Kenney fundraising letter breaks rules: NDP

[Scotty]

One scandal after the next, thats what we can look forward to for the next little while. Election or not, this will drag on.

It's a pretty pathetic excuse for a 'scandal', as are most of these things. Which is why none of it is resonating with the public. The opposition is either going to have to find something more substantial - a LOT more substantial - or, I don't know, maybe some policies people might want.

[scribblet]

I don't follow. A crisis isn't being manufactured here. It's not a crisis. However, it is condemnable. It's actually quite telling that they still receive the support that the do after all of these shameful acts. Canadians either don't know or don't care or both.

Okay, it's not a 'crisis', a staffer made a mistake and is now gone. I don't think people (other than the opposition) are getting too excited over any of these because they know it's all been done before by the Liberals, they likely see it as simply double standards and faux outrage which gets tiresome - there are far more important issues they should be worrying about. It's just not a major issue, IMO and obviously others feel that way as the polls are still up for the CPC.

[cybercoma]

NO, you are TOTALLY WRONG, it is NOT any sort of a "everybody does it" kind of thing... If you dispute it, prove it...

Actually, there's nothing to prove. If "everybody does it", then "everybody" is wrong.

[cybercoma]

Okay, it's not a 'crisis', a staffer made a mistake and is now gone. I don't think people (other than the opposition) are getting too excited over any of these because they know it's all been done before by the Liberals, they likely see it as simply double standards and faux outrage which gets tiresome - there are far more important issues they should be worrying about. It's just not a major issue, IMO and obviously others feel that way as the polls are still up for the CPC.

It's more than just a staffer making a mistake. Yes, a staffer made a mistake, but is it common practice for cabinet ministers to use their staffers to raise funding for the minster's party? If that, indeed, is a common practice, then I personally believe it's wrong whenever anyone has done it. Our government staffers should not be used for partisan politics and party fund-raising. They're there to carry out the duties of the Government of Canada. But wait, that's the problem... isn't it? Harper is now calling it "Harpers Government", so they're simply carrying out the whims of Harper and his party. That's the problem. The bureaucrats ought to be separate from the partisan party politics.

[scribblet]

No different than the "The Paul Martin Government' but these things are only bad when the conservatives do it.

[cybercoma]

No different than the "The Paul Martin Government' but these things are only bad when the conservatives do it.

You're taking the off-topic part of my post and commenting on it. Paul Martin never changed the name of the Government of Canada on communications to The Harper Government. That doesn't matter though. The rest of my questions stand. Did any other government use the office of cabinet ministers to raise money for the prime minister's party? What happened to the days when governments actually had people from other parties as cabinet ministers? The party is not the government and the government is not the party. What I'm seeing here is a worrying confounding of the two. If other parties have done it, then I find it equally as condemnable. I don't really need you to show me the evidence because what has happened in the past is the past. The point is what's going on here and no and what we're going to do about it going forward so that it doesn't keep happening.

[Scotty]

It's more than just a staffer making a mistake. Yes, a staffer made a mistake, but is it common practice for cabinet ministers to use their staffers to raise funding for the minster's party? If that, indeed, is a common practice, then I personally believe it's wrong whenever anyone has done it.

Ministers offices, I believe, have both government staffers and political staffers, the latter being paid by the party.

[cybercoma]

Ministers offices, I believe, have both government staffers and political staffers, the latter being paid by the party.

Was this a political staffer that grabbed the letterhead from the wrong drawer? If that's the case, then I don't see why the staffer needs to resign and Kenney should just say so.

[GWiz]

Your head must be really exploding, you don't seem to accept that people have different opinions than your own I suppose you are not liberal shill or a PURE LIBERAL PARTY HACK though

Exactly right... I'm NOT... I'm NOT even a party member of ANY party... AND I would find it EQUALLY WRONG regardless of the party behaving in such a manner...

[GWiz]

Ministers offices, I believe, have both government staffers and political staffers, the latter being paid by the party.

That is incorrect...

Party "business" can be done at an MP's Constituency Office, for which the MP recieves a direct "stipend" to maintain it, and staff as the MP see fit, but NOT at his Parliamentary office on the hill which is strictly a Government of Canada office... The MP hires the staff for his parliamentary office, but they get paid by treasury branch, and are there to serve us, the public through our MPs - ALL MPs, regardless of party...

[M.Dancer]

Definitely a no no...

And definitely no big deal. The letter went out to fellow conserbatives. He should be required to pay back the cost of paper, printing and postage.

[Bitsy]

Definitely a no no...

And definitely no big deal. The letter went out to fellow conserbatives. He should be required to pay back the cost of paper, printing and postage.

It does not appear that a crisis is brewing but it does expose rule violations, incompetency and inefficiency in his office.

[M.Dancer]

It does not appear that a crisis is brewing but it does expose rule violations, incompetency and inefficiency in his office.

Rule violations , yes...if you link the violation with incompetence (be oblivious to common rules) yes...but there is no indication that his office and ministry is anything but well run and efficient.

[Keepitsimple]

There was a certain amount of satisfaction on the face of Government House Leader John Baird when was handed a chance to turn the tables on the New Democrat who revealed that a staffer in Immigration Minister Jason Kenney had used parliamentary letterhead for party fundraising.

