I just donated money to the Liberal Party of Canada

[PIK]

Tough on crime might be a good concept but it doesn't work. Neither does prolonged incarceration or capital punishment for than matter. Our whole justice system is in array and getting tough on crime is nly going to make things worse.

When in jail or dead ,you are no longer committing crime.

[Evening Star]

Argus, your first link doesn't work for me.

[Argus]

Argus, your first link doesn't work for me.

Fixed. One too many "http"s

[Michael Hardner]

Article in Toronto's EYE WEEKLYabout the Toronto Police Scandal - wherein police board member Susan Eng was alleged to have been spied on.

So began a new chapter in a story that has spanned my entire career as a journalist — almost 20 years. Julian Fantino is no longer the commissioner of the OPP — he retired last summer — but his ambition has hardly abated. In October, he declared that he would run as the Conservative Party candidate in the upcoming November 29 by-election, hoping to represent the people of Vaughan as their member of parliament in the House of Commons. This story has, for two decades, lived mostly behind closed doors but, according to Carter’s leaked report, it all began in 1991 when Fantino decided to trail Peter Maloney through the hallways of police headquarters.

[capricorn]

Justin Trudeau addresses what he perceives to be Fantino's attacks against the Charter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIlb2Fys9uI

Funny thing. Fantino was first approached by the Liberals to run as a Liberal in Vaughan but he declined. If the Liberals were aware of Fantino's Charter comments before trying to enlist him, it raises a question as to whether the regard Liberals express for the Charter is genuine or just for show. If they weren't aware of Fantino's comments, what does that say about their candidate vetting process? Or did they just dig the quotes up after Fantino was lost to the Conservatives? Somewhere in there is the answer.

[punked]

Didn't the Liberals want this guy and he told them to take a hike?

[capricorn]

Didn't the Liberals want this guy and he told them to take a hike?

On Halifax radio, Ignatieff admitted he had approached Fantino.

"We had a discussion with Mr. Fantino cause he’s a y'know, he’s an interesting guy, but it was clear from the get-go that this man is a Conservative,” Ignatieff said in an interview with News 95.7.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/11/26/16330411.html

Had Ignatieff and co. done their homework, they would have been aware that Fantino's prior comments regarding the Charter did not make him a good fit for the Liberals. Cause, why would the Liberals bother to talk to a guy who insulted their beloved Charter unless they were unaware of such comments.

[Michael Hardner]

Part 2 of Toronto Police Farce in this week's EYE Magazine.

Toronto officers were defending themselves against charges that they’d stolen less than $1,000 from a fund used to pay off snitches. Similar cases involving Toronto police officers snowballed over the next two years during Fantino’s term as chief (from 2000 to 2005); eventually, things got so bad that Toronto Mayor David Miller would famously comment to his visiting counterpart from London, England, “Is your police force in jail? Mine is.”

[punked]

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/11/26/16330411.html

Had Ignatieff and co. done their homework, they would have been aware that Fantino's prior comments regarding the Charter did not make him a good fit for the Liberals. Cause, why would the Liberals bother to talk to a guy who insulted their beloved Charter unless they were unaware of such comments.

We both know why. So they can get another vote to whip from someone who is going to drag the party even more to the right. They don't care who runs as long as they can win.

[Argus]

We both know why. So they can get another vote to whip from someone who is going to drag the party even more to the right. They don't care who runs as long as they can win.

Yes. Unfortunately that seems to be a sentiment shared by the Harper Tories.

[punked]

Yes. Unfortunately that seems to be a sentiment shared by the Harper Tories.

Time to vote NDP.

[Sir Bandelot]

You donated money to an organization run by a team of liars. These people sit on their hands and do nothing, while the CPC has free reign to change this country into a totalitarian police state. Worse, the Liberals even support them in their endeavours, because they are cowards and politically motivated whores. And you want to recommend that I should do the same? :screwball_icon:

[Saipan]

the CPC has free reign to change this country into a totalitarian police state.

That actually happen under dictator Chretien and his thugs like Alan Rock.

