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

That's a no, sort of

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, February 11, 2011 6:16pm - 33 Comments

Transport Minister Chuck Strahl dismisses any use of gas tax revenues to fund an arena in Quebec City.

“We have no plans to change that criteria,” Infrastructure Minister Chuck Strahl told reporters in Montreal. ”(The program is) quite flexible. It’s not infinitely flexible,” he added.

And yet, “a PMO spokesman explained that Strahl’s comments on Friday applied only to the gas tax—not to the possibility of funding an arena.”

Tags: arena, Chuck Strahl, nordiques, pmo, prime minister's office, Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec City arena, Quebec Nordiques

More by Aaron Wherry

M_A_D_world

Does anyone give straight honest answer in Ottawa these days? Or are they too busy under cutting one another?
Cats

I think everyone is to be busy with the news about the new EKOS poll.

Basically it shows Harper with a majority. 12.5% lead over the Liberals.

Victory Cats!

Emily

Gosh, same as 2 years ago.

Cats

11.4% lead last election.

So no, not the SAME as 2 years ago.
Yes, the Liberals are actually RAISING taxes.
No, the US doesn't have a low corporate tax rate.

Your string of errors is increasingly putting you to shame. So sad.

Cats away!

Emily

Cons aren't going anywhere…..you just avoid the whole topic of polls when Cons fall, and Libs move ahead. LOL

50/50 same as always. No majority.

The rest of your post is your usual cat piddle.

Emily

Even Harp's not buying it

'Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are telling their supporters not to believe a new poll showing them well ahead of the Ignatieff Liberals, cautioning the results are “inconsistent with our internal polling.” '
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/otta…
Cats

Ha!

You're not paying attention. Harper just let more cats loose amongst the pigeons.

He's downplaying his lead so people don't think he wants an election !

VIctory Cats.
Blue

Harper may be downplaying the signifigance of the poll, however you can bet that the folks in the Liberal and NDP camp have noticed that the combined support of the Libs and Dips is now less then the Conservative support.
Emily

They have their own internal polls as well, and pay no attention to the polls you watch.
Emily

Harper's going nowhere, and neither are you.

EeeOar

So can I start betting on a late March election?

TJCook

No way! Stephen Harper has assured us that Canadians don't want an election, so no election.

QED, right?

EeeOar

It's all very confusing….I also read that our government is being thwarted on many, many files by the three amigos, yet Canadians don't want an election….which means that Canadians actually prefer that Harper is constantly being thwarted?

My head hurts. ;-)

ZestyMordant

I'm guessing that they won't commit either way until they know if there is going to be an election this spring. Until then, expect a flotilla of trial balloons.

Jan

I'm up to hear with their game playing on this. I can only imagine how much time is being devoted to this behind the scenes.

ZestyMordant

In next week's National Post:

Ottawa to Create New Olympic Fund?

Ottawa – An unnamed senior conservative has indicated that the Harper government is considering the creation of a new fund that would support Canadian cities in future Olympic bids. The senior Conservative, who declined to be named due to standard operating procedure, indicated that the need for a fund was identified after Toronto's failed bids for the 1996 and 2008 games.

Money from the fund would support bid promotional materials, administration costs and new facilities, all designed to entice the IOC back to Canada. Any city could apply for the fund, although applications will only be accepted in French.

Mr. Harper and other government officials declined to comment, citing standard operating procedure.

Jan

Well, that should fool us. Everybody loves the Olympics, right?
Emily

LOLOL priceless!

http://intensedebate.com/people/Ottawa_Centrist Ottawa_Centrist

Speaking in pretzel tongue again…
Gollum

Forgive them for they know not what they do.
Dave

Is this what Jacques Parizeau had in mind with his "never-ending visit to the dentist"?
Philanthropist

OMG! A Minister said something, and then a spokesperson said something! Stop the presses! No, wait! Start the presses! And the Liberals cried all the way home……
http://importantstudies.blogspot.com RBr

Am I the only one who remembers this Yes Minister clip: [youtube dgDxvaCsZMI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgDxvaCsZMI youtube]

LdKitchenersOwn

Of course, this isn't actually a case of "arts money" going for professional sport. In this case the money being re-directed to professional sport would be money originally intended for fixing roads, sewers and water treatment plants. Is that not a bit different?

JamesHalifax

I wouldn't place too much stock in this poll…it's from Frank Graves.

Emily

'The Conservative Party has called Frank Graves a Liberal and claimed the contract his firm has to do polling for CBC violates government guidelines. But despite all its protests, a review of government polling contracts shows the Conservative government has given Graves and his firm EKOS millions of dollars in contracts over the past five years.'
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/02/01/…

Tceh

Note to Clownservatives:

There really isn't a way you can fund this arena in Quebec without alienating everyone else in Canada. I know you want to believe pulling it out of an obscure program or fund will fool voters but it won't so stop with the trial balloons.

Just sayin'

M_A_D_world

In all fairness it's a provincial Liberal Government that's going to pony up it's money. The federal Liberals and provincial P.Q. Party also seem hesitant to condemn the idea.
Sadly it's not that long ago that bridges and overpasses failed inspection standards in Quebec. We're they fixed? Or is the money that was to be spent on essential items.
Where is the voice of reason within the La Belle Province?

D Mitchell

P3 announcement for Saskatchewan's multi-purpose retractable roof stadium coming soon. We have been planning this for 3 years now. There are private and public sponsers, it is costed out and everything is in place. Also we have an actual CFL football team that will play in this building. A whole lot more than the smoke and mirrors that and absolute nothingness that is coming out of Quebec City ( which all of you east of Sault St Marie have your knickers all in a knot over.)

LdKitchenersOwn

You do realize that most people with their knickers in a knot over Quebec City want the arena to NOT get any federal funding right?

I'd say that in this climate you WANT taxpayers focused on the Quebec City shenanigans and ignoring the Saskatchewan plans! If people start focusing on the Saskatchewan plans I think I can promise that it won't be to argue that Regina should get MORE public funding.

Patchouli

Yeah, SK Cons are taken for granted, their 13/14 seats are considered safe — so why do or say anything to king steve? We know what happened to fitzpatrick when he opened his mouth. Safe to say lukiwski, scheer, vellacott, et all will continue to be the weak, muzzled lickspittles they have long been. Ralph will continue to hold his seat until he no longer wants to, but the rest are safe and so blinded by ideology, they don't see the forest for the trees.

Mandatory Jedi

I can't wait for a Conservative majority for no other reason then to rub it in Emily's face.
Thirsty Mind

Either "those criteria" or "that criterion", Mr. Strahl