Phil McColeman: Not with a strong voice but a whimper

As our MPs relax into summer, it's a good time to review how they performed in Ottawa during the recent sessions of Parliament. During the last election, Phil McColeman promised leadership and a strong voice in Ottawa. In terms of leadership, he has failed to take a stand on any important issues. In terms of a strong voice, Phil has been nothing but a trained seal in the House of Commons, posing pre-planned questions to fellow Conservative ministers, and delivering speeches about how awesome the Conservative government is. Here's a chart showing what Phil talked about every time he opened his mouth:


It's heartwarming to see that Phil spends his speaking time setting up other ministers for an easy score instead of asking questions about, say, land-claims issues, or the need for medical isotopes, or really anything that matters at all.

Predictably, McColeman also voted just as Stephen Harper told him to every time. For example, even with the constituency of Brant that has many Italian-Canadians, Phil voted against a bill that would have recognized the injustice done to Italian-Canadians who were interned during the Second World War. (In 1988, Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative government offered an apology and compensation to Japanese-Canadians who suffered similar mistreatment). Strong voice for Brant? As if!

With behaviour like this, it's no wonder that Phil was recently listed as a nominee for Canada's Worst MP. Too bad there's no category for Most Obedient MP, or it would be a shoo-in.

Visas on Demand; Phil cubre su culo!

After the Harper government decided to make an international incident in their poor handling of their relations with the Czech Republic and Mexico and singling them out in requiring Visas to come to Canada. Phil managed to cover his butt and "save the day". A last-minute intervention by Brant MP Phil McColeman has helped 49 Mexican singers and their escorts land in Brantford last night after almost having their trip cancelled. Almost two months of work went into plans for a children's youth choir from Mexico City to stay in Brantford as part of a swing through Michigan and Ontario. But the itinerary was almost scuttled after the Canadian government announced that Mexicans and Czechs needed visas to enter Canada.

So Phil's government creates an international incident and now they are heroes for not screwing over a Mexican band??? How about the thousands of couples with wedding plans this summer who have to change or cancel their plans due to the lack of notice or travellers who have non-refundable deals to vacation in Mexico? Or students who have to cancel their studies-abroad plans because it takes two to three month to have a temporary Visa issued to them?


Well at least Phil will have a group of tourists who he can give more of his vandalized flags to.



Our visitors will probably wonder why the Canadian flag now has www.philmccolemanmp.ca on it and wonder what kind of shameless "idiota" would self-promote himself like that. Aye carumba!

Food for thought: what does Phil stand for? Besides pork...

"You are what you eat..."







Pork BBQ on Parliament Hill
May 06, 2009

Attached is a photo taken today of Brant MP Phil McColeman, Larry Miller Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Curtiss Littlejohn, of the Canadian Pork Producers

Letters to the Editor from the Brantford Expositor, from the past month:

Paper should focus on asking MP tough questions

Posted 5 days ago

Recent concern by the Expositor about the selection of Lloyd St. Amand as the Liberal candidate for the riding of Brant is unfounded and misguided.
It is strongly recommended that, rather than focus on the opposition, perhaps the writer of the piece should be focusing on current representation of our riding.
It is very clear that more attention needs to be paid to the record of our current MP. In case there is some confusion, I've formulated some questions that the writer who questioned St. Amand's credibility could ask:
1) Why, when the taxpayers in the City of Brantford are spending millions of dollars dealing with land claims issues in court, hasn't Phil McColeman asked a single question about land claims in the House of Commons?
2) Why does Phil McColeman think that foreign affairs with Cuba are more important than issues in our riding?
3) When major announcements about land claims come from Six Nations, why does Phil McColeman not know anything about them? Isn't he "friends" with elected Chief Bill Montour?
4) Why is Phil McColeman opposed to Employment Insurance reform that would have offered immediate relief to hundreds of residents in the riding of Brant before the summer began?
5) Why does Phil McColeman support blatant political advertising that suggests that his government has achieved so little?
6) Instead of why they think they're doing such a great job, why doesn't the Conservative party spend government advertising money on saving or creating taxpayers' jobs?
7) Why does Phil McColeman support a party that has continually shown that it does not know what it is doing with the country's economy and finances?
It is my earnest hope and desire that the author of The Expositor editorial questioning St. Amand's candidacy finds the time to ask the questions that really matter to the citizens in the riding of Brant, and not waste our time by attacking the opposition.
Michael Skrzypek, president Brant Federal Liberal Association Brantford

&

Tough to answer where our MP stands on issues

Posted 7 days ago


Mr. Kastronovic, in his July 2 letter, shows that he did not read carefully the story about the flag. Our former MP, Lloyd St. Amand, conveyed concerns he had heard about the flag sent by Phil McColeman to households in Brant. This was supported by the fact that many of your readers submitted letters voicing a similar concern -- namely, that they found the inclusion of Mr. McColeman's website on the flag offensive. I do not believe the Canadian flag should be used for political propaganda.

The "contest" that Mr. McColeman took part in (with 30 other Conservative MPs) was obviously to identify supporters. I have not heard or read Mr. McColeman's stance on the current economic situation and solutions specific to Brant, how the record deficit of $50-plus billion is going to be retired, how employment insurance can be improved or how his government will attempt resolution of land claims. It is impossible for me to answer the question: "Do you think Phil McColeman is on the right track on the major issues of the day?" when I have no idea where he stands.

K. Babineau Mt. Pleasant

Footage of how Phil really scratched his face!!!

Since Youtube videos appear to be all the rage lately, I found footage of how the face of our MP for Brant, Phil McColeman, was really scarred. The abrasions on his forehead and across his nose have left Phil looking as though he's had a run-in with a bear. Or bumped heads with a deer.



Just watch the video for the first minute.

Phil does the darnedest things...

Take MP's 'embarassing' story at face value














Posted By SUSAN GAMBLE, Brantford Expositor
June 19, 2009
It's easy to misstep when you're a rookie MP in Ottawa.
Just ask Phil McColeman, who is sporting the scars from an embarrassing run-in with a window ledge in Bytown.
The abrasions on his forehead and across his nose have left Phil looking as though he's had a run-in with a bear. Or bumped heads with a deer.
The truth is far more mundane, says the politician who was caught by the camera while presenting a giant cheque to Caralyn Smith, the winner of his public safety essay contest. Caralyn, of Ohsweken, wrote an "excellent submission" and won $500 for her efforts.
"I tripped in a restaurant," says Phil. "It was tight quarters and I stumbled over a chair, hit my nose on a ledge and because my glasses were on, they tore the skin. It looked way worse than it was."
Unfortunately, Phil was dining with Gary Lunn, minister of state for Sports.
"I just know now when the Olympic torch comes to Brantford they're not going to let me touch it."
Phil's face became the subject of ribbing in the house, too, when Transport Minister John Baird quipped, "That'll teach you to mess with me!"
"It's been totally embarrassing," says Phil mournfully.
"Just tell people I'm really fighting for my constituents in Ottawa!"

Sadly I see we have Mr . Magoo for an MP...
and no Phil is not fighting for his constituents. He has yet to mention land claims, Caledonia or any local issues involving Brant in Ottawa. How exactly does one stumble over a chair? I sincerely hope Mr. McColeman stumbled his way to a cab and did not drive that evening. Phil is definitely making Brantford proud (sarcasm). I agree with Phil, it would not be a wise idea to have the flame near him.

While Phil was busy sending "sexy" flags out...

... the isotope crisis reached Brantford.

According to a report from the past week, Dr. Christopher O'Brien, president of the Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine, says 75 people at his hospital in Brantford are waiting for scans that require isotopes. "These patients will eventually get their tests done; we just don't know when. It's serious in the sense that I don't know if I'm missing cancer on patients who are waiting to get the tests," said O'Brien. Some Ontario hospitals have coped with the shortage by cancelling non-urgent tests. But now the shortage is so acute that some are faced with postponing procedures. O'Brien describes the situation at his hospital as precarious. Phil McColeman MP for Brant who has yet to bring any local issues to Ottawa like he promised; did not mention this or land claims during this legislative session, he only made false claims this year. Luckily one Member of Parliament from British Columbia did raise this issue, Dr. Keith Martin, whose Constituency Office is 4300 km/ 41 hour drive away from the Brantford General Hospital! On Thursday, June 11 he rose in the House of Commons to ask:

Hon. Keith Martin (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, the minister talks about thallium as an option. We have learned today that the supply of thallium is running out. At Brantford General Hospital, 75 patients right now are waiting for the tests that they need.

I want to ask the minister a simple question. What is her plan and when is she going to release the plan to enable Canadians to have access to isotopes and the thallium that they need for the tests that they require to save their lives?

Where was Phil on this? If a Member of Parliament from across the country is a better advocate of local issues than our current Member of Parliament for Brant, one has to ask what the hell is Phil doing in Ottawa??? The kind of questions Phil asked this year are enough for an end-of-session post...

Here's a good comparison of a productive Member of Parliament and...Phil:

Minister Finley makes sure the trained seal on her left is clapping in unison...

Phil puts the FLAG in flagrant disrespect!

MP's flag decal violates official national protocol

I am writing with regards to the flagrant disrespect of the Canadian flag that is being shown by our elected federal representative, Mr. McColeman. Not only is this no more than a feeble attempt at commercializing our flag and Canada Day, it certainly does violate normally accepted protocol for the use of the national flag of Canada. According to Canadian Heritage Dignity of the Flag, "nothing should be pinned to or sewn on the National Flag of Canada" and "The National Flag of Canada should not be signed or marked in any way." Mr. McColeman may find ways to interpret the printing of his website along the border of the flag as being acceptable, but I, along with many other individuals, find it reprehensible.

Furthermore, I believe that Mr. McColeman and the Conservative Party may have violated the intended privacy of the National Register of Electors, since: "Under the law, the voters list is shared with registered political parties and members of the House of Commons each year, as well as with candidates during an electoral event. The information shared consists only of electors' names and addresses. By law, parties and members of the House of Commons may use this information for communicating with electors, such as in soliciting contributions and recruiting members. Improper use of the information contained in a voters list is an offence." Although Mr. McColeman may be "communicating with electors" I believe that the manner in which he has used this list is inappropriate. And, obviously, he did not bother to "scrub" the list to eliminate duplicate individuals in a household, so he has therefore wasted more of his advertising budget (which still comes from the taxpayers' coffers I am sure).

As for me, we proudly fly a Canadian flag on our front porch. We don't need some paper commercial image which breaks flag protocol and proper ethical use of private citizens' information. Mr. McColeman and his cronies don't need to count me in their sham poll; we recognize Canada and our Flag proudly every day of the year.

Gary Ferris Brantford

and

Real surprise for our MP will come in next election

I couldn't agree more with Lloyd St. Amand about the advertising package we, as constituents, received from Mr. McColeman.

As soon as I saw that our MP had the audacity to put his email address on the bottom of a flag, the entire package went to the trash. As did the one mailed to my deceased mother.
Mr. McColeman is surprised at people's reaction to this. Not half as surprised as he will be during the next election when we remember how he chose to waste taxpayers' money.

A suggestion, Mr. McColeman, would be to use some of your monies to update your files.

Elizabeth V. Smith Brantford