Tories launch attack ads aimed at Dion

[Only The Lonely..]

Tories launch attack ads aimed at Dion

Last Updated: Sunday, January 28, 2007 | 6:20 PM ET | CBC News

The Conservatives unveiled three new television ads Sunday attacking Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, a day before members of Parliament return to the House of Commons.

The English-language ads, which will be followed by a second series of French ads, assert that Dion is a weak leader who would take the country back to the past. They also criticize Dion's record as environment minister, charging that greenhouse gas emissions went up and air quality went down under his watch between 2004 and 2006.

In response to the ads, Dion told CBC News, "[Harper] wants to spend all this money to try to attack me in a very negative way, and it'll backfire."

"Canadians will not be impressed by that."

Dion also criticized Harper's environmental record, saying that several months ago the prime minister said that greenhouse gas emissions didn't exist.

The ads use footage from last fall's Liberal leadership debates, including clips of Michael Ignatieff, now Dion's deputy leader, and Ken Dryden admitting that the Liberals failed to meet the Kyoto targets for emission reductions.

One ad includes a clip of Dion plaintively responding to attacks on his environmental record, telling Ignatieff he doesn't know how hard it is to set priorities.

B.C. Conservative MP James Moore said, "We think that Stéphane Dion has been getting a little bit of a free ride. We're going to hold him accountable for the things he didn't do as environment minister."

The Conservatives, who have secured a prized spot for the ads during next weekend's Canadian broadcast of the Super Bowl, refused to say how much the party is spending on the election-style campaign.

With files from the Canadian Press

[Only The Lonely..]

I don't think American style mudslinging works with Canadian voters, what does everyone else think?

[Dorian G.]

well he didn't lose my vote—but only because he didn't have it in the first place.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

I think mudslinging can work pretty well. The last couple of elections have been pretty wide open.

I don't think THIS attack ad will go over very well. It's not an election so this move looks pretty desperate. In my mind, Stephen Harper would gain much more public suppport by showing strong leadership instead of lamenting the situation he inherited from the Liberals. Since it's not an election his job is governing, not criticizing other parties so ferociously.

[Taller Better]

What a twit. Saddest PM we have ever had.

[Rusty van Reddick]

How do the Cons intend to met their Kyoto goals?

Fucking assholes.

[m0nkyman]

I don't think American style mudslinging works with Canadian voters, what does everyone else think?

Yeah. American style. 'Cause anything the Cons do is American style. Fucking typical.

[trueviking]

i think he meant attack ads are typically american....it is a common reference to say 'american style' when it comes to this type of campaigning.

that being said...anything the cons do is american style.

[m0nkyman]

i think he meant attack ads are typically american....it is a common reference to say 'american style' when it comes to this type of campaigning.
No. It's not common. When the Liberals do brutal, vicious attack ads, they don't get the 'american style' prefix (http://www.google.com/search?q=liberal%20canada%20attack%20ads).

[Greco Roman]

I think that ANY politician from ANY political party who resorts to this type of campagning is quite pathetic.

[Le1000]

No. It's not common. When the Liberals do brutal, vicious attack ads, they don't get the 'american style' prefix (http://www.google.com/search?q=liberal%20canada%20attack%20ads).

But this was during election time...
Plus, what the liberals did was indeed american style advertising, and did it work? Nope.

[Andy6]

I think that ANY politician from ANY political party who resorts to this type of campagning is quite pathetic.

Dion is getting a free ride as "Mr. Green" from most of the media. I don't see what's wrong with pointing out, mostly in the words of fellow Liberals like Ignatieff, that this is a pretty dubious proposition.

They're not making this up.

[SteelTown]

I think the one attack ad the Liberals put out worked. It was back in the 2004 election. The ad with the Canadian flag fading away with a woman voice saying "Mr Harper once said that once he's done with Canada you won't even recognize it.....he might be right"

I think that ad helped the Liberals stay in government.

[Le1000]

bahh, it really pisses me off to see our political system turn into a complete circus.
First; it was about how YOU (as a prime minister) could improve things. Then; it became about proving that the other candidate would make a terrible pm. Now, it's about using (barely) scandeleous gossips about your rival to shock people. What's next?

[LordMandeep]

the worst ad was the Chreatien one back in 1993...

Well Harper is angry he will not get a majority so he is trying everything, he would not of dreamed of doing. Thank god he won a minority, or else he wouldn't have moved to the centre.

Doing attack ads not during an election does make you look bad even if you are pointing out the "Truth".

[trueviking]

No. It's not common. When the Liberals do brutal, vicious attack ads, they don't get the 'american style' prefix (http://www.google.com/search?q=liberal%20canada%20attack%20ads).

its probably because not everything the liberals do is 'american style' the way it is with the cons....just throw this on the pile with vastly increased military spending, reduction in social services, funding cuts for women's groups, arts groups and museums, baby bonuses instead of social daycare, opportunistic tax credits for transit and youth sports instead of hollistic social planning, tossing out kyoto and the kelowna accord, destruction of the wheat board, tax increases for the lowest bracket, tax reductions for the highest, saying 'god bless canada' after every speech, opposition to gay marriage...

need i continue with my american style list?...whether or not you support these ideas, you cant argue that they are american style.

[biggiebear]

I'd definetly call it an american style attack, they're even televising these ads during the "super bowl" for crying out loud. Can we be any less Canadian.:shrug:

[Migs]

i think he meant attack ads are typically american....it is a common reference to say 'american style' when it comes to this type of campaigning.

that being said...anything the cons do is american style.
Thats got to be the most hypocritical thing I have ever read. Do you not remember the Liberals ads during the last election? Jesus you's swear some people really do have red googles so bad that they can't see the forest for the trees.:rolleyes:

[waterloowarrior]

.. Attack ads... on our televisions... in Canada....

We did not make this up

Choose your Canada

[Kilgore Trout]

canadian politics has always been underhanded and sleazy. the conservatives are acting no differently than any other political party in canadian history.

from a strategic point of view, however, it seems awfully desperate of harper and co. to run an attack ad when there isn't even an election in sight for several more months.

[LordMandeep]

The two most effectective ads were the The ad with the Canadian flag fading away with a woman voice and that stand up for change ads.