.....................................

Mr. Baird replied that Mr. Kenney had done the right thing by accepting Mr. Najatian’s resignation and challenged the New Democrats to live up to the same standard.

He presented to the House an e-mail from a staff member in Ms. Duncan’s office that urged supporters to help their NDP candidates get ready for an upcoming election. For details on how to work on the campaign, the staff member offered her parliamentary e-mail.

“The Immigration Minister has done the right thing,” Mr. Baird said, “will the NDP member for Edmonton-Strathcona follow?”

The note from Ms. Duncan’s staffer surfaced on a partisan blog Thursday.

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/tories-deflect-fire-at-immigration-minister-with-ndp-e-mail/article1930166/

[capricorn]

I bet a lot of MPs scrambled to clean up their personal websites and removed any mention of their parliamentary email addresses.

I poked around a couple and I find that Hedy Fry is still looking for donations to pay off her outstanding leadership debt from 2006. Elections Canada has been more than patient with these debtors.

http://www.hedyfry.com/donate.html?cand=13

[Black Dog]

The staffer who sent it out has resigned, not that it will stop the Liberal heads from exploding all over QP

Yes because the real issue here is the clerical error.

[William Ashley]

Yes because the real issue here is the clerical error.

This is another example how their ministers arn't watching their offices, it happened with ODA, CASE AND POINT... they arn't minding their aides - or using their lack of professional management of their offices - they ARE responsible for their offices, anything that happens in their offices under their name is THEIR responsibility.

The bottom line here is that those ministers shouldn't have signing power for millions of dollars AND the OVERRIDING CAPACITY for profolios like IMMIGRATION DEFENCE AND FINANCE if THEY ARN'T taking responsibility for those offices actions. Anything going out in someones name should be getting "APPROVED" It should end up on your desk AND you should be ticking it as "good to go" or needs refining. (if for instance it is illegal to proceed)

If that isn't happening the Conservatives arn't responsible government. The ministers arn't doing their job of administrating THEIR OFFICES -- taking advice from their ministries and reporting to Parliament when requested or required to do so - so that the ministry can get "legistlation" to act upon.

They are not doing it right. This is after 5 years, they should know how to do their job after 5 years. And more so the people who are doing their jobs should know how to do their jobs, and they should insure that the people doing their jobs know how to do their jobs.. AND they should be getting paid with their Salary... not the taxpayer! IT IS THEIR JOB!!!! THEY GET PAID TO DO THEIR JOB!!! THEY SHOULD NOT BE PAID FOR HAVING SOMEONE ELSE DO THEIR JOB! MINISTERS GET BONUS PAY FOR DOING MINESTERIAL WORK.. (techincally they arn't allowed to be MP's and minister even though that law has been butchered) THEY SHOULDN'T GET A BONUS IF THEY ARN'T DOING THEIR JOB.. THEY SHOULD BE FINED FOR NOT DOING THEIR JOB AND LOOSE THEIR BONUS!

Edited March 4, 2011 by William Ashley

[Bitsy]

Rule violations , yes...if you link the violation with incompetence (be oblivious to common rules) yes...but there is no indication that his office and ministry is anything but well run and efficient.

If it is not inefficiency, it is certainly inadequate training and familiarization of long established rules.

[M.Dancer]

If it is not inefficiency, it is certainly inadequate training and familiarization of long established rules.

Which has nothing to do with his ministry.

[WIP]

Which has nothing to do with his ministry.

*yawn*

[Bitsy]

Which has nothing to do with his ministry.

see following post..

Edited March 4, 2011 by Bitsy

[Bitsy]

Which has nothing to do with his ministry.

But it has much to do with his managerial abilities and his poor judgment of staff hiring/assessment.

[M.Dancer]

But it has much to do with his managerial abilities and his poor judgment of staff hiring/assessment.

Because no one, not even I has ever had an employee who has blundered....

[GWiz]

But it has much to do with his managerial abilities and his poor judgment of staff hiring/assessment.

I highly doubt it was an "error" but rather a Minister Directed letter to fellow CON MP's and "Party Insiders", and so would any thinking Canadian... The only "error" was delivering it to an NDP MP that had the same last name as a CON MP...

I for one am NOT willing to give Kenney the "benefit of the doubt" on this at all...

[cybercoma]

I can't believe the apologists on these issues. The staffer in a cabinet minister's office doesn't off-the-cuff decide to raise funds for the Conservative Party. That's not part of their responsibilities. This isn't about an "error" made by a staffer. It's about the intentional misuse of government offices for campaigning.

Likewise, the issue with Bev Oda is not about a "forgery"--a laughable definition of what happened, as it most certainly was not a forgery or some sort of deception. It's about the Conservatives ending a long history of support for foreign aid groups.

This is not about Bev Oda and it sure as hell is not about Kenney's staffer. This is about the Conservative Party abusing their positions and power. Plain and simple. Those that cannot see that are willingly turning a blind-eye. We're talking about things that would be unacceptable regardless of the party colour behind these actions. It would be no more acceptable if the Red team or the Orange team did the same things.