Category Archives: Canadian Politics

Politics in Canada

Canadian Politics, Election 2015

Child-care benefit could be a potential $43,160 bonanza for B.C. polygamist with 133 children

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Do the arithmetic of 20 children under seven and 78 between the ages of seven and 18 and it adds up to a $43,160 payday for Bountiful, B.C. polygamist Winston Blackmore, shown in 2012 leaving a Vancouver court, and his wives.

Jason Payne / PNGDo the arithmetic of 20 children under seven and 78 between the ages of seven and 18 and it adds up to a $43,160 payday for Bountiful, B.C. polygamist Winston Blackmore, shown in 2012 leaving a Vancouver court, and his wives.

There was no bigger winner than Bountiful, B.C., polygamist Winston Blackmore last month when the Canadian government sent out cheques for the expanded Universal Child Care Benefit.

Blackmore, who is awaiting trial on a single criminal charge of polygamy, has 133 children ranging in age from babies to adults.

For every child under the age of six, Canadian parents received $520, and for every child aged seven to 18, they received $420, with no restrictions on how the money could be spent.

Using the best information available from several sources, the 58-year-old fundamentalist Mormon leader has as many as 98 children who are 18 or younger, and as many as 20 of those are seven and younger.

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Canadian Politics, Election 2015

Long election could scuttle Harper’s ability to claim privilege in Duffy trial testimony

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Stephen Harper may have to testify at Duffy's trial after all.

Rod MacIvor/Postmedia News FilesStephen Harper may have to testify at Duffy’s trial after all.

An unintended consequence of the exceedingly long election campaign of 78 days is that MPs’ parliamentary privilege will expire during the writ period.

Normally, this would be mere trivia, but this campaign is being waged during the ongoing criminal trial of suspended senator Mike Duffy.

His trial, currently in hiatus, resumes August 12, and the crucial testimony of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s chief of staff, Nigel Wright, is expected on that day or shortly after.

in Election 2015, that privilege will expire at the mid-way point of the campaign, on September 11, 2015.

When the privilege resumes — the 40 days before the next session– would depend on when parliament resumes sitting, with the swearing in of MPs.

Should the elected prime minister, whoever he or she might be, bring parliament back the day after the election, October 20, then the privilege would extend retroactively back to September 10, 2015.

There is, however, no need to recall parliament so quickly. Usually, several weeks or months pass after an election before the session begins. Indeed, some have speculated that the House will not sit again until later in the fall or maybe not until early in the new year.

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Canadian Politics, Election 2015

Refugees and income assistance – rebutting the chain email (“pensioners’ myth”)

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Source URL: http://ccrweb.ca/en/refugees-and-income-assistance-rebutting-chain-email-pensioners-myth

Responding to chain email with false information

Have you heard rumours that refugees in Canada receive greater assistance from the government than pensioners?

For several years, a persistent chain email has been circulating claiming that refugees receive significantly more money in income assistance than Canadians collecting a pension.  The information, which is based on a letter published in the Toronto Star, is false. The record has been set straight by the federal government and the Canadian Council for Refugees.

Refugees come to Canada in different ways, but no matter the category, refugees receive very limited income assistance from the government.

The true picture is that:

  • Refugee claimants and refugees recognized by the Immigration and Refugee Board receive no special income assistance.  They may, depending on provincial regulations, be entitled, like other residents, to social assistance.
  • Privately sponsored refugees are not entitled to government assistance (including provincial assistance) during the period of their sponsorship (usually for one year after arrival in Canada).  Their income support must be provided by their sponsors.
  • Government assisted refugees have access to financial assistance from the federal government through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP).  This financial assistance is generally for one year maximum and is received only if they do not have their own financial resources or income. The exact rate depends on the size of the family and is tied to social assistance rates.  In Ontario in July 2013, for example, a single person receives $781 per month.  In addition, government-assisted refugees are entitled to a one-time set up allowance, to cover such things as clothes, basic household effects and staples, and telephone installation.  For a single person there is a maximum one-time allowance of $905, plus a $564 loan for house rental and telephone line deposits.

