Thursday, December 01, 2005

199 Reasons NOT to Vote Liberal

Here are 100 reasons I cannot vote Liberal this coming election.

1. Cancelling the Sea King replacement
2. Sponsorship scandal
3. Gun Registry
4. HRDC boondoggle
5. Problems with Transition Job Funds program
6. Tainted blood
7. Radwanski Spending Affair
8. Pearson Airport
9. GST Flip Flop
10. Airbus Investigation
11. Voting against Red Book promise of independent Ethics Commissioner
12. Irving fishing lodge stays/travel on Irving jets for cabinet ministers
13. Martin traveling on private corporate jets as Finance Minister
14. Don Boudria’s stay at Boulay owned chalet
15. Denis Coderre staying with Boulay
16. Alfonso Gagliano being appointed Ambassador to Denmark
17. Shawinigate
18. Claude Gauthier (PM’s friend)’s Transelec getting CIDA grant that was
questioned by the Auditor General and even CIDA.
19. Liberal fundraiser Pierre Corbeil charged with fraud by RCMP after he
approached several Quebec companies seeking federal job training grants and
asking for payments to Liberal Party, having gotten the names from senior
Quebec Liberal Minister, Marcel Massé.
20. Michel Dupuy, Heritage Minister, lobbying the CRTC.
21. Tom Wappel refusing to help blind veteran
22. Gagliano’s son benefiting from contracts from his father’s department
23. Gagliano’s former speechwriter, Michèle Tremblay was on a $5,000 a month
retainer with the Canada Lands Company to provide speeches for the Minister.
Former President John Grant let her go saying "we got nothing in return."
Grant claimed that all Crown Corporations reporting to Mr. Gagliano were
told to put Ms. Tremblay on a monthly retainer.
24. Iltis replacement
25. Purchase of new Challenger jets for the Prime Minister and cabinet
26. NATO Flying Training program contract
27. Liberal friends appointed as IRB judges being investigated by RCMP
28. Hedy Fry’s imaginary burning crosses
29. Maria Minna’s improper municipal vote
30. Minna giving contracts to two former campaign staffers for public
relations work for a conference that had already been held
31. Lawrence MacAulay and contracts directed to Holland College
32. Lawrence MacAulay and Tim Banks
33. Lawrence MacAulay hired his official agent, Everett Roche, for $70K, but
Roche never did any work for it. (Oct 2002)
34. Art Eggleton and contracts to his ex-girlfriend
35. Copps’ aide Boyer’s spending habits
36. Collenette resigns for breach of ethical guidelines involving a letter
he wrote to the Immigration and Refugee Board
37. APEC Inquiry
38. Andy Scott's 1998 resignation that came eight weeks too late, after a
media circus wore him down for indiscreetly shooting his mouth off on an
airplane.
39. Anti-American comments by Liberal MPs, officials, and the former
Minister of Natural Resources.
40. Rock and the Apotex/Cipro affair
41. Rock giving Health Canada contract to car cleaning company.
42. Manley lobbying CIBC on behalf of Rod Bryden
43. Manley’s fundraiser suggesting donors to his leadership write it off as
a business expense.
44. Manley using his pre-budget consultations as Minister of Finance to
solicit support for his leadership bid.
45. Coderre’s relationship with Group Everest
46. Martin’s fundraiser/employee of Finance Jim Palmer
47. Martin’s "blind trust" and his relationship with CSL.
48. Gerry Byrne requesting fundraising money be sent to his home address,
with no records kept.
49. Gerry Byrne pouring bulk of ACOA money into his own riding.
50. Virginia Fontaine Addictions Foundation
51. Prime Minister’s former assistant, Denise Tremblay’s huge travel
expenses on Veterans Review and Appeal Board as Minister pleaded poverty to
veterans’ widows.
52. Chrétien appointing Hon. Roger Simmons (former Trudeau minister
convicted of income tax evasion) as Consul-General in Seattle
53. Chrétien trying to bring hit-and-run driver Carignan back into caucus.
54. The RCMP is investigating possible fraud and bribery within Industry
Canada, involving possible "overpayments" to recipients of federal business
grants. The probe centres on the National Research Council, which hands out
federal grants to small- and medium-sized businesses.
