Andy Beaudoin, the Simcoe-Grey Conservative Association President, wasn't particularly fond of my columns related to Ms Guergis.
Yesterday, the Alliston Herald published a letter from Rob Holliday in response to Beaudoin that speaks from the perspective of someone who voted for the Conservative Party in Simcoe-Grey. As the letter is not posted online it is set out below:
When the day came to vote in the 2008 Canadian federal election I felt strongly about two things. The first was that it was my duty to exercise my right to vote. The second was that Stephen Harper was the only leader worth voting for in this election.
For these two reasons I very grudgingly marked an X next to Helena Guergis' name on my ballot. I say very grudgingly because my view (and many others I talked to) of Helena Guergis is in agreement with that of Kevin Kemp. However in the Canadian voting system, in order to vote for Mr. Harper as leader, I had to vote for Ms. Guergis as MP.
I'm sure Mr. Beaudoin is well ware of how the voting system works and it is disappointing that he would misrepresent the 30,000 votes cast for the Conservatives as evidence that all these people support Ms. Guergis. 30,000 people supported the Conservatives in our riding but I haven't personally met one who did it because of Ms. Guergis.
Rob Holliday
Stephen Fishman of Wasaga Beach had a letter to similar effect that included the following excerpt: "...the so-called attacks against Helena Guergis were not based on partisan politics, but on her record as our MP."
Ironically, Beaudoin appears to have borrowed liberally from my November 7, 2008 column in a letter to the Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin. It's great to see that Andy is a regular reader!
Showing posts with label Helena Guergis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Helena Guergis. Show all posts
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sitting One Out
Initially published in the Alliston Herald on October 10, 2008
In 1974 Robert Stanfield was running in his third General Election as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. It was in the course of this election that I, aged 10, made my first political statement and prepared a crude homemade sign with coloured markers to show support for Stanfield.
It was a bad year for that 10 year old! Not only did the Boston Bruins lose the Stanley Cup final to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games, Stanfield suffered his third consecutive loss to Pierre Trudeau.
To this day I remain of the view that he is the best Prime Minister we never had.
My involvement with the Progressive Conservative Party continued through the years and included trips as a delegate to the 1983 PC leadership convention that elected Brian Mulroney and the 2003 convention that elected Peter McKay.
Following the merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties I actively supported the new Conservative Party.
However, I have chosen to “sit out” this election. Remarkably, it would seem that I am not alone. Many other New Tecumseth area residents who were once involved with either the Progressive Conservative, Reform or Canadian Alliance parties have similarly remained on the sidelines.
These individuals include Alliston businessman Wayne Hutchinson (who was a key Ontario organizer in the early days of the Reform Party); Beeton residents Iain MacKay (an original member of New Tecumseth town council) and Shauneen MacKay (who once ran as a Reform candidate); Cookstown area resident Floor Kromhout (who served as president of the provincial Simcoe-Grey Progressive Conservative constituency association for the better part of a decade); and, Alliston lawyer Jamie Smith – an individual whose father served as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for this area and who, in past elections, routinely canvassed with former MP Perrin Beatty on Alliston’s Victoria Street.
Interestingly, former Progressive Conservative Lynda Mitchell , who was employed for a time in the Alliston constituency office of Helena Guergis, recently accompanied a candidate along Victoria Street. I nearly fell off my chair when I learned that it wasn’t Guergis that she accompanied but rather Liberal candidate Andrea Matrosovs!
I do not know the reason why the individuals noted above are on the sidelines.
Personally, for the reasons previously outlined in this column, I am unable to bring myself to vote for Helena Guergis. Thus, for the first time in many years (I never voted for Brian Mulroney!), I will not vote Conservative.
Peter Vander Zaag (Christian Heritage Party) is an individual who exudes integrity. Among this field of candidates his education qualifications are second to none (he has a Ph.D in agriculture) and he undoubtedly has a deep understanding and appreciation of the needs of Simcoe-Grey farmers.
