The Harper gang are “hogs at the trough” they used to complain about.

SIMCOE — Bob Speller, federal Liberal candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk, says the husband of local MP Diane Finley is set to make $130,000 a year for life courtesy of the Harper government.

“Haldimand-Norfolk’s farmers and steelworkers are struggling but Ms Finley’s husband is getting cash for life,” Speller said.

“Diane Finley’s husband has won the lottery and we are all going to pay for it.” he said.

With his appointment to the Senate, Ms Finley’s husband Doug Finley will make $130,000 a year until age 75. Even though Stephen Harper says he wants them to resign in eight years there is no law or guarantee that they will.

Stephen Harper is now officially the Senate patronage king. Harper used to say he would never appoint his friends to the Senate but as Prime Minister, Harper brazenly stacked the Senate with 18 appointments just before Christmas. Now he is poised to do it again just before Labour Day.

He has now tied Conservative Robert Borden as the only Prime Minister in Canadian history to make 26 Senate appointments in a single year.

Diane Finley’s and the Conservative Party’s web site said during the 2006 election that “A conservative government will not appoint to the Senate anyone who does not have a mandate for the people”. Just another one of the numerous broken promises from this Member of Parliament Speller said.

“The difference between the Harper gang and hogs at the trough is that hogs will stop feeding when the trough is empty. The trough will never empty for the Harper gang and we will all pay for it.”

Harper hypocrisy exposed:

“In the 21st century, those who want to sit in the parliament of a democratic state should have a mandate from the people.”

— Stephen Harper, February 7, 2006)

“As everyone in this room knows, it has become a right of passage for aspiring leaders and prime ministers to promise Senate reform – on their way to the top. .But once they are elected, Senate reform quickly falls to the bottom of the Government’s agenda. Nothing ever gets done.”

— Stephen Harper, Speech on Senate Reform before Senate Committee, September 7, 2006

“I don’t plan to appoint senators; that’s not my intention.”

— Stephen Harper, Standard-Freeholder, January 14, 2006

“Stephen Harper will cease patronage appointments to the Senate. Only candidates elected by the people will be named to the Upper House.”

— Stephen Harper Leadership Website, www.oneconservativevoice.ca, January 15, 2004

“I challenge Mr. Martin, once he becomes Prime Minister, to turn a page on the past, and appoint only elected Senators to the Upper House.”

— Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance Press Release, July 4, 2003

“Canadians from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia remain ashamed of Canada`s senior legislative body. They are ashamed the Prime Minister continues the disgraceful, undemocratic appointment of undemocratic Liberals to the undemocratic Senate to pass all too often undemocratic legislation.”

— Stephen Harper, Hansard, March 7, 1996

“We don’t support any Senate appointments.”

(— Stephen Harper, Winnipeg Free Press, January 29, 1996

Speller Calls on Finley to make good on offer of help

NANTICOKE — Bob Speller, federal Liberal candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk, says local MP Diane Finley has failed locked-out US Steel workers with an empty offer of assistance.

“Ms Finley has failed US Steel workers by offering help and delivering nothing,” said Speller. “Broken promises do not put food on the table.”

Finley recently promised US Steel workers she would help them get unemployment benefits when, as federal Human Development Minister, she knew, or should have known, that because they are locked out they are more than likely not eligible.

“Ms Finley appears to not know her own department,” said Speller. “The situation would be laughable if our workers and their families were not suffering. My question to Ms Finley now is, what exactly are you prepared to deliver?”

Finley recently said she is “disappointed” by the lockout by US Steel and pointed to it as one of the reasons the federal government is taking the company to court.

“US Steel workers are also disappointed — by Ms Finley and the Harper government,” said Speller.

“Ms Finley and the Harper government created this mess when they allowed the sale of the company to US Steel in a deal so weak that we need to appeal to the courts to enforce its provisions.”

Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff met with local US Steel workers in June to learn about the situation first hand.

“Michael Ignatieff and I are committed to doing everything necessary to clean up the mess created by Diane Finley and the Harper government,” Speller said.

Finley, Federal Indian Affairs Minister, “missing in action” — Speller

WATERFORD – Bob Speller, Haldimand-Norfolk Liberal Candidate, met Ontario’s aboriginal affairs minister Thursday, pressing him on the on-going issues at Caledonia, including smoke shacks, the illegal tobacco trade, the clean-up of the Douglas Creek site, and law and order.  Minister Duguid was in the area meeting local representatives including Haldimand County Council on the issue.

“It is encouraging that Brad Duguid, the Ontario minister, is willing to listen,” said Speller. “It is discouraging that Diane Finley, the current MP for our area, and Chuck Strahl, the Indian Affairs Minister, continue to be fully disengaged on these issues.”

Speller accompanied by residents from Caledonia and across Haldimand-Norfolk, met Minister Duguid for two hours in Waterford’s historic town hall.

While Duguid is clearly working on the Caledonia issues, Finley and Strahl’s avoidance of the issue is increasingly becoming a barrier to achieving any solutions, Speller said.
“Finley and Strahl are disengaged, disinterested, and missing in action,” Speller said.

The problems associated with Caledonia will never be solved as long as Finley gets away with failing to deal with them, Speller said.

Speller noted that Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff met Caledonia residents and Six Nations leadership as recently as June and firmly committed to solving the issues. In contrast, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has maintained his silence on the issue.

“The truth is that Ms Finley and Mr. Strahl are taking their cues from their boss. Their collective approach is to avoid it, to duck it, and to cut and run. It is an approach that unacceptable.”