Wednesday, April 08, 2015

$75 Million



                                                 http://welcometoladyville.com/

That's what the Harper government paid for advertising last year. That figure is up from $69 million in the previous year. They've cut funding for health care and veterans offices; but they've increased funding for self promotion. Jeffrey Simpson writes:

The explanation given for this spending is shameless, the kind of explanation that gives politicians a bad name everywhere as systematic liars. We need to spend the money, the government says, in order to explain how taxpayers’ money is being spent. Yet anyone who has watched the Harper government’s advertisements knows they are there for promotion, not information.

They use government websites, too. Check out the Fisheries and Oceans one, for example. There, you will find advertisements for the government’s recent announcement of millions of spending for harbours and ports across the country.

And, remember, we're paying for those ads. But that isn't enough for self congratulation. The party has gone to its base, asking for funds to fight the liberal hordes:

Recently, the Conservative Party sent an urgent letter to its supporters asking for money. After the budget, it said, the party needs money to promote the document’s low-tax, pro-growth policies in the face of what the letter described as the “Liberal” media that always deforms Conservative accomplishments.

The letter conceded briefly that there were a few pro-Conservative voices in the media, but insisted the bulk of the media is systematically hostile. This media-baiting is typical of all Conservative cash appeals: The party is surrounded on all sides by enemies, elites and hostile media voices. Only if supporters give generously can the party’s message be communicated.

Which is ridiculous, of course, since the Liberal media argument flies in the face of AM talk radio, the Sun Media chain (whose leader, Paul Godfrey, is a strident pro-Conservative voice), the National Post, plenty of private television and many other columnists and editorialists across the country. But “them against us” is a proven money-earner for the Conservatives, so they will stick with it.

They cower in closets and expect Armageddon -- for themselves and for the world. Just the sort of people, they say, who should be running the government.



10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I informed you but not sure my wife and I were traveling on BC Highway 3 from Ferne BC to Cranbrook BC. Half way along we saw a giant "Action Plan Canada" billboard touting some grand new government funded project.

Since we were not in a rush to get anywhere soon and it was a nice sunny summer day. I said to my wife let's go see what this "Action Plan" project is.

So in one kilometer the road ended at the Kootenay River for the entire kilometer there was nothing but cows on both sides of the gravel country road.

I quickly realized the action plan was to hire people to make billboards and install them across the county. Doing two things yes creating jobs but more it was all about partisan advertising on the tax payers dollar. It's a crime a literal crime while axing Social Services to pay for this crime...

Mogs

Rural said...

Yes, their shameless self promotion continues, Owen. The are advertising spending millions on this or that ......over the next 10 or 20 years..... or on things they promised but did not deliver years ago and / or cut or underfunded more recently. Its all smoke and mirrors ....or outright lies!
You would almost think its an election year.

Owen Gray said...

They truly believe they can say anything, Mogs, and get away with it.

Owen Gray said...

It's the stuff that baffles brains, Rural.

ron wilton said...

Not sure if harper is wile E. Coyote or the Roadrunner but here's hoping...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf9T4nDdfbA

Owen Gray said...

A fantastic clip, ron.

Anonymous said...

What Stephen Harper has been doing over the last 10 years is using billions in Canadian taxpayer dollars to subsidize Canada's media elite. In return, they either endorse him come election time so they keep the loot rolling in and/or they go soft on him and his cabal or crooks when they break every rule in the book.
It's shameful, really.

Owen Gray said...

As the Beatles used to say, Anon, he gets by with a little help from his friends -- and vice versa.

Anonymous said...

Why Owen does he sing that ad nauseum ad infinium Beatles song over and over again?

It's a message to his corporate masters that he is working strictly on their behalf. "With a little [lot's of corporate cash] help from my friends". Ringo and Paul should sue him...

Mogs Moglio

Owen Gray said...

He's always used other people's material, Mogs.