Were we just threatened?

I will preface this by stating that I have no idea what the candidates are saying to constituents during the door-to-door beat. One hopes that there is much discussion over vital topics like poverty, energy, education, and health care.

But if what the candidates are saying in the media is any indication of what they’re saying on their beats, then I have to say I am truly disappointed by the tone of Joel Bernard’s first comments to this riding through the media, which I feel constitute a thinly-veiled threat to the constituents of Colchester-Cumberland-Musquodobit Valley.

In case you haven’t heard the Conservative Party hand-picked Mr. Bernard to run in this riding after rogue MP Bill Casey was kicked out of the Party for voting against the Party’s budget bill last year. After the entire Party executive voluntarily left the Conservatives to support Casey in this election, the Party itself chose Bernard to take Mr. Casey’s place.

And what were Mr. Bernard’s first words to the riding through the media?

Speaking of the relationship between the benefits that would flow to a riding and the party its sitting MP belongs to, Mr. Bernard said:

It helps “when you’re on the right team.”

Mr. Bernard has no business making such claims without empirical proof to support them. Does he know other ridings whose constituents felt they were left in the cold because of their Independently-sitting MP? Has he done any sort of comparison between ridings in Canada and the benefits that flow from the Canadian Government to the ridings with an Independent MP and the benefits from the government to the ridings with an MP who belongs to the governing party?

What Bernard needs is empirical proof to verify his claim. Without this proof his comment sounds like a threat or a tactic to scare people into supporting the Conservatives.
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Daily Round-up - Thursday, September 11th, 2008


“Something Sophiticated”


http://www.springhillrecord.com/index.cfm?sid=169967&sc=481

Casey hits campaign trail

The Record SPRINGHILL:

With the federal election underway, Independent Bill Casey is touting even a party in opposition cannot be as effective as an independent candidate. A veteran opposition member of Parliament, Casey sat with the ruling Conservative government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s rule until last year when Casey voted against Conservative changes to the Atlantic Accord. Casey was quickly ejected from caucus for his stand and found life as an independent beneficial to raising issues not only in his Cumberland Colchester Upper Musquodoboit riding but also the nation.
“I can be a strong voice no matter what,” Casey says. “In opposition rules are applied. You couldn’t raise an issue. In a party you have to go through the critic.”

Instead of lobbying the critic to raise the issue as an independent, Casey says, all he has to do is stand up. “I’ve usually been in opposition, except now I have a higher profile. As an independent I can bring up any issue.”

Sitting as an independent has not been as adversarial as some would assume, either, Casey says. Three of nine infrastructure projects for the province has landed in his riding and keeping abreast of the progress has been a breeze. Like most projects, Casey says, officials are responsible for progress, not politicians. “I get great cooperation from the officials,” Casey said. “I still deal with the ministers and they always have to deal with the opposition.”

The only time Casey has had a Minister refuse to deal with him and issues affecting his riding and the province of Nova Scotia was when a submarine contract scheduled for the region was terminated and reemerged on the nation’s west coast. Casey and the minister in question were, at that time, both members of the same political party.

http://www.springhillrecord.com/index.cfm?sid=169982&sc=492
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The truth is out there
OUR OPINION
The Record

On Aug. 15, 1977, Dr. Jerry R. Ehman sat at what is known as the Big Ear telescope at Ohio State University, listening to the heavens for something, anything, that had a remotely organic ring to it. Essentially a scientific radio that lets you dial into the cosmos instead of your local community radio station, the Big Ear would print out code explaining the signal it was zeroing in on. Naturally, most of it was just random noise.

But then, on that particular day, the interstellar antennae picked up 72 seconds of sound from the sky above that had all the hallmarks of a signal that was more than just space noise made by heavenly bodies. Running to the computer readout, Ehman wrote “Wow!” and today this signal, which some believe is extraterrestrial in nature, is known as the Wow! Signal. It is 10 khz of speculation.

Was it really just a signal from Earth being bounced off of space junk and returning to the planet in a distorted form or was it something alien and, if so, what were they trying to tell us? As a juxtoposition, 31 years later, we find ourselves and the nation locked in yet another federal election.

Just days into the campaign, the leaders of the political parties have little more to argue about than stating the environment is good, spending for it is bad and everybody is either weak in character or just an outright liar. With that aside, we hear not much else short of mud flinging is expected to be brought up during the campaign before voters go to the polls on Oct. 14.It’s fair to say we may never know who or what was behind the Wow! Signal but it’s safe to say, 31 years later, not just Canadians but the world, which will be watching us, expects something a little more sophisticated from our political sphere. Something that makes us say “Wow.”

http://www.amherstdaily.com/index.cfm?sid=170126&sc=58
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Election about being represented, not about Casey or Bernard, candidate says

JASON MALLOY

Transcontinental MediaTRURO

Voters have an opportunity to elect a member who will sit on the government side and get things done locally, says the Conservative candidate in Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley. Joel Bernard said he knows people are divided between supporting Independent incumbent Bill Casey and the Conservative Party during the election campaign. "This is not about Mr. Casey. It's certainly not about me. It's about this riding being represented at the table for the next four or five years," he said in an interview Wednesday morning. "People want economic development.

