Tories plead guilty in campaign financing case

[Locutus]

OTTAWA—Canada’s governing Conservative party has admitted to illegal campaign advertising tactics in the 2006 campaign that brought Stephen Harper to power.

The Conservative Party of Canada and its fundraising arm, the Conservative Fund of Canada, were fined $52,000 after pleading guilty to exceeding national advertising spending limits and improperly reporting the expenses incurred through a sophisticated “in-and-out” scheme.

Under it, Harper’s party shifted national advertising money, through wire transfers into and immediately out of local riding campaign accounts, in order to claim national ad spending as local. In the words of national campaign director Doug Finley, it would “run a major slam dunk” over competitors in the final weeks of the campaign.

Liberal Leader Bob Rae called it “an accounting scam” that arguably helped to “buy them the election.” NDP interim Leader Nycole Turmel demanded Harper apologize to Canadians and “explain himself.”

But the Conservative party, in its long-running and fierce legal and public relations battle with Elections Canada, shrugged off the guilty pleas and said the deal struck with the federal director of public prosecutions was a “big victory.”

“Every single Conservative accused of wrongdoing has been cleared today,” said spokesman Fred DeLorey, in a written statement afterwards.


Canada News: Tories plead guilty in campaign financing case - thestar.com

 

[damngrumpy]

Some people are surprised? Everyone knew from the start this was a scam and the
party was guilty. The problem is the current party doesn't give a damn about the
concept of democracy or electoral ethics. They care only about power. Caring only
about power is a sure way to lose it. I believe the next election will have a different
outcome because the events around us are going to see the Tories crest in the next
few years.
I say that because the were given a majority and they cannot resist the social conservative
agenda, when people want fiscal conservatism. People will turn against the crime position
of government, due mainly to cost, and the slowing of violent crime. They do not want
people put in prison for pot offences. the ethics of the present government will catch up to
them from social media. After all they made the case, as to how bad the Liberals were and
now they are heading down the same road.
Then there is the economy. It may be an international problem, but over a long period of
time, people don't care, they want things in a consumer world and if they can't have them
someone will pay and it is always the government. I see Greece heading for a lot of lows
before it straightens out but they are the tip of the iceberg. Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland,
Iceland, France and even Britain are in trouble and the problem is too big to save them all.
Not even China can do that. In addition there will be a number of banks fail in Europe and
the money from mutual funds even from north America are in those banks so how happy
will people be when their life savings are gone.
Remember, in Canada we rarely elect a government to office, we through them out in favor
of the unknown in many cases. I find people can wait a few more years after all the problem
will have reached our shores before that.

 

[TenPenny]

The problem is the current party doesn't give a damn about the
concept of democracy or electoral ethics. They care only about power. .

I'm trying to figure out which party you are aiming that at, since it applies to all of the federal parties equally.

In this case, I suppose you're aiming at the Tories, and you're right.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Oh no! Better have a snap election and put the Tories in again.

 

[damngrumpy]

tenpenny you are right. See people see an election as something static the Tories won
so everyone has to love them for four long years. It ain't so, some administrations last
about a week in the minds of the people. The Tories are subscribing to their own press.
At best the stable ceiling for the current Harper Administration is about 43% give or take
slightly. Their low spot or bottom low is about 34% give or take. This makes them as
vulnerable as the New Democrats. Their high mark is about 40% give or take a small
blip and their low can fall in modern day terms to the high twenties. They have in fact
replaced the Liberals who would struggle for 30% on a good day at present.
this means the if the Tories lose much of anything they could be in trouble depending on
where the popularity loss is. If they fall afoul of Ontario, or BC they are in big trouble.
Take a look at seat distribution proposed, they know where the weakness is and they are
working hard to ensure the riding's are in their favour.
No right now they are popular enough to win if we went to the polls today but it means
little in terms of the next election. Any parties popularity by polls is merely a snapshot
in time. This is why governments need to be up front with people and they need to
be perceived as being at least somewhat honest. Outcomes like today become cannon
fodder for future campaigns depending on the issues that emerge.
Pretending a party is a hundred miles ahead is very dangerous, people allow things like
this to fester for years and it can come back to haunt them Every party has experienced
this. The NDP in `1958 and of course Brian Mulroney in the collapse of the Tories
and the rise of Reform.

 

[mentalfloss]

Oh no! Better have a snap election and put the Tories in again.

I'll settle for a conservative minority.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

I'll settle for a conservative minority.

