People will only read the headlines about the mailings but heres some food for thought below. One thing to keep in mind - in Brant weve received very partisan mailings, sometimes 2-3 at the same time carpet bombing the riding sent by other parties. I hate these mailings and think they shouldnt be used by any party. I also happen to think ALL the parties should stop using them. The NDP abstained on this practice for years while the Liberals and Conservatives kept doing it. Eventually, and wrongly, after years of attacks the NDP joined in the practice. Now the Liberals and Conservatives on the Board of Internal Economy are teaming up and examining ONLY NDP mailings. An independent body should examine all of the parties mailings. If that was done the other parties would go broke repaying us taxpayers. Alongside Stephen Harpers Conservatives, Justin Trudeaus Liberals were happy to set up a kangaroo court at the secretive Board of Internal Economy to retroactively change rules to launch partisan attacks on the NDP. Pretty stunning - this is about politics - plain and simple. And of course when it comes to allowing their own mailings to be studied alongside that of the NDP, Liberals and Conservatives said no. Canadians deserve better The NDP should create tighter and clearer legislation that stops the practice of partisan mailings altogether. And just recently the NDP tabled a motion to push for an unbiased examination of all mailing programs. MPs from all parties were given an opportunity to demonstrate their openness and transparency, as the NDP tabled two motions in the House that would open to the public the Bureau of Internal Economy and have the mailing programs of all parties be subject to an unbiased examination. Guess what? The Conservatives and Liberals voted it down - that same morning the Liberals held a press conference saying it supported these kind of measures. How can you say one thing in the morning, and yet do a totally opposite thing just a few hours later? From CTV News: “We believe that we have followed the members bylaws and the Canada Post Act, and we will now have to fight this process -- by a partisan secretive body that is dominated by Conservatives -- outside of Parliament, Julian said. He decried a process that does not include the presentation of evidence, witness testimony or an opportunity for the NDP to defend itself. None of this will hold up in a court of law,” he said. Julian did not directly answer when asked whether MPs will repay the money. Instead, he accused the Conservatives of using their majority on the committee to exempt their own mailings from investigation, “and invent their own rules about what might be appropriate and what’s not.” The New Democrats have said repeatedly that they did nothing wrong and are the victims of a “Kangaroo court.” The party said last week that it checked with Commons administration before sending the mailings and followed the rules. Mulcair said earlier Wednesday he expected Liberals and Conservatives on the committee to join forces and order that his party repay the funds. Were not going to be surprised -- were taking it for granted, frankly, that theyre going to come out against us, Mulcair told reporters on Parliament Hill following Wednesdays weekly caucus meeting. He criticized the committee and its investigation, saying theres no process, no right to be heard, no right to educe evidence, no right to see that the rules are applied equally to everyone.”
Posted on: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:12:26 +0000
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