Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Ablonczy in big coincidence?

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 5:04pm - 37 Comments

CBC reports new claims.

Darren Cunningham, the director of communications for Industry Minister Tony Clement, says Ablonczy didn’t lose control over the Marquee Tourism Events Program because of her department’s decision to fund Toronto’s Pride Parade with federal dollars. ”It was not in response to that, no,” said Cunningham.

Instead, Cunningham said Ablonczy’s office wasn’t equipped to handle the $100-million program while also trying to complete a Federal Tourism Growth Strategy. Cunningham confirmed that the program is being reviewed, but he said that also had nothing to do with the Toronto parade and was simply a matter of good government practice.

Tags: Brad Trost, Diane Ablonczy, Tony Clement

More by Aaron Wherry

http://liberalvideodepot.blogspot.com Ted

So is Trost being demoted or reprimanded?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

He certainly should be reprimanded. What a chump.

http://intensedebate.com/people/BCerInToronto BCerInToronto

And yet another theory, posited by Canadian Taxpayers Federation honcho Kevin Gaudet on Twitter:

"maybe she quit doing it cause she hated hating out $. As a former Reformer, grant giving would have turned her stomach."

If handing out money really turns the stomach of ex-Reformers, they must have a giant industrial-sized barell of Rolaids in the cabinet room with the orgy of spending they've been on.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/BCerInToronto BCerInToronto

And yet another theory, posited by Canadian Taxpayers Federation honcho Kevin Gaudet on Twitter:

"maybe she quit doing it cause she hated hating out $. As a former Reformer, grant giving would have turned her stomach."

If handing out money really turns the stomach of ex-Reformers, they must have a giant industrial-sized crate of Rolaids in the cabinet room with the orgy of spending they've been on.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/BCerInToronto BCerInToronto

And yet another theory, posited by Canadian Taxpayers Federation honcho Kevin Gaudet on Twitter:

"maybe she quit doing it cause she hated hating out $. As a former Reformer, grant giving would have turned her stomach."

If handing out money really turns the stomach of ex-Reformers, they must have a giant industrial-sized crate of Rolaids in the cabinet room with the orgy of spending they've been on.
John W.

$400,000.00 hard earned taxpayer dollars for Toronto's Gay Pride Parade? Even the most liberal thinking Conservative Party backbencher must be choking on that one. Who wll stand up for hard working taxpayers and their families if not the Conservative Party of Canada? Dig deep and find the courage to stand up and be counted for God and country. Are there no Christians left in the CPC?

RayK

Why shouldn't $400,000 of taxpayer go to fund Toronto's Gay Pride festival? It is an event generates millions of dollars in economic activity. The program that provided the grant is related to tourism; there's no ideological component, nor should there be.

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/dsib-tour.nsf/eng/h_…

http://intensedebate.com/people/PhilCP PhilCP

Can you be more precise than 'millions of dollars'? And do you mean economic activity (ie existing dollars that would have been spent somewhere else if not at the TGP), or do you mean that millions of 'new' dollars were added to the Canadian economy?

I have no grief supporting TGP. I'm much less convinced that this investment had a significant financial return for Canada.

DisplacedCanadian

This might frighten you, but there are millions of Christians worldwide who have no problem with gays and lesbians, including one of our finest ambassadors, Archbishop Tutu.
Lord Kitchener's Own

It should be pointed out that Toronto Pride Week is a whole week worth of activities across the city, and the grant wasn't for the parade, but for the whole Pride Week. As it happens, the money was spent making venues accessible to disabled visitors and hiring performers for the week's festivities.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

" Who wll stand up for hard working taxpayers and their families…"

Gay Canadians form families, work hard and pay taxes

(Aren't churches tax exempt? Not that it matters, but if we're all about taxpayers…. Also, aren't priests celibate? Not that it matters, but if we're all about families…)
John W.

Sorry guys. Little too realistic on the satire there.

Northern PoV

Relax ….Gays are good for business.
Lots of tourist $ and other good side effects… read some Richard Florida
well spent $

how much went to the Stampede????
http://skinnydips.blogspot.com Skinny Dipper

Diane's Ablonczy's problem with her funding the parade was not that she gave the money to Pride. It's because she gave money to the people of Toronto.

Lord Kitchener's Own

LOL

It's funny because it could be true!

ex albertan

It is true.. Albertans hate people from outside of Alberta but do not mind now asking for social welfare from them these days

http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

$1.9 million.

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

Now it all makes sense. They're already spending a huge amount on a massive gay tourist event (assuming Brokeback Mountain is an accurate portrayal of the lifestyle).

http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

There really is a gay rodeo near Calgary!
http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

There really is a gay rodeo near Calgary!
Lord Kitchener's Own

You do remember Harper's outfit at last year's Stampede don't you?

It would have fit right in at Pride Week.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

There really is a gay rodeo near Calgary!

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

Now that you mention it, I remember that from my few years in Calgary. For all the outsider perceptions, Alberta has many "progressive" dimensions to its social, political, and cultural life. The strong libertarian streak has real benefits, and it's one thing I miss about living there.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Gaunilon Gaunilon

Cowards.

Lord Kitchener's Own

Now, now. This backtracking may not be an example of cowardice. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

It could be simple idiocy.

Don't get me wrong, I personally think the CPC SHOULD be embarrassed by Trost's explanation of what went down, but it's sheer lunacy to assume that, explanation #1 having made the news, anyone in their right minds will see explanation #2 as anything more than an attempted cover-up. Even if it's really a coincidence (which I take it you and I agree is a ludicrous suggestion) that ship has sailed. Once Trot opened his mouth there were only two options that would pass the sniff test, 1) deny it entirely, and offer as proof the fact that Ablonczy is still in charge of the program, or 2) "Yeah, that's right, that's what we did, and that's why we did it". I'd be pretty unimpressed by the latter, personally, but I'd respect the honesty at least.

I suppose option number 3 could be giving the explanation they're now giving, and publicly and loudly berating Trost for misinforming LifeSite in an attempt to cast the decision in a dishonest light, but I doubt I'll see that happening, as the Tories would likely like to try to spin this in a way that eliminates the bad press while allowing the right wingers to convince themselves that they know what REALLY went down. Of course, the problem with trying to please everyone … well, I think the fact that neither you nor I are pleased, and we're on opposite sides here, is all the demonstration one needs of how well THAT works.

Of course, I think I like another explanation I heard the best. The reason Ablonczy had the program taken away isn't because she gave funding to an event involving homosexuals, it's because she gave funding to an event involving Toronto. LOL

http://intensedebate.com/people/Inkless Inkless

Funny how the event in question was called Pride. I'm sure the minister now responsible for the program won't be shy about saying how proud the Government of Canada was to fund it.
http://intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

I have a feeling that Brad Trost is going to be in bigger trouble from caucus/PM/PMO than Diane Ablonczy might have been in for providing funds to Pride.

http://bigcitylib.blogspot.com bigcitylib

They will find him floating in the Sask. River, strangled with a blue sweater.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

LOL.

catherine

I suspect Brad Trost said exactly what he was supposed to for the intended audience.

BCer in Mtl

Yes, it has similar characteristics to Poilievre's comment about aboriginals, playing to the base.
MJ Patchouli

I do too, except they keep forgetting the rest of us can read too. The unintended audience.

RayK

Here's another question: Why would the Ablonczy's office be involved in "handl[ing] the $100-million program" in the first place?

I mean, the program is in place; they're just handing out the out grants at this point. What could a minister's office possibly be doing–unless, of course, they're directing what areas of the country (i.e. ridings) actually get the grant money?
http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Please folks, Trost did exactly as he was supposed to.

Ablonczy is no longer a contender for the leadership of the CPC. Just as Harper wanted.
Or do you folks really think that money going to gay pride would have been overlooked considering the whole arts funding thing last election?

MJ Patchouli

I'm a little surprised she actually did okay these funds because I find her quite socially conservative. Was she ever really a contender for leadership — Harper has kept her under all along.

Or are you suggesting something more nefarious — that she was set up?

http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/51057607.html Canadian

“Like many Conservative party supporters, I have been contributing to the Harper political party for a number of years. However, with the recent revelation that our government has been granting large sums of taxpayers’ money to fund indecent expositions like “pride” parades across the country, I will no longer send donations to this political party. Such misuse of taxes shows a serious lack of leadership or a deliberate statement of policy by our prime minister and his associates. Indeed, promoting such parades “for tourism” confirms for Canadians that there’s little difference between a PC government and what would happen under a Liberal or NDP regime. Mark B. Toth”

First he Stephen Harper offends evangelicals by giving out alcoholic drinks.. next he supports the gays.. and next he endorses the catholic pope of all things.. he is losing more and more evangelical supporters every day it seems..
A liberal

Conservative Peter McKay likes to support Alcohol consumption and gays.. sounds more like a Liberal.. The Conservatives sound more like liberals every day.. they will do anyhting to stay in power