Conservative Watch ... READ THIS BOOK !!!

Today (May 17th) is the International Anti-Homophobia Day ... so it is somewhat apt in an era when voices make the claim that some of the hard won freedoms like access to abortion, inclusion of everyone regardless of sexual orientation, same sex marriage, and other hot button issues to our more conservative and evangelical brothers and sisters, are on the verge of being limited, curtailed or turned back - that I would offer the latest installment of Conservative Watch with the invitation for you to find and read a book that says much of what I have long struggled with when I consider Harper and his Conservative ruling Government.

Like Michael Moore's films, I would offer the observation that "even if only 25% of what is said is 100% true - this is a truly frightening scenario."

The rise of the religious right in Canada is, in McDonald's opinion a slow, gradual and tactical sequence of events designed to not maintain the status quo, but return us to a faith-based retro-spective stance that moves us AWAY from the very things that have made Canada a welcome inclusive and liberal nation ... I find McDonald's book disturbing, provocative, thought provoking and amazing.

Find it. Read it.
Think about it.
And don't let complacency be the rule of the day ... Canada deserves better than what is essentially a simplistic answer to fears that have arisen from ignorance and mis-understanding on a cultural level.

The Armageddon Factor is a must read for anyone interested in modern politics and the place of Church in Society ... and on many levels it stands as a rallying cry to we of the left, to step up and stop hiding from our faith ...

Remember Darrel Stinson ???

This is a retrospective Conservative Watch entry for The Laughing Pastor, who made the comment about Canadians being polite ... by and large we are a polite people, though in some corners that is changing fast and regrettably we have more than our fair share of rednecks amongst us ...

For me the shining example of parliamentary redneck behaviour remains the former Member of Parliament for Okanagan-Shuswap, Darrel Stinson who, during his first term as a Reform Party MP stood in the House of Commons and asked an opposing MP - "Do you have the fortitude or the gonads to stand up and come across here and say that to me, you son of a bitch?"

Stinson has also suggested that the way to prevent spousal abuse was to give women hand guns AND he called then Progressive Conservative leader Jean Charest (now the Liberal premier of Quebec) a "fat little, chubby, little sucker". Then Stinson put the icing on the cake by challenging a Liberal MP to a fight in the House of Commons.

So, let us not lose sight of the fact that we have boorish red necks among us, and sometimes they manage to find a seat in the House of Commons ... so Senator Ruth's comments really shouldn't come as a surprise.

To be fair though - the Wikipedia entry on Mr. Stinson notes he's been battling bladder cancer since 2004, and retired as MP in 2005 as a result of this illness, so despite his past antics in the House of Commons, I for one can only offer my thoughts and prayers for his recovery and healing ... it's the least I can do for a colourful MP who made parliament memorable !!

Conservative Watch ... The F-bomb from a SENATOR!?!?!

Hmmm ... not even sure what to add to this story (Tory Senator to women's groups: shut up!) ... it seems that Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth strongly suggested that Womens' Groups in Canada "shut the f--- up" about the anti-abortion stance that our Government is making in regards to maternal health in developing nations at the upcoming G8 meeting ...

The stuff that keeps coming up around the Conservative Government in Ottawa is simply breath-taking ... the Afghan detainee issue and the debate around documents, Jaffer-Geurgis, and now this ... interesting to say the very least !!

Tequila and Tantrums ... the Travelling Conservatives !!

It's appropriate and somehow apt, that as I write this about 14 blocks away, Mr Harper is wow'ing the local Conservative Constiuency (the white, middle class vote) with his presence in the Wheat City ... he's the first sitting PM to visit since 1997, when Jean Chretien made an appearance.

Thus far voices that would criticize, or critique Mr Harper and his visit have largely been silenced and quelled ... can't have Mr Tweed's grip on the riding questioned, can we??

