Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Conservatives Render Question Period a Disgrace

If you happen to look at Question Period, or even read summaries provided by the news sources, if you are not an ultra partisan Conservative, you become aware of one thing: Conservative replies seldom answer the question. In Fact, they are giving a good lesson on why it is called Question Period and not Question and Answer Period. Meanwhile, Stephen Harper shows contempt for examination of his government, letting John Baird answer more than double the questions than the PM addressed. Who has ever seen a Transport Minister so cognizant on every single issue. Actually, never mind, evasive and obstructive are more apt descriptors.

Here are some gems of virtually irrelevant answers from today's session alone:

Question: “When,” Mr. McGuinty wondered, “are the Conservatives going to clean up this ethical mess?”

Answer (Stephen Harper): “Mr. Speaker, this is a time of global economic recession,” he said, “but Canada’s performance exceeds that of many other countries and the measures of government are well-supported by Canadians and even the vast majority of provincial governments.” Continued with ‘When you throw mud, you lose ground.’

Question: David McGuinty: “Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have spent 12 times more on meaningless sloganeering than on real information on H1N1. At 12 times more, that is $100 million,” he reviewed. “The Prime Minister may think that it is his money, but it is not. Taxpayers should know that $100 million buys a year’s salary for 1,700 public health nurses. It buys 10,000 ventilators, or it buys 35,000 days of ICU beds. Why does the Prime Minister insist on wasting borrowed money on partisan advertising while Canadians struggle to deal with this pandemic?”

Answer (John Baird): “Mr. Speaker, I say to the member for Ottawa South that this government has an important responsibility to communicate our actions through Canada’s economic action plan,” the Transport Minister instructed. “We are focused on jobs. We are focused on fighting H1N1. We are focused on building industry and we are focused on supporting the unemployed. All we have is the sloganeering from the Liberal member opposite and that is too bad.”

As the Macleans commented on this response: Indeed, it is to their eternal detriment that politicians insist persistently in behaving like politicians.

Question: “Infrastructure money is dispersed like points in a Conservative rewards program,” Mr. McGuinty continued. “There are over 60 investigations before the ethics commissioner. There is a minister under investigation for improper ties with lobbyists and federal agencies. There is a Conservative senator linked to key players in an emerging scandal. Is this what Joe Clark meant when he said that these Conservatives were ‘a private-interest party in a public-interest country?’”

Answer: “Mr. Speaker, in September, all the Liberal Party had to offer Canadians was an unnecessary and opportunistic election,” Mr. Baird sighed. “In October, while this government focuses on jobs, the economy, the health of Canadians with H1N1 and the needs of the unemployed, all the Liberal Party can do is muckrake.”

Question: To do with Conservative senator

Answer: “Mr. Speaker, the outrageous comments made by the member opposite do not serve her or her constituents well,” he gasped. “They do not serve the Liberal Party well.”

The good news is that this outrageous behaviour on the Conservative side is unending. More entertainment sure to follow. That is, until we realize that the government is avoiding accountability to its people. Who knows what they're actually doing?
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7 comments:

  1. u know just as well i could pull as much or even more of ridiculous liberal question period quotes
    so really wut u would have to do is reform the system....
    but thats another day's talk

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Who has ever seen a Transport Minister so cognizant on every single issue."

    He isn't. As you said, they don't actually answer the questions so there's no need to know anything at all on any issue. Just malign & slander & do not address the topic.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Do you think the provincial Liberal Deputy leader and an MP from Mississauga are involved in some nefarious scandal to funnel extra funds to CPC ridings?

    Why won't federal liberals make corruption claims outside the HOC without the legal protection?

    Dalton is upset being accused on being unethical, George was being kind, it is going to only get worse for the Federal Liberals.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mississauga-ErindaleOctober 28, 2009 at 7:07 AM

    CanadianSense, I am assuming the MP from Mississauga you are referring to is Carolyn Parrish... she is not an MP, she is a former MP... last elected in 2004, who finished her career representing Mississauga-Erindale (my riding) as an Independent. Currently she sits on Mississauga City Council as a Councillor for Ward 6...

    I see you commenting on so many blogs, disregarding facts in order to offer spin and speculation... please stop posting your 'talking points' and try explaining why you disagree with the opinions shared on the blogs you so often frequent... it would be a welcome change, but something I doubt will every happen...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too saw the exchanges you quote above and was totally disgusted. My wife and I kept repeating "they don't answer the questions, do they?"
    The conservatives clearly demonstrate their contempt for parliament and its people on a daily basis. It is both shameful and disgraceful and I for one am getting sick of it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Whle Steven Harper is not answering questions the way you would like, Iggy doesnt even turn up to ask questions. It is usual for party leaders to question the prime minister. Wheres Iggyé

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tom, he is usually there. The contempt observed above can be observed for most of the Question Period sessions recently.

    As for anonymous, I doubt it. The Liberals ask questions, so they can in no way obstruct like the Conservatives do.

    ReplyDelete

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