Most resettled refugees arrive in Canada with a significant debt burden, since they are expected to repay the Canadian government for their transportation to Canada as well as the cost of their medical examination undertaken as part of their processing to come to Canada.  Refugee families therefore often begin life in Canada with a debt running to thousands of dollars.  Interest is charged on this loan at a rate set by the Department of Finance each year.

For more information on transportation loans for resettled refugees and the devastating impacts they have, see: http://ccrweb.ca/en/transportation-loans and http://www.ccrweb.ca/documents/loansEN.pdf

Have you received a chain email or read a letter to the editor spreading this false information?

  • ‘Don’t believe everything you read in the paper…’ The same applies to the Internet!
  • Think before you click –Sending on this email can have devastating impacts.  It spreads false rumours, hurting people who have already suffered in their home countries. Let’s offer them a better welcome to Canada than unfounded stigmas and prejudices.

How can you set the record straight?

  • Respond to the email with correct information and facts to the person who sent you this false information.  Give them the facts.  Ask them to send this information on to everyone that they sent the message to.  Here is a sample email message that you can use:

The information in this email is FALSE. 

Passing it on can have devastating impacts.  It spreads false rumours, hurting people who have already suffered in their home countries. Let’s show them a better welcome to Canada than unfounded stigmas and prejudices.

Put yourself in the shoes of a refugee in Canada – the TRUE picture is that some refugees who come to Canada receive no financial assistance from the government, and others at most extremely limited income assistance.

  • On top of a limited income, refugees resettled to Canada also arrive with a huge debt because they have to repay Canada for their travel costs.  Imagine arriving in Canada owing a debt greater than what you earned in your entire working life.  Many government-assisted refugees do just that and they must pay back the costs of their transportation to Canada, with interest.  For some families this can be as much as $10,000.  This is a huge burden for a refugee family that is starting fresh in a new country, with a new language to learn and few connections.  For more information, see: http://ccrweb.ca/en/transportation-loans

Please send this information back to anyone who has received this false information to set the record straight. For more information see the websites of the department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/refugees/index.asp#support) and the Canadian Council for Refugees (ccrweb.ca/en/refugees-and-income-assistance-rebutting-chain-email-pensioners-myth).

  • Post a response to this chain email on your website or in your blog, with the correct information.
  • If the rumour is circulating widely in your community, talk to journalists at your local radio station or community newspaper to produce a piece with the correct information.  Take the opportunity to raise the realities and challenges faced by refugees in your community.

Looking for more information?

Explanation of the origins of the email by Toronto Star ombudsperson (below)

You Asked For It, article published by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Sept.-Oct. 2005, responding to the chain email

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Do government-assisted refugees get more income support and benefits than Canadian pensioners do?.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Financial support for Government-Assisted Refugees

For a rebuttal of a US version of the myth, see Snopes.com (a site dedicated to getting the facts on urban legends)

A version of the myth also made an appearance in Australia: ABC, MediaWatch

The Toronto Star ombudsperson published the following explanation of the origins of the email:

“Today’s rather sad and twisted tale began last March when the Star published a feature about plans to settle hundreds of African refugees in smaller Canadian cities. It was a simple story: Canada and the United Nations were flying asylum-seekers from a Somali refugee camp to new lives in centres such as Hamilton. As immigration/diversity reporter Nicholas Keung wrote, immigration officials hope to encourage (but not force) refugees to make new lives outside the magnet cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. “We hope by relocating them all together and resettling them as a whole to the same community, we can create a positive environment to help them integrate into the Canadian society successfully,” an immigration official explained.

Fine and dandy. But halfway through the 1,500-word article, unforeseen trouble was lurking. In paragraph 16, the story said single refugees are eligible for $1,890 from Ottawa as a “start-up allowance, along with a $580 monthly social assistance, depending on how soon the person is able to find employment.” In addition, they get “a night lamp, a table, a chair and a single bed from the government,” the story said. In painful hindsight, those details could have been clearer. Actually, the $1,890 “start-up allowance” – including a $580 monthly social assistance cheque from Ottawa – was a one-time payment for basic household needs such as furnishings, pots and linens. The furniture is used. In quick order, two things happened after the article ran. First, a reader sent a nasty e-mail to the reporter. Among other things, it said charity begins at home and Canada should not “roll out the welcome mat” for refugees. The e-mailer assumed – erroneously – that the refugees would collect $2,470 a month. They’d be better off than Canadian pensioners.

