Andrew Coyne: The only right thing left for Mike Duffy to do now is resign

[CaptainCrunch]

I haven't commented because I didn't see a point, I find the scandal pretty indefensible at the moment.

I think at this point an impartial outside of senate of parliment investigation has to happen especially since we saw the doctoring of the senate committee report.

Eventually all governments get snared in scandal.

Will the government fall over this? No, will it effect Harper in the next election, possibly.

Right now to me, I had a healthy amount of respect for Harper,we'll see how it shapes out, but I'm not comfortable with the other two candidates in prime minister position either.

So we'll see and watch the investigation and hope that this leads to a proper senate reform or its destruction instead of just nibbling around the edges.

[rubecube]

I like this petition from Trudeau. It allows me to be outraged from the comfort of my living room.

http://petition.liberal.ca/ask-harpe...-duffy-ethics/

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Right now to me, I had a healthy amount of respect for Harper,we'll see how it shapes out, but I'm not comfortable with the other two candidates in prime minister position either.

So we'll see and watch the investigation and hope that this leads to a proper senate reform or its destruction instead of just nibbling around the edges.

I think this is what Makarov was talking about. During the sponsorship scandal you had CPC supporters frothing at the mouth and wanting to string Chretien up by his feet. Hell, we still haven't heard the end of it or the NEP. Yet, here we have Conservative PM who's misappropriate $3B in taxpayer dollars, introduced a horrendous crime bill, lied about cost overruns for his fighter jet program, and has now been caught trying to cover this up, and that doesn't even get into the ways in which he's pretty much made a mockery of discourse and democracy in the House at times, yet CPC supporters still have a "healthy respect" for him.

If you're (and not specifically you, CC) are going to be a blatant homer for your political party, at least cop to it. And before anyone asks, I have never voted for the Liberals at any level of politics.

[CaptainCrunch]

Oh,I'm an absolute Homer for my political party right now.

I find the Liberal Party is still the same liberal party that ran with the sponsership scandal, the HRDC boondoogle, the registry fiasco and Chretiens Shawnagate. All they've done is gotten a internet sensation to disguise the party.

The conservatives were a better governing party under minority rules, sad but true, and they've created a pretty big land mind for itself.

Mulcair is just an idiot, and there's nothing in the NDP platform that would ever make me vote for them (I am the 1% yo)

I would agree that the next election is probably going to be a minority situation.

[Makarov]

Well, we got this thread to four pages now at least.

[afc wimbledon]

What I don't understand about this whole mess is why the hell does Duffy need a gift of $90,000 in the first place? he's spent years as a major political reporter, that has to pay a bit to start off with, now he's a senetor , which we all know is an endless gravy train into the sunset, why the hell was he not able walk into a bank and just get a 100,000 line of credit?, hell I'm a humble foster parent and I could do that within a day or two on the strength of my house.

What the hell has the dude been up to that he isn't good for 90,000 at the bank and had to cheat on his expenses in the first place?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Makarov

How many liberals are there on this forum? Not very many. And how many times can each of us say "this is the exact type of corruption that the Conservatives promised they would deliver us from"?

No, I suggest that the length of this thread indicates: (1) there are far more conservatives than liberals on this forum; (2) the majority of those conservative forumers (perhaps not surprisingly) have a double standard when it comes to corruption in Liberal and Conservative governments; and (3) as Bertuzzied points out, the thread title is not filled with the scandalous hyperbole that entices people to view it (although, again, I can't help but wonder whether the title would be much different if this was "Nanny Redford"'s government, for example.)

No kidding. The ad scam cost us a potentially great prime minister in Paul Martin and gave us a lame duck Harper. EVERY single party is corrupt and it was laughable to hear Harper and the New Reform party say otherwise when Rob Effing Anders is still an MP for them.

Paul Martin is a better PM than the bunch of jackasses running this time.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

You look at any thread about the sponsorship scandal and they are longer than the "Funny or Cool Pictures" threads.

This one is like tumbleweeds.

And Fotze may be correct in saying that no "side" trumpets their own failures. However, it should give evidence to:
(1) CP, like Calgary, is very Conservative
(2) Those that said they were "outraged" at the sponsorship scandal were mostly feigning outrage because it was to their political advantage. If they were really outraged at government malfeasance they would be equally outspoken no matter what party was in power.

I think Calgary changes in the next 10 years. Younger people are generally more liberal and having a great liberal mayor like Nenshi will turn the tides.

Begone sheep! baaa baaa baaaa

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Oh,I'm an absolute Homer for my political party right now.

I find the Liberal Party is still the same liberal party that ran with the sponsership scandal, the HRDC boondoogle, the registry fiasco and Chretiens Shawnagate. All they've done is gotten a internet sensation to disguise the party.

