Conservatives are busy running the country. Do you know how many phone calls Harper gets from the opposition? Do you know how many opposition members contact various ministers ? Its next to none.

The opposition MPs should do their job. They should represent their communities, find out which projects will do the most good, and then contact Minister Baird with their suggestions.

They haven't. They haven't helped at all. They've done nothing but criticize. The government aren't mind readers. its takes TIME to negotiate with mayors, regional districts, small towns, and the droves of stakeholders in various ridings. Having an MP willing to do the work and streamline the process helps a lot.

But the opposition refuses. So their constituents suffer. So they should be fired.

At least, that's the sense I get from members of our current ruling party…

What evidence do you have to support this?

It's the government's responsibility to maintain the confidence of the House of Commons; it is decidedly NOT the opposition's responsibility to maintain confidence in the government. That notion turns the entire system of parliamentary governance on it's head.

Well then, to quote a literary classic, KILL THE PIG

This is not general spending! It is emergency spending on the back of taxpayers that put this country further into debt — all in the name of economic recovery. Petty political dispute are supposed to be irrelevant!

THE FAULT IS WITH THE PEOPLE WRITING THE CHEQUES, PERIOD.

When will a government be ACCOUNTABLE FOR GETTING IT DONE?

Looking at this reasonably, it would be necessary to conclude that money first out of the door would be most likely to actually complete the project it went to. Money needlessly held up until the very end of the year's construction season might well be assigned to a project that misses the deadline for stimulus funding. At which point the money must go back to the government.

Since when was that in their job description. They are *opposition* MPs.

And my other point has been, that if you look at each province individually, there may be one or two like NS where the funding is not totally balanced. Especially in provinces like NS which just a small number of ridings. A Canada-wide analysis is the only useful data, IMO.

But why? Because when you have local MPs they can prioritize projects, speed along the application process, and then the government knows how to spend.

When you have a Liberal, NDP, BQ riding represented by a member who refused to help craft the budget or voted against it without even reading it then its hard to know how to spend the money. Since opposition MPs aren't doing their job and co-operating with the government then beaurocrats have to negotiate with local stakeholders instead which takes much longer.

So the fault here is actually with individual opposition MPs who aren't doing their job properly.

In fact, I remember it rolling one way only: out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/us/politics/15b…

And if I'm right (someone please correct me if I'm not), shouldn't Wherry stop carrying water for Kennedy's slander?
And (again, if I'm right) shouldn't Kennedy apologize and resign for bringing forth such damning allegations on false pretenses?

Don't worry your boy will continue to Reign as Iggy appears to merely want to replace Harper's appointees with Liberal supporting appointees .