The graffiti in this election is truly shameful: Aaron Paquette's response to lies is decent

What was interesting is Trudeau's response to the shameful lies he wisely calls 'misleading ads', but the truly are lies.

This is shameful, however. Are they thugs? Are they they the Conservative base?
This good man, a gem of an artist running in Edmonton.

Aaron Paquette

feel free to share...

I was attacked early on.

Then again, and again, and again. Here are the details:

The Conservative Party of Canada featured me in an online ad.

Problem is, the article they linked to clearly shows they are manipulating my words.

It's a complete misrepresentation. Oh heck, let's call it for what it is: a lie.

I knew that politics wasn't going to be fun and I was ready for it, but I didn't know the Cons would be stooping so low.

Next, they again attributed a quote to me, and again, it was for something I didn't say, type, or think at all.

It's about the oil sands.

This is a big deal in my riding as so many hard working people have lost their jobs in the oil patch lately. It's a serious concern and the Cons decided to just outright lie to scare people away from voting for me.

They use that ad in other ridings, too.

I must be very popular with the Conservative Party of Canada.

We weren't going to address these ads. The strategy for these attacks is that someone will get outraged and share it all over social media and the ads will get more life. If you don't respond, the lie stands and

people assume that because you haven't addressed it, it must be true.

Win/win for lies.

But the last straw was when my wife Clarice was pulling out of the driveway on Thanksgiving morning.

Someone spray painted a very large vulgar image on our garage door and destroyed the light fixture.

That kind of personal attack made her afraid. She had our 4 year old and our 6 month old baby with her.

So I'm speaking.

I'm refuting.

This election should be about making sure people have jobs, that communities are strong, that we are all healthy and vital.

We should be bringing our community together, not ripping it apart.

I live here. I grew up here. I have talked to tens of thousands of people on the street and at their doors. I have heard the stories of struggle and I carry them with me.

We should be electing representatives who actually care for our communities above themselves.

I'm focused on one thing: being the best Member of Parliament our community has ever had. That transcends petty party politics. That should be the goal of every candidate.

And that's why I have been working hard night and day, every day, leaving nothing on the table. My community deserves no less. No other candidate has talked to as many people as I have.

And I will end this with a humble request.

Help ensure good ideas win an election - not lies and fear mongering.

We need people to knock on doors, to help get out the vote on the 19th, to spread our message.

We need donations to counteract the lies with truth.

We are a threat to the established power and they are showing that they are afraid.

And that's all they have in the end. Fear.

We have Strength.

Let's show them how much!

To volunteer: | To donate
*******

This should be illegal
 Printing lies in many languages

The perfect word for current campaign strategies

Senator Elizabeth Warren and 'Old Stock Canadians' and anti-Muslim racism

There is much talk in both Canadian and American politics about people demanding lower taxes, vs. those who want billionaires to pay their fair share. I really like what she had to say. She is worried about the moral majority who want to decimate Planned Parenthood organizations, who believe that funding for abortions is paid for by taxpayers. It is not. PP does much more than this –counselling, victim services, female cancer diagnosis and support, and keep budget lines distinct.

I was watching CNN while working out and they were interviewing Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She was fabulous! She said, more or less this on the 1%:

Even when your ears are stuffed with money, if we keep harking at them, they might let a little sound bite in, so that billionaires will pay their fair share.

The Canadian side of the election process is showing some Canadian's true colours,  what with the racism around the niqab and hijab that has been displayed.

Unfortunately, Australian Lynton Crosby seems to be fueling fire amongst anti-Muslim racists.

Niqabs: The election’s weapon of mass distraction 

It is clear that the canard about a tiny number of Muslim women hiding their identities behind niqabs at citizenship ceremonies will be the hot-button issue of this election campaign. That’s too bad, because this blatant distraction is fuelled by cynicism, fear-mongering and misinformation.

This is the 'old stock Canadian' about whom PM Harper spoke: Earl Cowan.

Earlier, tensions in the room escalated after Harper, who vowed to reintroduce the controversial "Life Means Life" bill if re-elected, was asked a question about Duffy.

Angry Earl Cowan

The Conservative supporter who called reporters “pieces of shit” on Tuesday (Oct. shares the same name with a man who told Olivia Chow to “go back to China” last year.

Earl Cowan, identified by both the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and The Toronto Star as the angry heckler, hurled the insult at CTV News' Laurie Graham and CBC News' Hannah Thibedeau as they asked him questions about his take on Sen. Mike Duffy's trial.

I had more problems in my classrooms with girls revealing nipples, bellies, and skimpy clothes, than those who chose to respect their bodies and themselves.

