to NSERC from Industry Canada official Karen Corkery, who was working on the file for Prentice. “And I suspect finding a quick solution to this would show great responsiveness to the minister’s concerns.”
Corkery suggested NSERC might get “out from under the Privacy Act” by asking researchers, as a condition of receiving grants, “to agree to have their names made public if they are found to be in breach of research integrity policies.”"
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Name+dishonest+researchers+government+urges/2683360/story.html
See Gabby @4:11pm, THIS is why we miss you so much when you aren’t here!!!
Way to go! What a story this is becoming and exactly why we need to remain a team. The Liberals are bound and determined to find a scandal and if all else fails, create one!
Thanks, Bec! I hope you have a pair of those Olympic mittens handy for me to eat … just in case.
Right Bec, we remain as a team, we do not eat our own, we give them a fair shake before rushing out the gate half cocked before any of us know the facts. One thing for sure Knob Easter or the righteous sisters, Jennings or Neville know the facts. The only facts we know is they are Liberals and they are jealously opposed to anything this government does, they prove it every day in the comedy hour in the HOC.
O’liver Watch.
Liberal Iffy’s Harvard buddy has fallen.
Owliver/TVC/CBCPRAVDA/Goabl, etc., has promised a full report.
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“Obama protesters line street outside Strongsville speech
STRONGSVILLE — Opponents of President Barack Obama’s health care proposals turned out early to protest outside the Walter C. Ehrenfelt Recreation Center here where Obama delivered a speech Monday afternoon.
Protesters stretched for several blocks leading to the president’s Monday afternoon speaking location in Strongsville.
They waved to passing vehicles and held signs including “Don’t stick me with your Obamacare” and “Kill the bill.”"
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=132486&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ClevelandHeadlinesFromWkyccom+%28Cleveland-area+News+from+WKYC.COM%29
hope some here were able to watch Helena Guergis on cpac
my opinion of her is she is an extremely competent Minister and I would hate to lose her
fh
Indeed I do Gabby @ 4:32pm but based on past experience my bet is, I get to keep them…
Way to go! What a story this is becoming and exactly why we need to remain a team. The Liberals are bound and determined to find a scandal and if all else fails, create one!
Boy I must admit I should have been more skeptical when I first heard that rumour. Good for Gabby. She keeps us grounded.
It’s absolutely Wafergate all over again, and it may very well be a long time digruntled, angry Guergis hater. I know Helena apologized already but maybe her silence has caused all of the speculation and spin. Perhaps she should offer to tell her side and do it quite publicly with her lawyer in tow…maybe on CTV.
Air Canada is pathetic and to be honest their screw-ups can make the nicest place feel like a hellhole at the best of times. Heck, even Mercer and Kinsella bitch about that air line.
Allowing Guergis to step aside temporarily on compassionate grounds would allow her and her husband to get a few private things ironed out, and allow the party to get to the bottom of the sleaze and trail of this incident.
It’s not an issue that would cost the PM his job or anything remotely close. A diversion at best, but not a very good one.
I believe it was Fh who mentioned that Helena Guergis was on CPAC … so I went to look.
She was answering questions before the Committee on the Status of Women on her ministry’s work.
Right now (5:02 pm), there was a guest asked to address the committee, a Ms. Clement. They had 35 minutes left to hear that speaker, who had originally been scheduled to speak for one hour. The committee has been discussing for the past 10 minutes whether she should speak now, or return at a later time. In the meantime, they’re WASTING time. OK, now a motion to adjourn.
See? That’s the kind of valuable work that goes on in committees — not to mention asking the Minister a question and then interrupting her as she’s answering, not to mention chair Hedy Fry not listening to points of orders raised, and arbitrarily ruling on the point of order without hearing it out, not to mention time wasted on deciding whether to listen to a scheduled speaker who is present in the committee room now or at a later time.
What a farce!
P.S. – I never watch Power Play or CBC either and from reading what I missed here it just proves it was the right decision.