What do you base this on exactly? Most of the old guard has been cleared out. If there's one major criticism I would level at the Liberals it's that they lack any kind of identity at the moment, but that's pretty well par for a rebuild.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Wow....

With the Conservatives ensnarled in the biggest political scandal in their seven years in government, a new poll suggests Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are en route to winning a massive majority in the next election.

More than four in 10 Canadians, 44%, said they would vote Liberal in the next federal election, according to latest Forum Poll for the National Post, compared to 27% support for the ruling Conservatives and 20% for the opposition NDP.

The Liberals would claim 192 seats in the 308-seat House of Commons with that support, leaving the Tories with 77 and dropping the NDP all the way back to 37.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05...n-tories-poll/

[Ozy_Flame]

Meh. It's just at the height of a scandal right now. Those numbers should even out over the next few months.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I agree, but what this should confirm without a doubt is a majority is out of the question for the CPC. Minority is their only hope of winning now.

[Slava]

I have barely chimed in because there is nothing to say. I still stand by my original question though of whether this is the bigger scandal or the missing $3.1 Billion? CPC supporters here were up in arms over the sponsorship scandal (and CC even hung his hat there on this same page), and that was a mere $100M. Surely the sheer size of this makes that look like amateur hour?

[Dion]

Harper has to go.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Slava

I have barely chimed in because there is nothing to say. I still stand by my original question though of whether this is the bigger scandal or the missing $3.1 Billion? CPC supporters here were up in arms over the sponsorship scandal (and CC even hung his hat there on this same page), and that was a mere $100M. Surely the sheer size of this makes that look like amateur hour?

Part of that 3.1 billion does go back to the liberal government as well iirc.

I would say that the sponsership scandal, HRDC, gun registry stuff is pretty similar to what we're seeing from the conservatives. The Senate scandal isa different beast though, especially if it directly links to Harper, it would be his version of Shawanigate.

Neither track record of parties in majority positions is good.

Maybe we need to start having minority governments with 2 year elections going forward for a while.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Part of that 3.1 billion does go back to the liberal government as well iirc.

I would say that the sponsership scandal, HRDC, gun registry stuff is pretty similar to what we're seeing from the conservatives. The Senate scandal isa different beast though, especially if it directly links to Harper, it would be his version of Shawanigate.

Neither track record of parties in majority positions is good.

Maybe we need to start having minority governments with 2 year elections going forward for a while.

The reality is that for a government that claims fiscal prudence and economic stewardship these scandals that all involve missing money, misuse of money and overall incompetence are ruinous. It would be one thing if this was more of the "hidden agenda" type of thing. In that kind of case they could point to unemployment, inflation or whatever and claim they were doing a good job. A record that is full of incompetence, deflection and potential fraud though? Thats a hard one to run on.

I also think that Harper has made a mistake in his handling of this senate issue. No only are three of these yahoos people he appointed (which goes against his goal of an elected senate of course), but the $90,000 appears to have been specifically made to avoid an audit. I can't see how any outcome at this point is favorable for Harper and the CPC.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by fotze

Don't all governments claim fiscal prudence and economic stewardship. I think even the NDPers (if they got in power) would claim the same thing.

Oh, absolutely. Everyone is a centrist. Everyone is fiscally conservative and socially moderate, just ask them.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Makarov

How is this thread only three pages long? I wonder how long would it be if this scandal broke for a Liberal federal government?

It's amusing to think about the number of the right of centre posters who haven't even showed up in the thread with a comment of any kind.

Reminds me of Canuck and Oiler fans after a loss.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Oh,I'm an absolute Homer for my political party right now.

I find the Liberal Party is still the same liberal party that ran with the sponsership scandal, the HRDC boondoogle, the registry fiasco and Chretiens Shawnagate. All they've done is gotten a internet sensation to disguise the party.

The conservatives were a better governing party under minority rules, sad but true, and they've created a pretty big land mind for itself.

Mulcair is just an idiot, and there's nothing in the NDP platform that would ever make me vote for them (I am the 1% yo)

I would agree that the next election is probably going to be a minority situation.

Since you're the guy requiring such a high burden of proof in the Rob Ford thread, how about providing something to support your 'well-reasoned' position.

Start by linking this incarnation of the Liberal Party to the Sponsorship scandal.

Just admit you cheer for your home team, right or wrong, and they wear blue.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Dion

Harper has to go.

Honest question ....

If you had your druthers, what would you like to see happen?

Is there someone within the ranks of the CPC Party you'd like to see lead the Party? Personally, I don't think the obvious choices like MacKay, Clements, Baird, Kenney would be any different that Harper. I had high hopes for Peter MacKay but he's turning out to be pretty greasy.

Would you consider voting Liberal?