Via email from reader Bruce;
This afternoon radio out here (Vancouver) announced that the Harper
governemnt has suspended the “trips to Ottawa” orientation program pending a review. I have not been able to locate a press release, but it was apparently on the news wire.
As I was saying – SDA gets results!
Good for you, Kate. And you are right; the politicians and bureaucrats ARE watching the blogs, and your blog is one of the major ones they watch. The evidence for that, is the rapid reaction after you post information about a ‘situation’.
Blogs are very important; they are the ‘real voice’ of the people; multiple people, not just one journalist; they are therefore far more informed because of all those people, they are informative; they are up-to-date, they spread information rapidly, they are self-correcting and self-generating – actions which the MSM have no capacity to engage in.
From your lips to Steve’s ear. Maybe you can get Harper to kick all those farmers off the gravytrain.
Wow. It seems as though there really may be some influence coming from us “regular folk.” I would have said “from we the people”…but that sounds too American, right?
Speaking of change being effected from the blog world, I noticed that, shortly after there was a discussion on this site about the words that the politicians (and the MSM) use or don’t use (like “terrorist” and all of that), there was a subtle change in the way CBC-Pravda reported on decisions coming from our most recent government:
When the Liberals were in power, it was always referred to as “the Chretien government” or “the Martin government.”
But, when the Conservatives took power, for the longest time, they were calling it “the Conservative government.” I’m not sure what, if anything, that was meant to imply. But, anyway, shortly after a discussion on this site where people were talking about certain left-wing/Candian media buzzwords (or forbidden words), Pravda starting calling our government “the Harper government.”
Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Maybe it’s all a banal and meaningless coincidence.
Excellent! Maybe now we can work on getting them to stop using taxpayers’ money to subsidize their Ottawa mortgages?
The “trips to Ottawa” wasn’t such a bad idea. For federal public servants to know what Ottawa is all about. HOWEVER, since I imagine most public servants are hired in Ottawa (I may be wrong, but doubt it), there should also be a program to have Ottawa/Hull people see what the rest of the country is like. In Ottawa, the rest of Canada is often referred to as “the regions.” So, they should be dispatched to the regions for a week. To Saskatoon … Sintaluta … Lloydminister … Calgary … Prince Albert … Prince Rupert etc. You get the idea. It would be much cheaper and would open the minds of the National Capital Region people.
When I was first hired by the feds (from Montreal), my colleagues were from BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, NB, NS, PE, NF. Now, most of the federal public servants are from Ottawa/Hull. They need to get out!!
Andy
Link is here
OT but this just in from New Brunswick.
Regulating the price of gasoline DOESNT WORK!
Who knew?
Maybe they could also learn that about wheat!
Andy, I have to disagree with you.
First off, let’s just look at the approximately 2000 RCMP officers being hired during the next 14 months. They complete their training in Regina, get transferred to their assigned detachments all across the country. Only after they have completed their training are they considered to be “hired”.
So then let’s examine what happens. The $750 cost per member for the actual cost of the training course (paid by Treasury Board): $1.5 million.
But, the following costs HAVE to come out of the RCMP budget: Return airfare for the members from points all across the country, average fare, say, $800. Another $1.6 million. Hotel, 3 nights each, at $125.00 per night…a paltry $750,000. Meals & incidentals (including taxis to & from airport at both ends), three days at average of $125. Yet another paltry $750,000.
So…roughly $3.1 million for a two day course that approximates a high school civics class, for material that is already covered comprehensively in the RCMP training itself! THAT money would put another twenty cops on the street!
And factor in all of the new mail clercks, secretaries etc being hired by the federal government, each of whom goes on a course that could easily be delivered via long-distance learning by having them log into a website.
Sorry…a collosal waste of money and productive time, and a major effort at empire-building by the Canadian School of Public Service.
“When I was first hired by the feds (from Montreal), my colleagues were from BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, NB, NS, PE, NF. Now, most of the federal public servants are from Ottawa/Hull. They need to get out!!”
WHAT THE HELL FOR???