However imo harper is better at a minority. If he had won a majority i would gurante he would not have moved to the centre and would likely seeing some major changes.

I think what Harper has done is, he has made people who are conservative like him, but has made people who are liberal go back to thier party. That is why he will not win a majority and thats a good thing.

[vid]

It's almost as if Harper has forgotten that he is prime minister, and thinks the liberals are still in charge. Very bizarre.

He has just killed his chance at ever being re-elected though. Poor guy, he must be dumber than Bush. :(

[trueviking]

Thats got to be the most hypocritical thing I have ever read. Do you not remember the Liberals ads during the last election? Jesus you's swear some people really do have red googles so bad that they can't see the forest for the trees.:rolleyes:

umm....hypocritical would be if i said that a liberal attack ad was not 'american style'....just because the liberals used attack ads, doesnt mean that this one isnt 'american style'.

the cons proudly made this announcement http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/10/19/clean-act.html when it seemed nobody cared about environmental issues but now that the media has made it the number one issue, the cons are trying to shove the cat back in the bag.

they know they have no credibility when it comes to the environment so all they can do is attack the others and hope it sticks.

[tkoe]

Sadly, from previous attack ads it seems that often times they work. I think it is also one of the easiest ways for a party to deflect internal shortcomings on certain issues by focusing attention on opponents.

I've become used to this during election campaigns, but it is quite unusual to run these sorts of ads when an election is ostensibly far off. Seems like a bit of desperation... On the other hand, Dion has had a bit of a free ride and it is time his honeymoon ended.

[tkoe]

One more thing: How well do you think forumers represent the Canadian population? Seems like as a group we are a bit slanted to the West...

[eemy]

It does seem a bit strange posting attack ads outside of an election. I can't recall, has this happened before?

Attack ads can be risky. If the attack resonates with the people, they can be highly effective. That Liberal attack ad with the fading flag played on some very real fears that the electorate had at the time, and so was highly effective.

In this case, however, their isn't a general concern about the liberal's environmental agenda and so the ad won't be able to play on any fundamental emotional response viewers may have. As a result, it is far more likely to be seen for what it really is, a pathetic campaign to smear Dion's name.

Now, if the Conservative's had been able to get that doubt into people's minds first through the media or other channels, the ad would have something to resonate with and would be far more effective.

[m0nkyman]

In this case, however, their isn't a general concern about the liberal's environmental agenda
Other than the fact that the Libs have spent the last fifteen years pretending to give a shit, and have done nothing about it besides sign a treaty they had no intention of following up on?
Nope. No concerns. :rolleyes:

[shreddog]

During the lead up to the Liberal convention, the media keep repeating Dion's mantra that he is "Mr. Green" and that by naming his dog Kyoto, he helped save the world. Since then, we read articles about how when he goes to restaurants he is served his food on plates that are coloured green and how his wife finally decided to get rid of their SUV. While this guy wasn't the worse Environment Minister we've ever had, he certainly wasn't a messaih as many are starting to believe.

The Cons therefore are doing what they can to remind everyone the truth - that under the Liberals, the Environment was a convenient vote getter, but that they did SFA.

Now that said, perhaps the Liberals will do the same thing - remind the public that so far the Cons have also done SFA (well a little more than that, but not much).

Why you haven't seen this before and why you WON'T see it from the Liberals is that something has occured in the past 12 months that has pretty much gone under the radar.

Due to Mr. Chretien, the Liberals and the Cons are in very different financial situations. Contrary to popular believe, the Liberals have always been the party closely associated to the "large corporate" donation, much moreso thatn the Cons. The Liberals have always survived on the few, but large contributors, whereas the Cons are the "grass roots" party that survived on 10000's of smaller donations (they also got the large corporate ones, but not to the same degree as the LIbs).

Since Chretien introduced the limits of who can donate and how much they can donate, the Liberals have hard time making the switch to getting thousands of small donations. The result is since the last election the Libs have only recently paid off their debt, whereas the Cons have over 9 Million in the bank. And while it is easy for a party to "borrow" money to support an election campaign, since we're not in one, the Libs can not really afford to pay for ads right now.

In a nutshell, expect to see more of this style of campaigning by the Cons.

[shreddog]

BTW, how are the current Cons ads any different than when the Liberals ran those ads with the classic lines such as "Stephen Harper actually announced he wants to increase military presence in our cities. Canadian cities. Soldiers with guns. In our cities. In Canada. We did not make this up".

Oh I know, when the Liberals do it, it's okay.

[The Chemist]

BTW, how are the current Cons ads any different than when the Liberals ran those ads with the classic lines such as "Stephen Harper actually announced he wants to increase military presence in our cities. Canadian cities. Soldiers with guns. In our cities. In Canada. We did not make this up".

Oh I know, when the Liberals do it, it's okay.

The difference in this case is that this is not an election campaign.

Attack ads in general disgust me, and I refuse to vote for any party that uses them. Instead of telling us what you think the other guy did or didn't do, tell us what you're going to do.

[Doug]

The Cons are probably trying to stop Dion from turning the environment into an election issue. Dion has somehow built political capital even though his tenure as environment minister was nothing more than a half-assed communications strategy (ex. using a CBC grade celebrity to promote energy conservation, signing a treaty for the optics of doing the opposite of the American government despite having no capability to ever live up to the terms). The environment is like health care; it is such a large issue and poorly understood that no political party has a credible position nor ever will. These attack ads could be different than those used by the Liberals in the past in that they are intended to point out facts as opposed to using innuendo to strike fear into the electorate. That said, I doubt they will increase support for the Cons as much as they will disarm one of the few electoral strategies a vacuous Liberal party has going for it. If the budget delivers on tax cuts and the Cons find enough money to buy off Quebec, the next election won't ne fought over any major issues.

[baggab]

BTW, how are the current Cons ads any different than when the Liberals ran those ads with the classic lines such as "Stephen Harper actually announced he wants to increase military presence in our cities. Canadian cities. Soldiers with guns. In our cities. In Canada. We did not make this up".

Oh I know, when the Liberals do it, it's okay.

