Opening Post
Opening Post
Looking at the NDP shadow cabinet and the House Seating Plan, I note the following:
New (2011) MPs on the front bench:
Françoise Boivin, Critic for Justice
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, Critic for Housing
Anne-Marie Day, Critic for Employment Insurance
Manon Perreault, Critic for Disability Issues
In the second row:
Nicole Turmel, Whip
Sadia Groguhé, Deputy House Leader
Robert Chisholm, Critic for Fisheries and Oceans, and the Atlantic Gateway.
Alexandre Boulerice, Critic for Labour
Matthew Kellway, Critic for Military Procurement
Hélène LeBlanc, Critic for Industry
Jinny Sims, Critic for Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism
Marie-Claude Morin, Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women
Matthew Dubé, Critic for Sport
Hélène Laverdière, Critic for Americas and Consular Affairs
Craig Scott, Critic for Democratic and Parliamentary Reform
Ruth Ellen Brosseau, Deputy Critic for Agriculture
Christine Moore, Deputy Critic for Defence
Paulina Ayala, Deputy Critic for Americas and Consular Affairs
In the third row with critic positions:
Phil Toone, Deputy Whip
Romeo Saganash, Critic for International Development
Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, Critic for Seniors
Mathieu Ravignat, Critic for Treasury Board
Randall Garrison, Critic for Public Safety and LGBT
Hoang Mai, Critic for National Revenue
Kennedy Stewart, Critic for Science and Technology
Pierre-Luc Dusseault, Chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
Dan Harris, Deputy Critic for Industry
Robert Aubin, Deputy Critic for Transport, Infrastructure and CommunitiesTransport, Infrastructure and Communities
Guy Caron, Deputy Critic for Finance
Ève Péclet, Deputy Critic for Foreign Affrairs
Andrew Cash, Deputy Critic for Heritage
Annick Papillon, Deputy Critic for Consumer Protection
In the fourth row with critic positions:
Pierre Nantel, Critic for Heritage
Jasbir Sandhu,Critic for Asia Pacific Gateway
Jean Rousseau, Critic for Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec
François Lapointe, Critic for Small Business and Tourism
Jamie Nichols, Deputy Critic for Energy and Natural Resources
Anne Minh-Thu Quach, Deputy Critic for Environment
Djaouida Sellah, Deputy Critic for Health
Alexandrine Latendresse, Deputy Critic for Democratic Reform
Tyrone Benskin, Deputy Critic for Official Languages
Laurin Liu, Deputy Critic for Science and Technology
Mike Sullivan, Deputy Critic for Housing and Disability Issues
Rosane Doré Lefebvre, Deputy Critic for Public Safety
Denis Blanchette, Deputy Critic for Public Works and Government Services
Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, Deputy Critic for Aboriginal Affairs
In the fifth row with critic positions:
Ryan Cleary, Critic for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Post Secondary Education
Pierre Dionne Labelle, Critic for Francophonie
Charmaine Borg, Critic for Digital Issues
Dany Morin, Deputy Critic for LGBT
Sylvain Chicoine, Deputy Critic for Veterans
That's a lot of talent to be promoted. Are the NDP caucus staff doing the job?
Q.: who are you going to demote?
I'll have a glow in my heart all week knowing that the NDP has a Critic for Digital Issues.
I'll try to remember when I hurt my fingers.
Digital issues is an important one, growing in importance all the time. I don't think miss Borg deserves your cruel sarcasm Kens.
You assume it is sarcasm.
How about the joy of literal reading?
My apolegies then, sometimes on the net it can be hard to tell.
Q.: who are you going to demote?
Was anyone demoted, or are these all new positions?
That's a lot of talent to be promoted. Are the NDP caucus staff doing the job?
I didn't mean these new MPs will be further promoted within caucus. They already have been.
I mean they should be publicly promoted. The media keep saying things like "the NDP doesn't have the bench strength." Yes, we do. Can we headline this better?