More worrisome, the polemicist sent his rant to 100 recipients, some of whom likely spread the word to wider audiences. Ah, the wonders of the Internet! Alarmed by the e-mail, reporter Keung tried to contact the sender. It was too late. Having spread the misinformation, the e-mailer already had changed his address. At the same time, a second development occurred. The Star ran a letter to the editor that said the $2,470 “compares very well to a single pensioner who after contributing to the growth and development of Canada for 40 years can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement. “Maybe our pensioners should apply as refugees?” reasoned the writer.

Readers may not realize that fact checking of letters to the editor is nearly impossible at most daily papers, given limited staff resources and unforgiving deadlines. Although many mistakes are caught, the occasional doozer gets through. That was definitely the case here. Over the next several months, it became increasingly clear a disturbing urban myth had been born. Various offices at the Star have been getting e-mails from around the world, usually one or two a week. Many quote from the erroneous letter to the editor, expressing varying degrees of curiosity, dismay, envy or anger. “Let’s send this to all Canadians,” one e-mail roared, “so we can all be p—– off and maybe we can get the refugees cut back to $1,012 and the pensioners up to $2,470 and enjoy some of the money we were forced to submit to the government over the last 40 or 50 years.” In hindsight, the ombud now wishes he’d issued a speedy clarification to help set the record straight. But with information (and misinformation) moving at warp speed on the Internet, I doubt there was a silver bullet for the problem. Maybe this column can help dispel a damaging misperception about refugees and pensioners. Please tell your friends.”  (Toronto Star, Nov. 27, 2004.  Reproduced with permission – Torstar Syndication Services).

One version of the email reads as follows:

Only in Canada.

Do not apply for your old age pension. Apply to be a refugee. It is interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890.00 and each can get an additional $580.00 in social assistance for a total of $2,470.00.

This compares very well to a single pensioner who, after contributing to the growth and development of Canada for 40 or 50 years, can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012.00 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Maybe our pensioners should apply as refugees!

Let’s send this thought to as many Canadians as we can and maybe we can get the refugees cut back to $1,012.00 and the pensioners up to $2,470.00, so they can enjoy the money they were forced to submit to the Canadian government for those 40 to 50 years.

Please forward this to every Canadian you know.

Canadian Politics, Election 2015, Election Fraud

Stephen Harper asks governor general to dissolve parliament, kicking off long election campaign

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The Canadian Press | August 2, 2015 2:12 PM ET

Prime Minister Stephen Harper holds a press conference after visiting Governor General David Johnston to dissolve parliament and trigger an election campaign at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Sunday, August 2, 2015.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangPrime Minister Stephen Harper holds a press conference after visiting Governor General David Johnston to dissolve parliament and trigger an election campaign at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Sunday, August 2, 2015.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has asked Governor General David Johnston to dissolve Parliament, touching off an 11-week campaign in advance of an election Oct. 19.

He was quickly peppered with media questions about why he was subjecting Canadians to a campaign that promises to be the longest in more than a century and the costliest in the country’s political history.

Simple, Harper replied: Conservative rivals are already campaigning.

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Canadian Politics, Election 2015

Federal Election 2015: Costly Campaign All About Saving Taxpayers Money, Harper Says

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 |  By

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says a desire to save taxpayers’ money motivated his decision to call an 11-week campaign that will actually cost taxpayers millions of dollars more.

Outside Rideau Hall on Sunday, Harper said it was “essential” to start the campaign in the first week of August ahead of a vote on Oct. 19. The 78-day campaign will be the longest in more than a century and, almost certainly, the costliest in Canadian history.

“As it my intention to begin campaign-related activities and it is also the case for the other party leaders, it’s important that these campaigns be funded by the parties themselves, rather than taxpayers,” the Conservative leader said.

