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Topic: Canada buying 100 Leapord 2's A6's from the Netherlands. Done deal!! (Read 1904 times)
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Chet Malone
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I for one, am tired of politicians, all of them. We haven't had a good honest politician in this country since, well... probably before my time. It’s a damn shame. I don't subscribe to any particular party in general, because they’re all the same. While in opposition they talk a good talk, but give then some power and that talk magically becomes silent, they conveniently forget the so-called promises they made to the Canadian people. They steal, cheat, lie, carouse and sham the population, as if to say we're not intelligent enough to see through they’re despicable behavior.
I for one, think a minority government is a good thing, it keeps the powers to be in check, and they’re is nothing worse than giving one party absolute power, as we have witnessed repeatedly in the past. It breeds complacency and dishonesty, which leads to a myriad of other problems. “Absolute power, corrupts absolutely” rings true. The power should be left with the people, not the government.
I pride myself on being a fairly good judge of character. Steven Harper comes across to me as having a hidden agenda, he’s the type of person, when he speaks, he has to force a smile and he can’t look someone directly in the eyes for fear of revealing his true nature or thoughts. I watched the CBC program, the “Hour”, they had Dr. David Suzuki on as a guest and it was then that I knew I wasn’t the only one who though this way, when Dr. Suzuki said. “Steven Harper has his head so far up Mr. Bushes backside, that he can’t see light”. He said other things, but it was this quote that said I wasn’t the only one who thought like that.
I feel it would be a gross mistake to give Harper the green light in the next election. This hidden agenda, which I know other people feel that there is one, would probably be the biggest mistake we seen in this country since Pierre Trudeau and 1968.
My 3 cents…
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3RCR 1980 - 1984 Baden
3RCR 1984 -1986 Winnipeg Kapyong Barracks
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4RCR London 1992 - 1999 Reg force cadre
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Mike Blais
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Just once, I'd like to hear an simple answer to a simple question. Today, for example, during Question period about Afghanistan. As we all know, we have committed to the mission until Feb, 2009. How hard is it to say, yes, we are considering staying longer or no, thats it, it is another NATO country's turn to step up while we regroup, rearm and reequip...
Meanwhile, back to the important stuff... snicker. Things you have to do to get an answer from the neocons...
NDP submits formal request for answers on Harper's stylist
JENNIFER DITCHBURN
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The prime minister who made lifting “the veil of secrecy” on government operations a top priority is now being compelled through Parliament to answer questions about his personal image adviser.
The NDP submitted a formal request through Parliament on Thursday to determine how much public money Stephen Harper spends on the assistant, after the Prime Minister's Office ignored requests for details.
The government has acknowledged only that the former CBC makeup artist is paid with taxpayer money.
A government official justified the refusal to provide more details by saying accountability is meant to prevent people from stealing, and was not intended to apply to staffing issues.
New Democrat MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis tabled a question on the parliamentary order paper that requires the government to respond in writing within 45 days. If the government does not respond, the issue will automatically go to a parliamentary committee for study.
“With respect to professional services provided by Ms. (Michelle) Muntean to Prime Minister Harper: How much is Ms. Muntean being paid — on an hourly and-or annual basis? What are the terms of her employment? What is her official title? In terms of her employment supervisor, to whom does she report?” the question reads.
The request also asks for details of the departmental budget used to pay Ms. Muntean.
Ms. Muntean, a warm, empathetic figure in Mr. Harper's entourage, accompanies the prime minister on major foreign and domestic trips and looks after his wardrobe and general grooming. She was most recently with Mr. Harper as he attended ceremonies at Vimy Ridge in France.
Ms. Muntean began helping Mr. Harper with his image during the Conservative leadership campaign and assisted him during two federal campaigns.
Information about Ms. Muntean's employment has had the opacity of TV makeup.
The Privy Council Office has said she is not an employee of the Prime Minister's Office, although she has been described as part of his “tour staff.” Other members of Mr. Harper's tour staff are listed in government directories and their expenses are posted publicly.
A government source has said Ms. Muntean's expenses are picked up by the Conservative party. Other members of the tour group have their expenses paid for by the Prime Minister's Office budget.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission said she is not listed in government files as a public servant.
That leaves two possibilities: Ms. Muntean could be considered “exempt staff,” partisan employees who nonetheless are paid based on government salary ranges and classifications. Or she is a House of Commons employee, whose salary cannot be determined through the Access to Information Act, despite being public money, because the Commons is generally not covered by the legislation.
Mr. Harper has insisted on transparency on such issues in the past.
In 1994, as an MP, he demanded that then Reform Party Leader Preston Manning reveal the details of his party-paid clothing allowance.
