This senate expense scandal is really bothering me, on numerous levels. I have the usual layer of disgust at politicians that essentially steal from taxpayers. Skepticism about who we really have running our country. Frustration with the sense of entitlement these people have. Annoyance/ anger/ disgust with the other “public servants” who help cover their tracks. Also, not surprised at another broken campaign promise for a transparent/ accountable government.
But what bothers me the most is this nagging feeling that this is all too convenient for the conservative agenda. Conservatives have been pushing senate abolition for quite some time. Now three conservative party members are making the senate look terrible, and rallying cries for abolition. With the conservatives get elected again because they promise to abolish the senate, even if they are the ones who caused many Canadians to think it should be abolished? It just feels tricky… and underhanded… and just so typical of the Canadian Conservative party. We know they don’t like to haves discussion on the merits of a topic (like the social utility of a senate, or lack thereof) so they create a scandal and sensationalize the whole issue. —If Only Canada Could Do Better…
This article appears in May 23-29, 2013.
“You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity” – Robert .A. Heinlein, “Logic of Empire”, 1941.
No, I think it’s villainy. Mixed with a bit of entitlement. It shouldn’t be that easy for them to steal money from the public funds that we’ve all paid into with our hard work. The stupidity rests in the apathy of the citizens for not doing something about it. Myself included. But what can we do?
First of all get your facts straight. It is the NDP who want to abolish the Senate. The Tories want a 3E Senate and God knows what the Liberals want.
As for corruption, expense abuse, etc, it’s been around in governments forever, unfortunately, from Greece to Rome to Berlin to Moscow to Tokyo to Washington to Ottawa to ad nauseum.
The Libs will want to study it, but not until they are done studying terrorists.
I almost puked with laughter when little Tommy Mulcouldcareless stood on his hind legs and said that WHEN they get elected as the Government they would abolish the Senate, go back to France wee man.
As for this post; wasn’t aware that Jesse (tinfoil hat) Ventura knew about the Coast?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opT_JGssUVk
Love the new incarnation, Baz. History owes that gentleman a fuckoff big apology.
Baz – our friend Mr. Condell has yet to weigh in on this weeks savagery, but i did find this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js18SuYxa98
Brought a much needed belly laugh
I’m pretty sure that, several years ago, the tories said something about abolishing the senate. I remember that was why it was such a big deal when, not only did they not abolish the senate, they stacked it with conservatives. Corruption might have been around forever but does that mean we should remain bent over and continue to take it up the ass saying, “Well, we’ve always taken it up the ass and now almost half of us can’t afford to live anymore but thank-you Mr. Leader for using lube this time and telling me I’m pretty.”
They stacked it in order to have the votes to change it into triple E, however Duffy et al are fucking it up. But then again every PM has put their cronies in.
Apparently for the Senate to be abolished all the Provinces have to agree to it, and of course Tiny Tim Trudeau has said that Quebecistan doesn’t want to join in, they are used to corruption and don’t want to eliminate the staus quo.
Simple: elected senate.
Do elected officials have more integrity/honor/discipline/etc than appointed ones? I’m pretty sure our PM thinks he got his mandate from God.
Enoch, you’re the quintessential Conservative. Nothing about the subject at hand, just attacks on some other political parties leader as mis-direction. You are nothing but a tired old Conservative attack add, and getting easier and easier to discount as a loon.
I’ve emailed the PM’s office asking that my name be added to the list for Senator’s to help with the Senate reform.
I also quoted “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” ~ Ariel Durant
A little heavy, I know. But I’m hoping it will speak to his ego. Fingers Crossed!!!
Once again, I’ll comment with: Did you vote?
I’m so sick of hearing people complain about shit and watch them do NOTHING about it.
Stop being victims. Take control over that which you have control.
Hate the politics? Vote. Hate your partner? DTMFA. Don’t like the scene in Halifax? Move. Don’t get enough ___? Go find it.