I like Merv, our current MP, and I think he does a good job for this riding - but - his leader, our PM is someone who needs to remember that criticism and critique is part of the Canadian political landscape. There is a reason why we have Her Majesty's LOYAL Opposition - you can be loyal and opposed simultaneously. Democracy, particularly in the Parliamentary tradition demands the full and vigorous debate of issues from two (or more) sides - not just the blind adherence to the Party line, regardless of where that party falls.

So, to honour Mr Harper's visit to our fair city today ... I would offer the latest installment of the Conservative Watch feature I've implemented here ... This go round presents some absolutely fascinating and amusing examples of the Conservative Party and their utter failure to live by the principles they claim to promote:

I have yet to tire of Ms. Guergis and the soap operatic happenings in her life ... first her hubby gets caught for a variety of offenses while driving one night north of Toronto, then in a single week he gets a slap on the wrist by pleading to lesser charges while the BIG charges are quietly dropped, AND Ms Guergis herself reportedly has a infantile melt-down in the airport in Charlottetown ... but the story isn't yet finished ... I really like Rick Mercer's take on this from his latest rant (click here to read Rick's take on this) - but the cherry on the sundae in this is the little news item that slipped by largely unnoticed this week that announced that the benevolent Ms. Guergis has elected NOT to sue the airline, the employees or any one else for defamation and a violation of her privacy for leaking details of her tantrum. My only reaction is - WTF ??? This only strengthens the contention that Ms Guergis needs to resign her post as Cabinet Minister and spend sometime getting her life in order ... (click here to see CBC's story - Guergis Won't Sue Airline Over Tantrum Details)

Then, not to be outdone, Minister Blackburn - the Veterans Affairs Minister for the Conservative Government tries to circumvent the security screening AND argues with the security personell at the Ottawa airport while travelling last month ... the goal Mr Blackburn seeks?? The exemption of his bottle of tequila from the confiscation we ALL face should we violate the rules. CBC's report on this is amusing and unbelievable ... it would appear that he actually wanted them to let him carry the bottle on board in violation of the rules, THEN he asks them to hold the bottle for him when he returns, and when is unreasonable requests are refused, he then becomes combatant ... personally, I can't help but wonder if an encounter with a tazer might teach some of these MP's a touch of much needed humility ... Obviously though, Conservative MP's are showing the perils of travelling ... (click here to see the CBC story - Blackburn sorry for airport tequila incident)

And finally, on the "denying democracy" front, we have two interesting stories that are floating around out there that cast into doubt the willingness of the Conservative Government to face the people and run a democratic AND transparent process ... First is the 'oops' story of the Police in Saskatoon congratulating themselves at keeping Mr. Harper safe from nasty protestors on a recent visit. Rather then letting protesters exercise their DEMOCRATIC rights of free speech within earshot of the PM, the police kept them out of the way lest, Mr Harper be EMBARASSED. Nice job Officers - you spared Mr. Harper embarassment in the moment, but managed to embarass the hell outta him across the nation - GOOD CHOICE !!

And then, the Afghan detainee issue still won't go away ... this week the Opposition parties asked for a Parliamentary ruling on the request for documents that the Government keeps stonewalling on ... this week no less then three cabinet ministers invoked the phrase - "relevant documents" when addressing the issue in the House of Commons. I might have read far too much Brecht in the past, but moments like this cause me pause and make me wonder what back room pep-rallying has been done to maintain the party line??

Moreover, citing 'national security' concerns when it comes to the House of Commons is complete and UTTER crap. At the end of the day, the House of Commons is the sole entity responsible for National Security - the Prime Minister and his Cabinet answer to the HOUSE.

Looking back over this week, I can't help but wonder if Mr. Harper sees how bad his government is looking with each passing week ... Maybe he should crack open the beer he just got from President Obama, and spend a 'good ole Canadian style weekend' watching hockey, debating politics and getting back in touch with reality, because right now the Conservatives are showing themselves amazingly out of touch ...

Conservative Watch: Mr Flaherty Knows our Pain!!

