Tuesday, April 02, 2019

One More Good Reason To Give Jody Wilson-Raybould The Boot



There are so many good reasons to expel Jody Wilson-Raybould from the Liberal Party caucus.

Her incompetence, her vindictiveness, her creepy secret taping of the decent Michael Wernick, her crass attempt to destroy the leader of her own party.

And her total failure to recognize that enough is enough.  

But I really like this newest reason.

Climate change.



For this is a game changer.

Canada’s climate will see temperature increases at double the global average, which is predicted to have drastic effects on the country’s oceans and landscape unless urgent action is taken, scientists are warning in a dire federal report released this afternoon.

And as Neil Macdonald reports, it's a much bigger issue than Jody Wilson-Raybould. 

To the Trudeau government, this is core-mission stuff. Last week, scientists from the environment department were brought in to the Prime Minister's Office for briefings. The report will be public and online Tuesday, and Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet will be pushing the issue as something bordering on a national emergency, which is not an unreasonable way to characterize it.

Justin Trudeau can now claim that the country can't afford to play parliamentary games any longer, like the grotesque Pierre Poilievre is now doing.

And even though Wilson-Raybould, her Con supporters, and their grubby media stooges will no doubt do their best to try to keep making the fake scandal the big issue.



Almost certainly, Scheer and his allies will shrug at the findings of the report, and get right back to hammering on the unspeakable treatment of Wilson-Raybould and corruption, corruption, corruption. (No law was broken, no money changed hands, and Wilson-Raybould had the last say and her decision was not overruled, but still, corruption, corruption, end of democracy, etc.)

The air is leaking out of that balloon. You get the feeling that most decent Canadians  have had enough.

And the hot air is also leaking out of Andrew Scheer's balloon. 

For the new climate change report is going to make it harder for Scheer and his Con climate change deniers to sell their anti-carbon tax platform.



Carbon tax was going to be a, if not the, big issue in the election campaign this fall. The new climate change report should be a considerable weapon to counter the attack on the carbon tax planned by Scheer and conservative provincial premiers.

Talk about bad timing eh?

And as for the rogue MP Wilson-Raybould, and her unfortunate accomplice Jane Philpott, plans to give them both the boot are accelerating.



One caucus organizer says the Quebec Liberal caucus unanimously supports expulsion, as well as 90 per cent of the Ontario caucus, 80 per cent of the Atlantic caucus, and 85-90 per cent of the Prairie caucus. B.C. Liberals are less certain about the issue, given the politics in that province, but the organizer says the recommendations from regional caucuses will be overwhelming.

And if they are both expelled, Justin Trudeau can finally get the fake scandal off his back, and launch his re-election campaign with the wind in his sails.

For although the latest Nanos poll still has the Cons slightly ahead.

The latest Nanos federal ballot tracking has the Conservatives at 35.1 per cent, followed by the Liberals at 34.6 per cent, the NDP at 16.6 percent, the BQ at 4.4 per cent, the Greens at 8.1 per cent and the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) at 0.5 per cent.

Nanos tracking has Trudeau as the preferred choice as PM at 31.1 per cent of Canadians followed by Scheer (26.7%), Singh (7.8%), May (7.6%) and Bernier (2.7%). Twenty three per cent of Canadians were unsure whom they preferred.

The Liberals have closed the gap over the last month, and armed with the new climate report should be able to take the lead again, even before the hot days of the summer arrive.

And with the NDP and their leader still going nowhere, I'm almost ready to predict another Liberal majority.

You know, it has been almost exactly seven years since Trudeau stepped into the boxing ring to take on Patrick Brazeau.

At the time most observers didn't give him much of a chance. In fact I can still hear the ring side announcer Ezra Levant screaming hysterically:

"Will Shiny Pony need an ambulance or a hearse?"

But when the fight was stopped, Trudeau was still standing, and the winner...



Is it luck, or is it destiny?

Who knows?

But those who count him out, as so many have done in the past, are usually disappointed.

As I'm pretty sure they will be again... 


19 comments:

Jackie Blue said...

I hope you're right, Simon. I'm glad to see the numbers steadily recovering, but I don't trust her or Calamity Jane one bit. She's bonkers! What if she goes nuclear-on-steroids and submits another "anonymous source" to a hack like Fife or Wells accusing Justin of something far worse? With Kinsella involved and having previously led the charge of that Gropergate bullshit, anything is possible. He's as hell-bent on a vendetta as she is. Holy C.R.A.P., Canada!

Anonymous said...

Nanos is the only pollster whose results can be trusted. The recent Ipsos poll was just another useless internet poll. I don’t care if they polled more than 5,000 Canadians. Web based polls have no margin of error assigned because they are not true random samples.

UU

rumleyfips said...

The performance by JWR answering Evan's questions this morning showed she is enjoying the attention a bit too much. Her coyness saying ' I haven't been told about any meeting " Is a not a good look for her ; she should be more grown up by now. It was also a lie. There is no way she doesn't know the caucus hates her and will say so at said meeting.