Vander Zaag has previously commented, quite correctly in my mind, that he would likely be elected if he ran as a Liberal or Conservative. However, he has not done so out of concern that he would not be able to speak his conscience. It is not hard to admire such conviction.
It would not surprise me to see many conservatives, who are unhappy to see the Harper government break promises and abandon some key Reform principles, to mark their ballot for Vander Zaag.
I have had the privilege of meeting each of Peter Ellis (Green Party) and Andrea Matrosovs (Liberal Party). Both seem intelligent, well-spoken and sincere. Although I have not met NDP candidate Katy Austin, she appears, from a distance, to share these characteristics. All three have teaching backgrounds.
At the end of the day, my vote will go to the candidate who has the best opportunity to defeat Helena Guergis – an individual who has not served the residents of Simcoe-Grey well and who has been an embarrassment on the national stage.
As recently as last week Stephen Harper claimed the economy was sound. Now, in a time of economic crisis when our savings are disappearing, Harper has acknowledged problems but tells us to “stay the course.” It is a position parroted by Guergis in a radio interview on Tuesday. The thing is, how can we possibly have confidence in this approach when last week these same parties claimed everything was fine?
The candidate who clearly has the best opportunity in this regard, and whom I believe will make an outstanding Member of Parliament, is Liberal Andrea Matrosovs.
In 1974 Robert Stanfield was running in his third General Election as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. It was in the course of this election that I, aged 10, made my first political statement and prepared a crude homemade sign with coloured markers to show support for Stanfield.
It was a bad year for that 10 year old! Not only did the Boston Bruins lose the Stanley Cup final to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games, Stanfield suffered his third consecutive loss to Pierre Trudeau.
To this day I remain of the view that he is the best Prime Minister we never had.
My involvement with the Progressive Conservative Party continued through the years and included trips as a delegate to the 1983 PC leadership convention that elected Brian Mulroney and the 2003 convention that elected Peter McKay.
Following the merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties I actively supported the new Conservative Party.
However, I have chosen to “sit out” this election. Remarkably, it would seem that I am not alone. Many other New Tecumseth area residents who were once involved with either the Progressive Conservative, Reform or Canadian Alliance parties have similarly remained on the sidelines.
These individuals include Alliston businessman Wayne Hutchinson (who was a key Ontario organizer in the early days of the Reform Party); Beeton residents Iain MacKay (an original member of New Tecumseth town council) and Shauneen MacKay (who once ran as a Reform candidate); Cookstown area resident Floor Kromhout (who served as president of the provincial Simcoe-Grey Progressive Conservative constituency association for the better part of a decade); and, Alliston lawyer Jamie Smith – an individual whose father served as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for this area and who, in past elections, routinely canvassed with former MP Perrin Beatty on Alliston’s Victoria Street.
Interestingly, former Progressive Conservative Lynda Mitchell , who was employed for a time in the Alliston constituency office of Helena Guergis, recently accompanied a candidate along Victoria Street. I nearly fell off my chair when I learned that it wasn’t Guergis that she accompanied but rather Liberal candidate Andrea Matrosovs!
I do not know the reason why the individuals noted above are on the sidelines.
Personally, for the reasons previously outlined in this column, I am unable to bring myself to vote for Helena Guergis. Thus, for the first time in many years (I never voted for Brian Mulroney!), I will not vote Conservative.
Peter Vander Zaag (Christian Heritage Party) is an individual who exudes integrity. Among this field of candidates his education qualifications are second to none (he has a Ph.D in agriculture) and he undoubtedly has a deep understanding and appreciation of the needs of Simcoe-Grey farmers.
Vander Zaag has previously commented, quite correctly in my mind, that he would likely be elected if he ran as a Liberal or Conservative. However, he has not done so out of concern that he would not be able to speak his conscience. It is not hard to admire such conviction.
It would not surprise me to see many conservatives, who are unhappy to see the Harper government break promises and abandon some key Reform principles, to mark their ballot for Vander Zaag.