Hard to promote the team when the focus is all on the leader. All parties are leader centric partially because as soon as the caucus becomes prominent the MSM will scream that the leader is weak. For some of us the strongest leader would be one who decentralizes control and allows decisions to be made by MP's rather than the spin doctors in the Leaders office. Unfortunately I see no end to the reign of the spin doctors whose job is to look for short term political gain.
Hard to promote the team when the focus is all on the leader. All parties are leader centric partially because as soon as the caucus becomes prominent the MSM will scream that the leader is weak. For some of us the strongest leader would be one who decentralizes control and allows decisions to be made by MP's rather than the spin doctors in the Leaders office. Unfortunately I see no end to the reign of the spin doctors whose job is to look for short term political gain.
A common reaction. But how true is it? Check the NDP website.
Irresponsible for Conservatives to sell guns prohibited here to Colombia. " . . . the Conservatives unfortunately don’t seem to get it,” said NDP Justice critic Françoise Boivin.
PM must show leadership, agree to meeting with First Nations leaders (which he then did.) "Now is the time for leaders to sit down together and work out solutions -- and New Democrats stand ready to assist in these efforts," said Mathieu Ravignat. "The government must fulfill its promises from last January's meetings and start working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples."
While Obama moves forward on gun safety, Harper takes a step back. “Firearms continue to be smuggled into Canada,” said NDP Public Safety critic Randall Garrison (Esquimalt – Juan de Fuca). “Cutting CBSA funding makes absolutely no sense. We know that smuggled guns are fuelling street violence in major cities.”
NDP continues campaign to end pay-to-pay fee rip-off. "Forcing Canadians to pay just so they can find out how much they have to pay is a clear rip-off,” said New Democrat MP Andrew Cash. “These fees penalize primarily seniors and families who are already struggling to pay their bills." (Andrew chairs the Toronto Caucus of the NDP and is the Deputy Critic for Canadian Heritage.)
Harper government irresponsible in approving Nexen takeover. “The NDP wants foreign investment that promotes research, sustainable development and job creation in Canada,” said NDP Industry Critic Hélène LeBlanc. “For years we have been pushing for a clear definition of “net benefit,” as well as for more transparency and public consultations. The Conservatives broke their two-year-old promise to review the act and have failed Canadians.”
Forgotten files in Buffalo another example of immigration mismanagement. “This Conservative boondoggle transformed the Canadian dream of thousands of people into a total nightmare,” said NDP Immigration Critic, Jinny Sims. “Minister Kenney must take responsibility and deal with these forgotten applications once and for all.” “By making hasty reforms and massive cuts, Minister Kenney is damaging our immigration system. Under Kenney’s watch, CIC has become less transparent, less effective and less compassionate. Minister Kenney spends more time managing ethnic outreach than he does managing his ministry,” concluded New Democrat Deputy Critic for Immigration, Sadia Groguhé.
Conservative cuts hurting Canada’s aerospace industry. “Under the Conservatives, Canada’s aerospace industry is losing ground. Other countries are doing more and better than Canada and that’s worrying,” said NDP Industry critic, Hélène LeBlanc. “The Conservative government can and must do more,” said deputy critic, Dan Harris. “Cutting 10% of the Canadian Space Agency’s budget is counter-productive and the report recommends providing them with stable funding.”
And so on. A start. But a press release needs some drama to headline it.
"No bench strength" is code, I believe, for "no support among apparatchiks or ability to replace the Liberal Apparatchik class." By Apparatchik, I mean the group who staff campaigns, minister's offices and higher party positions. Because the Liberal Party had had unusual strength among the corporate class since WWII, that group is right-leaning.
See http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/12/30/the-liberals-strange-quest-for-the-ce...
If part of the Liberal's attraction was as a ticket to power, these were the people who used that ticket the most. But that ticket doesn't work anymore and that class can't stand the thought of their own exclusion. So they say that Canada can't live without them an NDP attempt to form government will fail due to their absence.
Worse, the old payoff for this class, entry into the federal Public Service, is closed. There used to a a provision in the Public Service Employment Act that Minister's Staff could apply for internal government postings for a year after they left the Minister's office. That provision was repealed in 2008. That little provisio was a key link in the roundabout between Liberal fundraiser/staff, Minister's Office and Public Service. Guess what gave the federal Public Service it's reputation for being Liberal?
