The Toronto Star has an editorial today by Michael Byers ripping the Conservative government for the purchase of the F-35 Jets for our armed forces. I won't even bother linking to the editorial because it's the same old drivel from this guy. You can read it at National Newswatch if so inclined. What I do find a joke is how the Star never gives full disclosure on those doing editorials with political ties that go against the government they are being critical of. Today's editorial is a case in point.
Who is Michael Byers? According to the Star: "Michael Byers holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Intent for a Nation and Who Owns the Arctic?"
But I knew right away who Byers was when I saw the name. Seems the Star never felt this was info that some might find important:
"On July 2, 2008, Byers announced that he was seeking the New Democratic Party nomination for the federal riding of Vancouver Centre, a seat held by Liberal Party of Canada incumbent Hedy Fry since 1993, in the 40th Canadian federal election. At a candidates' debate at the end of September 2008, Byers made the controversial statement that the Alberta tar sands needed to be shut down "to address the global climate crisis". The Liberal and Green candidates claimed that this position contradicted the official NDP platform, while Byers believes that it is covered by the already-passed legislation calling on Canada to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. In the 40th Canadian federal election, he was defeated by the incumbent, coming in third place.
In November 2009, Byers suggested that the Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party (NDP) "should agree to not run candidates against each other in the next campaign" in electoral ridings in order to prevent the Conservative Party of Canada from forming another minority government.
So the guy was an NDP candidate, pushed for a non-compete agreement between the Liberals and NDP, and is a supporter of the coalition.
Note to the Toronto Star. Some might find that information important when reading a biased editorial in the fairness of full disclosure.
16 billion dollars for F-35 over twenty years to protect Canadian soverinty and lives; compared to 35 billion dollars over twenty years for CBC to promote anti-conservatism. No brainer...
ReplyDelete"...that information important when reading a biased editorial in the fairness of full disclosure."
ReplyDeleteWhat?! A JOURNALIST disclose anything about themselves that's not positive or useful in furthering their agenda? Not likely.
Many times I have challenged journalists on the internet to explain why journalists are not treated with the same harsh scrutiny that they so easily subject others to.
All I ever got was evasiveness & cowardice.
Journalists are garbage.
Ever notice the town gossip never says anything negative about HERSELF?
Keep beating them with the CBC stick.
ReplyDeleteWe spend more than this on lame comedies, biased news, lie filled documentaries, and boring sitcoms.
They think this contract should have been tendered?
I think the CBC contract should be tendered.
Maybe SUNTV would be interested in bidding?
This is a lot of money we're talking about so maybe a tender would be a good idea.
And a bit of scrutiny.
Too bad the CBC refuses access to information requests.
Stan
Guess he missed NDPs Pat Martin's comment, it is not worth 20 years of lawsuits to cancel this purchase.
ReplyDeleteWith all the references being made re the cost of the helicopter deal, the lives lost in Afghan as we had no air transport, the purchase of 2 jets for JCs use, taking 100 million out of the defense budget to do it,
and with the net and blogs to get the truth out, who do you think will win the day.
Jobs to produce 2000 jets via contracts let to our firms, will also be a major factor.
Will iggy throw all that away. Does this have to go to a vote in the HofC, for iggy to tell his mps to take a nap instead of voting.
I, for one, am getting tired of all the efforts to get committees to sit, to increase the pay for mps.
Read what Springer had to say over at http://www.sortofpolitical.com/2010/07/liberal-lefts-mind-numbing-stupidity.html.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, its called the Toronto Star for a reason.
Byers is wrong and his article was debunked here:
ReplyDeletehttp://thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com/2010/07/f-35-project-plane-mission-from-seat.html
It's July 25th now, and the Liberal media is really turning it on now and lambasting the PM for the 'voluntary' census issue ... making all kind of spurious accusations that reek of goebbellian electioneering.
ReplyDeleteThe Toronto-centric print media is in full panic mode and firing all it's cannons at Harper because they sense he is going to pull the plug on Parliament in the last week of the Summer Recess, and not even let the HoCs reconvene in September.
All the old Liberal stooges like Travers, Walkolm, others, are spewing absolute rubbish now attempting to rally their minute audience against Harper ... because they have nothing to say about Iggy..!!!
It's really getting pathetic now ... Iggy on his Summer Bust Tour trying to rally the Liberal grassroots party workers to follow him into an election soon ... and not abandon him as they did Dion.