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[nicky10013]

Oh yeah? Peter Donollo was Chretien’s communication director when he shut down the Somalia inquiry. Guess who Ignatieff's Chief of Staff is. Peter Donollo. And that makes him the most powerful person in Ignatieff's office.

Here are the MPs in today's Liberal caucus that were around during Chretien's time.

Mauril Bélanger

Gerry Byrne

Stéphane Dion

Wayne Easter

Hedy Fry

Ralph Goodale

Jim Karygiannis

Derek Lee

Lawrence MacAulay

Dan McTeague

Peter Milliken

Geoff Regan

Paul Szabo

Joe Volpe

The top person in Iggy's office had quite a hand in Chretien's administration and 18% of the present caucus was also in office at the time. And that doesn't include remnants of the back room gang that has been present (but relatively unseen) in all those years.

There is one noticeable difference. The present leader speaks French with a Parisian accent while Le P'tit Gars de Shawinigan's French is peppered with the "joual" dialect. But at the core it's still the same old Liberals.

Who were ministers in his cabinet? Dion, Hedy Fry. Only Dion actually had a portfolio. So, please, of those MPs, who were the big decision makers in the party?

[capricorn]

Who were ministers in his cabinet? Dion, Hedy Fry. Only Dion actually had a portfolio. So, please, of those MPs, who were the big decision makers in the party?

You missed a few. Goodale held a number of portfolios under Chretien, including Public Works that was plagued with scandals at the time. Easter was Solicitor General. MacCauley was Minister of Labour. Milliken was speaker of the house. Most of the others were Parliamentary Secretaries to Ministers.

I have no idea about their power within the party and neither do you. But I suppose there's a reason Chretien was called the little dictator and they did his bidding. They're all part of the old guard.

[g_bambino]

There is also a veiled attempt at comparing Harper to dictatorships seen in unnamed, unsavoury countries.

Which prompted Darcy Meyers to issue a small quiz:

Which one of these Dictators could be removed form office, by the means of a fair and free election, as early as April this year?

1) Robert Mugabe

2) Omar Al-Bashir

3) Kim Jung -II

4) Hu Jintao

5) Stephen Harper

How many in the apoplectic opposition have formally registered concerns over prisoner/detainee treatment with the Afghanistan government?

1) Zero

2) None

3) But Harper is a dictator and won’t let us.

4) Zilch

5) Nada

Cute.

[capricorn]

Thanks for that link and the chuckle. Liberals calling Harper a dictator and likening him to Hitler is somewhat expected, and rabidly partisan. But it's more stinging when someone within your own party accuses you of running a dictatorship.

"He has a reputation as a people person, but I don’t know where it comes from," says one angry Quebec Liberal backbencher. "He never has time for us. He’s a very self-centred guy." A senator appointed by Chrétien to the upper chamber describes his old friend as "running a dictatorship." And Independent MP John Nunziata, who speaks with the freedom of a man who has already been kicked out of the Liberal caucus for voting against the 1996 budget, argues that "this country is run by a half dozen people, half of whom were never elected by anybody, and they are in the PMO."

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011780

Chretien subsequently said he was not a dictator.

[myata]

As said, we're watching a progression down a slippery slope, away from transparent and functional democracy. Chretien had his "dictatorial" boots while in majority; now Harper displaying the same kind of attitudes, and more, with only a minority. Next step? The Parliament reduced to the role of meaningless show? No checks or independent oversight over government's work, whatsoever? Political influence (e.g via appointment process) over judges? Everybody's guess.

[cybercoma]

As said, we're watching a progression down a slippery slope, away from transparent and functional democracy. Chretien had his "dictatorial" boots while in majority; now Harper displaying the same kind of attitudes, and more, with only a minority. Next step? The Parliament reduced to the role of meaningless show? No checks or independent oversight over government's work, whatsoever? Political influence (e.g via appointment process) over judges? Everybody's guess.

While it's true that it may appear to be getting progressively worse, if that is in fact the case, one could hardly blame the government for this attitude. In fact, it is the voters' discontent that has allowed the system to get so bad. As the number of people who vote becomes fewer and fewer, the government becomes progressively less accountable. The damn shame of it all is that as the government becomes less accountable, the number of people who vote becomes fewer and fewer. It's a downward spiral, a race to the bottom if you will.

[myata]

While it's true that it may appear to be getting progressively worse, if that is in fact the case, one could hardly blame the government for this attitude. In fact, it is the voters' discontent that has allowed the system to get so bad. As the number of people who vote becomes fewer and fewer, the government becomes progressively less accountable. The damn shame of it all is that as the government becomes less accountable, the number of people who vote becomes fewer and fewer. It's a downward spiral, a race to the bottom if you will.

True to the last point. A government is only as good (open, transparent, democratic, etc) as the people it governs (and represents).

[Jerry J. Fortin]

While it's true that it may appear to be getting progressively worse, if that is in fact the case, one could hardly blame the government for this attitude. In fact, it is the voters' discontent that has allowed the system to get so bad. As the number of people who vote becomes fewer and fewer, the government becomes progressively less accountable. The damn shame of it all is that as the government becomes less accountable, the number of people who vote becomes fewer and fewer. It's a downward spiral, a race to the bottom if you will.

Yes apathy is the big gig. Tap that little group and you win.

[Mr.Canada]

The Liberals don't need to spend money attacking the credibility of Stephen Harper. We've already seen twice that 65% of Canadians don't want him to do the job.

The same number didn't want Chretien to do the job either. Same to the same number for Truedeau as well. Were these PM's less deserving of being PM?

[blueblood]

The same number didn't want Chretien to do the job either. Same to the same number for Truedeau as well. Were these PM's less deserving of being PM?

Just because this is Mr. Canada, I'll defend the Liberals.

Do you have the polling results for Trudeau's majority gov'ts? As much as I despise Trudeau, the numbers don't lie and at that period in Canadian history, he was a very popular leader.

[DrGreenthumb]

Just because this is Mr. Canada, I'll defend the Liberals.

Do you have the polling results for Trudeau's majority gov'ts? As much as I despise Trudeau, the numbers don't lie and at that period in Canadian history, he was a very popular leader.

LOL I was going to post something similar about back to back majorities but I'm really glad to hear a Tory partisan admitting this. It looks good on you sir, I respect you more for admitting this.

[madmax]

Just because this is Mr. Canada, I'll defend the Liberals.

I am always surprised at peoples motives for comment.

[madmax]

double post deleted

Edited January 12, 2010 by madmax