Election 2015

[Rocky Mountains]

Trudeau charged non-profit organizations full bore for his speeches and cashed and kept the cheques.  End of story.  Quit making things up.

 

[dapaterson]

Trudeau charged non-profit organizations full bore for his speeches and cashed and kept the cheques.  End of story.  Quit making things up.

As I said, I've never read his tax returns.  If you have, I defer to your superior knowledge of his finances.

 

[PuckChaser]

If he returned the money, every non profit he spoke at would have come out and said so, and he would have said so and proved it, killing the story. He hasn't, and those charities haven't, so there's something there.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

1. the Queen-in-Council, where she heads the executive branch of her government;

2. The Queen-in-Parliament, where her parliaments debates and makes her laws for her people; and

3. the Queen-on-the-Bench, where she gives justice to all her subjects and maintains the Queen's Peace.

You can probably remove #2, as #3 has taken it upon themselves to make our laws for us.

 

[Altair]

Trudeau charged non-profit organizations full bore for his speeches and cashed and kept the cheques.  End of story.  Quit making things up.

If he returned the money, every non profit he spoke at would have come out and said so, and he would have said so and proved it, killing the story. He hasn't, and those charities haven't, so there's something there.

http://globalnews.ca/news/648692/saskatchewan-literacy-event-doesnt-want-money-back-from-trudeau/

OTTAWA – Justin Trudeau says he’s ready to cut a personal cheque to any organization he charged speaking fees to while he was an MP, and will be reaching out to them all this week.

“Every single group of the 17 groups that I spoke to as an MP, we are getting in touch with this week to find out if they feel like they didn’t get their money’s worth,” he said.

“I would draw in people to these events and I’m proud of the work that I did. And I will be happy to pay them back personally if they are dissatisfied.”

But it remains unknown how many will take him up on his offer. It appears New Brunswick’s Grace Foundation is the only one that has formally asked, and the seniors’ charity isn’t returning calls.

A Saskatchewan literacy conference that paid Justin Trudeau a $20,000 speaking fee does not want its money back from the Liberal leader.

“We have not asked for our money back,” spokeswoman Veronica Baker said in an email Monday.

“The conference was a success, as it has been every year we have held it.”

Baker said the conference will not ask for the money back in the future.

“The conference met our objectives,” she said.

Trudeau’s spokeswoman said he would also be open to speaking with charities and not-for-profits from before his time as an MP, if there was a problem.

“What I am demonstrating here is a level of openness, transparency, accountability that has never been seen before (in) this Parliament,” said Trudeau.

Three other organizations contacted by Global News – the London Health Sciences Centre, the Ontario Library Association and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union – said they did not want money back from Trudeau either. Others did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Trudeau spoke at 17 events after becoming an MP in October 2008, earning $277,000. Not all of them were charity events. His activities were cleared by the federal ethics commissioner.

A Conservative source sent Global News documents from three speaking events from 2006, before Trudeau became an MP.

The events – two post-secondary schools and one municipality – all incurred a financial loss, the documents show.

But neither the University of Guelph, Georgian College nor Chatham-Kent where Trudeau addressed a business dinner, are asking for Trudeau to pay them back.

Randy Hope, the mayor of Chatham, said he didn’t want the money back, even if the event lost money.

“Any speaker who comes to Chatham-Kent, we’re appreciative, because No. 1, it puts the identity of rural communities in front and centre,” Hope said in an interview.

“I’m not going back that far, that was 2006, and (Trudeau) was in the private sector back then.”

But the opposition wasn’t buying it.

Heritage Minister James Moore attacked Trudeau in question period for saying he was raising the bar on transparency.

“If the Liberal leader wants to lecture others about accountability, he should come clean,” said Moore. “What is it about the ethical standard of giving money to charities rather than taking money from charities that he does not understand?”

And NDP leader Thomas Mulcair said Trudeau should not have been accepting fees in the first place.

“I think it’s a mistake for a sitting member of Parliament to be accepting money from a charity to do what is essentially part of your job,” said Mulcair.

Last week, Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall criticized Trudeau for accepting speaking fees as an MP, saying he was “shocked” the Liberal leader charged money to promote literacy.

“That’s why reimbursement in this regard would probably be the right thing to do,” Wall told Global News.

In a statement Monday, Wall’s spokeswoman said he respects the organizers’ decision, but Trudeau should give back the money anyway.

“Premier Wall respects the decision made by the Literacy for Life event organizers, but continues to believe the right thing to do would be for Mr. Trudeau to either reimburse the money or donate an equivalent amount to a similar cause,” said spokeswoman Lisa Danyluk.

Wall denied being contacted by the Prime Minister’s Office about Trudeau’s charity fees.

The Grace Foundation, asked Trudeau last week to refund his $20,000 fee for a June 2012 appearance because organizers said the event lost money.

Trudeau said he’s willing to compensate the foundation, or speak for free at a bigger event.

A spokeswoman for the PMO said there is no connection between the office and the Grace Foundation.

“The Grace Foundation appealed to their Saint John area MPs Rob Moore and Rodney Weston for assistance, after four months of silence from Justin Trudeau,” said spokeswoman Julie Vaux. “That’s how the local media and our office received the letter.”

Trudeau spoke at the Literacy for Life conference, an event organized by Saskatoon Public Schools, on April 30, 2012. He made both an afternoon and evening presentation at a banquet that also raised money.

The literacy conference hosted 5,500 students and had a budget of $145,000, raised through sponsorship, in-kind donations and ticket sales. The event was left with $7,400.

Trudeau’s travel to the event was also covered by the conference. In total, 10 speakers cost just over $43,600.

It's not too hard to look these things up gents.

 

[ModlrMike]

Quick straw poll at work yesterday among several of us with different political stripes. When I said the only thing that has me concerned about any party's platform is spending money we don't have, there was general agreement, even among the rabid left leaners in the group. I know it's a small sample size, and not particularly scientific, but I thought it was an interesting reaction.

I suppose at the end of the day, that's all that really matters. The rest is just window dressing. The main question people should be asking themselves is "do I want the government spending more money it doesn't have?" I guess we'll see on election day, and I won't hold my breath. As I've said before, the electorate is greedy, lazy, and stupid.

 

[Altair]

Quick straw poll at work yesterday among several of us with different political stripes. When I said the only thing that has me concerned about any party's platform is spending money we don't have, there was general agreement, even among the rabid left leaners in the group. I know it's a small sample size, and not particularly scientific, but I thought it was an interesting reaction.

I suppose at the end of the day, that's all that really matters. The rest is just window dressing. The main question people should be asking themselves is "do I want the government spending more money it doesn't have?" I guess we'll see on election day, and I won't hold my breath. As I've said before, the electorate is greedy, lazy, and stupid.

when they don't agree with you I assume.

Doubt you were saying that in 2011.

 

[ModlrMike]

when they don't agree with you I assume.

Doubt you were saying that in 2011.

Nope, that's been my position for decades.

Too many grasshoppers, not enough ants.

 

[Good2Golf]

ModlMike, the ant was a cruel, heartless anti-social being.  Like the 20, 30 and 40-year olds whom Kathleen Wynne identifies as "having a hard time saving" thus needing the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, it's not the grasshopper's fault he didn't save enough food...the ant should share some (a lot) of what he saved.

 

[Altair]

Éric Grenier ‏
Polls, hot off the presses, and both giving up on the tight race:
EKOS: 36% LPC, 31% CPC, 21% NDP
Ipsos: 37% LPC, 31% CPC, 24% NDP

Even the non nanos polls are saying it now.

 

[Underway]

ModlMike, the ant was a cruel, heartless anti-social being.  Like the 20, 30 and 40-year olds whom Kathleen Wynne identifies as "having a hard time saving" thus needing the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, it's not the grasshopper's fault he didn't save enough food...the ant should share some (a lot) of what he saved.

Yah...no.  Try more like the grasshopper was the antisocial being and the ant, living in the ultimate socialist community was going to be fine because she (all ants except haploid drones are female...Aesop was not a biologist) had a pension plan and socialized childcare like all the other ant workers.

 

[Altair]

With the addition of the two new polls (again, not nanos) 308 has

LPC 136

CPC 118

NDP 80

BQ 3

GRN 1

Less that a long time left now.

 

[Lumber]

With the addition of the two new polls (again, not nanos) 308 has

LPC 136

CPC 118

NDP 80

BQ 3

GRN 1

Less that a long time left now.

Oh! East pickins! Just 34 more seats and the LPC can have a majority. No problem.

 

[PuckChaser]

If you thought Nigabs was a distraction issue, Muclair is talking about decriminalizing pot "overnight" and studying legalization. That's just what the masses want, drugs to numb their minds to the inept government that would place that above economic issues like TPP.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Oh! Easy pickins! Just 34 more seats and the LPC can have a majority. No problem.

And Momentum can do that, too, if the LPC can sustain it for a few days.

The Globe and Mail reports that "Attention-grabbing rallies with party faithful are a classic end-of-campaign strategy to demonstrate momentum in front of the TV cameras, and while the Harper campaign still stages these events, they are fewer and farther between than the other parties ... [but] ... the Tories say they’re instead dedicating as many volunteers as possible to the ground game in every riding, where they are betting that identifying Conservative voters and getting them to the polls will make the difference in tight races."

