GEORGE W BUSH STUPID

Sometimes I can go a few days without wanting to drive up to Ottawa and start the revolution. This is a bigger deal than it seems because right now we have a Reform Prime Minister doing what I’ve always said a Reform PM would do (that is change his opinion daily depending on which way the polling winds are blowing) and an opposition that includes Jack “Will Make Deals With Devils For Relevance” Layton.

Usually the spark that invokes my chronic need to type out another rant for this blog is something in one of Canada’s National Newspapers. Well, that isn’t true obviously, for although the National Post claims to be a National newspaper I never read it for the same reason I gave their phone solicitor when they called up asking if I wanted a FREE subscription, and that is: “If I want my news that biased I’ll get it printed on the drapes”. Typically this is met with a profound silence from the English challenged caller on the other end who I suspect wouldn’t understand sarcasm if a giant sign popped up in front of their face with the words “SARCASM” written on it.

Yesterday however the spark was in the mail. All through the last session of Parliament the Harper Government engaged in a practice that was, if not against the letter of the law, certainly against the spirit of the law regarding Election advertising. That being that a party can’t do any when there isn’t an election. What makes their particular practice worse is that, to circumvent election laws, they use the communication budget each MP is given to perpetrate the crime.

Here’s how it works. Every MP gets a budget to communicate with their constituency. Send out quarterly updates about what’s going on in the House etc. They’re permitted to use this budget to email people in other ridings on issues of national importance in order to help get voters in other ridings to pressure their MPs to support a particular bill or motion. The purpose of this primarily is to help individual MPs get support for Private Member bills or legislation of a particularly personal importance to them. It’s not a very commonly used practice either way because at best its poaching, at worst it’s using tax payers money to influence the opinion of people who can’t even vote for you.

The Harper Reformers do this all the time. Worst still they take the budgeted money set aside in ridings they have no worries about losing, say a Calgary riding that has always voted Reform or Conservative, and instead of spending even a dime to communicate with their own constituents (whom they rightfully take for granted as Alberta is a one-party province) and spend that money blanketing constituents in marginal ridings controlled by the Liberals. Yup, that’s right people of Calgary, tax dollars set aside for your MPs to communicate with you are being wasted on mass junk mailings to places like Brampton and Mississauga!

And that’s where this week’s outrage comes from. They hadn’t done this since the 2008 election. I figured it was because it didn’t work before 2008 and what with the economic collapse and a Harper budget overrun of $67 BILLION DOLLARS that the party might try to be a bit more responsible with the taxpayer’s money. Okay, kick me for wishful thinking.

But the worst part is that the recent mailing is either directed at people the Harperites think are George W Bush stupid, or comes from people who are George W Bush stupid.

The wording on it goes like this: “During this time of global economic challenge, Canadians rightly expect that their government, and all of their elected Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, will focus on the economy. That means that political parties must put aside their differences and, instead, build on their common ground. The Conservative [sic] government believes that, while all elected MPs have a mandate, it is more important than ever for those from our national parties to work together to address the troubles facing Canada’s economy. That way, we can ensure that we are all working towards the same important goal: the continued success of Canada.”

This would be a fine sentiment if the inside of the mailer didn’t list what the Conservatives [sic] are doing followed by a ballot where you can tick the name of the leader: “Who is on the right track to stand up for Canada?” And just to make sure you pick the right one there’s a picture of a puffy, smiling Stephen Harper and an arrow pointing to Harper’s name.

Outside: “Political parties must put aside their differences” vs. inside: “Harper is on the right track, not the others”

Outside: “Build on common ground” vs. inside: “Only one is on the right track and that is Harper.”

Outside: “more important than ever for our national parties to work together” vs. inside: “Only hail Stephen Harper.”

And here’s the biggest kicker. You can clip, tape and return your answer to the Alberta MP listed on the outside NO POSTAGE REQUIRED because correspondence to the House of Commons doesn’t cost you anything directly, it comes out of a parliamentary budget [ie: tax payer’s dollars] and the MP on this mailing? Stephen Harper. Yup, he’s not even trying to camouflage his incessant need for reinforcement, and the Reform controlled Conservative party isn’t the slightest bit concerned with transparency, accountability, being responsible with taxpayer’s money, honesty, integrity, or a spiralling deficit so long as it keeps them in power and the other parties in the cold.

Tell you what. Why don't each of you print out the return mail image above and send it to Harper, if he gets enough of these he won't have any left in his budget to do another one before we turf his ass!