Trying to make up for a career-ending mistake of questioning the seal hunt, the NDP’s Ryan Cleary shows up for a photo-op wearing a borrowed seal-skin vest with this idiotic line:

“until I can buy one, that I can afford.” (see here)

Are you flipping kidding me? The guy makes $160,000 a year. The average per capita income for someone in Newfoundland/Labrador is $34,000 and I’ll go out-on-a-limb and guess seal hunters don’t make even that.

I certainly will be looking forward to PETA posting Cleary’s picture wearing this skin after making him out to be their hero (see here).

A very interesting paragraph from the National Post’s Peter Kuitenbrouwer article on Canada’s government not wanting dual citizens voting in France’s elections on our soil:

A blog post on the website of the TV channel France 3 says that the French government asked Thomas Mulcair, the NDP MP in Montreal who is a dual citizen of France and Canada, to help it smooth out differences with Canada over the upcoming vote. “Then the Conservatives used the argument to denounce him as a political opponent doing the bidding of a foreign state,” the site adds. Mr. Mulcair did not return a phone call for comment. (see here)

Mulcair’s dual citizenship was a hot topic last week (see here) and he should not be allowed to side-step answering the question of whether or not the French were trying to use him as a go-between.

What an utter load of crap from Environment Minister Peter Kent saying that he’s forced by law to give millions of taxpayers’ dollars to native and eco-fanatic groups who want to stop an oil pipeline:

The minister says the funding is meant for “aboriginal people who have a stake or interest in any proposed project,” and for anyone who lives near a project or can provide expertise. (see here)

I would love for Kent to explain what the ridiculous criteria is that enables groups that are heavily funded through US organizations and native bands that have no lands affected by the pipeline to receive our money.

Someone should also remind Kent that he is in a majority government and if there are stupid laws that need to be changed, he’s the one that has the capability to do so.

Also: See earlier post on Ezra Levant uncovering these idiotic payments here

The scandal of the Gilles Duceppe using his Commons office budget to fund Bloc Québécois Party activities (see here) is growing as the Toronto Sun is now reporting the author of book on Duceppe was also paid illegally.

Duceppe, through Carole Lavallee, admitted using his Commons office budget money for the separatist book project, at least initially and said the former leader later refunded the House of Commons for every cent.

Lavallee would not say how much was used from Duceppe’s budget on the book, nor how much the Bloc paid back.

She also declined to provide proof the Bloc paid the government back.

QMI Agency reviewed Bloc Quebecois’ financial statements for 2010. They include no expense or footnote for a Commons refund. The party spent $600 on research and $15,760 on communications that year.

And check out what the author admitted:

Asked to check his pay stubs, Toupin said he kept none. Asked to check T-4 tax slips, Toupin said he didn’t receive slips from the Commons or Bloc – or royalties, either. (see here)

Did he just say he didn’t claim it via the Canada Revenue Agency meaning no income tax was paid?

Update: The Bloc have released 3 contracts and a $12,000 refund cheque (see here)

The Sun’s Ezra Levant uncovered payments made by the government panel overseeing the hearings on the Gateway oil pipeline to the eco-fanatic groups and native bands that are trying to get the  project stopped. (see video here)

- ForestEthics (Tides Canada) received $59,605

- Dogwood Initiative received $10,435 (10:30 of video)

How was it possible for these groups (who get massive amounts of US money) to qualify for these ‘grants’? Who ultimately made those decisions and why do they still have a job?

The National Post’s Brian Hutchinson points out the obvious solution for the conflict of interest CBC reporter Stephen Smart is in with his Victoria legislature beat:

“For everyone’s sake, the CBC should offer Mr. Smart a better assignment” (see here)

The problem is then CBC news director Wayne Williams would have to admit to his error in judgement which is plain to anyone unattached to this closed little private group.