But think of Ruth-Ellen Brosseau, dear Vegas. After her miraculous election, the voters in Berthier-Maskinonge realized that they were responsible for their own choice and at least gave her a chance. Ms Brosseau likewise did the honest thing and put her nose to the grindstone. They gave each other a chance. I read La Presse and a year after her election there was a glowing article in the paper about her; she had moved to the riding, became a good constituency MP and her French was acceptable to the voters. And she's a good Deputy Critic too. If Canada had more people like her we'd have far less problems and be much better off.
I have some friends who are part of the Apparatchik class in Ottawa. That class is hyperventilating at the though that the Liberals have been relegated to chump status. The NDP scares them. They despise the Tories. And they have nowhere to go. These are the people who pushed Mark Carney (yeah, that was a joke). I'm not sure they're all that hot on Justin Trudeau either, who's foot always seems to enter his mouth. Oh well, he'll get knifed by Mulcair and Harper soon enough. Justin stated a month ago in La Presse that "Alberta had taken over our social agenda and Canada was better served by having more Quebeckers in power rather than Albertans". Yeah. Even La Presse said he was an idiot for saying that. Justin has weaknesses and is going to get hacked to pieces by two old pros.
The NDP has tons of Bench Strength, far more then the Liberals ever did, so anyone who thinks differently is drinking the ol' Koolaid.
More stars unnoticed by the media:
Matthew Kellway: “These guys have set the bar so low, they think five years off schedule and millions over budget is worthy of a parade,” said NDP Military Procurement critic Matthew Kellway (Beaches–East York).
Christine Moore: “Because of Conservative incompetence, our soldiers have had to make do without the equipment they need,” said NDP deputy Defence critic Christine Moore (Abitibi–Témiscamingue). “This simply isn’t good enough. Canada’s military deserves better.”
Charmaine Borg: “In February, I urged the Conservative-dominated privacy committee to study mandatory government data breach reporting but unfortunately the study never materialized,” said NDP Digital Issues critic Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne–Blainville). “The Conservative government simply hasn’t taken these privacy issues seriously enough – while Canadians are being put at greater risk of identity theft and other online fraud.” NDP Digital Issues critic Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne–Blainville) is calling for an emergency debate on how Canadians’ personal information is being collected by law enforcement and national security agencies. “As parliamentarians, it is our responsibility to balance public safety and national security interests against the privacy rights of law-abiding Canadians,” said Borg. “New Democrats have consistently supported establishing clear oversight legislation for electronic surveillance.”
Don Davies: "This report makes an absolute mockery of the process and exemplifies the incompetence that Canadians have unfortunately come to expect from the Conservative government on trade,” said NDP International Trade critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway). “The report completely fails to assess the human rights impacts of Canadian investment, or the export of Canadian goods or services to Colombia.”
Hélène Laverdière: “Their pseudo-consultation on this report started just one week before it was due and highlights why the Liberal-Conservative inspired reporting mechanism for this trade agreement is so flawed,” said the NDP’s critic for the Americas, Hélène Laverdière (Laurier–Ste.-Marie). “Such reports must be produced by independent experts, as recommended by the Standing Committee on International Trade in 2008.”
Wayne Marston: “The Conservative report is an embarrassment and does not meet basic international human rights standards,” said NDP Human Rights critic Wayne Marston (Hamilton East–Stoney Creek). “Like last year, the report is devoid of any reporting on human rights and will only serve to further undermine Canada’s credibility at home and abroad.”
Sylvain Chicoine: “Canada’s veterans dedicated their lives to serving this country and the least we can do is support them when they return home,” said deputy Veterans Affairs critic Sylvain Chicoine (Châteauguay–Saint-Constant). “Cutting services to these men and women when they need it most is just wrong.”
