OTTAWA, May 19, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The pace in Ottawa has been hectic the last few days and may come crashing down tonight with the budget vote, which if it fails will trigger an election for late June. If one were to believe the polls, the Conservatives would beat the Liberals 38% to 29%, at least according to a Compas/Ottawa Citizen poll released today. However, an EKOS/Toronto Star poll also released today finds the Liberals on top with 34.7% with the Conservatives trailing at 28.3%.
Innumerable commentaries have littered the internet and newspapers regarding former Conservative MP Belinda Stronach’s jump to the Liberals. One cartoon fittingly portrays Stronach in bed with Prime Minister Paul Martin. A LifeSiteNews.com staffer suggested an addition of Peter McKay looking into the bedroom sorrowfully from an ensuite with the Simon and Garfunkel lyrics as the caption . . . “I got up to wash my face, When I come back to bed Someone’s taken my place.”
The Liberals, still reeling from the Gomery revelations of Liberal bribery to maintain power have, in the Belinda affair, a shining example of . . . bribery to maintain power. Naturally Prime Minister Paul Martin denies the allegation, suggesting that the significance of his successful offer of a cabinet post to Belinda for moving to the Liberals was not the confidence vote. However, the denial was so ridiculously false it caused an impromtu outburst of laughter from the press gallery as the press conference unveiling Belinda was in progress.
Speaking of bribes to maintain power, Conservative MP Grumant Grewal added substantially today to the claims that Liberals were trying to bribe MPs away from the Conservative Party with offers of Senate seats and cabinet posts. Grewal claims the Liberals offered himself and his Conservative MP wife Nina senate seats in exchange for refusing to vote against the Liberals on the confidence vote set for tonight.
Grewal secretly taped a conversation with Prime Minister Martin’s chief of staff Tim Murphy. During the conversation, released by the Conservatives, Murphy can be heard speaking to Grewal of Senate appointments and moving to the Liberals and that further negotiations will happen after Grewal abstains from the non-confidence vote. “If that proposal is of some interest to you, then I will talk to Volpe and get something happening,” Murphy is heard saying on the tape.
While polls differ radically on whether Belinda’s move will hurt the Conservatives or the Liberals more, one thing is clear to all – her move hurt her boyfriend Conservative MP Peter McKay who admitted publicly his heart had some healing to do.
The Globe and Mail reports that McKay had absolutely no knowledge of the betrayal up to and including the very night of the Monday night treason. After a dinner with McKay, Stronach went to another late-night dinner with Prime Minister Martin, returning only at midnight to tell McKay of her decision. McKay reveals he spent the whole night trying to convince Belinda to reconsider dumping the Conservatives and by extension himself.
Cold-hearted “ice-queen” is one reputation Belinda will certainly carry for some time.
Celia, you’re breaking my heart
You’re shaking my confidence daily
Oh, cecilia, I’m down on my knees
I’m begging you please to come home
Come on home
– Simon and Garfunkel
With files from CBC.