Wealth Index #1:
Conservative Minister of Industry, Hon. James Moore (December 13, Radio Station 1130 News, British Columbia): “We’ve never been wealthier as a country than we are right now. Never been wealthier.”
Campaign 2000 (www.campaign2000.ca) 2013 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada: “Canada’s Real Economic Action Plan Begins with Poverty Eradication.” One in seven children in Canada still live in poverty—967,000 hungry children.
James Moore on being asked about the government’s responsibility to help: “Certainly we want to make sure that kids go to school full bellied (sic), but is that always the government’s job to be there to serve people their breakfast?”. . . “The government says it’s my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.”
(James Moore makes $160,000 as an MP, plus $76,700 as a cabinet member. That makes a total of $236,900 a year. Plus he will get a gold-plated pension when he retires.)
Wealth Index #2:
The Canadian Press, December 17, 2013: Conservative Federal Finance Minister Hon. Jim Flaherty blocks CPP improvement plans. Proposed by provincial finance ministers, the plans are designed to ensure CPP payouts will be there for working men and women currently in their 30s and 40s, when they retire.
Flaherty’s response: increasing employer/employee contributions would amount to a payroll tax at a time when the economy is still fragile. “We might have been able to do something, but one of the things I don’t believe in is governments making commitments far down the road. …We might not even be the government [in two, three, five, six years from now].” (James Moore: “We’ve never been wealthier as a country than we are right now.”)
(As an MP and cabinet minister, Jim Flaherty makes $236,900 a year. Plus he is assured of a gold-plated pension when he retires.)
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What do you say, Ebenezer?
PJ Robertson Morrisburg Ontario (with credits to CBC Radio One News and Jian Gomeshi, Macleans, and Bill Tieleman writing for The Tyee December 17, 2013, www.thetyee.ca)
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The controversy around Moore’s remarks was interesting. First, he was simply and honestly articulating the view of his party. Then he claimed that his comments were taken out of context. They weren’t. A few days later, he issued a heartfelt apology for expressing the view of his party, presumably under the instruction of his party (the PMO). By being truthful, the poor guy got raked over the coals, and probably ruined his chance at becoming the party leader.
Edit: “for being truthful…”
@ Furtz Did Moore actually apologize “for expressing the view of his party,” in so many words? A Harper Conservative apologizing for his party? Wow! What boot-licking duties will he have to perform in the new year?
@PJ. Moore actually apologized for his “insensitive” remarks. Those remarks, in my opinion, reflected the view of his party.
@ Furtz Charitable of you. I would expect someone in Moore’s position to exercise judgment–e.g.to decide the heck with the PMO when I’m faced with a question on government responsibility and child poverty.