Beyond The Commons

 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

Keep calm and carry on painting

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, September 3, 2009 2:53pm - 31 Comments

A couple excerpts from Bob Rae’s scrum this afternoon.

Q: Do you think the government is likely, given that he seems to be ruling out working with either the Bloc or the NDP, do you think the government is likely then to move this ways and means motion up into that first week just to catch you guys two weeks earlier than you were intending to go?

A: Well, look, we’re ready for whatever. I mean, the thing about the tax credit is, that is, that is a total non sequitur. Everybody knows… first of all, you don’t fill out your income taxes, last time I looked, until the new year. We’ve all committed to maintaining the tax credit. There’s no need, by the way, to move a ways and means motion, I’m reliably informed by our House leader, unless you’re going to raise taxes, this is a reduction in taxes. So the ways and means motion is a classic red herring. I’ve had a couple of talk show hosts shouting out to all their listeners that this is a cause for panic, you can put down your shovels now and stop painting. And it’s ridiculous. You know, carry on painting, carry on renovating. Those tax credits will be fully recognized… by whoever the government is in 2010 and this is absolutely nothing to do with anything. It’s a complete non sequitur.

…

Q: Mr. Harper is scheduled to meet with Mr. Obama on Sept. 16, which puts him right in the middle of the return of the House and all of this wrangling. What kind of impact do you think that could have, what’s happening in the House, could have on the meeting between Mr. Harper and Mr. Obama? Should that meeting go forward?

A: Absolutely… I mean, the Prime Minister… I mean, life goes on. We meet with people. The prime minister and president meet. I met with the president of Colombia last week. I mean, life goes on. I don’t see this as a, I mean there may or may not be an election. If there is an election, Stephen Harper’s still the Prime Minister until he’s defeated. And he meets with people and he goes to the G20 and he does his job, that’s his responsibility as the Prime Minister of Canada. You see, there’s an effort here on the part of the Conservatives to create an atmosphere of total kind of instability and to say, you know, this is all very bad for the world. Well, you know, we’re not a banana republic. We have votes and we have… you know, Mr. Harper’s not a generalissimo yet. He has to get used to living in a constitutional democracy and so he can put his medals and his cap aside and just come to work everyday like the rest of us.

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

    "I mean, life goes on. We meet with people."

    Unless they're in China?

    • Anon

      The Chinese aren't as naive as that. No CDN oil co's for sale = They wouldn't meet.. Words behind the scenes to bid = Sweet words about an upswing in relations. Democrats are too afraid of their left wing to look at oil strategically, so China fills the gap.

  • Anon

    Serious question: Is there a conspiracy among the mainstream news media publishers to give normal, sensible people with average intelligence the impression that they're surrounded by crazy people?

    Sorry. Off-topic. Carry on.

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

      Anon's one-man vendetta against Kenneth Whyte continues. Abolish PAP subsidies!

      • Anon

        I just can't explain the journalistic value of most user-generated content any other way. Can you?

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

          Personally, I'm more interested in the entertainment value.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

      Maybe it isn't the people surrounding your hypothetical 'Joe Everyman' that are crazy.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Stewart_Smith Stewart_Smith

    I think there must be a photoshop opportunity for the generalissimo thing.

  • Michael

    Best of luck to Rae with his red herring line on the doorsteps of Ontario. Out of pocket homeowner will be at least as happy as Atlantic Cdn's were when the notion of passing the Atlantic Accord after an election was broached for a few days. If the Libs were patient they'd pass the damn thing and bring the gov't down a few weeks later.

    • Scott M.

      But it *is* a red herring, no? Absolutely no one has indicated that they would repeal the tax credit, and if more legislation needed to be passed they would do so.

      Why would anyone panic?

      • Michael

        Telling me I have to wait for it to be 100% so that you don't have to wait for your election.. now that's a Red Herring. How many of Loyola's constituents were happy with a promise to bring it back later when Loyola had to vote up or down on the Atlantic Accord?

        • http://intensedebate.com/people/Douglass Douglass

          You have to wait for it no matter what. It is still far from tax season by my calendar. If you have a problem with the fact that Harper has stalled implementing it, all the while advertising it like it was a done deal, well then we have common ground to complain.

          This whole mess smells like a long con by the Conservatives.

        • http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

          I am always scared of people that are so susceptible to scare tactics. 1) you already had to wait for it; this merely means a matter of a couple weeks longer; and, 2) prior to the scare tactics you had no concern if it was passed next week, next month or early next year, truth be told you prob had not even thought about.

          but of course you are not this dumb. you are merely willing to let yourself be a pawn in spreading the fear. how sad.

        • http://www.intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

          I am always scared of people that are so susceptible to scare tactics. 1) you already had to wait for it; this merely means a matter of a couple weeks longer; and, 2) prior to the scare tactics you had no concern if it was passed next week, next month or early next year, truth be told you prob had not even thought about.

          but of course you are not this dumb. you are merely willing to let yourself be a pawn in spreading the fear. how sad. especially given how small the stakes are.

          • Michael

            Who said anything about fear. It's really about manners. If Mr. Ignatieff can't wait a week to pass this and attends to his needs first, he's sending the message that Loyola refused to carry home. Good luck with that.

          • http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

            again who gave a sh*t two weeks ago on the timing? nada, and as long as all parties are clear – as they have been – that it is coming, none will.

          • http://www.intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

            again who gave a sh*t two weeks ago on the timing? nada, and as long as all parties are clear – as they have been – that it is coming, none will.

            but to the bigger point, the message is clearly supposed to drum up the possibility that Libs are not going to nip the credit in the bud with the election. this is where the fear emanates from. again, you are not stupid, why act like it?

  • hosertohoosier

    Its spelt "Colombia", not "Columbia".

    • baldygirl

      It's spelt "it's," not "its."

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

    I was referring to Iggy's aborted trip.

  • Anon

    *tsk* Imagine Rae pronouncing it with a "u."

    Not a jefe; not worth the risk.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

    "…he can put his medals and his cap aside and just come to work everyday like the rest of us."
    ZING!
    Sometimes I forget just how awesome Bob Rae is.

  • http://www.intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

    "…he can put his medals and his cap aside and just come to work everyday like the rest of us."
    ZING!
    Sometimes I forget just how awesome Bob Rae is. (forgetfulness may be due to him being just too silver spoon socialist, big government for me)

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/TwoYen TwoYen

    I find the Hitler references to be in poor taste. Nevertheless, I have to admit I liked the comment "Justin won't let him touch the constitution". That really comforted me.

  • scf

    If the legislation won't change when the government changes, and an election is such a insignificant event that life goes on with or without it, why bother with the election at all?

    Thanks Bob!

  • Jenn

    I posted this on Kady's post, but it got pulled or something. Again:

    "The legislation required to give effect to taxation proposals, whether outlined in a Budget or initiated independently of a Budget during the course of a session, must go through a unique preliminary step in the legislative process. The House must first adopt a Ways and Means motion before a bill which imposes a tax or other charge on the taxpayer can be introduced. Charges on the people, in this context, refer to new taxes, the continuation of an expiring tax, an increase in the rate of an existing tax, or an extension of a tax to a new class of taxpayers. Industry levies and service fees imposed by departments do not constitute charges on the people in the context of Ways and Means. [372] Legislative proposals which are not intended to raise money but rather to reduce taxation need not to be preceded by a Ways and Means motion before being introduced in the House. [373]" (Emphasis mine)

    http://www2.parl.gc.ca/MarleauMontpetit/DocumentV…

    • anonymoose

      because this is a tax credit, it is acutally spending and not a tax reduction. that is why it has to go throught he process.

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