North of the border from here, things are different, from A to Zed.
In the great, cold land of Canadia, the political parties are “different” (read: confusing to me), and they talk funny (eh?), and “garage” rhymes with “marriage”, but a few things are the same.
They have hypocrites too, although in typical Canuck fashion, the compromising of one’s promises is all for the love of winter sports. According to The Canadian Press:
Nova Scotia’s NDP premier is going to the Vancouver Olympics and will accept a pass to all locations from organizers, even though his party sharply criticized his Conservative predecessor for his plan to receive VIP passes at the Games.
Premier Darrell Dexter said Tuesday he’s decided to go to the Games for four days to attend a Nova Scotia Day ceremony, and to participate in receptions that will showcase his province. He said he will have an “access pass” for himself and two officials from his office, but he couldn’t explain what the pass entitled him to. No other politicians will go, Dexter said, and he won’t sit and watch sports events.
So despite his National New Democratic Party attacking the games a year ago, and him basically getting elected because he was going to be budget-friendly instead of five-ring-circus-ey, grabbing power (and free tickets) changes a man. Either that, or “opposite day” is one of those Canadian holidays that Americans just don’t celebrate.
Dexter says he has no free Olympic tickets, but he does have “access passes.” And receptions to attend. Potato, potahto. So it’s free booze and moose fajitas, is it? How does he justify the expense?
“I’m not intending to do anything other than to go to support the event … I think it’s really important that people understand we’re going to support money that we have already spent.”
Such a saint, spending a truck full of Loonies and Twonies because they need to “support” their clinky little friends. That money they “already spent” belonged to the taxpayers. ‘Memba them? They thought they were electing someone who would, I don’t know be different from the last guy:
When it looked in February like Tory premier Rodney MacDonald was going to attend the Games, Graham Steele — who was then the NDP’s finance critic — said “the premier has got his priorities upside down.” Steele, who is now finance minister, also said MacDonald should pick up the tab for the tickets.
Dexter claims he is going for a minimum number of days at a minimal cost, but the entire Olympic effort has already cost Nova Scotia $1.5 million. (Of course, that’s $1.5 million Canadian, which is only around a hundred bucks. So maybe I shouldn’t make such a fuss.)
And, reports The Chronicle Herald:
“…the province is also paying $13,320 for 20 event tickets, including a gold medal hockey game, as five Nova Scotia Business Inc. staffers go to work and entertain prospective firms they are trying to lure to the province.”
I wish I knew more about Great White North politics, because then I would bring moose-wrasslin’ into this, and that would be awesome. Hockey, anyone?
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Nonetheless, Canada is God’s second-favorite (or favourite) nation.
OMG that is priceless! Could he be any more of a hypocrite?
“Dexter says he has no free Olympic tickets, but he does have “access passes.” And receptions to attend.”
–> Same difference dude.
-Denise
Access pass? Is that Canadian for rink-side seat? Or does he mean that the attached lanyard negates the ticket label?
Just pay for the tickets or have the party pay for the tickets. Excuse me, “passes”.
Nice. I’ve been told that under no circumstances am I allowed to go anywhere near BC and Alberta during the Olympics because it’ll look bad if public servants appear to be spending taxpayers dollars on frivolous, non-work related trips. Of course, I knew a long time ago that all the politicians up here are liars just like they are down in the States.
Still, I was foolish enough to hope that the NDP – the self-proclaimed Canadian Conscience Party – would at least TRY to practice what they were preaching. SIlly me.
Canada? There’s no such place as Canada. You guys are high.
So Canada has a Democrat Party too. Who would have thunk it.
It’s all because they can’t get YouTube eh?
Why are people so consciously ignorant?
Why are any of you surprised?
Does it please you to stereotype?
Hypocrisy is human nature.
But turning it into a lifestyle/business/art form takes politicians and celebrities, usually.
Are you gonna head off to the IMDb now, to point out that movies are fake? Because…never mind.
USD 1,434,810.81. Wipe that sneer off your face. (No, I’m not Canadian.)
Garage rhymes with marriage in Canada? WTF are you talking about?
@fozzy – Apparently she’s confusing Canada with Britain. What’s with the snide comments in this article? I like the substance but there seems to be an ignorance or an anger coming from the writer. Did Canada touch you in a bad place?
Hey Audrey,
I wish you knew more about Canadian politics, too, because then you’d know that the NDP stands for New Democratic Party, not National Democratic Party.
Oh, never mind. This entry made me tired.
Where to begin?
Garage doesn’t rhyme with marriage, it rhymes with Mirage. And yes we do say “eh” a lot, but this is because we are a polite bunch that asks, even when we are making a statement (e.g. Politicians are a bunch of crooks, eh? Strange, I know, but at least we don’t axe people questions or warsh our dishes. And where we come from, roof doesn’t rhyme with tough it rhymes with proof (i.e. for those who don’t know, the American pronunciation for roof is ruff).
NDP = New Democratic Party, not National Democratic Party. Either way their politics are Socialist enough to make Obama proud!
$1.5 million is only worth $100 American, eh? As of today we are $0.96 of your dollar and we were ahead of your dollar last year. And, we will soon be pounding your dollar at the rate the Fed is printing money (monetizing or devaluing your currency).
But, I still love my naive neighbors to the south, i just hate when your arrogance shows through. If we were the same up here, we would all still think that you host weekly “nightstick” the colored folk festivals, or that you all have gun racks in you trucks. But, we learn about our “friends” and you had better learn from us and start doing the same, because you are going to need our oil with your debt load! First thing getting cut when deficits and debt get that high is the military spending and you don’t need your military to get OUR oil!!!
And we don’t type “eh” in our writing; it was just a spuff…spoof I mean, eh!
PS only the Frenchies and Newfies say a-boot!
FYI, Frank – I don’t know that you can claim there is an “American” pronunciation of most words, since there are more dialects than states here. I have never pronounced “roof” so that it rhymes with “tough”, nor have I ever used “axe” for ask, nor “warsh” for wash. Since you like to use stereotypes of us (in ignorance? I don’t know), you shouldn’t be surprised when you see it aimed at yourself.
“i just hate when your arrogance shows through”
Is everyone just as tired of this as I am? And I love being scolded as arrogant by someone that sounds so… well arrogant.