The South Bayview Bulldog

Pamela Wallin said she is the victims of a vendetta by Marjory LeBreton, until recently the leader of the government in the Senate, and Carolyn Stewart Olsen, Mr. Harper’s former press secretary. The former broadcaster said the two women Senators targeted her because she was outspoken in caucus and occasionally critical of the government. “They resented me because I was an activist senator,”  Ms. Wallin told the Senate. CANOE

A poll by Global News suggests the outcome of the November 25, 2013 byelection in Toronto Centre will return the riding to the Liberal party. Voters in the north end of  this odd polyglot constituency must wonder to hear the furious debate about the impact of Marxism on the status of Torontonians today. Both the Liberal and NDP candidates think there are points to be made with this early 20th Century notion, and maybe they are right in Cabbagetown. (No offense to anyone in Cabbagetown). National Post. Typically, voters in Moore Park and parts of Rosedale see their  ballots swamped when the results come in from south of Bloor. In fairness, the long-time member for this riding, Bob Rae, was a popular figure everywhere. And so it seems his legacy will assist Chrystia Freeland, the Liberal candidate. The Global poll, done by Forum Research, shows Ms Freeland with 45 percent of the support. Linda McQuaig, the NDP’s choice, had 30 percent support. The Conservatives and Greens had 18 and seven percent respectively. It may be that this poll was done before the Conservative candidate Geoff Pollock, a Danforth Ave lawyer, was even nominated. But it doesn’t matter, it seems. At a federal level the Conservatives show almost no interest in Toronto Centre. They seem to have written it off, as they have done in the past. Many newspaper stories about the riding don’t even mention Mr. Pollock. It is unseemly indifference on the part of the government party. 

It is said that Mike Duffy portrayed the aggrieved victim to perfection in the Senate today. More important it seems, he took the question of Prime Minister Harper’s knowledge of Duffy’s housing expenses home to the prime minister. Duffy said that when the issue of his $90,000 expenses arose he was called to a meeting that included himself, Nigel Wright, the prime minister’s top aide, and Stephen Harper himself. Duffy told the Senate today that the order to re-pay the money came directly from Harper. He said the prime minister didn’t really seem to care whether Duffy had followed the rules or not (and that particular question still seems unknown). Instead, Harper told Duffy that “the base” would not understand the issues involved with the expenses. He wanted Duffy to repay the money. This puts Mr. Harper closer to the the deal in which Nigel Wright gave Duffy the $90.000 to repay the doubtful expenses. But Duffy did not say, perhaps because he cannot, that Mr. Harper knew what Wright was going to do.  CBC

Oh goody. Bell Canada says it going to analyse you on the basis of what it can find out about you and then show you ads and “offers”” that it thinks you want. What could be better? Watch for a chance to opt out of this Bell from Hell scenario. See what happens when a phone company eats Canada for lunch? Globe and Mail (may require subscription)