This isn’t brain surgery, just common sense. Please feel free to dislike, as victims will…
Of course Canada can do better, OB!
Vote Captain!
SHITD (the moniker says it all) If you could find someone, probably one of the staff at the East Coast Forensic Hospital, or failing that, a fellow inmate/patient, who is/are capable of reading and comprehension, then they might be kind enough to explain to you that my 3 posts on here are indeed subject related.
I poke fun at the other party leaders because it’s a blood sport, one isn’t exactly a leader more the beneficiary of the old lucky sperm club.
Oh, and BTW, the correct spelling would be ‘attack ad’ and not ADD.
It’s a long way to 2015, and Stevie Boy has a majority thanks to voter disgust at the Liberals and voter apathy.
This pretty much sums up the swooning adoration, by the mostly adoring female audience, of when Pretty Boy Trudeau touched down in Shawshank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqQvEcc3y1U
all politicians have an agenda. If you think change in administration will change a damn thing in terms of misappropriation of funds, you’re making an idiot of yourself.
Stop trusting any of them. They all have the SAME agenda and that’s to get their grubby paws on your money.
Don’t be brainwashed by “sides”. They all work together.
That’s why you should vote for The Captain, crayons!
He’s not a politician!
Where’s tuxedo stan when you need him?
I’d definitely vote for a cat for PM.
Is he de-clawed?
If not that house of commons channel might just see a lot more in ratings..
http://i.imgur.com/LaRy3N0.jpg
RSVP
: Enoch Powell (05/26, 2:46PM)
“… Tiny Tim Trudeau has said that Quebecistan doesn’t want to join in, they are used to corruption and don’t want to eliminate the status quo.”
Close Enoch, but no cigar. While we are indeed used to corruption – some are beginning to wonder about Chief Justice Charbonneau herself – I quote from today’s The Gazette (“Trudeau hammered over Senate reform stance”) to reveal the real reason Tiny Tim is against Senate reform:
“‘We have 24 senators from Quebec and there are just six from Alberta and six from British Columbia. That’s to our advantage’, Trudeau said in response to the new NDP push to have the scandal-plagued $91.5 million a year upper chamber abolished.”
So now you know.
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
Mister Meaty…yes I voted. Am not convinced that voting helps much as the person I voted for did not get elected – and I don’t support any of the parties that I get to choose from.
that’s meaty’s go to question
Don’t worry, Meaty, the feeling’s mutual.
baz hates women more than liberals
This message approved by the Liberal Party of Canada.
i only join leagues
LOL Paingirl. I only join angry mobs.
I joined Columbia House.
Franklin Mint – “Once in, never out”
The only way you quit them is feet first.
Oh HAY no new bitches.
I’m SHOCKED.
Well Hoist…
The person for whom I voted was not elected either, but I vote nonetheless.
You see, our beloved Mr. Harper RELIES on apathetic voters. If the majority of people who vote are backwards, right-winged dickheads, then their backwards, right-winged party wins; we – those who have common sense – lose.
Yes, they are mostly criminals in suits. There are other reforms that need to happen, such as getting rid of a crooked government.
But because people didn’t vote – along with creating a long list of bad public policies – our beloved Mr. Harper change the laws so not only that we can’t get rid of his crooked government, we’re stuck with it for longer than we could have been.
So yes, I ask the inevitable question: Did you vote? ‘Cause if you didn’t, you don’t have the right to complain.
Hopefully you, and the others who don’t quite understand the impact of their inaction, now get it?!
If not, please don’t question or comment on things you don’t understand (it makes you look stupid).
“If not, please don’t question or comment on things you don’t understand (it makes you look stupid).”
HA! you friggin hypocrite
“Did you vote? ‘Cause if you didn’t, you don’t have the right to complain.” – The Captain can’t complain, eh’? Go fuck yourself, little meaty. I’ve every right to complain, just as much as you do. We’re born into service to these preexisting government and economic structures. Forcing someone to bend knee and participate in them, especially if they desire change, falls just short of slavery.
