Been on a winter hiatus...I see that much was missed while enjoying my little hibernation.
Boss Harp is running afoul of the public in a number of ways. Most notably in his imperial style. A style that comes home to roost when his Director of Communications tells outright lies to the world. A style that further lands in one's craw when his Press Secretary starts up a PMO lobbying business.
Both of these recent developments touch on the conduct and style of both Harp and his PMO...and not in a good way.
There is also that little matter of firing an internationally-respected nuclear safety watchdog in the middle of the night. The whole affair smells worse each day. Now we learn that there was NO shortage of medical isotopes...just a shortage of action to line up alternate suppliers.
You can be sure that this mess is more like the old Mike Harris Nonsense Revolution every day. Remember John Snobelen? He was a Harris minister of education (and buddy of Clement, Van Loony, Flaherty, etc.). Shortly after his appointment, Snobelen was filmed arguing that the Harris PC government needed to "bankrupt" and to create a "useful crisis" in the education system.
Ah yes "useful crisis"...just like the "worldwide shortage" of medical isotopes that was hyped by the pathetic Mini-min Lunn and Boss Harp himself.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Friday, December 21, 2007
Boss Harp in fine Mulroney form...again
After a brief "tactical" break Steve Harper has returned to his mentor's (Lyin' Brian Mulroney)style.
In year end interviews, Boss Harp has said that it is no longer certain that there will even be a Mulroney inquiry. A complete flip flop from his panicked reaction just a few short weeks ago. Another case of his 'tactical' brilliance that didn't stand the test of even a very short time. The mandate he gave his "independent advisor" was to provide advice on the structure, terms and mandate of a public inquiry. Period. He was definitive on that at the time. One good liar deserves another.
Homer Harper has also finally started to admit that his government intends to sell off AECL. Perhaps he could allow his AWOL Mini-min of NRCAN, Gary Lunn-chkin to come out and speak publicly. Everyone would like to know who the "independent advisers" are...not Homer Simpson...the ones who will "advise" on the AECL review.
And finally, Boss Harp has apparently decided that his craving for a majority (Why does he want that soooo much?) cannot be satiated by Quebec. So in his year-enders he points his partisan guns squarely at Ontario (the place where the Tory-styled "Not a Leader" Dion has been spending a great deal of time in recent months). On the very day he revealed this latest flip flop in "strategic brilliance" he and his minister Larry Loose Cannon decided to revert to the old Mulroney style to assist in the effort. Readers will all remember Lyin' Brian's famous sobriquet from the '83 leadership. In response to a question as to whether he would appoint Liberals to government positions the old Blarney Bullshitter replied: "...only when there isn't a living, breathing Tory left without a job in this country." During the '84 election Mulroney was reminded of this and he responded: "I was talking to Tories and that is what they wanted to hear. Talking to the Canadian public during an election campaign is something else." This is the same "Big Lie" technique that he has taught Steve Harper so well.
Yesterday, Loose Cannon appointed Gary F. Valcour to the Oshawa Harbour Commission. Cannon listed the many accomplishments of the talented Mr. Valcour. But he left off one...Valcour is also the President of the Whitby-Oshawa Conservative Party riding association. That would be the riding of none other than Income Trust Buster Flip Flop Jim Flaherty (AKA Slasher Flaherty in his Mike Harris/Ernie Eves Nonsense Revolution days)
Lyin' Brian must be sooooo very proud that his student has learned so well.
In year end interviews, Boss Harp has said that it is no longer certain that there will even be a Mulroney inquiry. A complete flip flop from his panicked reaction just a few short weeks ago. Another case of his 'tactical' brilliance that didn't stand the test of even a very short time. The mandate he gave his "independent advisor" was to provide advice on the structure, terms and mandate of a public inquiry. Period. He was definitive on that at the time. One good liar deserves another.
Homer Harper has also finally started to admit that his government intends to sell off AECL. Perhaps he could allow his AWOL Mini-min of NRCAN, Gary Lunn-chkin to come out and speak publicly. Everyone would like to know who the "independent advisers" are...not Homer Simpson...the ones who will "advise" on the AECL review.
