Brain
Posts: 3792
Joined: 2/14/2007
Status: offline
|
This Dimitri Soudas character appears to be the Canadian version of Karl Rove. On the one hand I’m pleased with recent events because I have personally found Canadian politics predictable and boring, except for this recent proroguing of parliament which was unexpected. But on the other hand I’m still pleased because I’m witnessing this slime ball Harper resort to using every dirty trick up his sleeve to hang on to power. And in the end I know it will backfire because the Canadian people are too smart to be fooled by these juvenile tactics, notwithstanding Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada. Harper and the conservatives are hanging on to power now desperately by the skin of their teeth. After the Olympics when they try to cut spending, which they are drooling to do for ideological reasons, and an election is called the Canadian people will reluctantly hand over the reins of power to a new Liberal government
Opposition: PM has gone too far with 'hyper-partisan' attacks
OTTAWA — Opposition parties say Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office has gone too far with hyper-partisan attacks, and it’s time to apologize and play fair.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff demanded Thursday that Harper say sorry for a Conservative party email circulated by the Prime Minister’s Office that depicted one of the country’s top bankers as a shill for the Liberal party.
And the NDP called on Harper to rein in his main spokesman, Dimitri Soudas, whom it accused of making “reckless and conspiratorial partisan smears.”
But Soudas defended the PMO’s actions and said there’s no need to apologize for anything.
Ignatieff was responding to an email circulated last week which slammed TD Bank CEO Ed Clark for saying taxes must be raised in order to reduce the massive federal deficit.
The email referred to Clark — who was once invited to give economic advice to the Liberal leader, along with several other top experts — as “Michael Ignatieff’s Bay Street buddy” and a member of Ignatieff’s “so-called economic brain trust.”
It cited Clark’s comments as further proof of Ignatieff’s hidden agenda to impose a massive tax increase on Canadians. And it sneered that Clark, who earned a reported $11 million last year, “can afford higher taxes. Can you?”
TD Bank declined to comment on the email. But in a written statement, Ignatieff said he was shocked at the attack on Clark — who ironically took part in a roundtable discussion on the economy with Harper last month.
“The prime minister’s behaviour is beneath the office he holds ... The prime minister must withdraw these comments and apologize to Mr. Clark,” Ignatieff said.
“Whether or not one agrees with Mr. Clark’s advice, he is the CEO of one of Canada’s largest and most respected financial institutions and he should be free to offer his opinion on Canada’s fiscal policy without fear of reprisal to his business or personal smears to his reputation from the Conservative government.”
Ignatieff noted that the PMO launched a similar attack against former deputy finance minister, Scott Clark, who also offered advice to the Liberal leader last spring. And he said it’s all part of a pattern in which independent watchdogs for nuclear safety, the RCMP and military police have been fired or pushed aside for failing to toe the Harper government’s line.
The NDP complaint came on the heels of Soudas accusing New Democrat MP Libby Davies of encouraging a Vancouver protest Wednesday which he said endangered the lives of children, war vets and other Chinese Canadians who were awaiting a visit from the prime minister.
Protesters taped and chained doors to a Chinese cultural centre prior to Harper’s expected arrival, briefly trapping about 250 people gathered inside.
Soudas fired off emails to all reporters in the national press gallery accusing Davies, who had tweeted about the “impressive“ turnout,“ of encouraging protesters to block the exits.
“It’s turned into a day of almost terror for local seniors, children, veterans,” he wrote. “In the horrible event of fire of emergency, all those good-willed people would be prevented from exit. Is Libby Davies proud of this?”
Davies participated in the protest but said she didn’t organize it and had no knowledge that exits had been blocked. Vancouver police said they removed the chains and tape, made no arrests and allowed the protest to continue without further incident.
An NDP statement noted that Soudas has made false accusations before.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/02/11/12844531-cp.html
|
Opposition: PM has gone too far with 'hyper-partisan' a... - 
Profile
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread