A Harper decision, impetuous?

Hill Times, February 8, 2010 - Angelo Persichilli

Despite that the decision to prorogue Parliament was initially welcomed by most of the Conservative caucus members, there is now a lingering disappointment with the decision. Some are trying to blame the Prime Minister and the PMO. These feelings, gently, but openly emerged during the GTA and Quebec Conservatives' caucus meetings held in the last few weeks. 

Some Conservative MPs, even if not against the decision to prorogue Parliament, were not happy with the PMO's communications plan, or lack of one, to explain to Canadians the reasons for the prorogation. I'm sure that, by now, they have realized that the decision was not in the best interests of the government, and/or its execution was faulty.

Stop trying to cause a reversal of a Harper decision!

Still, they believe that it's too late to go back for two reasons. They don't want Canadians to think the Prime Minister is a weak leader who changes his views with the polls and the Throne Speech is not ready.

So instead Steve does something even dumber. The master strategist sets a fiendishly clever and subtle trap that Professor Moriarty would surely envy:  the clever part - he announces that he will cancel two weeks of parliamentary breaks this spring to try to make up for the six weeks of work he personally cost Parliament when he decided to prorogue it and hopes no one will ask him why the hell he doesn't just go back to work now?

And the brilliantly fiendish part, as delivered by the slavish Gordon O'Connor: "Quite frankly, we would be surprised if the opposition disagreed."

riiiiight....

In which abdominous Steve out-manoeuvres himself.

Still trying to outsmart me, aren't you, mule-skinner. You want me to think that you don't want me to go down there but the subtle truth is you really don't want me to go down there.

Not only did the opposition agree to cancel the breaks, they took the opportunity to say how they have been working even during prorogation, and to shake their heads and ask why the government didn't just go back to work now, if there is so much work to do.


But they don't know that I intend to attack them without mercy!

And it's back to the pathetic, unimaginative, vulgar, dishonest ten percenters misused as attack ads.  (h/t Impolitical)

Sure, Steve, you just keep heading down into that coulee.  Don't let anyone ever, ever cause a reversal of a Harper decision. 

About that whole Canada is better now than four years ago thing, Harper...

This was inevitable.

You have no weight pressuring other governments on respecting democracy when you fail to do it yourself.

The government of Hugo Chavez has responded to Canadian criticism it was "shrinking democratic space" in Venezuela by saying it will take no lessons from an "ultraright" government that "closed" Parliament to avoid an investigation into the handling of Afghan detainees.

Chavez’s government didn’t stop there, either.  It went on to accuse the Harper government of seeking to damage Venezuela itself.

"I am talking of a Canada governed by an ultraright that closed its Parliament for various months to (evade) an investigation over the violation of human rights -- I am talking about torture and assassinations -- by its soldiers in Afghanistan," said Chaderton.

No Canadian has accused our soldiers of torture and assassination.  Accusations from Canadians have been that the elected government knew about, and enabled torture, and that the fault rests with that government’s deliberate cover-up of how they failed to halt the transfer of detainees when they knew they were being handed over to a group that would most likely torture them.

But by riding endlessly on the theme that anyone who seeks an investigation into the transfers is attacking the soldiers, Harper assured the troops would become a target of such attacks.

After a trip to Venezuela, Peter Kent, minister of state for the Americas said Canada was concerned over the Chavez regime's decision to suspend the licences of several cable television stations and over the deaths of two students during protests.

"These events are further evidence of a shrinking democratic space in Venezuela," Kent said in the release. "During my recent visit to Venezuela, I heard many individuals and organizations express concerns related to violations of the right to freedom of expression and other basic liberties."

Uh-huh.

Sort of like this?

By proroguing Parliament to avoid investigations into his own complicity in the Afghan detainee issue, Harper has cost Canada a great deal of credibility and weight in its international efforts toward democratic rights and freedoms.

Bastard.

