Comments on: The Commons: Eighteen attempts to explain the same story

By: Tim Landry

Tim Landry — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:36:20 +0000

I repeat – How can ANYONE trust Mr. MacKay?
A New Glasgow article by Mark Leeming talks about some of the thinking going on in the riding..

"Sure, it was a bit out of character for Peter MacKay to give Elizabeth May such a hand up for the next election, but the "will he or won't he?" question in all the headlines didn't strike me as quite the coin toss others imagined it to be. Remember that we're talking about the principal architect of the Lie That Built The Conservative Party, a piece of perfidy that rather set the tone for the group, and for the man. Why would anyone expect him to shy from endorsing another scam?"

By: ChrisInKW

ChrisInKW — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:31:50 +0000

From my understanding, Taliban were not part of those transferred to the facilities in question.

By: maryj

maryj — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:02:47 +0000

I like Peter MacKay and he said it all in his comment:
- any thinking person should ask the same
———————————————————————–
Mr. Colvin had an opportunity to speak directly to me and other ministers of the government who were in Afghanistan. He did not raise the issue. As well, what is being relied upon here is nothing short of hearsay, second- or third-hand information, or that which came directly from the Taliban.”
Since when do we believe the Taliban- do you all know what they do to people???
It is a shame ..Canadians have so many good points unfortunately oftentimes astuteness is not one of them.

By: Mars

Mars — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:00:29 +0000

This too- will pass. As 4 the afghans–are all taliban–how do u think they are staying alive?- they have 2 play -both sides of the fence–& after the prisoners are being handed over 2 them==it's out of our hands– they treat their own people the same as -others.The taliban would think nothng—of gouging soldiers eyes out– if they ever get ahold oft them– even worse things would be done– sure– we don't want 2 be the same– but if they are in the hands of their own people– let it go–if the story is true.!!! I think somebody is looking for a rank -up the ladder!!!!!

By: Tim Landry

Tim Landry — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:34:45 +0000

McKay is a PROVEN liar – so how can anyone trust him?

By: Dakota

Dakota — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:56:44 +0000

Aaron Wherry: Eighteen blogs spin the same story

By: frenchie101

frenchie101 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:44:34 +0000

It already is. Colvin keeps his job, and life goes on.

By: mlc

mlc — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:04:09 +0000

Again Much ado about nothing…this will be old news!!!

By: MLC

MLC — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:08 +0000

I did answer myself too…RAE IS A JOKE!!!

By: frenchie101

frenchie101 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:19:28 +0000

Hillier doesnt know anything. It is funny that yesterday the question was posed as to why would Colvin lie? What did he have to gain?

Today the question can be put to Hillier. What does he have to gain? He's retired, not in the services, and he has been publicly on the out with Harper and the Conservatives since day 1. There's no love between Harper and Hillier and everyone knows that. Colvin was a relative unknown till 2 days ago.

I smell a rat.

By: Il Gustavo

Il Gustavo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:13:32 +0000

Excellent journalism doing exactly what it should do. Kudos~!

By: c_9

c_9 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:37:09 +0000

I just asked myself, and I disagreed. So in my sample size of one, you're 100% wrong.

My poll was of course unscientific.

By: frenchie101

frenchie101 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:03:47 +0000

Rae is joke himself.Ask anyone in Ontario and beyond,

By: LynnTO

LynnTO — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:32:43 +0000

Add to that the bacon of Flaherty's "I was starting to get lonely over here…" of yesterday's QP, and you have one delicious meal.

By: LynnTO

LynnTO — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:32 +0000

The moment government officials "admit" -if it is indeed the case – that they knew detainees would be tortured when turned over to Afghan officials, it means they were complicit in a war crime.

If Canadian officials are tried and convicted of war crimes, I can't think of a worse place for this country to be in politically.

By: kcm

kcm — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:22:20 +0000

Stop spinning Wilson. It's been noted elsewhere that until the 05 agreement we were under a different command structure…at least tell the whole truth…but then fabrication's your bag isn't it?

By: kcm

kcm — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:19:19 +0000

Well…sigh…where's the damn coffee pot?

By: kcm

kcm — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:18:26 +0000

Weel said, apart from the torture bit. It may be a fact of life , but we don't have to facilitate it do we?

By: Al O'Wishes

Al O'Wishes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:35:09 +0000

The issue isn't who was in power at first, it's who was in power when the issue was raised, and what happened after.

By: Don

Don — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:50:36 +0000

I believed Peter MacKay had credibility and could be premier one day….that's simply a pipe dream now. I know he knows he blew this debate, he knows he lied, he knows he just ruined Clovins political career, he knows the press, his colleagues, the military and the public know he's lying. We Canadians have had enough of this type of leadership. Show some backbone as you ask from our military to show… which they do each and every day. I would hate to have Mr Mackay guarding my back in the military…..he would have 18 different reasons why he couldn't. If the head of defence can't be trusted to tell the truth what are the soldiers on the ground to think. Torture is sadly part of war….admit it and move on.

Our parliament is fast becoming a joke with zero credibility.

By: Barb

Barb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:05:05 +0000

Can anyone in parliament EVER answer a question logically and based on respect for each other? What a bunch of highly educated immature adults. We have Clovin who has been promoted for years by both parties and now he has zero credibility. Our ministers are simply not telling the truth. Torture is a topic no one wants to admit to having knowledge. Well it happens folks….it's called war and playing nice just doesn't win the end game. Let's just be honest and admit we knew instead of looking stupid, inept and totally out of touch. It's not hard but it will never happen. Think about it….what does Clovin have to gain by this…..just his career ruined.