Actually, a Fox-type news channel for Canada isn’t out of the question. A great show for a network like that would be “What the CTV REALLY Meant to Say” – corrections and clarifications of what Tom Clark, Jane Taber, and Craig Oliver. I’d watch it.
What, was that airport worker wearing a sign around her neck identifying her as “I’m a single mother working to support my son”? so Guergis should have known not to speak roughly to her? Total crap!
O.K. That was pretty funny Gabby.
Where are the howls of outrage from the left-liberals and its MSM?
Liberal Iffy and his MSM pals are silent. Why?
Because they are left-liberals.
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“Canada’s net worth increases
Canada’s national net worth increased slightly in the fourth quarter, thanks in part to a hike in the value of residential real estate assets.
Statistics Canada says the country’s national net worth increased by $20 billion to $6 trillion, which is a 0.3 % increase.
National net worth is national wealth, minus foreign liabilities, such as money owed to non-residents.”
http://money.canoe.ca/money/business/canada/archives/2010/03/20100315-155805.html
I was taking one for the team and checking in on PP. Tom Clark was doing his best to stir the pot but both MH Findley and her NDP counterpart said that the committe on the status of women was not the place to bring up the Guergis story. Long story short they didn’t bite even though Tommy twisted himself into a pretzel trying to fan some outrage.
Good for Martha Hal Findley and her NDP colleague for not taking the bait! Sad to say Tommy and the CTV cabal seem desperate to stir something up.
Joanne you have a stronger stomach that I do to watch the Tommy Clark show.
Question Period is a loss leader for CTV. It might qualify for Canadian “content” but does not break an records for audience. The Sunday morning slot? Religious Programs, Informercials, Cornation Street, Question Period, as a lead up to sports.
CTV News is the clear leader in viewership with Global in second in The Evening News Product.
The tax funded CBC has it much worse, with every “news” programs failing to meet top 30 shows.
http://bbm.ca/_documents/top_30_tv_programs_english/2010/nat03012010.pdf
Thankfully I have been off the noseetv starring Giggles & Cranky on Sunday Canada’s TMZ. Too much negative insight is not good for the soul.
Sandy: ““Hey guys, don’t blame Oliver’s age for his attitude.”
Look, I’m pushing into senior citizen territory myself (and depending on whose radar I’m on … at the movies, in a big department store, etc. … I AM a senior), so I’m not solely blaming Craig Oliver’s blatantly biased and partisan outlook on his age.
However, that said, (older) age can really mess up the grey matter and one’s ability to think straight (again, I speak from experience!). Add Craig’s age (72) to his mushy, mendacious musings on QP and other CTV “news” programs, and you have to wonder if he isn’t losing it — or admit to the alternative: that he’s just a lousy journalist.
Either way. HE’S. GOT. TO. GO.
Folks you have to realize how desperate the Liberals and their media wings are when you tune in to the political fare they’re offering up daily. At the present time there’s a pile-on, from Jaffer to Guergis, to Bernier vying for Harper’s job. For anyone to opine about about someone’s behaviour I don’t think the likes of Beer and Popcorn Reid would be one to go to.
It would be nice to write an email to CTV management and complain about the one-sided comment on Power Play and Question Period. Just try to do that by going to the CTV web site.
It would be nice to have someone less pompus than Tom Clark as the host of PP and someone with a capacity for unbiased comment on QP. Instead we get Cranky Craig and Giggles Taber (The has been and the never was).
The end of Question Period on Sunday featured four reporters slagging the government. This is not news and certainly not reporting. Who are the producers? If they’re so proud of their show, why is there no way to comment on the output of these clowns? Fortunately, Jim Travers wasn’t on for most of the show.
If I was a Conservative strategist, I’d seriously consider not appearing on these two shows for a few weeks. These people are leeches who need a comeuppance.
You all know that Craig Oliver is legally blind so can’t read any of these blogs and would only know about politics from what he hears on TV or radio or what other people tell him.
Maybe his horizons are far too limited for him to be balanced in his commentary if the only “news” he hears is from the Liberal broadcast media and his Liberal cohorts.