So, Bliss, if that’s the case, why don’t you just write for a reality TV show?

Note: as provided by commentator Morning - Bliss isn't a journalist but a well respected historian who has been critical of Harper in the past. That said, he should know better...

I have here referred to him as a journalist, but this post is actually based on an opinion piece Bliss wrote.

Michael Bliss, published in the Globe and Mail (too bad Stevo didn’t look to partisan media hacks for this latest round of Senate appointments, eh, Mikey?) Tells us that we Canadians have very short attention spans, should just stay the hell out of politics, do buy work studying Olympic figure skating so we aren’t ridiculously giving a damn about our democracy, and well, none of it matters anyway because we’ll all forget about this whole prorogation thing anyway and sit around talking about real important shit like who place where in the Olympics.

Bliss could stand to do a bit of studying of his own on prorogation, it’s purpose, and what it takes to maintain a healthy democracy: 

It's hard to see why there is so much fuss about the Harper government's prorogation of Parliament. The House of Commons, which is not very well respected by either ordinary or informed Canadians when it is sitting, will now sit for three weeks less than it would have otherwise.

Standard fodder from the CON script of “what’s the big deal?”

Bliss deliberately avoids even going through the motions of fairly presenting his argument.  The big deal has been explained dozens of times in the media these past few weeks.  It has been written on protest signs, spoken of by politicians, analyzed and explained by political experts.

Proroguing Parliament to avoid being accountable to the electorate is a big deal, Michael.  Avoiding debate and accountability as you try to ram through changes to our systems without allowing debate by elected representatives (representing us, the electorate, the ones the government is supposed to work for) is a big deal.

That Harper’s lapdogs go around the country bragging about how much easier it is to get things done without opposition or the threat of a non-confidence vote is a very big deal, Michael.  Tow thirds of Canadians, as of the last election want to have their say through those they elected, want the government to have to get approval of the majority before making certain changes.  And according to recent polls, that number of Canadians is consistently and solidly on the rise.

Some useful government bills are going to have to be reintroduced.

Thank you for saying that, Michael.  Yes certain Bills will have to be re-introduced, at great expense.  Please remind us of that when Harper goes on and on about how those very Bills have been held back by an unelected, Liberal Senate, will you?  Just remind us of who really slowed their progess - not only slowed it, but stopped it dead.

The Afghan hearings, into events of several years ago, will be delayed for a few more weeks.

Yeah, what’s the big deal if a few more brown people are tortured, meanwhile, if a few more critical records are white washed, if a few more witnesses are threatened and harassed in a bid to silence them?

 And that's about it.

Not quite.  Jobs are still being lost, programs are not receiving funding - costing more jobs and killing some damn good programs - issues such as the problems at Chalk River and the listerisosis crisis are not being addressed...

One would think from the heated rhetoric of opposition politicians, the strange gaggle of academics who signed the long, sanctimonious letter against prorogation, and the fulminations of some editorialists and pundits, that our democracy is somehow imperilled by the government's resort, twice, to one of the most common of all parliamentary practices.

“Strange gaggle...”  Is that like the chattering classes, Michael?  Oh, wait.  Academics.  I get it.  If the chattering classes in question are also academics, does that make them a strange gaggle?

I love concise, clear writing by journalist.  Love it.

“Sanctimonious...”  Give me a sec as I wipe up the coffee I just spewed all over my keyboard.

OK.

The most common of all parliamentary practices.  A little over the top on that one, aren’t you Mikey, beside being acutely dishonest.  Listen up, ok?  I will only repeat what has been said DOZENS of times by experts, lately: Prorogation is not uncommon.  It is why and how Harper did it that is, and it is also why and how he did it that imperils democracy.  You contemptible hack.

(...) the opposition parties are trying to keep the pot boiling, largely by playing on public ignorance of the workings of government.