Getting out the vote, the 35+ year old vote is all that the CPC campaign can do at this moment.

I suspect that both the CPC and NDP think the Liberals have the Momentum, that's why M Mulcair is making pot promises and that's why the CPC are focusing on the "ground game:" to deny the Liberals the other 34 seats they need for a majority. It's sauve qui peut  time.

 

[Brad Sallows]

The NDP should hang onto Mulcair.  The anti-Harper hysteria made this the best opportunity to date for the NDP, but the LPC is going to need NDP support to govern.  If Mulcair can grab the Liberals by the belt buckle and keep them pretty much on the left where they campaigned while help[ing] them to stumble badly, the next election will be another good shot for the NDP - if there isn't much daylight between the NDP and LPC, "ABC with the NDP" becomes the choice.  The NDP will still have to come to some sort of accord with the leftmost factions of progressives to encourage the latter to shut up for a few months.

Also due to effects of anti-Harper hysteria, the CPC result is likely going to represent a floor.  If the totals are close, Harper might stay in - the practical effects of LPC + NDP government could change enough minds in a few months.  Or, the CPC could engineer a clean (quick) leadership change similar to Ignatieff's ascension.

If the assumption that leadership changes would give the Liberals some breathing time is widespread, retention of Mulcair and either retention of Harper or a bloodless change would throw them off-balance.  Regardless, the NDP will be holding the plug.

 

[Altair]

The NDP should hang onto Mulcair.  The anti-Harper hysteria made this the best opportunity to date for the NDP, but the LPC is going to need NDP support to govern.  If Mulcair can grab the Liberals by the belt buckle and keep them pretty much on the left where they campaigned while help[ing] them to stumble badly, the next election will be another good shot for the NDP - if there isn't much daylight between the NDP and LPC, "ABC with the NDP" becomes the choice.  The NDP will still have to come to some sort of accord with the leftmost factions of progressives to encourage the latter to shut up for a few months.

Also due to effects of anti-Harper hysteria, the CPC result is likely going to represent a floor.  If the totals are close, Harper might stay in - the practical effects of LPC + NDP government could change enough minds in a few months.  Or, the CPC could engineer a clean (quick) leadership change similar to Ignatieff's ascension.

If the assumption that leadership changes would give the Liberals some breathing time is widespread, retention of Mulcair and either retention of Harper or a bloodless change would throw them off-balance.  Regardless, the NDP will be holding the plug.

I'm pretty sure the left wing of the NDP party is sharpening the knives as we speak.

As for harper, I would hope he stays around. Would be easy enough to remind progressive voters of the 9 years of harper rule waiting to return.

 

[PuckChaser]

I'm pretty sure the left wing of the NDP party is sharpening the knives as we speak.

Half of them are Trudeau advisors. His platform has read like the NDP platform from the 1990s. If they drag the LPC left, blue Liberals will likely sit as independents or vote against. I doubt they'll cross the floor, but a lot won't tow the line.

Whatever the result on 20 October, we're in for a gongshow of epic proportions, because the Tories and NDP likely can afford to go to an election again right away. The Liberals in 2008 could not, which let us have one of the longest minorities on record. I'd expect another election in fall 2016, and voter apathy will be high.

 

[Underway]

As for harper, I would hope he stays around. Would be easy enough to remind progressive voters of the 9 years of harper rule waiting to return.

Very doubtful.  Actually a leadership campaign for the CPC is a bad thing for the party.  To much light on the hard right wing (and crazies) of the party.  Then a new leader has to come out and be all "no I'm not Republican scary... I'm a normal Canadian...no I support gay marriage... etc..."  ad nausium.  Harpers a known commodity is hardly scary.  He's not likeable but not scary.

 

[Lumber]

The NDP should hang onto Mulcair.  The anti-Harper hysteria made this the best opportunity to date for the NDP, but the LPC is going to need NDP support to govern.  If Mulcair can grab the Liberals by the belt buckle and keep them pretty much on the left where they campaigned while help[ing] them to stumble badly, the next election will be another good shot for the NDP - if there isn't much daylight between the NDP and LPC, "ABC with the NDP" becomes the choice.  The NDP will still have to come to some sort of accord with the leftmost factions of progressives to encourage the latter to shut up for a few months.

If this happens (the Liberals win but are propped up and pulled left by the NDP, then subsequently brought down by the NDP) then I predict that any Red Tories who voted LPC along with a good chunk of Blue-Liberals, will vote conservative in the following election.

I hope, for stability's sake, that if the Liberals do win, that they either get a majority, or that they manage to work out more deals with the CPC than the NDP.