Putting Together The Pieces

I've said for a long time that Stephen Harper is one of the most malign Prime Ministers we have ever seen in Canada. It isn't just that I disagree with his politics, but it comes out in how he goes about conducting his governance. He doesn't believe in doing anything above board, and in recent weeks some more of his malfeasance has come to light.

First up, over at Darryl Raymaker's blog, we have an interesting bit of insight into how Harper is trying to undermine public oversight of the RCMP. (Which, given the RCMP's track record recently, this is a very worrisome thing indeed)

Then, over at Big City Lib, we have news about the noxious muzzle that has been slapped on using content from CBC's news website. It's no secret that Harper dislikes two things intensely - the CBC and criticism. So, what he has tried to do is make one of Canada's public assets meaningless in the discourse over our politics.

This all comes to public attention when? While Harper has Canada's parliament prorogued. Think about this - prorogation itself is another tool that he has used to squelch discourse.

The CBC Responds To Conservative Party Fundraiser

Quite rightly, the CBC's Publisher John Cruikshank has responded publicly to the Conservative Party's amazingly dishonest fundraising letter.

Your suggestion to your potential contributors that the CBC was waging a partisan campaign against your party and the government of Canada was flatly contradicted by every step we had taken before you composed your cash appeal.

We accept that you are not the only, or even the first, Canadian political party to use CBC News as a whipping boy for fundraising purposes.

The Liberal party accused us of bias on several occasions when it fit their agenda.

While Harper and his band of Rove/Bush-inspired fellows run about whining about "media bias", those claims come out regularly when the Con$ are inevitably saying or doing something reprehensible.

Of course, I'm sure Harper would be all to happy to turn the CBC into his own little pet propaganda ministry if he could. Just as he is having his ministers use government agencies to spread party propaganda.

There's What The Con$ WANT You To Believe

Namely that the CBC is biased against the Con$:

Mr. Finley, the party's campaign director, says he was shocked by allegations that a CBC reporter helped produce questions for a Liberal MP to ask Brian Mulroney at a recent parliamentary hearing.

Now he's using the incident as a fundraising message to the party faithful: Tories face a chronic disadvantage because of their powerful enemies, and need your cash to overcome it.

Oh yes, woe is the poor embattled Con$ervative. Isn't the CBC so evil.

Of course, then there's reality:

CBC brass have said they are investigating and considering possible disciplinary action against a reporter who allegedly supplied questions for Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez to ask Mulroney.

But the broadcaster's reaction has left some puzzled on Parliament Hill.

Other reporters say they've suggested questions for politicians in the past — for instance, when Conservatives were in opposition and grilling the Liberals during the sponsorship scandal.

Ah ... so now that the shoe is on the other foot, this is a problem? What a bunch of dishonest liars.