The Convoluted Logic of Lynn Yelich

Lynne Zdunich Yelich is the Conservative MP for Blackstrap, Saskatchewan. First elected as a member of the social conservative Canadian Alliance in 2000, she won again in 2004, 2006 and 2008 for the newly formed 'Unite the Right', and has just been named the Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

Yelich professes to be tough-on-crime but opposes gun control, is anti-choice on abortion, and against same-sex marriage. She looks like Sarah Palin and shares her narrow minded views, but appears to be somewhat intelligent, in a "I am woman and will do as I'm told" kind of way.

Ms Yelich is a third-generation Croatian-Canadian with a strong work ethic, and doesn't appear to back down once she takes a stand on an issue. But make no mistake about it. She held one of the first memberships in the right-wing Reform Party, predecessor to the Canadian Alliance and Conservative Party of Canada.

She says that the platform of this political movement, "reflected many of her own personal values." I found this a little odd since they also believe that a woman's place is in the home. Maybe she didn't read that part.

Meet the Real Lynn Yelich

1. Association with the Saskatchewan Party - Ms Yelich has been a staunch supporter of Allan Kerpan; working as his Executive Assistant for seven years. She helped him in his nomination for the Reform Party in 1992, and then on his successful federal campaign in 1993. While Mr. Kerpan was Member of Parliament, he earned the dubious distinction of having the worst attendance record in the House of Commons.

For many he was a phantom, only appearing now and then to vote. Maybe his heart was at home, because in 2000, he resigned from federal politics to run for the leadership of the new provincial Saskatchewan Party (losing out to Brad Wall). He then put forward Lynne's name to replace him, donated money to her campaign and they continue to enjoy a strong political association. An interesting footnote to this is that Allan Kerpan, was once involved in a movement towards Western alienation and separation.

2. Push Polling - This is a practice that, while perhaps did not originate with Karl Rove when campaigning for George Bush; certainly rose to new heights under his guidance. The premise is that, while it is not a legitimate poll, it plants the seed of an idea within the minds of the people reading it. For instance, George Bush had a pamphlet printed when running against John McCain for the Republican leadership, that had the following poll question? "Would you vote for John McCain if you knew that he had an illegitimate Black daughter"?

In fact John McCain's wife had adopted a little girl from Africa, but the implication was that he had had an affair with a black woman. He was careful to only distribute these in states where there was still a fair amount of racial intolerance.

The Conservative Party have learned from the master and push poll all over the place. Prior to, but in anticipation of a federal election, Lynne Yelich distributed a flyer (while she could still do so at taxpayer's expense and did not have to print it with Party money); that went as follows: under an airbrushed photo of Stephen Harper; “With Conservatives you will keep your $1,200 per year child care benefit. Guaranteed.” Opposite that was a unedited and very bad picture of Stéphane Dion, which reads as follows: “Dion voted against the $1,200 child care benefit and will take it away.”

Below these two photos it asks, "what do you think?" Recipients of the flyer must then choose an answer from the following: I want to: "Keep my child care benefit. ? Lose my child care benefit"?

You then fill in your contact details and mail it postage free (at taxpayers expense) to Lynne Yelich, MP. This is an abysmal waste of taxpayers money. How does she think you're going to vote? It's like asking her constituents would you rather have a kick in the head or a piece of chocolate cake? Sadly, the Cons then use these convoluted polls to tell the public that Canadians are concerned that they will lose their universal tax benefit if they vote Liberal. What they don't tell you is that Mr. Dion only voted against this tax credit to replace the universal daycare initiative that the Liberals worked so hard to put in place. He was never going to take it away.

3. Waste of Tax Dollars to Oppose Same-Sex Marriage - Lynne Yelich, like many of her social conservative party, has wasted more time and tax dollars on opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage, when there are so many more important issues facing our country. I really look forward to the day when we can just call it 'marriage', but that won't happen until Harper and his gang are removed from office.

I respect her for supporting the views of her constituents, but she really needs to balance her time a little better. The argument that marriage was established by God for the purpose of procreation, has gone the way of hoop skirts and horse hair bustles. Many heterosexual couples are opting not to have children. Do we then have to pass a law forcing married couples to have babies? But what if they can't reproduce? They adopt, right? But gee, that means that gay couples can also adopt and raise a family in a loving home. So what's the point? Let's move on.

Lynne Yelich needs to get her priorities straight. Most of us don't share her obsession with the sex lives of Canadians. We're worried about our jobs and our futures, and she should be too.