55. More than half a dozen bureaucrats have been "removed" from their jobs
at a Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) in Toronto following a police
investigation into projects funded under one of the department's grants and
contributions programs
56. Revenue Minister Elinor Caplan called in the RCMP and ordered a sweeping
security review after four tax department computers were stolen containing
confidential personal information on more than 120,000 Canadians.
57. More than $7 billion stashed in Foundations by Finance Minister Paul
Martin with little or no accountability
58. Dhaliwal overseing Richmond-airport-Vancouver transit line while being
owner of the airport limousine service
59. Tom Rosser, former Dhaliwal advisor lobbying Natural Resources
department and minister on environmental issues only months after leaving
government.
60. $5.3 million GG northern travel
61. GG budget doubles in 5 years
62. Robert Thibault giving a grant as ACOA minister to a wharf and boatyard
where his brother-in-law has a monopoly.
63. Royal LePage contract, which the government was forced to cancel in the
wake of serious concerns being raised.
64. Shutting down the Somalia Inquiry
65. Home heating rebate, which was sent to prisoners and deceased.
66. Martin firing Bernard Dussault, Chief Actuary of CPP
67. Ethel Blondin-Andrew buys fur coat on government credit card
68. Chrétien’s imaginary homeless friend.
69. Liberal MP Rick Laliberte’s extensive travel budget
70. Liberal Senator Thompson living in Mexico
71. Vendetta against former BDC President François Beaudoin
72. The flag give-away – which estimates suggest might now have cost $45
million instead of the promised $6 million, and reportedly involved fake
invoices.
73. Gagliano’s two week trip, at taxpayers’ expense, for a two day event
with the head of the Royal Canadian Mint and Maurizio Caruso.
74. Secretary of State for multiculturalism and status of women Sheila
Finestone using government car (which junior ministers are only allowed to
use for government business) to drive home to Montreal, which even Sheila
Copps criticized. (Ottawa Citizen, May 22, 1994)
75. Liberal MP Jag Bhaduria’s hate mail to his former employers, wishing
that they had been shot by killer Marc Lepine
76. Liberal MP Jag Bhaduria making false claims about his academic
qualifications.
77. Paul Martin and Maria Minna attending fundraising dinner for group
linked to Tamil Tigers in May 2000 (National Post, Sept. 8th, 2001).
78. David Anderson, as National Revenue Minister, suing the government for
lost wages after being removed as IRB appointee by Conservative government
seeking $454,000 from a deficit-ravaged federal treasury. (Vancouver Sun,
July 24, 2004). Anderson eventually agreed to drop the suit.
79. David Anderson suggesting that the BC doesn’t need extra House of
Commons seats, because they wouldn't be worth much given the poor quality of
most West Coast MPs. (Vancouver Sun, July 24, 2004)
80. A consultant on an executive interchange program persuaded Natural
Resources to undertake a $700-million reorganization of its research
facilities for which no business case had been made. The program was
fast-tracked because he had developed a social relationship with the deputy
minister. He was eventually charged with diverting $525,000 to a numbered
company he controlled. (Globe and Mail, May 30, 2005)

And the list continues under Prime Minister Martin:

81. Raid on reporter Juliet O’Neill’s home by RCMP
82. Permanent Resident Cards
83. Judy Sgro going on vacation as cards became mandatory and landed
immigrants were left stranded
84. Minister Frulla’s renovations
85. Pay raises for chiefs-of-staff in ministers offices, while spending is
frozen for public service.
86. The government’s changing numbers on how much money has gone to CSL
87. Lobbyists in Paul Martin’s transition team being allowed to return to
lobbying immediately, after being involved in process of picking new cabinet
and senior staff.
88. Minister Comuzzi’s anti-Quebec comments
89. Martin government using closure after only six days in the House of
Commons, followed by using time allocation in the Senate.
90. Problems with DND’s contracts with Compaq Computers that may have cost
taxpayers up to $159 million for work not performed.
91. Martin using government jets to tour the country campaigning before
election, spending up to $1 million for air travel alone.