Anonymous said...

At least some of CBC reporting has turned the page on the Con love fest. An interesting article on the Scheer Carbon Tax propaganda scam as well as the musings of a former Post reporter who has seen the light on Dougie the grifter and his lies. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/text-spam-andrew-scheer-1.5079957
https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/doug-ford-1.5057448

RT

Anonymous said...

The Con wolf in sheep's clothing.
JWR has GOT to go.
Trudeau can't fire her so she'll just keep ripping and ripping at threads until the entire fabric of Canada is one big messy knot.
They need to have a retreat, convince enough of the caucus to vote to get rid of her or strip her of calling herself a Liberal and force her to be an independent, arguing that in order for her to get fair treatment, she can't play all sides, all the time.
So sick of her belly aching. She is setting back women, First Nations and others with her wicked brand of selfish BS.

Anonymous said...

It most certainly is a much bigger issue than JWR's disturbing vendetta against JT. So is the lowest unemployment rate since the 70's as well as how child poverty has been significantly reduced, legalised cannabis, etc. Here's a bigger issue for the Con media. I would love to see an in-depth report on why JWR left a man who had already spent 17 years in jail, rot for another year and a half while the file that would set him free sat on her desk, untouched, and she damn well knew about it! I'd love to hear anybody try to defend her on that. Of course, when the Con MSM is casting her as someone with a halo and bathed in white light, it's hard to make out the ten inch butcher knife with JT's name on it in her right hand and the crumpled scales of justice in the other.
I'm happy you're all in on giving them the boot, Simon. The time has come to send these two disgruntled employees packing, the boot, fired, severed, dishonorable discharge, exorcism, they all apply. Clean out your desks ladies and start updating your resumes. Especially the part about being a team player. As for references? Good luck with that one.
JD

Anonymous said...

Law Society of Ontario Professional Rules of Conduct “7.2-5 A lawyer shall answer with reasonable promptness all professional letters and communications from other legal practitioners that require an answer, and a lawyer shall be punctual in fulfilling all commitments.”

UU

Anonymous said...

What I find truly inspiring is the way Justin Trudeau has managed to stay as classy as usual despite the way JWR and her Con friends have attacked him for months. It speaks to his character and it only makes JWR look worse. If I had a vote I vote to give her the πŸ₯Ύ

Steve said...

Dont let the door hit you on the way out. Talk about all about me me me.

In other news, Uncle Doug is taking overtime away from part time workers, and anyone who does not have regular hours during the month, for the people.

brawnfire said...

Hi Anon,
My immediate reaction to the JWR tape the day it came out: This is going to backfire.
And, so it has backfired on her already today.
So put your mind at rest.
Anything further she tries to do to damage the PM and the Liberals will serve to show how right he was/they were to turf her, and will tarnish her own reputation further.

Anonymous said...

The recently revealed Butts correspondence with Jody Wilson Raybould is interesting. Her comment that she had a robust and proud record and that people were going confused and perplexed if they pushed her out her is a typical response of a self interested whistle blower. In the corporate world the irony is that if the customers paying the bills truly thought the person was exceptional the boss would be taking accolades for selecting and mentoring the person rather than contemplating a difficult journey up Schitts creek without a paddle. Unfortunately in a federal political environment it is very destructive for all concerned except for the opposition, professional crap disturbers, and those with an opportunistic agenda. The timing is still a big question mark, it seems that when she issued her ultimatum it would have made more political sense to have delayed the big shuffle at least until after the election. But then again leaving a self proclaimed "move me if you dare" defector in a critical position for another 6 months is an eternity.
RT

Cathie from Canada said...

W Kinsella is hinting about another phone call tape, this time with Trudeau. I wonder if the push to "release her" from confidentiality after her move to Veterans so she could "tell her truth" some more was actually aimed to permit her to release this tape too and get some more headlines.

e.a.f. said...

Living in B.C. of course puts us in another time zone and yes, JWR and JP have been removed from the Liberal caucus and will not be permitted to run as Liberals in the upcoming federal election. There is a good chance if JWR runs as an independent she will be elected. Many who voted for JWR IN THE last election will go back to voting for the conservatives or may move to the Greens.

For a western look at the JWR, SNC, Liberal "event" some of you may want to look at Laila Yuile's blog out here in B.C. She is very good at what she does. So good in fact that a few years ago, they hacked the blog and destroyed everything. At the time she was covering financial things of course. She has reported on every major event in B.C. for the past 15 years at least.

What is interesting is one of the commenters did provide readers with an list of monetary donations SNC made to the federal Liberal party. We in B.C. keep track of such things, because in B.C. we have learnt to follow the money, from the give away of B.C. Rail by Ford advisor, former premier Gordon Campbell, through to B.C. hydro and the building of Site C.
You will be able to read how much SNC donated to the federal Liberal party, several candidates, who they donated to during the leadership race, etc. As one reader pointed out, when a DAP is used and there is no trail, the public/taxpayers will not know what occurred and what the issues were. Some of us in B.C. still believe in the public's right o know what corporations are up to because it usually impacts our lives.

