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

Dean Del Mastro is disappointed in you

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 11:29am - 96 Comments

The Conservative MP for Peterborough pines for simpler times, before television and the Internet messed everything up.

Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro said he doesn’t understand the controversy surrounding his government’s decision to prorogue Parliament until March 3. ”I don’t really understand the current reaction. Government has been prorogued 105 times,” Del Mastro told a group of Rotarians. “Maybe Canadians just don’t understand that that’s been part of our parliamentary system since we formed it.”

Del Mastro made the comments Monday, fielding questions after speaking to the Rotary Club of Peterborough during its weekly meeting at the Holiday Inn. Del Mastro pointed the finger at the media as part of the reason many Canadians have voiced anger about the issue. ”The fact that this has been highlighted is probably an effect of 24-hour news,” he said.

Tags: Dean del Mastro, house of commons, Parliament, Peterborough, prorogation, Prorogue, proroguing

More by Aaron Wherry

http://intensedebate.com/people/M_A_N M_A_N

Ah. The problem is I don't understand how parliament works.
It all makes sense now. Thanks, Dean.

Anon

well if Dean doesn't know how parliamnet works, why should he expect you to?

The trouble with guys like Dean, is that they just have no clue. They think everybody is as ignorant and stupid as they are. I mean why wouldn't they think that? If a hill-billy heifer like him can be elected to parliament.

See what I mean.
burlivespipe

Dean Del-M via reader's digest: "Our plan on keeping the electorate ambivalent and ignorant isn't working the way we meant it to…"

Anon

Fat and stupid is no way to go through life, Dean.

Anon

Really Anon I'm surprised at you, really surprised

You forgot butt ugly too!!!

http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

The Holiday Inn in Peterborough is dive. Been there.

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

Here here! terrible.

http://intensedebate.com/people/TJCook TJCook

I find Dean Del Mastro frustrating because you can never tell whether he's genuinely ignorant or willfully ignorant.

Stan L

anyone who actually wants to trash their reputation by being willfully ignorant is in fact genuine ignorant in my books….

Bob Wiseman

And yet he was elected….

Anon

Just dead from the neck up. That pretty much sums it up

Scott Piatkowski

He sounds like the bad guy at the end of every episode of Scoobie Doo: "And we would have got away with it too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids…"
http://intensedebate.com/people/john_g2708 john g

Small correction Wherry…Since Del Mastro is blaming the media I think Del Mastro is saying that he is disappointed in you, not us.

Anon

".Since Del Mastro is blaming the media I think Del Mastro is saying that he is disappointed in you,"

This passed tedious long ago.
Anon

Blame the media. Blame his constituents" Blame every body but himself.

Blame the refreigator, blame Mcdonald's, blame KFC, blame Pizza hut, for being a big fat slob.

Dean Del Mastro doesn't have one responsible bone in his over bloated body.

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

But most everyone in the media said it wasn't a big deal and that Canadians wouldn't care.

There's times when a credible case can be made for the media giving life to an issue that might otherwise pass without much notice, but this isn't one of them.
Kyle

One thing that the government should drop if it wants to pretend it is actually trying to balance the budget is Dean's train to Peterborough. The project was promissed untold millions two budgets ago even though every study ever conducted (except the one conducted by Dean himself) says is not cost effective and the demographics don't merit it.

I'm hopefull they're serious, but if Flaherty keeps this kind of pork on the books people will know that deficit elimination isn't a real priority for this government.

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

Don't hold your breath. The proposed route
http://www3.thestar.com/static/PDF/080301_peterbo…
runs right along the top of Christine Elliot's riding
http://www.christineelliottmpp.com/riding-informa…
and Jimmy is hoping to get lucky
Anon

Hey don't mention pork around Dean.

Dean will do anything to stay in office. Doesn't want to go back to the car lot does he?

He's as probably a good car salesman as he is a politician.
http://pushedleft.blogspot.com/ EmilyDee

I hear he can also talk to dead people. I'll look up this train thing though. Sounds interesting.
dave

To be fair, this is a town where if you want to catch a bus after 7 you need to call for it so they know lots about effective public transit.

http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

No, Dean, you don't get it. Go read that Wikipedia page that told you Parliament has been prorogued 105 times again, and try to see where it's been juxtaposed with the words "while under an order of parliament to produce documents."

