Comments on: Will someone leak something from the Conservative Party campaign training conference already?

By: PoliticsasUsual

PoliticsasUsual — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:54:24 +0000

Very little … but then WK has very few friends in the CPC these days.

By: PoliticsasUsual

PoliticsasUsual — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:52:53 +0000

Well maybe the other guys don't get new recruits … but apparently the Conservatives do and they need to be trained …

By: Harbles

Harbles — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:59:20 +0000

W.K. has a little intel from the 'event'.

By: M_A_N

M_A_N — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:07:51 +0000

MEMO
Subject: Agenda for Conservative MP election prep training
Here is your new training manual, with a small addition from past training manuals.

CHAPTER 1:

Shut up.

CHAPTER 2:

See Chapter 1.

Congratulations on completing your training.
The Conservative Party of Canada

By: Wascally_Wabbit

Wascally_Wabbit — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:25:39 +0000

Oh – the joy of playing these investigatory games and finding all the dark and slithery things under the rocks…
My recent favourite was that of Helena Geurgis sending a monumental amount of flyers into the former riding of hubby Rahim Jaffer to add a little sparkle to his chances – only to find that the CPC was quite firm – they didn't want old Rahim to run again…

By: Wascally_Wabbit

Wascally_Wabbit — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:42:40 +0000

Kind of like the Policy Platform – actually!

By: Wascally_Wabbit

Wascally_Wabbit — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:41:18 +0000

The Globe and Hill Times got leaks Kady – that at least establishes that the event happened…

Now as for the Liberal's training session – we kept it so close to our vests – that even you didn't get a sniff…..

Sorry!

By: Harbles

Harbles — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:52:17 +0000

Have the dwarves got a website?
Is there a help group (link)where this phenomenon has been discussed that you might suggest?

Update,
Asked and answered.

The gist of the program is all MPs can send flyers to 10 per cent of constituents in their own or any riding, with various rules applying on the number and timing. Postage is free and the only stipulation is the return addressee must be an MP and not, for example, the Conservative Research Group, the team within Conservative headquarters in Ottawa that tabulates lists of suggested ridings for its MPs.

By: Harbles

Harbles — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:37:04 +0000

I have a question about this flyer I received in the mail asking

Michael Ignatieff's actual "True Patriot Love" Includes…"

yada yada. Is this the, what was the term…15 center?
I live in Mississauga south but the sender is one Mr Ben Lobb(Huron Bruce) , MP with no mention of party affiliation on the document but a very small and totally illegible symbol that looks like a divided maple leaf in a circle in the bottom corner(update probably product of Canada logo).
Mr Lobb's webpage has no mention of his party affiliation except for pictures of Stephen Harper prominently displayed so I assume he wasn't NDP.
Are we(taxpayers) paying for this?

By: Ed_Sweeney

Ed_Sweeney — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:52:03 +0000

- and of giving a politician 10 cents.

By: Stewart

Stewart — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:11:12 +0000

Crap on the doorstep is the natural result of teaching pigs to fly.

By: Ed_Sweeney

Ed_Sweeney — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:07:19 +0000

No. That particular pamplet is published by dwarves in Middle Earth and delivered by flying pigs, to random doorsteps.

By: uncool

uncool — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:07:50 +0000

Uh well… to be fair, they *are* in government right now. So no – they don't.

By: sgifford2@cogeco.ca

sgifford2@cogeco.ca — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:52:40 +0000

Kady – this calls for "bar" work – booze and loose lips.

Maybe there's nothing to tell. Each get their PM approved talking points booklet, instructions not to speak unless spoken to by the PM, memorize the rhetoric, memorize how to hate Liberals, look down on the NDP and ignore the Green Party. And, make sure one gets a photo-op with PM and praise him frequently.

Class over.

By: civil servant

civil servant — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:39:52 +0000

Isn't that part of their training? That would be a great investigative report: how well does each party's Hapless 22 year-old DCIHENTO (Deer-Caught-In-Headlights-Eyed Newbie To Ottawa) stack up in a scrumstorm?

By: an online reader

an online reader — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:34:46 +0000

A new crop of trained seals ? Why not just let our real Representive Government onto the ballot ?

The Hill Times, July 27, 2009
PMO shuffles top-ranking Cabinet staffers
Cabinet ministers' chiefs of staff to hold a retreat at Wilson House to prepare for drama-filled Parliamentary session.
By Abbas Rana

By: Anon

Anon — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:21:14 +0000

After three elections in four years, they still need training?

By: KadyITQ

KadyITQ — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:56:30 +0000

It depends on the context, really. Usually, it comes down to whether the public interest would be served by covering the event, even if it required the reporter to, for instance, join the Conservative Party and claim to be interested in either running in the next election, or serving as a campaign manager, possibly under an assumed name, depending on how recognizeable they might be to the gatekeepers. I'm not sure if this particular event requires attendees to sign a non-disclosure agreement, but it very well might, which would be another consideration. Given that it's probably just a lot of CIMS hype and other internal stuff, I'm not sure if that would justify an infiltration attempt. (Trying to get people to leak the good stuff, though, is always fair game.)

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:48:05 +0000

Duh. Hang out at the Starbucks.

By: Robert McClelland

Robert McClelland — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:27:05 +0000

Is undercover reporting actually unethical? I've seen it done on more than one occasion and there wasn't any concerns about the info being obtained through deceptive means.

By: jolyon

jolyon — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:23:05 +0000

Thank you for taking questions seriously, not snarky. I was curious to know what reporters do to get info nowadays. Buttonholing pols and their minions has a long, noble history and should happen much more often.

By: KadyITQ

KadyITQ — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:19:16 +0000

Not at all, and no offence meant — I just had in mind a deer-caught-in-headlights-eyed newbie to Ottawa suddenly caught in the centre of a scrumstorm. (In fact, I had actually written "newbie" in my original text, but accidentally deleted it.)

By: Terren

Terren — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:14:53 +0000

''22 year old hapless attendee''. Something against 22 year olds? Personally I think 22 is a fetching age.

By: KadyITQ

KadyITQ — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:09:49 +0000

The conventional method would be to call up the party and interview the organizer, or spokesperson, as well as doing one's best to elicit information from MPs, ministers, staffers and party operatives — but not, say, hanging around the foyer waiting to scrum whatever 22 year old hapless attendee might unwittingly come within range of your camera, microphone or notebook. Not, of course, to imply that there's anything wrong with the latter.

By: Sigh

Sigh — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:07:48 +0000

tigress

By: KadyITQ

KadyITQ — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:04:35 +0000

My guess would be that the logistical challenges — and ethical concerns — surrounding any attempt to gain access through deception or misrepresentation would greatly outweigh legitimate public interest in this case. This isn't exactly the Bilderberger conference.

By: jolyon

jolyon — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:42:09 +0000

Kady What are the 'conventional methods' if not 'buttonholing unwary participants'? Are reporters hoping the info will just happen to fall in their laps?

By: jolyon

jolyon — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:41:05 +0000

Kady What are the 'conventional methods' if not 'buttonholing unwary participants'? Are reporters hoping the info will just happen to fall in their laps?

By: Robert McClelland

Robert McClelland — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:32:36 +0000

Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt’s lament over the long line at the Starbucks.

Hey, Starbucks Conservatives.

So why didn't any of the media organizations send someone in undercover?

By: bigcitylib

bigcitylib — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:18:11 +0000

I hear one session is entitled "Social Networking and The Devil's Measure: Facebook and the Repeal of the Metric System".

By: Ed_Sweeney

Ed_Sweeney — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:08:12 +0000

… and the tiger, lithely and stealthily works her way through the tall grasses, awaiting the opportunity to pounce.

By: Ed_Sweeney

Ed_Sweeney — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:07:51 +0000

… and the tiger, lithely and stealthy works her way through the tall grasses, awaiting the opportunity to pounce.