To get an idea how these journos protect each other, check out this unbelievably idiotic defence of Smart by Postmedia’s Craig McInnis who has the audacity to illogically use feminism as a reason to allow this kind of conflict of interest:

“The notion competing professional interests can’t coexist under one roof dates back to the not-so-distant past when the model family consisted of hubby heading off to work and the good wife staying home and supporting him in every way.” (see here)

McInnis though is just the result of being egged on by the likes of Global’s Keith Baldrey who is relishing in his role of enforcer of this cadre:

Jan 20 – “I hear Stephen Smart is staying put as CBC’s ledge bureau chief. If true, good move by CBC. Looks like news div. wins out, as it should be.”

To which I replied:

“Shameful to be celebrating an obvious journo conflict of interest with the Liberal government”

This led to a bit of back and forth culminating with me asking him this:

“You were at Smart’s wedding to Bill Good’s former producer Rebecca Scott and sat beside Christy Clark right?”

Baldrey:

“I sat beside a lot of people that night. Lots of moving around. But so what?”

This evidence of how tight the BC media are with the Liberals is either an example of Baldrey not being able tell where the line of professionalism is or a case of him being intentionally obtuse. Either way, it’s a stunning omission of a lack of  journalistic principles and integrity.

Then on Jan 23rd after Baldrey once again tried to play the media’s well-worn game of “you’d be fine if it was a Conservative…” I asked him about another blogger accusing him of squashing a Christy Clark/ BC Rail story:

“Speaking of biases, is it true as Alex Tsakumis says, you lobbied management at Global to have a Christy Clark story spiked?”

Baldrey:

“No.”

Me:

“So, he lied about that as well as you being a golfing buddy of David Hahn [BC Ferries CEO]? You ok with him lying about those?”

Baldrey:

“You’re a whiny, churlish little man. End of discussion. You’re a nobody who throws accusations out. Good-bye.”

How asking the same kind of questions a real reporter would pose makes me “whiny” is bizarre but what is really telling, is him calling me “a nobody”.

It gives you quite the insight into Baldrey’s world where he and the Liberal élite are ‘somebody’s’ and the rest of us should shut the heck up and don’t dare question them.

PS: I have had a few interactions with Stephen Smart and he has always been extremely professional and seems like a great guy.

It just keeps getting worse for Christy Clark. Regardless how much our BC media continue to fluff her and her corrupt Liberal government, the voters aren’t buying it as the latest poll shows:

57 seats for the NDP

20 seats for the BC Liberals

7 seats for the BC Conservatives

The most interesting number that stood out to me was the lousy 28% approval rating for Clark by women (see here).

There have been rumours of a number of Liberal MLAs looking to sit as independents as a mutiny against Christy Clark and some shifting to the BC Cons and this latest poll will not help quell the gossip at all.

Also a total Liberal abandonment by the BC business movers and shakers is now a real possibility to stop the NDP as it looks to be too late for an internal ousting of Clark.

Just a 2% swing between the Liberals and Conservatives and then who will be splitting whose votes?

Bob Rae was at his tin-foil hat wearing finest accusing a local NB college of being in cahoots with the PC government and the CBC happily obliged by reporting it.

“On Friday, the provincial government cancelled that part of the visit, which is I suppose a sign that we can’t get rid of petty politics no matter how hard we try” (see here)

No proof at all needed of course for Rae’s conspiracy theory and not a care in the World that he tarnishes a school’s reputation.

Proof of the old adage that a leopard can’t change its spots as it took the Toronto Star less than two weeks to start making up stories again to suit their agenda.

On Jan 13, they had to admit running a false story by Rick Westhead which they had previously stood behind (see here) and now today they run this editorial (see here) even though the original story has been officially denied by the minister in charge (see here).

You have to hand it to the Globe and Mail for its audacity of setting up a long-time employee as their new Public Editor to make themselves “more transparent and accountable to its readers”.

They have given the job to 25 year Globe reporter and editor Sylvia Stead who will report to the same guy (John Stackhouse) who gave her the job.

Stackhouse:

“There are few people anywhere in Canada more qualified than Sylvia to take on this role” 

And to show just how complacent Stead is about what role a real public editor has at a newspaper, check out the quote from her:

“We have the greatest readers who are passionate about their newspaper and online coverage. I look forward to showing them how and why decisions are made.”

The Globe has learned well from the CBC how to use a phony ‘ombudsman’ to hide behind. (see here)