Thursday, October 7, 2010

Ignatieff's "I Feel Your Pain" Goes Too Far

The Liberal leader in trying push his Family Care Plan uses his family tragedy in his email that he has sent .  John Ivison calls it "manipulative, undignified and in poor taste." 
 This email from Michael Ignatieff to his mass-mailing list went out this afternoon. Titled “This is personal,” it strikes me as manipulative, undignified and in poor taste — using the Liberal leader’s own personal tragedy to wring votes from Canadians. I know Ignatieff is trying to establish a personal connection with voters but this was a poor decision, more likely to make people feel uncomfortable than sympathetic.
Here is what is in the email  Ivison  refers to.
John — My mother got sick with Alzheimer’s when she was in her 60s — early, in other words — and my dad took care of her at home. I’ve never admired my father more than when he looked after my mom, but it killed him, basically. It was tough, even with my brother, Andrew, stepping up, and our family and friends helping. Like my Dad did, millions of Canadians care for family members at home when loved ones fall ill. They are a silent workforce, providing $9-billion in unpaid work each year. Many must use personal savings to survive, miss work or quit their jobs. Over half have household incomes under $45,000. Like the loved ones they are caring for, many of these caregivers are in the fight of their lives. Yesterday, I announced a new Liberal Party policy to change that.
Canadians want to shoulder the responsibility of caring for their ill parents, grandparents, spouse or young children. But they also want a government that stands with them, a government that chooses families over corporate tax breaks. That’s why the new Liberal Family Care Plan will introduce:
A new six-month Family Care Employment Insurance Benefit, similar to the EI parental leave benefit, so that more Canadians can care for gravely ill family members at home without having to quit their jobs; and A new Family Care Tax Benefit, modeled on the Child Tax Benefit, to help low- and middle-income family caregivers who provide essential care to a family member at home.
Replacing the current six-week EI program, the Family Care Employment Insurance Benefit will let families claim up to six months in blocks over a year long period, and share it with other family members. Meanwhile, the new Family Care Tax Benefit will help low- and middle-income family caregivers defray the cost of providing essential care to a family member at home. The new benefit will provide families that qualify with a tax-free monthly payment worth up to $1,350 per year. During difficult economic times, governments — and Canadians — must choose. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives choose a $6-billion annual tax break for corporations. We choose families. We’ll keep the corporate tax rate where it is now, 25 percent lower than in the United States, and use some of the savings it provides to pay for the Liberal Family Care Plan. I know this policy will help countless Canadians struggling to provide care for sick loved ones at home. Please visit www.liberal.ca/liberal-family-care-plan to watch the video, share your caregiver stories, and read the full brochure to learn more about the difference this policy could make for your family.
Thank you.
Michael Ignatieff
To contact the Liberal Party of Canada, please reply to this email. Our mailing address: 81 Metcalfe street, suite 600 Ottawa ON K1P 6M8
David Frum is bang on, on  the so called empathy of Ignatieff in 2006 particularly commenting on Iffy's book "Scar Tissue" when Iffy was first seeking the Liberal leadership which was won by Stephane Dion later that year.  Iffy talked about his mothers condition in that book.
It is a work by a man without empathy trying to understand those who possess it; of a man who has arrogantly separated himself from the suffering human race grappling with the realization that he belongs to it; of a man who has despised the unbeautiful and the unclever confronting the possibility that in the ways that ultimately count most, one particular unbeautiful and unclever person is his own better.
Iffy feels your pain?  Wants to help your friends and family while using his own family?  Right!   To use your own family for your own personal gain?  That is is pretty low.  He doesn't have an empathetic bone in his body. He's cold, detached and pretentious. You don't use a family tragedy to further your own political agenda.
John Ivison is right in his description of this as manipulative, undignified and poor taste.  Don't buy into it!








10 comments:

  1. As if he was motivated by personal tragedy,
    and not party politics, eh.

    Had 'he' cared for his Mom, and not simply been an observer, I wouldn't question his motivation.

    Just another 'marketing Michael Ignatieff' move.

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  2. Millions of dollars stolen from those who are very ill; by taking money from provinces which was for the health care was not a problem for the liberals to take away from back then apparently.

    Raising taxes to businesses will lead people to poverty because of loss of jobs

    Durig the recession when the public needed money the liberals response "I feel your pain" but at no time not even now have we seen a dime from the liberals.

    What Ignatieff is doing is following the NDP plan - 'a free for all' campaign.

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  3. Iggy is man who makes Liberal party policy decisions that would affect millions of Canadians based on his own personal and family history.
    I can't imagine the policys he would promote if someone in his family contracts malaria,falls off a unicycle, or decides to make a meat dress....
    What an a..hat.

    Flynpigranch

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  4. A personal trajedy story helped save the gun registry, so it makes sense that you will hear more in the future to sell Liberal initiatives.

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  5. A personal trajedy story helped save the gun registry, so it makes sense that you will hear more in the future to sell Liberal initiatives.

    Maybe Iceman,but I thought Scott Simms using his brother's suicide to save the registry was in bad taste too. If Libs do this too often the public will see through it, get turned off and see that they are being manipulated.

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  6. What is it with these Libs throwing their dead family members into the fray - do they not have any scruples!

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  7. What is it with these Libs throwing their dead family members into the fray - do they not have any scruples!

    Nope!

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  8. There is nothing wrong with what he wrote other than the usual Liberal spin factor contained. First of all, if people don't have jobs then where are the taxpayers to pay for this? If I don't have a job then I can't take care of anybody can I? The jobs come first, thus the tax cuts. Secondly, the payments and amount announced are generous and subject to abuse if not highly policed and this is on top of a fairly extensive system that currently exists to help people in these kinds of situations. It is not needed that badly nor is it cost effective, nor can we afford it now. The best reason is the afford it now one. (real conservative)

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  9. I think Iceperson is right. Liberals will be resorting to this sort of cheap emotionalism on a regular basis to help sell their "compassionate" government concept. That way they can avoid all of the practical discussions of cost, implementation, jurisdiction, etc. They can just yelp, "Don't you care about my sickly MaMa?"

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  10. The Liberals can play the violin all they want, which they have been doing for decades btw, the reality is that the money isn't there. (real conservative)

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