Posts Tagged ‘Thomas Mulcair’
Government faces defeat over cuts to political subsidies
Canada’s opposition parties are threatening to defeat the Conservative government over cuts to political party subsidies included in Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s economic update.
Flaherty says the federal budget will go into deficit after accounting for the planned economic stimulus spending agreed by the G-20 nations.
We cannot ask Canadians to tighten their belts during tougher times without looking in the mirror. Canadians have a right to look to government as an example. We have a responsibility to show restraint and respect for their money. Canadian tax dollars are precious … Today, our Government is eliminating the $1.75-per-vote taxpayer subsidy for politicians and their parties, effective April 1, 2009.
- Finance Minister Jim Flaherty
Speculation about Julie Couillard spins out of control
May 26 to 30, 2008 - Speculation surrounding Julie Couillard spins out of control after Couillard gave a public interview in which she revealed former Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier left sensitive documents at her home.
The mainstream media, Liberal Party and Bloc Québécois speculate about a possible bug in Couillard’s mattress, rumoured meetings between Canada’s spy agency CSIS and the Prime Minister’s Office, and whether Couillard held a diplomatic passport.
There is no evidence to support any of the speculation.
MacKay editorial cartoons: Canada’s image abroad
Related videos:
Why did Elections Canada raid Conservative Party headquarters?
April 15 to 17, 2008 -The RCMP searched Conservative Party Headquarters executing a warrant obtained by Elections Canada.
Elections Canada has not revealed the reason for the raid, and the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant has been sealed in a Toronto court.
The RCMP say the Mounties were merely assisting with the Elections Canada warrant:
It is not an RCMP investigation. We’re there to assist, but that’s it.
- RCMP Cpl. Jean Hainey
The Conservative Party is suing Elections Canada over an August 2007 ruling by the agency that disallowed rebates claimed for election spending during the 2006 election.
Conservatives claim other political parties follow the same practices, and they accuse Elections Canada of applying different standards to the Conservative Party.
MacKay Editorial Cartoons: Much is at stake for Elections Canada
The Tories say Elections Canada improperly seized confidential legal documents related to their civil dispute, and they claim the timing of the search is suspicious coming just one day before Elections Canada officials were to be cross-examined by Conservative lawyers.
The situation has led to speculation that Elections Canada is acting out a vendetta against Conservatives over past disagreements.
Related links:
- Stephen Harper’s August 2001 fundraising letter in which he says “the jackasses at Elections Canada are out of control.”