92. Martin’s relationship with Earnscliffe
93. Questionable contracts to Earnscliffe
94. The appointment of former Liberal MLA Howard Sapers as the Correctional
Investigator of Canada
95. Pierre Pettigrew’s flip flopping on health care
96. David Dingwall’s expenses as head of Royal Canadian Mint
97. Liberals planning to give David Dingwall a severance package after he
resigned
98. The secret National Unity Fund reserve
99. Calling an early election after earlier promising first to get to the
bottom of the sponsorship scandal
100. Martin suggesting changes to legislation and introducing bill that
benefited CSL, despite concerns from his own Deputy Minister that he was in
a conflict-of-interest (Ottawa Citizen, May 26, 2004)

And here are 99 more

101. $99 million Public Works contract that went to company overseen by
Liberal fundraiser and future Senator Paul Massicotte (Montreal Gazette,
June 26, 2004)
102. Parliamentary Secretary Dan McTeague’s 3-person, $224 trip to a
Pizzeria
103. Immigration Minister Judy Sgro’s staff being allowed to stay on
"extended travel" benefits, letting them bill taxpayers’ for thousands of
dollars in hotel rooms and meals, because they didn’t want to move from
Toronto to Ottawa until after the election.
104. Correctional Service of Canada Commissioner Lucie McClung’s travel
expenses
105. Contracting irregularities on more than two dozen projects at DND worth
tens of millions of dollars, showing over-billing, profit excesses,
unauthorized additional work, lack of accounting records, spiralling cost
overruns, etc. (Globe and Mail, July 14, 2004).
106. ACOA Minister Joe McGuire canceling ACOA loan and grant to ABL
Industries Inc. because it would compete with company in his riding.
(Fredericton Daily Gleaner, July 17, 2004).
107. Andy Mitchell’s chief of staff’s $22,000 in expenses to commute to
Ottawa (Toronto Star, August 2, 2004).
108. André Ouellet’s travel and hospitality expenses at Canada Post.
109. Government delaying release of audit on Ouellet until after the
election (Globe and Mail, July 31, 2004).
110. Martin’s principle secretary Francis Fox’s sister getting untendered
contracts (The Province, July 27, 2004).
111. Continuing problems in advertising files at Public Works (Ottawa Sun,
July 26, 2004).
112. A Liberal Party of Canada fundraising letter signed by Paul Martin,
asking potential contributors to offer $7,000, $7,100 or $7,200 in
contributions – far in excess of donation limits passed by the very same
Liberal government
113. Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne violating municipal bylaws.
Municipality pursuing legal action against him. (Ottawa Citizen, August 19,
2004).
114. Spa Days for inmates approved by the Correctional Service of Canada,
which on Aug. 21 invited inmates at the Grand Valley Institution for Women
in Kitchener, Ont., to dabble with manicures, pedicures and aromatherapy,
not to mention cups of tea served in fine china, all accompanied by a harp
serenade. (National Post, September 9, 2004).
115. Five employees in the ''overwhelmed'' immigration section of Canada's
embassy in Iran have been fired over the past year after they each were
caught breaching federal ethics rules (National Post, September 13, 2004).
116. Questionable contracts and spending from the Canada Investment and
Savings group set up by Martin in 1996 (Globe and Mail, September 13, 2004)
117. Questionable contracting practices at Canada Information Office (The
Hill Times, September 13, 2004).
118. A top Canadian diplomat based in China has resigned amid reports he is
being investigated for allegedly taking bribes to help Chinese nationals
enter Canada illegally. (Vancouver Sun, September 22, 2004).
119. Abuse of government credit cards by staff at Fisheries Department (CP
Wire, September 24, 2004).
120. Canada’s questionable hiring of the niece of Syria's foreign affairs
minister to work at the embassy in Damascus (Globe and Mail, October 5,
2004)
121. Hélène Scherrer using Challenger to fly to Banff during election to
give partisan speech
122. Abuse of Challengers by Paul Martin and various ministers (eg. Andy
Mitchell, Claudette Bradshaw)
123. Abuse of Challenger jets for political business instead of government
business (Le Devoir, October 4, 2005)
124. Paul Martin taking Challenger jets to Liberal fundraisers
125. Challenger food bill of $508 per flight
126. Expenses during election filed by aide to Ralph Goodale
127. Questionable expenses during election filed by aides to Judy Sgro
128. Ongoing problems and safety concerns with the submarine program
129. Various federal departments reported in excess of $1.1 million in theft
of computers in 2003, but the information is potentially more valuable than
the hardware (Vancouver Sun, October 14, 2004).
