[OnTheIce]

Lemmy Lemmy:

But that's your personal opinion, not one of official policy. And I disagree with you on that.

And that's fine...there are many of us who feel this way.

Even JT himself realises that while it may not be against policy, it sure does look awful on an MP to take money from a charity to speak.

[BeaverFever]

There just ought to be a rule prohibiting speaking or doing just about anything else in the private sector while sitting holding public office. It's a potential conflict of interest. As was mentioned early on in this thread, many of the organizations forking out these exorbitantly high speaking fees are closely related to groups that receive public funds or lobby government.

That said, it is unreasonable for an organization to demand repayment from the speaker more than a year later, and especially to do so simply because they didn't make the money they had planned, which is not the speaker's fault/problem. The update on this item is that Trudeau finally learned the optics and will repay the fees after all however, which is the smart move for a sitting politician regardless due to optics.

[Zipperfish]

Yeah, I don't see the need to limit the freedom of MPs. They will pay the price at the polls from the voters if they cross the line. Let the voters decide.

Frankly I read Trudeau's engagement list and it is easily 80% non-profits. I was amazed that these organzations have that kind of money to throw around to be hiring speakers for tens of thousands of dollars to have someone speak for an hour.

[BartSimpson]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

MP's shouldn't be allowed to charge for speaking engagements. When they're retired or no longer sit in the House...that's a different story but this has to change.

Oh, they should be allowed to do this but then the 'speaking fee' should be disclosed as what it really is: a campaign donation.

Or a bribe.

Whatever.

[bootlegga]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

bootlegga bootlegga:

I'm not defending the Liberals or JT, I'm defending the right of ever Canadian to do anything they want (legally of course) in their off hours.

I have a very difficult time expecting you to be so cordial with a Conservative MP if they were in the same situation. Comparing my profession to that of an MP is apples and oranges.

Having worked with politicians, you know that they attend and speak at tons of events throughout the year. Some within their community, some not. Politicans, especially Federal ones are paid to speak and represent the public on policy. If the fees are to cover travel expenses, that's acceptable.

Do you find it acceptable that any politician, House sitting or not, would charge a CHARITY $20,000 to speak at an event? I know I don't....and I don't care if it's JT or that fat fuck Duffy.

You can think whatever you like, but in this case, as usual, you'd be wrong.

I don't care if someone wants to pay any politician to speak or not, that is a free market decision made by him and the organization - you (and other Canadians) have no more say in than they do about you selling Amway.

Public speaking is hardly a conflict of interest. It's not like he's buying stocks based on a future budget or something, organizations across the country are paying him to talk to people so they can fundraise. In most cases, it's a win-win for both parties. This time it didn't and a board member from the charity (not the charity itself) complained.

This one is nothing more than an effort to distract people from the Conservatives current Senate scandal and from the 'throw shit at the wall and hope it sticks' department.

If you weren't so deep into your glass of blue koo-laid, you'd see that. But through your blue coloured glasses, everyone else here is highly partisan and you're just another concerned citizen. Whatever...

[BeaverFever]

Also at issue is that speaking to the public on matters of public interest is something that MP's are supposed to do as part of their job. Are we to believe that giving speeches for $20k a pop doesn't ever interfere with their duty to also speak for free? Or do anything else for that matter? I wonder which gets bumped when there's a schedule conflict.

The public is not going to keep track of which politicians are speaking where, "letting the public decide" is equivalent to saying maintain the status quo. A week from now, nobody will remember any of this, but that doesn't mean that's its right.

[jj2424]

bootlegga bootlegga:

You can think whatever you like, but in this case, as usual, you'd be wrong.



This one is nothing more than an effort to distract people from the Conservatives current Senate scandal and from the 'throw shit at the wall and hope it sticks' department.

If you weren't so deep into your glass of blue koo-laid, you'd see that. But through your blue coloured glasses, everyone else here is highly partisan and you're just another concerned citizen. Whatever...

Somebody is dripping in red punch. Two words for Mr Partisan Liberal...MARC HARB.