[Jack Weber]

That actually happen under dictator Chretien and his thugs like Alan Rock.

Yes...

The KGB is spying on all Canadians..

We live in an authoritarian/dictatorial state where we are at the mercy of the politburo in Ottawa...

You make sense...really...I'm not kidding...

Edited November 28, 2010 by Jack Weber

[Sir Bandelot]

That actually happen under dictator Chretien and his thugs like Alan Rock.

Offences such as involving weapons, sexual assault of children or impaired driving all involve risk of serious harm. For this, mandatory minimums are justified. Thats a necessary part of what we call a "just" society.

[jbg]

Picking Fantino is probably the most disturbing thing I've ever seen Harper do. It shows either a lack of morality and ethical judgment (given Fantino has neither ethics nor morals) or a man willing to do what some adviser tells him to do without bothering to check it out.

In a Parliamentary system though how much discretion does an individual MP really have? Isn't voting control of Parliament more important than the identity of the MP who, as Trudeau said, is a nobody when 10 miles from Parliament Hill?

[Argus]

In a Parliamentary system though how much discretion does an individual MP really have? Isn't voting control of Parliament more important than the identity of the MP who, as Trudeau said, is a nobody when 10 miles from Parliament Hill?

Sure, provided they don't get into cabinet. It's possible, if they think they can ignore the greasy stains all over this man, that they might actually put him into cabinet, probably in some portfolio involving policing. If there's one thing Fantino knows how to do it's suck up to power and do whatever they want him to do. I can see that being attractive to people in Canadian political parties.

But even if the background around him causes them to keep him out of cabinet, I like to think that the party I vote for has a measure of ethical values the others don't. Certainly the Liberals generally don't. Which is why I don't vote Liberal. Selecting bullying blowhards without any values or ethics to represent them doesn't say well for the direction of that party.

[Machjo]

Tony Greco is his name, the Liberal Party candidate in the Vaughn by-Election. I honestly don't know a lot about him. I suppose he's a typical Liberal. I'm not exactly an enthusiastic supporter, and I've never donated money to a political party before in my life. But I went to his web site and donated $50 because he's running neck and neck with the Conservative candidate hand-picked by Stephen Harper - Julian Fantino.

Picking Fantino is probably the most disturbing thing I've ever seen Harper do. It shows either a lack of morality and ethical judgment (given Fantino has neither ethics nor morals) or a man willing to do what some adviser tells him to do without bothering to check it out.

For those who don't know, Fantino was the OPP commissioner responsible for that mess in Caledonia. Oh sure, I know that Dalton McGuinty's spinelessness is primarily to blame, but Fantino showed, shall we say, a degree of flexibility in interpreting the law while obeying McGuinty's wishes which no police officer, let alone a police commissioner should demonstrate. He has also often been described as petty, vindictive and bullying towards police officers under his command and anyone else who got in his way. Witness his long and determined efforts at jailing critic Gary McHale, which backfired and got Fantino charged with a criminal offense, notably, threatening public officials.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation issued a press release stating, "On April 7th Commissioner Fantino sent an email to Caledonia's mayor and council. In it he threatens to hold councilors accountable, to send them the bill for policing, to support law suits and to end policing of the area. Mr. Fantino blames what he considers as support for Gary McHale by Councilor Grice as his reason for the threats."

National Post

Although the Crown refused to proceed with the charges (not a big surprise given McGuinty's degree of control over the process, it's indicative of what a bullying blowhard Fantino is. More evidence can be found while delving through the numerous court cases and access to information requests which have been posted here

I have to wonder if the Liberals are trying very hard in this one. The thought occurs to me that they might like the idea of Fantino as a tory MP, perhaps even a cabinet minister. I'm betting the Ontario Liberals have a lot of embarrassing dirt they can feed their federal cousins which they can spring on the Conservatives in the eventuality Fantino is elected.

Hmmm... not in my riding, none of my business. Isn't that the whole point of local ridings?

[jbg]

Hmmm... not in my riding, none of my business. Isn't that the whole point of local ridings?

Except that the "local riding" winner is counted in a caucus. The number of members in each caucus seems to have at least some importance.