And the axis of the Conservative government's last campaign platform was bringing greater accountability to government.
“We must clean up corruption and lift up the veils of secrecy that have allowed it to flourish,” Mr. Harper said a year ago.
A former colleague of Mr. Harper in the Reform party, Liberal MP Keith Martin, said the caucus at the time was concerned about how much the party spent on such perks for its leader. He said the Conservative party has now completely abandoned any of the values of the Reform party.
“The Reform party came to support grassroots democratic involvement in an open, transparent way and the Conservative party under Mr. Harper is top-down, tight organization where policies, ideas, direction comes from a handful of people in the prime minister's office,” Mr. Martin said.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Aw , what a sordid web they weave...is anyone watching?? Oh, what the h***,, they cant do anything anyway.. Accountability??? Oh , that wasnt meant for the PMs office... or?  I would just say Mr Harper, march your back side to jail..left ,right, left , arms up, shoulders back, c'mon laddy ,at least try to look like a soldier...and " Sgt Major march the g***** so and so in..er accused..".. well ,what else can one say...talk about corruption....ranrad. |
RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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Mike Blais
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Looks like the pooofter aspect of the equation will be moot for me whenever the election is called. But I'll be watching... nyuk nyuk nyuk
No powder please, we're Niagarans...
COREY LAROCQUE / CP
Local News - Friday, April 20, 2007 Updated @ 7:32:30 AM
Tie straight. Hair combed. Zipped up. Good to go.
Turns out politicians in Niagara are low-maintenance compared to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, some saying style isn't as important as substance.
The PM has been under fire this week after the Canadian Press revealed he hired - at public expense - Michelle Muntean to travel with him and make sure he's presentable. She checks over his makeup, hairdo and wardrobe.
Not everyone in the Harper government puts the same emphasis on style.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, the Conservative MP for Niagara Falls, said he doesn't spend public money getting wardrobe help.
"If you're asking me about which tie I wear, I use my wife's advice and sometimes my daughter," Nicholson said.
Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor said he doesn't put a huge effort into his appearance, other than to make sure he's dressed appropriately for the occasion.
"I am who I am. It's not about your image. It's about how you do your job.
That's how you're measured," said Craitor, a member of Ontario's Liberal government.
He said he felt "embarrassed" before a recent TV interview when the studio's crew put some makeup on his face to reduce the glare from the lights.
When reporters want to talk to him at his Queen's Park office, there's no pre-interview primping, either.
"He does check in the mirror, occasionally, to see that his tie is straight," Craitor's assistant Ron Planche said.
Mayor Ted Salci also handles his own image, buying his own clothes, preparing for TV appearances himself without any fanfare, he said.
Makeup can be a concern at big TV studios where there are bright lights, but TVCogeco's studio on McLeod Road is small enough guests don't need it, said Joann Tweney, Cogeco's programming director.
"We're not washing them out like they're going to a studio with 50 lights," she said.
Politicians opt for the natural look in front of the camera, Tweney said.
If there's something askew about a guest's appearance - an untucked shirt, a jacket that's not sitting right or a dangling microphone cable - a member of the crew usually spots it first and points it out, Tweney said.
Public figures want to appear natural, but there's still some truth to the old adage that the clothes make the man, said Nancy Geddie, the co-ordinator of Niagara College's public relations program.
As a national leader, Harper is justified in wanting to look his best, she said.
"If he wants to work with, and be accepted by, the big boys he better start looking like one of them."
Public figures communicate a message without even saying a word, she said.
"In a perfect world, none of us would need it and we could all be the people we are inside. That's not the world we live in."
But people in the public eye can't get by just on their looks, Geddie said.
If the content of their message is strong, they can use their image to reinforce it. On its own, though, style won't save a public figure who doesn't have substance, too.
"I'm afraid you've got to have the whole package," Geddie said.
If the prime minister or a party leader wants style pointers, the party should pay for it, not taxpayers, said Niagara Centre MPP Peter Kormos.
How much effort a public figure puts into their appearance is a personal decision, said Kormos, a New Democratic member who is often seen around Queen's Park without a jacket or tie.
"It's pretty obvious to most people I don't have a personal stylist," said Kormos, who boasts about the $10 haircut he gets at a Welland barber shop (though he leaves a five-dollar tip).
What public figures wear and how they carry themselves can say a lot about the causes they support, said Kormos.