130. According to the latest public-accounts-of-Canada reports for the
period March 2004 and March 2005, over 700 laptops, desktops and central
processing units went missing from 35 federal government agencies -- worth
$6 million. (The Province, October 19, 2005)
131. Federal government has lost track of $587 million a year in EI
overpayments and underpayments at the Department of Human Resources. (Ottawa
Citizen, October 12, 2004). However, the government defends itself by
stating that in fact it has only lost track of $25 million a year and
collects the other overpayments. (Ottawa Citizen, October 13, 2004)
132. $133,000 grant to a Toronto film company that used classified ads to
search for the "perfect" thingy. (National Post, October 14, 2004).
133. Man convicted of fraud against government hired to teach ethics course
to public servants (National Post, October 20, 2004).
134. Public Works selling confiscated grow-op equipment to drug traffickers.
(National Post, October 21, 2004).
135. Pressure by Liberal MPs and ministers on ACOA to make funding decisions
based on politics (New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, October 25, 2004).
136. Paul Martin’s Director of Communications Scott Reid insulting Premier
of Newfoundland and Labrador (Toronto Star, October 28, 2004)
137. The Martin government spent $127,223 on a poll last February testing
ways to diffuse negative reaction to the bombshell auditor-general's
report -- which included the finding the Liberals ignored their own rules
prohibiting the use of tax dollars on partisan polls (Vancouver Sun,
November 8, 2004).
138. Judy Sgro’s campaign volunteer (a stripper) getting ministerial permit
139. Sgro’s senior policy advisor going to strip club to meet with owner to
discuss bringing more strippers into Canada. (National Post, November 25,
2004). Subsequent revelations indicate that he went to at least one other
strip club to conduct similar meetings (Toronto Sun, December 7, 2004)
140. Sgro giving out details of private immigration files, violating Privacy
Act
141. Allegations that Sgro broke the elections law in failing to properly
identify the source of a campaign contribution. (Toronto Star, December 8,
2004).
142. Revelations that the program to bring in foreign exotic dancers was
created under pressure from organized crime (National Post, December 18,
2004)
143. Irwin Cotler appointing his former chief-of-staff to federal court
(National Post, November 23, 2004).
144. Heritage Minister Liza Frulla giving grant to magazine that put her on
the cover and made her honourary president (Ottawa Citizen, November 25,
2004)
145. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing
Liberal MP John Harvard as Lt-Governor of Manitoba, in order to get him to
step aside for "star" candidate Glen Murray.
146. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing
Liberal MP Yvon Charbonneau to UNESCO, in order to get him to step aside for
Martin crony Pablo Rodriguez.
147. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing
former Liberal MP Karen Kraft-Sloan as Ambassador for the Environment.
(Department of Foreign Affairs Press Release, February 16, 2005).
148. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing
defeated Liberal candidate Dave Haggard as the chair of a newly created
Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. (OIC 2005-0001)
149. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointed
his friend Dennis Dawson to the Senate
150. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointed
his former Principal Secretary Francis Fox to the Senate
151. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointed
disgraced former cabinet minister Art Eggleton to the Senate
152. Martin and his wife complaining about having to live in 24 Sussex
(Edmonton Journal, November 17, 2004)
153. Millennium Bureau spending done with same lack of controls and
oversight of sponsorship program
154. The RCMP has charged a senior Immigration Canada manager and four
accomplices in an alleged bribes-for-status scheme in which Arab immigrants
paid up to $25,000 to have their claims fast-tracked and approved (National
Post, December 17, 2004)
155. Making widows of RCMP officers killed in the line of duty pay for their
husbands’ funerals (Under pressure from the Conservative Party, the
government reversed this policy)
156. Martin patronage-appointee Jim Walsh breaking ethics guidelines and
attending Liberal Christmas Party (St. John’s Telegram, January 20, 2005).
