The whole thing is disgusting, but let's get real. Just how much affect did it have on the outcome of the election? Elections Canada announced tonight on Global News that they had received 31,000 complaints from Canadians about misleading phone calls. They also announced there were some 15,000,000 votes cast in the last election. That amounts to .002% of Canadians affected by such calls. If every single one of them took the calls advice, (and most saw through the call and voted where they were originally told to cast their ballots), the chances of electing a government due to such calls was nil. While the calls are unlawful and inappropriate, they are simply much ado about nothing.
We don't know a lot of things yet about these calls. We don't know how extensive they were. We may never know a lot about them. I'm not completely confident in Election Canada's ability to deal with the investigation. They had thousands of complaints on election day and the only reason we are talking about this is because a reporter leaked a story about Elections Canada investigating one of the most serious incidents that happened in Guelph -- almost a year after the event.
But if someone tried to subvert democracy and failed, or if these calls affected the outcome in even one riding, this is a very serious matter and a blow to our democracy. It wouldn't be much ado about nothing. And if one of our political parties is involved in this -- it is a major event, not much ado about nothing. It's a crime against the most essential part of our democracy and betrayal of the trust of our citizens.
If one of our political parties or one of their supporters was in involved in plotting a murder or theft, whether they got away with it or not, it wouldn't be much ado about nothing. You could say "well, it's only one person out of 30 million, a tiny percentage" but that would be irrelevant. It would still be a serious crime and a betrayal of our trust.
Edit: I just wanted to add that when a spoofed robo-call came into our home the day before the 2008 election I didn't think it was much ado about nothing. I was sickened and disgusted that some piece of crap thought that they could try and commit fraud in our election. And in this case I don't know if it had an effect, but it very well could have. The election was close and not everyone knew that the candidate the call was trying to tout had actually resigned. He got 3,600 votes, which made no sense and the election was won by 2,500 votes.
It would be my hope that no sitting Prime Minister from any party would be involved with such a matter. Instead, I see some EhMac members amassing bits of circumstantial evidence, circling like a pack of hyenas, and praying that the accusations might be true. Righteous indignation has its place when there is proof, but delighting in the possibility that such a thing might be true is a sad statement.
It would be my hope that no sitting Prime Minister from any party would be involved with such a matter. Instead, I see some EhMac members amassing bits of circumstantial evidence, circling like a pack of hyenas, and praying that the accusations might be true. Righteous indignation has its place when there is proof, but delighting in the possibility that such a thing might be true is a sad statement.
I am sure that King Harpo is quite clever enough to have made sure that none of his servants would have reported any details to him. Almost as sure as I am that he helped create the atmosphere that led to the impersonation of Elections Canada officials.
Had this occurred on the Cretien or Martin watch, I am certain the Harpo apologists would have been roasting the Liberal equivalent alive.
If it's bad when the other guy does it, it's bad when your guy does it.
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It would be my hope that no sitting Prime Minister from any party would be involved with such a matter. Instead, I see some EhMac members amassing bits of circumstantial evidence, circling like a pack of hyenas, and praying that the accusations might be true. Righteous indignation has its place when there is proof, but delighting in the possibility that such a thing might be true is a sad statement.
That would be my hope as well. I don't have circumstantial evidence in my case, I have real evidence of an attempt at electoral fraud in my riding. I have an .mp3 of the robo-call message and it is fraudulent. Others have recordings, actual evidence, of fraud being committed in other ridings in 2011.
Some of the complaints may be sketchy or not well-documented, some may be repetitive and some may be even fabricated, but there were actual crimes that were committed, that much is clear. Who did it, we don't know.
Besides the partisan to and fro, the Cons hoping the Opposition falls on it's face, the Opposition hoping they can catch the Cons with in a scandal, and the whole politics-as-a-sport thing, there is a real issue that everyone, no matter where they stand should be very concerned about here.
The fact that our Prime Minister refuses to act like the statesman he should be and rather take up arms in the partisan fight to slander citizens is an insult to those Canadians who are concerned about this crime.
Yes mrjimmy I did indeed see the article, but chose not to post it given that it seems to deal in fear mongering. I just can't bring myself to stoop so low.
Since when is unlawful much ado about about nothing? Using this logic, Adscam is completely inexcusable.
Quit playing politics and put your elected officials to task.
Conservatives everywhere are trying to mineralize this as minor. But what they won't see, is this is, a very serious matter, and so far the government's response is a joke.
But boy they're in there like a dirty shirt combing through the evidence before EC or the RCMP gets there.
Yes mrjimmy I did indeed see the article, but chose not to post it given that it seems to deal in fear mongering. I just can't bring myself to stoop so low.
No fear mongering when it comes to Harper Jimbo, just an endless series of reality checks.
Conservatives everywhere are trying to mineralize this as minor. But what they won't see, is this is, a very serious matter, and so far the government's response is a joke.
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