And finally, Boss Harp has apparently decided that his craving for a majority (Why does he want that soooo much?) cannot be satiated by Quebec. So in his year-enders he points his partisan guns squarely at Ontario (the place where the Tory-styled "Not a Leader" Dion has been spending a great deal of time in recent months). On the very day he revealed this latest flip flop in "strategic brilliance" he and his minister Larry Loose Cannon decided to revert to the old Mulroney style to assist in the effort. Readers will all remember Lyin' Brian's famous sobriquet from the '83 leadership. In response to a question as to whether he would appoint Liberals to government positions the old Blarney Bullshitter replied: "...only when there isn't a living, breathing Tory left without a job in this country." During the '84 election Mulroney was reminded of this and he responded: "I was talking to Tories and that is what they wanted to hear. Talking to the Canadian public during an election campaign is something else." This is the same "Big Lie" technique that he has taught Steve Harper so well.
Yesterday, Loose Cannon appointed Gary F. Valcour to the Oshawa Harbour Commission. Cannon listed the many accomplishments of the talented Mr. Valcour. But he left off one...Valcour is also the President of the Whitby-Oshawa Conservative Party riding association. That would be the riding of none other than Income Trust Buster Flip Flop Jim Flaherty (AKA Slasher Flaherty in his Mike Harris/Ernie Eves Nonsense Revolution days)
Lyin' Brian must be sooooo very proud that his student has learned so well.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Yoohoo...anyone seen Mini-min Lunn?
The fallout from the Chalk River bungling by Homer Harper and his ministers continues to grow. A sampling of headlines from today:
Minister's timeline queried
Toronto Star–A Liberal MP is demanding to know when Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn knew about the severity of the problems at the Chalk River nuclear ...
Clement promises answers on shutdown Globe and Mail
Clement promises answers on reactor shutdown Canada.com
Tories caught in isotope fiasco fallout Globe and Mail
What is missing from all this?
Gary Lunn, of course!
He would only be THE minister responsible for AECL...he has been AWOL for some time now. He has been "Buckled Up" as the saying goes around Boss Harp's PMO. A sure sign he is in BIG trouble...just ask Goner O'Connor. No doubt his good friend and "angel", the Hon. (used VERY loosely) John Reynolds, is doing all he can to save the Mini-min's Cabinet hide.
Meanwhile, it is now the Health Minister who is promising to get to the bottom of this. That could be problematic in itself. Anyone from Ontario would know that having any of Mike Harris' Nonsense Revolutionists in charge of a regulatory-oriented file is a very scary thought. It was the Harris team that brought us Walkerton, after all. And now Four Horsemen of the Harris Apocalypse sit around Boss Harp's very own Cabinet table. And an impressive lot they are...Johnboy Baird, Flipper Flaherty, Cementhead Clement and Tubby Van Loan. In fairness, Van Loan was not a Harris minister...he was just President of the Ontario Tory Party that came up with policies that axed water inspectors.
Good luck Steve...
Minister's timeline queried
Toronto Star–A Liberal MP is demanding to know when Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn knew about the severity of the problems at the Chalk River nuclear ...
Clement promises answers on shutdown Globe and Mail
Clement promises answers on reactor shutdown Canada.com
Tories caught in isotope fiasco fallout Globe and Mail
What is missing from all this?
Gary Lunn, of course!
He would only be THE minister responsible for AECL...he has been AWOL for some time now. He has been "Buckled Up" as the saying goes around Boss Harp's PMO. A sure sign he is in BIG trouble...just ask Goner O'Connor. No doubt his good friend and "angel", the Hon. (used VERY loosely) John Reynolds, is doing all he can to save the Mini-min's Cabinet hide.
Meanwhile, it is now the Health Minister who is promising to get to the bottom of this. That could be problematic in itself. Anyone from Ontario would know that having any of Mike Harris' Nonsense Revolutionists in charge of a regulatory-oriented file is a very scary thought. It was the Harris team that brought us Walkerton, after all. And now Four Horsemen of the Harris Apocalypse sit around Boss Harp's very own Cabinet table. And an impressive lot they are...Johnboy Baird, Flipper Flaherty, Cementhead Clement and Tubby Van Loan. In fairness, Van Loan was not a Harris minister...he was just President of the Ontario Tory Party that came up with policies that axed water inspectors.
