9 Comments
Mar 1·edited Mar 1

No, no and no. The last thing we need is a Royal Commission on government procurement. Government procurement in Canada is not broken. Just like Canada is not broken. You have fallen into the trap set by Poilievre and company by claiming everything is broken and on top of that, the Liberals are making it more broken because they are corrupt. None of this is true.

Government procurement is a challenge worldwide. Well, the developed world that is. You can replace Canada with the US, or the UK, or France, and you hear the same problems. It is slow, bureaucratic, risk averse, has trouble getting the requirements right, etc. It’s the same everywhere. A lot of that has to do with all the rules and procedures that are being demanded. These rules and procedures are in place to avoid problems like ArriveCAN and Phoenix. It does not make the project faster or cheaper, but if processes and rules are followed, nobody will be able to complain that it was a failure. With ArriveCAN (no clear requirements or statement of work) and Phoenix (going live before testing was complete and successful), corners were cut and projects went off the rails. We don’t need a fucking Royal commission to tell us that it would be better to adhere to the existing rules and procedures.

Now, the above is the competence part. The corruption part is different. The issue with this Dalian company owned by a DND employee may very well be corruption. Or more precise, fraud and breach of trust. As part of the contract, the company would have signed a contract stating that none of the employees or owners are government employees (for example SACC 2010B 04 Status of the Contractor). This would be fraud. In addition, in his DND employment contract there is likely a clause that prohibits doing business with the government Canada as well. This would be breach of trust. This is not complicated, but is also relatively rare in Canada. It is a just a prosecution issue, and an easy one.

Where I do agree is the leadership part. Or better, showing the leadership part. Instead of a royal commission on procurement, create or expand the audit and prosecution capacity. More audits on suspect projects and faster prosecutions when people take advantage of the system.

And if I would be advising the Liberals, I would give all the ArriveCAN files to the RCMP for investigation. This project would not reach the political levels in an arms length department like CBSA. The only risk is ministerial responsibility, and we seem to have let go of that many, many years ago already.

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I realize populism and slogans and banter is all the rage - and apparently contagious - but I have questions. If the government wanted to cover up, why did they fire them and then call in the RCMP to investigate? Why didn't the CPC party work within NSICOP to review the secret documents and help decide what could be released publicly? Why won't Poilievre get the security clearance required to view documents. Why don't conservatives mention the two lab techs were hired under a majority Harper government after it signed a one-sided anti-democratic treaty with China, giving China unprecedented access to our country. Harper even compromised our telecom industry by giving access to Huawei against US intelligence advice.

There isn't a political party that hasn't been by its eventual corruption. The Harper tories are no exception. In fact, as Transport Minister, Poilievre gave the same adscam players millions in contracts. He never mentions it. The Harper tories diverted $50 million from the G8 security fund to Tony Clement's riding and "lost" another $3.1 billion, said the auditor general and never were held to account for either.

I'm as fed up with the Liberals as anyone else but hell will freeze over before I cast my vote for populist Poilievre - who campaigns like Trump - and his incompetent antivaxxer, anti-science, serially lying batshit loons. I will always pick the lesser poison.

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I have difficulty understanding how a liar, misinformer and an insulter of everyone who disagrees with him can lead in the polls.

Is it because he has amassed followers who believe he will give them the power to abuse those who disagree with them?

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lost you at "withhold health transfers", even if it's on a "progressive" basis

that is the last can of worms that ever needs to opened in this country by the feds. might as well set a date for quebec separatism for the day after the next election.

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Justin Trudeau has a leadership problem? I don’t know. Most of his attention the last couple years seems to be directed at Ukraine as directed by his overlords at the US State Department are pulling out all the stops to preserve their coup regime installed in February 2014. He’s not alone. Every time you turn around the head of state of this country and that country is flying off to Kiev for a photo op with Zelensky and mutter a few requisite words (Ukraine must win! Ukraine will win!). So it’s not surprising he’s been neglectful on the home front and things put out n the back burner.

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ronmac appears from the Putin troll farm to make the case against NATO coming to Ukraine's aid against a dictator who murders his critics.

Great. It's bad enough we have to contend with those lowlifes on X but they're subscribing here too?

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Here we go again. Anyone who counters the NATO narrative and suggests there may be another side to the story is a Putin troll. Good grief. Maybe there are some who have delved into the history of the region and see that it is far more complicated than the soundbites spouted by the mainstream media. Once in a while the curtain is pulled back we get a glimpse of this murky past. Like when the members of Parliament gave a standing ovation to some 98 year-old veteran a few months ago only to find later out that he was a member of the Ukrainian SS fighting against the army that liberated Auschwitz. Whoops! Nothing to see here folks.

On the question of Navalny, why would Putin knock off a minor opposition figure who was little threat to him. It goes against his interests.

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Mar 2·edited Mar 2

"NATO narrative" he says. Putin lawlessly invaded a sovereign country and dummy thinks Ukraine should just roll over. Own your loyalty to Putin, shoe shine boy. As for the Nazi invited to Parliament, no one knew he was one including the PM until afterward. Meanwhile, three Poilievre MPs paid $250 each to lunch with a neoNazi from Germany who was protested against by a million Germans in the streets, and Poilievre decides they can remain in caucus. The far right has found a home inside the conservative party. Not the Liberal party.

As for Navalny, if he wasn't a threat why did Putin poison him, then lock him up. Nothing more despicable than a Putin butt licker.

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Sounds like a great platform. I’d vote for you

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