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

+ by a minority government

+ killing dozens of pieces of legislation, including some core to the government's policy platform

http://www.reedwrites.ca jim

right
http://intensedebate.com/people/NotStephen Not Stephen Colbert

"killing dozens of pieces of legislation, including some core to the government's policy platform"

Yes, exactly. Traditionally, Parliament is prorogued when the government has completed all or most of the agenda it set forth in the Speech from the Throne. Prorogation then ends the session, giving the government an opportunity to return and set forth a new legislative agenda in a new session, beginning with a new Speech from the Throne. (A point I'm shamelessly stealing from constitutional law expert Peter Hogg, who I saw speak recently and who was right about many more things than this.) One wonders how, exactly, the next throne speech is to be expected to differ from the previous one, given that Parliament didn't have time to accomplish anything during its last session.

CAPS

Dean Del Maestro is the antithesis of a hipster but Potter should try and sell him a trip through his time machine back to the 50s, http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/02/01/the-past-is-a-…

Anon

The 50's what the 1850's?

Anon

"”I don’t really understand the current reaction. Government has been prorogued 105 times,”

Dean, finish licking the fondant off your fingers and then read what Kady O'Malley wrote about that at the CBC (floating around unlinked on the Internet, but apparently time-stamped 2010/01/25 at 10:17 AM):

"Extremely short version: …Until 1940, prorogation was *the only way to end a session* for longer than a weekend, even to rise for statutory holidays. In 1940, the Standing Orders were amended to allow for designated breaks – Christmas, Easter, that sort of thing – but extended adjournment still required consent. In 1982, the Commons adopted a fixed calendar, which included the winter and summer adjournments. Since then, prorogation has been used far more sparingly. I've posted about this in the past, and I'm sorry for the repetition, but of all the idiotic talking points that should be consigned to a fiery pit of oblivion, that may be the one that drives me the craziest."

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

Wow. Even in the absence of this information it was an insulting talking point. Now it's clearly beyond the pale.
Anon

Please have a little sympathy for Dean. He was probably starving when he made that comment.

After all he's on a diet. Down to six buckets a chicken a day from eight. This is a very trying time for him

Dave

It's all been downhill since that damn wireless telegraph came along, I tell ya.

Kevin

Yer durn tootin'.
Anon

Yes Dave it's all the fault of technology. Poor man.

Dean would probably think pot roast with chocolate chips, to be the greates invention in the history of mankind.

ConEd

Perhaps we should thank him for being so honest. He is stating he is out of touch with his constituents and Canadians isn't he?

Anon

Coned Dean's always been out of touch. Not just with his constituent's but everything.

A mean a man with a mug like that probably spent most of his life indoors and away from people.
He never developed the proper skills needed to cope in the world. A little pity for the poor man please.

http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

Try and say Wherry's tags three times fast.

Reader

Shoulda been an alliteration — Dean Del Mastro is disappointed . . . doh!

http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

Ph, Dean, Dean, Dean, how grown up of you. Blame Liberals, blame public servants and blame the media.

Wouldn't want you to take responsibility like an adult.

Anon

That would be too taxing on good o'l Dean.

Why take responsibility for things when you can blame others.

After all it's not his fault he's a big fat slob he just has big bones

http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

I don't think you have to go into his weight problems here – a little rough don't you think?

http://intensedebate.com/people/G0D God

God hears that the North Korean government is looking for talent. Del Mastro should look them up. They have a fantastic news media there.

http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

Anon

And what exactly did Norht Korea ever do to you?

Really haven't they suffered enough.

Next to dean though kim looks like an Einstein

http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Shorter Del Maestro: Stop paying attention!

Anon

Yes that's what Dean wants.

stop paying attention to all his failures and inadequacies.

I mean you can fool some of the people you know what i mean

Dave

Aaron,

You give Del Mastro far too much credit. I saw nothing in the linked article about him blaming the Internet. No mention of the 222,000-strong Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament group on Facebook. No, it is "24-hour news," that dastardly newcomer, that apparently has the public all confused.

Anon

Dean doesn't even know what the internet is.

He missed the tech boom. He was too busy with his face in the refrigerator.

john Lemay

Fed up the likes of Del Mastro and the rest of the undemocratic Conservatives, then go to facebook and join Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament. The are currently over 222,200 members. The members come from all parties with the goal of effective change. Take a look.

Anon

John im fed up with them too!

Dean Del Mastro is to democracy, what fried chicken is to a vegan conference.

Billy Nobels

Dean gave his mother credit at a rousing pro-life rally, for making the right decision when she discovered she was pregnant with him. Us, not so much.