No one has said when the liberals do it, it's okay...

They just find it odd that there is a attack ad out of an election and it seems kind of desperate, because it's out of the blue.

During the election the attack ads were pretty simular, I wonder if they used the same Ad agency. A big picture of Martin or Harper zoomed up close.

[Doug]

The difference in this case is that this is not an election campaign.

Attack ads in general disgust me, and I refuse to vote for any party that uses them. Instead of telling us what you think the other guy did or didn't do, tell us what you're going to do.

I agree, but they seem to work which is why they will never go away. They seem particularly effective in respect to issues which have no obvious solutions. Pointed out the failings of another party deflects attention.

[Taller Better]

For attack ads to work, there has to be an element of fear in the public... and how is he going to make the public afraid of Dion? I think most people will see through them as an act of desperation by a Prime Minister enjoying his final days in office.
Has Harper's government reached out to any region of the country aside from Quebec? He is completely, utterly absorbed with winning Quebec and I honestly think they are not going to vote for him anyway.

[SteelTown]

It's kinda pointless for the Conservatives to make Dion scary, fear him or anything. Just look at Dion's image does he look like someone we should be threaten by him in any way???

Does he look like someone to fear? lol
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/images/2006/colombie-britannique/normales/d/di/061202dion_stephane_congres_plc_n.jpg

[shreddog]

No one has said when the liberals do it, it's okay...


Re-read the previous posts and you will see that most of the known Liberal supporters on SSP are slaming the Cons for this approach while denying that they have done this in the past as are the Liberal MPs and party brass.

The difference in this case is that this is not an election campaign.

Attack ads in general disgust me, and I refuse to vote for any party that uses them. Instead of telling us what you think the other guy did or didn't do, tell us what you're going to do.
For the party in power, it's always an election campaign. It makes no difference if the writ is dropped or not. That said, I do agree with you about your feelings towards this approach. It always makes me suspect when someone tries to sell themselves by saying how bad the competition is as opposed to how good they are. Fortunately since I support neither the Cons nor Libsn and they are both guilty of this, it won't impact my voting decision!

[Kevin_foster]

Whatever, the ads are paid for by the party - so who cares.

Basically they are trying to get people to realize that MR. DION ALSO GOT THE SAME AWARD AS RONA AMBROSE for Environmental Achievement when he was the Environmental Minister!!! (The fossil award)

Take a look:
1) Rona Ambrose is on every front page newspaper in the country when it was found her policy was a failure.

2) Stephan Dion was not on the front page of every newspaper in the country when his policies were found to be a failure.

The thing here is - the liberal party has the media on their side. If the Con's need to voice an opinion - they have to take matters into their own hands.

[eemy]

Take a look:
1) Rona Ambrose is on every front page newspaper in the country when it was found her policy was a failure.

2) Stephan Dion was not on the front page of every newspaper in the country when his policies were found to be a failure.

To be fair, when Stephane Dion was environment minister, the environment was lucky to make the top ten of concerns by Canadians. Now, it's only second to healthcare. No wonder Rona Ambrose had far more press - times change and the environment portfolio is far more important.

I think that both Dion and Ambrose are good examples that no matter how much you care about the environment (I have no idea how much Rona Ambrose did, but I can't imagine she didn't care after working with the portfolio day after day), if it isn't the party's (or PM's) priority, nothing is going to get done. Fortunately, two things conspired - environment shot to the top of concerns for Canadians, and Harper put Baird in the portfolio, who I expect to be far more effective and able to provide far more leadership in that role. At least I hope so.

[Migs]

I just love the way Harper schooled Dion in the House of Commons today. Sign of things to come?????:haha:

And as far as these ads being "American Style"???? Who cares what kinda style they are? Attack ads are attack ads and every political party is guilty of them.....unfortunately most Liberals however can't see the forest for the trees.

[MolsonExport]

http://www.lecornichon.qc.ca/galeries_1/polcan/000047-stephen_harper.jpg

A funny pic from a Quebec forum.

[Andy6]

A funny pic from a Quebec forum.

Of course, it was the Liberals who made the head of the U.S. Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, a keynote speaker at their convention. Is Stéphane Dion therefore Dean's (French) poodle?

[Taller Better]

LOL!! That joke was funny, but was waaay too kind too him. Should have been more anatomically correct! (Pillsbury Doughboy).

[vid]

If it was anatomically correct, we wouldn't want to look at it.

So someone, anyone, name what Dion did for the environment when he was environment minister, and then tell us the results of what he did. :)

[Taller Better]

^^ But in all fairness, I would be willing to bet he knew what was going on. Rona Ambrose didn't have a clue. Her hair was not the only thing waaayy above her.

[m0nkyman]

^^ But in all fairness, I would be willing to bet he knew what was going on. Rona Ambrose didn't have a clue. Her hair was not the only thing waaayy above her.

Once again proving that Liberals are every single bit as sexist as the Cons....:rolleyes:

[Taller Better]

Once again proving that Liberals are every single bit as sexist as the Cons....:rolleyes:

Oh really, mOnkyman. Why on earth do you think she was given a portfolio waaay beyond her reach or experience? Because she had loads of experience or knowledge of the subject? No. Think "Photo Op" and you may get the answer. Good Grief. :haha:

[vid]

^^ But in all fairness, I would be willing to bet he knew what was going on. Rona Ambrose didn't have a clue. Her hair was not the only thing waaayy above her.

Yes, but then the fact that he didn't produce results is even more of a stain - he knew and did nothing. At least Ambrose had ignorance to back up her inaction. What's Dion's excuse?

And as a moderate Conservative, I have to agree, Yes, Ambrose only got the job because "She's a women, and women like flowers. Flowers = Environment, therefore women like the environment" -Less enlightened conservatives.

[Jared]

Whatever, the ads are paid for by the party - so who cares.

Basically they are trying to get people to realize that MR. DION ALSO GOT THE SAME AWARD AS RONA AMBROSE for Environmental Achievement when he was the Environmental Minister!!! (The fossil award)

Take a look:
1) Rona Ambrose is on every front page newspaper in the country when it was found her policy was a failure.

2) Stephan Dion was not on the front page of every newspaper in the country when his policies were found to be a failure.

