Tories launch attack ads aimed at Dion

Only The Lonely.. · #1 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 1:43 AM**

Tories launch attack ads aimed at Dion

Last Updated: Sunday, January 28, 2007 | 6:20 PM ET | CBC News

The Conservatives unveiled three new television ads Sunday attacking Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, a day before members of Parliament return to the House of Commons.

The English-language ads, which will be followed by a second series of French ads, assert that Dion is a weak leader who would take the country back to the past. They also criticize Dion's record as environment minister, charging that greenhouse gas emissions went up and air quality went down under his watch between 2004 and 2006.

In response to the ads, Dion told CBC News, "[Harper] wants to spend all this money to try to attack me in a very negative way, and it'll backfire."

"Canadians will not be impressed by that."

Dion also criticized Harper's environmental record, saying that several months ago the prime minister said that greenhouse gas emissions didn't exist.

The ads use footage from last fall's Liberal leadership debates, including clips of Michael Ignatieff, now Dion's deputy leader, and Ken Dryden admitting that the Liberals failed to meet the Kyoto targets for emission reductions.

One ad includes a clip of Dion plaintively responding to attacks on his environmental record, telling Ignatieff he doesn't know how hard it is to set priorities.

B.C. Conservative MP James Moore said, "We think that Stéphane Dion has been getting a little bit of a free ride. We're going to hold him accountable for the things he didn't do as environment minister."

The Conservatives, who have secured a prized spot for the ads during next weekend's Canadian broadcast of the Super Bowl, refused to say how much the party is spending on the election-style campaign.

With files from the Canadian Press

Only The Lonely.. · #2 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 1:46 AM**

I don't think American style mudslinging works with Canadian voters, what does everyone else think?

Dorian G. · #3 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 1:48 AM**

well he didn't lose my vote—but only because he didn't have it in the first place.

Halifax Hillbilly · #4 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 1:56 AM**

I think mudslinging can work pretty well. The last couple of elections have been pretty wide open.

I don't think THIS attack ad will go over very well. It's not an election so this move looks pretty desperate. In my mind, Stephen Harper would gain much more public suppport by showing strong leadership instead of lamenting the situation he inherited from the Liberals. Since it's not an election his job is governing, not criticizing other parties so ferociously.

Taller Better · #5 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 1:58 AM**

What a twit. Saddest PM we have ever had.

Rusty van Reddick · #6 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 2:28 AM**

How do the Cons intend to met their Kyoto goals?

Fucking assholes.

m0nkyman · #7 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 2:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

I don't think American style mudslinging works with Canadian voters, what does everyone else think?

Yeah. American style. 'Cause anything the Cons do is American style. Fucking typical.

trueviking · #8 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 3:01 AM**

i think he meant attack ads are typically american....it is a common reference to say 'american style' when it comes to this type of campaigning.

that being said...anything the cons do is american style.

m0nkyman · #9 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 3:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

i think he meant attack ads are typically american....it is a common reference to say 'american style' when it comes to this type of campaigning.

No. It's not common. When the Liberals do brutal, vicious attack ads, they don't get the 'american style' prefix.

Greco Roman · #10 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 3:39 AM**

I think that ANY politician from ANY political party who resorts to this type of campagning is quite pathetic.

Le1000 · #11 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 3:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by m0nkyman

No. It's not common. When the Liberals do brutal, vicious attack ads, they don't get the 'american style' prefix.

But this was during election time...
Plus, what the liberals did was indeed american style advertising, and did it work? Nope.

Andy6 · #12 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 3:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertaboy

I think that ANY politician from ANY political party who resorts to this type of campagning is quite pathetic.

Dion is getting a free ride as "Mr. Green" from most of the media. I don't see what's wrong with pointing out, mostly in the words of fellow Liberals like Ignatieff, that this is a pretty dubious proposition.

They're not making this up.

SteelTown · #13 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 3:54 AM**

I think the one attack ad the Liberals put out worked. It was back in the 2004 election. The ad with the Canadian flag fading away with a woman voice saying "Mr Harper once said that once he's done with Canada you won't even recognize it.....he might be right"

I think that ad helped the Liberals stay in government.

Le1000 · #14 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 4:01 AM**

bahh, it really pisses me off to see our political system turn into a complete circus.
First; it was about how YOU (as a prime minister) could improve things. Then; it became about proving that the other candidate would make a terrible pm. Now, it's about using (barely) scandeleous gossips about your rival to shock people. What's next?

LordMandeep · #15 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 4:21 AM**

the worst ad was the Chreatien one back in 1993...

Well Harper is angry he will not get a majority so he is trying everything, he would not of dreamed of doing. Thank god he won a minority, or else he wouldn't have moved to the centre.

Doing attack ads not during an election does make you look bad even if you are pointing out the "Truth".

trueviking · #16 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 4:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by m0nkyman

No. It's not common. When the Liberals do brutal, vicious attack ads, they don't get the 'american style' prefix.

its probably because not everything the liberals do is 'american style' the way it is with the cons....just throw this on the pile with vastly increased military spending, reduction in social services, funding cuts for women's groups, arts groups and museums, baby bonuses instead of social daycare, opportunistic tax credits for transit and youth sports instead of hollistic social planning, tossing out kyoto and the kelowna accord, destruction of the wheat board, tax increases for the lowest bracket, tax reductions for the highest, saying 'god bless canada' after every speech, opposition to gay marriage...

need i continue with my american style list?...whether or not you support these ideas, you cant argue that they are american style.

biggiebear · #17 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 4:23 AM**

I'd definetly call it an american style attack, they're even televising these ads during the "super bowl" for crying out loud. Can we be any less Canadian.

Migs · #18 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 4:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

i think he meant attack ads are typically american....it is a common reference to say 'american style' when it comes to this type of campaigning.

that being said...anything the cons do is american style.

Thats got to be the most hypocritical thing I have ever read. Do you not remember the Liberals ads during the last election? Jesus you's swear some people really do have red googles so bad that they can't see the forest for the trees.

waterloowarrior · #19 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 4:34 AM**

.. Attack ads... on our televisions... in Canada....

We did not make this up

Choose your Canada

Kilgore Trout · #20 Posted: **Jan 29, 2007, 4:36 AM**

canadian politics has always been underhanded and sleazy. the conservatives are acting no differently than any other political party in canadian history.

from a strategic point of view, however, it seems awfully desperate of harper and co. to run an attack ad when there isn't even an election in sight for several more months.