It would be like leaving out half of the ingredients in a recipe and expecting people to still enjoy the cake.
If I was a Conservative strategist, I’d seriously consider not appearing on these two shows for a few weeks.
Jon, the problem with that is then they just have a vulture-fest on the spoils and sit around slagging the Government in their echo-chamber.
But I agree that Tom Clark was even more disgusting than usual today – if that is possible.
Lorraine, I once heard Craig say that he has an assistant who reads his emails out loud to him. With any luck maybe that same assistant reads the blogs to him too.
Owliver’s amanuensis will read this slowwwwly to Owliver.
>>> F-a-k-e scientists? Wow! it’s a scoop for Owliver.
BTW, How’s Owl’s hearing?
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“7. Philanthropist Says:
Excellent work by the government, the spread of lies and misinformation by fake scientists has led to terrible public policy and the waste of billions of dollars that could have been used for useful things like controlling pollution or helping the environment.”
“Climate-change scientists feel ‘muzzled’ by Ottawa: documents”
http://www.jacksnewswatch.com/2010/03/15/climate-change-scientists-feel-%E2%80%98muzzled%E2%80%99-by-ottawa-documents/#comments
O.K. Here we go: Guergis won’t sue airline over tantrum details.
And here’s your chance to let Jim Prentice know what you think of Canada’s environmental policy.
That was what was so maddening about CTV and CBC tonight and I shut them both off. It had already been stated in QP that she was not going to sue, and they kept right on asking all the panelists about the wrong story. Somebody is keeping this going to get rid of Helena.
Did anyone hear Vic Toews say that other MPs had reacted badly at airports and he wouldn’t name names.
Ruth, Gabby mentioned some of those items yesterday. Check out the one about McCallum!
Why the leftists are obsessed with Jaffer/the taliban, etc.
Remember Janine Kreiber’s Facebook rant re Europe?
Here is an excerpt:
“Like all the liberal parties in Europe, it will become a poor little thing at the mercy of ephemeral coalitions. For having refused the historic coalition that could have placed it at the head of the left, it will be punished by history.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/729113
The leftists are using the Jaffer/taliban ploys as a smokescreen to deflect attention from the fact that its socialism is falling/failing.
The evidence:
“”CNN: Are there any countries in the world that are taking the right approach?
Zakaria: We are at a unique moment. If you were to look at the countries that have significant problems with their public finances … where their debt to GDP ratio is, 60, 70, 80, 90 percent of GDP, they’re by and large all the richest countries in the world: The United States, Japan, France, Britain.”
“World faces a day of financial reckoning”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471636/posts
The omission of Canada from the listing is huge. The Big Four countries listed are products of socialism.
The socialist province of Quebec has the biggest deficit in Canada.
The left-liberals/socialists are scared shirtless.
In any case I think that CTV needs to issue a formal correction and apology.
If that happened, the cons would have to retract a lot of lies promoted by CTV whom is not known for their non partisan comments and views. Don’t make them angry because they could turn their back on The Reform Alliances known as CONS.
Joanne, I’ve heard a lot of stuff about your adored leader but I know that what I’ve heard is not always facts so stop the cons spin. Using a little common sense would do wonders for you. Gossip is just gossip so cut it out already.
The left-liberals/socialists are scared shirtless.
Maz2, I could never figure out the appeal of socialism.
Can we even imagine the outcry from the media etc if the PM did ask her to resign.
With the info that Craig is legally blind, ctv can’t get rid of him or he would go running to the HRC for discrimination against age and disability.
But, it would explain why he is always staring at the camera.
Ooops … forgot to pile-on with the socialist US State of California.
The plaintive cry of the socialists: “We cannot survive without raising taxes,”.
The socialists are heaving Hail Mary?
BTW, Owliver wants to know if his buddy, the PET Cemetery, is accepting job resumes.
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“Billions in red ink drowning California’s cities, schools and counties, too
With even well-managed counties, cities and schools finding themselves in the same budget hole that has swallowed state government, California now confronts a financial crisis that may be unrivaled — though it is also maddeningly difficult to quantify.