In Manitoba they call a wet foot that you get while wearing a pair of boots or shoes a "booter" ... today while I was out I got a booter. My shoes, one of the three pairs of outdoors shoes and boots that I currently own, has a split in the sole, and replacing them is simply out of the question any time soon ... so, with the mild temps, the growing puddles and the mushy snow, I have to assume today's booter is simply the first of many I will experience in the coming days ...

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Last week Mr. Flaherty, as part of the long standing tradition associated with presenting the budget, bought a new pair of shoes before rising in the parliament to share with Canadians his vision for the economic future ... As I stood cursing my bad luck and the discomfort of a wet foot, I thought about how lucky Mr. Flaherty is to be able to enjoy a Emelda Marcos like lifestyle that affords him new shoes on a regular basis, while rising to convince his fellow Canadians that he understand the pain they are experiencing as the economy continues to crush down on more and more people ... despite the assurances of Mr. Flaherty, and the bankers who are stashing away remarkable profits that the economy is turning around - it is a reality that too many of us simply do not see, and are not experiencing ... for too many Canadians today, multiple part time jobs, minimum wages, food support AND utter exhaustion are the economic reality they are facing day in and day out.

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Fortunately for those of us who are today's working poor, Mr Flaherty wants to share that sacrifice we are experiencing by freezing the salaries of the MP's, Senators and other associated officials for the next two years ... this MILLION dollar savings may sound significant until you take a moment to consider what these folks are taking home already ...

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For example - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is currently making a salary of $157 731. BUT, his total take home pay is a paltry $315,462 (marking an increase from 142,300 in 2000). I'm sure forgoing a 1.5% salary rise this year and next will be a significant loss for him and his family ... makes me feel badly for him !!!

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Mr Flaherty himself makes a mere $75,516 per year and took home a mediocre $233,247 at the end of 2009. His predecessor in 2000 was making a mere $117,500. I'm curious to know if Mr. Flaherty is receiving a pension for his 10 years as an MP in the Ontario Legislature, and for his time as Minister in the Conservative government there ... I'm sure the 1.5% increase would have been beneficial to this gentleman who had to give up his legal practise when he entered politics in the 1990's. Hopefully his spouse Christine, who replaced him in the provincial riding he vacated in 2005 to run Federally, doesn't face such an economic set back when the Liberal Government in Ontario sets its budget for the coming year, surely the Flaherty family can't expect to survive solely on Mr. Flaherty's various investments, pensions and the pathetic salary he is expected to take home as Finance Minister during the recession recovery.

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Looking at other members of the ruling class we are left to scratch our heads about how these folks will be able to make ends meet with the loss of that 1.5% increase this year and next ...

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The Government Leader in the Senate will have to stretch her annual $207,800 take home pay a little farther because of the wage freeze. Her fellow senators will have to make due with thier $132,300 as well ... it hurts to think that in the year 2000, these folks made only $68,200.

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Even our backbencher MP's are feeling the pinch with their annual $157,731 salaries frozen ...

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I guess as I head out this afternoon to deliver the weekly newspapers that helps to add a few extra dollars to my already over-stretched budget, I can be appreciative that the Government in Ottawa understands what it means to make sacrifices. I can be thankful that Mr Flaherty and the rest have felt the pinch of an economy in decline for themselves, and they are more than willing to make amazing personal sacrifices to show us all that they are willing to experience the same pinch as the rest of us. I guess it means that our MP's, Cabinet Ministers, Senators, and our Prime Minister really do understand what it means to be poor and to work for minimum wages ... afterall, from what I see they are really under paid aren't they ????

A NEW Feature - "Conservative Watch:"

Today I noticed a little story on line that mentioned Jason Kenney's office demanding the exclusion of any mention of Gay and Lesbian rights in the recently republished handbook being given to all new immigrants. Initially, Minister Kenney had tried to dismiss the absence of something so central to the political and social experiences of many Canadians by saying it was simply an editorial oversight, then when Canadian Press learned his office formally ASKED for the omission of any mention of these rights, Mr. Kenney offered up excuses that are both lame and insulting.

