Hugh McFadyen strategizing with Manitoba Campus Conservatives
It appears that the Conservatives have their eyes on a new prize, the University of Manitoba Student Union, according to a very interesting article from Canadian Dimension. In it, author Brian Latour exposes the Conservatives’ involvement in previous campus elections and speculates that the next big push by the University of Manitoba Campus Conservatives (UMCC)–who are well connected and appear to be well funded–will be to get partisans elected in 201o at the Students’ Union. The UMCC connections reach right to the Federal government via high profile alumni such as Steven Fletcher, current Minister for Democratic Renewal and former Manitoba Students’ Union president. Fletcher recently stirred up controversy when he used a public speaking engagement (hosted by the UMCC) to attack the students’ union, the Canadian Federation of Students and the local campus newspaper. As an indication of who might be involved in planning for the 2010 election push, Latour notes that the University of Manitoba Campus Conservatives facebook group includes the likes of:
Pierce Cairns, 2008 UMSU Presidential candidate (Regressive Conservative)
Adam Cousins, 2009 UMSU Presidential candidate (Campus Change)
Young Jung, 2009 UMSU VP Student Services candidate (Campus Change)
Stefan Paszlack, UMSU election, Campaign Manager (Campus Change)
MP Peter Braid (Conservative Party of Canada)
Joey Coleman (formerly of Maclean’s On Campus)
[Cue arguments that we are the "mouth piece" for Canadian Dimension]
The U of M Campus Conservatives got help from the leader of Manitoba’s Conservatives to try to undermine that province’s student day of action against poverty and tuition fees. Hugh McFadyn was there to personally prop up Conservatives’ media profile and steer the message away from what students were calling for.
Meanwhile of important symbolic value, students are beginning to rally behind the embattled CFS under the new group “Progressive Students 4 CFS”. A facebook group and website called have sprouted up in the face of the Conservative’s attack campaign against the CFS.
5 responses so far ↓
campusconservativewatch // November 17, 2009 at 1:16 am |
Dear Manitobans,
While the above it is unfortunate news, we would be remiss if we didn’t take the opportunity to wish you a happy Louis Reil Day.
Regards,
CCW
Justin Donelle // November 17, 2009 at 1:50 am |
So its wrong if the current association is lead by New Democrats?
Progressives for the CFS? Something wrong with having multiple view in an association instead of just one?
For the picture, you do know that was a public meeting with an MP which all parties do?
What about including how the NDP has constantly funded student association and how the CFS illegally funds the NDP? What about how all executives rally behind the NDP, keeping in mind of the odd fake Liberal.
How about you put pictures of NDP members walking around schools and pushing CFS pamphlets and NDP pamphlets around?
I fail to see how you can call this an article when you don’t even apply balance to it?
Ainsley P. // November 17, 2009 at 5:10 am |
For the record, you’re guilty of being a mouth-piece for CD, just of being really shoddy journalists.
Also for the record, Latour is only on the CD blog, not in the magazine. I’ll bet that CD pays about as much attention to their blog postings as Maclean’s or the Globe do to theirs.
Look, we get it. You see Conservative boogeymen everywhere. – tories under every bed, young conservatives in every shadowed corner, all just waiting for you to look away – bwahahaha. Likewise, we all understand you’re going to keep pretending there’s some vast conspiracy against the CCW, the CFS, the CD, and whichever other acronyms you like this week.
Thing is, if you’re going to keep humming that same tune, at least try and improvise a verse once and awhile. Time was, you could turn to CCW for all of the most up-to-date libel on the internets. Now, all you’ve got is warmed-over UMSU gossip and a facebook group’s member roster.
If you want a real conspiracy against the left, why not talk about the people posting on the facebook group for the Progressive Students 4 CFS. Some people there are clearly trying to undermine the reputation of the CFS by posting explicitly marxist and anti-semitic drivel. What’s worse, although these people are clearly fakes (after all, what right-thinking student-movementer would say those things where they could be heard by the wrong people?), they’ve sneakily gone and made friends with hundreds of people to cover their tracks, including a number of CFS campaigners. It’s a conspiracy, I tellz ya, and you should be writing about it.
After all, there’s nothing that will do more damage to the CFS/left than if we’re wrongly perceived to be a bunch of anti-semitic Stalinists. Except if the perception happens to be accurate, of course.
Marc // November 18, 2009 at 1:22 am |
Justin and Ainsley, I’ll tell you, I originally decided to make a post to come back on your comments, but then I re-read them both, and other than a near random mish-mash of re-hashed vague criticisms, the fact is I could barely understand either of your rants enough to address them intelligently. I guess I’ll just say to Ainsley your fifth paragraph seems to make some strong accusations such as anti-semitism though I can’t tell what you mean. Still, calling someone anti-semitic is a strong charge. After reading the progressive students 4 CFS (as you suggested), it seems to me that you are completely fabricating this accusation. And to Justin, can you prove really stand behind your allegation that the CFS “illegally funds the NDP?” I usually give people the benefit of the doubt, but I’m having a hard time with these bizarre lines of reasoning.
Anyway, thanks for the update con watchers.
Frank // November 18, 2009 at 1:30 am |
I agree you Marc. It’s these kinds of baseless (and weird) accusations that turned me away from the anti-CFS arguments.