Anon

Completely agree. Dean Del Mastro is the poster child for abortion.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Scott_Tribe Scott_Tribe

That's going a bit too far, Anon. In fact, moe then just a bit. Just plain "too far".

Katherine

Not classy.

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

Dean would be an excellent fit to Duffy's Senate seat when he steps aside.

http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

I think Wherry's gunning for it.

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

That is silly, it would take two Wherry's and half a Coyne to match Duff's substance!

Anon

Oh great one big fat slob being replaced with another big fat slob.

Probably the only chair in the place strong enough for Dean's big fat ass though.

http://pushedleft.blogspot.com/ EmilyDee

I don't know what bothers me the most. The fact that Del Mastro is an elected member of Parliament and has no idea how it is supposed to function, or the fact that he simply cut and paste his speech from the Conservative Party website.

Look at it this way Dean my boy. Imagine you are on the job and the boss is giving you a rough time. So you decide you're not going to take her crap anymore, and lock her in the closet, leaving you to run the company the way you want. (or simply go home as you did)

Well, WE are your boss, and eventually WE are going to get our voices back, and WE are going to get out of that closet, and do you know what the first thing is that WE are going to do?

Yep, you guessed it.

YOU'RE GETTING YOUR PINK SLIP!
jarrid

There is no question that the controversy surrounding this 5 week prorogation during the Olympic period is a media-driven story. The media would not have done this has the Liberals been in power. In fact, when the Liberals did prorogue Parliament while in power, it was business as usual.

That being said, the Conservatives know that they have to deal with a hostile left/lib media, it goes with the territory in this country. They'll just have regain the agenda.

There is no question that the media have shaped this prorogation as something completely extraordinary when it's not.

By misreporting this story they are doing the LIberal and the NDP's bidding. Like prorogation, there's nothing precedential about that either.

http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

"There is no question that the media have shaped this prorogation as something completely extraordinary when it's not."

Wrong. Prorogation in general is nothing extraordinary. THIS prorogation, on the other hand, killed half of Harper's own legislative agenda, came in the face of a Parliamentary Order, and has been justified using the "But the Liberals Did It First" and "The Economy Can't Handle A Sitting Parliament" excuses. Give me a break, jarrid.

It's not all about you. It's not a media conspiracy, it's not an "elite" conspiracy, it's not a "leftist" conspiracy. This continued uproar is about our democracy, and its institutions, and how we want them to work better than they do today. Clearly, however, you just don't get it. Like your pal Dean, you think Canadians are stupid, and aren't paying attention.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Congratulations, jarrid, you managed to get one statement correct out of seven.. that's a better average than you usually do.

For those trying to figure out which one it was: "In fact, when the Liberals did prorogue Parliament while in power, it was business as usual." You are entirely correct in that statement.

Unfortunately, when Harper's party prorogued, with committees actively working, a Parliamentary order awaiting fulfillment, and most of their signature bills still waiting to get through the house, that was anything other than business as usual.
http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

Fact Jarrid – no other leader of any country in the world ever, ever closed down parliament for an Olympic event. Harper is the only one that has historically.

Can't blame the Libs on this one – they never, ever, ever shut down parliament for the Olympics, nor did Mulroney and those before him.
Jodi

Interestingly, many people feel that most media outside of Toronto…is Conservatively biased. That being said, to think this issue is media driven is highly erroneous. For weeks the media ignored this issue. It wasn't until the voice of outraged Canadians got louder (through online discussions and protests) that the media began reporting on this again. The media has a very short attention span….if the Canadian public wasn't still 'chattering' about this……..the media would be on to other things.

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

what Jodi says is true. In fact the typical political reporter/commentator is right of centre with the number of rabid right-wingers outnumbering the loony socialists by a sizeable margin. However, the readership of the left-leaners is higher than the right.

So Canadians have lots of access to the "right stuff", but they tend not to take advantage of it.
jarrid

Jodi, you're right that the media followed up on the Liberal/NDP partisan exploitation of the issue, or to use your euphemism, "the voice of outraged Canadians. But that only buttresses,

my point.

http://intensedebate.com/people/NotStephen Not Stephen Colbert

You used to be funnier.

PTBO Pudit

why is this dummy still pretending there is a rail link coming to his riding?
Anon

You give Dean too much credit. I just think he's too ignorant to think that his prime minister has done anything wrong.

Ol Dean has spent a lifetime with his hand in a cookie jar, stealing cookies when mommy wasn't watching.

Probably raided the fridge every night too when mommy was asleep. He is very practiced in getting away with things.