Reality Check

REALITY CHECK: Will Harper withdraw his made-up ads?

Coming off a week where the Conservatives were pretty testy about misquotes in TV ads, Stephen Harper released ads that were full of made-up stuff.

Here is each attack on Jack Layton in the newly released Conservative ads, and the facts (citations are from the Ads themselves.)

HARPER SAYS: “Layton planned a coalition with the Bloc Quebecois before our votes were even counted (How we Almost Gave the Tories the Boot, Brian Topp, p. 46)”

HE MADE IT UP: The only mention of the Bloc on page 46 is a reference to the number of seats they won: “The campaign went well. We emerged with 37 seats, our second-largest result in our party's history. The Tories won 143 seats; the Liberals 76; the Bloc 48. We finally had a clean balance-of-power position in Parliament. As directed by Layton, I had re-activated our scenarios committee during the course of that 2008 campaign.... We reviewed party election proposals and reached roughly similar conclusions as we did in the 2006 exercise. We could see some areas of common ground with the Conservatives (consumer protection, crime). We could also see somewhat more common ground with the Liberals. On the other hand, we were now going to have to deal with a fundamental policy disagreement with the Liberals, passionately committed as they were to Mr. Ignatieff's tax-shift, carbon-tax plan.” – Brian Topp, How We (Almost) Gave the Tories the Boot, p. 46

HARPER SAYS: “Layton was willing to make Duceppe the “Driving Force” in the Coalition (Toronto Star, October 6, 2010)”

HE MADE IT UP: Full citation: “In a book released this week Duceppe casts himself as the driving force behind the Liberal-NDP coalition agreement.”  – Chantal Hébert, Toronto Star, October 6, 2010

HARPER SAYS: “Layton didn’t tell you until after the election”

HE MADE IT UP: Jack Layton has been clear about his plans to work with other parties to get results for Canadian families.

Seamus O'Regan: Do you believe so strongly in that that you would entertain even the notion of entering a coalition with the liberals in order to keep the conservatives out of power?
Jack Layton: I have worked with any other party. Maybe it goes back to my days on municipal council. You role up your sleeves and you try to solve a problem. Right now the problem we have is Stephen Harper and his Conservatives.”
–Canada AM, September 22 2008 (22 days before the election)

Making stuff up in TV ads is more proof that Ottawa is broken.

Campaign Update

CAMPAIGN UPDATE:

We have completed 3 weeks of this election – with 2 more to go. Here are some observations from this point in the race:

1. WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT CAMPAIGN TEAM! About a dozen men, women and youth make up the core of my Election Team. They have:
1. good skills
2. great team cohesion,
3. intense moments of problem solving,
4. also times of laughter.
2.  NATIONALLY – this has been a good three weeks for New Democrats.
1. Jack Layton has proclaimed the vision and message very clearly:
1. Solid issues on environment, health care and government ethics support the NDP platform.
2. The Conservatives, nationally, have stumbled through one glitch after another,
1. Most recently, the ugly Helena Guergis publicity;
2. The barring of potential dissenters from Tory rallies;
3. Edmonton Strathcona Conservative candidate, Ryan Hastman, confessing he is "losing";
4. and many more.
3. LOCALLY – there is lots to celebrate
1. An energetic phone canvas 4 nights a week, with cell phones we have purchased;
2. Coffee parties just now in full swing;
3. A sign campaign we are winning!
4.  My own solid track record on the environment and social issues that wins support from many wavering voters;
5. A fluid mood out there (which we hear repeatedly through the phone canvas) that many voters are considering other options besides the standard Conservative one for this riding.
4. LOOKING AHEAD – We look forward to the round of all candidate forums, which will give us a chance to speak clearly to local voters, and challenge other candidates. We will also be reminding the many undecided voters that NDP candidates have run second in the last two federal elections in Lethbridge, and in this riding are the obvious choice for those who have had enough of Harper’s domineering, controlling style, shabby ethics, outrageous environmental stance, tenuous support for health care and more.

April 6th Event