I have had the privilege of meeting each of Peter Ellis (Green Party) and Andrea Matrosovs (Liberal Party). Both seem intelligent, well-spoken and sincere. Although I have not met NDP candidate Katy Austin, she appears, from a distance, to share these characteristics. All three have teaching backgrounds.
At the end of the day, my vote will go to the candidate who has the best opportunity to defeat Helena Guergis – an individual who has not served the residents of Simcoe-Grey well and who has been an embarrassment on the national stage.
As recently as last week Stephen Harper claimed the economy was sound. Now, in a time of economic crisis when our savings are disappearing, Harper has acknowledged problems but tells us to “stay the course.” It is a position parroted by Guergis in a radio interview on Tuesday. The thing is, how can we possibly have confidence in this approach when last week these same parties claimed everything was fine?
The candidate who clearly has the best opportunity in this regard, and whom I believe will make an outstanding Member of Parliament, is Liberal Andrea Matrosovs.
Friday, October 3, 2008
What's Good for the Goose....
Initially published in the Alliston Herald on October 3, 2008
In the course of the 2004 General Election Conservative candidate Helena Guergis complained about our then Liberal Member of Parliament, Paul Bonwick, having a newsletter (also known as a householder) arrive on doorsteps after the election had been called.
Remarkably, Guergis has now engaged in conduct identical to that which she previously found so objectionable. In particular, this past week the residents of Simcoe-Grey received their own, rather large, four page householder courtesy of Guergis.
The literature makes multiple references to Guergis being an MP - something that is prohibited by Elections Canada rules for campaign literature - and contains no less than 17 photographs of our MP (out of a total of 20) with various people including the majority of mayors in our electoral district.
We should not be surprised by this behaviour. As previously referenced in this column, Guergis has a history of saying one thing but doing the opposite if it suits her purpose and/or advances her career.
When interviewed by the Herald about the promotional literature Guergis declared, "I've had it in the hopper probably about a month and a half now." She made similar claims in the course of the recent Rogers cable television debate when she blurted, "It was ready two weeks before the election call" and that it was not possible for her to "stop it."
These representations require scrutiny. The reason? Well, on the very first page of the householder Guergis states, "I recently (emphasis added) unveiled a historical plaque dedicated to the accomplishments of Sir Frederick Banting."
What's remarkable about this little tidbit is that the government did not announce there would be a plaque until Fri., Sept. 5, 2008. The election was called on Sun., Sept. 7, 2008.
How can literature that was ready two weeks before the election call be edited two days before the election call, but not stopped? Is it possible the government householder went to press after the election was called?
Sadly, this appears to be the latest example of Guergis' abandonment of previously stated positions/principles for the sake of personal gain. In particular, conduct that Guergis earlier criticized is now justified as entirely acceptable.
The Herald/Rogers comments, in the face of apparently contradictory evidence, demonstrate what happens when Guergis is required to go off script and think on her feet. It does not go well!.
Some in the national media have identified this and other problems and tagged Guergis as an embarrassment. For example, earlier this year MacLean's magazine writer Aaron Wherry authored a blog entitled, "Helena Guergis Irrelevancy Watch".
Indeed, whereas it is a rather simple matter to continually parrot party policy and read a prepared text, it is quite another to respond to unexpected questions in a lucid and coherent manner. One questions whether her inadequacies in this regard are the reason why she is has avoided some all-candidates debates and interviews with the media.
The pattern of avoidance has apparently extended into her employment. Last month Embassy magazine, Canada's respected and widely read foreign policy newsweekly, reported that, "Consular affairs has been an orphan of the government for the past months. The saga started when Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Helena Guergis abruptly and unilaterally announced to PMO (Prime Minister's Office) that she would no longer be handling consular files..."
Yikes! Are you kidding me? Who gets to bail out on some of the critical aspects of their job? It's like a Tim Horton's clerk announcing that he/she no longer intends to pour coffee or a Honda associate advising they will no longer work in the stamping department. It's not acceptable!
The first sign that Guergis was in over her head may have been apparent in 2004 when she was quoted as saying: "...there is not much difference between beauty pageants and politics because of all the public service and travel required."
