All Purpose Politics and News Thread

[Darth Penguin]

I have no words


http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ba...akistan-n74526

Pakistan court withdraws baby atttempted murder charge

A Pakistani court has withdrawn the case against a nine-month-old baby who was accused of attempted murder alongside 12 members of his family.
Muhammad Musa Khan appeared in court in Lahore for a second time on charges of planning a murder, threatening police and interfering in state affairs.
But the judge said the case should never have come to court.
Police chiefs earlier said they had ordered action against an investigating officer.

[Natalka]

Ahhh the Robocalls scandal. Could it be that we'll get some answers soon? Andrew Prescott has been offered immunity from prosecution in the case, but if the Conservatives are as innocent as they claim, why does he need immunity? Sing birdie. Sing!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/robo...cott-1.2497625

Yes, it's over! Report is in - and the conspiracy theory has been debunked!

OTTAWA – A three-year investigation into allegations of fraudulent robocalls during the last federal election has found no evidence of intent to deceive voters nor any evidence of an orchestrated scheme beyond Guelph, Ont.

A long-awaited report from commissioner of elections Yves Cote will come as vindication for the Conservative party, which has faced a cloud of suspicion for years over widespread reports of non-party supporters being directed to the wrong polling stations in the final days and hours of the hard-fought vote on May 2, 2011.

“Having carefully examined all of the evidence, the commissioner found no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence under the (Elections) Act has been committed,” Cote’s 32-page report, posted Thursday, flatly asserts.


The conclusion is supported by an independent review by Louise Charron, a former Supreme Court justice who was paid by Elections Canada for her expert opinion.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1288780/el...bocalls-probe/

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Good editorial and info here:

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...das-watergate/

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[Patty Smyth]

Yes, it's over! Report is in - and the conspiracy theory has been debunked!

OTTAWA – A three-year investigation into allegations of fraudulent robocalls during the last federal election has found no evidence of intent to deceive voters nor any evidence of an orchestrated scheme beyond Guelph, Ont.

A long-awaited report from commissioner of elections Yves Cote will come as vindication for the Conservative party, which has faced a cloud of suspicion for years over widespread reports of non-party supporters being directed to the wrong polling stations in the final days and hours of the hard-fought vote on May 2, 2011.

“Having carefully examined all of the evidence, the commissioner found no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence under the (Elections) Act has been committed,” Cote’s 32-page report, posted Thursday, flatly asserts.


The conclusion is supported by an independent review by Louise Charron, a former Supreme Court justice who was paid by Elections Canada for her expert opinion.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1288780/el...bocalls-probe/

---------------


Good editorial and info here:

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...das-watergate/

--------------

Well seems like not everyone agrees it's been debunked.

"The lawyer who represented the Council of Canadians in its unsuccessful Federal Court challenge of 2011 election results has presented a detailed and damning critique of Elections Canada’s investigation of the complaints about misleading phone calls to voters."

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/...y-investigate/

[Natalka]

Patty, of course they would disagree, they lost the case.

[Natalka]

Justin Trudeau's dictat to Liberal candidates - must be pro-choice

- pick your favourite news source...

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/abort...tsField-513589
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05...n-as-liberals/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle18530161/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anti...says-1.2634877
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/05/07...justin-trudeau

[Patty Smyth]

Justin Trudeau's dictat to Liberal candidates - must be pro-choice

- pick your favourite news source...

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/abort...tsField-513589
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05...n-as-liberals/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle18530161/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anti...says-1.2634877
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/05/07...justin-trudeau

Agree - nothing new here the party has always been pro-choice.

Although he is personally not in favor of abortion, being catholic.

[Darth Penguin]

Agree - nothing new here the party has always been pro-choice.

Although he is personally not in favor of abortion, being catholic.

Yeah..I've never understood how pro-choice equals in some people's minds to "Kill All Unborn Babies!!!!" rather than it meaning allowing an adult a degree of autotomy over his/her body..ie..keep a wanted pegnancy even if the medical professionals disagree.

[Natalka]

Gee, and here I was, thinking it was 'news' since his announcement has been splashed all over the papers! And I read all of the articles, too...

Oh, wait, yes it is "new" - prior to this, it wasn't a 'must' for candidates to be pro-choice.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05...n_5282477.html

[Natalka]

Yeah..I've never understood how pro-choice equals in some people's minds to "Kill All Unborn Babies!!!!" rather than it meaning allowing an adult a degree of autotomy over his/her body..ie..keep a wanted pegnancy even if the medical professionals disagree.

Very true, big difference between pro-abortion and pro-choice.

( I had no idea about the Tebow reference - )
http://www.snopes.com/glurge/timtebow.asp

[Darth Penguin]

And somehow Mr Trudeau still thinks that a woman gets to have the final say over HER OWN BODY...

But he did not say whether the abortion issue would be part of the Grits' 2015 electoral platform or whether he thought the abortion issue contravened any Charter rights.
The Liberal leader also did not say whether McKay or Lamoureux would be allowed to vote freely if the abortion issue came up in Parliament or whether they would be told to stay away.

From the Natalka link...

"We are not going to eject someone from the party for beliefs that they have long held," Trudeau said.

both quotes Natalka from what you posted..

[Natalka]

Yes, I read them and understand them - about him grandfathering some.
I don't understand what you are questioning?