Yup just what we need with the Global Economy melting down.

 

[mentalfloss]

Yup just what we need with the Global Economy melting down.

Umm.. you mean with that deficit goal that Flaherty just pushed back from 2014 to 2015?

And the cut in EI premiums we're taking as a short term boost for losing 54,000 jobs this month?

Surely, you don't mean those Conservative accomplishments?

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Umm.. you mean with that deficit goal that Flaherty just pushed back from 2014 to 2015?

And the cut in EI premiums we're taking as a short term boost for losing 54,000 jobs this month?

Surely, you don't mean those Conservative accomplishments?

Here is what I said: Yup just what we need with the Global Economy melting down.

Would you be so kind as to point out the word conservative or accomplishment in the above statement.

That aside, do you really think the NDP would be cutting the the deficit? Puhleez!:roll:

At this point in time the most effective government we have in place is the present one. If they were making deeper cuts to meet the original objective of 2014 most people including myself and likely you would be extremely critical.

 

[mentalfloss]

Here is what I said: Yup just what we need with the Global Economy melting down.

Would you be so kind as to point out the word conservative or accomplishment in the above statement.

You implied that we shouldn't have a conservative minority to avoid the global economy red alert crisis.

This means that we either have a conservative majority (which you are admittedly a pretty staunch conservative), or an NDP or Liberal majority (which I'm pretty sure you don't support considering how you belittle the NDP and your hatred for Liberals).

Ergo, therefore, in conclusion, it was a pretty safe and reasonable assumption that you endorse our currently failing (see my post) Conservative majority regime.

That aside, do you really think the NDP would be cutting the the deficit? Puhleez!:roll:

That's why I said I would settle for the conservative minority that would be voted in at present.

At this point in time the most effective government we have in place is the present one.

Yes, let's see more job loss and the deficit pushed back even further.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

You implied that we shouldn't have a conservative minority to avoid the global economy red alert crisis.

No I said that a minority government is the last thing we need considering the present global meltdown.

This means that we either have a conservative majority (which you are admittedly a pretty staunch conservative), or an NDP or Liberal majority (which I'm pretty sure you don't support considering how you belittle the NDP and your hatred for Liberals).

Well given NDP or Conservative the choice seems pretty clear.

Ergo, therefore, in conclusion, it was a pretty safe and reasonable assumption that you endorse our currently failing (see my post) Conservative majority regime.

Nope I'm pretty pissed at them Stripping $250,000,000 from Veterans Affairs budget which is pretty scumbag given that we have soldiers coming back from Afghanistan who need all the support they can get.

That's why I said I would settle for the conservative minority would be voted in at present.

All a minority is going to do is drive us deeper into debt, thus compounding the problems we already have. We need stable government right now that can act without threat of being toppled. As I said above I am pretty pissed at them, but also understand that a minority would be disasterous in the present Global Climate.

Yes, let's see more job loss and the deficit pushed back even further.

You are going to see more loss and changing goals until the EU and the US get their houses in order. We are actually much better off than the rest of them, but could be dragged down with them.

 

[mentalfloss]

Without going in to too much detail, I don't think a minority government would be a problem considering CPC would still have a healthy amount of seats. It just means that they would have to finally, once and for all, actually talk to the other parties and negotiate some terms instead of blindly going with their own agenda (which is failing).

About the veterans thing, the money isn't the only problem. There may be a huge class action looming against them for breach of privacy as the CPC have been accessing medical documents for reasons that have nothing to do with veterans health.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Without going in to too much detail, I don't think a minority government would be a problem considering CPC would still have a healthy amount of seats. It just means that they would have to finally, once and for all, actually talk to the other parties and negotiate some terms instead of blindly going with their own agenda (which is failing).

They have been talking to the other parties for two terms as a minority and although that seems all warm and fuzzy the fact of the matter is that the Feds have been crippled in getting things done. The people elected them into power and the people can just as easily elect them out, but the constant threat of being toppled has simply run up our bills.

About the veterans thing, the money isn't the only problem. There may be a huge class action looming against them for breach of privacy as the CPC have been accessing medical documents for reasons that have nothing to do with veterans health.

To my knowledge, VAC was passing around the medical docs of one particular individual.

I hope they sue their ass off, because the VAC is a bureaucratic nightmare for injured soldiers to access. I have been locked in a fight with them since 1998, so I understand why the class action suit is going forward.