Overheard this week: “Ice-cold Camembert” vs. “political backbone”

This week was another study in contrasts. The Senate scandal was back in the news with a report that the Auditor General is looking into questionable expenses, while Tom Mulcair continues to focus on the issues that matter to Canadians.

It’s hard out there for Stephen Harper’s unelected senators:

“Like, there were a couple of times that my assistant put in for a breakfast when I was on a plane and they say I should have not claimed because I should have eaten that breakfast. Well, those breakfasts are pretty awful. If you want ice cold Camembert with broken crackers, have it. I just don't think they understand anything of what it's like to have to fly around the world to get here to Ottawa."

— Conservative Senator, Nancy Ruth (CBC, April 1 2015)

Tom Mulcair shows “political backbone” by standing up to Harper’s war and security agenda:

“Tom Mulcair has rolled out his key platform planks and marked out clear positions opposing C-51 and the mission in the Middle East. Mr. Mulcair is being rewarded for exhibiting that most rare of osseous tissue – political backbone. Even some die-hard Liberals concede that Mr. Mulcair is a more convincing purveyor of principled politics than Mr. Trudeau.”

— John Ivision, columnist (National Post, March 30 2015)

That’s the choice Canadians face — out-of-touch, entitled Conservatives or Tom Mulcair’s principled NDP team.