"I try to wear union clothes and I drive a GM truck ... I wear Canadian-made cowboy boots," Kormos said.
clarocque@nfreview.com
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Mike Blais
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Optics? Bit freaking late now, isn't it? No one can deny that these UAVs would be of great assistance to the lads on the ground, indeed, the move to aquire more was based on military necessity. Which does not take precedence over political optics with the Conservative government, it would appear. Tories kill sole-source DND contract $500-million deal for aerial drones from U.S. firm cancelled over optics David Pugliese Citizen Special Friday, April 20, 2007 A Defence Department plan to award a sole-source contract to a U.S. firm for aerial drones has been scuttled by the Harper government because of concerns over the optics of ministers pushing through yet another multimillion-dollar deal without competition. The department wanted to purchase the Predator unmanned aircraft as part of a $500-million program for the surveillance of Canada's coasts as well as for use in Afghanistan, defence sources said. Under DND's plan, there would have been no competition for the deal and a British Columbia company's proposal to provide the military with drones would have been sidelined in favour of that provided by a U.S. firm. The timing of the Defence Department plan couldn't have been worse. It was presented last month to Public Works Minister Michael Fortier and other ministers the day after Auditor General Sheila Fraser publicly questioned the government's decision to purchase billions of dollars of military hardware over the last year without any competition. Cabinet ministers balked at the drone proposal and told military officials they would need to come up with more solid reasons why a $500-million program would go to a firm without competition. The Harper government has faced continuing criticism for its plans to direct billions of dollars worth of contracts to specific companies, bypassing the more traditional process of allowing firms to compete for such lucrative equipment deals. Opposition members of Parliament, including Liberal Denis Coderre, Dawn Black of the NDP and Jack Layton, leader of the NDP, as well as Alan Williams, the former senior bureaucrat in charge of equipment purchases for the Defence Department, have raised questions about whether Canada is getting good value using such a non-competitive process to purchase more than $8 billion in new aircraft and helicopters. They argue that competition gets the right equipment at a good price and with maximum benefits to Canadian industry. Bloc Quebecois MPs, including leader Gilles Duceppe, have questioned whether the contract arrangements have penalized Quebec's aerospace and defence industry. The government, however, counters that the equipment is needed quickly and there is no time for what could be a drawn-out competitive process. The Harper government has been relying on a process called an advance contract award notice to direct contracts to specific companies. Mr. Fortier and Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor have denied the advance contract process is a form of sole-source contract. Under the process, the government identifies the specific product from a company that it believes will meet its needs. Other firms are allowed to put forward a case for their products, but defence industry officials readily acknowledge that the process is, in reality, awarding a contract without any competition. The auditor general has said that advance contract awards are not competitive. The Defence Department wanted to use the process to buy the Predators from General Atomics in the U.S., which has teamed with General Dynamics of Ottawa. That proposal would have shut out a competing bid from the B.C. firm MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates, which has joined forces with an Israeli company. Defence officials, however, are not giving up on the Predator and are readying another pitch for the government. The military prefers the Predator, since it is in wide use with U.S. forces. Defence Department spokeswoman Krista Hannivan said the drone program remains a requirement for the Canadian Forces and it is currently in the development and approval stage. "Interdepartmental discussions are ongoing in order to determine the best approach for DND, government and Canadians," she said. Ms. Hannivan said it would be inappropriate to provide further details about the project at this time. Sources say the failure of the Defence Department's proposal to the government last month on the purchase of the Predator could have been because of poor timing. On the same day, ministers approved the purchase of used Leopard 2 tanks -- a $650-million deal with few industrial benefits for Canadian companies, since the vehicles are being purchased from the Dutch government while other tanks are being borrowed from Germany. The ministers, however, were reluctant to approve another $500-million deal that would have seen much of the spending directed to a foreign firm. But some in the Canadian Forces and the defence community believe that since Canada is at war in Afghanistan, the previous methods of contracting for equipment should be altered. Military officials, they argue, know what equipment is best and industrial benefits for Canadian firms should be secondary. The Defence Department wants the unmanned aircraft operating by the summer of 2009. At least 10 drones would be purchased, though the figure could go as high as 18. The program would also include ground stations and necessary support systems. In the past, MacDonald Dettwiler officials have highlighted the fact that their aerial drone would carry some of the same types of sensor systems that the company built for the military's Aurora patrol planes. That could provide savings for the Defence Department in regards to training and the supply of parts. © The Ottawa Citizen 2007 |
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Chet Malone
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Dalton if I came across something like that, "I'd frame it" and put it up on the wall in my living room.  I hear ya, It took an action like this to open up peoples eyes and see that if our troops don't have the proper equipment, more will die needlessly and all because of a few defence critics, like Liberal defence critic, Coderre or NDP Dawn Black, think they know best. I'm with you on the no faith with any government, unless their backed into a corner and have no other recourse than to take action, if only to save face with the voters. The new tanks are a good start and hopefully it won't stop there. There have been some hard lessons learned and I do hope that the PM will stop listening to the back bench whiners, who know absolutley nothing about military matters and keep listening to the field commanders, when it comes to whats needed for operational equipment. Personally I would enjoy seeing a few of them over there humping around in +40 degrees heat, scared and tired, not knowing if the next trip they take out of the wire will result in running over and IED or being shot at. Maybe then they will keep their big pie holes shut and stop stealing my air.... I wonder if they read these boards, God I hope so.. Rant Off. Cheers old friend, best to your family and be safe on those roads. If your up this way, drop me a line, plenty of cold beer in the fridge and good converation. Chet. |
Battle school depot 79/80 Petawawa
1RCR London Dukes coy 1980
3RCR 1980 - 1984 Baden
3RCR 1984 -1986 Winnipeg Kapyong Barracks
Infantry school Tpt Pl Gagetown 1986 - 1988
3RCR 1988 - 1992 Baden Q Coy Bn Tpt.