So just how broke is California?
California’s collective deficit may be double the state government’s $20 billion budget gap.
Now consider that California has 58 counties, 480 or so cities and nearly 1,000 school districts — plus dozens more special districts, like transit agencies and water boards.
Amid California’s harshest slump since the Great Depression, officials from one end of the state to another are preparing to close parks, fire teachers and police officers, and heave Hail Mary plans for tax hikes.
We cannot survive without raising taxes,” Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone said. “We’re just going to sit and wallow in deficits until somebody steps up.”
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com …”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2471659/posts
Joanne: Bookmark this and it will help to understand the appeal of socialism and its failure. It’s a long read and an old story.
Later, as you digest the material one can then validate the material as one sees/hears in the MSM the worldview of socialists such as Taliban Jack, Citoyen Dion, Iffy-Rae, McGuinty, et al, and the MSM itself.
Quote:
“But when the “leading theoretician” asserts that the creation of this harmonious man is achieved by shooting,”.
“But when the “leading theoretician” asserts that the creation of this harmonious man is achieved by shooting, we are face to face with a paradox. The view of socialism to which we have come encounters the same kind of difficulties and must be tested by this means for inconsistency. It is not enough to say that all the basic principles of socialist ideology derive from the urge to suppress individuality. It is necessary also to understand what this tendency portends for mankind and how it arises. We shall begin with the former question.”
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“Igor Shafarevich
The Socialist Phenomenon
TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN BY William Tjalsma
Foreword by Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn”
http://www.robertlstephens.com/essays/shafarevich/001SocialistPhenomenon.html#pagestart_270
Sorry, but once again, I have to call BS on three people.
1. Charles Adler — yes, THAT esteemed Charles Adler — and Dan Cook, who should maybe look in the mirror if we’re talking physical appearance, for sinking to the same pond scum level people like Cruella Neville have sunk to.
What did they do?
They posted this Tweet (see NNW):
“Dan Cook captures burned out beauty queen Helena Guergis’ double chin wag -This Canada Goose is cooked http://bit.ly/diPdzG via @addthis”
2. And to the idiot from CBC News — or is it the Canadian Press? — who may have been too drunk to notice and who wrote this here:
http://tinyurl.com/yal52mm
“Guergis was not in the House for question period, but faced a barrage of questions on funding for women’s groups from Neville and other opposition MPs during her appearance before the House status of women committee later Monday afternoon.”
I have to inform whichever dolt wrote that to watch QP on CPAC, shown live at 2:00 pm Eastern, and repeated at 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm. that Guergis was indeed sitting in her usual seat today.
You see what I mean? These media jerks have to be watched like hawks.
Dan Cook is an equal opportunity smug critic, slamming all politicians, the police, and other people in authority whenever he comments on a Montreal talk show.
He don’t think he allows comments on his “blog” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/blogolitics/in-pictures-parliament-hill/article1501323/
I just tried to log in — twice — and no go.
I once sent him an email asking why he doesn’t allow comments, but he didn’t even deign to acknowledge it.
Charles Adler, I’m surprised at. He’s usually on the conservative side. What’s happening to some of these people, like Tim Powers, Kory Teneycke, Tasha Kheiriddin, and now Adler?
And what to say about the CBC/CP “reporter”? Par for the course, just more inaccuracy; be it wilfull or accidental, it is shameful.
BTW, that paragon of fairness and proper behaviour Scott Reid (the Liberal one, not the Conservative MP) again spouted off about Guergis’ behaviour on Power & Politics. He’s the one who reputedly said “Alberta can blow me” and he’s also “famous” for his beer & popcorn remark, plus writing about the PM “Kill him! Kill him dead.” He’s doling out Emily Post lessons on etiquette?!?
Thanks Gabby for that. I knew I saw Helena in QP today, so when I heard them say that she wasn’t in the house, I thought I was getting senile. I’m almost as old as Craig.