Jean Crowder: “Today’s report highlights the Conservatives’ utter failure to act,” said New Democrat Aboriginal Affairs Critic Jean Crowder (Nanaimo--Cowichan). “Every child deserves an equal chance – but under this government, First Nation kids are left behind.”
Jonathan Genest-Jourdain: “We just marked the fifth anniversary of the official apology for residential schools—in which the government acknowledged the harm done to children and their families,” said NDP deputy critic for Aboriginal Affairs, Jonathan Genest-Jourdain (Manicouagan). “It is distressing to see that aboriginal youth are still not a priority for the Conservatives.”
Jinny Sims and Sadia Groguhé: New Democrat Citizenship and Immigration critic Jinny Sims (Newton-North Delta) and deputy critic Sadia Groguhé (Saint-Lambert) have issued the following statement: "Today, Canadians across the country are taking part in rallies to condemn the Conservative cuts to health care services for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. On behalf of New Democrats everywhere, we join these Canadians and call for a reversal of Conservative cuts to the Interim Federal Health (IFH) Program for refugees."
Raymond Côté: Official Opposition leader Tom Mulcair has launched a petition to force the federal Minister of Transport Denis Lebel to stop the toxic dust that is engulfing numerous neighbourhoods of the greater Quebec City Area. The minister must ensure that the Port of Quebec respects the established operating standards. New Democrat MP Raymond Côté (Beauport-Limoilou) encouraged citizens to rally together by signing the petition. “From the beginning, public involvement has been impressive. This shows just how much citizens are concerned with this issue.”
John Rafferty: “Given recent events in Thunder Bay and other municipalities across Canada, it is clear that transit operators and bus drivers need greater protection both on the job and in the courts,” said Rafferty. “Harassment or assault against bus drivers is completely unacceptable. Bus drivers are dedicated to getting Canadians where they need to go safely,” said Rafferty. “New Democrats are committed to making sure that their workplace is as secure as possible.”
Murray Rankin: “Instead of focusing on exposing tax havens and catching tax cheats, the Conservatives have slashed the Canada Revenue Agency's investigative resources and staff,” said NDP National Revenue critic Murray Rankin. “Now they’re also fighting G8 efforts to combat tax evasion. Instead of being a leader, they’re becoming an international obstacle to tackling tax havens. Canadians deserve better.”
Pierre Nantel: "The government is once again attempting to whitewash Canadian history and remake our historical institutions in its image," said NDP Heritage critic, Pierre Nantel (Longueuil--Pierre-Boucher). In addition to the name change, Bill C-49 strips a major component from the Museum's mandate which requires it to maintain and develop collections for 'research and posterity.' While the government has tried to downplay the proposed changes to the Museum's mandate, many experts disagree. "Under this bill, Canada's most popular museum will no longer be a hub of research that ensures the inclusion of differing views of history, be they English, French, First Nations or multicultural," said Nantel.
Andrew Cash: "The Conservatives failed to consult before introducing this bill. They've begun making changes even though the bill has not passed Parliament. The fact is they’ve slashed budgets for heritage and cultural institutions, they interfere in museums that should be arms-length, and they muzzle independent voices of historians, archivists and librarians," said NDP Deputy Heritage critic, Andrew Cash (Davenport).
Alexandre Boulerice: "C-525 is another attack on Canadian workers and their unions in an effort to drive down wages for the middle-class,” said NDP Labour critic Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont--La Petite-Patrie). “Just like they did with C-377, Conservatives are again using backbenchers to introduce reckless anti-union legislation that comes straight from the Republican playbook in the United States. Instead of trying to rig union elections and drive down the wages of Canadians, the Conservatives should be focusing their energy on preventing attempts to rig federal elections and making senators accountable for the public”, concluded Boulerice.
François Lapointe: "Workers from across Canada have been contacting us to share their concerns, and we expect this to continue as long as the Conservatives press forward with these punitive and unjust EI reforms,” said François Lapointe (Montmagny–L’Islet–Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup), HUMA committee member and NDP critic for Small Business and Tourism. “Within the context of the committee, we can hear from witnesses who support the Conservatives’ EI reforms as well as witnesses who are opposed, in order to explore the actual effects on workers and communities. Why is it so difficult to do this simple thing? What are the Conservatives afraid of?” said Lapointe.