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Canadian Politics, Election 2015

Nanos survey: Tight race begins for top three parties

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CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Sunday, August 2, 2015 12:20PM EDT

The federal election race is officially under way, and the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP appear to be in a three-way race as they leave the starting line.

The latest ballot tracking from Nanos Research shows a razor-thin margin of voter preference support separating the first-place Conservatives from the NDP and Liberals, in a survey that asked respondents which two parties they would consider voting for in their local riding.

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives led the survey results with 31.5 per cent support overall, followed closely by Thomas Mulcair’s NDP at 30.1 per cent, with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals trailing at 29.3 per cent support. The Green Party ranked a distant fourth in the survey with 5.4 per cent support.

“The trend has been favouring the New Democrats,” pollster Nik Nanos told CTV News on Sunday.

Canadian Politics

Don’t underestimate Trudeau, say two former Harper advisers

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By ABBAS RANA | 
Published: Monday, 07/07/2014 12:00 am EDT

Two former senior advisers to Prime Minister Stephen Harper are warning Conservatives not to underestimate Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau after last week’s four by-election results, saying the Liberals have momentum and could surprise Conservatives in the next election like they did with Liberal leader Jean Chrétien in the 1993 election

“We completely underestimated Mr. Chrétien [in 1993]. My biggest concern is that the Conservatives do not underestimate Mr. Trudeau. Brian Mulroney has said he’s [Mr. Trudeau] the real deal. Whether he is or not, he’s certainly got something that’s appealing [to Canadians],” Bruce Carson, a former senior adviser to Prime Minister Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) from told The Hill Times last week referring to the Liberal Party’s landslide victory in 1993 and where Progressive Conservatives under then-prime minister Kim Campbell were reduced to mere two seats from 169 that they had won in 1988.

In the four byelections that took place on Monday, June 30 between the weekend and the Canada Day holiday, the Liberals won the two GTA ridings and the Conservatives won the two Alberta ridings. But in all four ridings, the Liberals’ popular vote went up.

Keith Beardsley, former deputy chief of staff to Prime Minister Harper told The Hill Timesthat, in the short term, the Liberals have momentum on their side but it remains to be seen how things will unfold until the next election.

“In the short term, momentum will help him [Mr. Trudeau] in fundraising, in finding candidates, and volunteers for the election machine. Whether he can sustain it and turn that into votes this far out, that’s a different issue. But in the short-term, it’s going to help him,” Mr. Beardsley said, now president of Cenco Public Affairs.

Mr. Beardsley said that the Liberal vote growth in Alberta in byelections means that Conservatives will have to campaign in the next general election in Alberta—the bedrock of Conservative base where, in the past elections, Conservatives won almost all the seats with only nominal campaigns. In the last election, Conservatives won 27 of the 28 ridings.

“They’ve [Conservatives] got to take each riding seriously and that includes Alberta,” Mr. Beardsley said.

The only surprise in the four byelections was the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina where Liberal candidate Adam Vaughan, a former journalist and city councillor bested NDP candidate Joe Cressy, a social activist, by a margin of 6,745 or 19.4 per cent of the vote. Former NDP MP Olivia Chow, widow of late Jack Layton had held the riding since 2006 and in the 2011 federal election won it by a whopping margin of more than 20,0000 votes. She resigned her seat in March to run for the mayor’s race in Toronto. Ms. Chow first won this riding from former four-term Liberal MP Tony Ianno in 2006.

Based on the last federal election result in the riding and Liberal infighting which was caused when Mr. Trudeau blocked Christine Innes, wife of Mr. Ianno from seeking the Liberal nomination because of her husband’s alleged bullying and intimidation campaign tactics, the NDP was expected to win the riding. Ms. Innes now is suing Mr. Trudeau and Ontario Liberal campaign co-chair David MacNaughton for $1.5-million for defamation.

The ridings of Toronto-Danforth and Trinity-Spadina held special symbolic significance for the New Democrats as the husband and wife team held both. After Mr. Layton’s death in 2011, the NDP won Toronto-Danforth in March 2012 in a byelection with Craig Scott, a Rhodes scholar and a former law professor at Osgoode Hall law school as their candidate.