The thing here is - the liberal party has the media on their side. If the Con's need to voice an opinion - they have to take matters into their own hands.

The environment is an "in" issue now, much more so than it was when the Grits were in. And yes, the Libs were rather pathetic on the environment front, however, that just makes it all that much more depressing that the Tories seem to want to out-pathetic them.

[Jared]

Other than the fact that the Libs have spent the last fifteen years pretending to give a shit, and have done nothing about it besides sign a treaty they had no intention of following up on?
Nope. No concerns. :rolleyes:

It's not about whether they did anything or not, it's about the public's perception of this. If the Libs can convice the general public that they have a good handle on environmental policy (even if they dont), then the attack ads will fail because no one will be afraid.

[ErickMontreal]

If it was anatomically correct, we wouldn't want to look at it.

So someone, anyone, name what Dion did for the environment when he was environment minister, and then tell us the results of what he did. :)

At least, Dion got a plan and tried to get something done. On the other hand Tories got nothing, their plan is a real joke and they are agree with the destruction of north alberta by oil industries. I looking forward to see this amazing dump in 75 years !

[vid]

At least, Dion got a plan and tried to get something done. On the other hand Tories got nothing, their plan is a real joke and they are agree with the destruction of north alberta by oil industries. I looking forward to see this amazing dump in 75 years !

We've already seen that dump, it's Sudbury.

(At some point in the near future, a Sudburian dyke is gonna belt me one. :()

Seriously, though. Now that you've reminded me about Dion's plan, how about a nice commercial from the liberals about the plan and how Harpers government trashed it? Tit for tat, as they say. If my government isn't entertaining me with bullshit, I won't know WHO to vote for!!

[waterloowarrior]

Found this on David Akin's blog (always a good read)

Environment Minister John Baird, wearing a green tie (!), was trying his best not to seem so aggressive during Question Period. Still, as the photo to the right shows, old habits are hard to break. Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale was heckling Baird mercilessly and egging him on whenever the Environment Minister was on his feet. Still, Baird managed to land the following zinger-of-the-day: Liberal MP Mark Holland sets it up …Mr. Speaker, the only thing they have done is reintroduce Liberal programs.
While our then environment minister was bringing the world together to work on the post-Kyoto environment, they were sitting there pretending that climate change did not exist. In fact the only thing the Conservatives have done is to copy Liberal programs. If they are going to keep copying us, they should just put on a green scarf and get out of the way.
… and Baird knocks it down …Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of discussion on this side of the House as to whether a Liberal plan actually existed. I am pleased to tell the House today that they did have a Liberal plan. The plan was to host a $50 million talk-fest. The plan was to spend $5 billion on buying hot air credits in Russia while not improving our environment today. Finally, buy a dog, name it Kyoto, and call it a day. That is not good enough for Canadians.



http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070129/460_cp_baird_070129.jpg

[ÉricdeMtl]

Well, perhaps to satisfy those of you whom act like " vierges offensées" towards these adds, as if the Liberals did not do the exact same thing,if not worse with their adds during the last election trying to demonize Harper as he was gonna get rid of the Charter of Rights.( adds which were mainly broadcast in Ontario).

The Conservatives should probably put this kind of advertisement.
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/3040/000101stephanedionzz2.jpg

[ScottFromCalgary]

Meh, I'm enjoying this global warming thing so far. Ya I know, it can only get worse (apparently), but holy fuck +12 in Calgary yesterday! Let the good times roll...:cheers:

[ssiguy]

Whatever, the ads are paid for by the party - so who cares.

Basically they are trying to get people to realize that MR. DION ALSO GOT THE SAME AWARD AS RONA AMBROSE for Environmental Achievement when he was the Environmental Minister!!! (The fossil award)

Take a look:
1) Rona Ambrose is on every front page newspaper in the country when it was found her policy was a failure.

2) Stephan Dion was not on the front page of every newspaper in the country when his policies were found to be a failure.

The thing here is - the liberal party has the media on their side. If the Con's need to voice an opinion - they have to take matters into their own hands.

This has nothing to do with "taking things into their hands".
If the Conservatives plan to use attack ads during the election that is their affair, they have that right. I ussually find them offensive especially when particularily sleazy. I want facts and statement not mud-slinging.
The issue here is that they are doing it when the country isn't in an election. I can never remember of this ever being done before, if it has even been done before.
Right now the Conservatives are the government. It is their job to represent ALL Canadians regardless of who they voted for in the last election. They are to represent all Canadians when they are in charge of Canada.
When an election is called and the ads can start running it is because we, effectivly, don't have a government {except foreign affairs} as the PM has gone to the Govenor General and has asked that Parliament be desolved.
They have asked for the institution that represents all Canadians to be disolved. From then and for the next 6 weeks they have gone from being the government to a political party, in this case, Conservative.

It is the same as the Libs/NDP/Bloc have gone from being representitives for their constituents in parliament to strickly , for the 6 weeks, political parties with candidates.

For a party that ran a stellar campaigne a year ago to go to this is unbelievable. Their last election was run in an excellent manner and didn't seem too sleazy and then go a full 180 to something that all Canadians, regardless of political affiliation, will find nothing but offensive and one that will leave them with a very bad taste in their mouths is incredible.

They have blown this and I think they have made a grave error and I bet the Liberals know it and are salivating.

[m0nkyman]

The issue here is that they are doing it when the country isn't in an election.

The election started the day after the last one resulted in a minority government. That is the political reality.

Tell you what. When the Asper family sells Canwest Global, when The TorStar and the Globe and Mail stop being the defacto papers of record for the Liberal Party, when the Sun chain stops kowtowing to the basest instincts of the CPC, and when a single national media outlet starts to take the NDP seriously, then and only then can we act surprised about partisanship.

[jawagord]

At least, Dion got a plan and tried to get something done. On the other hand Tories got nothing, their plan is a real joke and they are agree with the destruction of north alberta by oil industries. I looking forward to see this amazing dump in 75 years !
Ironic timing for your comments from Halifax, as the day before the government(s) announced a containment plan for the Canada's worst environmental mess, the Sydney tar ponds. Maybe you can ask your government to install a window and then you wouldn't need to make that long trip to Fort Mac?

"After decades of study and millions spent on doomed schemes, federal and provincial officials yesterday announced a new solution to the Canadian environmental disaster known as the Sydney Tar Ponds: They will bury the problem.
The federal and Nova Scotia governments unveiled a $400-million plan in Sydney to clean up the toxic mess by encasing and capping it.
"This is a good thing not just for Sydney but for all Canadians," Public Works Minister Michael Fortier said at a news conference with Nova Scotia and federal politicians.
The latest plan, while still controversial, steers clear of incineration, an approach opposed by residents and environmentalists.
Ottawa will provide up to $280-million to the cleanup effort, with the province puts in $120-million.
The Sydney Tar Ponds have been described as Canada's worst toxic waste site. The foul-smelling pit holds about one million tonnes of toxic goo produced by a century of coke production and steelmaking. Some residents attribute high cancer and birth-defect rates to it."

[Only The Lonely..]

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS EDITORIAL - Tories' tired tactic

Tue Jan 30 2007 | Winnipeg Free Press

PRIME Minister Stephen Harper publicly insists he has no appetite for an election, but he has launched a campaign salvo with attack ads against the man he apparently most fears, Stéphane Dion. The ads target Mr. Dion as having been a lousy environmental steward and, now, an ineffectual leader of the Liberal party, which (in case Canadians have forgotten) has a history rife with scandal. The party of Canada's "new government" has resorted to a predictable campaign strategy -- identify your opponent before he gets to brand himself in the minds of voters -- with the most hackneyed of tactics.

Very old-timey, very risky.

Tedious, too. The ads are neither cutting-edge marketing nor thought-provoking. They may test the patience of non-partisan Canadians who know that after only a year's break from the last campaign, another may soon be upon them. The three ads, paid by the Conservative Party of Canada, attack Mr. Dion personally.

They deride his performance as Environment minister in the last Liberal administration and warn voters he will bring back the very party of Adscam, the billion-dollar gun registry boondoggle and the broken promise to eliminate the GST. They use video footage from the Liberal leadership debates and unflattering, staccato clips of Mr. Dion's defence of his ministerial record. They carry classic bold-print warnings about trusting the man and the party, again, with power.

They are reminiscent, in form, of the ads the Liberals prepared for the 2006 federal, in which Mr. Harper was painted as a scary guy. Those ads backfired because they were unbelievable. Canadians may find the new ads tell them nothing they don't know, except to cast new light on Mr. Harper who has tried to look so cool, so calm and in charge, so far.

Attack ads are an old standard of political campaigns and are to be used at the advertiser's peril. Tory ads that played mercilessly on Jean Chrétien's crooked mouth in 1993 told voters Conservatives were mean-spirited. Liberals, who tried to incite Canadians with the spectre of soldiers with guns in Canadian cities under a Tory government, looked wacky and desperate.

The Tories should worry that their ads might get Canadians thinking. The Harper government has had a hard time convincing the country it knows its own mind on climate change and that is hard to ignore when the Tories are taking pot shots at another leader for doing nothing for the environment.

More risky is the fact that voters may ponder why the Tories would choose to go on the defensive when they were asked to lead.

[Taller Better]

I saw my first ad last night watching tv. It was sooooo weak. They couldn't even find a picture of Dion that was not blurry.. so it looked amateurish and extremely American. This earnest campaign of theirs is quite amusing... obviously they are scared at the way they are free-falling in the polls.

[Doug]

At least, Dion got a plan and tried to get something done. On the other hand Tories got nothing, their plan is a real joke and they are agree with the destruction of north alberta by oil industries. I looking forward to see this amazing dump in 75 years !

You've been watching too much CBC if you believe Northern Alberta is being "destroyed" by the oil industry. All of the land disturbed by oilsands extraction will be reclaimed, which is a step above standards for resource development elsewhere in Canada. More importantly, the federal government has no jurisdiction over provincial resource development and only limited jurisdiction over environmental standards.

[IntotheWest]

I saw my first ad last night watching tv. It was sooooo weak. They couldn't even find a picture of Dion that was not blurry.. so it looked amateurish and extremely American. This earnest campaign of theirs is quite amusing... obviously they are scared at the way they are free-falling in the polls.

I like the "not a leader" ad...sums it up. I'd hate it if we end up in Liberal hands once again. I don't think the conservatives are perfect, but have actually got things done in the past year - including partially fulfilling the long-time Liberal promise of reducing/removing the GST - which Chretien later claimed was too difficult. It took the PC party, what, 5 months to act upon? Then there's the softwood dispute, etc...

They are likely desperate though, because easterners will be too quick to go back to status-quo Liberal policy.

[IntotheWest]

dp

[ssiguy]

You are completely missing the point.

This has absolutly NOTHING to do with whether you agree with the ads or not but the fact they should not be running.
Public policy, government discussions, and yes even personal attacks are part of our political system but when we are not in an election the place for that discourse is in the Parliament of Canada, NOT during the American Superbowl.

This will leave a very bad taste in Canadian mouths and I think they have made a grave miscalculation on how they feel about these ads.

[IntotheWest]

You are completely missing the point.

This has absolutly NOTHING to do with whether you agree with the ads or not but the fact they should not be running.
Public policy, government discussions, and yes even personal attacks are part of our political system but when we are not in an election the place for that discourse is in the Parliament of Canada, NOT during the American Superbowl.

This will leave a very bad taste in Canadian mouths and I think they have made a grave miscalculation on how they feel about these ads.

Not missing the point at all...if it sells to Canadians, then it works. That simple. As I said in my previous post though, it does come across as desperation, and will likely be ignored by most.

Yes - the commons is the place for discussion and policy-building...but unfortunately, a lot of Canadians ignore that.

[LordMandeep]

the ads were stupid, expected from stupid people.

[Architype]

Those ads are disgusting and pathetic, my opinion of Harper and the Conservatives has just gone down a few points.

[IntotheWest]

Those ads are disgusting and pathetic, my opinion of Harper and the Conservatives has just gone down a few points.

Well, I don't think they're targeting the folks like you that had your mind made up about them before they even formed a government...

[SteelTown]

Hey I know a good attack ad the Liberals could use aganist Harper. Just stick up Harper's face with these quotes that Harper wrote....

"Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations,'' says the letter, signed by Harper.

"Implementing Kyoto will cripple the oil and gas industry, which is essential to the economies of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia . . .

"Workers and consumers everywhere in Canada will lose. THERE ARE NO CANADIAN WINNERS UNDER THE KYOTO ACCORD.''

"But we can't do it alone. It will take an army of Canadians to beat Kyoto, just as it did to beat Charlottetown,'' he wrote.

[m0nkyman]

Hey I know a good attack ad the Liberals could use aganist Harper. Just stick up Harper's face with these quotes that Harper wrote....

"THERE ARE NO CANADIAN WINNERS UNDER THE KYOTO ACCORD.

The only problem with that using that statement is that it's true.

[Jay in Cowtown]

Meh, I'm enjoying this global warming thing so far. Ya I know, it can only get worse (apparently), but holy fuck +12 in Calgary yesterday! Let the good times roll...:cheers:

God I wish I could find a bumper sticker that read "I Love Global Warming"

can't we just do something about it when the average winter temp in Calgary is +15!

[LordMandeep]

yeah and the super cell thunderstorms that come like twice a week in the summer will be fun i suppose.

[Le1000]

God I wish I could find a bumper sticker that read "I Love Global Warming"

can't we just do something about it when the average winter temp in Calgary is +15!

Yeah, your comfort is much more important then a whole eco-system.
No sarcasm...

[Daver]

Yeah, your comfort is much more important then a whole eco-system.
No sarcasm...

Yes it is, shut up and sit down!

[Jay in Cowtown]

Yes it is, shut up and sit down!

Thanks Ole Buddy... I knew you'd understand.

mmmm... warmmmm... ahhhh

[Only The Lonely..]

Mudslinger can end up eating dirt

Wed Jan 31 2007 | Frances Russell | Winnipeg Free Press

'WE'LL spend as much as it takes to drive our message home," Calgary Conservative MP Jason Kenney told reporters at the launch of his party's attack ads on Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's environmental record.

Kenney and Prime Minister Stephen Harper may want to review history.

It shows that negative political ads in Canada become election issues themselves and damage the perpetrator more than the target. Recall the revulsion over the 1993 Conservative ad mocking the partial paralysis of Jean Chrétien's face, the disgust when the Reform party crossed out pictures of "politicians from Quebec" in 1997 and the outrage greeting last year's Liberal ad claiming that the Conservatives would send the army into Canada's streets.

The parties sponsoring the ads all lost.

Canadian experience appears to verify the findings of recent U.S. academic studies. One says "the majority of respondents view the mudslinger as an untrustworthy, dishonest person who will do anything to win an election." Another finds a "boomerang effect" that "may create more negative feelings for the sponsor than the target." And a third states that negative ads signal desperation. "The rule of thumb for professional campaign consultants is 'Never, never, use negative campaign tactics unless you have to.'" Only when parties are "struggling to build positive images of themselves" do they resort to tarnishing their opponents.

In Canada, Decima Research CEO Bruce Anderson warns that negative ads have "spectacular results and spectacular failures ... They can work and they can backfire." Public opinion about negativity has shifted. "The public has become more and more fatigued with excessively partisan politics. There is a greater risk of a backlash."
The Conservatives are trying to define Dion before Dion can, Anderson continues. His polling indicates the Conservatives should worry about their own definition. Canadians do have some knowledge of the new Liberal leader. While Dion is less recognized than Harper, he also has far fewer negatives. But the biggest risk for the Conservatives is that voters will ask "Why aren't we hearing what the Conservatives want to do?"

Chris Adams, research director for Winnipeg's Probe Research, says that if negative ads didn't work, parties wouldn't be spending so much money on them. Consumer research shows that people may say they aren't influenced by advertising, but their buying shifts prove otherwise.

Adams thinks the Conservatives' offensive against Dion could pay off. By attacking Dion, "Harper will have a very good shot at winning the next election." But he also warns that the Conservatives risk reinforcing their image as "bloody-minded, tough and nasty."

According to the most recent Decima poll, the Conservatives are trailing the Liberals everywhere except 28-seat Alberta, where they have an astounding 63 per cent support. Like Quebec under Pierre Trudeau's Liberals, there is now a Harper Conservative Alberta skew to the national numbers. With Alberta in, Decima has the Liberals and Conservatives statistically tied, at 33 and 32 per cent respectively. With Alberta out, the Liberals enjoy a seven-point lead, 35 per cent to 28 per cent. The Liberals have a 13-point edge in Ontario and an 11-point advantage in Quebec, the two provinces with 180 of Parliament's 308 seats. On Jan. 23, 2006, the Conservatives had a seven-point spread over the Liberals among women voters. Today, the Liberals enjoy a nine-point span.

The Conservatives are taking a further risk with their attack ads. By trying to trash Dion's brief, 18-month stint in the environment portfolio, they may provoke a closer examination of their own environmental record. Under Harper's leadership, the Canadian Alliance was a virtual agent for Alberta's oil patch, fighting every Liberal environmental initiative to a standstill.

During Commons debate in November 2002, Harper described the Liberals' support of the Kyoto Protocol as "the government's made-in-Japan commitments."

Writing in The Globe and Mail on Nov. 25, 2002, Harper said "the (Kyoto) protocol on climate change has been sold to Canadians as a motherhood issue: the good of the planet versus economic greed. But as an economic policy, the Kyoto accord is a disaster and as environmental policy, it is a fraud."

True to his Clean Air Act strategy in government, Harper was more interested in controlling "clouds of poisonous smog" than greenhouse gases. "Kyoto does not target air quality," he continued. "The accord focuses only on carbon dioxide, a naturally-occurring gas that is part of the life cycles of this planet. Furthermore, the Kyoto Protocol targets only man-made CO2, a small percentage of the Earth's total."

The same day Harper's article appeared, The Globe reported that the Canadian Alliance "plans to do everything in its power to discourage the ratification of Kyoto."