157. Port authority losing more than $60,000 in public funds on the stock
market. When Central Cape Breton Community Ventures took over the port in
Iona in 2000, the private agency deposited only $5,000 of the $245,000 it
received from Transport Canada into a designated bank account. The federal
funding was meant to cover the port's maintenance, insurance and
professional services costs (Chronicle-Herald, January 31, 2005).
158. Canadian flag lapel pins being made in China. Only under pressure,
Scott Brison flip flops and agrees to have them made in Canada again.
159. Questionable dealings around the privatization of the Digby Wharf,
which even Liberal MP Robert Thibault wants the RCMP to investigate
(Chronicle-Herald, February 10, 2005).
160. Adrienne Clarkson spending $17,500 to evaluate cleaning at Rideau Hall
(Ottawa Sun, February 19, 2005)
161. Martin patronage appointee Glen Murray breaking ethics guidelines and
attending Liberal Convention as delegate
162. Martin ignoring parliamentary committee and appointing Glen Murray as
chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
163. Marlene Jennings, the Parliamentary Secretary for Canada-U.S.
relations, making anti-American remarks
164. Government knowing about details of torture and murder of Zahra Kazemi
back in November and still sending ambassador back to Iran
165. Government knowing about details of torture and murder of Zahra Kazemi
back in November but doing nothing
166. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on questionable acquisitions at
CFB Borden (Ottawa Sun, April 18, 2005).
167. Joe Volpe keeping stripper visa program operating, despite having
promised to shut it down (CTV.ca, March 5, 2005)
168. Jean Lapierre acting as lobbyist without registering
169. Joe Volpe trying to intimidating Sikh community
170. In the spring of 2003, the RCMP investigated allegations that Liberal
MP Gurbax Malhi had requested favours and financial support for Paul
Martin's 2003 leadership campaign in exchange for helping Indian nationals
get these temporary resident permits (Globe and Mail, March 10, 2005).
171. Liberals spending $443,237 to change the name Passport Office to
Passport Canada (Montreal Gazette, April 21, 2005).
172. Ken Dryden’s chief of staff charged with careless driving (Ottawa
Citizen, March 22, 2005)
173. Liberals trying to buy off Conservative MPs with offers of patronage
positions
174. Liberals handling of the submarine program
175. Public Service Integrity Officer’s travel expenses (Ottawa Sun, May 4,
2005)
176. Liberal Senator Michel Biron going to hearing to support killer Karla
Homolka (CTV News, June 9, 2005)
177. Public Works contract watchdog Consulting and Audit Canada violating
contracting rules (Toronto Star, July 4, 2005)
178. Technology Partnerships Canada rules being violated to pay lobbyists
(Globe and Mail, June 24, 2005)
179. Former Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Robert Nault is working as
a paid lobbyist for Nelson House First Nation in what some allege is an
apparent violation of a federal code of conduct. Among the federal
departments Nault is lobbying is the Indian and Northern Affairs department
he headed until December 2003, according to a lobbying report Nault filed
with the federal government. Nault registered as a lobbyist for Nelson
House, now known as Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, on July 18, 2005 -- one
year and seven months after leaving his cabinet post. Under the Conflict of
Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders, Nault is barred
from working for any entity with which his department had "direct and
significant official dealings" for two years after leaving office. He is
also barred for two years from lobbying his former department or any of his
former cabinet colleagues (Winnipeg Free Press, September 14, 2005)
180. According to documents obtained by the Globe and Mail, Pierre Pettigrew
billed Canadian taxpayers for $10,000 for trips for his driver in 2001 and
2002. Pettigrew took his driver to South America and Europe, even though the
driver didn’t do any driving on the trips. (Globe and Mail, September 14,
2005)
181. Joe Volpe’s questionable hospitality expenses (Globe and Mail,
September 21, 2005)
182. According to media reports, Industry Canada has frozen federal
financing for research projects by an Ontario biotechnology firm pending the
outcome of an investigation into the company's agreement to pay $350,000 in
lobbying "success" fees to former Liberal cabinet minister David Dingwall.
Such contingency fee payments violate Technology Partnership Canada rules.