Mr. Cressy, 29, a bright social activist and a close family friend of the Layton family played an important role in planning Ms. Chow’s mayoral campaign. Mr. Cressy and Mike Layton, son of Jack Layton were best men at each other’s weddings. In the last NDP leadership campaign, Mr. Cressy, a former senior adviser at the Stephen Lewis Foundation supported NDP MP Paul Dewar’s (Ottawa Centre, Ont.) unsuccessful leadership campaign in 2012. Both of Mr. Cressy’s parents Joanne and Gordon were Toronto City councillors.

Mr. Vaughan, a former CBC and CityTV/CP 24 journalist, whose father Colin was also a Toronto City councillor, is well-known as a popular and good retail politician. He replaced Ms. Chow as city councillor after she resigned to run federally in 2006. In the municipal election, Mr. Vaughan defeated Helen Kennedy, chief of staff to Ms. Chow.

The other GTA riding of Scarborough-Agincourt was expected to stay in the Liberal column as Liberals have held it for more than 25 years. Former Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis had been representing this riding since 1988. He resigned in April to spend more time with his family and to run municipally. In last week’s byelection, Liberal Arnold Chan, a former senior adviser to former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty won by a margin of about 6,500 votes and won a total of 59.6 per cent of the votes.

Conservatives won both Alberta ridings but the popular Liberal vote percentage went up in both ridings.

In Fort McMurray-Athabasca, which became vacant after former Conservative MP Brian Jean resigned his seat in January, Conservative David Yurdiga won by a margin of 11.4 per cent of the vote. He won 46.7 per cent of the vote and second place Liberal candidate Kyle Harrietha garnered 35.3 per cent of the vote. In the 2011 federal election, Mr. Jean garnered 71 per cent and second place NDP candidate Berend Wilting won 13.2 per cent and third place Liberal Karen Young captured 10.4 per cent.

In Macleod, Conservative John Barlow beat Liberal candidate Dustin Fuller, who placed second, by a margin of 51.7 per cent of the vote. The Liberals placed fourth in the last general election. This riding opened up after the early resignation of former Conservative MP and former Cabinet minister Ted Menzies in November. In the 2011 election, Liberal Nicole Hankel won only 3.6 per cent of the vote in this riding but in the byelecton not only came in second but also increased their vote count by about 14 per cent.

Meanwhile, Mr. Carson who served in the Prime Minister’s Office from 2006-2009 and also worked with Mr. Harper in the OLO after Canadian Alliance and PC Parties merged in 2003, said the attack ads that Conservatives have been running against Mr. Trudeau since he became party leader have not been producing the desired results. He said that his party should come up with more substantive attack ads rather than using “throwaway phrases” like “he’s in over his head.” Mr. Carson said that the Conservatives should pay particular attention to next year’s budget and election platform and make it exciting and innovative in order to ask Canadians for another mandate.

Mr. Carson, however, cautioned that although the Liberals have done well in byelections, it remains to be seen how the Liberal leader will perform in the general election campaign when it lasts 37 days and there will be 338 ridings, televised leaders’ debates, and a lot more scrutiny of him and his party’s record.

“…The appeal that Trudeau has, that’s exciting and they put a lot of attention in the byelections which is easy to do because there are only three or four happening at the same time,” said Mr. Carson.

“What I think Mr. Trudeau and Gerry [Butts] and others have to figure out is how do you take that and translate it into over 300 ridings.”

Since Mr. Trudeau became party leader last year, there have been nine byelections. In all, Liberals not only won their own ridings, but also knocked off the NDP in Trinity-Spadina and the Conservatives in Newfoundland and Labrador, where new Liberal MP Yvonne Jones defeated former Cabinet minister Peter Penashue. In all nine byelections, the Liberals’ popular vote percentages went up.

New Democratic Party spokesman George Soule told The Hill Times that his party is disappointed with last Monday’s byelection results and are now regrouping to plot their strategy for the fall Parliamentary session and the next general election. But he also warned that pundits should not read too much into the NDP defeat in Trinity-Spadina as he said his party has experienced similar setbacks before.

