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| Jodie and Marc Emery |
Support from the
fickle Prince and Princess of pot could burn the federal Liberal brand, send Trudeau dreams up in smoke
Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours Vancouver / The Tyee column
Tuesday August 12,
2014
By Bill Tieleman
"With marijuana being such a big issue, I think I could be
a really good spokesperson to defend Justin Trudeau from all the attacks."
- Jodie Emery,
marijuana activist and potential federal Liberal candidate
The self-proclaimed "Prince and Princess of Pot" --
marijuana legalization activists Marc and Jodie Emery -- plan to help federal
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, but that may instead make his chances of
becoming prime minister go up in smoke.
Marc Emery is scheduled to get out of a Louisiana jail and
return to Canada today after a stiff five-year sentence for dealing marijuana
seeds into America by mail.
Meanwhile, Jodie Emery anxiously awaits word from a Liberal
Party of Canada, ahem, "green light" committee on whether she can run
for Trudeau's team in the Vancouver East riding against veteran New Democrat MP
Libby Davies, herself a champion of decriminalization for years.
The Emerys also announced they will exact "political
revenge" on Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper by touring
across Canada, urging voters to support Trudeau in the 2015 election because he
promises to legalize marijuana.
But Trudeau should immediately distance him from the Emerys and
their "joint" campaign. Why? Because they're one-trick ponies on the
single issue of marijuana, and regularly change political stables to further
their cause without any loyalty whatsoever to either the party or its leader.
They've backed the Marijuana Party, the NDP and the Greens, but
now it's the Liberals.
Libs were burned before
Helpful? Last year Justin Trudeau said Marc Emery was "flat out
lying" about claims he had smoked marijuana with Justin four or
five times on several different occasions.
"I've never done it except with people I know and trust.
And Marc Emery was someone I met but certainly not someone I ever thought of
smoking with," Trudeau said in Aug. 2013. "I only met Marc Emery once
in my life, so that's a lot of smoking with him that I apparently did."
Emery publicly apologized last year, but still claims he smoked
up with Trudeau on one occasion. Trudeau continues to deny it.
In 2008, Emery reportedly claimed
he struck a deal with the late New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton to bring
Marijuana Party members and pro-pot supporters to the NDP and offer up candidates
to help with an NDP promise to decriminalize the drug.
But the NDP wasn't inhaling, saying Emery's statements were
"pure fantasy."
Then-Layton spokesman Brad Lavigne said: "The New
Democratic Party has made no such deal with any other party or with any
individual... This is nonsense, absolute nonsense."
Layton himself later denied
the allegations. "There never was any kind of a deal. There was no
commitment, no relationship," he said, while noting the party had favoured
decriminalization for years and was asked about it in the 2004 and 2006
elections.
Emery's comments about Trudeau were nasty, since he denounced
the MP for voting for Bill C-15, which would have imposed mandatory minimum
sentences for drug offences, including marijuana.
Emery said in a 2009 video
because Trudeau "smoked with me four or five times" that "it
really pisses me off when I see Justin Trudeau, who took big gaggers with me,
is in Parliament actually voting for Bill C-15. What a fucking hypocrite."
All of which makes one question Jodie Emery's candidacy, given Trudeau
thinks her husband lied about him in a way that hurt Liberals.
Inconsistent, except on cannabis
What's more, Jodie is anything but consistent politically, other
than campaigning for cannabis.
She twice ran for the Green Party provincially. In 2013 in
Vancouver-West End, she placed third behind winner New Democrat MLA Spencer
Chandra Herbert and BC Liberal Scott Harrison.
In 2009, she came in third in Vancouver-Fraserview, losing to BC
Liberal Kash Heed in a contest where Elections BC later fined Heed's campaign
$8,000 for overspending
but did not order a byelection. Emery's 904 votes were greater than the margin
New Democrat candidate Gabriel Yiu lost by to Heed.
She also ran twice for the B.C. Marijuana Party in 2005 and a
2008 byelection.
While Marc Emery was indeed shafted when the federal
Conservative government extradited him to a tough prison sentence in the U.S.
rather than charge him in Canada, Emery knew all along he was poking a stick at
a tiger and aiming for marijuana martyrdom.
Canadians would be outraged if the U.S. refused to extradite an
American illegally mailing drugs or guns into our country. Emery, however, sees
himself as a faultless hero.
"This is an epic struggle between good and evil. You
couldn't pick a more virtuous person to go up against evil," Emery said
of himself before being extradited.
Despite supporting the NDP, Greens and now Liberals at various
points, Emery identifies most closely as a right-wing libertarian, not a social
democrat.
"My mentor is Ayn Rand," he told The Georgia Straight
in 2007, talking about the author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
The Emerys can make one claim that won't be disputed. Their
efforts and those of thousands of others have begun a process of marijuana
legalization in the United States, starting in Washington and Colorado States,
and likely Canada in the future.
But
their self-promotional and dubious approach isn't one any party should accept.
.
14 comments:
Totally agree
"Canadians would be outraged if the U.S. refused to extradite an American illegally mailing drugs or guns into our country."
No, we would expect that person to be charged in the USA, under American law, for illegally exporting weapons. We wouldn't expect that person to be extradited to Canada.