Horny Toad
Whoops, sorry…cost to taxpayers, including the course costs…$4.6 million, just for the new RCMP hires.
Cost to taxpayers for the entire public services attending this lunatic course, perhaps $20+ million per year…
If Stephen Harper is reading the blogs, then its safe to assume that the embarrasing revelations of Maurice “Iron Chef” Strong will result in the Canadian Wheat Board being relieved of its immunity from the Freedom of Information Act.
Perhaps Reg Alcock can take Jarred’s place in those Subway commercials.
Maybe we should add the costs of french courses to the trip to Ottawa expenses. But then I see on Nealenews that maybe Harper sees value in that ability.
BTW; my prev. Q. went un-answered. Andy or anyone else do you know if spouses were eligble to go along on these trips?
Maryjane; I think it would be a lot easier to go without art, CBC, National Day-care, fishermen on Pogey, the gun registry and all the other useless Liberal social programs, than to go without farmers, their produce, crops, animals etc. Not too mention how many communities rely on farmers/agri-business.
Cheri:
I have never heard of a government “course” (and it feels a little odd dignifying this one with that name) where spouses were eligible to tag along on a course, atleast at gov’t expense. Presumanly, if the spouse wished to p[ay his/her own airfare & expenses, there would be nothing stopping them from going on the trip.
I think some people are missing the whole point here. This is not so much about the civil service as such. Though I agree these trips are unnecessarily wasteful money eaters.
This is about finding a problem , than this government fixes it, without fanfare or opposition.No whining. It just gets done.
In six months Harper has done astounding things. So much so, where now forgetting the hell we came out of. That he is doing this in opposition to many powers & dominions on Parliament hill, is even more amazing.
This PM hears about a problem in his government by the tax payer via the internet or any medium. Unlike the Liberals he does not prevaricate or justify. He just looks into it & cuts it out.
Just think what the Liberals would have spun to keep this. Trust me this was implemented long before. It just started in May. The time wasted planning it would have consumed a year in itself.
Its nice to know we have a Leader that does deeds instead of drama. Call him Mr. Deeds compared to Mr. Dithers. Its even better knowing he feels the people are in charge. Not the bureaucracy or special interests.
Its why we like King Ralph. Every 9 months to a year he was on TV asking for forgiveness. It was endearing. He listened though. So does Harper. Only more preemptively.
I do believe where in the midst of a social revolution. It will take time for it to flow down hill. From one level of government to another. It took the libs 30 years to corrupt the Parliamentary system. It will take some will & effort to clean it up.
The blogs help us reach the PM & other elected officials on basic things. I am glad there listening. We are on the right road if bumpy at first.
Harper you did the right thing again . Good on you!!! (O:}
Sorry Bruce I mistated that. I was asking about the ‘Mountain to memo trips’ for new employees. For one example, I know with some municipalities etc. they (councillors) sometimes take spouses along to conventions etc., at tax payer expense. Not sure of the guidelines. Part of the scandal involving the Fed. Fish. audit in BC concerns spouse travel.
Also, is there any mention as to the duration of these ‘Mountain to memo’ trips?
RE: french courses. I don’t know where they’re held, I think per dept. I understand it is a considerable cost to tax payers and was being facecious about adding the cost to the other trips.
Kate
You lose big time credibility when you dont spell check your blogs, especially from first time readers like me. HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED WON’T BE BACK!
Troll alert!!!!
I do hope everyone ignores: duh
Its the usual trick by lefties to derail any conversation. To deflect the subject or to get attention. His Sn says it all.
Who is that dumbshit mary jane who thinks that our struggling farmers are on a government gravy train? Just curious but, if I was a gambling man, I’d bet that she’s some sort of snivel servant. Anybody know?
This PM hears about a problem in his government by the tax payer via the internet or any medium. Unlike the Liberals he does not prevaricate or justify. He just looks into it & cuts it out.
Posted by: Revnant Dream
Hate to break it to you but the memo concerning this orientation program was out back in April and every department in the federal government was notified. It is impossible that the Conservatives didn’t know anything about it. They are only doing something about it now because it has been made public and it makes them look bad because it happened on their watch.
