The Conservatives only had one defense when it came to the Motion of Contempt that kicked them out of power. It was that it was a solely opposition-based ordeal. Now that the Auditor General comes out with a report on the G8 and G20 summits echoing the opposition’s call of ‘lack of transparency,’ Harper will have quite a bit to worry about. From the campaign of accountability came the ‘In and Out’ scandal, staffers who are being investigated for fraud, G8 funding for borders which landed 300km away from any type of border and was used as bribe money for a riding.
Canada is in the fourth election in seven years and the contradictions that have been set forth by the current government could not be more rampant.
Auditor General Sheila Fraser concluded that the Conservative Government hid facts from Parliament to convince them to allow the Conservatives to create a $50 million G8 fund which allowed Industry Minister Tony Clement the funds to upgrade his riding. To top that, the way that the money was funded was deemed illegal. This scandal is yet another to add to the list of Harper’s failed attempts at accountability and a full public investigation should be carried through to search the “tough on crime” party’s records with a fine tooth comb.
These findings contained a confidential report that was to be heard in parliament on April 5 – had the government not been defeated.
It appears that the Conservative Party cannot keep themselves out of trouble. For a party that came to power on accountability and vowed to be ‘Tough on Crime,’ this party and government has been anything but. A Toronto businessman can be added to the list of Conservatives who have been deemed corrupt. Snover Dhillon is facing a criminal charge for allegedly fraudulent credit and debit card withdrawals – a background that didn’t prevent him from sitting with Harper’s family at last week’s rally.
The Liberal Party of Canada released their five point plan to get the Canadian economy back on track while investing in Canadians. The five point plan includes changing directions with the economy, helping families, cleaning up the environment, bringing Canadians together, and creating a new image for Canada on the world stage. The full platform can be downloaded at: http://cdn.liberal.ca/files/2011/04/liberal_platform.pdf
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff made a compelling case at a town hall in London, Ontario where he explained to a young girl how he would fix the country’s economy without raising taxes. Meanwhile Conservatives are having a more difficult time lying to the public. A 51-year old woman who described herself as a mother interrupted a press conference held by Jim Baird and Lawrence Cannon who were trying to pin their opposition Liberals as tax and spend.
Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal party have a lot to be happy about. His campaign is going well. Tory lies have no effect, and as an added bonus, they have gained 5 points in the polls in the last week – indicating that a Harper majority is out of the question. While it’s still the first week, if the trends continue, the Liberals may have a good shot at forming the next government.
A new Nanos poll that took place from March 15 to 29 for CTV News and the Globe and Mail may show the Conservatives in the lead, but Conservative support is on the decline. Within a week, the Liberals have gained the most support off the backs of the Conservatives and NDP. If this trend continues, this election may be a close one.
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