Dumb ass arogant politicians. No wonder the public sours on these dishonest idiots.

By: Andre

Andre — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:24 +0000

Colvin's accusations are that the government didn't respond to his complaints about Canada's responsibility in ongoing war crimes for an extended period of time. Whether they like it or not when they grabbed power in parliament and government they also inherited the Liberal's problems. It's therefore their responsibility to take, not the defeated Liberals.

If it really was so clearly the Liberal's fault then Peter McKay would have only one defense, not 18.

By: burlivespipe

burlivespipe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:52:53 +0000

Turns out his neighbour's dog is actually a litigation genius, but the courts frown on prosecution pooches, so the mutt hired another mutt to be his mouthpiece; soon to hit the big screen with The Shaggy Foreign Minister.

By: burlivespipe

burlivespipe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:49:36 +0000

Which gov't has twisted itself in a pretzel trying to avoid any responsibility — starting with 'current transfer agreement is fine and you're a taliban-lover for asking', to 'there is no torture going on in afghanistan (and a recession is evolutionary implausible in these running shoes) and did I say sponsorship scandal?'; the Harper team then shifted slowly to 'we have a new transfer agreement, implemented because of some concerns that we will pretend don't exist', to now 'the people who advised of making the new transfer agreement and don't understand ixnay on the orture-tay are whacked but just dandy for our washington desk'… Bring on the public inquiry and maybe you can get Mackenzie King's seance tossed into the whole tangled mess. Perhaps Harper can try and bribe an ill witness to tie up this whole mess and be done with it…

By: burlivespipe

burlivespipe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:44:50 +0000

Unfortunately, the real issue is covering up and lying, which are hallmarks of Harper. 'Fraid he'll need to find a new speech writer to toss on the barby for this one…

By: kcm

kcm — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:38:05 +0000

That was a great piece of cross examination Aaron…bravo. You made Mackay look like the potatoe head he is.

By: SisyphusThis

SisyphusThis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:48:16 +0000

He worked as a prosecutor for a few years … after his tenure of on-the-job training
with Karlheinz's Krupp friends. So he knows some of that stuff.

I'm sure what he finds shocking is that some people don't automatically believe
every word he says. The Rotary Club in New Glasgow does.

By: Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:33:04 +0000

Link?

By: wilson

wilson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:12:22 +0000

When asked why, with face to face meetings
Colvin refused to raise detainee concerns with the ranking military officer in Afghanistan,
he said it was because he didn’t like the general’s personality.
(Don Martin article)
Wow, is that the same reason he didn't raise concerns with Mckay in face to face meetings,
he didn't like his personality?

By: wilson

wilson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:06:22 +0000

Liberals had no agreement for detainee handovers the first 4 years of the war.
Liberals, December 2005 agreement
Conservatives, May 2007 tougher agreement

It doesn't fit the media 'we can make or break you' mentality to point out that the Liberals were grossly negligent in getting written assurances of prisoner protection,
they've already broken MI.
It's Harper's turn.

By: wilson

wilson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:01:21 +0000

MI is an expert on torture,
maybe the committee will call him up as a witness.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:36:09 +0000

Maybe he feels he'd just get slammed as a hypocrite if he took the Cons to task on torture-related issues?

Rae probably is a better point man for the Liberals on this issue.

By: TicToc

TicToc — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:28:49 +0000

McKay has absolutely No Credibility!

By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:38 +0000

Anybody know of Peter MacKay's record as an attorney? Did he ever win any cases? Try any cases? Lose any cases?

He seems to pretend to know quite a bit about "rules of evidence" and justiciability and all that. But does he have any — evidence — to support his purported expertise in the subject?

By: NorthernPoV

NorthernPoV — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:22 +0000

ya
spank him for a typo
that'll fix 'em

all three have condoned and covered up complicity in torture

By: Ted

Ted — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:13:44 +0000

Exactly! Because that is the real issue of importance here.

That and what colour paint is on the office at the DonOLO.

By: TwoYen

TwoYen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:13:36 +0000

Which party was in government when the prisoner excahnge started? Which party was in governent when Canada implemented a tougher policy on transfering prisoners? No points for guessing, but I'm wondering why the media hasn't twigged to this.

By: PolJunkie

PolJunkie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:02:13 +0000

Where in the world is Ignatieff? Talk about picking the worse possible time to go out of town.

By: wayne moores

wayne moores — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:42 +0000

Well the "Evil Harper" was personally responsible for the swine flu(shame it was a dud, I suppose), so now he can be blamed for personally putting the thumb screws to hapless Afgan Taliban types. Oh and he is responsible for global warming, not the Chinese, Americans or other emerging economies. So it goes.

By: Andre

Andre — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:50:51 +0000

Absolutely, he takes the plain chicken fillet that is Question period and turns it into a grilled chicken ceasar salad.

By: Siscoe

Siscoe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:46:48 +0000

Oh God – if you're going to be a paranoid, delusional fool, at least learn to correctly spell the names of the boogeymen you create.

Seriously – this is reasoned debate?

By: jolyon

jolyon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:38:53 +0000

"Fewer Conservatives than usual chose to mockingly applaud Bob Rae when he rose to open Question Period this afternoon"

Why do Cons mockingly applaud Bob Rae? I have missed something here. Do give Cons give Rae a hard time for a particular reason?

Wherry I find reading about how our MPs choose to spend their afternoons maddening most of the time but your description of their mannerisms are always appreciated. Those little descriptions add colour.

By: David B.

David B. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:27:01 +0000

George W Bush, Dick Chaney and Stephen Harper dare we really need to know more? Of course not! Silly silly people who can not see the forest for the trees.