Hon. Michael Fortier "Didn't Want to Run"

[FiveParadox]

It would appear that the Honourable Michael Fortier, our new Minister of Public Works and Government Services, had and has no intention of running for election in the House of Commons and, rather, would resign his soon-to-be-appointed seat in the Senate and run for election in the Red Chamber.

Michael Fortier was sworn in as a Minister of the Crown by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, the Governor General of Canada, earlier yesterday; however, at the time of the appointment, he was neither a Member of Parliament nor a Senator. The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper has declared his intention to appoint Mr. Fortier to the Senate, temporarily.

Mr. Fortier, in response to questions asking why he had not run if he had wished to become a Minister of the Crown, stated that "this [an election] isn't what my family was looking forward to."

New minister Fortier 'didn't want to run in the election'

Last Updated Tue 07, Feb 2006 14:47:44 EST

Michael Fortier, the new Conservative cabinet minister who had to be appointed to the Senate because he didn't run in the Jan. 23 election, indicated some lingering doubt Tuesday about accepting his new job.

...

A day after his surprise appointment as minister of public works and government services in Ottawa, Fortier told reporters: "I didn't run in the election because I didn't want to run in the election."

Click here for the entire article.

 

[JomZ]

He didn't want to run because he got less then 6% in the 2004 election, and probably saw at the beginning of the election that his fortunes were probably not so good this time around either.

So we have our very own John Ashcroft archetype. A guy who cannot win an election to a dead man is appointed.

 

[zoofer]

A curious but temporary fix to provide representation for Montreal.

That in contrast when Cretien ruled as a benign dictator. He said to send him more Fiberals to Ottawa if BC wanted more representation in cabinet.

 

[Finder]

What a loser. I can't believe Harper has already went so low, and against everything he supposedly stood for. Thanks Harper!

 

[Huck]

Temporarly appointed to senate but not elected (sounds like a scam), hotshot banker, well connected. am i the only one to be suspicious of his transparency? :sign6:

 

[FiveParadox]

Reluctance to Run

It doesn't help that the Honourable Michael Fortier has said that he isn't crazy about running for the House of Commons at all and, rather, would only run if elections in the Senate were exercised.

This does not seem to be an accountable practice.

 

[TenPenny]

You know what is interesting? I heard last night that, in order to be a Senator from Quebec, you need to own property in Quebec. And Fortier does not own any property there yet.

Pitiful, Mr Harper, pitiful.

 

[FiveParadox]

Senate Requirements

That is correct, TenPenny.

However, my interpretation of the Constitution Act, 1982, would have me believe that, in order to become a Senator to represent the Province of Québec, in light of Section 23(6), that one needs to own four thousand dollars' worth of property in the Senatorial Division in which that Senator would represent, or be a resident in that Senatorial Division (there are twenty-four divisions in Québec).

So, if he's a resident, he may be able to get around that.

 

[Mimas]

RE: Hon. Michael Fortier

<snip... we just need one post about this, not three. Cosmo>

 

[#juan]

Mimas

I believe you have contributed this same post in several locations. I am asking you as one of the moderators to clear off all but the one you want. If you don't clear them, I will. Thanks for your co-operation. Cheers.

 

[Finder]

Re: RE: Hon. Michael Fortier "Didn't Want to Run"

You know what is interesting? I heard last night that, in order to be a Senator from Quebec, you need to own property in Quebec. And Fortier does not own any property there yet.

Pitiful, Mr Harper, pitiful.

Thats funny thats a throw back of the orginal idea's of being a Senator or even an MP in almost any nation. *shrugs* at one time in England you had to own a certain amount of land. At one time there was less then 100,000 voters because of these laws too. You also had to own land to take office and to vote. In france it was about the same. This only started to change near the end of the 19th centruy.

 

[zoofer]

Not in it for the money
Newly appointed Senator Michael Fortier, who has been criticized this week for accepting a patronage post in the Upper Chamber, is reportedly giving up as much as $1-million a year for an income that's even lower than the average Cabinet minister's salary. Mr. Fortier's base pay as a senator will be $119,300, which is $25,000 less than what an MP earns. He will make a total of $188,500 in Cabinet compared with the $213,500 annual salary collected by most of his ministerial colleagues. A Cabinet minister is paid an additional $69,200. Before the election, Mr. Fortier was a successful businessman, working at TD Securities as head of investment banking for Quebec. It's a job some have estimated paid him as much as $1-million a year.

Unlike the Fiberal Adscam porkers, Fortier is not in it for the money.
A foreign concept, difficult for Lefties to grasp.
:wink:

 

[MMMike]

Not in it for the money
Newly appointed Senator Michael Fortier, who has been criticized this week for accepting a patronage post in the Upper Chamber, is reportedly giving up as much as $1-million a year for an income that's even lower than the average Cabinet minister's salary. Mr. Fortier's base pay as a senator will be $119,300, which is $25,000 less than what an MP earns. He will make a total of $188,500 in Cabinet compared with the $213,500 annual salary collected by most of his ministerial colleagues. A Cabinet minister is paid an additional $69,200. Before the election, Mr. Fortier was a successful businessman, working at TD Securities as head of investment banking for Quebec. It's a job some have estimated paid him as much as $1-million a year.

Unlike the Fiberal Adscam porkers, Fortier is not in it for the money.
A foreign concept, difficult for Lefties to grasp.
:wink:

What does that prove? A lot of politicians (Paul Martin included) could make a lot more $$ in the private sector. That fact alone doesn't sanitize their actions.

 

[FiveParadox]

Money vs. Accountability

In my opinion, the earnings of the Honourable Michael Fortier are completely beside the point, when one considers that our new Minister of Public Works and Government Services is going to be inaccessible to the House of Commons; despite the fact that our Senate also holds a Question Period, those occur concerningly less frequent than those in the Lower House.

 

[zoofer]

Nothing is stopping the sleepy Senate from holding more frequent Question periods. If they can vote themselves pay raises and perks they can vote Question periods.

The stacked Senate should be able to muster enough Fiberals to ask a few questions don't you think?

 

[FiveParadox]

zoofer, the Senate of Canada does not have the right to vote themselves pay raises; to be clear, only the House of Commons has the right to introduce legislation for the appropriation of funds, and then, only on the recommendation of the Governor General.

Just a quick fact.

 

[zoofer]

What does that prove? A lot of politicians (Paul Martin included) could make a lot more $$ in the private sector. That fact alone doesn't sanitize their actions.

Any PM who shields his multi million dollar Steamship Company in countries of convenience should be ashamed of themselves.
Has anyone questioned if any links exist between the PMO, Petro Fina elf and oil contracts in Iraq? Dianne Francis had an interesting article some time ago.

Paulie had millions. He wanted power.

 

[FiveParadox]

Even a Prime Minister has freedom of association.

 

[zoofer]

Re: RE: Hon. Michael Fortier "Didn't Want to Run"

zoofer, the Senate of Canada does not have the right to vote themselves pay raises; to be clear, only the House of Commons has the right to introduce legislation for the appropriation of funds, and then, only on the recommendation of the Governor General.

Just a quick fact.

Didn't they vote themselves a perk of $139 a day for showing up for a 2 snooze at the Senate?
Probably tax free.
A raise if you ask me...

 

[FiveParadox]

Any such legislation, if it called for a withdrawal from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Canada, must be initiated in the House, and must be recommended by the Governor General; they cannot be initiated in the Senate — the introduction of any such legislation would not be accepted by the Chair.