@kenneyjason @JimRichardsShow Well, if they were innocent Sri Lankan mother-in-laws of Tamil descent I'm sure you'd figure out a way!
*** FIN ***
Update @3:05 CST - My mother-in-law says the CPC has just lost the "mother-in-law" vote!
Update #2 @3:08 CST - In a desperate attempt to pull an Oda-esque "NOT" losing the mother-in-law vote the Harper Government's Immigration Minister,Jason Kenney, is now going to try and bury his earlier tweet with more banal tweets; to wit:
Conservative Shelly Glover is prone to gaffes and tripping herself up. Yesterday she accused Winnipeg South Centre Liberal MP Anita Neville of being too old to do the job. Of being past her "expiry date". Rightly her comments were viewed as ageist. Today, panicked, Glover was in full frontal damage control mode. Yet, rather than apologizing, she then tried to explain away her face-planting gaffe by lying about Anita Neville's voting record.
Ms. Neville never did any such thing. The legislation that Glover refers to was contained in the bogus Tory Budget 2011 which, as CBC pointed out, was never brought up for debate and/or voted upon. Why? Because Glover and her party were found to be in CONTEMPT of Parliament. So tell me Ms. Glover, hours before your petulant and power-hungry leader is scheduled to set down here in Winnipeg: Do you stand by this lie?
Sorry... I can't hear you. "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?..."
First go see the official Government of Canada Finance website. See how prominently the Tory election platform is displayed? No surprise really. After all what would you expect of serial abusers like Harpo & Co who believe, in their heart of hearts, that the public purse is there to be raped for partisan purposes. See here also.
Fact is "No Confidence" Harpo and his band of contemptuous usurpers will leave this free advertising up for as long as they can get away with it. In my calls to members of the Public Service at the Finance Department today it was acknowledged that "somebody had brought this up this morning" - but as of yet they have had no clear directive to take the shameless partisan items down. They are awaiting guidance. Needless to say, Flaherty's minions at Finance will wait until the last possible moment to abide by the law before making a change.
Following my conversation with a poor and clearly besieged conscientious public servant (whose tone, if not words, conveyed awareness that this abuse is not proper), I then phoned CBC "Power & Politics" to convey my concern. A nice gent named Greg took my message and promised to forward it on... well let's see what Evan Solomon and Co. do with it today. Or like so many other blatant examples of the "Harper Government" abuses of Government of Canada websites will it fall through the cracks of the election cycle spin?
Bottom line, Harpo & Co. know this is wrong. The "Budget 2011" was never debated, it was never passed and it is NOT Canadian Government policy... why? Because his government was found in CONTEMPT for this very sort of behaviour. Enough is enough, no more taxpayer dollars for their partisan agenda.
Rod Bruinooge is not the right man for Winnipeg South. He should quit politics. Ill-suited to the job of MP and facing a tough Liberal opponent - he'd probably be better off (and happier?) if he just switched careers now and became a full-time pastor in some far right evangelical setting.
I've never re-posted before; but I believe because Bruinooge once again is asking for my vote this election season - it is both timely and apt that I do so today. Especially after his absurd attempt last December to introduce a wholly unnecessary anti-abortion private members bill (Roxanne's Law) on the floor of the House of Commons.Criminy, even Harpo & Co.'s power brokers couldn't agree with the premise of his none to subtle attempt to spur a renewed abortion debate in this country:
Written two years ago (and somewhat dated) I still stand by the concerns raised in the original post. Here, from May 19th, 2009, is the original post in its entirety:
Winnipeg South Tory MP Rod Bruinooge is my Member of Parliament. As such, I like to know what he's doing on my behalf. Last week I was delighted to read of Bruinooge'sannouncement that federal funding has finally materialized to upgrade a very dangerous rail crossing near my house. It's one that I traverse hundreds (if not thousands) of times a year, so yep, this sure was welcome news.