Mathieu Ravignat: "Canadians have paid enough for this anti-democratic institution and it’s high time we stopped wasting millions of taxpayers’ money on it,” said NDP Treasury Board Critic, Mathieu Ravignat (Pontiac). “Let the Conservative and Liberal parties pay the salaries of their partisan employees. Senators have abused taxpayers’ money,” said Ravignat. “As New Democrats, we believe that they require neither salaries nor assistants. They can remain senators, but only if they sit as volunteers.”
Alexandrine Latendresse: “In the eyes of New Democrats, it is essential that Francophones and Anglophones everywhere in Canada can be served in their mother tongue by the senior officials in our greatest democratic institutions,” said the NDP’s deputy critic for Democratic Reform, Alexandrine Latendresse (Louis-Saint-Laurent). “That is why we introduced this bill: to make sure official languages are respected in Ottawa. With C-419, all federal parties have shown that they can work together for the good of all Canadians. We can be proud," concluded Latendresse.”
Anne Minh-Thu Quach: “While the Conservatives are gutting environmental protections, the NDP is taking steps to protect our waterways for all Canadians to enjoy,” said deputy Environment critic Anne Minh-Thu Quach (Beauharnois – Salaberry).
And that's just in June.
New MP Murray Rankin is still in the fourth row, as are Alexandrine Latendresse, Pierre Nantel, Anne Minh-Thu Quach, Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, François Lapointe, and Raymond Côté, while Charmaine Borg and Sylvain Chicoine are in the back row.
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Holy cripes, Wilf, what is this? "Stars" based on some cutesy sound bites?
Hélène Laverdière, who called on Harper to take a harder line on Syria and withdraw our ambassador back in February 2012? Really?
Or Wayne Marston, who co-authored a statement praising Harper for making Canada the first country in the world to announce its boycott of Durban II in solidarity with poor misunderstood Israel? A statement which had to be hastily removed from the NDP website and which took months before Jack Layton could correct and strike a half-decent balance?
Please don't mix decent folks with low-lifes. Thanks.
I nominate Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai. Their names are rapidly becoming among the best known in the NDP caucus for their illustrious status as white collar tax cheats.
I nominate Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai. Their names are rapidly becoming among the best known in the NDP caucus for their illustrious status as white collar tax cheats.
Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai are persons of colour who owe money to the taxman. I haven't heard them speak out individually in favour of aggression and apartheid, like the other two characters I mentioned.
Calling them "tax cheats" would merit a non-anonymous poster a richly deserved statement of claim for defamation.
But provocative, slanderous and privileged comments are typical of that wing of the NDP which is determined to lose everything they've gained in Québec. Let's hope that wing never takes flight.
So yes, Wilf, why not please add Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai to your sure-fire celebrity list?
But provocative, slanderous and privileged comments are typical of that wing of the NDP which is determined to lose everything they've gained in Québec. Let's hope that wing never takes flight
Except the person making the comment you are responding to has never been friendly to the NDP- let alone likely to be a part of said 'wing'.
I nominate Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai. Their names are rapidly becoming among the best known in the NDP caucus for their illustrious status as white collar tax cheats.Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai are persons of colour who owe money to the taxman. I haven't heard them speak out individually in favour of aggression and apartheid, like the other two characters I mentioned.
Calling them "tax cheats" would merit a non-anonymous poster a richly deserved statement of claim for defamation.
But provocative, slanderous and privileged comments are typical of that wing of the NDP which is determined to lose everything they've gained in Québec. Let's hope that wing never takes flight.
So yes, Wilf, why not please add Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai to your sure-fire celebrity list?
Implying that being a "person of colour" has anything to do, positive or negative, with failing to pay your taxes (to the point where the revenue authorities are forced to take full legal action) or appear in court is a slanderous and racist statement in violation of babble policies.
I nominate Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai. Their names are rapidly becoming among the best known in the NDP caucus for their illustrious status as white collar tax cheats.
