Jack’s a hypocrite. Criticises Tories for not showing up to debates.

From today’s Toronto Star (I had a good laugh at this… scroll down to the bottom of the link):

FOOT-IN-MOUTH SYNDROME

NDP Leader Jack Layton was scathing when asked during a campaign stop in Courtenay, B.C., this week what he thought of candidates who skip debates.

“I’d heard that it’s a malady that seems to be sweeping across the Conservative candidates across the country,” he said.

“I think that the best way to deal with it is to replace them in government so they can go back and get some bed rest, or whatever is required.”

That evening, one candidate failed to show for a debate in the far-off riding of Toronto Danforth.

The absentee? Jack Layton.

Jack Layton sends Peter Tabuns to debate for him. Peter Tabuns is promptly ejected from the debate hall.

Just a quick run-down of what happened last night at the Toronto-Danforth All Candidates Debate:

Despite assurances from his campaign that Jack would be there, Jack was in Comox, British Columbia.  It marked the second time he went to the riding of Vancouver Island North, which means that he has been to that riding MORE OFTEN THAN HIS OWN.  Talk about taking your voters for granted.

Anyway, in his place, Jack Layton sent Peter Tabuns to debate for him (though he didn’t tell the other candidates that this was happening, or the local residents there to hear Jack debate).  People in the audience started shouting, and the moderator decided to put it to a vote.  Get this: the audience decided to send Peter Tabuns packing.  I’m glad the audience stood up to the NDP’s arrogance.  If Jack Layton seriously wants our votes, he’s going to have to do a lot better than this. 

Here’s my pre-debate take:

And my post-debate wrap-up:

JACK PULLS OUT OF THE LOCAL DEBATE LAST MINUTE — an open letter from a constituent.

Dear Jack Layton,

My name is Gabe.  I’ve lived in Toronto-Danforth for 21 years.  I haven’t been a voter very long.  But every time I’ve voted in a federal election, I’ve voted for you. 

But this time, you’ve lost my support.  You take my vote for granted.  You insult me and my neighbours by asking for our votes, and then lie to us when we ask if you’re going to be here in Toronto-Danforth to debate the local issues.

On October 5th, I called your campaign office.  I asked your staff if you were going to be at the debate.  I asked your staff if I was finally going to get the chance to hear you speak to me about the issues that you purport to fight for.  Well, they lied to me.  They told me you were going to debate.  They told me you cared about the local issues, and that you cared about local voters. 

So why are you in BC?  You didn’t think I’d find this, did you?  It’s an article from the Comox (BC) Valley Record.  It says, in plain language, that while you’re supposed to be in Toronto-Danforth at a debate that was scheduled at a time that you said was convenient for you, you’re going to be speaking to a crowd of Vancouver Island residents.  The article says it’s your second time in that riding since August.  How many times have you been in Toronto-Danforth since August??  Well, your campaign office says ONCE.  Once.  It’s shameful – but then again, they could be lying to me about that too.

I can’t believe the arrogance.  I can’t believe the disrespect.  You tried to pull a fast one on your constituents, Jack, and we’ve had enough.  Between now and October 14th, Mr. Layton, you’ve got one hell of a lot of explaining to do.

Respectfully,

Gabe.

Footage from the Where’s Jack?? Protest and Launch outside the NDP platform announcement

Here is the video we took of our protest/launch outside the NDP’s platform announcement.  Jack Layton hadn’t been in the riding since August — a fact that was confirmed to me personally when I called the Layton campaign office.  My favourite part of the video is near the end when a crazy NDP woman starts accusing me of both living out of riding (I offered to show her my driver’s licence with my address) and of not knowing the last time Jack was in the riding.  The man with the microphone is a journalist from CBC radio.

Despite all the NDP’s yelling and attempting to cover up our signs (I won’t even get into this…), we were able to get our message across in a calm, effective way.  The people of Toronto-Danforth deserve (and demand!) a representative who believes in local representation – someone who understands that Local Matters.  No matter how loud the NDP yells and screams, it doesn’t change the fact that in this election, I have personally met more local voters than Jack Layton has, and I’m not even on the ballot.  MP for Toronto-Danforth??  Yeah, right.  More like MP for Air Canada. 

Welcome to Toronto-Danforth, Jack.  Nice to finally meet you.

Jack Layton makes Transit Announcement in Toronto… Just not Toronto-Danforth

Jack Layton made a transit announcement at Bathurst subway station — in his WIFE’s riding of Trinity-Spadina.  2 theories here:

1 — Olivia Chow and Jack Layton are terrified of Christine Innes, Olivia’s Liberal challenger in Trinity-Spadina.

2 — Jack Layton doesn’t want to hold any more events in Toronto-Danforth, given the tepid welcome with which he was received by the residents of Toronto-Danforth (I think I saw some signs — “Jack of All Ridings (Except Toronto-Danforth)” comes to mind).  I mean, we’ve got several subway stations in Toronto-Danforth: Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands, Greenwood… 

Talk about taking the voters of Toronto-Danforth for granted!  Makes you wonder:  Where’s Jack??

Where’s Jack??

My name is Gabe. I’ve lived in the riding of Toronto-Danforth my entire life. Toronto-Danforth is known across the country for its strong community. It’s the Danforth, East York, Chinatown East, Little India and the Gerrard Street Bazaar, Leslieville, Greektown, and Riverdale – we’re a riding of communities.

For as long as I could vote in federal elections, I’ve only ever voted NDP. But this election’s different. Like so many of you, I’m tired of the kind of representation that our Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth, Jack Layton, has been giving us. I’m tired of the political calculations (bringing down the Martin government, and bringing in Stephen Harper), the empty rhetoric, and the promises that Jack has never had the opportunity to break. I’m tired of Jack Layton – of his unwillingness to debate local issues in Toronto-Danforth, and of his undemocratic attempts to prevent the Green Party from debating nationally.

For the community of communities that is Toronto-Danforth, I believe that Local Matters. And while Jack is off travelling the country on his airplane, Andrew Lang and the Liberals are in our community, knocking on doors, meeting neighbours, working to build a richer Toronto-Danforth, a fairer Toronto-Danforth, and a greener Toronto-Danforth. But all we see of Jack in Toronto-Danforth are his lawn-signs, and news-clips of his empty speeches to NDP rallies hundreds of kilometres of away.

This is a site for all of us who deserve strong local representation. It’s a site for all of us who deserve a local advocate who knows our community, and who lives in our community. It’s a site for all of us who wonder, every day: Where’s Jack??