As to those being suggested as possible candidates for the riding, the former Vancouver Mayor, not going to work. the last time he ran for office they had to put so much money into the campaign at the last minute is was ridiculous. He didn't run this last time and many believe it is because campaign funds, source and amount had to be disclosed. Former broadcaster, Tamara Taggart, lovely woman, but CTV canned her because the ratings were down. The federal Liberal party may live to regret showing JWR and JP the door.

Visitor - Pierre D. said...

Here in QC (albeit Gatineau is closer to Ottawa than QC City) people are scratching their heads over this nothing burger. We are far more concerned with a hard right gov taking away the right to display religious beliefs and how that plays into Schmeagol's hands.
CON media is already on the attack against Climate Change science. Expect John Robson to write another column on how it doidn't affect t
he Romans...

Anonymous said...

Thank you Jane, for telling us there was more to the story. You were right! Justin simply waited until JWR revealed the existence of the tape, and she even helpfully provided it to prove its existence. Then after she revealed her own treachery, she got the boot.

I agree with JWR's statement that government should not be conducted in the shadows. This case shows how government actually works with regard to the civil service. While the unelected DPP has independence, they are still subject to direction by the elected government, which, when there is a majority in Parliament, can go right to the leader at the top as it did here. When the AG directs the DPP, it is done publicly, so that voters know and can decide if the intervention (not interference as our disingenuous friends like to call it) is reasonable. She mistakenly calls confidentiality "the shadows" which it is not. One of the few quotes I like from Ronald Reagan was that you can get a lot done, as long as you don't care who gets credit for it. Confidentiality lets the best ideas come forward (along with the bad ones) and the Cabinet and leader thrash it out until the leader has something they can live with and the Cabinet comes out publicly united.

Justin showed true leadership by allowing ample opportunity for the rogues to return to the party. He was patient, always offering a way back. Instead JWR has gone from saying she was speaking "her truth" to claiming to speak "the truth" as if her view is the only one. A party has a leader for a reason. Even in the Big House that she loves to cite, at the end of the discussions the decisions are made by the leadership. Well informed by listening to everyone, but decided by the leadership. They do have what we call Chiefs.

In a party system you are expected to be loyal to the leader unless you can depose the leader. Otherwise, Cabinet can disagree confidentially, but publicly is united, and the leader wears all the decisions. JWR behaved in a way that would be reasonable for a leader, demanding people stop questioning her decisions. This would be the Harper leadership style. Other leaders like Trudeau do allow questioning of decisions, because he is smart enough to know he could always be wrong, have made a mistake or missed something. This kind of leader is more effective because they can correct their own mistakes, but such a leader has a problem when other leader wannabes see this allowing of questioning as weakness and try to bulldoze their way into being the defacto leader.

I liked how he expelled them individually. He made it just like a trip to the principal's office when you know you're in big trouble. Ha ha ha ha ha!

Anonymous said...

The whole thing kind of makes me sick to my stomach. In an election year we need to support the the liberals in order to keep Harper's minions from assuming power. The liberals are not perfect but they are at least moving in the right direction. The prospect of the conservatives spending 4 to 8 years denying climate change, rewarding their cronies and making a mockery of democracy in parliament (anyone want to see people like the chubby guy from Peterborough back in question period spewing nonsense) is really demoralizing.

Ms. Wilson Raybould and Ms. Phillpot may have been right about their moral decision regarding SNC Lavalin but their continued drip, drip, drip to keep it in the public eye as they did must have come from some other motive. They knew they were damaging their party. What did they hope to achieve? They were not going to be re-instated. The only motive possible had to be malevolence towards their leader and their party. Who on earth would want to keep them given that!

brawnfire said...

Anon@12:06 AM,
Thank you for this notable post.

Anonymous said...

Good summary, the comment "When the AG directs the DPP, it is done publicly, so that voters know and can decide if the intervention (not interference as our disingenuous friends like to call it) is reasonable" is note worthy. Any reasons for issuing a dpa could have been challenged, questioned for impartiality, and taken to the supreme court if necessary. JWR refused to seek other legal advise on this matter and eventually chose to use it as a club instead. Keep your hands off my job or you will regret it. Sounds like a coup to me!
RT

brawnfire said...

Hi Anon 8:52 AM
Regarding they "may have been right about their moral decision"

Maybe. Maybe not? Maybe to be as morally right as one can be involves weighing the harm in their their moral positioning before deciding.
What will do the least harm?
Why make collateral damage of thousands and thousands who are totally innocent of the offense (workers, pensioners, shareholders, spin-off businesses, etc, etc) when there is an available solution-as-punishment tool worth considering for that very reason--and more.