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Disgraced MP begins by-election campaign before Elections Canada can investigate.

by Samantha Bayard

Former intergovernmental affairs minister Peter Penashue stepped down last Thursday after revelations his 2011 election campaign received ineligible contributions. Penashue has placed the blame on having an inexperienced volunteer act as his official agent. He is already planning to win back his seat in a bi-election in Labrador.

Penashue won his seat by fewer than 100 votes over Liberal Todd Russell in 2011. An Elections Canada review after the fact showed Penashue spent $4,000 over his limit of just under $84,500.

The act of stepping down connotes an acceptance of responsibility on Penashue's part — but the Conservative party is being unclear.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said, "They’re called illegal contributions. I know that the Conservatives have that one stuck in their throat like a bone but we’re going to keep reminding them that these were illegal corporate gifts to one of their candidates. So he’s done the decent thing, he’s stepped down. But then on Saturday, he said he’s stepping down but he didn’t do anything wrong. The Conservatives stood up in the House today and said he’s admitted he’s done something wrong. Both of those statements cannot be true."

Tom Mulcair calls for clarity on the circumstances of Peter Penashue's illegal campaign donations.

Heritage Minister James Moore said in the House, "Mr. Penashue has taken responsibility for mistakes that were made on his campaign and a byelection will be called."

Scott Andrews, Liberal MP for Avalon sees this as a trend. "The Conservative Party never admits defeat, never admits wrongdoing and this is just another example.  Even in his apology: 'I’m sorry but I didn’t nothing wrong.' Like he didn’t even come out and apologize for what he did wrong. He’s still ­ letting his financial agent take the blame. They never say I’m sorry."

There is speculation about the timing of the Penashue affair. Some say the MP he knew about the review — and began his by-election campaign — well before stepping down.

Liberal Scott Andrews says the Conservatives never say "Sorry."

"It’s very suspicious the timing of all this. Why announce on Thursday when Elections Canada was going to post the information? This is well orchestrated. Why wouldn’t they wait for Elections Canada to come out?" said Andrews.

It is possible the matter could end up in court.  If Penashue is found guilty, then he will not be eligible to run again.

"That’s up for Elections Canada and we’ve got to wait and see what Elections Canada is going to say and what charges might be pending from Elections Canada. They’re the ones that make those decisions and it goes to the Crown prosecutor," said Andrews.

Trashing of PBO Kevin Page destroys Conservative credibilty on accountability – Mulcair.

by Samantha Bayard

OTTAWA, March 7, 2013, (Straight Goods News) — With the term of Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Kevin Page almost up, the Harper government is stalling in appointing a replacement and shrouding the selection process in secret.

NDP finance critic Peggy Nash (Parkdale-High Park) said in the House: "Canadians will be kept in the dark about the membership of the selection committee to replace Kevin Page. It is one thing after another: dodging oversight; avoiding accountability. What exactly are they trying to hide?"

Treasury Board president Tony Clement deflected blame to staff. "This process is headed by the Chief Librarian, under a process that she is leading. We respect that process. She is in charge of that process… Why does the honourable member not respect the Chief Librarian?"

NDP leader Tom Mulcair later scoffed at this response. "Tony Clement’s intervention today was purely childish for him to stand there and to try to say this has something to do with our attitude towards the Library of Parliament is, frankly, beneath contempt," he told reporters. "He knows he’s playing a political game. We want to make sure we have somebody giving good information to parliamentarians so we can we make good decisions for Canadians – period, full stop. So they’ll probably send us some party hack, you know, that didn’t make it into the Senate and we’ll wind up saying no and we’ll be back to Square One and we won’t have the information that the public needs."

Mulcair says government is shredding all claims to accountability by manipulating PBO selection process.

"We know who’s on the selection committee to replace the Governor of the Bank of Canada. It is a bit surprising that the Library of Parliament finds that its appointments process is a notch higher and the public isn’t allowed to know," he said, "It’s quite a big concern for us. Because the Parliamentary Budget Officer of course came in as part of the much ballyhooed Accountability Act. They’ve gutted every other part of the Accountability Act since they actually formed government so we’re quite concerned about the PBO. So it’s quite clear to us that they’re not taking it very seriously.

Government knowingly underestimated costs – NDP's Kellway.

by Samantha Bayard

OTTAWA, February 28, 2013 (Straight Goods News) — The Harper government's reputation for competence and honesty took another hit today with the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s (PBO) report that the government underestimated the cost to replace two 45-year-old resupply ships by at least $1 billion, igniting new charges of government mismanagement and cover-up.

