The nadir of the 2006 Liberal campaign involved a prominent party spokesman stating that Canadian parents would use the government's "child care program" money to spend on "beer and popcorn." He was, quite rightly, widely excoriated for the comment.
This fellow is not the same Scott Reid, but he's up to something even more nefarious. He is using Government of Canada funds--you know, the ones that you and I give them--as though they were his own to distribute to people in Conservative-friendly ridings. Money that is being distributed by the Government of Canada under the economic stimulus package is being claimed by Conservative Members of Parliament as theirs to give. Scott Reid did not give out a $556,850 cheque out of his bank account; he did so out of the public coffers.
That's a bit of a problem eh?
9 comments:
How is this an issue with the regular voter if some MP is a glory hound or an egoist for getting funding for his riding?
Are you suggesting this Photoshop Cheque will be deposited?
lighten up
The Keddy one was a good shot across the Tory bow, but I think we need to be careful.
No doubt our guys have done the same thing before when we were the government.
-- Mike
Isn't that fraud or misrepresentation, or something like that?
Did Scott Reid write a cheque in the amount of $556,850 from his "Build Canada Fund"? No. Canadians care about a semblance of honesty from their politicians. This government has failed to provide that at nearly every opportunity. While this isn't as egregious as "we will not run a deficit" it is still noteworthy and shows that they are more concerned with optical politics than actually helping Canada recover from the mess that their incompetence exacerbated.
At least the money is going to build projects in said riding, not brown paper bags passed under the table to liberals to be refunded to the liberal party.
Yes, Mary, that definitely makes it acceptable.
MaryT: Some of you just aren't capable of logic, are you?
If you have a registered charity organization, and I decide that I want to volunteer for it, you have little control over what I do, except for anything that is outwardly visible... If I am some "hotshot" who's in it for me, and concerned about my standing in the organization more than what's right, then "I" may decide to bend the rules a little to benefit me and my friends personally. As that happens... I can be certain your charity wouldn't question how I suddenly became the "top fundraiser" in a certain region. Nope. I'm certain you would just keep taking the money, and raising me to higher and higher "roles" in the organization, constantly lauding me for my fundraising efforts. And you wouldn't know either. Top fundraisers are a gift to many organizations, and organizations fight over these people. Many of these people were top fundraisers for charities, including the United Way, etc.
Point is, this was the extent of the so-called "Adscam". So, it was basically overzealous fundraisers who tainted the party - but NOT the party itself. And anyone who does say the party was the problem can go f themselves, because THEN you are slandering ME and EVERY OTHER HONEST, HARD-WORKING LIBERAL in Canada (incidentally, THAT should always have been the response to the Adscam).
Keep in mind, these very same people (and Companies) did fundraising for the federal conservatives as well. They had NO REAL PARTY LOYALTY. Like many former conservatives at the time, they leached onto the federal Liberals who were the power party of the time. Many of their friends are currently back in the Conservative fold (right across Canada). As a party worker in Sask., AB, and BC, I've seen the "star organizers/fundraisers" come over from the Conservative coffee club during the Chretien/Martin years, supplanting good, hard-working Liberals who were in it for the party and not themselves. Some of these Cons became hill staffers, and now work for the Cons of Harper.
Fact is, the Adscam "Liberals" were former Tories, who took out Liberal memberships when it was convenient. The facts and evidence point that out. They were a bunch of people who were in it for themselves, and as such will always find their way to the party that welcomes them (and their "fund-raising skills")...
That's the common sense argument vis-a-vis Adscam. You can color it whatever partisan political color you want, but we know if there was anything else more heinous it would have been in court (and it wasn't). The current Conservative swindle involves a lot more money. A LOT more. Also, the money isn't exactly flowing - most of it is simply "earmarked". And most of that is to Conservative ridings.
Funny thing is, this scam seems to be directed from the PMO...
WG,
the auditor general report was wrong about the abuse?
WG, you are so wrong about what I would do. Are you implying that the liberal party is a registered charity.
Charitable org I belong to have refused funds from certain quarters.
We have refused fundraising schemes.
Sorry for you, but adscam tainted the entire liberal party regardless of what you try to cover up.
At least we decimated a party when they did wrong, but you still elect many lib mps that were there when it happened and are still there.
A real investigation, not the farce Martin had, could be interesting. Never know who will be caught in the fallout.
Liberals should bite the bullet and admit to themselves, their party is tainted, mostly because the grassroots didn't or couldn't do anything about it.
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