Avatar of Segneri

by

Tories Ignore Elizabeth May’s Budget Bill Quiz Challenge

June 20, 2012 in International Greens

Green Party leader Elizabeth May holds a copy of Bill C-38 as she speaks about the budget bill in Ottawa on Monday, June 11. May's budget bill quiz challenge — answer five questions about the 400-page Omnibus Bill — was ignored by Conservative MPs.

OTTAWA — It was a challenge that went unanswered.

Not one Conservative MP showed up to take Green leader Elizabeth May’s open-book test on the contents of Bill C-38 Tuesday morning, and May said she wasn’t surprised.

“Why bother to know what’s in this act, if reading it and understanding it can get you fired?” May said in an empty room, save for a stack of unopened quizzes, a copy of the bill, and some untouched pitchers of water.

“If you’re given your talking points and you’re content to live with yourself to rely on talking points instead of reading the legislation yourself, then that be on your head.”

On Monday, May challenged Conservative MPs to take a quiz on the contents of the federal omnibus budget bill, saying that she was concerned that caucus members, including cabinet members, were unfamiliar with the specifics of the legislation.

She set aside two hours for MPs to show up and take the 15-minute quiz, available in French and English. Any MP who earned a passing grade — three out of five — would get a tree planted in the location of their choice.

The federal omnibus budget bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons late Monday and then headed for the Senate Tuesday, where it’s expected to sail through. C-38 would raise the eligibility age for old age security, reform the employment insurance system, overhaul environmental protection and fisheries laws, and expedite natural resource development approvals, along with hundreds of other proposed changes.

The government has repeatedly defended its legislation, saying the measures in the more than 400-page bill are what the country needs to stay afloat financially in a tough global economy.

A lone independent MP, Bruce Hyer, did show up toward the end of the morning to take the quiz and received a perfect score.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Tories+ignore+Elizabeth+budget+bill+quiz+challenge/6807002/story.html#ixzz1yKq9vcUx

 

12 responses to Tories Ignore Elizabeth May’s Budget Bill Quiz Challenge

  1. bsbafflesbrains said on June 21, 2012

    Predictable result but good imagery and point made. Liars and scoundrels all.

  2. Michael Cavlan RN said on June 21, 2012

    Not sure about this BUT- since I have just been banned from another “progressive” site- firedoglake- I had one of the commentators there asked me to comment here. Any idea why?

    • bsbafflesbrains said on June 21, 2012

      That was me. I am hoping other progressives (and there were many) who were unhappy with FDL not covering or giving attention to third party progressives would migrate here. I banned myself from FDL. They were very unresponsive to suggestions and/or criticisms about their reporting. I know you and many others agreed with my suggestion to do stories on Rocky or Jill and promote some of the platform of the progressive movement. They just ignore me and continue with the same old same old. I think they are great but not in an7y way activist for change. Seems like it is more a complaint department for left leaning D’s and Paul leaning R’s.

      • Michael Cavlan RN said on June 21, 2012

        Thanks for the invite BS.

        Smile. Yeah- FDL has proven itself. Our US Senate campaign is making a statement AND I am in the middle of writing a book about my experiences. Based upon the article Censorship- A Liberal Value.

      • bsbafflesbrains said on June 21, 2012

        p.s. Are you clear as to why you were banned? I called Tbog an ignoramus for his “I’m not a progressive I live on this planet” comment and my comment was deleted.

        • Michael Cavlan RN said on June 21, 2012

          1.
          Michael Cavlan RN June 20th, 2012 at 10:34 am 26
          In response to Jane Hamsher @ 23

          Jane

          First of all- thank you. Your site is virtually the only site that even has or allows posts about alternative candidates to the corporate duopoly. Truthdig does not, Op Ed News does not, Common Dreams does not, Daily KOS surely does not, Huff Post (Fluff Post more like) does not. In fact many of us (myself included) have been banned from these “progressive” sites precisely because we brought forth well thought out, precise and hard hitting facts in opposition to said corporate duopoly and reasons to support non corporate candidates.

          However Jane, I must be respectfully but firmly honest here as well.

          There is a perception, based upon what we see about the front page status here. That those of us who do not support the current two party system do not really have a place there. That here, in what I call side bar land is where we belong. Now please do not get me wrong, I really appreciate being allowed to post here. But the perception remains. One that I happen to agree with.

          So, to prove me wrong I put forward a proposal. Rocky Anderson will be in Minneapolis this weekend. In fact he will be staying at my house. I plan to do an interview with him. Assisting me will be a local Peabody Award winning journalist, Lydia Howell.

          I will submit it here and see what happens.

          Deal?

          I seriously and deeply respect you and this site. Again, you folks are the ONLY “progressive” site I know which even “allows” articles about non Dem-Repub candidates.

          For that I thank you and all at FDL.
          Reply
          2.
          Michael Cavlan RN June 20th, 2012 at 10:35 am 27

          Oh and THANK YOU for the term Veal Pen politics. It rally does say it all.

  3. Michael Cavlan RN said on June 21, 2012

    This statement is why I was banned. Or it was the excuse. I was banned because I have put forth a strong, principled position on why progressives should leave the Democratic Party, in my honest opinion.

    • bsbafflesbrains said on June 22, 2012

      I feel that if everything stays on the current course with the same players and systemic greed and corruption we will suffer an economic collapse greater than the Great Depression. I hope the current Democratic Party has a turn around and adopts progressive ideas and planks to their platform that are actually implemented but that is a faint hope. If they do those ideas will come from progressive parties like Green and Justice (that has been true throughout our history) but I also think if things go really bad a progressive party like Green could fill the vacuum and become a significant third party or even supplant the sold out Democratic party. I know you are heavily invested in Rocky and the Justice party and hopefully the editors of this blog would publish your articles and interviews as we should be allies in spirit and actions.

    • Page said on June 22, 2012

      I am opposed to banning people for free speech and have never advocated that people be banned for their political views. Neither Hon Calvin, the owners of this site, nor several of the participants in this forum (whose names I don’t care to know) are known to be staunch advocates of protectng posts regarding political debate, except when it’s their own “last word”.

      They, along with Calvin, are very small-minded people. I call for all those, including Calvin, to publicly apologize for the advocating in the recent past and renounce all future bans of individuals who are trying to exercise some semblance of free speech.

      • Michael Cavlan RN said on June 24, 2012

        Sigh

        BSBaffles- thanks for the invite.

        All I can say is that this is exactly why I left the Green Party. Small minded petty bickering. Based upon lies. I never called for anyone to be banned or silenced. I never only called for my own protection. Quite the opposite. When I was a Green, I openly supported the Nader supporters who were being banned, silenced and disenfranchised. As a Cynthia McKinney supporter.
        As for the petty deliberate mis-spelling of my last name. It is just childish. Not to mention sad. You folks just will not learn.

        Carry on. Thanks again for the kind words and invite BSbaffles.

        Nnow plase excuse me. I have serious work to do with the adults.

        Michael Cavlan RN
        Candidate US Senate 2012
        Minnesota Open Progressives
        michaelcavlan.com

        • Page said on June 25, 2012

          Dude doesn’t even remember when he called for me to be banned shortly before I did indeed get banned. I’ve asked for an apology, but due to lack of memory, and since I can’t identify myself because I’ve been banned here too.

          See what kind of messes censoring and banning people gets you in?