Good luck Steve...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Chalk River hole gets deeper for Homer Harper
The Homer Harper government has a full-blown scandal on its hands.
The handling of the nuclear reactor shutdown in Chalk River is exposing the Harper style with each passing day.
You have Ministers (Lunn and Clement) who simply did not do their jobs. Lunn, at least, knew of the impending shutdown for weeks. You have a Prime Minister who decided to play Homer Simpson and run a nuclear plant. The same Prime Minister tried to bully the nuclear regulator with cheap partisan shots, in keeping with his usual style.
Today we discover that the bullying was taken right to the Cabinet level. We also learn today that Harper...true to form again...treated his own appointee like a political football.
Michael Burns is not related to Montgomery Burns.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Nuke meltdown...liars stick together
The truth is gradually coming out on the latest Harper screw-up. This would be the Chalk River nuke fiasco.
On the weekend former Mike Harris acolyte Tony Cement-head Clement, who is Boss Harp's Health Minister, as much as admitted that Harp had invoked a "political" solution in dissing the nuclear regulator last week.
The Haperites are also sticking to their line that they never heard anything about the shutdown of the medically critical Chalk River reactor until December 5th or about two weeks after it had been shut down on. And, furthermore, that NRCAN Mini-min Gary Lunn told his Cement-head friend two days later. The reactor shut down on November 18th.
Well...this is more partisan claptrap and ass-covering.
The Supplementary Estimates of this bunch of Harper liars were tabled on October 31, 2007. There we find under Natural Resources Canada - Atomic Energy Canada Limited, $71.2 million dollars were set aside for "Funding for working capital ($25,600,000) and to address regulatory, health, safety, security and environmental requirements at the Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario ($45,607,000)."
Guess what this means:
1. NRCAN Mini-min Lunn would have been briefed on the Supplementary Estimates before they were tabled.
2. Presumably the vertically challenged Mini-min would have thought to tell his health counterpart at that time.
As they say on the K-tel ads...But wait! There's more!
The same Mini-min went before the Natural Resources Committee of the House of Commons on November 22nd. Part of the questioning focused on this extra spending on AECL. The Mini-min said, as explanation for the extra money: "As I said earlier with respect to AECL, there are some regulatory and safety issues, specifically at the Chalk River laboratories, that have to be dealt with and they haven't been dealt with."
Steve Harper could not help telling the "big lie" about the nuclear regulator...and apparently his Ministers are the same as they scramble to COVER UP their ineptitude that put public health AND safety at risk.
On the weekend former Mike Harris acolyte Tony Cement-head Clement, who is Boss Harp's Health Minister, as much as admitted that Harp had invoked a "political" solution in dissing the nuclear regulator last week.
The Haperites are also sticking to their line that they never heard anything about the shutdown of the medically critical Chalk River reactor until December 5th or about two weeks after it had been shut down on. And, furthermore, that NRCAN Mini-min Gary Lunn told his Cement-head friend two days later. The reactor shut down on November 18th.
Well...this is more partisan claptrap and ass-covering.
The Supplementary Estimates of this bunch of Harper liars were tabled on October 31, 2007. There we find under Natural Resources Canada - Atomic Energy Canada Limited, $71.2 million dollars were set aside for "Funding for working capital ($25,600,000) and to address regulatory, health, safety, security and environmental requirements at the Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario ($45,607,000)."
Guess what this means:
1. NRCAN Mini-min Lunn would have been briefed on the Supplementary Estimates before they were tabled.
2. Presumably the vertically challenged Mini-min would have thought to tell his health counterpart at that time.
As they say on the K-tel ads...But wait! There's more!
The same Mini-min went before the Natural Resources Committee of the House of Commons on November 22nd. Part of the questioning focused on this extra spending on AECL. The Mini-min said, as explanation for the extra money: "As I said earlier with respect to AECL, there are some regulatory and safety issues, specifically at the Chalk River laboratories, that have to be dealt with and they haven't been dealt with."
Steve Harper could not help telling the "big lie" about the nuclear regulator...and apparently his Ministers are the same as they scramble to COVER UP their ineptitude that put public health AND safety at risk.
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