You've got mail

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, November 12, 2010 at 9:24 AM - 27 Comments

The government that wants—on “principle”—to end the vote subsidy for political parties, finds a new way to use public funds for partisan purposes.

Conservative Senators are quietly using taxpayer-funded literature to target opposition ridings with a partisan crime message as the party gears up for the next election, the Toronto Star has learned. And at least one of the Senators sent the mailers out at the direction of the Conservative Party of Canada’s national campaign office…

By using the Senators to send out this kind of literature, the Conservative Party gets around the prohibition on MPs using tax dollars to send partisan messages to other ridings, which the House of Commons agreed must stop.

Your tax dollars at work

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 12:08 PM - 0 Comments

The Board of Internal Economy has tabled its latest report of MP expenses. The second biggest expenditure line: ten percenters. Seems the Canadian public was charged $10,182,707.71 for the printing of partisan flotsam during the last fiscal year.

A sad day for fans of Michael Ignatieff caricatures

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, March 29, 2010 at 5:01 PM - 13 Comments

As of April 1, MPs will have to restrict their junk mail to their own constituents.

The Commons: Another 48 hours

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 6:11 PM - 22 Comments

The Scene. On Monday, a minister of state in Stephen Harper’s government addressed the House of Commons and stated for the record that a member of Parliament’s ability to send paper flyers into another member of Parliament’s riding was a matter of free speech. This, he said, was about the “rights of Canadians for a public discourse.” The Liberal party, he suggested, in wanting to ban these mailouts, was threatening to “censor” what Canadians were allowed to see. These mailouts, he asserted, did no less than “improve our democracy.” “The Conservative Party,” he concluded, “is the party that will ensure that Canada remains glorious and free.”

Two days later, Stephen Harper’s spokesman stated that the government would support a ban on these out-of-riding flyers. And so it was this afternoon that the Prime Minister stood in the House, pronounced his government “delighted” to do away with these mailings and then challenged the leader of the NDP, a party that had voted in favour of the Liberal-proposed ban, to follow the Conservative side and do likewise.

So much for our glorious freedom. Continue…

Oh well, whatever, never mind

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 9:30 PM - 67 Comments

Steven Fletcher, minister of state for democratic reform, Monday. “On the issue of the ten percenters, I do not know what the party opposite has against freedom of speech. I do not know what the party opposite has against the rights of Canadians for a public discourse. Canadians have the good sense to know what information they can find valuable. They do not need the Liberal Party of Canada to censor what they see. Canadians can judge for themselves what is relevant to their lives, to tell what information is valuable to them, and also it is an opportunity to see what other parties stand for. Everyone has equal privileges to these ten percenters. It is a way of ensuring that Canadians are informed. It improves public discourse and it is a way to improve our democracy. We live in the best country in the world and the best time in human history to be alive. The Conservative Party is the party that will ensure that Canada remains glorious and free.”

The Prime Minister’s Office, tonight. “We support getting rid of out-of-riding 10 percenters so long as the restriction applies to all parties.”

Free speech and propaganda (II)

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 8:26 AM - 95 Comments

In something of a surprise—at least to me as I sat in the gallery waiting for Francine Lalonde’s bill to be debated—the NDP stood Tuesday evening and voted in favour of a Liberal motion that directs an end to the practice of ten-percenters. Those votes, together with those of the Bloc Quebecois, were just enough for the motion to pass by a count of 140-137.

Free speech and propaganda

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 10:38 AM - 53 Comments

Buried in a Liberal motion yesterday was a proposal that the House direct “its Board of Internal Economy to take all necessary steps to end immediately the wasteful practice of Members sending mass mailings, known as ‘ten-percenters,’ into ridings other than their own, which could represent another saving to taxpayers of more than $10 million.”

The resulting debate starts here and, later, resumes here. The gist would seem to be that the government side opposes the motion on an assertion of free speech, while the NDP would like the program to continue with some kind of rule against negative content.

Peter Goldring Maverick Watch

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, December 14, 2009 at 10:27 AM - 9 Comments

The Conservative MP seems vaguely uncomfortable with the tone of recent ten-percenters.

… he believes rules governing the flyers should be amended to moderate the overtly political tone and content that has creeped in over the past few years, including recent NDP flyers he said he believes are targeting him for electoral purposes.

