I am furious that Stephen Harper appointed a man who once endorsed Belinda Stronach financially to become the newest Canadian Senator. A Belinda supporter in the Senate? Is this madness? Other than his support of Belinda in the 2004 Tory Leadership Race, I have no problem with David Braley's Senate appointment. If you are of the opinion that appointing a Senator who previously donated money to your party is wrong, that's cool. In this case, Senator Braley has donated more money to charity than 99.9% of Canadians, to the tune ot tens of millions of dollars. He may have donated money to all the leadership candidates in 2004, but he donated 3 times as much to Belinda as now Prime Minister Harper.
Granted I don't see the Senate in its current status as a holly institution. Many of the people currently sitting were appointed for partisan reasons (not unlike Larry Campbell), so I don't see an open Tory as a threat to our democracy. I want an elected Senate. I believe that Stephen Harper will bring that to reality in the future. He tried before, but the then Liberal dominated Senate furiously filibustered that legislation. If it takes appointing some partisans to reform the Senate, then so be it, I support it.
To those of my "colleagues", those "Liberal hacks" who are up in arms, grow the fuck up. As I have asserted on several occasions, you are welcome to live in your political fantasy land, while the rest of us live in the real world. Bloggers who can't see reality through their ideology, I don't have time for. Whether it was declaring the Olympics a massive failure in November or chastising Harper's lack of "fiscal conservatism" in a minority government, some Blogging Tories can't grasp reality.
They refused to clean up the Senate and have blocked every attempt. Only after they lost control and started to cry Uncle have they realized their mistake.
ReplyDeleteThe disconnect continues with the taxpayer and voters for the Liberal trainwreck.
Harper isn't the least bit worried about 'optics', the superficial media antiCon ink spilling bull, anymore.
ReplyDeleteI like this new mentality.
Doesn't matter what yah do, it will be twisted and distorted by the media, so pfffffff.
My fav, Deb Grey, said 'do the right thing and let them howl'!!!
o/t Libs talk a good game,
but PMSH and the Conservative get it done
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/05/21/game-changer%e2%80%94big-bucks-big-brains/
in the comments:
Dr Dawg:
"The lower-tier Canada Research Chairs are spread more equitably among disciplines."
Sure, Paul--after a successful human rights complaint: link
Maybe you should poke around a little more.
Inkless:
Ah. Guess I poked around too much. The correct answer is May 7, 2003.
Which means the complaint was launched over the program as designed while Jean Chrétien was prime minister
and remained outstanding during the entire time Paul Martin was prime minister,
before being settled in mediation within months after Stephen Harper became prime minister.
(Harper, getting things done)
The criticisms of this appointment are laughable but then haven't most of the appts been criticised?
ReplyDeleteI have loved the creativity of the choices so far and in a way it's become a fun game of 'guess who's next'. I love this one the most!
Besides being an icon of my favorite Canadian sport, this guy is a true Canadian conservative in every sense of the word.
He created his own wealth, has shared that wealth and walks among us as a real person, not an elitist.
The critics and complainers are completely off base but then they have for every single one of these necessary political chess moves.
I really am at a loss to understand why conservatives seem to be so upset over Mr. Harper's latest senate appointment. David Braley represents everything that conservatives stand for. He is a self-made millionaire who gives generously to charities and supports the CFL with his own money. He epitomizes the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the economy and is the type of person we need in government, even if it is the outdated senate.
ReplyDeleteAs for his financial support of the Conservative Party: who else would he support? He's the sort of individual that the opposition parties see as targets for increased taxation.
As for Mr. Harper's broken promise re the senate: he gave the opposition and the provinces the opportunity to make changes. He waited over a year before he filled vacancies so that the provinces could offer up elected members. All he got was a slap in the face.
As far as I am concerned: Go, Harper, Go!
If you will permit me to go totally off topic here: I read in the Canadian Press that Diamond Estates Winery is donating their Dan Ackroyd brand vino to our troops in Afghanistan for the duration of their involvement. I don't know if this product is available in Alberta, but if so, I'll be picking up a case today. Well done!
So many would vote for the appointment of a completely useless tit that has done nothing and has never supported or opposed anyone.
ReplyDeleteMr. Harper's latest appointment is the appointment of a capable and hard working Canadian that was done for the benefit of Canada. This man does not need the job or the prestige that goes with it. He has chosen to serve Canada. Is the concept of service to your country so foreign?
To those who nitpick so many of Harper's decisions I say ... Cut the guy some slack !
ReplyDeleteLook at all the roadblocks being thrown in his path, as he tries to bring about reasonable Senate reform. The latest bit of nonsense is from Ed Stelmach, who is now cancelling Alberta's fall Senate elections ! And for no good reason, other than Ed might be embarassed by Senate victories by the Wildrose Alliance candidates.
How the heck is Harper supposed to deal with this kind of crap ? One day, he's got a province supposedly in sync with his Senate reform ideals. The next day he finds out that Ed (and probably Ralph too) was just paying lip service to Senate reform, just to appease the masses. How very Liberal-like of them, not really BELIEVING in a policy that they "advocate".
Leave the nit-picking to the Libs, they are so much better at it than us, and seem to work on it 24/7, looking for evidence that so-and-so stole candy from a baby 40 years ago.
I have no problem with the appointment of Braley. As others have said,he's a self made man,and a philanthropist. So he backed Belinda Stronach, lots of people made the mistake of jumping on the bandwagon of the pretty young billionairess.
ReplyDeleteBraley donated to the Conservatives? Not much,and not nearly enough to influence anyone. If you look at this appointment from a logical perspective,Harper must have made it based on his belief the man could do a good job.
I doubt the "prestige" of a Senate seat means anything to a man who's made it in the real world of business,where Senators and politicians are poor cousins to the really important people in the Country.
Better a person like Braley than a guy like Liberal appointee Frank Mahovlich,who Punch Imlach once described as "none too bright".
We could look at almost all appointments to the Senate,and few will be as deserving as Braley.
How about that Larry Campbell,the guy that brought heroin injection sites to the Downtown east Side of Vancouver,and left the "Four Pillars" approach to drug addiction stuck at the first pillar?
Compared to Campbell, Braley's a Saint.
DMorris
Did you forget Harris and Eaves both strongly supported Stronach for PC leader?
ReplyDeleteEven the best of us make mistakes when beautiful women get involved.
Anonymous, my "outrage" was sarcastic. Even I was cheering for Belinda in 2004, which in hindsight was unbelievably stupid because she had no experience in politics whatsoever. It was not my finest hour, but we learn from our mistakes, right?
ReplyDeleteIf the Liberals and NDP don't like partisan appointments to the Senate, it's time for them to start supporting Senate elections.
ReplyDelete