Never trusted Emery for a moment and it hasn't anything to do with the fact he is a pot advocate.
Agree. Marc and Jody are just a one issue wonder. If somehow Jody was able to be the Liberal candidate in Vancouver East, she would be up against Libby Davies NDP MP. No contest. Libby wins.
and since it has been pointed out by many that Marc had ragged on Justin Trudeau previously, why would Justin wave his magic hand and hand over a nomination go to Jody Emery?
In a rare occurrence, I do agree with Bill 100%. There. I wrote it.
In 1924 a self-declared political messiah got out of prison and outlined his vision for his new world in his book called Mein Kampf.
This man declared total war on the legally elected constitutional government of that nation.
Viewed by many of his fellow citizens as a deranged megalomaniac, he was ignored with disastrous results over the next 20 years.
In 2014 an equally self-obsessed and empowered Canadian was released from an American Prison and immediately declared his war of revenge on the legally elected constitutional Government of Canada.
If this self-made god writes a book on his master plan for his master world it will likely be called . . . MEIN POT !
It took Adolf Hitler nine more years before he became Germany's Prince of Hate.
But Marc Emory, with the help of ego-driven opportunists like Justin Trudeau, may get there sooner and truly become Canada's KING OF POT.
The GREAT SATAN
My comment is plain and simple, legalize that product and sell in ONLY Govt liquor stores. Private vendors can not be trusted as sales to minors can be dictated by the profit motive. In continuing with my thoughts, why not have one stop shopping for all products that should be regulated and taxed.Tobacco, adult beverages, grass smokes and even hookers. The revenue obtained would empty the public debt file. Why should the criminal element benefit. Would it not be safer for all parties to these vices to be some how4112 benefit by a safe store.
The Emery's are to be avoided by all political parties. They have only one goal and that is the enrichment of themselves. Any forays into the political arena are more to do with promoting their "brand" than a political "brand". They are just too out there for mainstream voters. any party which includes them will find themselves on the loosing end come the next election. Oh, this might work, have them run for the Conservatives.
"Oh, this might work, have them run for the Conservatives."
Yeah right. Forget it. The NDP can have them. The NDP will take anyone the left leftovers that the Conservatives and Liberals don't want.
I just read the postings by The Satan as in Great and the E.L.F.who also provides great comment.I found the two to be intelligent individuals and identified themselves with a handle. I wish to thank them for taking the time to share. I will only add that I mostly agree.
If the riding nominates Jodie Emery then she should run in that riding, it's called democracy folks.
Justin and the other leaders need to stay out of each ridings nomination decisions.
Hopefully Marc Emery will (exercise some sensi-bility and)stay out of her campaign and conduct his own awareness campaign separately.
"If the riding nominates Jodie Emery then she should run in that riding, it's called democracy folks. "
There's no guarantee she would make it past the nomination, even if she does make it past that, she certainly wouldn't get past NDP MP Libby Davies.
"Justin and the other leaders need to stay out of each ridings nomination decisions."
True, but Justin has not. He has favoured the FN Chief who is the candidate in Vancouver Granville so he's already been dictatorial.
"Hopefully Marc Emery will (exercise some sensi-bility and)stay out of her campaign and conduct his own awareness campaign separately."
That's not going to happen.
Marc also wants pot legalized so he can cash in big time in the sales.
He's also naive. Even if the Liberals win government, the legalization of Pot is not automatic. It requires legislation, and Marc may not like how the legalization eventually comes out, the level of taxes imposed and as to whom and by which regulations it is sold.
He'll keep whining and complaining until this is to his and only his satisfaction.
The guy is a publicity hound.
There are a couple ways of getting rid of leeches. One is to use salt, but out in the wilderness one would likely find that scarce. The other is to use your own urine. If Trudeau is smart, he should say piss off Emery (if only silently). It's fine if Trudeau wants to work towards legalization, but stay clear of the leech. He will bring Trudeau down and Harper and Conservatives would like nothing more than for Justin to fall for his bating. The moment I saw him on the National/CBC the other night and basically saying he and Trudeau should work together .. and the MSM have been running with this ever since, I thought BAD NEWS for the Libs. They are dead if they take the bate. Bill, seriously, you may have some influence over any of us .. write to Justin and let him know the seriously flawed mistake he will make if he falls for Marc Emery's bate. It's only wishful thinking, but I'm hoping the MSM soon gets tired of Emery, unlikely though, he's the latest news maker, he's loving it, and he's doing his best to make it all political.
I just read the last two comments. Both are very interesting.However, I do not know if they support the legalization of grass or do not. All I can gather is the fact they do not support the Emerys and as such are against weeds. Now, I do not like weeds in my garden but would support the liberal plan to liberalize the law. Controls as applies to the Liquor would be beneficial in my humble.
"Bill, seriously, you may have some influence over any of us .. write to Justin and let him know the seriously flawed mistake he will make if he falls for Marc Emery's bate. It's only wishful thinking, but I'm hoping the MSM soon gets tired of Emery, unlikely though, he's the latest news maker, he's loving it, and he's doing his best to make it all political."
Bill doesn't have any influence within the federal Liberals. Bill is NDP.
and face facts, one of the reason why Emery wants pot legalized is so that he can start up a pot selling franchise and make millions from the fools who buy from him.
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