Shouldn’t Michael Ignatieff be rushing to David Marshall’s defense rather than Ed Clark's?

Why is Michael Ignatieff issuing a press release today in defense of TD Bank CEO Ed Clark? Surely Ed Clark is big enough to stand on his own two feet and can defend himself against Stephen Harper.

The person who needs to be defended from Stephen Harper is retired Canadian David Marshall and millions of others, not some bank CEO who was in kahoots with Stephen Harper in screwing all Canadian out of their retirement savings and writing them intellectually offensive letters about why they should like getting screwed by Stephen Harper and be accepting of Harper’s patent lies about tax leakage (see below).

Ed Clark is the very the person whose office wrote letters to TD Bank clients like David Marshall, telling David Marshall that Stephen Harper’s lies about tax leakage were somehow okay, because killing income trusts was somehow better for all concerned (especially TD Bank) on the basis of the intellectually shallow and facile argument that this broken promise and Harper’s policy lie of tax leakage ushered in a new era of “certainty”. I have never heard anything so grossly deceptive issued by any Canadian fianancial institution in my life, as this letter from Ed Clark's office indicates below.

Meanwhile where is Michael Ignatieff in support of David Marshall’s “brilliant” suggestion for adoption of the Marshall Savings Plan, now that a nation wide survey (to be released Monday) shows that David’s Marshall Savings Plan has the support of 79.6% of Canadians from across the country?

David Marshall needs Michael Ignatieff’s help in the way that Ed Clark most certainly does NOT:

Dear Mr. Marshall,

Thank you for your recent email addressed to Mr. Ed Clark regarding the
Federal Government’s income trusts proposal and the Tax Fairness Plan.
I understand your concern about the changes affecting income trust
investments, as this is an issue that has been raised by others as well.

As you already know, the Minister of Finance’s plan is based on the
assertion that the federal treasury has lost millions in tax revenue,
and the belief that the growing popularity of income trusts would likely
result in greater future losses of tax revenue to the federal treasury.
As I’m sure you are aware, the Government of Canada began a review of
the income trust sector in September, 2005, leading to a great deal of
uncertainty on this issue. TDBFG considers the fact that there is now a
greater measure of certainty in the marketplace on this issue as being
positive.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to share your perspective
with us.

Sincerely,

Sarah Kendall
Manager, Executive Response Team



Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff responds to Prime Minister Harper’s attack on TD Bank CEO Ed Clark

February 11, 2010

OTTAWA – Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff made the following statement today after learning of Stephen Harper’s attack on TD Bank CEO Ed Clark:
“I was shocked to read that Prime Minister Harper has again attacked a private citizen for expressing views on public policy that are perceived to be at odds with his government’s agenda.
The Prime Minister’s behaviour is beneath the office he holds.  As an elected Member of Parliament, I am used to being on the receiving end of Mr. Harper’s style of politics.  But I draw the line at Mr. Harper’s attacks on members of the public.  The Prime Minister must withdraw these comments and apologize to Mr. Clark.
Whether or not one agrees with Mr. Clark’s advice, he is the CEO of one of Canada’s largest and most respected financial institutions, and he should be free to offer his opinion on Canada’s fiscal policy without fear of reprisal to his business or personal smears to his reputation from the Conservative government.
This is the second time in a week that the Prime Minister has crossed the line in civil public discourse by maligning the reputation of a citizen for disagreeing with the Conservative government. Last week, former finance official Scott Clark was attacked by the Prime Minister, adding to the long list of non-partisans like Linda Keen, Peter Tinsley and Paul Kennedy who have been maliciously accused of partisanship for voicing their disagreement with his government’s policies.”

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