I’ll not participate in a system that doesn’t even represent half the countries population on a good day, and has never truly represented my ideals. My next vote will be cast in the hope that it will help dismantle current political structures, not in the hope of electing another ego-driven figurehead to help perpetuate outdated and ineffective governments.
No, sorry… you can’t complain about something when you do nothing to resolve the problem.
Complaining won’t help to fix things.
Once you grow in maturity, then we can converse sensibly.
Until then, you’re acting like a child and I have no time for children (though they are quite tasty).
“…when you do nothing to resolve the problem.” – Oh?! I’ve done nothing? For someone who knows nothing about my personal life, that’s one incredible assumption.
You’ll have to explain how becoming educated about, and then quickly disenchanted with, our government is at all immature or childish. I’d say going along with the status quo, because you’ve been brainwashed to think it’ll make a difference, is ignorant and short sighted. Maybe when you develop some critical thinking, meaty, I’ll be able to converse with you.
Thinking things will change when we keep doing exactly the same thing every year is insane.
And complaining DOES help fix things. How do you think problems are identified? Someone complains. If someone is excluded, how do we know? Someone complains. When cars are running cyclists off the road, coffee shops are serving crap coffee, and people are waking up to find people staring in their windows, when do we discover it’s a problem? When someone, like you, complains.
I voted, but even if I didn’t, my “right to complain” would still be covered under my “right to free speech”. Who the fuck gave YOU the authority to take away any of MY “rights”, Meat Puppet? All you have is an opinion, and it doesn’t mean shit to anyone but you. I hate Harper and crooked bunch of assclowns but, don’t tell me what MY “rights” are. I pay taxes, therefore I can complain about those collecting it and spending it!!!!!
No assumptions – I based that on your last post, simply that! You wrote, “I’ll not participate in a system…”. If you don’t participate (vote), you have no right to complain. The operative here is ~having the right to…
I won’t vote, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t voted before.
Voting did me absolutely no good. As I’ve said before, I can’t even choose from anyone who effectively represents me or my needs.
And I guess I do participate by paying taxes, as SHITD pointed out (taxes that help fund federal governments that I’ve never voted for, BTW). So you can suck The Captain’s cock if you still think your argument is valid.
Okay! I love to suck cock, if you weren’t already aware…
And let me come back to my earlier point:
“But because people didn’t vote – along with creating a long list of bad public policies – our beloved Mr. Harper change the laws so not only that we can’t get rid of his crooked government, we’re stuck with it for longer than we could have been.”
By not voting, it perpetuates the problem; it doesn’t fix it.
And, why do you feel the need to be nasty?
Dammit! That definitely didn’t go as planned…
It’s the end of the day… I apologize for letting that mar one of my favorite debate topics. Approaching the end of the day, The Captain usually has to set sail for the… *ahem*… ‘high’ seas. He can get quite, quite wound up otherwise.
No worries! Let’s get together sometime and sail the “high” seas (see? we have something in common). Then I’ll suck your cock…!
now that’s a league
Yes to the first part and then No to the second part. The Captain’s Navigator would murder him if it was discovered his oar was paddling uncharted waters.
But, I’m always liberal with my stash, bro!
Ahhhh…..Mr. Meaty…I just told you that I did vote in the last election…and then you went on some half cocked (no pun intended) rant about my ‘inaction’ and how I didn’t have a right to complain because I didn’t vote. Are you high? Or just looking for attention?
Look, if you think voting is the solution here, then by all means go vote for Trudeau or one of the other puppets. Unlike you, I’ve been paying attention to the things he’s saying and he’s not a lot different than the conservatives, so I have no reason to believe that I will be voting for anything different than what I’ve got now by casting a ballot for him. I’m not a fan of the NDP anymore either, I guess I was voting for Jack more than the party.