Umm... will someone please tell Guergis that serving as a cabinet minister is, in fact, different from a beauty pageant? If it doesn't happen soon the rest of Canada, if not the world, is liable to conclude that the residents of Simcoe-Grey belong in a scene from the Beverly Hillbillies.
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Guergis Gaffes
Initially published in the Alliston Herald on September 12, 2008
With a premature federal election now upon us, I am especially curious as to the strategy that will be pursued by those who seek to unseat our current Member of Parliament, Helena Guergis.
In particular, will the contest follow Marquis de Queensberry rules or will it digress to a "down and dirty" battle the likes of which haven't been seen in this region since George McCague snagged the provincial conservative nomination from Wally Downer back in the 1970s?
One politically active friend recently mused that if he were running a campaign against Guergis he would almost certainly "go negative".
There is no question that over the course of the past year Guergis has taken a rather severe thumping in both the national media as well as the increasingly prominent "blogosphere".
Back in March Don Martin, the respected national affairs columnist for the The National Post, described Guergis as the Conservatives' "greatest lost cause" and "over her head as a Cabinet member". Remarkably, it got worse. Martin added that Guergis should be removed from Cabinet before her "...amateur antics and strange behaviour trigger an international incident."
Perhaps concerned that he hadn't yet made his point, Martin referred to Guergis' "many gaffes" and "diplomatically stunted behaviour" before concluding that the Prime Minister should return Guergis to the backbench as a place better suited to her abilities.
The national television media have not been any kinder. In a W-5 feature related to Guergis' handling of the Brenda Martin affair (the Canadian woman who languished in prison in Mexico on rather questionable criminal charges), Guergis was not, to put it mildly, cast in a favourable light. In fact, those who viewed W-5's "attempted" interview of Guergis during a press conference at a Canadian Tire store might legitimately wonder whether she was moving faster than Donovan Bailey circa 1996 in her effort to avoid the television cameras!
As the result of her "hot-foot" from the cameras Guergis did not proceed with an announcement of funding for sport for underprivileged children. Nevertheless, the botched announcement cost taxpayers in excess of $3,000.00.
Perhaps the most vicious criticism of Guergis has come from numerous internet blogs which are loaded with uncomplimentary adjectives. One individual has gone so far as to post a "YouTube" video that shows an authentic video clip of Guergis answering a "kwestion" (satirically spelled) in the House of Commons. However, the voice dubbed over the video is not that of Guergis but rather the infamous contestant from South Carolina who, in the course of 2007's Miss Teen USA, notoriously bumbled (to be kind) a question on foreign affairs.
Much criticism of Guergis relates to her apparent unwillingness and/or inability to depart from a partisan script. Those who attended the local debates in the course of the last election will recall that the Conservative policy book was never far from hand. Spontaneous she was not!
From the cynical perspective I am not particularly bothered by a politician's fervent adherence to partisan rhetoric. Guergis is not the first politician to conduct herself in this manner and she certainly (unfortunately) won't be the last.
However, my personal trepidation with Guergis relates to a concern that she is too willing to compromise her own values and beliefs if they might interfere with the advancement of "her career". Indeed, if Guergis is prepared to place personal advancement in priority to her own principles, there is no reason to believe the values and principles of the residents of Simcoe-Grey will fare any better.
Two examples in particular highlight this concern. In 2003, when Guergis was a provincial Progressive Conservative candidate in the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, she was quoted at an all-candidates debate as being in support of same-sex marriage. However, as the Simcoe-Grey Conservative candidate in 2004 (a more socially conservative area) Guergis reversed this earlier position and asserted her opposition to same-sex marriage.
Once again, when Belinda Stronach crossed the floor of the House of Commons in 2005 to join the Liberals an indignant Guergis expressed her outrage and advised of her intention to advance a private member's bill to prohibit future floor crossings. However, when David Emerson crossed the floor to join the Conservatives in 2006, Guergis' indignant outrage rapidly dissipated. In a twist of irony worthy of a Monty Python skit, Guergis abandoned her previously stated beliefs and chose personal advancement as a junior minister to Emerson.
