Thursday, June 01, 2006

Crack Open The Piggy Bank

This story keeps getting more and more ridiculous by the day. It's no longer a case of teenagers donating 5 grand to uncle Joe - it's now eleven year olds doing it.

Having family members donate large sums is an obvious loophole to the current laws everyone has known about for some time. And I suspect it would be very hard to prosecute anyone for breaching the financing law for offenses like this.

That said, how the Volpe campaign can continue to pretend this is no big deal is beyond me. It's obvious that the donations should be returned before his campaign uses up what little ethical credibility it has left.

posted by calgarygrit at 1:39 a.m.

32 Comments:

  • The unfortunate thing about all of this is how it’s going to reflect on the party as a whole. No doubt the opposition will continue to pound away at this “Further evidence of continued Liberal corruption”. This may have been Mr. Volpe’s $5400 ticket off the ballot.

    By Blogger YYC Liberal, at 3:12 a.m.  

  • There are apparently clauses in the financing laws to deal with situations like this.

    By Blogger Andrew, at 6:45 a.m.  

  • I agree that this is very bad for the party.

    All Liberals will get tarred by this brush

    It's unfortunate that we can't even police our own.

    The Canadian public will be reluctant to elect a Liberal government if this type of behaviour is silently condined by the party.

    The behaviour of Mr. Volpe's campaign and the public comments of the party do not meet the ethical standards of ordinary Canadians.

    It's just not good enough and it has to stop !

    By Blogger Down & Out in L.A., at 7:37 a.m.  

  • What Liberal corruption? Everything is fine! No need to investigate! This is all slander! Libel! Lies!

    I mean, every 11 year old I know has $5k to donate to a leadership candidate. Most Grade 5s and 6s I know donate around 10-15k annually to political candidates and leaders. It's just what you do!

    Too Bad for LPC taht CPC doesn't have a Hastert in their leadership. Nobody's going to ride to the rescue protesting the unconstitutional nature of these investigations.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    Love the NDP quote: ok, it isn't fraud... it look slike fraud and elections canada should investigate to see if it is. The best FU response to a slander charge I've heard. But what does anyone expect, this is just standard operating procedure in the LPC. It's in the handbook. It's not widely known, but LPC actually requires you to do these kinds of fundraising shenangians to get "made" by the Gagliano branch of the LPC family. If you're not a made man, you're always just going to be a soldier and not a cabinet member or leader!

    Watch out for the ticking sound from your car, leave the gun, take the canoli, always pass your stacks of hundreds in brown envelopes, and never have the ac on when having a meeting!

    By Blogger Hey, at 7:57 a.m.  

  • This story won't go away. It is a big issue.

    The Volpe people have fuelled it even more by saying "at least they aren't hiding behind loans."

    That questions the integrity of several other candidates.

    Stayed tuned folks. This story could get a lot worse.

    I hope that the party steps in and takes stand quickly.

    The ethical standard must be set and candidates have to come clean on financing.

    By Blogger Down & Out in L.A., at 8:02 a.m.  

  • Joe Volpe needs to withdrawal from this leadership race sooner rather than later. The LPC does not need more reasons for it's opponents to point and sneer, "taint".

    By Blogger Omar, at 8:39 a.m.  

  • You should have to be at least 14, which is the age you can join most political parties - and need to donate to pay for your membership, convention, etc.

    By Blogger Hammering Jow, at 9:00 a.m.  

  • The law doesn't allow you to donate money on behalf of someone else. It doesn't allow you to accept money knowing it's on behalf of someone else. Mr. Volpe, get out of the race.

    By Blogger matt, at 9:04 a.m.  

  • Legal or not, Volpe can be thanked for reinforcing the message that the Liberal Party of Canada is corrupt.

    By Blogger Dale Kirby, at 9:52 a.m.  

  • Volpe needs top pull out immediately. Coitus interuptus is definately in order or we really will be fucked.

    By Blogger S.K., at 10:00 a.m.  

  • LPC = Losers Prefer Corruption

    By Blogger D.M.M., at 10:28 a.m.  

  • Hear that? *Kerplushhhhh*... That's the sound of Volpe's campaign imploding.

    When I was an 11 year old, I gathered up the local kids to play some baseball down in the lower field. I guess the new big game in town is to gather together to count 100 dollar bills in piles for Joe Volpe.

    By Blogger Forward Looking Canadian, at 10:29 a.m.  

  • Volpe needs to get out of the race before he does more damage the he already has. However I think this might get worse before it gets better.

    By Blogger A View From The Left, at 10:39 a.m.  

  • http://www.youthforvolpe.ca/ is pretty funny

    By Blogger Andrew Spicer, at 10:50 a.m.  

  • Some say this will reflect badly on the Liberal Party - to date, no one in the party believes it is wrong - so I guess the party supports these donations.

    Why is anyone surprised by this - the Liberal party continously functions as if all rules are to be pushed to the edge. In the Liberal party the only thing that is wrong is being caught.

    By Blogger GaryMc, at 11:01 a.m.  