Their fathers don't tell them, their mothers do not, either. It is a young girl's choice.

We tolerate cultural traditions in Canada. That is, until Harper was influenced by Lynton Crosby and his anti-Muslim wedge tactics.  I just realized where all this came from. I'm not the only one that realizes this, many are writing about Harper's spin doctor, Lynton Crosby.

Crosby is anti-Muslim, when it works for his employers, like those in Australia, the UK, and PM Harper, here in Canada.

According to a Guardian profile of him, Crosby employs the strategy of wedge politics — finding an issue that can be exploited to split off an opponent's traditional supporters. http://www.cbc.ca/.../canadian-election-2015-lynton...

As with President Obama's development of healthcare plans for American citizens, there is an underground right-wing creating and sustaining anti-Muslim sentiments. These things are popping up on Facebook, that common 'you gotta see this' icon of hate speech. 

I cannot believe the Canadians who are jumping onto this bandwagon. This altered driver's licence is a prime example. 

Thankfully, someone pointed out:

I am so ashamed of this Canadian government –it must fall on Oct. 19th

Germans standing up for helpless refugees

Canada announced today a 3-point plan for thousands of refugees.

BUG WHUP.

1. Fighting ISIS (-How's that worked for Syrians or refugees so far?)

2. Humanitarian Aid - up to $100 million, matching individual contributions. Either we must send aid to UN, the Red Cross, and other NGOs, or we don't. Why are they matching money? We're going to send some money for water and food? There are people here, prepared to sponsor refugees, and teach them to fish, not just handing them aid.

3. Refugee Resettlement - only over 4 years, but Harper won't co-operate with provincial leaders who are speaking out, or large city mayors, who are stepping up to the plate. We've done this before, and we have done it well, helped people escape war, poverty, violence and natural disasters.

I AM SO ANGRY. As is a former PM: Jean Chrétien says Stephen Harper 'has shamed 

The trail they are trying to follow

Canada'

"I am sad to see that in fewer than 10 years, the Harper government has tarnished almost 60 years of Canada's reputation as a builder of peace and progress."

I am so ashamed of the Prime Minister. This isn't MY Canada.

The outgoing PM, Harper, want to spend more time working with political advisors and spin doctors to ensure his re-election. The outgoing Harper Conservative government wanted to promise a balanced budget. It seems it was balanced on the backs of Canadians. It seems it was balanced on the backs of Canadian Veterans, as well as Aboriginal Affairs, and Immigration budgets, to name three budget lines. He and his PMO have been cutting the Immigration budget in a desperate bid to please his party base, and hold onto power. Even worse, if he thinks it is the Canadian thing to do.

This is shameful, with all of the religious and community groups who have gotten together to sponsor refugees privately:

• Canada approves just 9 refugee cases for private sponsorship

You can read more here: $350 million for refugees and immigration returned to government, unspent

Canada's immigration department returned more than $350 million to the federal treasury in unspent funds over a three-year period, a sum that included millions for processing refugee applications and helping asylum-seekers settle ...

The civil war in Syria is complex, with evidence of the use of chemical weapons only the latest horror. Add to that the bombings, the loss of infrastructure. A Kurdish combat medic has seen evidence of chemical weapons to kill and maim, at least 4 attacks, The National reports:

Growing evidence chemical weapons used in Iraq, Syria 2:47 min.

With Canada sending bombers, and Russia getting involved, as well, I cannot see this crisis resolving itself anytime soon. From my humble point of view, we cannot solve the civil war, we can help the estimated million refugees searching for a new home by December. We helped 60,000 flee the Vietnam government in 1979. They are strong, contributing Canadians, like Judy Trihn. (Drowned Syrian boy 'could have been you,' Sino-Vietnamese mom tells CBC Ottawa reporter Judy Trinh)

They are crossing by water, or following these trails

When you examine the paths they followed, I cannot imagine the journey as they sell everything to pay and/or bribe those who exploit them in their desire to flee. They risk a watery crossing, on unsafe boats, rather than the horrific circumstances and the barriers they face on roads and trains. It is 3378 km from Syria to Munich.

When you look at the faces of the children, it must break even the hardest anti-refugee hearts. Friday night's The National featured a story of this family who were reunited in Germany, with German police taking happy photos, with smiles on their faces, as they saw the smiles of the children, their mother and father. 

Video: Who Accepts The Most Refugees?

Germany has taken in thousands of refugees

I like reading international news. We need a world view of humanity, as we all share planet earth. I follow DW news, as it provides another point of view of what is going on in the world, as well as BBC. I'm sure that Eurostat is inaccurate for Canada. We haven't brought in many at all.