To borrow (and slightly alter) the gist of a quote from Winston Churchill: Some change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of personal gain.
With a premature federal election now upon us, I am especially curious as to the strategy that will be pursued by those who seek to unseat our current Member of Parliament, Helena Guergis.
In particular, will the contest follow Marquis de Queensberry rules or will it digress to a "down and dirty" battle the likes of which haven't been seen in this region since George McCague snagged the provincial conservative nomination from Wally Downer back in the 1970s?
One politically active friend recently mused that if he were running a campaign against Guergis he would almost certainly "go negative".
There is no question that over the course of the past year Guergis has taken a rather severe thumping in both the national media as well as the increasingly prominent "blogosphere".
Back in March Don Martin, the respected national affairs columnist for the The National Post, described Guergis as the Conservatives' "greatest lost cause" and "over her head as a Cabinet member". Remarkably, it got worse. Martin added that Guergis should be removed from Cabinet before her "...amateur antics and strange behaviour trigger an international incident."
Perhaps concerned that he hadn't yet made his point, Martin referred to Guergis' "many gaffes" and "diplomatically stunted behaviour" before concluding that the Prime Minister should return Guergis to the backbench as a place better suited to her abilities.
The national television media have not been any kinder. In a W-5 feature related to Guergis' handling of the Brenda Martin affair (the Canadian woman who languished in prison in Mexico on rather questionable criminal charges), Guergis was not, to put it mildly, cast in a favourable light. In fact, those who viewed W-5's "attempted" interview of Guergis during a press conference at a Canadian Tire store might legitimately wonder whether she was moving faster than Donovan Bailey circa 1996 in her effort to avoid the television cameras!
As the result of her "hot-foot" from the cameras Guergis did not proceed with an announcement of funding for sport for underprivileged children. Nevertheless, the botched announcement cost taxpayers in excess of $3,000.00.
Perhaps the most vicious criticism of Guergis has come from numerous internet blogs which are loaded with uncomplimentary adjectives. One individual has gone so far as to post a "YouTube" video that shows an authentic video clip of Guergis answering a "kwestion" (satirically spelled) in the House of Commons. However, the voice dubbed over the video is not that of Guergis but rather the infamous contestant from South Carolina who, in the course of 2007's Miss Teen USA, notoriously bumbled (to be kind) a question on foreign affairs.
Much criticism of Guergis relates to her apparent unwillingness and/or inability to depart from a partisan script. Those who attended the local debates in the course of the last election will recall that the Conservative policy book was never far from hand. Spontaneous she was not!
From the cynical perspective I am not particularly bothered by a politician's fervent adherence to partisan rhetoric. Guergis is not the first politician to conduct herself in this manner and she certainly (unfortunately) won't be the last.
However, my personal trepidation with Guergis relates to a concern that she is too willing to compromise her own values and beliefs if they might interfere with the advancement of "her career". Indeed, if Guergis is prepared to place personal advancement in priority to her own principles, there is no reason to believe the values and principles of the residents of Simcoe-Grey will fare any better.
Two examples in particular highlight this concern. In 2003, when Guergis was a provincial Progressive Conservative candidate in the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, she was quoted at an all-candidates debate as being in support of same-sex marriage. However, as the Simcoe-Grey Conservative candidate in 2004 (a more socially conservative area) Guergis reversed this earlier position and asserted her opposition to same-sex marriage.
Once again, when Belinda Stronach crossed the floor of the House of Commons in 2005 to join the Liberals an indignant Guergis expressed her outrage and advised of her intention to advance a private member's bill to prohibit future floor crossings. However, when David Emerson crossed the floor to join the Conservatives in 2006, Guergis' indignant outrage rapidly dissipated. In a twist of irony worthy of a Monty Python skit, Guergis abandoned her previously stated beliefs and chose personal advancement as a junior minister to Emerson.
To borrow (and slightly alter) the gist of a quote from Winston Churchill: Some change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of personal gain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)