Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Manning Knows His Man



The report from Elections Canada on irregularities in the 2011 election is due at the end of the month. Lawrence Martin foresees three possible scenarios unfolding:

One is that Elections Canada finds that the dirty work was limited to just the riding of Guelph. In that case, no worries for Mr. Harper. We move on.

A second is that Elections Canada finds evidence of robocalls and other acts of subterfuge in many ridings, but leaves hanging the question of whether the Conservatives were the perpetrators. In this case, the party would likely assail Elections Canada as biased (“team jersey” wearers, as Mr. Poilievre recently hinted) and try to ride out the storm.

A third possibility is that Elections Canada comes forward with strong evidence that the party hierarchy was behind a concerted and widespread effort to subvert the voting system. This would be far bigger than the Senate expenses scandal – all hell would break loose. The Harper team’s fate would be sealed. Big-time Conservatives who spoke at the Manning conference could start revving up their leadership campaigns.

It's the third scenario that is causing the Harper Party to lose sleep. And that is the reason behind their insistence that the bill be passed quickly. Martin writes:

Some see the bill, with its downgrading of powers and many rule changes, as a bid to give the Conservatives an escape hatch from any culpatory findings by the agency’s investigation. James Sprague, a former Elections Canada lawyer, says the new act can be interpreted as forbidding the Elections Canada commissioner from disclosing any information that comes to the agency’s knowledge as a result of an investigation. Instead, it would be up to the director of public prosecutions to include the information in an annual report to the justice minister.

When Preston Manning suggested over the weekend that the bill was a barrier to democracy, he was not speaking theoretically. He knows his man.


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can the Harper dirty tricks and treachery team manage to escape the law again? That is the question really. So far Harper has shown daring (notwithstanding the fact he is on the wrong side of the law many times)escapes that rival Houdini in his ability to corrupt Canadian politics and get away with the next best thing to murder. Murdering the truth that is.

mogs

the salamander said...

.. Expect nothing but OBSTRUCTION & LITIGATION & SECRECY from this current government ..

Within the Harper Party Government we have dull, lickspittle cowardly Canadians, willing to suck up to Harper quisling dictates ..

All Hail Prime Minister Harper ..
Lord and CEO, Sellout Queen to China
& all Carbon & Energy Corporate factions
propping up his government ..

Lorne said...

As in almost everything else the Conservatives do, Owen, their ruthless disregard for everything except their own power is evidenced in Martin's conclusions as to why the 'Fair' Elections Act is being rushed.

the salamander said...

.. The 4th Scenario ..

Not to diminish in any way your analysis ..

Is it possible a viral runaway undemocratic infection rules every aspect of the Northern Reform Harper 'pretend to be Canadian' government ??

.. and is 'manned' by shallow toxic pretend 'small c canadians' pretenders ... ?

Brad Butt - Van Loan - Harper exemplify this ??

Owen Gray said...

Honesty is not something we have come to expect from these folks, salamander.

But we do know that obstruction, litigation and secrecy are standard training for all the members of the caucus.

Owen Gray said...

If there is one piece of legislation that requires buy-in from everyone, Lorne, it's changes to Elections Canada.

But there is a reason the Harperites don't want that buy-in. It would mean that they would be held to account.

Owen Gray said...

The best way of ensuring that you don't have to obey the law, Mogs, is to change the law.

Owen Gray said...

I'm struck by the fact that some prominent Conservatives these days are pretenders, salamander.

We have Cowboy Steve from Etobicoke and Blue Collar Rob from the same jurisdiction.

It's got to be some kind of infection.

Anonymous said...

How do they advise their children, who make want to enter/engage in politics? Win, at all cost? I can't imagine the advice Van Loan or McKay would give their kids.And, why is 'cheating' itself (students, Wall. St), becoming an epidemic? Our leader's examples trickle down, I guess. Universities have been in the news a lot, lately. I can only imagine what the next generation will bring to the table...not all of them, of course, but far too many...

Owen Gray said...

The lesson, Loving It, is that winning is what matters. How you get there doesn't.

If you lie -- as Mr. Butt did -- an apology is sufficient. And people should be grateful that they got one.

Steve said...

Owen, its back. The warrant less search of everything bill. Sign up at Open media to stop it.

Owen Gray said...

Thanks for the tip, Steve. By their bills shall you know them.