Gob-smacking!

“It was possibly the most gob-smacking election launch in modern Canadian history.”
So says much respected parliamentary reporter Susanna Kelley 

“The shockers began almost immediately after Stephen Harper announced he'd asked the Governor General to dissolve parliament and call an election for October 19 — at 78 days, it will be among the longest in Canadian history.
"I feel very strongly ... that ... campaigns need to be conducted under the rules of the law. That the money come from the parties themselves, not from government resources, parliamentary resources or taxpayer resources," he said. That statement came to the slack-jawed shock of every Canadian who is aware of two simple facts: the machinery of elections are paid for the most part with taxpayers' money, so the longer they are the more they cost; and that donations to political parties and their candidates are heavily subsidized by taxpayers as well.”

IMPORTANT NOTE – Apparently if you write critical stuff like the above you will not be let anywhere near King Harper even if you are a well know, recognizable, accredited reporter......
“In a departure from how campaign events involving Prime Ministers before Stephen Harper have been conducted, Conservative Party handlers refused a journalist admission to one of his campaign events this week because the RCMP and its search dogs weren't available to search her. Full disclosure: that journalist was me. (Susanna Kelly)
The Conservative Party apparently think the fourth estate are so dangerous that the protocol at the Prime Minister's election campaign events is to have them searched by the RCMP dogs if they are anywhere near Stephen Harper physically.”
Dont think I will be attending any of his events anytime soon.... but back to the main point.......

I will admit that when I downloaded and read a transcript of his statement upon emerging from the Governor Generals residence after dissolving parliament and launching us into an extend taxpayer subsidized 11 week campaign I was totally speechless. Then Angry, Frustrated, Disgusted, and yes like Susanna totally Gob-smacked!
One must give Mr Harper credit he can lie with a perfectly straight face, or should I say a perfectly smirking face. Below please find some extracts from his remarks and the things that he omitted to tell us:-


As it is my intention to begin campaign-related activities, as is also the case for the other party leaders, it is important that these campaigns be funded by the parties themselves rather than taxpayers..........
.....and my use of taxpayers dollars to inundate them with advertisements promoting our “Economic Action Plan” and our “Bribe Families with Kids Plan” was not partisan at all. It is just coincidence that our MPs have been out handing out more funding cheques in the last few days than in many years. Also I will not be accepting the 50% taxpayer funded reimbursement of our expenses.


It is an election about who will protect our economy......A national election is not a popularity contest.......

.....which is why we have spent millions trying to reduce the popularity of Justin and ignored the fact that the Economy still has not recovered from the recession.

Our choices have been prudent and our actions have been disciplined........
........the closure of scientific library’s, coast guard stations etc and the defunding of organizations supporting democracy and womens rights etc were not ideologically driven at all.


As a result, our economy and our employment have grown steadily over six years......
.........and those studies and charts that say that the economy is tanking and 1000s of Canadians have given up even trying to find a full time job and similar reports were not dreamed up by us and therefore must be wrong.


Our budget is balanced........
........ and we have a pristine island for sale in an Albertan tar sands effluent pond.


Our social programs have been preserved.,,,,,,,
.......the veterans, womens groups and others that say they are not getting federal support are just a bunch of whining sissy’s.


Jihadi terrorists have declared war on Canada and Canadians by name, and last October violent attacks were carried out on our soil.......
...........I know because I heard the shooting from the single disturbed gunman from inside the closet I was hiding in.


Now is not the time for political correctness, inexperienced governance or an ideological unwillingness to act...........Now is the time to face those who threaten us with moral clarity, strength, and resolve.........
.........those threats include opposition politicians, environmentalists, scientists, charitable organizations and anyone who does not agree with me. My dismantling of our parliamentary democracy and refusal to debate these issues is a measure of my resolve to finish totally destroying Canada as you once knew it.


I will be asking Canadians for their support to continue to deliver sound economic management, and to take the difficult decisions necessary to protect our country’s security...........
...........and if that fails we will lie, cheat, ignore the rules and try and buy you votes in any way possible because we are the only ones who know anything and all others are terrorists trying to kill you.


Update:- Please also see Politics and Discontents and Northern Reflections for more upon restricting details of Harpers Campaign events.

Next week I will post part 8 of my Harper History Series featuring more lies and anti-democratic actions by the Harper regime in the past decade.




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