"NDP MP Charlie Angus told reporters outside the House of Commons Monday, "I was personally absolutely shocked that this was allowable." He said MPs are regularly asked to speak at schools or charitable events, but he's never heard of anyone charging for the service."

oh it's just those darn conservatives...lol

[Gunnair]

jj2424 jj2424:

bootlegga bootlegga:

You can think whatever you like, but in this case, as usual, you'd be wrong.



This one is nothing more than an effort to distract people from the Conservatives current Senate scandal and from the 'throw shit at the wall and hope it sticks' department.

If you weren't so deep into your glass of blue koo-laid, you'd see that. But through your blue coloured glasses, everyone else here is highly partisan and you're just another concerned citizen. Whatever...

Somebody is dripping in red punch. Two words for Mr Partisan Liberal...MARC HARB.

"NDP MP Charlie Angus told reporters outside the House of Commons Monday, "I was personally absolutely shocked that this was allowable." He said MPs are regularly asked to speak at schools or charitable events, but he's never heard of anyone charging for the service."

oh it's just those darn conservatives...lol

"He's gonna smell like hotdogs!"

[OnTheIce]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Public speaking is hardly a conflict of interest. It's not like he's buying stocks based on a future budget or something, organizations across the country are paying him to talk to people so they can fundraise. In most cases, it's a win-win for both parties. This time it didn't and a board member from the charity (not the charity itself) complained.

A board member, part of the team that runs the organization put the story out after JT dodged them for 4 months.

How would you feel if a Conservative MP was taking 20k to speak to union groups? Conflict of interest?

bootlegga bootlegga:

This one is nothing more than an effort to distract people from the Conservatives current Senate scandal and from the 'throw shit at the wall and hope it sticks' department.

Pure BS. I guess everything is a distraction when the Liberals fuck up and it's mentioned in the media. Keep in mind, one of your boys is in balls-deep in this scandal too (the worst offender to date)....but if that's mentioned, you and the rest of the lefties will start crying "deflection".

bootlegga bootlegga:

If you weren't so deep into your glass of blue koo-laid, you'd see that. But through your blue coloured glasses, everyone else here is highly partisan and you're just another concerned citizen. Whatever...

Blah, blah, blah. You need new material. You're the most partisan guy on this forum, so for you to call people out for being partisan is a joke.

Face it, you'd be all over this story if it was a Conservative MP....like Mike Duffy on a Smartie...but it's not....so you'll cry deflection like the rest of the lefties.

[Zipperfish]

...and the other shoe drops.

Grace Foundation Charity That Asked For Trudeau Cash Back Has Tory Ties

$1:

The charity that asked Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to return $20,000 he earned at an apparently unsuccessful speaking event last year has ties to the Conservative Party.

...


But Canada.com has revealed that Grace Foundation board member Judith Baxter's husband, Glendon Baxter, is director of the Fundy Bay Conservative Riding Association.

[jj2424]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

...and the other shoe drops.

Grace Foundation Charity That Asked For Trudeau Cash Back Has Tory Ties

$1:

The charity that asked Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to return $20,000 he earned at an apparently unsuccessful speaking event last year has ties to the Conservative Party.

...


But Canada.com has revealed that Grace Foundation board member Judith Baxter's husband, Glendon Baxter, is director of the Fundy Bay Conservative Riding Association.

Deflection

[ShepherdsDog]

how many other board members are there, and what are the political affiliations of their spouses?

[Zipperfish]

Looking to me like this whole thing was cooked up in the PMO.

[OnTheIce]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

Looking to me like this whole thing was cooked up in the PMO.

[Zipperfish]

$1:

The Tories' Trudeau fears aside, this was a good story for them: Most Canadians would agree that an MP charging speaking fees to charities is just wrong. And for Trudeau to do that — even though he now is willing to pay back some of the money — made him look bad.

But by perpetuating the story in this manner, the Conservatives have made a bad news story about Justin Trudeau into a bad news story about themselves.

PMO caught pushing the Trudeau speaking engagement story