And Now There Are Two…

 

As in two candidates for next month’s PC Leadership vote in Ontario.

There were initially 5 seeking the mantle but as of this past week with Monty McNaughton’s withdrawal – there are but two left – Christine Elliott and Patrick Brown.

Makes one wonder if there is just too little interest in grabbing the leadership ring and maybe that is not all that surprising considering the Liberal’s 4 consecutive election victories.

Regardless – for the few of us who are actually interested in next month’s vote I wanted to share with you why I believe the Tory Campaign Rules forced McNaughton’s hand to withdraw.

The ballot was to be a ranked ballot meaning voters would have to state their first, second and third choices – so once the ballots are marked – it is marks the end of the voting.

No dropping off – no wheeling and dealing – no convention speeches to win delegates over – that results will already have been determined with the ranked ballots.

It really takes the fun and interest out of the process does it not?

With two candidates – the ranking of candidates no longer applies since one of the two is guaranteed to get a majority on the first ballot – unless in the unlikely event they both receive 50% of delegates’ votes.

So with Christine Elliott leaning left and both Brown and McNaughton leaning right – the only way for either Brown or McNaughton to influence the outcome was to withdraw before the delegates even voted.

And with Brown leading in memberships sold – it fell to McNaughton to take the plunge.

Will his strategy work?

We’ll soon know – but what had once looked like a coronation for Elliott – looks less so today.  Maybe Hillary Clinton should take notice.

What started out to be a boring campaign has degenerated into one of even greater boredom.

And you can thank the folks at the Ontario PC Executive for bringing this about.

Hopefully this does not signal another decade of Grit Rule for our once proud Province.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

Have We Got A Guard For You…

 

The Ceremonial Guard for Canada’s War Memorial here in Ottawa kicked off its season today.

As per last year, there will be two Ceremonial Guards posted at the Memorial and at its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from 9 am to 5 pm – seven days a week until Remembrance Day, November 11th, 2015.

But this year the set-up is different, the two ceremonial guards themselves will be guarded by two of Ottawa’s finest police at a cost to the taxpayer of nearly half a million dollars for this part year assignment.  It does include a cruiser.

The extra security is due to the tragic shooting death of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo on Wednesday October 22nd. 2014 @ 9:30 am.

Cpl. Cirillo was cowardly gunned down by a lone Islamic Terrorist aficionado.

The guard was initially posted because some male had urinated on the War Memorial in late hours of Canada Day – July 1st 2006.

Do you see something amiss here?

A Guard was posted during the day light hours to protect the War Memorial from a vandalism that took place late at night at a time when most vandalism is apt to occur.

Typical Government.

This stupidity then directly was a factor in Cpl Cirillo’s death since most certainly had he not be on duty that day, protecting the nation’s main monument from unlikely acts of daylight vandalism, he would not be killed.

I am not for a minute suggesting that his special duty caused his death – it did not – the terroist did that all by himself.

Indeed even without the urination incident, I believe the War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier should be guarded during the spring, summer and fall and I would extend the Guard 7 days a week – 24 hours per day.

What I am pointing out is how inept Government’s can be when they set out to solve a problem.

But now the Guards too are guarded by the Ottawa Police.

Why not really get into it.

Many believe the RCMP is the proper police force responsible for the War Memorial – so let’s add a couple of RCMP constables as well.  Just think what a draw they would be in their Red Serge.

And don’t forget to give them a cruiser too.

And while we are at it – let’s add the Ontario Provincial Police since if the City Cops are there and now the RCMP – should not the OPP be represented too?

And of course their car.

And you can’t leave Guards guarding Guards there on their own – replacement Guards will need to flow through to cover coffee breaks and lunches.

The Minister Responsible for Ottawa – Pierre Poilievre is quoted as saying they have adopted this new system of guarding the guards to send terrorists a message that we in Canada cannot be intimidated.

I find it quite the opposite – guarding the guards sends a message loud and clear that we are indeed intimidated.

So here is what I would do.

I would keep but the two ceremonial guards – one to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the other armed to guard the perimeter of the War Memorial.

Extra cost – none.

Change in the former guard arrangements – none save for the fact that both guards will now be issued real bullets to protect themselves.

They are part of Canada’s distinguished army and are well equipped at protecting themselves.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

The Biggest Event In Town …

 

Begins tomorrow morning, in our nation’s fair capital – Ottawa.

I am speaking of course about the Mike Duffy fraud trial.

Many accounts that I have been reading put great importance on his trial, for numerous reasons.

In truth though, it is about one thing and one thing only.

And I will come to that.

But it does once again put the Senate on trial which I see as a needless waste of everyone’s time:

As I have said on countless occasions – the Senate is an undemocratic body populated by unelected ‘hacks, flacks and ne'er-do-wells’.

It should have been abolished years ago.

The trial will only serve to harden that view amongst the many who share it with me.

The NDP’s unequivocal stance - that it will deep six the Red Chamber – is guaranteed to be an election favourite.

But that is all just a sideshow. It will not determine the winner of the upcoming Election.

The real issue is whether or not the Prime Minister lied when he told the country he knew nothing of his Chief of Staff’s gift of $90,000 to the Duffster.

I think Stephen Harper lied when he said that and I believe this will come out when said Chief of Staff, Nigel Wright gives his testimony in regard to this sordid chapter.

From all accounts – despite the ill advisedness of the gift, Wright is one of the few honourables in this sorry saga and he can be expected to tell the truth, under oath – whatever that turns out to be.

But should that truth differ from Harper’s recall – the Prime Minister will then be in the unenviable position of having been caught out lying to Parliament and to the public generally.

I do not see how he could then stay on, in such a circumstances.

What is totally sad about all of this is that it did not need to happen.

There was nothing to be gained by either Harper or Wright coming to Duffy’s defence.  Indeed it was the Government’s position that it too wanted the Senate reformed or gone.

So why get involved in the internal doings of such as dysfunctional body?

There was absolutely nothing to be gained by the Tories and everything to lose as Nigel Wright correctly prophesied in one of his last emails as Chief of Staff.

If Harper goes down, as I think he very well may, he will have the rest of his life to dwell on that question.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’