Tory Spy of Dion Caught on Video

[August1991]

This is pretty funny.

If you give money for party research, this is bound to happen.

Looking at the video, I'm reminded of how ludicrous can be the activities of a politician. These guys have to be very ambitious to put up with it all.

[BubberMiley]

That was great. A House of Commons employee yet. If this is any indication, the Liberal advertising team has improved dramatically from the last election.

[geoffrey]

Am I supposed to believe that this is a new thing, that parties haven't used their HoC staffers to check out what the leader of the other party is doing? Never ever until scary Stephen is PM?

[BubberMiley]

No, governments haven't sent staffers to check out the leader of the opposition before. That's a new way of doing things. This is a very paranoid government, though.

[geoffrey]

No, governments haven't sent staffers to check out the leader of the opposition before. That's a new way of doing things. This is a very paranoid government, though.

Maybe he wanted to learn from Dion's mad pancake flipping skills! Practicing for a Calgary stop during Stampede possibly?

[BubberMiley]

Harper always struck me as a sort of a Nixon figure.

[jbg]

Could that video have been photoshopped? It didn't look genuine to me.

[scribblet]

No, governments haven't sent staffers to check out the leader of the opposition before. That's a new way of doing things. This is a very paranoid government, though.

How do you know that. All parties send people to events to observe etc.

[jdobbin]

Could that video have been photoshopped? It didn't look genuine to me.

It was whipped up in the secret Liberal factory and is just the first of many. The next will show Mrs. Harper procuring cats for the PM to eat.

[Posit]

I just love it when the Harper apologists come out of the woodwork after the CPC does "another" illegal thing. It is so entertaining to watch how some of them try to close their sphincters tight to protect their poster boy.

[BubberMiley]

Is this what the CPC means by leadership? Paying public employees to lurk in the shadows videotaping opposition events? It would be funnier if it didn't involve my tax money.

[BubberMiley]

All parties send people to events to observe etc.

I can't believe you don't know the difference between "parties" sending people and "the government" sending people. He's a paid government employee, and what he's doing is illegal.

And the pathetic, scrambling defence that "it looks photoshopped" doesn't really work considering it was three days ago, and they document the place and person doing the spying. If it was fake, he would be quick to deny that he was there.

[Canuck E Stan]

Could that video have been photoshopped? It didn't look genuine to me.

It would have had more credibility if Murray and Dion were actually captured in the same frame.

Dion inside flip flopping,

Murray in a parking lot ....somewhere?

Where was the footage of Murray shooting pics of Dion in the H of C?

the Liberals are trying their best for the up coming election......on our streets...in our cities....in Canada.

[Figleaf]

Well, spy-boy may have a card that identifies him as a House of Commons staffer, but have you ever seen anybody who looks any more 'cop' than that guy?

I wouldn't be surprised if the PMO had him seconded from the RCMP to do their dirty work. It wouldn't be the first time this decade that the Mounties got involved in making sure the tories win elections.

[BubberMiley]

It would have had more credibility if Murray and Dion were actually captured in the same frame.

Dion inside flip flopping,

Murray in a parking lot ....somewhere?

Where was the footage of Murray shooting pics of Dion in the H of C?

the Liberals are trying their best for the up coming election......on our streets...in our cities....in Canada.

He was in the parking lot at the Liberal event in Mississauga on March 15, 2007. Is Murray denying he was there? I don't think so. Why are you?

[Argus]

No, governments haven't sent staffers to check out the leader of the opposition before.

And you know this because of your long, in-depth research on the subject, yes?

[BubberMiley]

And you know this because of your long, in-depth research on the subject, yes?

I know this because it's illegal to send government employees to do political work. Whether other governments have done such illegal activities, I have not heard. Have you?

[Catchme]

So, Mr James Murray, is an employee of ours, that we the taxpayer pay for, who would've been getting paid last Thursaday March 15 by us, a work day, to spy on Stephane Dion.

This is ugly, corrupt, evil and perhaps sociopathic of them not to realize how wrong this is. And on so many levels.

