Meanwhile, a wave of firings were reported within the Conservative party on Tuesday. About five key organizers were let go, and another dozen or so pink slips could be coming, according to various news reports.
Mr. MacKay, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, said the dismissals were simply part of a planned organizational restructuring and "nothing to be alarmed about."
When is a purge not a purge? When Stephen Harper plays Man of Steel. Taking a page from that other famous Man of Steel, no not Superman, Joseph Stalin (Stalin=Steel) Harper fired more staff this week.
Is anyone working for the CPC in Ottawa? (Conservative Party of Canada, not the Communist Party of Canada, though you could be forgiven for getting confused) Since those that haven't been fired have quit.
That's about ten staff that have hit the road since the Tory Putsch to overthrow the minority Liberal government failed in June.
Harper tells caucus to prep for early election
Harper has refused to talk about the staff changes.
"I don't think Canadians care," he told ATV News. "I have a huge staff. We have been making changes according to a plan. And I think what Canadians care about are the policies."
Deputy party leader Peter MacKay warned against reading too much into the changes. Reports of up to 15 firings are also too high, he added.
"We have made some changes ... upwards of five or six people who had left for various reasons and this is not a wholesale change or major shakeup," MacKay said.
"This is part of a planned reorganization as I'm told and these changes are nothing to be alarmed about."
Those let go included a Harper adviser and two researchers, according to a Tory strategist.
The firings follow a series of departures this summer, including the party's former chief of staff, Phil Murphy, and its head of communications, Geoff Norquay.
And ever the faithful dog Mackay wags his tail to his masters voice, perhaps he hopes to be the Parties Kruschev.
Latest results show the Tories (at 26 per cent support) lagging behind the Liberals (at 38 per cent, nationally). Mr. Harper has said he is confident of the party's support.
Gee now could that be the reason for the purge that wasn't. .
But there is also concern within the party that the old Canadian Alliance wing is too dominant and the former Progressive Conservative wing is being pushed aside. The Conservative Party was formed from the merger of the two former parties. Earlier this week, The Globe and Mail reported that there is dissent within party ranks, especially among candidates in Quebec and Ontario.
Gosh golly gee, do ya think?
All thats left (pardon the pun) of the old PC's is Peter Mackay, woof woof, the guy who sold out the PC's so he could be PM. Blew that too. Then he got in the doghouse with his ex, Belinda when she crossed the floor to the Liberals. That left NO progressives in the Conservative party.
For truth in advertising perhaps the CPC should change their name to the Conservative Party of Calgary, cause thats the only place they get their support from.
MPs don't share Harper's election ardour
HALIFAX -- Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's call for an immediate general election caught some in his own party offguard at a national caucus meeting Wednesday. Harper had said on the eve of the meeting that he was confident of his party's electoral strength, despite several polls that indicate Prime Minister Paul Martin and the Liberals are edging towards majority support.
Gee what polls is he reading? Must be the ones from the Western Standard and the Tory blogs.
But Harper added, "Poll numbers don't matter."
Right polls don't count thats why he fired his staff. Clearly anyone who opposed Harpers politically correct Vision thingee was purged. But of course he can't purge his MP's, as much as he might like too.
A member of the Conservative caucus who spoke anonymously said any election speculation from his party was false bravado. "It's a game of political chicken, isn't it? The first one who blinks in a minority government situation and all that. It's not serious," he said. Liberals were laughing over what Public Works Minister Scott Brison termed the ultimate political game of Truth or Dare."I think there's too much testosterone flying around that caucus," Brison said, speaking in a phone interview in responding for the Martin government.
Harper spent the summer on the BBQ circuit looking goofy, and he thinks he was a success.
Like Uncle Joe he is suffering from delusions of political granduer precox. And anyone who tells him differently is going to get purged. He is the the Right Man a Tyrant in his party and goof to the rest of us. Harper is the biggest liability the Conservatives have. Thank goodness, if they actually had a real leader the Liberals would be in trouble.