Heyyy… that’s not your money.
The opposition parties are at it again. This time, they’re wound up about a check that was handed over, specificly for presentation purposes, that displayed the logo of the conservative party on it as well as the name of the conservative MP who delivered it. Now, mostly the liberals, are calling for blood. Ignoring temporarily the fact that it’s a check strictly for show–the community receiving it isn’t about to run off to the local bank to cash that specific check, it’s a logo. The logo matches the party currently in government. The conservative government is behind the economic action plan that presentation is designed to promote–whether or not they are behind it at the will of the opposition parties. I don’t see the newsworthyness.
Of course, the opposition parties are going after the government now on ethics violations among other things. Which, alright, if it’s actually against the law for the government to do so then take them out back and have them shot. Or at least soundly flogged. Hell, maybe even set it up to stream online so the average voter can watch. But if it’s not actually against the law, and if–much like another claim of supposed partisan advertising–it ends up that folks who make the decisions on that kind of thing don’t actually see it as breaking any law, then drop it already.
For his part, Stephen Harper has publicly handed out a smackdown to the MP who was actually doing it. And, his spokespeople maintain there’s nothing wrong with displaying the name of the federal MP representing the riding on these mock checks, just leave the party logo out of it. A message the PMO might want to email to MP’s before someone else gets spanked. Obviously, whether it’s against ethics laws or some other government regulation or not, Harper has a policy of his own against it. If that’s all it amounts to, let Harper enforce it if he decides he wants to. If it amounts to more than that, then like I said earlier, take them out back and have them shot. But until and unless it ends up amounting to more than that, keep the thing out of headlines and get on with actually doing what Canadians supposedly elected you to do. In this case, finish introducing employment insurance legislation, pass the tougher sentencing bills, deliver more of the stimulous money that’s already been promised, and leave the election on the backburner until 2011 at the earliest. That’d be very much appreciated by a majority of Canadians, I’d be willing to wager.
