First, SUN NEWS is coming to Canada and is launching January 1st, 2011. Expect the CRTC to approve the channel to maintain its relevance (cabinet would likely overturn the CRTC if it objects). Though at the presser today it was suggested that Category 2 application will proceed if Category 1 fails.
Here’s a video of the press conference courtesy of Dr. Roy:
Detainee Docs
Next, the NDP has withdrawn from negotiations with the four parties on the release of the so-called Afghan detainee documents. The NDP says that the Liberals aren’t negotiating in good faith. The Liberals call the deal (sans NDP) a “surrender” for the government allowing Parliamentary review without government veto over sensitive information.
CBC News has the tape (and uploads to twitvid — fitting for covering politics?)
MP audits
More Parliamentary news has Sheila Fraser conducting a future global audit of MP expenses meaning that she will report on how MPs in general spend but will not delve into individual MP expenses. I heard of a poll suggesting that 98% of Canadians want the AG to look into MP expenses whereas 2% are opposed. Who knew that 1 out of 50 Canadians have contracts with the House of Commons?
Trudeau steps in it
Trudeau the Younger “wows ’em” at a local community college stop in the Ottawa region and gets himself into a bit of hot water. He told the students,
“A productive member of society is someone who creates … is someone who has things to offer that go beyond the products that we have to sell or buy.”
This was news to, well, those that produce.
Ignatieff not election ready
In more Liberal news, Michael Ignatieff is trying to keep to his goal of making it into the obscurity of summer while dodging rebukes from his own caucus. Take, for instance that three Liberal candidates have resigned in the past month. Never a good omen for a leader of a political party.
Prince Edward Hastings
Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale
Kootenay-Columbia
The candidate for Kootenay-Columbia dropped citing his displeasure in Ignatieff for whipping the gun-registry vote. If the gun registry survives, Ignatieff plans on registering the nation’s daggers (or at least those within his own party)
Former Conservative Scott Brison won his nomination today for the Liberal Party of Canada meaning that he will represent the Liberal Party on the next federal ballot for the riding of King Hants. We’ll see how he’ll fare in the upcoming election since he jumped ship to a party now deluged in the sponsorship scandal. Speaking of the sponsorship scandal, one of Auditor-General Sheila Fraser’s complaints was the Liberal government’s questionable purchase of two new Bombardier jets worth $100 million. These flying limosines, for the cabinet, were purchased while our military is sorely underfunded. Here’s what Scott Brison said about this when he was a Conservative: