Canadians Don’t Need To Swap Harper Scandals For Trudeau-Gagnier Scandal

News from Canada’s New Democratic Party

Ontario, October 16th – In Southwestern Ontario Canadians have the chance to end the decades long cycle of Liberal scandal, being replaced by Conservative scandal, only to return to more Liberal scandal.

Political consultant and energy sector lobbyist Dan Gagnier - Why did the Trudeau campaign take him on its team to begin with?

Political consultant and energy sector lobbyist Dan Gagnier – Why did the Trudeau campaign take someone with ties to tar sands-related projects on its team to begin with?

On Wednesday (October 14th), Liberal scandal reared its head once more when it came to light that Justin Trudeau’s campaign co-chair and senior advisor Dan Gagnier was being paid by Energy East (a corporation proposing to build a pipeline from Alberta’s tar sands, through Ontario to the east coast) and gave them secret lobbying advice in the closing days of the campaign.

“Ten years ago, Canadians showed the Liberal party the door because of scandals and corruption. Now they’ve got Stephen Harper’s scandals and corruption,” said NDP candidate and former House Leader, Peter Julian. “Justin Trudeau has slapped a coat of shiny red paint on the Liberal party, but now Canadians see it’s the same old scandals and corruption that was behind the Sponsorship Scandal.”

When Gagnier’s surreptitious lobbying advice came to light, Trudeau’s campaign blindly defended Gagnier’s. This was swiftly followed by a forced resignation. But by Thursday evening Dan Gagnier confirmed that in fact Liberals knew all along about Mr. Gagnier’s work advising Energy East while also helping to run the Liberal campaign. This issue was blown up overnight putting many Liberal gains in Quebec in question as Quebecers are reminded of wounds of the Liberal Sponsorship Scandal.

“The NDP needs 35 new seats to defeat Stephen Harper. Justin Trudeau needs more than 100,” added Julian. “Canadians don’t need to swap Stephen Harper’s scandals for Justin Trudeau’s scandals. By electing the NDP in just 35 new seats Canadian can defeat Stephen Harper and replace him with Tom Mulcair. Canadians know Tom Mulcair is ready to bring change to Ottawa.”

Niagara At Large Footnote – Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau issued the following statement on this issue this past October 14th – “We are well aware of the challenge of perceptions in politics and of the challenges the Liberal party has had to address in the past,” Trudeau said in the statement. “That’s why we took immediate action to say that this action was unacceptable, inappropriate and Mr. Gagnier fully assumes the responsibility for his actions and stepped down.”

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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9 responses to “Canadians Don’t Need To Swap Harper Scandals For Trudeau-Gagnier Scandal

  1. Mr. Trudeau and the Liberal Party have been well aware of Gagnier’s work; he was appointed to his position with the campaign because of he was useful to the party—until now.

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  2. Chris Wojnarowski's avatar Chris Wojnarowski

    Just wait ’til mean old Vlad grabs little Justin’s tricycle away from him. Then who will fight to get little Justin’s tricycle back? Benjamin? Barack? really?

    Scary to think that Canada may actually elect “Honey Boo-Boo” to lead this country.

    Well, it’s close enough to Halloween I guess.

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    • Just a note. Little Justin is 43. Little Stevie was 47 when he became PM. Mulcair is 60. Mean old Vlad could kick any of their asses including Obama’s. Netanyahu is just a little bully who needs billions of US dollars to prop him up. Your point? This has nothing to do with the corruption in all political parties for which Harper currently holds the record….Duffy, Wallin, Brazeau, his ethics minister……

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    • I already voted for TOM in the advance poll. Pfffttttt.

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  3. Gail Benjafield's avatar Gail Benjafield

    The Tyee published more than the few mentioned above about Harper. Add in the feeble and admittedly uselessness of the Volunteer Census against the Long Form, just for a start. Check out the Tyee’s exhaustive list of Harper abuses. Bill 51? Muzzling of both scieintists, archivists and librarians. Racism, yup; it’s in there. How did he treat our elderly Veterans with that malodorous Julian Fantino…. the list goes on.

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  4. I have noticed that just about every political party attracts people with ulterior motives self benefit and power, these limpets attach themselves and use their inside information to make some “Quid Pro Quo ” I notice that George Smitherman of the Ontario Liberal Party left behind a mess to clean up with every portfolio he handled. every Ministerial job he held was fraught with scandals. Justin should beware of this guy he is toxic, just like Duffy for Harper.

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  5. Never has Tommy Douglas’s story of Mouseland been so appropriate. If you haven’t read it do so now. Not only is it funny, it is also frighteningly prophetic and currently pertinent. Let’s get rid of the cats!

    Let’s finally put the mice in charge and at least see what they can do. Surely, what they do can’t be any worse than what we have had in Canada for two decades: corruption, self-interest, greed, corporate welfare, and patronage. If Mr. Harper is such a good leader, why so many of his party charged for corrupt practices? If Mr. Trudeau is really ready, why are Jean Chrétien’s Old Boys doing so much of Mr.Trudeau’s talking for him?

    Check out Tommy’s story: http://3-114.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/4/2/3242763/tommy_douglas_speech.pdf

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