“The socialist province of Quebec has the biggest deficit in Canada.”
The SOCIALIST Provinces are ALSO the ‘have not’ Provinces!
Maz2 @ 7:56 pm – Thanks for that. I’ll check it out.
Gabby you’re calling a lot of BS today – and it’s well deserved.
Ruth at 8:00 pm, I had to double check the re-broadcast of QP, to make sure too. I was pretty sure I hadn’t dreamt that Guergis was at today’s QP.
======
Joanne at 8:51 pm, yeah, I sort of got carried away there, but sometimes things have to be said in a more direct manner, which I seldom use. I’ll try to temper my remarks, rather than give free rein to my temper.
Go for it Gabby!
seems to me when Chretien choked a reporter meant nothing to reporters in which case, the reporters are in favour of it.
When Trudeau as a prime minister gave the middle finger to albertan and gave a nasty gesture to BCers also means nothing to the reporters nor any of media.
When BOB RAE told Robert Fife to ‘shut up’ that too meant nothing to him in fact FIFE accepted the criticism with a smile.
When Beer and Popcorn said “kill him, kill him dead” the national media said nothing.
What worse of all is having three opposition parties that support terrorist groups which could put our nation in jeopardy; again the national media remains silent.
Helena makes a mistake and the country wants her neck.
I would rather have Helena any day than to have any of the opposition parties running the nation with terrorists at their side.
I wonder by then what the media would say-nothing, because they would be under orders by the terrorists themselves.
This will never end until canada has a FOXCANADA.
The media we have are corrupt.
Why do think the CRTC socialist hacks are sooooo against letting Fox News in Canada, but have let in Al Jazeera?
It’s time to be rid of the CRTC, the HRC’s, the CBC, etc.
agree we desperately need foxcanada – if trying to reach CTV to complain, why not chase mr Hurst ? – also perhaps Senator Duffy knows the way in
Something for journalists to consider:
Journalist Roy MacGregor writes:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/when-journalism-is-about-hits-the-craft-goes-amiss/article1500373/
“It is time to rethink Journalism 101.
It’s no longer so much about the five W’s – who, what, where, when and why – but increasingly this nervous, uncertain business is about the five thousand, five hundred thousand, five million H’s.
As in “hits.” …
The end result should be obvious: lazy journalism. Why search out something new when the old and tried work best?
Why be a storyteller when a ranter will have far more traffic? Why be investigative when instigative is a far quicker route to success on the Web?”
[my highlighting]
Libs and their media want everyone to ignore that fact that Iffy has flown the coup(Don Martin writes)
”…Yes, you read that correctly. Just eight sitting days after declaring Parliament too pivotal to prorogue, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff embarked on a week-long national tour and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, seeing no worthy enemy combatants in the House, opted to stay in his office.
This would be the same Michael Ignatieff who wiggled his furious eyebrows last January while pledging total allegiance to the sacred, then-empty Commons. “As I hear them, Canadians are saying: get back to work in Ottawa, make this Parliament work, and do the job we elected you to do. We are listening.”
Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/03/16/don-martin-it-s-up-to-harper-to-demote-guergis.aspx#ixzz0iJdWhp4O
Gabby – I found that fascinating too. It might be why Traversty and his ilk keep writing the way they do.
Mr Iggy isn’t concerned about working for the people, he’s out trying to sell himself, it’s all about him. It ain’t working too well. His adviser, Donolo, seems to have lost his edge, if he ever had one, considering he gained his “fame” working under Chretien who really didn’t take much advice, he did what he liked.
Wilson – right you are! The Diversions-R-Us party formally known as the LPOC is spinning the Guergis stuff so fast that it’s taking all the heat of them for their hypocrisy re: screaming about Harper proroguing Parliament and then Iffy taking a hike. I found it very interesting indeed to note yesterday the bobble-heads formed around Bob Rae as he took over from the absentee leader of the opposition.
[...] afraid that this post is going to upset some of my readers but I just have to say it. Helena Guergis needs to take a time-out and get it [...]