They know Stephen Harper is going to be re-elected prime minister and they want to be at the table." Bernard, who served in Bernard Lord's government in New Brunswick from 1999 to 2003, said it helps "when you're on the right team." "It's harder when you're in Opposition to get things done," he said. Bernard's winning of the Nepisiguit riding in northern New Brunswick was historic, breaking a cycle of Liberal domination since 1897. He was one of 17 Conservative MLAs who lost in the 2003 election, which Bernard said was won following an auto insurance crisis in the province.

Following his defeat, he left the province for Ottawa and worked at the bureaucratic level until being hired in February 2006 as a director of parliamentary affairs in the Public Safety Department. He currently holds the position as senior policy advisor.

He disputes many peoples' claims that he has been parachuted in to the riding. "My name came up and they asked me if I would come and these are people locally, this is not head office in Ottawa," he said frankly. He believes politics is his calling. "My desire has always been to serve people," he said. "Some people are called to be doctors, and some are scientists, they grow up and they have it in their blood. I wanted to serve the public through a public office." Bernard is busy getting things set up for the election but has talked to a number of people in the riding as he tries to determine what the key local issues are.

http://www.amherstdaily.com/index.cfm?sid=170078&sc=61
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Election road a busy one

The Amherst Daily News

There will be no turning back, it’s too bad and could prove chaotic, but Nova Scotians will be facing two elections four days apart next month. Some municipal candidates are worried prospective voters will be confused by the proliferation of signs and campaigns. It’s a valid point. Add to that the pamphlets in the mailbox and the handshakes at the door – it could prove a little overwhelming.

Others wish Prime Minister Stephen Harper would change the date for the federal vote. It’s a blissful thought for those engaged at the municipal level, but we know it won’t happen. Once that juggernaut of a federal election campaign gets going, it would be impossible to shift in midstream.

It was an unfortunate choice of dates – and the irony won’t be lost on Nova Scotians that the election being inconvenienced is the one that has a fixed date. It’s held every four years. Three years ago a person in doubt could have consulted a calendar. Jim Bickerton, who teaches political science at St. Francis Xavier University, adds the concern that it could hurt voter turnout.

Another possibility – and that’s where the challenge will lie this year for those on the municipal campaign trail. Those determined to get out and vote will undoubtedly be out for both of these, with bells on. For those who aren’t quite as gung-ho: in this election municipal candidates really must get the message across about how directly local politics affect residents. Turnouts are especially low for municipal votes, and a little “contrast and compare” with the federal campaign could help educate voters.

This is also a good year for teachers in the senior high school grades to get students to watch and compare. If this ‘chaos’ helps educate the next generation of voters the exercise will have been worth it.

http://www.trurodaily.com/index.cfm?sid=170176&sc=68
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Voters want leader who can get things done at ‘the table,’ says Bernard

JASON MALLOY

The Truro Daily News

TRURO — Voters have an opportunity to elect a member who will sit on the government side and get things done locally, says the Conservative candidate in Cumberland Colchester Musquodoboit Valley.Joel Bernard said he knows people are divided between supporting Independent incumbent Bill Casey and the Conservative party during the election campaign.

“This is not about Mr. Casey. It’s certainly not about me. It’s about this riding being represented at the table for the next four or five years,” he said in an interview with the Truro Daily News on Wednesday morning.“People want economic development. They know Stephen Harper is going to be re-elected prime minister and they want to be at the table.”Bernard, who served in Bernard Lord’s government in New Brunswick from 1999 to 2003, said it helps “when you’re on the right team.”

“It’s harder when you’re in Opposition to get things done,” he said.

Bernard’s winning of the Nepisiguit riding in northern New Brunswick was historic, breaking a cycle of Liberal domination since 1897. He was one of 17 Conservative MLAs who lost in the 2003 election, which Bernard said was won following an auto insurance crisis in the province.Following his defeat he left the province for Ottawa and worked at the bureaucratic level until being hired in February 2006 as a director of parliamentary affairs in the Public Safety Department.

He currently holds the position as senior policy advisor.He disputes many claims that he has been parachuted in to the riding. “My name came up and they asked me if I would come and these are people locally, this is not head office in Ottawa,” he said frankly.Bernard is busy getting things set up for the election but has talked to a number of people in the riding as he tries to determine what the key issues are.