Certainly, they are citing figures from our government, but at last count, I'd read that we have only taken in 1300 people or so.

Canada's refugee acceptance falls far short of Stephen Harper's claims

How many refugees? Very few. PM Harper lied during a recent Stump speech. He confuses refugees with people being resettled, and these number all people we who have immigrated to Canada, not under these conditions.

"Stephen Harper made the point himself at least twice on Wednesday. Answering journalists' questions in Welland, Ont., he referred to Canada as "the largest per capita refugee receiver in the world." Answering another question about Syrian refugees, he said, "Let's put this in context," and then continued, "Canada is the largest resettler of refugees per capita in the world by far.""

German pro-refugee politician defies neo-Nazis

A senior German politician whose district council is enlarging hostels for refugees says he won't be deterred by a neo-Nazi murder threat. Erich Pipa says "99 percent" of residents support his stand to provide shelter.

Main-Kinzig - the most densely populated of the state of Hesse 21 administrative districts - is accommodating 2,900 refugees and estimates it will receive 5,000 by late December under Germany's system of allocating refugees across its 16 states. 

ZDF published survey results on Friday, showing that 66 percent of Germans endorsed last week'sentry decision by Austrian and German governments to allow mostly Syrian refugees, then stuck in Hungary, to travel on to Germany.

Merkel's Syrian refugee stance reflects spirit of integrating East Germany

Germany's decision to open welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees echoes back to when West Germany opened its arms - and tax coffers - to integrate the former GDR, US foreign policy scholar John Harper tells DW. 

Election #42 2015 - the polls

We love numbers at my house. I've been watching polls. Even made a graph for our local candidate polling numbers. I like keeping track of things, especially with my memory!

It was interesting in 2006, when the polls were incredibly wrong regarding the NDP wave in Quebec. (The Canadian Federal Election of 2006)

There were issues with polling those on cell phones, as the customers demographics didn't reflect the population.  

In June, 2015 they wrote:

Harper’s problem is simple. The Conservatives are the first choice of 29.2 per cent of the voters, and the second choice of only 6.7 per cent. Harper hits a ceiling at 36 per cent. That would give him seat numbers rather like 2006.

Local Candidates according to Lake 88 (local radio)

Federally (Toronto Star)

What do you think of polls, 24 times out of 25?!  

Harperman, a Protest Song

This is making the news. Tony Turner has been put on a paid suspension. There are rules for civil servants regarding politics and public engagement. This seems pretty harmless to me. I cannot perceive how this would be a conflict of interest between his job as scientist co-ordinating the migration of birds. He's a month from retirement!

I remember the 60s and 70s and the protest songs that brought us together.
The government, and Treasury Board President Tony Clement has had it in for public servants, and the current government is trying to strip sick leave benefits. Sadly, this is the same for our province of Ontario, where provincial negotiators are trying to create an overlay for wages, class size, preparation time and hiring practices. Otherwise, collective agreements are negotiated by school boards with locals.

It's quite a clever song and well-produced.

Federal scientist put on leave over Harperman protest song ...

Aug 28, 2015 - and "Won't buy into climate change until it's sold on the stock exchange." Its chorus ends with the blunt line "Harperman, it's time for you to go."

The video has been viewed over 583,000 times!

Andrew Hall Productions 3 weeks ago (edited)

Hello everyone. We appreciate all the attention we are receiving since the story broke in the national media on August 21. Comments are welcome but please keep it as positive as possible. The Harperman song and video are about optimism, about joyful protest, about looking forward to the coming federal election and the chance to send Harperman on his way. Absolutely no name calling or profanity. Those comments will be deleted and the user banned. The Harperman logo is ready to go. Come on, be the first one on your street to proudly wear a quality Canadian-made t-shirt that makes such a great statement. When Harper shows up in your city, and he probably will sometime in the next two months, show up at his event wearing your Harperman t-shirt. Make sure the news and TV cameras get a good chance to take a picture. It all counts. We'll have details on the harperman.ca website in a few days on how to order your t-shirt. All the usual sizes will be available.And, if you can donate to cover the costs of organizing the sing-along, then please check out the new Indiegogo campaign cross-canada-harperman-sing-along.

• The Cross-Canada Harperman Sing-Along – A cross-Canada event taking place on Thursday, September 17th will include a “Harperman” sing-along on Parliament Hill at 2:00 pm Eastern. There will be public “Harperman” sing-alongs in every province on that day, and there will be opportunities for people to participate online from anywhere in Canada.

