Month: May 2005

It’s that time again, when I dust off an email from the NDP from the bottom of my inbox and read out the comedic gems that lie within. (I get email from all of the parties, just to keep track of the spin. The NDP emails are always the most entertaining to read).

Remember when we labelled the budget the “NDP budget” to underscore how the Liberals sold out to Buzz and friends? Well the NDP uses this term too to boast about their ‘awesome’ power over Paul Martin.

(email dated May 20th)

Last night history was made as the House of Commons adopted the first ever NDP federal budget bill.

The NDP’s better balanced budget amends the original Liberal budget by deferring $4.6 billion in corporate taxes and invests that money into people and the environment.

Yay for people! Yes folks, it’s an NDP budget! Is this the government that you voted for?

Then they offer up some selective quotes from the media!

“In the next federal election — whenever it is held — NDP voters won’t flee to the Liberals for fear of wasting their votes. Instead, Liberal support will bleed to the NDP, the party that knows what it wants. The party that gets things done.” — John Ibbitson, Globe and Mail (April 27, 2004)

and this one will have Ralph Goodale, well, thankful that he’s still got his cabinet limo:

“[Jack Layton] has had so much influence now on a budget, more influence than members of the Liberal caucus, for instance. He has totally changed Martin’s agenda. He’s had more influence than Ralph Goodale.” — Jane Taber, Canada AM (April 27, 2005)

Yes folks, they’re gloating! And then those silly dippers get dilusional along with the Globe and Mail…

“NDP Leader Jack Layton was looking positively prime ministerial when he announced yesterday’s agreement with the Liberals.” — Editorial, Globe and Mail (April 27, 2005)

Oh, those wacky guys/girls at the NDP! Canadians must think that the NDP is just adorable for their David vs. Goliath spin on everything.

And while the Honourable members from gumdrop-land and tofu-junction are playing accountant, over 300,000 jobs are lost!

Thank the Liberals for the NDP budget and thank Jack Layton for keeping a corrupt government in power so it can accomplish the corruption that Canadians sent it there to do!

Ok, time shift the focus from “The Liberals have lost the moral authority to govern”.

My suggestion to fellow CPC spinners in the blogosphere and on tv/radio is to pretend as if the statement above is already a known fact among all Canadians. Do not say it as if you’re trying to convince anyone of this statement.

Instead say it matter-of-factly:

“Well Peter, everyone knows that the Liberal party is ready to be shelved away”
and make this matter-of-fact statement the truth for Canadians by backing it up with modest honesty.

“Well Peter, everyone wants change in government, to replace the Liberals, however the Conservative Party needs to offer Canadians a better choice and we’re working everyday to bring our message of change to the country.”

Yes, we can still say that the Liberals are corrupt. Just don’t do it in a “I need to convince you of this tone”. Shift it to a “I’m just setting the context of what we’re talking about tone so I can bring an honest and constructive vision that the Conservative Party can offer” type of tone.

“Well Lloyd, everyone and their brother knows wants their government to be free of criminal activity, here’s what we’re doing to help Canadians take their country back…”

The Conservative Party finished riding the Parliamentary rollercoaster this week as the week started out with Stephen Harper’s foot on the throat of a dying Liberal minority government facing certain defeat on its budget butchered-by-Buzz.

Then from the Right, the bottom fell out as a blond precocious Parliamentarian bolted to the Grit benches so fast that the ink was not yet dry on her ten-percenter sent out to her constituents ripping the Liberals on “government corruption”.

And then the budget vote, lost by the most narrow of margins. It was a budget that I almost expected Ralph Goodale himself to vote against. It wasn’t to be and the Conservatives will fight on another day.

But how should we fight? What should we do now as Conservatives?

First, get Stephen Harper into Quebec, about three or four times a week. What’s the game-plan in Quebec? Talk about how la belle province and how la oil-well province are similar and how their fight is the same in Ottawa. Bring the message to Ottawa: “It’s the fiscal imbalance, stupid”.

Second, have Stephen Harper do one of those fluff news pieces where a reporter, cameraman, Harper, Mrs. Harper and say Peter Mackay go out on the town (get Rona Ambrose to babysit) and have a couple of pints and talk about a range of topics from raising their own children to rugby to favourite rock groups from the 80s. Those of us in the party know that Harper is human and a Helluva Guy. It’s time to let the country know. It’s a human interest piece and no network would reject it unless the board of directors has a hidden agenda.

Third, continue to press the Liberals on Adscam in Question Period, however, use Ablonczy, Jaffer, Ambrose and some of the other secondaries. Use Harper and Mackay to press the Liberals on Conservative issues (ie. set the House agenda on debating Conservative issues, not Liberals issues). For example, Monte Solberg could ask “Mr. Speaker, what does the Minister of Finance have against the Conservative plan to give Canadians the tax relief that they need in order to raise their average take-home pay for the first time in 15 years?”. When rebuffed by Goodale, Monte could then use up his time by outlining how good the Conservative plan is for Canadians. The point is to change the angle of debate to debate the merits of a Conservative government instead of the merits of a Liberal one (Canadians already know that the Liberal government has no merit — they need to know why a Conservative one does).

Fourth, dominate news coverage. Canadians should not only perceive that the Conservatives represent a government in waiting, they should think that the Conservatives are all but official. The shadow cabinet should make announcements as often as possible if not daily. Failing that, break out the sombreros.

Fifth, don’t close the door to Liberal defectors on principle. A Liberal crossing the floor to the Conservatives gains more ground (significantly negative Liberal press) than rejecting one based on principle (moderately positive Conservative press).