[jdobbin]

Here is the story that is appearing today on the subject.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics...7c49937&k=29733

A Conservative insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Tories have been tracking Dion for some time. Before that, they were shadowing various Liberal leadership contenders during the leadership campaign.

I believe the Liberals hired people in 2004 to track Conservatives but it was done on the party's dime.

[sharkman]

So, Mr James Murray, is an employee of ours, that we the taxpayer pay for, who would've been getting paid last Thursaday March 15 by us, a work day, to spy on Stephane Dion.

This is ugly, corrupt, evil and perhaps sociopathic of them not to realize how wrong this is. And on so many levels.

Man, get a grip. Governments have been keeping tabs on leaders of other parties by various means since politics began. That video is a pathetic attempt to make something out of nothing. We must have Liberal party staffers in our midst. Keep trying, fellas. If you actually come up with somethng, let us know.

More revealing on that video is the very small crowd that attended this event. If Dion can't do better than that, it'll be a long time in the wilderness for the Libs. Also, has anyone noticed how wimpy Dion's mannerisms are? He looks like a man servant on that video. I don't think he's ready for prime time yet.

[jdobbin]

Man, get a grip. Governments have been keeping tabs on leaders of other parties by various means since politics began. That video is a pathetic attempt to make something out of nothing. We must have Liberal party staffers in our midst. Keep trying, fellas. If you actually come up with somethng, let us know.

More revealing on that video is the very small crowd that attended this event. If Dion can't do better than that, it'll be a long time in the wilderness for the Libs. Also, has anyone noticed how wimpy Dion's mannerisms are? He looks like a man servant on that video. I don't think he's ready for prime time yet.

Paid for by taxpayer money? I thought the Conservatives would never stoop so low.

As for wimpy: remember what Harper looked like in his cowboy outfit? Your sister could have taken him on.

[Catchme]

How dare they use tax payers money to do this? Accountability is getting ever lower. Are we living in a dictatorship now where they think tax money is their money?

A Tory spokesperson made no attempt to deny Murray had been following Dion, or to make any apology for it.

"An opposition researcher does opposition research," Ryan Sparrow said. "It would be irresponsible to simply rely on media reports to track the missteps of Stephane Dion."

The term "opposition research" is known in the trade as gathering information to attack one's opponents.

Sparrow refused to explain why Murray's activities were being paid out of the House of Commons research budget rather than out of party coffers.

[willy]

Paid for by taxpayer money? I thought the Conservatives would never stoop so low.

crocodile tears! The government pays attention to the oppositions speeches is not a new story. All parties and MPs have staffers and I would bet they have all been to speeches by other parties. The fact this was on utube does not make it news or scandalous. If the Liberals make more noise about this they better not send any spys out to other parties functions.

For example the Liberal Party president attended the last Conservative convention. Was he spying on the Conservatives. Of course, you need to know what the competition is up to and if they have good ideas, steal them.

This is so stupid.

[jdobbin]

crocodile tears! The government pays attention to the oppositions speeches is not a new story. All parties and MPs have staffers and I would bet they have all been to speeches by other parties. The fact this was on utube does not make it news or scandalous. If the Liberals make more noise about this they better not send any spys out to other parties functions.

For example the Liberal Party president attended the last Conservative convention. Was he spying on the Conservatives. Of course, you need to know what the competition is up to and if they have good ideas, steal them.

This is so stupid.

The Liberal party president doesn't work for the House of Commons.

Try to get things straight. Party worker is not the same as government worker.

What next? Getting the RCMP to throw the election?

[August1991]

The Liberal party president doesn't work for the House of Commons.

Try to get things straight. Party worker is not the same as government worker.

What next? Getting the RCMP to throw the election?

Each MP is entitled to several paid staff at government expense and each party with official status is entitled to taxpayer financed budgets for research and other activities.

These staffers are employed in party work. It is not illegal for someone to go to a public partisan event and I assume it's not illegal to video the event.

What law has been broken?