"It comes out at night" -- Bob Rae (Toronto Centre)

Madam Speaker, a long time ago, in fact, as members opposite will know, a great many years ago, when I was a small boy, I read the book Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Members will recall that the point of that story was that by simply drinking a glass of a particular potion, what seemed like a perfectly responsible and reputable person would suddenly become some kind of a monster.

I must confess that I was listening to the debate unfold this morning and this afternoon, and in particular I say this of the speech of the government House leader, who looked so good, and I know on television he looked even better. The hon. member spoke about how the mayors were, surprise, surprise, expressing gratitude for the fact that they were getting some money to build a school rink or whatever it happened to be across the country and all the projects that are taking place and all the positive things saying that the last thing this House needs is any infusion of politics or the last thing the country needs is any infusion of an election.

I can remember the Prime Minister saying earlier on that the country does not need any political gains.
Well, that is Dr. Jekyll speaking, and that is the respectable side that we have seen in this debate. I am sure many of us in this House have received various kinds of counselling and advice with respect to how to talk to the media and how to talk to the camera, that we should not raise our voice and that we should talk in a calm voice. I am sure there are many members who do it very well and many members who do not do it so well. Some members avoid responding to idiotic heckling coming from the other side. It is not a good idea to respond to the comments because the people who are watching on television cannot hear the inane comments that are being made.

However, there is another side of the Conservative Party and there is another side of the Conservative government, and that is the side that we see every night when we go home and turn on our television sets. We have been doing this, not for a few weeks, not for a few months, but for a very long time.

First, the Conservatives started out by attacking my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, who was our previous leader and who is a very fine and distinguished individual.

I want to say that I have never met a more moral, direct or honest man in politics than our previous leader, the member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville. But the Conservatives decided to attack his personality, not his politics, his career or his courage. There was no election. We were not in the midst of an election campaign, yet they decided, night after night, to make personal attacks against a member who was doing his job.

After we chose a new leader in the House of Commons, the very first thing we saw was an attack on the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore, not because of what he believes in or his politics, but because of his past and the fact that he was out of the country. It was a personal, vicious, constant, never-ending, corrosive attack on the personality of a person.

For those of us who have been in this business for a while, it is like water off a duck's back. One expects it to happen. However, what we have seen here is that there is another side. When the political party opposite says that it does not want political games or an election, who does it think it is kidding? The party opposite is campaigning for an election each and every day of the year, day after day, night after night. It never stops and it never ends.

Not a single intervention is made and not a step is taken that is not controlled by the Prime Minister's Office. Not a declaration is made that is not part of a systematic political election campaign. When I hear the party opposite talking with piety and rectitude about its interest in building hockey rinks and making parks better for Canadians, all I can say is that is not the Conservative Party that I see every night on television.

The Conservative Party that I know and that I have learned to see every night on television is a party that has nothing better to do than to drag the reputation of every other politician in the country through the mud. That is what it knows how to do and that is all it knows how to do. That is its specialty. That is what it does for a living, which is why the corrosiveness of the House and of politics is something for which they bear an enormously heavy responsibility.

Full text: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode...

Full version (inc. Questions): http://impolitical.blogspot.com/2009/10/rae-it-comes-out-at-night-video.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

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• harper
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[notaparty]

this is brilliant.

[rollsthepaul]

Harper is a micromanaging control freak. It's about getting elected and staying elected and pushing the opposition into an ever shrinking box. It's hard not to blow chunks when listening to the "angry Harper" and he is always angry. Being in power has nothing to do with leading the country, for Stephen Harper". It has everything to do about increasing his seats. No morality, no leadership, no representation for the helpless; that's our Stephen Harper.

[TheThebestatwhatido]

if this is good as it gets, the liberals are screwed. what a complete idiot this ambulance chaser is



[ihatelazypeople]

i'm a fifty year old, who has worked his way to provide very well for his family. these are not 40-50 hour weeks. i do it because i want the most for my family so they don't have to struggle the way i did. my parents could not afford to send me to university. does it piss me off when people are handed that and fail to capture it yes. does this last for eternity or when will advantage be taken of this glorious opportunity being handed to anyone who receives this . by the way i'm at work

[cmslothouber]

@ihatelazypeople If you feel that you owe your country, you might want to take the time to read the document that created the country: the constitution. It explains what Canada owes to those who were here before us, and the partnership that created our country.

[ihatelazypeople]

bob rae's comment about how the first nations people's culture being misunderstood. he's right!!!!! i'm totally baffled how you get educated, hydro and housing paid for and not work. i don''t understand how how a lot of them think that i owe them something. i owe my family and country. that's it that's all. if i want to share with someone it should be my prerogative. i don't want to wipe any more adults asses.

[MisterDaryn]

100 truth! Harper not elected for ideas or because people like him. He's an idiot. He smeared his way to power. That's it.

[eatmeskivys]

@rollsthepaul Gee thats why Iggy who? was sent packing to a teachers job , and the NDP?? Well I think the Public voted didn't they?? mmmmmm I wish he would readdress the Constitution and tighten it up so that the normal Canadian can be treated the same and have the same rights as a Gay, First Nations,or Immigrant ! and some think the other parties are better ! Ha Bleeding Libs....

[eatmeskivys]

@cjarcus the only thing this proves is the fact that no one except you seems to care what they have to say. The last election proved that I'm not alone and dear old NDP Bob is filling his time fattening his pension. The NDP and the Libs are at a loss no matter what they say or do...you obviously don't get it or your one of those Canadians with a short voting memory or you are not affected by political change when it comes to these two loser parties !! This proves your ignorance !