(Globe and Mail, September 23, 2005)
183. Expenses of chairman of the Royal Canadian Mint Emmanuel Triassi, who
also approved David Dingwall’s expenses (Globe and Mail, October 4, 2005)
184. Last week, Public Works was also silent on details of another case
involving forensic accounting. Government accounts published on Thursday
showed a department employee had embezzled $3.45 million from Public Works
office in Koblenz, Germany. Even though the employee was convicted and
jailed in Germany, Public Works will not name him or give any details of the
crime (Ottawa Citizen, October 4, 2005)
185. The federal government inadvertently revealed yesterday that it is
conducting a large-scale forensic accounting probe into "possibly criminal
matters" when it published details of a contract intended for a Quebec
accounting firm. The notice awarding a $2-million contract for forensic
accounting services was published on the government's tendering website,
MERX. It gave notice that Consulting and Audit Canada was planning to award
the sole-source contract to Leclerc Juricomptable, a Quebec City firm
specializing in forensic work and litigation support. The contract award
notice said the work had to be sole-sourced to Leclerc because it is "not in
the public interest to jeopardize the current investment in the
investigation or to significantly increase the risk to a successful
completion of the investigation into possibly criminal matters." A spokesman
for the Department of PublicWorks and Government Services said yesterday
that the notice was published "prematurely" and would be withdrawn last
night. He could not say, however, what is under investigation, but said the
contract was not tied to another scandal that has kept Quebec forensic
accountants busy over the past years. "It's not related to sponsorship or
Gomery, that I can tell you," said spokesman Pierre Teotonio (Ottawa
Citizen, October 4, 2005). It was subsequently revealed that the department
involved was CIDA (CP Wire, October 4, 2005)
186. Questions about campaign funds from Raymond Chan’s campaign going to
his companies (Vancouver Sun, October 7, 2005)
187. Questions about a possible conflict-of-interest between Chan’s
activities as minister on behalf of possible business associates (Vancouver
Sun, October 7, 2005)
188. Questions about the report that Chan filed with the Ethics Commissioner
(Vancouver Sun, October 7, 2005)
189. Government giving out contract that specifies no paper trail to be left
in government offices (Vancouver Province, October 11, 2005)
190. Questionable travel expenses at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
(CP, October 16, 2005)
191. Two employees at DFO fired for making fraudulent travel claims (CP, The
Province, October 18, 2005).
192. Lobbyist registrar Michael Nelson has launched investigations of four
people for eight possible breaches of the ethics guidelines for lobbyists,
the first such investigations ever launched under the code. (Globe and Mail,
October 18, 2005)
193. According to media reports, the federal government has terminated two
contracts with a consulting firm that used to be run by Liberal MP David
Smith and now run by his wife, following a forensic audit of the contracting
practices at a federal agency (Globe and Mail, October 19, 2005)
194. ATI requests by prisoners for information on prison system and guards,
when information is actually disclosed
195. Liberal candidate Richard Mahoney lobbying for satellite radio company
for a month before registering (Ottawa Citizen, October 19, 2005)
196. Delays and ballooning costs mean a giant software project at National
Defence will eclipse its original budget and won't meet its goals until
2011 -- if at all. An internal audit obtained by Canadian Press raises red
flags about a new system designed to streamline computer tracking of
military inventory and purchases. MASIS -- or Materiel Acquisition Support
Information System -- started in 1997 as a $147-million undertaking. What
began as a focused effort to cover a single equipment category in each of
the navy, army and air force soon mushroomed. By 2003, Defence officials
estimated MASIS would be in place by 2006 at a cost of $325 million, more
than twice its forecast budget. A full introduction of the complex software
has now been extended to 2011. The heavily censored May 2005 internal audit,
released under the Access to Information Act, catalogues a litany of
"revised planned milestones.'' "The prime contract has been amended six
times, each time increasing amounts for professional service fees,'' it
says. (CP, The Record, October 24, 2005)
197. Hospitality and travel expenses of executives at CMHC (Journal de
Montréal, October 24, 2005)
198. Questions about Squamish land deal lease (The Province, October 26,
2005)
199. Liberals handling of tainted water at Kashechewan First Nation

P.S. I got this off of a fishing site, and I don't know who the author is, but I sure have to congratulate him.