National Post

“Public servants,” it goes on, “shall serve the public interest by: Taking all possible steps to prevent and resolve any real, apparent or potential conflicts of interest between their official responsibilities and their private affairs in favour of the public interest [and] acting in such a way as to maintain their employer’s trust.”

"Not in my lifetime, son, but maybe in yours!" Stephen Lewis speech Aug. 24th

We are in the beginning of a 77-day Federal Election #42 in Canada. I think it matters not what you believe, but that you read, learn and become involved.


"Not in my lifetime, son, but maybe in yours!" –David Lewis to Stephen Lewis

 I am stirred. It was a wonderful speech, from a highly respected man. He's 77 years old and says he's waited 75 years for this day, from licking stamps at age 2 in his family home! This is the gist of it.

There are many reason why the Conservatives should not  and will not be elected. 

The meaning of the Duffy trial. 

 The senate is dead, the death rattles are of no consequence. What is of consequence is  is what has been revealed, and that is the antithesis of democracy, an obsessive authoritarian need to control.

"Egotism and narcissism are not the twin pillars of democratic governance."

The concentration of power in the Prime Minister's office distorts the running of parliament, distorts the power of question period, distorts checks and balances, distorts the views of civil servants, and engenders in the public a deep and abiding cynicism.
Fear is not a policy. Fear is not an election platform. Fear is the last refuge of those for whom terrorism is a political device and civil liberties be damned. To use fear as a path to power engenders a deep an abiding cynicism.

The meaning of economic management

Despite their protestations, the Conservatives are second rate economic managers.
Stephen Harper can pretend otherwise, but the pretence is mythology. And leans on endless complaints about global difficulties.
Consider:

• we're in a recessionary quagmire, with negligible economic growth.
• We have continuing and unacceptable levels of unemployment -persistently above 6%.
• We've gutted the manufacturing sector and 
• we've placed all of our expectations in a resource extraction economy, which is untenable with the collapse of oil prices
• and the staggering decline in economic management.

Good government plans ahead of time for the needs of the present and the needs of the future.
 These aren't economic managers; these are economic poseurs.

And there is every reasons to believe that the Canadian public is on to them.
There are infinite numbers of reasons to defeat the Tories.
There are infinite numbers of reasons to elect the NDP.

1. Restoration of Parliament. We appreciate civilised debate. When there is respect. We've lost civility in the House of Commons. Democratic norms are observed and committees can function. Yes: omnibus encyclopedic sorcery! Restore parliamentary dignity and reform.
2. The reclaiming of Canada. The years of hard right Years of Conservative rule has hijacked the Canadian culture. At times the country feels unrecognisable. Stop the slide into militarism. Revive the right of dissent. and revive scientific opinion and influence. We can restore the cutbacks that have been applied destructively to so many entities from the CBC to hundreds of women's groups, initiate the Commission enquiry into missing aboriginal women. Frame a viable and persuasive policy on climate change. Rescue CIDA from the clutch of Foreign
   
   Affairs. Remove the cap on foreign aid. We can become  the thoughtful, moderate, liberal power that Canada once was, so that next time we run for the security council on the United Nations we will be overwhelmingly elected. It's a restorative agenda that is decent and humane. Principled and generous. It is an agenda that is inclusive and compassionate, rather than abrasive and contemptuous.
3. The logic of straightforward policies. The electorate is warning to the major planks of our platform. Child care spaces for the working poor. Federal $15 minimum wage,  focus on infrastructure, emphasis one transportation and housing, revival the manufacturing sector, tax increases on large corporations. 
4. Quite remarkable what Tom Mulcair has achieved. The mantle of integrity, regarded as the most vibrant and analytic mind, who can confront the PM on a daily basis. The most trusted of the leaders.

This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime. The yearning for change is in the air and it is the NDP that is the embodiment of that change. Just imagine... You don't have to be a romantic to know that the quest for social justice is within reach. We can again be the envy of the world. 
We can fight for human rights, and against inequality, as an example to the world.

Thomas Mulcair in Perth, ON

Leaders’ Tour - August 24, 2015 – Thomas Mulcair – Toronto the full speech 

Former diplomat Stephen Lewis, son of former New Democratic Party leader David Lewis, introduces NDP leader Thomas Mulcair at a campaign rally in Toronto, Ont., on August 24, 2015. In his speech, Mr. Mulcair announces a pledge to increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement program for seniors and says his party will reset the eligibility age for Old Age Security from 67 to 65-years old. In his answers to the media, he says he wants to focus on Canada’s manufacturing sector and to assist Canadian veterans.

"You showed a disdain for our veterans," says veteran grappling with #PTSD
http://bit.ly/natobsvets2  #cdnpoli