4RCR London 1992 - 1999 Reg force cadre
31 Bge HQ 1999-2001 Desk jockey.
Medical release in London 2001
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Dave Brydon
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Some levity: How the Government REALLY works!
Fixing a fence at 24 Sussex Drive:
A Ontario contractor does some measuring and figuring, then says, "I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me."
The Quebec contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the Government official and whispers, "$2,700."
The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?"
The Quebec contractor whispers back, "$1,000 for me, $1,000 for you, and we hire the guy from Ontario to fix the fence."
"Done!" replies the government official.
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Mike Blais
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Whats the point of having an ombudsman at all if there are elements of the brass who believe they above his inquiries? Note the way the father was treated? Sound familiar, ie, Fitzgerald's dad's complaints when his son was charged with manslaughter? Our men in uniform deserve better then this. So do the parents who send their sons and daughters into harms way.
Top officials stalled sniper probe
Ombudsman investigated allegations sharpshooters treated like turncoats
Mike Blanchfield
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The group of Canadian snipers that claims mistreatment by their comrades was involved in an elite combat mission with their U.S. allies in 2002, hunting al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Some Canadian Forces brass are expected to come under fire today for stone-walling a controversial investigation by the military ombudsman into alleged mistreatment of army snipers by their comrades in Afghanistan.
Ombudsman Yves Cote is to release a report today that is three years in the making, dating back to a chain of events that began on a remote stretch of mountain in eastern Afghanistan more than five years ago. Six Canadian snipers and their American counterparts killed a group of al-Qaeda militants in the incident.
"The reason why this investigation took so long was that National Defence, the Canadian Forces withheld documents for about 12 months," said a government source familiar with the inquiry's conclusions. He spoke to the Citizen on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the report.
"It really hindered the investigation, particularly the timeliness of it."
The snipers had been involved in an elite combat mission with their U.S. allies, all of whom were charged with hunting al-Qaeda militants as part of Canada's maiden military effort in Kandahar in early 2002.
When the Canadians returned to their base, their comrades treated them like turncoats.
Later in 2002, the U.S. military awarded the six Canadians Bronze Stars, an award usually given to American soldiers for heroic deeds in combat.
In 2004, the father of one of the snipers, Pat Ragsdale, went public with complaints about how his son, Master Cpl. Graham Ragsdale, was treated and how the military treated the family.
Mr. Ragsdale's son reportedly suffered from post-traumatic stress after his return from Afghanistan.
In September 2004, then-chief of defence staff, Gen. Ray Henault, ordered the ombudsman to conduct an investigation into how the snipers and the Ragsdale family were treated by the Forces.
"The ombudsman, in particular, is concerned about how the father was treated when he came forward with these concerns," said the source.
The investigation was plagued by further delays that Mr. Cote's outspoken predecessor, Andre Marin, complained about publicly two years ago.
Mr. Marin accused the army of unfairly hindering his investigation by withholding transcripts of the military's own internal tribunals into the case, and flatly rejecting his request to see its daily war diaries of the time in question.
By early 2005, Mr. Marin had received just eight of 31 tribunal transcripts, and some of those were highly edited.
Mr. Marin has since left the military ombudsman's job and gone on to become the Ontario government ombudsman.
However, some documents relating to the incident have been declassified over the years and released under Access to Information.
Photos showed one dead man with a sign on his chest that read "F--k Terrorism," a cigarette in his mouth and a missing finger.
A military investigation into whether someone committed indignities to a body later concluded that a sniper linked to the photo would not face charges.
The documents indicated that the snipers did not receive stress counselling after they returned to their main base at Kandahar Airfield, but were allowed a meeting with an American chaplain when he learned they had not spoken to anyone.
The snipers, members of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 3rd Battallion, based in Edmonton, had been seconded to the U.S. military for nine days.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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