Well, actually, if you, a journalist, would actually, you know, read what other reporters - real ones - are reporting, it isn’t nearly so much the opposition who are drawing attention to this abuse of power by the Harper government, but the strange gaggle of academics, the chattering classes, the average Canadians who got their asses out on the National day of protest organized not by the opposition, but by other average Canadians.  The attention is being drawn by experts in political affairs who recognize the dangers of such a practice applied as it has been by Harper.

People obsessed with the ins and outs of how to prorogue Parliament would do better making book on Olympic figure skating.

Really?  Why is that, Michael?  Because if people who are interested in their own fate, in the future of their country, in shaping the democracy of their country (you know, people acting responsibly by being informed and actually doing their part as good citizens) look at the shiny object rather than at the fact they are being discounted, trivialized, ignored, insulted, trod upon, they will offer no resistence to a government that seeks to impose its narrow ideology upon them despite their will?

Is that why, Michael?

That one statement of yours is the most insulting to Canadians, the most appalling coming from a journalist whose role should be to make people think, to inform them, to have them become engaged in their own government.

The appointed Senate of Canada is obviously a standing, outrageous disgrace to democracy and ought not to be tolerated by a free people. It's surely to Stephen Harper's credit, both short and long term, that he keeps trying to change the Senate. One of his reasons for resorting to prorogation and falling back on making his own partisan appointments appears to be to try to stop the egregious abuse of their power by certain Liberal senators.

Of course, no CON partisan hack column is complete without mentioning the evils of a Liberal, appointed Senate.  Then of course to go on and justify the angelic, saintly, god-driven purpose of an appointed, Conservative Senate.

Sort of like the battle of the angels in heaven, right, Michael?  The bad ones are cast out by the good ones?  Well, hell, god had to appoint good angels to drive out the bad ones.  And if they stick around for all eternity afterward, doing angelly things, what the hell?  Might need them for other wet work later on, right?

And besides, the Liberals did it first, so it’s cool.

A few days after prorogation ends on March 3, Canadians will mostly have forgotten all the words written and spoken about it. They'll be rehashing the Olympics instead.

Uh-huh.  Right.  Isn’t it that very arrogant, ignorant, insulting argument that drove so many Canadians to protest prorogation?  That keeps them chattering away?  That’s causing them to stage flash rallies?  That’s causing Harper’s crash in the polls?

Seriously, if you think we Canadians, the very ones who read the news and allow you to have a venue for your nonsense are so shallow, so easily distracted, why don’t you write for a reality show?

Instead, the dancers just kept on, encouraged by their media and academic acolytes, not noticing that the music had stopped and the audience had gone home.

Correction, Michael.  As much as you would like it to, the music hasn’t stopped, and the audience is still paying attention.  I know, because we are making the music, and we are very, very much engaged in it.

I don’t know what Canada you have been living in these past few years.  Maybe that alternate universe Harper spoke of last week when he said Canada is better off now than it was four years ago.

But in this Canada, Canadians do see Harper’s latest abuse of prorogation as a big deal.  In this Canada, they know that the Olympics, which should be an inspiring event of many countries coming together peacefully to celebrate the excellence of their athletes is being used exactly for what you try to use it for - a distraction from the corrupt and undemocratic practices of a government which doesn’t give a damn about the will of the people and which views democracy as an inconvenience.

You write to us, Michael, try to convince us of your great  insight and wisdom.  But as you tell us we are stupid not to hear your words, you add that we are just generally stupid overall, and that we should just mind our own business - which of course does not involve being good, responsible citizens contributing to their own government - and go play with an expensive toy so that the ones accountable to us don’t have to be impeded by that very accountability.

You can keep your Canada, Michael.  I, and many, many other like me will continue fighting for ours.

Proroguing access to information

Though little known to ordinary Canadians, the information commissioner is considered an essential player in ensuring accountable, transparent democracy.

You would think that a government that made transparency and accountability the focus of their election in ‘06 would make sure we have a good commissioner in place.

Not so.