As I read this article and the revelation within that Mr. Kenney's office had also appointed a long standing Conservative who has very publicly opposes both same sex marriage and equal rights for gays and lesbians to the Board over seeing refugee claims I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the transparent processes that were promised by Mr Harper prior to his ascendancy to the throne ???

Moreover, I started to think about the many quiet little actions being undertaken by the Conservative Government since Parliament was prorogued for the Olympics ... the list I came up with is pretty long ... AND with the House of Commons due to return this week, it is worth putting ALL of these stories in one place for folks to think about them, and whether our Government is seeing to OUR best interests' or whether they are simply trying to keep themselves in power ...

So, in honour of the pending return of Parliament, I would like to offer the stories I have found that should be considered as we evaluate the job Mr Harper and his merry band are doing in Ottawa ... there are more then a few stories that should cause us to pause and ask - WTF ???

For now, here's what I found with a reading of the CBC, CTV and MSN news sites today

- Mr Kenney and the quiet mention of equality rights for gays and lesbians in the new immigrant handbook

- Mr. Baird quietly raising the airport security costs to be paid by travellers just prior to the pending budget that has been promising "NO NEW TAXES" ... reminds me of the first Bush - remember?? "read my lips - no NEW taxes" ... just increase the old ones, and pass off user fees to pay for stuff as a non-tax solution ... a tax is a tax whether it is called a user fee or not !!

- Ms Guergis' now infamous temper tantrum ... seriously, this one is like shooting fish in a barrel ... I will actually just leave it alone ...

- Mr. Bernier expressing the need for skepticism on the issue of Global Warming ... yeah, tell me that Mr Bernier doesn't represent the dominant opinion of his party ??

- Mr. Harper continuing to appoint senators while we still WAIT for his promised Senate reform that would put an end to political patronage appointment ...

- the awarding of 25 MILLION dollars to build and maintain wilderness trails across Canada - a noble project on the surface, until you realize that OVER a third of that money has been given to Snowmobiling clubs to build and maintain their trails ... hmmm, a couple of issues arise here - one is the whole global warming-greenhouse gas thing ... second is the issue of snowmobiles and the environment and the third is - isn't this simply a straight and blatant attempt to win votes ???? I mean - who is represented in the sledder demographic ???

- speaking of government funding - the Feds have announced the provision of 9.4 BILLION dollars for infrastructure funding - again a noble goal designed to get the economy rolling (almost a socialist ideal) - when it is matched by funding from all three levels of government it amounts to over 27 BILLION dollars being invested into the Canadians economy ... the problem arises with the lack of transparency in the whole process and the preference SHOWN to Conservative ridings over regions, areas and ridings that have been hardest hit by unemployment and job loss ... even something as helpful as infrastructure funding has become a political patronage opportunity !!!!!

- and today the Conservatives are already becoming belligerent on the issue of the Afghani detainees ... there is a formal request for information and paper work to allow us to get to the bottom of this, and the Conservatives are already stonewalling ... Come on Mr. Harper - with the stories of a soldier in Afghanistan allegedly executing a wounded Taliban soldier, the murder-rape investigation in Trenton, and the murder investigation here in Brandon, our Military deserve to have the truth revealed!!! The issue of mis-treatment of the detainees is not reflective of our troops in Afghanistan - the issue is about the BUREAUCRATS and their political task masters. Mr Harper - support our troops and release the necessary documentation to get to the bottom of this issue !!!!!

So, there you have it - a partial list of the questionable things our Governing party is up to while Parliament takes a break ... stay tuned. Conservative Watch is about to become a regular column here ... in addition to raising questions about the actions of our Government, Conservative Watch will also be about advocating for issues like housing, poverty and homelessness to be raised in political circles. I don't expect everyone to agree with what I might post here, but I will raise issues that pop up in the media and might otherwise slip away under-noticed.

For now ... I wonder if Mr Harper even realizes how bad lists like this look for him and his government, and if he does realize if he even cares ...

I guess time will tell.