Hmm, ... wonder what else intrepid Odd-Rod has been up to lately?
Oh Drats! Unfortunately, that is a question easier asked than answered.
The problem is that it is no longer easy to keep a tab on Bruinooge's activities. You see his official website, once a fairly reliable source that allowed his constituents see what he was up to, has changed. At the very least, you think his site would strive to highlight the kind of announcement mentioned above - sadly, it doesn't bother.
Instead, it seems now that Mr. Bruinooge and his "crack" constituency office have better things to do than keep we constituents informed. What Odd-Rod is actually doing and saying seems to be intentionally ignored at his own site. Rarely updated, his current website lacks clarity and transparency. The last "recent event" posting on his site is dated April 5th, 2009 and, presumably, is was intended to highlight how he helped mark the significance of the 92nd Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. I say presumably because there is no way to verify the snippet presented. You see the link to the item leads to a dead MSNBC page, so while I have no doubt he was recently supportive of Canada's history of sacrifice at the Battle of Vimy - I also, based on the link provided, have no proof.
What I do have proof of is that MP Bruinooge has apparently decided Facebook is the platform best suited to advance his narrow anti-abortion agenda. How else does one explain why his official site contains NO mention of his much publicized anti-abortion statement last December - or his recent assertion that Canada has seen "an alarming increase in the number of cases where ... free speech [is] suppressed". Sure, his "official" website notes he is "chair of the multi-party pro-life caucus"; but it does not contain any links that would allow us to read what he is actually saying about the issue.
Funny, had I relied only on his official website and not bothered to track down his facebook site, I would never have been aware that he considers the "world view" of 65+% of his constituents to be "tainted'. Oh Rod, how odd?
Well, maybe not so odd; true he is upfront on one of his four Facebook pages that contain such links as:
Being up front on Facebook is one thing - but, apparently, Rod considers being up front on one's OFFICIAL WEBSITE to be something else altogether (i.e. not necessary). If his site is to be believed, 2009 has so far been an unremarkable year for Odd-Rod. In fact, it itemizes his attendance at only three "events" since the January.
And, it most certainly, does not include any reference to this!
Hmm curious ... you would think Odd-Rod would be proud to include the video endorsement above on his public political website? After all, he clearly believes Ezra Levant is "telling it like it is"? Further, his promise to help Ezra to "continue" the fight to abolish s. 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act is no small pledge. It's something that we, as his constituents, should be apprised of.... no?
If my MP Rod Bruinooge truly believes in what he is saying on Facebook and at events like the one celebrating Ezra Levant and his "Shake Down" theory on Canada's flawed(?) Human Rights Act, fine. But the least he could do is be transparent about these activities on his official website. After all, we South Winnipeg voters don't want to have any "tainted ideas" about what Odd-Rod really stands for before we head into the next election... now do we?
Update *** Oh my, miracles of miracles, Bruinooge's Official Website has just updated its "Recent Events" listings for the first time in 6 weeks. Hmm, ... wonder what prompted that?
AGAIN: "Misleading the public has never been a strategy I've condoned." Rod Bruinooge
*** END OF ORIGINAL POST ****
Addendum: Rod Bruinooge has many problems. Not the least of which is that he's long overdue for a career change. God-Allah-Buddha & the ghost of Mrs. Muir be willing, one can only hope that said career change will be upon him on May 2nd, 2011.
Rod Bruinooge is nothing if not tight-lipped when it comes to the abject failure of Harper's Conservative Party to stand up for aboriginal people.
According to the Winnipeg Sun, the Harper Government's refusal "to match a $3.5 million commitment" by Manitoba to support Winnipeg's hosting of the inaugural 2012 World Indigenous Games has led to the event's cancellation. As an event organizer said, "the wheels fell off" when Harper's Conservatives failed to support the initiative and now this "lack of federal support means Canada might not be the place to host the first games." Typical! Bloody typical!