Using the example of 2010 byelection in the Manitoba riding of Winnipeg North, he said that the NDP lost that riding to Liberals after former NDP Judy Wasylycia-Leis stepped down. At the time, he said, pundits declared that the momentum was with the Liberal Party and declared then-Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff as prime minister, but the 2011 general election produced a very different scenario.

“I remember a lot of analysis back then saying, ‘That was a good sign,’ and ‘That Jack Layton was done and that Michael Ignatieff is going to be the prime minister,’ but you saw how it turned out in the [general] election,” said Mr. Soule.

In the last general election, the NDP in an unprecedented move, increased its seat count from 36 to 103, thanks mostly to the unexpected gain of 59 seats in Quebec and for the first time in the party’s history, won official opposition status.

As for NDP’s loss in Trinity-Spadina, Mr. Soule gave all the credit to Mr. Vaughan’s popularity in the riding, but did not comment on whether Mr. Trudeau’s appeal had anything to do with it.

“When you look at Trinity-Spadina, it’s hard to argue that this wasn’t Adam Vaughan’s name recognition, Adam Vaughan’s campaign,” said Mr. Soule.

Deputy Liberal leader Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Sask.) said that last week’s positive byelection results for his party have showed that the momentum is with the Liberals, but that now the onus is on Liberals to ensure that they carry the momentum to the next election.

“There’s a mood for change in the air, but change doesn’t happen by accident or by default,” Mr. Goodale said.

“That’s our job [to carry the momentum forward]. It’s very encouraging to have that sense of momentum but one should never assume it comes automatically. It’s not easily gained and it’s not easily sustained. All Liberals will have to work very hard to keep up the pace. What we can say thus far is, so far so good, but we’ve got a long way to go, a lot of hard work to do, and this campaign for 2015 is really only just beginning.”

In the next election, Mr. Goodale said that his party is trying to find the best candidates from across the country, work on a strong message focused on economy, and come up with an election platform that catches the interest of Canadians.

“He’s [Justin] demonstrating this is not a one man show. This takes a team and it has to be a team drawn legitimately form every corner of the country with the talent not only to represent but also to govern,” said Mr. Goodale.

“Those are the three ingredients that are coming together for Justin—his own leadership, his strong candidates and his strong team and a message about the economy and about middle class Canadians and about fairness and about renewing our democracy that Canadians find timely.”

Meanwhile, the voter turnout in all four ridings was low most likely because the byelections took place between Canada Day holiday and the weekend and any outcome in all four ridings would not have changed the dynamics in the House. In the riding of Fort McMurray-Athabasca, the turnout was at 15.9 per cent—the lowest in any riding in modern Canadian political history. In the riding of Macleod, the turnout was slightly better at 19.6 per cent. In the two GTA ridings, the turnout  was better than Alberta ridings but still low—29.4 per cent of voters cast their vote in Scarborough-Agincourt and 31.6 in Trinity-Spadina.

After last week’s byelections, the Conservatives now hold 162 seats, the NDP 98, the Liberals 37, the Bloc Québécois four and the Green Party has two seats. There are four Independent MPs and one vacant seat—Whitby-Oshawa, Ont.—after Jim Flaherty died in April.

arana@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times

Source URL: http://www.hilltimes.com/news/news/2014/07/07/dont-underestimate-trudeau-say-two-former-harper-advisers/39019

 

Canadian Politics

Justin Trudeau Introduces His Kids To Harper At Calgary Stampede Parade

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The Huffington Post Canada  |  Posted: 07/04/2014 3:00 pm EDT  |  Updated: 07/04/2014 5:59 pm EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/07/04/justin-trudeau-stephen-harper-son-photo_n_5558640.html

By now it goes without saying that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau don’t always see eye to eye.

But it appears they both respect each other as fathers.

On Friday, while both leaders were taking in the Calgary Stampede parade, Trudeau introduced his six-year-old son, Xavier, to the prime minister.

The nice moment was captured by Trudeau’s photographer, Adam Scotti, and shared on Twitter.

“Nice to introduce Xavier to the Prime Minister,” Trudeau wrote, adding it was good of Harper to say hello.

