this blog has moved to a new address: daveberta.ca

Please update your RSS, bookmarks, and links to http://daveberta.ca.

Friday, October 24, 2008

carl benito: to the "simple people" of edmonton-mill woods.

Edmonton-Mill Woods PC MLA Carl Benito addressing Public Accounts Committee Chairman Hugh MacDonald on October 8:

Mr. Benito: Yes, sir. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. When I go back to my constituency, the people who live there are mostly simple people. When they ask a question, you know, they want me to answer either yes or no or some simple answer.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

My MLA... how sad.

Anonymous said...

they want me to answer either yes or no or some simple answer.

In other words, don't answer it like a cabinet minister.

Anonymous said...

You really posted this?! You usually show more depth than this.

Robert McBean. said...

He was probably referring to his voting base. I lived in Mill Woods for many years. Not simple.

Gauntlet said...

In all fairness, this might be one of those things that comes across as either a compliment or an insult depending on whether or not you agree with the speaker. Kind of like "moral relativist."

Anonymous said...

You could call it humility also. That no Liberal MLA would identify with being a simple person probably correlates to the voter's perception of the arrogance of that party, and would explain their election result.

Agree with the third comment. Pretty lame to set aside the homework to post something like this.

Anonymous said...

Thank God I didn;t vote for this guy! Maybe his voting base is simple but most of the people I know are sick of being treated like simpletons!

Anonymous said...

I hate it when politicians are right. To quote Trudeau, politics is 10% reason and 90% emotion.

Party of One said...

Most issues are complex, not simple. Unfortunately, the complexities, nuances, and compromises are not easily or effectively communicated, certainly not by the mainstream media which tends towards soundbites and oversimplification. Not everyone has the time and/or inclination to read "Policy Options" or similar issue-oriented materials.

If the electorate is wanting a simple answer, it's not because "they" are simple, it's because the issues have been presented to them as "simple", and they naturally conclude that the resolution of those problems should also be simple.

With respect to how cabinet ministers, or for that matter, most incumbent politicians, answer questions, their "goobledegook" usually has to do with not wanting to make a commitment that they can be held accountable for; they "say" as little as possible. So, to make up for the lack of "quality" in their responses, they substitute quantity. As the saying goes, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bulls**t.

Anonymous said...

It's amusing that so many are willing to defend that comment. 'Moral relativist' indeed. Morally bankrupt is what it is.

Well done for bringing it some attention.