I get what you’re saying about voting AGAINST Harper rather than FOR someone else but I think I’ll be spoiling my ballot next election in protest. The system, as it is today, is broken and does not work for the average citizen. The change we need to see in this country and in the west as a whole will not come from a ballot box. Voting in a new figure-head won’t do anything but distract us for a while.
anyone but harper would work for me, i always vote
…and as a country our voter turnout sucks, i’ll defend your right not to vote but it would be nice to see it go above 50%
I have voted in every federal and provincial election since I was 18 years old. Currently, on the federal level, I don’t trust any of them any more or less than I do King Harper. It’s either spoil the ballot or close my eyes and pick one.
Years ago while voting,I wrote cartoon names beside each name on the ballet..lol
Part of me likes the idea of a “spoil the ballot” movement, you know, but we would need something on the other end of that–not just another giant ‘fuck the taxpayers again’ with another costly election and/or extended in-House phillibusters, or proroguing for some ridiculous reason–that would all just be SSDD.
Maybe if a new party were in the offering–‘Party For Change’ has both a nice ring and appropriate echo, an amalgam of truly interested politicos [there has to be a few good ones, like say Scott Brison and Cap here:)] led by someone actually honest and intelligent, like say Joe Clark [no kidding, I would LOVE it if this guy came out of retirement], maybe if something like that could come out of spoiling the ballot, then I would engage in the political action of spoiling my vote….
…until then I will continue to do as I have done for most of my voting life, which is vote….like Hoist and Cap [and seemingly most posters here], I cannot seem to hit on a party that actually has the levels of interest, intelligence, and ethics [I abhor mud campaigns], to suit what I believe are not just my own needs, but the needs of this country as a whole….but not even obvious and intentional silence can work when those in power deem silence as complicity [what Mr. Meaty might call apathy], which seems to be a fundamental part of the conservative ‘think-machine’ these days, IMO.
So I will look past the mud-slinging , the club names, and the figureheads; read and educate myself, and try to figure out which party seems to have the greater gestalt of the afore-noted criteria–and that’s who gets my vote.
Like Painy, I too will defend an individual’s right not to vote–I have exercised that right on a few occasions, for political reasons. But not-voting has also been a self-informing experience–while current social and political structures do need to change, not voting or spoiling the ballot, unfortunately would only seem to feed the monster we know as Western politics.
Those are great points she sang and you are absolutely correct in asking “if enough people spoil their ballots, what would come at the other end of that?” The honest answer is that I don’t know. But a spoiled ballot does not count as a default vote for the current party, it counts as just that – a spoiled ballot.
If enough people do it (not my goal btw, more of a personal protest than anything) a better party, like the one you described, might form. Then again, maybe a worse one would. All I can say for certain is that, for most people, what we have is not working any more.
It could be worse, though, in many ways. At least we don’t live under some dictatorship where you’re lucky if you can feed yourself. Personally, I have brighter hopes for Canada than simply not being as bad as somewhere else.
I’d like to see a structure in place that prosecutes criminals regardless of their political/social status under the same laws as every other citizen. It’s not asking much and it’s a good place to start.
I wish Chris Hadfield would form a party called the Science party and usher in a new era of enlightenment. That would be awesome.
Thanks Hoist and right backatcha:) I got from your comments that a spoiled ballot would be more of a personal protest for you (similar to my reasons for not voting at certain times in the past), but my experience with that type of action is that it can be really anti-climactic.
I also agree with your point that Canada needs to be seen as good not because it is ‘not as bad as other places’…I would like our country to be seen as a place where politicians and non-politicians are intelligent and caring (i.e. caring enough to be honest, to say the very least)–a place where forward-thinking and inclusiveness are part of the national core, and truth and transparency power our political parties, not weaken them….but how do we get there?
Hoist, I think your ‘starting point’ idea is great….but focussing on criminal prosecution (even, maybe especially, righteous prosecutory action), would probably (right now) only serve to boost the Conservative agenda….in terms of starting points I am thinking more at the grass-roots level (a little a la Jack Layton)–perhaps community volunteering paired with political science in High Schools as a required yearly course would be a good place to start, along with a big healthy dose of Front Page Challenge–seriously.