"They missed the mark on the cost of the Joint Support Ships (JSS) by a long shot," NDP procurement critic Matthew Kellway told reporters. "It was 30 percent on the estimate and about 60 percent on the budget envelope. …The PBO was in fact, I think, very charitable."

When Kellway questioned public works minister Rona Ambrose in the house today she replied: "If adjustments need to be made, they will be done in partnership with the shipyards, the Navy and the Coast Guard." Adjustments can only mean getting less costly ships which can’t do what was promised.

"I don’t know what that gets you but it gets you some form of ship that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do and it certainly gets you some form of ship that doesn’t do what the government promised they would provide to our Navy," said Kellway.

Kellway suggested all the government's procurement debacles — fighter jets, helicopters, ships — stem from a lack of a clear and solid defense policy and a government which is incompetent and secretive.

"What this government put forward as a defence policy in 2008 was essentially a shopping list to recapitalize the armed forces. And what we know now clear[ly] is they can’t afford to do that, even at the price stated… and what is also clear is that price was vastly understated. When you multiply the kinds of things under, cost understatements that we’ve seen for the F-35, that we’ve seen for the JSS, and you multiply that across the full range of capitalization, then it’s clearly a fantasy document that, that exists now. The CFDS (Canada First Defence Strategy) has come crumbling around him and it’s an enormous indictment of incompetence frankly that, that after six years in that seat, there’s nothing there in the way of defence policy."

Matthew Kellway describes lies and secrecy in the procurement of ships

"Where we have to start is with honest transparent government, because one of the
interesting facts that came out in the PBO report is that in 2008, this government, DND already priced the JSS at $3 billion. And interestingly, it was the very same month that that report comes out that they decide to cancel the JSS program and say that the bids were non-compliant. This government has known for five years that back in 2008, it would cost $3 billion to, to do what they said they were going to do. And you apply escalators to that, and that comes out at probably somewhere over $4 billion. So what are they telling Canadians? They’re telling them, and still stand in the House and tell us that they can do this for $2.6 billion and that is simply not true. And you have this circus where the new associate minister (Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Delta-Richmond East) stands up to talk very proudly about their record. What kind of record is that? Five years
ago, they knew that they couldn’t buy those boats for $2.6 billion. And they’re still claiming now that they can do that."

Liberal defence critic John McKay describes the procurement in similar terms. "Every procurement is either late, it's overbudget or sometimes both. It's gross incompetence."

John McKay can’t believe, 6 years into a mandate the government still can’t replace two ships

Frontrunner takes heat for lack of "coherent vision."

by Samantha Bayard

OTTAWA , February 13, 2013 (Straight Goods News) — Liberal leadership candidate Marc Garneau (MP, Westmount-Ville-Marie) says frontrunner Justin Trudeau should tell Canadians where he stands and where he intends to lead now, not after the Liberal leadership race is over.

Garneau and Trudeau are among nine candidates vying for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. The winner of the race to replace interim leader Bob Rae will be announced April 14. "We need an anchor point. We need a foundation to know what that leader believes in fundamentally," said Garneau. "What I’m talking about is a coherent vision that comes from deep inside, as to what the Liberal party stands for and how it will address the future."

Trudeau has avoided detailing his platform and taking stances on his vision, often saying he will consult in future if elected Leader. He also has avoided Question Period, scrums and national media.

"Justin Trudeau has said, 'I care deeply about middle-income families, I care deeply about youth engagement' — but we haven’t heard anything.  We’ve heard about 'bold visions'.  We need the details. We need more than we're hearing right now," said Garneau.

Marc Garneau calls for a clear vision from fellow Liberal leadership candidates

Garneau said he has made his leadership vision clear and has outlined his plan on the knowledge economy, trade, telecommunications, Western Canada, electoral reform, and student debt and youth employment. He congradulated Trudeau for his contribution to the party: signing up new members and creating excitement but he said it is incumbent on him, his fellow candidates and Liberals to demand and get answers now in order to avoid the pitfalls of the past.

"We made the mistake last time of saying all we have to do is choose a leader and everything will work out. We did not define ourselves, the conservatives ended up defining us. They will do it again this time unless we know where each of these candidates stands," said Garneau.

With Trudeau as clear frontrunner, Garneau has taken the risk of speaking out — which is unusual for him, and could be interpreted as either brave or desperate.

"I am bringing up a difficult question today," he said. "I am doing this because I care deeply about my party. This is fundamentally important for the future of the Liberal Party. We have to get it right."

Lack of sound planning will result in huge liabilities and legacy costs.

by Samantha Bayard and Ish Theilheimer