In 2004-05, when the Liberals were in minority and Dion was environment minister, Harper's Alliance/Conservatives blocked hundreds of millions of dollars he budgeted for new environmental programs. In government, they're trying to claim authorship of what they recently ridiculed as unnecessary and wasteful.

Both major parties live in glass houses when it comes to the environment. But as resolute climate change deniers to this day, the Conservatives' dwelling is just too big for them to be casting even one stone.

[Only The Lonely..]

Harper unmasked, Liberals say
Alliance letter reveals scathing view of Kyoto

Wed Jan 31 2007 | Alexander Panetta | Winnipeg Free Press

OTTAWA -- Stephen Harper, who now styles himself as a green prime minister, once ridiculed the Kyoto accord as a money-sucking socialist scheme and promised he would battle to defeat it.

His scathing view of the global treaty, which questioned the science of climate change, was included in a 2002 fundraising letter sent to members of his now-defunct Canadian Alliance party.

With polls showing the environment is a top priority with voters and Harper keen to bolster his environmental credentials ahead of the next election, the letter could be a big embarrassment.

It was circulated Tuesday by the Liberals, who said it unmasks Harper as a climate-change denier.

"Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations," says the letter, signed by Harper.

"Implementing Kyoto will cripple the oil and gas industry, which is essential to the economies of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia...
"Workers and consumers everywhere in Canada will lose. THERE ARE NO CANADIAN WINNERS UNDER THE KYOTO ACCORD."

Harper, who now accuses the Liberals of having done nothing to reduce greenhouse gases, went on to promise a "battle" to defeat the Chrétien Liberals' efforts to introduce Kyoto-implementation legislation in the House of Commons.

"But we can't do it alone. It will take an army of Canadians to beat Kyoto, just as it did to beat (the) Charlottetown (constitutional accord)," he wrote.

These days, Harper avoids critcizing the Kyoto accord, and simply dismisses its targets as unattainable.

Kyoto calls for a six per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2012. Canada's emission levels have risen 27 per cent since 1990.

Now, with public-opinion polls indicating that climate change is becoming a dominant political concern for Canadians, the prime minister is promising serious action.

He intends to introduce a vastly revamped version of his Clean Air Act in the coming months. The original legislation has been ridiculed by opponents and opinion-makers as a work in progress that fails to set reduction targets before 2050.

The Liberals said the letter proves Harper isn't serious about tackling climate change. "It's no wonder Mr. Harper's sudden change of heart is hard for Canadians to swallow," said Liberal MP Mark Holland.

"Now, suddenly, because he has seen the polls and realized the political opportunism of going 'green,' the prime minister has launched a new campaign -- that of trying to convince Canadians that he actually cares about the environment.

"Well, no one is buying it."

-- Canadian Press

[vid]

Well, like I said, when the Bow river dries up, don't come crying to me. :)

I may live on the largest source of liquid fresh water on the planet, but I sure as FUCK ain't sharing.

[SteelTown]

Guess it's Round 2 for the Conservatives.

Tories launch new attack ads against DionU
pdated Tue. Feb. 13 2007 1:01 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The federal Conservative party launched a new set of campaign-style attack ads aimed squarely at Liberal Leader Stephane Dion on Tuesday.

The three new ads in French which will be broadcast in Quebec starting Wednesday.

The ads mark the second phase of an aggressive campaign by the Tories to derail Dion, as he tries to build momentum leading up to an election campaign that some Liberals predict will come shortly after the Harper government delivers its spring budget.

The Tories released ads in English last month, using excerpts from a Liberal leadership debate to attack Dion on his environmental record and to attempt to paint him as a weak leader.

The new ads are quite different, taking on a humorous, parodic tone.

One of the ads, titled "Porte," shows a "Parti Liberal" door covered with yellow police tape with the words "scandal" written in black letters.

With foreboding music playing in the background, a cut-out of Dion's head, followed by one of Jean Chretien's above him, suddenly pop out from behind the door, attempting to break through the tape.

"What the ad is saying is that you showed the Liberals the door last year, and they want to come back now to haunt you," said CTV's Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Rosemary Thompson.

Another ad shows a red Liberal domino falling, triggering a long line of dominos with words such as "scandal" and "arrogance" to topple. It all comes to a halt when the dominos fall against a solid, Tory-blue domino.

[240glt]

All these ads prove is that the Tories are watching the polls and they are afraid of Stephane Dion.

Most polls show these ads are not making a lick of difference in the reform-a-tories popularity, which is still floating around in the low 30's.

[vid]

What else does a responsible government do, than attack it's opposition? Why, even Churchill blamed Chamberlain for his poor environmental record, all the while dithering away with some useless war over seas! :rolleyes:

Give it a break Harper. You're shoveling your way down faster than I do when confronted with a discussion about economics. :)

[ungodlycrosscheck]

All these ads prove is that the Tories are watching the polls and they are afraid of Stephane Dion

Yes and no, the Tories certainly aren't taking Dion lightly, but to suggest that he has inspired a great deal of fear is also taking it way too far. Among Tory insiders, it was unanimously accepted by their strategisits that a Rae leadership posed the most daunting electoral challenge.

The ads themselves demonstrate a couple of things:
1) The Tories have a tonne of money to spend. Under Election Canada guidelines no party can spend more than $18.3 million on a national campaign. The Tory warchest is overflowing, with an estimated $3 million more than it can spend once an election writ is issued. So why not spend it now?

2) Related to the first point, now is the time to "define" Dion before Dion can define himself. The Tories understand Dion is a smart fellow--academically, but there are some serious and legitimate questions about his ability as a politician to fight a national campaign, so play into those perceptions, they have a way of enduring. (Just ask Joe Clark, despite having a lengthy career in politics forever battled with his Joe "Who" legacy)

3) The Conservatives are laying the groundwork for a possible Spring election.

4) Attack ads--when effective--work, plan and simple.


To chalk the ads up to fear is a tad simplistic and overlooks the broader range of forces and reasons that have contributed this particular pre-election strategy. BTW If anyone read the latest Nic Nanos poll on Canadians' perceptions of the various party leaders, the numbers would suggest that Harper has a huge advantage over his opponents.