[Patty Smyth]

Gee, and here I was, thinking it was 'news' since his announcement has been splashed all over the papers! And I read all of the articles, too...

Oh, wait, yes it is "new" - prior to this, it wasn't a 'must' for candidates to be pro-choice.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05...n_5282477.html

I think they should be pro-choice. It's the party policy. I don't want people subtly pushing their own agenda. I don't vote for the person I vote for the policies.

This is why I would never vote for the cons even if Justin Trudeau were running because I disagree with their policies.

[gryphon]

I think they should be pro-choice. It's the party policy. I don't want people subtly pushing their own agenda. I don't vote for the person I vote for the policies.

This is why I would never vote for the cons even if Justin Trudeau were running because I disagree with their policies.

What if the candidate is Sikh or Hindu or Muslim and its against their beliefs? isn't this discriminatory then?

[Patty Smyth]

What if the candidate is Sikh or Hindu or Muslim and its against their beliefs? isn't this discriminatory then?

You are running for the liberal party , you know their policies. If you have a problem with it because of your religion then run as an independent.

We had a woman here who disagreed with the Provincial liberals when it came to the Charter of values. She was for it, it was not part of the party platform and she was asked to leave. She ran as an independent.

Stephen Harper is a born again xtian and he knows abortion is not even a topic people want to touch or legislate in this country. Although he does have backbenchers try and push private members bills on this occasionally. The abortion debate is 40 years old in this country and it's over do we really want to go back to the old times of bombing Morgentaler clinics?

[Patty Smyth]

Harper wrong in accepting says veterans.

What a monumental waste of time and money, all that time in Afghanistan.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle18578336/

The head of Canada’s largest veterans’ organization is upset that the Prime Minister, not the Governor-General, will be presented with a Canadian that has become a key Afghanistan war memento during ceremonies to commemorate the 12-year military engagement.
Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president Gordon Moore is unhappy Stephen Harper is the one designated to receive the last Canadian flown at International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Afghanistan when a veterans’ relay team brings it to Parliament Hill on Friday during Day of Honour events. He “will accept the on behalf of Canadians,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a news release on Thursday.
r. Moore said the should be accepted by Governor-General David Johnston as Canada’s commander-in-chief. The few at NATO headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. A three-year Canadian training mission in the war-torn country ended in March, capping more than a decade of military involvement in Afghanistan that included deadly combat operations, which ceased in 2011.
“Mr. Johnston, His Excellency, is the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces,” Mr. Moore said. “That’s who we as former members and serving members hold in respect because he is our commander. I firmly believe that’s who should be receiving the .” he said.
The Legion president said he does not want politics to intrude on Day of Honour ceremonies. “I’m hoping it’s not political. That’s the last thing our veterans need. I’m praying that the politics will definitely be left out of it. But we will have to wait and see,” Mr. Moore said.
Mr. Harper designated May 9 as a one-time event to salute the tens of thousands of Canadian men and women who served in Afghanistan. In the future, the Afghanistan mission will be remembered in the Nov. 11 ceremonies.
Jason MacDonald, director of communications for the Prime Minister’s Office, said Canadians should reserve judgment until they see the Day of Honour ceremony.
“I think that when people see what has been planned, they will see that every effort has been made to appropriately honour those who served, with the respect they deserve,” Mr. MacDonald said. “The ceremony will be respectful and singularly focused on the efforts and sacrifices of the more than 40,000 Canadians who served in Afghanistan over the course of Canada’s 12-year mission.”
The May 9 event will include a parade from the Canadian War Museum to Parliament Hill. It will be followed by two minutes of silence, a fly-by salute and public viewing of the Afghanistan Memorial Vigil in Centre Block’s Hall of Honour. The memorial is a series of plaques representing Canadians who died there as well as fallen U.S. soldiers under Canadian command.
The Conservative government is also staging a display of military might on Parliament Hill, including a Leopard tank, 16 armoured vehicles, and the type of artillery gun that soldiers used to shell Taliban targets in Afghanistan. Military transports, patrol aircraft and helicopters will fly over the Hill.
The mission cost the lives of 158 Canadian soldiers, one diplomat, one journalist and two civilian contractors. The Canadian government is estimated to have spent more than $11-billion on the conflict.
The Royal Canadian Legion, which has more than 320,000 members, is also frustrated by what it feels was insufficient notice of the Day of Honour. Mr. Moore said his office was officially informed of the May 9 commemoration in early April, but, he adds, many branches received mailings from the federal government only this week. This has left Legion branches scrambling to prepare local ceremonies across Canada.
The PMO first told Canadians of the celebration in mid-March.
Mr. Moore said the Legion has done its best to set up commemorations at cenotaphs and branches, and he emphasizes that the organization considers May 9 an important milestone.
“We definitely want to show our respect to each and every one of them and ensure everyone remembers the 158 who made the supreme sacrifice.”
Some veterans consider Friday to represent an ending of Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan, he said.
“I know there are Afghan veterans who are looking at Friday as closure for losing their buddies over there.”
The Legion president noted some Afghanistan veterans and their families won’t acknowledge the Day of Honour because they feel Ottawa has not sufficiently supported those who served with benefits and health care.
“They say the government has let them down and they haven’t been there when they needed them, especially for benefits they require,” Mr. Moore said.