I understand your disdain for Benskin, but why do you share that disdain for Mai? As far as I know, Mai has already declared this issue with the ethics comissioner and is working to resolve this matter.
I think its misleading to call a self-employed person who owes back taxes a "tax cheat" and the person who did that should be ashamed. A "tax cheat" is someone who tries to evade taxes through fraud and is a criminal. Among people who are self-employed don't have income taxes deducted at source and its not unusual to owe back taxes, this is not an issue of "cheating" - its an issue of owing taxes and having a payment plan with CRA to pay off the liability.
Do we now call anyone with credit card debt a "credit card cheat"?
Do we now call anyone with credit card debt a "credit card cheat"?
Exactly, Stock. I found it incredible that the federal party would cringe in the face of attacks like this against Benskin, instead of simply and honestly defending him and condemning the motives behind the attacks.
Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian journalist to whom Edward Snowden turned to facilitate his whistleblowing, has now come under vicious CIA-organized attack for personal business and financial issues from his past. [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/26/nsa-revelations-resp... wrote about it openly[/url]:
NSA programs, I knew that I would inevitably be the target of all sorts of personal attacks and smears. You don't challenge the most powerful state on earth and expect to do so without being attacked. [...]When I made the choice to report aggressively on top-secretThe second item the reporter had somehow obtained was one showing an unpaid liability to the IRS stemming, it appears, from some of the last years of my law practice. I've always filed all of my tax returns and there's no issue of tax evasion or fraud. It's just back taxes for which my lawyers have been working to reach a payment agreement with the IRS.
Just today, a New York Times reporter emailed me to ask about the IRS back payments. And the reporter from the Daily News sent another email asking about a student loan judgment which was in default over a decade ago and is now covered by a payment plan agreement.
So Glenn Greenwald is a "tax cheat" and a "student loan thief".
Oh, and by the way, contrary to Benskin's experience, Greenwald hasn't been pulled back from his portfolio by the Guardian. They understand where the smears are coming from and are acting accordingly.
In Benskin's case, he did miss a court date and some court orders etc...so there is clearly a problem that had to be addressed. That does not make him a "cheat" though.
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In Benskin's case, he did miss a court date and some court orders etc...
I saw an unattributed QMI report to that effect, but I think it's slanderous to repeat it unless you know the facts.
What court date did he miss? Who is the source for that? Why did he miss it... was he ill? Do you know? If not, please retract this. That's how good people's reputations are destroyed through rumour and innuendo.
Same questions for missing "some court orders". He was in contempt of court (that's what missing court orders generally means)? Really? Source?
Benskin was fired as critic because of attacks by Harperite elements and because of Mulcair's fear (supported by some babblers) that it "looks bad". We can harbour warmongers and those who praise Harper for his pro-Israel attacks on the U.N. - but by all means, we mustn't look bad.
I'm still waiting for Wilf's explanation as to Marston and Laverdière being on his "star" list.
Holy cripes, Wilf, what is this? "Stars" based on some cutesy sound bites?
I simply ran back up the NDP news statements site, not looking at the content, just looking at who the NDP says it is promoting but the media don't pay much notice. No doubt some are better than others.
double post
[size=12] And others are worse than some. [/size]
I nominate Tyrone Benskin and Hoang Mai. Their names are rapidly becoming among the best known in the NDP caucus for their illustrious status as white collar tax cheats.I understand your disdain for Benskin, but why do you share that disdain for Mai? As far as I know, Mai has already declared this issue with the ethics comissioner and is working to resolve this matter.
I give Mai more credit, for the reasons mentioned by you and Stockholm, but he was still the National Revenue critic while working out arrangements with the tax authorities. The article said the tax authorities had asked Parliament to garnish the wages of both MPs. It seems like a poor position to be in, criticizing National Revenue and facing a wage garnishment order from the authorities. He's supposed to represent the party and the electorate. In this way, he certainly doesn't represent me. I work hard and am very conscientious about paying my taxes. Most Canadians I know are the same. It's your civic duty, it's patriotic, and it's the law.