The prime minister also met Trudeau’s five-year-old daughter, Ella-Grace.

stephen harper ellagrace trudeau

Photo credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The moment may remind some of a story Trudeau shared in the eulogy for his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, back in 2000.

Trudeau said that when he was eight, he spotted one of his father’s “chief rivals” — believed to be former PC leader and prime minister Joe Clark — eating at a parliamentary restaurant. Thinking it would please his dad, Trudeau told a “silly” joke about the man.

It didn’t go over well.

From the eulogy:

My father looked at me sternly, with that look I would learn to know so well.And said: Justin, we never attack the individual. We can be in total disagreement with someone, without denigrating them as a consequence, and, saying that, he stood up, took me by the hand and brought me over to introduce me to this man.

He was a nice man, who was eating there with his daughter, a nice-looking blond girl, a little younger than I was.

He spoke to me in a friendly manner for a bit, and it was at that point that I understood that having opinions that are different from another does not preclude being deserving of respect as an individual.

Because simple tolerance, mere tolerance, is not enough.

We need genuine and deep respect for each and every human being, notwithstanding their thoughts, their values, their beliefs, their origins.

When Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Grégoire, gave birth to the couple’s third child in February, both Harper and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair offered congratulations online.

(Trudeau’s initial announcement about the boy said his name was “Hadrian,” but it’s actually spelled “Hadrien.”)

Some things, as they say, are bigger than politics.

 

Canadian Politics

Stephen Harper targets Justin Trudeau in speech to supporters in Calgary

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By  —  — Jul 6 2014

Prime Minister Stephen Harper poses with people dressed as horses at the Calgary Stampede parade, Friday, July 4, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Prime Minister Stephen Harper poses with people dressed as horses at the Calgary Stampede parade, Friday, July 4, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY – Prime Minister Stephen Harper hammered Liberal leader Justin Trudeau in a speech to party faithful at his annual Calgary Stampede barbecue on Saturday.

With a federal election looming next year, Harper accused Trudeau of having nothing substantial to offer to voters, contrasting the Conservative government’s accomplishments with the Liberals’ positions on the economy and crime.

Mention of Trudeau elicited boos from the crowd, which included federal cabinet ministers and provincial politicians.

Harper’s speech made scant mention of the Opposition New Democrats and didn’t single out NDP leader Tom Mulcair by name.

Harper said the economy is “rock solid” in a fragile global environment and his government has created jobs, lowered taxes and increased trade agreements with other countries, including the European Union.

“The opposition will say now’s the time to spend and spend and spend, but next year we will use the fiscal room to do what we promised: cut taxes for hard working Canadian families. That’s our priority,” Harper said.

Harper said through the years all of the agreements were opposed by the NDP and although the Liberals announced in the 1970s they wanted free trade with Europe “They never even got to the bargaining table.”

The prime minister said both the Liberals and NDP offer the alternative of spending without any fiscal responsibility.

“Never, ever cut any spending; Spend more, now and always; let the deficit rise, increase taxes. You can look around the world at any number of basket cases to see how that works out.”

The prime minister said he is particularly proud of the progress made in implementing the Conservative agenda to ensure streets and communities are safe.

“And if, God forbid, Canadians are attacked, or robbed, if they lose someone they love to a murderer, or if they see their children driven to suicide by bullying and harassment… the first thing they want their government to do is not make excuses for criminals, but to stick up for victims,” Harper said.

Harper said Canadians need to be aware that Trudeau wants to undo all the good work that his government has achieved.

“In fact, Justin Trudeau has said he will repeal our reforms. Repeal, for example our mandatory prison sentences for serious, violent crime,” he said.

“In other words, I like to describe it this way: he will restore that key liberal principle of criminal justice…that the offender must be considered innocent even after being proved guilty.”

Harper said Canadians have to make a choice when they go to the polls next year – what his government has delivered or what Justin Trudeau is offering.

“In somewhat more than a year from now, Canadians will pass judgement on that. Canadians will be asked to choose.”

He said the Liberals will offer to give voters anything they want.

“Want something from the government? Whatever you want, they’ll spend money on it and you can have it. Don’t worry about who’s going to pay for it. Don’t like crime? Just legalize marijuana and, somehow, it will all go away.”