  • Gawd! I hope the Party will repremand him. This ain't good.

    By Blogger Pedro, at 11:24 a.m.  

  • Do anything to win?

    This is damaging to the Liberal brand.

    But it is also hypocritical of the Conservatives to criticise this and remain silent previously on charges by David Orchard that the Conservative Party owed him money.

    Not to mention the fact that the Conservative party was born as a result of a broken promise by Mr MacKay.

    By Blogger mezba, at 11:29 a.m.  

  • That youth for Volpe page is pretty funny. Click on the home page for a good chuckle.

    Has it occurred to anyone that Joe was actually doing well. He is creating a franchise of instant Liberals. Why would he resign? People who donated him money, expect results.

    One of Bevilaqua's few supporters (Roy Cullen), can not even deliver his riding president's vote to Bevilaqua.

    Although Joe will not win, I truly believe that he will bring the strongest GTA delagation to Leadership Convention.

    By Blogger Liberal Fortunes, at 11:32 a.m.  

  • Oh Joe, you little rascal. Don't let these ethical and moral Liberal Party types get you down, this will all blow over.

    You just keep doing what you're doing and let the cards fall where they may!

    Go, go, Kingmaker Joe!

    By Blogger JL, at 11:40 a.m.  

  • "I truly believe that he will bring the strongest GTA delagation to Leadership Convention."

    Smell isn't everything.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:58 a.m.  

  • Big donors can get good access to their recipients.

    I wonder if these 11 year old twins have a RED phone that connects to Batman?...eerr Volpe.

    Volpe is going to be the Kingmaker, that is why other candidates should not attack him.

    I recall reading that Joe Volpe was upset at a decision made by the party the would prevent any incumbant from being challenged at their riding nomination. Perhaps he is also laying the groundwork to help get his allies nominated in the same fashion he was.

    By Blogger Liberal Fortunes, at 11:59 a.m.  

  • KKKJoe's reply to this nasty "Joe must go" campaign:

    Take an Apo-Diazepam

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:04 p.m.  

  • This just in!!!

    Volpe to return the money.

    By Blogger Liberal Fortunes, at 12:10 p.m.  

  • I hear he met with himself and decided how much money had to be returned.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:16 p.m.  

  • ...in other words he's a good Liberal.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:16 p.m.  

  • What I don't understand is that he followed the law and people attack volpe.
    People take out loans which is against the law and that's fine!

    I saw the youth for volpe website and I can truely say the republicans have arrived in canada and they aint just with the tories anymore considering iggy national directors name is up there

    I wonder who is playing dirty volpe following the law or other camps using republican tatctics and loans.

    Last time the LPC did that we lost the government

    By Blogger Davenport Liberal, at 12:18 p.m.  

  • davenport,

    how dumb are you?

    iggy's national campaign director's name appears under a pic of two kids, so it must be iggy.

    I suppose Andrew Cogliano's name means the University of Michigan is behind it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:26 p.m.  

  • Any candidate should be curious when half of his funds from a few surnames. How hard is it to check into?

    Trying to brazen it out was even more hapless:

    Mr. Volpe's national campaign co-ordinator, Scarborough MP Jim Karygiannis, insisted that nothing was wrong with the donations from 11-year-olds, and noted that it is legal for children of any age to donate to an election campaign.Mr. Volpe's spokesman, Corey Hobbs, said Monday that all the donations are in full compliance with the law, and that none will be returned - G&M

    Maybe he met with Scott Brison overnight to decide how much to send back. That almost worked for the Party!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:31 p.m.  

  • I have to commend you, Bart. Your outrage is genuine, and this is rare among Liberals in the face of improprieties. If all Liberals were as open and honest as you are, the party would not be so deep in the hole as it is now.

    By Blogger George, at 3:20 p.m.  

  • You Liberals will never change! This scandal is so very Liberal! I must admit, the photo of your Leader on the Liberal Party website is sooooo inspirational. If you want to know all about your honourable leader just Google the name "Lawrence Metherel" SHAME!

    By Blogger Bill, at 3:37 p.m.  

  • "What I don't understand is that he followed the law and people attack volpe."

    Ummm... because he (or his campaign) didn't follow the law, perhaps?
    excerpts from Canada Elections Act
    405. (1) No individual shall make contributions that exceed
    (a) $5,000 in total in any calendar year to a particular registered party and its registered associations, nomination contestants and candidates;...

    405.2 (1) No person or entity shall
    (a) circumvent, or attempt to circumvent, the prohibition under subsection 404(1) or a limit set out in subsection 404.1(1) or 405(1) or paragraph 405.3(2)(b); or
    (b) act in collusion with another person or entity for that purpose.

    With maximum contributions coming in from under-age kids I think the collusion is pretty evident, and with the same surnames, it should have been evident to Volpe's agent. That doesn't mean that it was illegal (although I have my opinion...), but they sure should have given this a lot more thought than they obviously did...

    By Blogger deaner, at 5:07 p.m.  

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