As a study in selective rage, you can’t much beat this:
MPs are upset that Stephen Harper took his daughter to Boston to watch the Vancouver Canucks play (if you can use that word) the Boston Bruins.
Meanwhile, MPs discover they can happily live with a report indicating Canadians now pay $5.50 for every dollar MPs and senators contribute to their own rich pensions.
Hmmm. Bit of a disconnect there, don’t you think?
Here’s what they had to say about the prime minister going to the hockey game. (He paid for the tickets himself, by the way, and for the cost of a commercial flight to and from Boston. He has to fly a government jet because he’s, you know, prime minister and all.)
Peter Stoffer (NDP): “Using those types of tax dollars for his personal entertainment? No, that’s simply not on,” NDP MP Peter Stoffer said. “He should do what we all do, which is watching the game on TV and hoping the Canucks score a victory.”
Elizabeth May (Green): “All Canadians are cheering on the Canucks, but only the Prime Minister would think of taking a government jet to Boston to do it,” she said. “It’s a bad idea.”
Jim Karygiannis (*Liberal): “Excuse me, aren’t we in a time of tightening our belts? Aren’t we in a time of making sure that we use our money wisely? I’m not sure if that is a wise move.”
Oh for pity sakes, he’s the Prime Minister, Canada has one team in the Stanley Cup finals, hockey is the national game (not to mention passion) and the PM flew down to lend support and maybe provide a little boost for the home team. And he paid for the ticket, you dolts.
Meanwhile, about that pension plan:
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Notes:
Kelly’s correct to make fun of the “lefty pinheads” who make up a large part our opposition MP’s. But I’ll go him one better.
If you really want to hit them a slap “upside the head” read this column and then donate to the CPC as soon as they get their regular website back online — they’ve been hacked and the donation area appears to be down right now.
My view — nothing will register your disapproval of “lefty” small-mindedness more than millions of extra bucks pouring into CPC bank accounts everytime they pull this kind of stunt.
They’ll soon get the message and shut up.
In My Mail:
Paraprosdokian (a teachable moment)
“Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.”
Heh. Compare to if Obama went to the game. Air Force One @ approx. $40,000 per hr! Add to that a battalion of Secret Service Agents, hordes of goofy reporters, bullet proof limos flown ahead in U.S.A.F. heavy lift transport, a sizeable police motorcade, a week preparation of the ‘One’s” secure viewing box (only the most expensive seat in the house would suffice) complete with teleprompter in case anyone asks him a question and the list goes on. On the other hand PMSH. He flies in a cheapo $3,000 per hr Challenger and sits amongst the fans at the game with a Mountie or too in very close proximity and probably wearing Vancouver jerseys. The opposition has got their knickers in a knot about that! Peter Stoffer…get stuffed. Elizabeth May…..go get a makeover if you’re going to continue to appear in public. Jim Karygiannis….shut your pie hole until your party returns the $40M it stole from Canadian taxpayers. PMSH….well he was in Boston as he should be, our nation’s leader and representing millions of Canadian hockey fans who COULDN’T be there. Here’s the bottom line. Stephen Harper wanted to go to this game and he would have flown commerical IF HE WAS PERMITTED TO! So because he HAD no choice but to fly in a government aircraft (he reimbursed the equivalent of the commerical fare) he should not go? Wise up you bunch of morons. Go PMSH!
I get a hoot out of the idea that everytime Pat Martin goes ballistic the CPC makes a couple of million bucks in donations. The NDP will soon gag him and stuff him in a closet.
“Boob” Rae — “same, same”.
Pension benefits: OBSCENE
Complaints re hockey ticket et al: CHICKEN S**T
Elizabeth May makeover: EXERCISE IN FUTILITY
Return of $40M: WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER
My issue with the hockey ‘scandal’ is the fact that those who disparage the PM for going to a hockey game seem to want to punish him for being PM. As a private citizen Harper could go to any hockey game he could afford. (I have friends with a similar income who drove from Edmonton to Dallas to attend a playoff game). However as PM he can’t pre-book tickets for security reasons. He can’t fly commercial or travel without his security detail for the same reason so just what is he supposed to do? His paying full cost of the security demands we place on him would not be fair for him either. One final point is the cost of the flight. According to data provided by the aircraft manufacturer the Challenger burns about 350 gallons an hour and the flight would take about 1 hour there and 1 hour return. However pricing the fuel, crew and maintenance costs is a little tricky because much of that cost is the cost of ownership and would be there even if the aircraft never left the ground. The flight crew is on staff and are paid whether they are flying to Europe or drinking coffee in the hanger. Flight crew must fly a certain number of hours per month in that aircraft to retain their licenses. (The Challenger pilots can’t remain current on the Challenger by flying Cessna 150′s or simulators). So if the crew isn’t flying VIPs, they are boring holes in the sky on made up missions. Would anyone want to fly with an aircrew that hasn’t flown for the last year? Would you want to fly to a world conference in Washington with a pilot whose entire flight experience has been flying between Regina and Saskatoon on clear sunny days? Training takes fuel. The aircraft must be maintained for it to remain airworthy. Again that happens even if the airplane is never used. Therefore costing the PM’s flight at “$10,000.00″ per hour is a bit presumptive. How much should the PM be expected to pay? Standard commercial fare sounds about right to me.
What did it cost for Jc to go skiing instead of to the funeral for a king. I think he took a lot of skiing trips and possibly golf trips to play with Clinton. Where was the outrage. Someday another party will be elected, have the opposition any idea of the limits they are placing on their PM. The media might forget but we wont.
And a question, why do protesters always cover their faces, must be ashamed of their actions.And why do they always throw rocks, and break windows of businesses that have nothing to do with their stupid protest.
idiots, all of them
“Idiots, all of them.” At $157,000 a year, cost-plus they have the best job that they would ever get, so what’s with the attitude? Be productive in your criticism instead of petty jealous. “We” pay these over-paid and pensioned twits too much for what “we” get outta them! Over-paid, egotistical, windbags the lot of them!