It seems to me that if we of our gen get involved with the upcoming gen to create meaningful social experiences and discourse, we really can figure things out and implement changes that will make things better.
I also really like your idea of a ‘Science Party’…..gonna muse on that one–nice food for thought:) Thanks for the thoughtful response dude;)
Zombie Sagan 2016!!!
Nice points, SheSang & Hoist. That was some good morning reading for The Captain 🙂
You’d think enough spoiled ballots would indicate no voter confidence in the candidates, meaning we’d like to be given more options than red pill/blue pill please.
I stand corrected, you did say you voted.
However, spoiling your ballot in protest equates to inaction, no?
hey meaty i agree with you. If you’re not going to do anything about it, you really look like a giant ass bitching about it.
a-hem…
spoiling your ballot doesn’t equal to inaction simply because the definition of spoiling a ballot is flawed.
If i write in my dad come voting time, i have technically spoiled my ballot in the eyes of the powers that be.
However in MY opinion, I am making my voice HEARD by saying “Yeah i’ve looked over all your candidates and they’re giant turd sandwiches. Therefore I will write in the person i feel is best for the job”
My my meaty.. you certainly have quite a rigid view on how people should interact with authority. Not so me. I do whatever the fuck i want within the confines of what’ll get my ass tossed in jail (It’s not THAT worth it to rebel. Yet.)
Actually, under law, you may write another person’s name on a ballot; that does not make it a spoiled one.
From Wikipedia:
“In Canada, a ‘spoiled ballot’ is one that has been handled by an elector in such a manner that it is ruined and cannot be used, or one that is found by the deputy returning officer to be soiled or improperly printed.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoilt_vote
I’ve worked in prisons… the guys there are kinda’ hot (don’t get jealous Captain… LOL!)…
How does either voting for a giant douche or a turd sandwich improve things?
I’d actually like to see some sort of ‘righteous independent’ get in there and take all the fucking parties to task.
” NDP, Lib, Conserv… fuck you all… everything you’re trying to hide, lay it all out now.
I’m the mutha fuckin PM and if any of you crooks are going to jail.
Do not pass go, do not collect $200. “
Actually finding someone like that who won’t be corrupt with his new, fawning cronies…
now that would be the tough part. I’m not even sure the Captain could resist the dark side once in power. The only person I would trust is me and I don’t think I’m going to be PM any time soon…
“I think in Atlantic Canada, because of what happened in the decades following Confederation, there is a culture of defeat that we have to overcome. “
– Stephen Harper
And you’re certainly doing all you can to help us, aren’t you?
“We’re not going to scrap the budget and make up some totally new platform the day after the election. So it’s certainly willingness to compromise but we’re not going back on the fundamental things we’re running on in this campaign.”
Stephen Harper
like, oooo, abolishing the senate? right, ok…
“We’ll support the government on issues if it’s essential to the country but our primary responsibility is not to prop up the government, our responsibility is to provide an opposition and an alternative government for Parliament and for Canadians. “
Stephen Harper
Funny enough, that’s exactly what I (and I don’t think I’m alone here) are looking for as well.
Trudeau would be wise to publicly state this exact quote…
Oh, and my personal favorite….
“”Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it”
-Stephen Harper
Speech to a Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, June 1997
what a dewsh
“I’m not even sure the Captain could resist the dark side once in power.” – Well he can’t even resist it now, sooo…
I’m going to stick my head out the window and shout, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!”
A pleasure as always,
Cheerio!
@MM: Niiice:D You know how to Network–quite well, I might add! I KNEW underneath all the rhetoric there was an authentic DUDE!
@Hoist: love the new avatar! I really liked the old one too–very cool;). I recently did a little political sketch involving our maple leaf–you might find it interesting……maybe Ill post it some time 😉