The federal office charged with prying the lid off government secrecy has been without a permanent leader since June and is unlikely to get one for several more months.  Critics argue the failure to swiftly replace this key watchdog is part of a pattern by Stephen Harper’s government of cloaking information from the public.

Understanding the role of the Commissioner explains why Steve would really rather not have one.  They kind of get in the way, like having a sitting Parliament does.  Two birds with one stone for Harper, here.  The appointment of the information commissioner has to be approved by the House and Senate, but since Stevo prorogued Parliament, this can't happen until March.  Then of course, there will simply be too much to do.

The lack of a permanent leader is “particularly troubling because of all the officers of Parliament, it is the access to information commissioner that has been most concerned about the performance of government vis a vis accountability and compliance with the law,” said Liberal MP Paul Szabo, former chairman of the Commons committee on access to information, privacy and ethics.

On Saturday, all across Canada, Canadians held rallies to protest prorogation and the general undermining of democracy this government is engineering.  This is yet another instance of Harper’s systematic attack on democracy. 

Col. Michel Drapeau, a lawyer with expertise in access to information, said he found the federal government’s delay in naming a permanent commissioner “disturbing.”  The government, he said, has not only hesitated to name a permanent information watchdog, but has also not replaced other key commissioners, such as the chair of the military police complaints commission. It only recently named an interim RCMP complaints commissioner.

“They all, in their own way, serve to enhance democracy and permit checks and balances within our system of government,” Drapeau said.

Several of us have been saying that for years.  The public service needs to be protected from Harper’s attacks.  Keen, Measner, Tinsley...getting rid of accountability and destroying democracy by slashing one public servant at a time.

Harper still shamelessly cashing in on Haiti's misery

A few more REALLY IMPORTANT photos giving us good value for our money as our tax dollars are spent to project the image of a hard working, compassionate PM who just doesn't have time for Parliament.

Lots of time for photo ops, though.

Miserable failure on that compassion thingy.

Bad shot of Harper there with Haitian PM  Jean-Max Bellerive.  Makes Steve's thighs and hips look positively lard-heavy.  Heads will roll.

But look!  A photo of Steve...on the phone, having a very important phone call with a very important person - Obama!

Can't get enough of those phone call photos!  Especially with Obama.

See? Steve's wearing a different tie.  Well worth our tax dollars.

Meanwhile, in news Canadians don't give a shit about:

The new RCPM Complaints Commissioner knows fuck-all about security, crime, policing, or justice.  He is, however eminently qualified as he has experience as a Conservative organizer.

And the federal office charged with prying the lid off government secrecy has been without a permanent leader since June and is unlikely to get one for several more months because such a commissioner has to be approved by the House and Senate, which, as you may have heard will not be sitting until March.

Because Steve is just too damned busy to worry about guarding democracy.

We define ourselves

And tomorrow, we will tell Harper and all Parliamentarians what Canadians care about.

We care about our country, our democracy, the future of both for generations to come.

We care about our constitution, and the promises enshrined within it.

We care about the rights and freedoms so dearly won.

We care about our role in shaping our country and our fate.

We care about how our government acts, and recognize that it is supposed to work for us.

We care about representation through our elected members of Parliament.

We care about openness and accountability in government.

We care about the freedom to debate without fear.

We care, and tomorrow, and every day after, we will make ourselves heard.

Stay safe, all, stay focused, and take time to have some fun.

Stayed up all night waiting for these...

Soooooo disappointed that there isn’t a single photo of Steve on the phone with an important person talking about important shit.

But here he is, the Big Guy, at a pre-budget consultation with the right wing think tank, C.D. Howe Institute, and consulting more on budget matters with members of the GTA Ontario caucus.

Sort of like being in an echo chamber, isn’t it?

Steve seems unusually relaxed, even a little excited to be among his own kind.

