Thursday, December 16, 2010

Questions About CBC and Ekos

This would answer a lot of questions concerning those Ekos polls that usually show results different than most other polling firms. There are allegations that CBC has violated it's own polling rules with Frank Graves and Ekos polling firm. Brian Lilley has discovered.
OTTAWA — CBC is fending off allegations it is violating its own polling rules by using Frank Graves and EKOS Research to perform their political polling.
Graves uses an automatic dialing system called IVR that has respondents to his polls punch numbers to make their selections rather than speaking to a human questioner. That method is not approved by Government of Canada polling guidelines nor CBC’s call for bids on the polling contract.
“Graves uses methodology not approved by CBC. How did they miss that," Conservative spokesman Fred DeLorey asked.
Graves became a lighting rod for Conservative criticism after a newspaper quoted him as advising the Liberals to start a culture war to defeat the Conservatives. He later also admitted to donating to the Liberals.
An access to information request to have CBC release the EKOS contract was denied.
CBC spokesman Jeff Keay defended the use of IVR, calling the technology “cost-efficient, fast and suitable.”
Keay also told QMI Agency that while they are not bound by government polling rules, most contracts do follow government standards.
Are you surprised?   I thought not. It sure does put into doubt the credibility of all Ekos polls. It is no secret that Graves is a Liberal supporter so is the CBC.  So why wouldn't they work hand in hand to promote their party of choice and why won't they release any information through access to information?  What more is there that they are hiding?  At least at the Commons committee  the NDP and the Bloc voted with the CPC to investigate CBC.  The Liberals abstained.  I wonder why!  Maybe we'll get some answers at that committee, I hope.

Thanks to Brian Lilley for his series on the CBC.  Hopefully he will carry on with his quest and share what he's learned on  SunTV news channel once it's on air. I fear he hasn't even scratched the surface yet.  All Canadians need to know what's going on at the taxpayer funded broadcaster that we put so much money into.  I urge all of you to go and read all of his columns in the Sun on this issue.  It's about your money after all.

Please Pray for Former Premier Ralph Klein

Today we hear that popular former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein is seriously ill.  He has COPD (emphysema) which is lung disease that has no cure so far. 

He  was mayor of Calgary in  when he hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics and did a great job at that as a matter of fact.

He was a very approachable premier who wasn't afraid to hang out with regular Albertans. He's a straight shooter and not afraid to tell you like it is. His greatest accomplishment was in his first term where he took on an economy which had been left devastated by Trudeau's  NEP and other factors.  We had a debt and deficit that he successfully  was able to turn around. He stood up for Alberta  against the minions in Ottawa. Some days when Ed Stelmach and Co. screw up I pine for the old Klein days.

Now that he's ill the least we can do is pray for him and stand behind him as he battles this horrible disease.  
God's speed and I pray that God will see fit to heal you of this.   There are many who are in your corner and support you. Don't forget that God still does perform miracles.