BTW, I think that it’s a good thing that they’re scrapping it.
Cheri:
Nothing forbids spouses from going, as long as they pay for themselves.
Cheri:
Hate to break it to you but the memo concerning this orientation program was out back in April
I never said they didnt know about it. There are so many bigger issues I doubt it was high on the to do radar, if thought about at all.
Its why I include its nice there listening.Thats the whole deal here. They acted unlike the other group would. In all particulars. Just my opinion.
If you have ever worked for any civil service , you KNOW this plan was adopted long before the present government. A year is usualy the standard time taken for any programs facilitation.
This of course does not mean the Conservatives will not make mistakes. There human & its inevatable. Its all about attitude. So far there has been Democatic. Unlike the LPC was.
GG is a fewquent flyer?
Its not just GG; she has a retinue of 25-50 courtiers, aka Civil Servants who plan/plane trips on an advance basis of a year (ya mean on a whim).
As is said, it’s not the personality; it’s the office that’s important, right? And GG is a major component of the gloo which binds Canada … $$$$
Governor- General most frequent flyer of gov’t jet; Tories go commercial
The Conservative government has kept the pricey Challenger jet fleet mostly grounded since taking office, leaving Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean as the most frequent flier of the government aircraft
neale news
As to the question about spouses and travel lberia is totally correct. If we want our spouses to accompany us then we foot the bill. The only exception to this rule is if the goverment/military deploys or sends you somewhere in Canada for more then 49 days straight they will pay for the cheapest flight home or vice versa the cheapest flight to bring your signifacant other to you. If there are questions about travel entitlement just go to the Treasury Board of Canada web site and do I quick search. List all benefits that a member of the public service and supposely goverment are entitled too. Excuse the spelling in a hurry.
I wonder how the RCMP recruitment program will go this time around. Last time they fell way short, why? language requirements. Most of the young people today know it’s a career dead end because of the french factor. Just as most of the new recruits in the military are well aware.
To repeat an overheard conversation at Van Isle gas dock, Sidney, B.C. 3 summers ago from a bunch of new recruits out on a training ship cruise, quote, I am going to get my trade and get the hell out, to which they all agreed. The conversation was about learning french to improve their chances of advancement and marks. It was very apparent that they were there for one reason, get their education then leave as their was no future because of the french “thing” as they put it.
After that episode I contacted several different people in the military and got the same result from all, silence, the minute I brought up the french ‘thing”. They had either been told to shut up, which I suspect, or they were just plain leery of discussing that subject, WHY?
Kate, another subject for your blog, I think you would hear from a lot of Federal Civil Servants from all sectors.
The Harper government cancels a civil service scam set up by the Librano$.
The Librano$ and tainted-blood: search for Allan Rock tainted-blood; the Librano$ set up a blood scam; search for Connaught Laboratories which was one of the investments of the Librano$/Paul Martin and his gang; the Librano$ set up the Gun Registry scam: $1 billion dollars.
The Harper government pledges $1 billion to the tainted-blood victims.
Compare and contrast: Librano$ or Conservatives? …-
Tories to pledge $1 billion for tainted-blood victims
Katie Rook, CanWest News Service; National Post
Published: Wednesday, July 12, 2006
TORONTO – The Conservative government will reportedly announce $1 billion of funding for thousands of tainted-blood victims with hepatitis C excluded from a deal reached six years ago.
On July 24, Health Minister Tony Clement is expected to announce compensation for more than 5,000 Canadians who contracted hepatitis C from Canada’s tainted blood supply beginning in the late 1980s, Canadian Press reported Tuesday. …-
Hey Kate, why not have a open post about “what is the ONE thing you would like see changed in Canada”.
I’ll start:
1. Public inquiry into Indian and Northern Affairs budget.
…maybe I should reword that:
“the ONE thing you’d like the Conservatives to do…”
The Conservatives should ask Hedy Fry to tell them the one thing she’d like to keep, and then get rid of that.