Probably needed to feel the love (or facsimile of) considering this news:

After that, Steve figured we needed more photos of him doing real important shit, so instead of letting MacKay hold up a giant fake check and announce infrastructure funding in his own riding of Central Nova, the Big Guy spent our tax money and flew his ass over to Nova Scotia to do that very important thing himself. 

Oh, look!  There’s Steve again, making sure to let us know who's really in charge by staying dead centre in the photo, the others fanned out each side of him, and him pretending he gives a damn about what MacKay has to say.  Notice the patronizing smile that says, “isn’t that cute?  MacKay has something to say!” 

What a man!  What a leader, stealing the show from his own Ministers!  What a hard worker, flying around on our tax dollar to stage photo ops and announce how he is spending our money in yet another Conservative riding!

Really, with such VERY IMPORTANT stuff to do, it’s understandable that he can’t manage a functioning Parliament at the same time.  Good to see he has his priorities straight.

Stay the course, Steve.  Now is not the time to do anything different.  Musn’t panic.  The economy is good, except when it isn’t, and the future looks promising except when it doesn’t. Steady hand at the helm, and all that.  And don’t forget that the US is our greatest partner and you really need to wait and see what it does before you make any decisions.

The Beowulf Award

I was debating on whether or not I should give Christopher White the Beowulf award.  After all, what has he done except exercise his democratic right to protest?  In fact, isn’t it really the responsibility of all Canadians to guard our democracy?

As I looked at the facebook site he had created, it hit me.  Not only Christopher, but all of those people who contributed really do fit the criteria.  They have taken on the monster of apathy, the evil of the assault on democracy, the defeatist attitude that average Canadians cannot effect change and they got this incredible momentum going, never stalling in the face of criticism or ridicule as others tried to trivialize what they were doing.

It is not necessary to succeed completely to win the award, it is only necessary to have made a stand, and Christopher White, along with all who joined in have done that.

But they also succeeded.  Regardless of how the rallies go, they woke up many Canadians, drew attention to our ailing democracy, inspired thousands, established a network of activists and concerned citizens that will no doubt outlive the prorogation issue.

So the winners of the Beowulf Award are:

Christopher White, creator of the facebook account “Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament;”

All the legitimate members of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament (excludes trolls), special mention to the many who are working so hard organizing events, doing research, up-dating us on events, informing us of articles of interest, setting helpful links, networking, finding speakers, getting material together for rallies...;

All of those who support the rallies in any way, either by showing up, spreading the word, organizing, donating, or taking the time to become informed;

All of those who have written letters to newspapers, posted on blogs, written to Parliamentarians or other people in a bid to fight for our country and rights in this instance.

I have personally seen people go from feeling they could do nothing against Harper’s onslaught on our rights and freedoms to getting very involved in helping prepare for the rallies, distribute information, convince others of the importance of getting involved, and most important, realizing that we citizens have power and are responsible for shaping our democracy.

What Christopher White and those who have worked so hard as a result of his initiating this movement will help us create a healthier democracy if we continue what they have started.

Oh, wow! A New Year’s invite from my MP and MPP!!!!!!

Got this flyer today (sorry, scanner’s on the fritz, will load original later)

You are cordially invited
to join
Mr and Mrs Scott Reid, M.P.
And Mr and Mrs Randy Hillier,
M.P.P.

At the following
New Year’s levees:
From: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

January 23, 2010
Napanee Lions Club
57 County Road 8
Napanee, ON

________________________

January 24, 2010
Dufferin Square Boardroom
105 Duffering Street
Perth, ON

Dress: casual

Uh-huh

Too bad I’ll be busy attending the rally on the Hill, Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament.

Pure coincidence, I’m sure.

Do they think we can be bought for a cheap buffet?

Raitt Award goes to: MP Brent Rathgeber!!!

Outstanding!!!!!  Lisa must be sooooo proud!