“I get an awful lot of Ten Percenters from the other parties, and particularly from the NDP in Edmonton East, they’re kind of targeting,” said Mr. Goldring. “I do believe that we could have it in a little more moderation, but the rules allow it that way. I would not have a problem with rules tightening up a bit.”

Did no one hear Dean Del Mastro's plea for decency?

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 3:34 PM - 4 Comments

After Question Period just now, Navdeep Bains rose on a point of order to allege that Vic Toews, Conservative frontbencher and president of the treasury board, had used a “gun-like gesture” during QP.

Mr. Toews rose in response and accused Bob Rae of not sufficiently supporting Canadian soldiers.

Conservative Mark Warawa rose to accuse Mr. Bains of making the same gesture, a point Mr. Bains appeared to find ridiculous.

Mr. Bains repeated his assertion that Mr. Toews should apologize.

Mr. Rae rose to loudly refute Mr. Toews’ insinuation.

Mr. Toews rose to repeat his original insinuation.

A short while later, deputy government house leader Tom Lukiwski rose to apologize for a factual error contained in one of the government’s ten percenters.

Dear prudence

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 1:15 PM - 78 Comments

James Rajotte, in Question Period yesterday. Mr. Speaker, as Canada continues to cope with the effects of the global economic recession, it remains essential for the federal government and for federal agencies to spend tax dollars wisely.

Globe and Mail, today. Reports that Tory MPs ran up $6.3-million in costs last year by mailing out so-called “ten-per-centers” to people outside their ridings have opposition MPs calling for new limits on the free-mail privilege … All the parties do it, but the Conservatives have taken to it with zeal: Adding up the costs, the Montreal newspaper Le Devoir found that MPs with the minority Conservatives spent $6.3-million on the mailers, while opposition MPs spent $3.8-million. The average Conservative spent $38,337, including eight who spent more than $80,000, while the average opposition MP spent $17,977. Ontario Conservative Rick Norlock topped the list at $87,749.

Heckling, H1N1, sexism, politics, poor taste and an apology

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, October 30, 2009 at 5:04 PM - 24 Comments

Chris Selley considers Carolyn Bennett’s week.

There is, of course, a legitimate debate to be had over how, when and to whom Canada is rolling out the H1N1 vaccine. But it is not and will not be conducted in the House of Commons. If anyone in there actually thinks his party is favoured over any other by this incredibly unedifying sideshow — heckling and hooting and sexism allegations and body bags — he’s dreaming.

Towards a mature democracy

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 3:09 PM - 8 Comments

John Mraz makes the case for eliminating so-called ten-percenters.

Last year, Stephen Harper proposed to eliminate the $1.95 per vote subsidy. Harper claimed the majority of Canadians did not want to pay that piper. Flush as the Conservatives were with capital, it would also have put his party at an immediate advantage, hampered other parties’ abilities to compete, and made it almost impossible for new parties to emerge. Canadians would have suffered a diminished political landscape ruled by parties that managed to find favour with the monied classes. But electoral brinksmanship ensued, and the subsidy remains.

If Harper is indeed serious about eliminating public funding for partisan purposes, he might begin by eliminating the “ten percenters.” And if the Liberals and New Democrats are serious about democratic principles, they should support him. Canadians would never even notice, nor would our political forum be weakened. In any case, all parties should desist from using the parliamentary press to political advantage. It is there to inform, not persuade.  And “If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” is no principle to live by in an ethical discourse.

'We have a responsibility'

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, August 10, 2009 at 10:39 AM - 46 Comments

Jim Flaherty, November 27. We cannot ask Canadians to tighten their belts during tougher times without looking in the mirror. Canadians have a right to look to government as an example. We have a responsibility to show restraint and respect for their money. Canadians’ tax dollars are precious. They must not be spent frivolously or without regard to where they came from. Canadians pay taxes so governments can provide essential services. They trust the people they elect to serve society with that money, not serve themselves …  Canadians pay their own bills and for some Canadians that is getting harder to do. Political parties should pay their own bills, too, and not with excessive tax dollars. Even during the best of economic times, parties should count primarily on the financial support of their own members and their own donors. Today our government is eliminating the $1.75 per vote taxpayer subsidy for politicians and their parties effective April 1, 2009. There will be no free ride for political parties. There never was. The freight was being paid by the taxpayers. This is the last stop on the route. There will be no free ride for anyone else in government either.

Stephen Fletcher, August 10. Mr. Fletcher also defended the Ten Percenter program, saying that people might not like the content of the flyers but they contribute to the “public discourse.”