[Machjo]

Except that the "local riding" winner is counted in a caucus. The number of members in each caucus seems to have at least some importance.

And the local riding has the freedom to choose whomever it wants to. That's how democracy works. I'd voted for my local candidate last election, and he didn't win. Well, so be it. Then again, none of the ones I vote for ever win. Oh well.

But there I digress. My point is that just as I have voted for my candidate in my riding and would not appreciate others sticking their noses into the affairs of our riding, so it's not up to me or anyone else outside that riding, including the PM by the way, to stick their noses in that local election either. Let the lcoals decide who will represent them.

[Argus]

But there I digress. My point is that just as I have voted for my candidate in my riding and would not appreciate others sticking their noses into the affairs of our riding, so it's not up to me or anyone else outside that riding, including the PM by the way, to stick their noses in that local election either. Let the lcoals decide who will represent them.

Fantino wasn't chosen by the local riding. He was chosen by HQ. And as far as sticking ones nose in, they've been making recorded telemarketing calls around the riding with Don Cherry extorting voters to vote for Fantino. As far as I know Cherry has never even driven through Vaughn.

Besides, the type of candidate a party puts up bespeaks of the sense of ethics, values and morality of that party. Fantino's selection says nothing good about the Conservatives.

[jbg]

And the local riding has the freedom to choose whomever it wants to. That's how democracy works.

But if the friendly local citizen goes to Ottawa his vote is whipped anyway, no?

[RB]

Tony Greco is his name, the Liberal Party candidate in the Vaughn by-Election. I honestly don't know a lot about him. I suppose he's a typical Liberal. I'm not exactly an enthusiastic supporter, and I've never donated money to a political party before in my life. But I went to his web site and donated $50 because he's running neck and neck with the Conservative candidate hand-picked by Stephen Harper - Julian Fantino.

Picking Fantino is probably the most disturbing thing I've ever seen Harper do. It shows either a lack of morality and ethical judgment (given Fantino has neither ethics nor morals) or a man willing to do what some adviser tells him to do without bothering to check it out.

For those who don't know, Fantino was the OPP commissioner responsible for that mess in Caledonia. Oh sure, I know that Dalton McGuinty's spinelessness is primarily to blame, but Fantino showed, shall we say, a degree of flexibility in interpreting the law while obeying McGuinty's wishes which no police officer, let alone a police commissioner should demonstrate. He has also often been described as petty, vindictive and bullying towards police officers under his command and anyone else who got in his way. Witness his long and determined efforts at jailing critic Gary McHale, which backfired and got Fantino charged with a criminal offense, notably, threatening public officials.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation issued a press release stating, "On April 7th Commissioner Fantino sent an email to Caledonia's mayor and council. In it he threatens to hold councilors accountable, to send them the bill for policing, to support law suits and to end policing of the area. Mr. Fantino blames what he considers as support for Gary McHale by Councilor Grice as his reason for the threats."

National Post

Although the Crown refused to proceed with the charges (not a big surprise given McGuinty's degree of control over the process, it's indicative of what a bullying blowhard Fantino is. More evidence can be found while delving through the numerous court cases and access to information requests which have been posted here

I have to wonder if the Liberals are trying very hard in this one. The thought occurs to me that they might like the idea of Fantino as a tory MP, perhaps even a cabinet minister. I'm betting the Ontario Liberals have a lot of embarrassing dirt they can feed their federal cousins which they can spring on the Conservatives in the eventuality Fantino is elected.

[RB]

Tony Greco is his name, the Liberal Party candidate in the Vaughn by-Election. I honestly don't know a lot about him. I suppose he's a typical Liberal.

I am going vote for this Tony chap tonight - they campaign hard to get the votes. I am going to be very shock if a conservative took the area.

Edited November 30, 2010 by RB

[jbg]

I am going to vote for this Tony chap tonight - they campaign hard to get the votes. I am going to be very shocked if a conservative took the area.

Maybe if his supporters were literate in one of Canada's three official languages, Canadian, English or French, he might do better.

Edited November 30, 2010 by jbg