Winner of the prestigious Raitt Award is: CPC MP Brent Rathgeber for his unscripted response to questions concerning the current prorogation:  "Democracy and Parliament are not being sidestepped — they are only being suspended."

                                                           

Rathgeber unleashed also takes time to explain how it is a bad idea to be discussing all that torture nonsense because we don't want such issues plastered on the from pages of our national papers during the Olympics - visitors from other countrie may get a bad impression of Canada!

I guess his mom never explained to him that if you hide the dirt under a carpet, the dirt is still there.

Mandatory Poilievre

Pirate Fish says:

Pierre Poilievre is clueless.


But Pierre Poilievre, Harper's parliamentary secretary, said a recent poll suggests Canadians are indifferent to the prime minister's decision to prorogue Parliament.



I'm a Canadian, and I'm not indifferent.  Neither are the 60,300+ (and climbing) members of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament.

And they signed up over a few days. 

We aren't all indifferent, Pierre, you pompous little shit, and we are busy educating other Canadians on your vile, undemocratic tactics and how those are undermining all of our rights.

While it may please Pierre and his master to keep Canadians as ignorant as possible, a healthy democracy depends on an informed and educated population which engages in shaping policies.

Pierre is overall offensive, but this statement more so since it seems to suggest that if Canadians aren't aware of how the actions of a government affects them, then who gives a damn?

National Post columnist John Ivison (said), "This (facebook group) is not a groundswell of public opinion."

Not yet, Ivison.  But that's how groundswells start.  A small rise that is fed, and grows and grows and grows.  Nor does that one facebook account stand alone in its protest.  And as these groundswells grow, more people will pay attention.  Kind of hard to ignore them if you're tripping over them constantly. 

Pirate Fish says:  We are on a mission.

OK

Good:

Liberal MPs and senators will return to work as scheduled in the nation's capital later this month, even though Parliament has been suspended until early March.

Even better:

Still, Liberals want to avoid anything that might be dismissed as a partisan stunt. To that end, insiders say there'll be no mock Parliament or banging on the padlocked doors of the House of Commons.

Just show up quietly, wioth dignity, show how it should be done.

What the hell?

This is starting to feel like an episode in the Twilight Zone.

Still, there's word the Tories may go further to ensure prorogation becomes routine.  Government sources say they're contemplating formally shutting down Parliament at the end of every year, so the government can start afresh with a throne speech and a budget.

Do it often enough, it becomes routine, and people come to believe it's the norm.  Normal to kill any work still on the table and start all over again just to kill the same bills the following year.  Normal to incurr waste of taxpayers dollars on wasted bills.  Normal to wipe the slate clean of work done by committees studying abuses and scandals.

Sort of like going to confession on a regular basis:  wipe your sins away without coming to terms with them or being held accountable so that you can go out and commit a whole new set of sins, repeat some of the same ones, secure in the knowledge that never, ever will you be held accountable.

The role of elected representatives will erode further if the federal government makes good on its suggestion to make prorogation an annual event, experts say.   "It's not easy to see how this can work," said David Mitchell, president of the Ottawa-based Public Policy Forum. "It raises the question: Why do we have a Parliament?"

No fucking kidding!  Our vote, our will comes to mean very little. 

Regardless of what party you support, you should oppose this move in any way you can.  Do any of us want this to be the way any party in power - today the conservatives, tomorrow, who knows - by-passes our elected representatives who are supposed to act on our behalf?

The government's use of prorogation shows it believes Parliament has become an "inconvenience" that needs to be managed, rather than an essential part of the democratic process, said Mitchell.

Our will, as represented through those we elect, an inconvenience that needs to be managed?  Oh sure, because the CONs seem to think they know what we want better than we do, and actually consulting with us, or taking our misguided concerns seriously is a waste of time.

(emphasis mine)

But (political scientist Nelson Wiseman from the University of Toronto) doesn't expect much of a public backlash from the move. The public doesn't seem to get worked up about the erosion of Parliamentary power, he said.  His feeling is echoed privately by Tory MPs, and by a poll showing that 46 per cent of Canadians just don't care whether Parliament starts sitting in January or takes a break and comes back after the Olympics in March.