“He has nothing – absolutely nothing – of substance to offer.”

Trudeau and two of his children took in the Calgary Stampede parade on Friday before heading to the rodeo. He told reporters he’s optimistic the Liberals can win over Albertans, despite their failure to snag two Alberta seats that were up for grabs in recent byelections.

Earlier Saturday, Harper served pancakes at the Stampede breakfast at the Chinook Centre mall — the largest breakfast during the 10-day cowboy festival that attracts about 50,000 people.

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Election Fraud, Robo Call

3 roadblocks to the robocalls probe — and their possible fixes Fair Elections Act makes robocalls, live campaign calls more traceable By Laura Payton, CBC News

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Investigators ran into a series of problems in trying to probe allegations of misleading or nuisance calls across Canada in 2011. The fair elections act pitches ways to fix one of them, but leaves out a number of others.

Investigators ran into a series of problems in trying to probe allegations of misleading or nuisance calls across Canada in 2011. The fair elections act pitches ways to fix one of them, but leaves out a number of others. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

Investigators ran into a series of problems in trying to probe what came to be known as robocalls, allegations of misleading or nuisance calls across Canada in the 2011 federal election.

In a report released Thursday, Yves Côté, the commissioner of Canada Elections, said no charges would be laid following complaints ofmisleading or nuisance live calls and robocalls. He noted a number of problems that limited the ability to investigate the complaints.

In the end, it was difficult to sort out the legitimate calls made to encourage people to vote, or to vote for a specific party, from the calls alleged to be misleading or harassing.

The fair elections act would bring in some improvements, but leaves out a number of others. Here are three problems identified by investigators and how they may — or may not — be fixed under Bill C-23.

1. Limited information

National parties don’t have to submit receipts and other documents to back up the expenses they claim for reimbursement from Elections Canada, so investigators didn’t have access to contractual information between the national campaigns and telemarketing companies used to make the calls.

“The challenge lies in the limited information that must be provided to Elections Canada,” the report said.

Candidates do have to submit supporting documents, but, the report noted, “the purpose for which a firm was retained, the phone numbers called, and the text of any calls made is not reported.”

The Fair Elections Act would force the companies to keep scripts of live calls and recordings of robocalls, but parties still won’t have to submit any records to back up their expense claims. Elections Canada officials have for years called for the ability to acquire those records, particularly because parties get 50 per cent of their spending reimbursed.

While the bill says the scripts and live calls will have to be held for a year, Minister of State for Democratic Reform Pierre Poilievre said Friday that he is asking for the bill to be amended to have the records held for three years.

2. Inability to compel witnesses

Elections Canada officials have asked repeatedly for the ability to go to a court and ask a judge to compel oral evidence from witnesses.

Côté’s report notes that limitation, combined with the difficulty in getting production orders without significant progress in an investigation, made the robocalls probe harder.

“After a certain point, investigators had to rely on the voluntary participation of any concerned entity or person to obtain relevant information,” the report said.

Marc Mayrand, the chief electoral officer, says many other regulatory agencies have that power, as well as provincial electoral agencies. Poilievre says police don’t have that power and he isn’t about to give it to Elections Canada.

“It’s reasonable to expect that he [the commissioner] go to a judge and seek a court order to produce documents,” Poilievre said. “That’s what judges do… but I don’t think that it’s fair to give an election investigator powers that are not even available to police officers who are investigating the most violent and serious of crimes.”

3. Robocall records

“There are no binding industry standards for the creation and retention of records by telephone service providers and telemarketing companies,” Côté said in his report.

In the case of the complaints following the 2011 election, media reports the next year drew attention to the problem and elicited thousands of complaints. The vast majority of those complaints came nine months later, making the investigation harder.

The proposed bill will force the companies that provide calls to register with the CRTC, and Poilievre’s new amendments will have them keep script and call recordings for three years. But they still won’t have to keep the lists of phone numbers called, which would give investigators an additional avenue to pursue if new allegations surface in the future.

The investigators also pointed to technological challenges that allow callers to mask their phone numbers to prevent being traced.

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