In his latest column, Tim Harper recounts his frustrated and frustrating attempts to talk to Conservative candidates across the country:
I never met Mike Little, the Conservative candidate in the key riding of Burnaby North-Seymour. I met every other candidate but Little had personal considerations so he couldn’t meet me. His campaign ignored my entreaties anyway until I was about to leave Vancouver, when I got a noncommittal statement on an environmental issue.
In Edmonton-Mill Woods, the campaign of Tim Uppal told me the minister of state for multiculturalism couldn’t meet me because he was too busy meeting voters. That wouldn’t be so odd, except I had first requested time with him dating back to June, before the election was even called.
After I called candidate Naval Bajaj on his cellphone, he agreed readily to an interview, but when I arrived at the strip mall that housed his campaign office a week later, it had been mysteriously cancelled. Like Uppal, a campaign aide told me he was too busy meeting voters. So, I offered to come back later that evening. Meeting voters, I was told. The next day? Meeting voters. The next evening? Meeting voters.
Other journalists have had the same response to their requests for interviews:
Globe and Mail writer-at-large John Ibbitson reported on the weekend that he could not get an interview with the Conservative candidate in Mississauga Centre, and Glen McGregor of the Ottawa Citizen was told by the office of Don Valley North Conservative candidate Joe Daniel that he would not be doing any interviews until after the election.
If there is one thing the Duffy trial has made clear, its that Harper candidates are kept on a short leash. And if -- like Mike Duffy, Brent Rathgeber or Bill Casey -- they break ranks, the PMO will spare no effort to destroy them.
Which leaves one to ask two questions: Why would any semi-intelligent person want to be a Conservative candidate? And why would any semi-intelligent person vote for a Conservative candidate?
18 comments:
Those with longer memories will recall Conservative candidates 'hiding' from voters last time around, failing to show up for 'all' candidates public meetings and generally not responding to media requests. The sad part is that this seemed to work for them and their "leader" (I am trying to be polite). If you cannot lie with a straight face and spout the party line then do not say anything at all seems to be the word from the top!
Luckily, I'm able to vote for Bill Casey.
Somewhere during the trial, I remember something about a PMO shortpantser saying that if they couldn't get Duffy they would bankrupt him. I can't find it now. Anybody have a fererence ?
To be successful in Harperland, Rural, you have to do what you're told and shut up.
I haven't seen that reference, Rumley. It's credible because that's how they play the game.
Owen you answered your own question when you asked:
"Why would any semi-intelligent person want to be a Conservative candidate? And why would any semi-intelligent person vote for a Conservative candidate?"
Because they wouldn't. Two sets of people vote for herr furenharper 1) the greedy that stand to gain from another con majority [election? or self-appointment through cheating?] at the expense of all other Canadians, let's call them Conadians. They try to sell us that their 'Big Oil' and fracked gas along with their leaky pipelines are a clean green machine that revs up the economy creates jobs and is good very very good for the environment and global warming is balderdash. That is why they are Conadians. 2) Connedadians who are naive enough to believe harper and his con criminal cabal speak the truth of jesus and the lord god and would never lie. That describes this second bunch as religious or righteous right wing zealots on the brink of losing all sense of reality. These Connedadians are very easily swayed if you intone religion and mention Eco-terrorists Econo-terrorists and Middle East Terror-terrorists in one speech. Throw in ISIS and the woman will faint fearing the loss of their families heads. [Their heads are already MIA but that is another related story] You will have them mindlessly chanting "Stephen, Stephen, Stephen, Stephen, Harper is the savior of all that plagues us" repeated ad infinitum ad nauseum...
On a side note both Christy Clark and Stephen Harper bragged Fracking BC and Tar sands Alberta was going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs but they failed to mention they were going to foreigners...
"The LNG industry builds components for its complex plants with cheap Asian labour and then reassembles those modules on foreign soil. It also depends heavily on foreign temporary workers."
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/07/22/LNG-Questions-For-British-Columbians/
"...in September [2013] about 300 workers at an oil plant near Fort McMurray, Alberta, found out they were being laid off -- replaced by temporary foreign workers, mainly from Ireland and Portugal."
http://thetyee.ca/News/2013/12/16/Oil-Patch-Workers-Replaced/
I believe Steve and Christy both have their Doctorate in Professional Lying...
And apparently, Mogs, there are still a sizable number of Canadians who haven't yet figured out that they've been conned.
The Heckler at Harpers campaign stop is who votes for Harper Owen. I don't know how many of them are out there.
If you see a Tory candidate, take a pic and share it with others; the hashtag is #spotatory They are reported to be as elusive as the famous Jackalope, perhaps even rarer. There is some speculation that most of them cannot make any sounds other than a whimper of terror if asked anything by a journalist. Remember to spread the word about the hashtag: #spotatory
Thanks for the tip, Glenn. Species that are rarely seen could be on their way to extinction -- like the dodo.
That's what this election will tell us, Pam.
They caught the cowardice bug from their lord and master, stephen harper.
Owen I bless you with the ability to see the true future, drum-roll please - Owen they are going the way of the Dodo Bird, hey how did you do that?
For the Conservatives, thwap, hiding in a closet has become Standard Operating Procedure.
I hope I'm right, Mogs. I don't count my dodos before they're gone.
Mike Duffy trial: Former, current PMO aides' court chat showed 'poor judgment'.
They really, really don't care what it looks like do they?
My God, we're in very deep trouble in this country.
Getting them out in October is only the first step.
I'm joining the Council of Canadians this week.
Thank you for what you do Owen.
They have nothing but contempt for the justice system, Anon -- from the Chief Justice on down. They really have become dangerous.
Owen I a am on the second istallement of Jones Spaceman. He came back but feels he fell into a billion year old well. Progress moving backward, yet at lizard brain HQ all is well.
Quite a comedown for Jones Spaceman, Steve.
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