OUR democracy will, in mere minutes, pronounce a righteous "NO CONFIDENCE" in a government that has shamed our parliamentary tradition. Good riddance Harper!
Update: At 1:21pm CST here in Winnipeg my ever faithful CBC radio has just told me the 'die has been cast' - alas, this is good for we who have always been in the MAJORITY (the 64% of us who didn't vote for Harpo & Co. last election) ... may our numbers grow!
So what is the true story behind why my Conservative MP in Winnipeg South, "Rocket Rod" (aka "Odd-Rod") Bruinooge was unable to cast any vote whatsoever on bill C-393 ("An Act to amend the Patent Act drugs for international humanitarian purposes...")?
Curiouser still because I know that on March 9th he was present both on the Hill and in the House. Even odder because when I phoned his parliamentary office earlier this month, a member of his staff went out of their way to remind me that Odd-Rod is not the kind of MP who ever "misses a vote" - ergo, given my call occurred on March 9th ... his not voting on C-393 that very same day is indeed very strange stuff.
Did Bruinooge know, in effect, the Tories had planned all along to leave the bill in an aborted stage on the Senate floor?
Or, alternatively (and/or concurrently) could it be that Bruinooge (much like Montreal's Tory Senator Larry Smith) had already been approached by Big Pharma here and told to either vote no and let them keep maximizing their obscene profits because of our flawed drug patent laws - or to simply (again very simply) stay away altogether? Hmm? Why wouldn't Conservative MP Rod Bruinooge cast any vote at all on a bill designed to improve access to life saving drugs for HIV/AIDS patients in Africa?
What are his true reasons for missing both C-393 votes? Did he know something we didn't?
"And therefore New Democrats will NOT support the budget as presented." - Jack Layton at 3:44pm CST on CBC radio here in Winnipeg.
So Harpo & Co. here ya go... an election we do have. Good riddance to ya!
Now, if only both the NDP and Liberal opposition parties can keep their eye on the ball and not become distracted by petty things. Gentlemen (and ladies) start your engines!
Canadian Opposition parties find Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government "IN CONTEMPT". The important thing here to remember is that our duly elected federal representatives (who garnered 64% of all federal votes cast in 2008) have found the MINORITY HARPER GOVERNMENT in contempt of OUR Parliament. After all the prorogues, all the lies, all the abuses, and all of the misuses of authority exhibited by the HARPER GOVERNMENT these past five years - it's about time!
Today's Globe & Mail poll reflects Canadian values - unless you're a cog in the broken ego-maniacal machine known as Harpo & Co! In which case, your on the wrong side again!
Five years on, and too many scandals to mention, it is clear to all rational Canadians with ears and/or eyes that Harpo's words and actions are as cheap, tawdry, and empty as a whore's promise of love when the money (i.e. the vote) is the issue. His fauxcommitment to transparency is, like everything else about the man, notable only for its absence. With no heart and no shame ... all that he covets is political gain. Fuck him, let's tell him his run is done!
Here's but a tidbit from Andrew Wherry's recent piece at MacLeans on he who has renamed OUR Canadian Government after himself, ... it's worth a full read!
"The man who once said there wouldn’t be a recession now congratulates himself for having seen the country through the downturn. The man who once said he’d never run a deficit now says he’s the only one who can be trusted to get us out of the red. The man who once derided Canada now campaigns on his love of country and loudly questions the patriotism of all others. The man who once predicted that the Liberals would lose power when a coalition overtook them and who then joined with the leaders of the Bloc Quebecois and NDP to ask that the Governor General consider her “options” before allowing the Liberal minority government of the day to dissolve Parliament, now says “losers” don’t get to form government."
The only thing missing in this pic is the six-shooter Cowboy Kenny plans to use for electoral "target" practice on the "Very Ethnic" voters. Err... that and any sign of "very ethnic" Ukrainians from Winnipeg's Elmwood riding!