How fucking insulting and offensive is that?  We don't care about the erosion of Parliament?  We don't care that we are losing our right to shape our own future?  We just don't give a damn that our democratic act of voting is just to lull us into believing this is a democracy but actually means very little?

Show these pompous bastards how fucking wrong they are.  Show it in polls, show it by protesting prorogation.  If you don't, then they are right.  You really don't care whether or not we live in a democratic country, and I'll add that you don't give the slightest damn about your children's rights.

And why has our precious media given this monumentally important topic so little coverage?  Maybe part of the problem why so many people don't seem to give a damn is that the media is doing such a shit job at bringing it, and its serious nature, to our attention.

It isn’t like there’s no pressing work to do...

As Harper & Co. Stay the course they have set with their first prorogation, governing by not governing, serious work is set aside.  The stimulus plan-with-no-plan does not exist in a vacuum, and several stakeholders need to work in tandem to make sure that the funds are not only used in a way they can best benefit our economy, but that other factors are examined closely so that damaging effects can be avoided.

(Pic adapted from)

More than 90 per cent of thousands of new projects receiving funding from the Harper government will proceed without a federal environmental assessment, Canwest News Service reported in November.

Why?

According to our dictatorship, those pesky environmental assessments would slow down projects and threaten economic recovery. 

Sort of like taking a couple of months off to go to the Owelympics would slow down governing an entire country.

This avoidance of making sure projects don’t endager the health and safety of Canadians is not a mere delay, however.  The very panel that the CONs created to advise them on such environmental impacts has been ignored for nearly two years.  In fact, the committee has not even met since the spring of 2008.

Throughout this time, sweeping changes to regulations have been passed, effectively exempting thousands of projects from mandatory evaluations.   "We haven't had any notice that the minister has dissolved the committee, but it's kind of awkward to have a committee that doesn't meet," said Gary Schneider, who sits on the panel.

The government, however, managed to introduce exemptions to projects without the consultation of the environmental panel and without going through legislation.

(Schneider) said he was confused about why Environment Minister Jim Prentice has not asked them for advice.   "If you think that you know everything, and you don't need to take advice from the public, just because you got elected . . . I don't think it paints a very good picture of the minister," he said.

I don’t think it’s just a case of Prentice thinking he knows everything, but yet another example of  going through the motions of creating a panel for optics while never intending to take their advice because they know ahead of time that such advice will conflict with their narrow ideology and support of business interests before all else - including the long term future of average Canadians.

A spokeswoman for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency said she could not comment on why the committee has not met since 2008 because it would cost her job. But she suggested that they would be brought together again soon as part of a required review by Parliament in 2010 of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

Right - unless the CONs decide that such a review simply is no more necessary than considering the impact projects could have on our health and safety.

Considering the CONs lack of concern over environmental issues and their paranoid fear of reports, I guess that we and our children will just have to deal with the fallout of poorly planned projects offering no environmental protection.

Unless, of course, we join forces, say “enough,” and get rid of those uneducated, incredibly stupid, and undemocratic bastards while we still have the chance.

Talking to the public across Canada for the next few months and holding a thinkers’ meeting in March won’t cut it, nor will placing left-wing colours above common concerns for Canadians do it.  That two-thirds of the population with enough brains to realize how destructive Harper and the Cons are to our democracy and future need to contact members of the opposition and let them know they need to show up and work now.  Fuck prorogation and take back the Hill.

Harper says: Let me be clear -

Thanks to ACR who invites us to use this graphic.  Dave at TGB says throw it back at them, and take no prisoners.  When our government fails to respect the people it is supposed to govern and the very democracy that it is supposed to guard, then the people do not owe it respect.  For the love of your country, join forces and fight back.