[e909]

The number one rule you learn in political science 101 is to define your opponent before he defines you. Most people know very little about Dion, so the Conservatives are trying to define him.

There's nothing unusual about this. The Liberals did it to Manning, Day, and Harper. Where do you think all of this "secret agenda", "stephen harper is a scary baby eater" nonsense came from?


Edit: Beaten to my point, but it still stands.

[240glt]

ungodly, I agree with your points 1 & 2, however I don't believe 3 or 4.

The likelihood of a spring election is waning every day due to both the Liberals and Conservatives' failure to generate more popular support for their parties, and while yes, some attack ads do work, it appears that these ones are not having much effect at all.

I'll just stick to voting Green, thanx very much.

[vid]

Who was it that leaked out that Dolthead McGuinty was a reptilian kitten eater from space? :)

[240glt]

Stephen Harper eats puppies, elmo, not babies :)

[240glt]

BTW If anyone read the latest Nic Nanos poll on Canadians' perceptions of the various party leaders, the numbers would suggest that Harper has a huge advantage over his opponents.

Unless those perceptions turn into votes, which does not seem to be the case, the poll is worthless.

[SteelTown]

It's easy for the Liberals to gain back support in urban Ontario ridings. So really these ads aren't working.

Liberals, Tories in dead heat: Decima poll
Updated Tue. Feb. 13 2007 3:14 PM ET

Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- A new poll suggests the Liberals and Conservatives are running neck-and-neck nationally, with the Tories closing the gap in the key electoral battleground of Ontario.

The Decima survey, provided to The Canadian Press, gives the Liberals a one percentage point lead nationally -- 33 per cent to 32 per cent -- which is within the 3.1 percentage point margin of error.

The survey puts the NDP at 15 per cent, the Bloc Quebecois at nine, and the Green party at eight.

The poll suggests the Liberal lead in Ontario has shrunk to four percentage points, compared with an 18-point gap at the start of the month.

But the margin of error is greater on the Ontario numbers because of the smaller sample size.

The Bloc Quebecois held a huge lead in Quebec at 42 per cent, compared with 21 per cent for the Liberals and 17 per cent for the Tories.

[240glt]

Harper is going to need a miracle to gain support in Quebec, which is what he needs to do if he wants any hope of a majority government. He'll also need to gain some major support in urban ridings, of which he's posed to loose at least two seats in the next election (Emerson & Kahn) It's unlikely he'll keep at least two of his Quebec ridings. Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver have the key ridings, & I don't think Harpers' got the stuff to make significant inroads.

For these reasons, among others, I doubt we'll be having an election in the near future.

[LordMandeep]

Harper would have to move almost toward the centre almost to the liberals if he would want to crack the liberal strongholds of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Really 2 urban seats have gone conservative and one was really close in the Toronto area. That is why i see the liberals staying above 100 seats as they will always have 50 or seats from the Toronto area and the rest from across the country.

[caltrane74]

The Tories are "tryin" so hard to put the Liberals down.

.....hahaha...

and its not "workin"

They wont even win a minority government. - The joke's on them. And they want to call an election so "badly". Guess there will not be an election anytime soon.

[m0nkyman]

Harper would have to move almost toward the centre almost to the liberals if he would want to crack the liberal strongholds of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Really 2 urban seats have gone conservative and one was really close in the Toronto area. That is why i see the liberals staying above 100 seats as they will always have 50 or seats from the Toronto area and the rest from across the country.

I love how to some people Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Quebec City aren't urban. :tup:

[Only The Lonely..]

Who was it that leaked out that Dolthead McGuinty was a reptilian kitten eater from space? :)

Lousy reptoids..

[240glt]

I love how to some people Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Quebec City aren't urban

Calgary and Edmonton don't factor into this argument because the reform-a-tories could run a monkey in most of these ridings (In fact I think there are a few monkeys that ran) and they would get elected. But yes, for all intents & purposes those cities are urban too.

The point is that the top three MAJOR urban centres have precious little tory support. I don't think the combined populations of Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Quebec even come close to adding up to the metro populations of Toronto or Vancouver, do they ?

[Wooster]

If the stupid tories were smart they'd couple their environment policy with urban transit investment. Environmental issues and transit are two the HUGE political issues in the cities. If they were to say finance an additional rapid transit line in each of the six biggest cities that have existing systems and help out starting systems in Winnipeg, London, Quebec etc, I bet they would swing quite a few voters. It is tangible, and would actually have an impact on cities.

Environment - Transit: two urban birds with one stone.

[m0nkyman]

Toronto - Metro = 5.3 Million
Vancouver - Metro = 2.2 Million

Combined Metro of Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Quebec = 1,050,000+1,107,200+1,148,785+717,000 = 4,022,785

Yeah, I'd say it comes close.

And Edmonton isn't exactly a lock for the cons.

[SteelTown]

Currently Hamilton is trying to secure funding for a BRT system from the province and the feds, which both levels give their support, but anyways the feds sent an interesting letter saying....

The response from Ottawa to the BRT funding request arrived at the last council meeting on January 24, and was even more encouraging. Lawrence Cannon, the federal minister of transport, invited the city to prepare a formal request to a $6.6 billion infrastructure fund announced in last year’s budget. While indicating that details of the program were still being worked out, in the interim Cannon urged the city to provide more details.

“It would be beneficial to obtain further information regarding Hamilton’s BRT project”, wrote Cannon. “I would invite you to forward this proposal and supporting documentation.”

So it seems like the feds are gonna start spending the $6.6 billion infrastructure fund in the coming budget, money for public transit.

[LordMandeep]

true but if you don't get into those areas the tories will never get anywhere no matter how many votes they get in Calgary and Edmonton.

[malek]

The french version are pure gold, cracked me up last night.

[chris]

The french version are pure gold, cracked me up last night.

yeah they were hilarious!

[Mister F]

I love how to some people Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Quebec City aren't urban. :tup:
In Ottawa they won only suburban and outlying ridings, and even in Quebec City they didn't win downtown. Come to think of it, the only major downtown ridings they won were Edmonton and Calgary. In Ontario they won exactly zero major cities - the biggest city where they won was Oshawa.