Friday, August 22, 2008

Campaigning On Parliament's Nickel

It should come as no secret to readers of this space that I have little or no patience for some of the HarperCon$' antics. Their utterly abusive use of parliamentary printing and mail services to conduct their ongoing campaign for re-election is no exception.

Not only is this an abuse of the parliamentary rules and the intention of Parliamentary printing services and the free access to Canada Post, it's a waste of Canadian taxpayer dollars.

When Liberal MP Mark Holland came across a 10 per center being sent to his constituents in Ajax-Pickering by Conservative MPs, he asked the House of Commons law clerk whether the Tories were breaking the rules.

Parliamentary counsel Louis Mac Habee wrote back, saying the pamphlet appears to be offside because it includes the line: "Why vote for Mark, when Mark won't vote for you?"

The NDP has also made a formal complaint to the Speaker recently regarding the pamphlets.


Having seen one of these disappointing bits of excretia from the Stephen Harper Party, all I can say is that they are barely disguised campaign propaganda and do little to inform the public of parliament's activities. They make broad insinuations and fail utterly to communicate any real meaning.

The fact is the HarperCon$ are abusing this service of Parliament not to communicate with Canadians, but rather to continue their never ending campaign for re-election.

This is an abuse of Parliament, and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It disturbs me that so many voters seem oblivious to the blatant machinations of the Regressive Conservative Party. Maybe we're suffering for the poor teaching of civics in schools. There is too little understanding of Canadian institutions and how our system works, so too few take notice when Stephen Harper and his minions run roughshod over them.

If Harper goes to the Governor General to ask for a dissolution of Parliament based on his claim that Parliament is dysfunctional, I hope that she takes a calm look at the facts and tells him to stop throwing wrenches into the works himself. She might also remind him that a law passed by his government constrains him from asking for dissolution before October 2009.

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