Another day, another firing. This time it was Canadian Wheat Board vice-president, Deanna Allen."I was told that Greg had just come in from an in camera session with the board and that he was to inform me that I was dismissed effective immediately," she said.
The news "came as a bit of a shock," she said, adding she had no idea that her dismissal was imminent.
The Canadian Wheat Board is yet another institution on a long list that the Con's are anxious to dismantle. Gerry Ritz, like his predecessor Chuck Strahl, seems consumed with that one aspect of his file. Currently his aim is to remove barley from it's mandate. Most recently the government lost it's case in court to dismantle the board and it has been suggested that they may use parliament to get their way.
This morning on The House however, Ritz said there may be another way, so clearly they have something up their sleeve. I don't think Kathleen Petty asked him about the firing, so the interview likely took place before it was public. That said, her firing may be part of a larger strategy.
Thankfully the Liberals have brought forward legislation to stop the government.
January 31, 2008OTTAWA – The Liberal Opposition today introduced a private member’s bill to reinforce farmers’ democratic control over the operations and jurisdiction of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).
"Through two painful years of Conservative government, Stephen Harper has used every dirty trick in the book to impose his mean-spirited, right-wing ideology on prairie farmers,” said Manitoba MP Ray Simard who sponsored the bill. “Mr. Harper has ignored the law, the courts, and Parliament – resorting instead to gag orders, threats, firings, stacked appointments, propaganda, and a grossly manipulated plebiscite to try and kill the Wheat Board. By contrast, this bill stands up for farmers and their democratic rights.”
Of course it remains to be seen where that goes.
The list of firings is growing and because the government has no regard for any opinion outside they own ideological, narrow view of the world, this behaviour is not likely to end any time soon.
Here's a bit of history.
John Reid - Information Commissioner - Forced Out 09/06
Yves Le Bouthillier - Pres. of the Law Commision - Fired 09/06
Adrian Measner - President of the CWB - Fired 12/06
Allan Amey - Special Environment Advisor - Fired 12/06
Johann Gelinas - Environment Commissioner - Fired 01/07
Jean Pierre Kingsley - Chief Electoral Officer - Forced Out 02/07
Bernard Shapiro - Former Ethics Commissioner - Forced out 03/07
Linda Keen - President of CNSC - Fired 01/08
Arthur Carty - National Science Advisor - Forced out 03/08
In addition to these individuals, the Con's continue to clash with:
Marc Mayrand - Chief Electoral Officer
Graham Fraser - Official Languages Commissioner
Thus far these two are holding their own and I hope they continue to do so.
The point though is this. Even without a majority the Con's have found ways to implement their myopic and ideological view of this country. This in spite of Harper's comments that he would be held in check by the Liberal bureaucracy. I have no doubt their supporters are delighted, but when you read their comments and blogs it's clear that they have no idea what the implications are to this country. History provides us with plenty of evidence, but they do not seem too keen on availing themselves of that information, contemporary or not.
Their clarion call seems to be allow market forces to rule regardless of the results. Even when that is not the intent of a certain move, if the Con's throw in that phrase, followers are as easily herded as sheep.
My advice to them would be to look south to recognise some of the ramifications. Look at what happened to Ontario under Harris and of course we have some of those former MPP's in the House now. Conservative's seem not to recognise that Harper is NOT one of them. He fall's on that side of the political scale, but that is not what he is. He is an ideologue, plain and simple. It's tough for me to understand how real Conservatives can follow him.
Perhaps they will begin to turn? Dion may be too left for some of them, but he's balanced by many right leaning Lib's.
I've avoided saying this, but the more I think about it, the more I think it may be time for an election. Time is not on this government's side, so the longer they are in power the worse they look so it's a tough call.
The timing of these things is precarious, but it's also everything. I don't know if the Budget will hold much and when it will come. I suspect it will come soon because the government wants to change the channel.
That may be the time, it may just be a little later in the Spring.
What say you?
18 comments:
We all know how he loves to look at himself, have photos everywhere - I do hope he's looking in the mirror (your photo of Harper).
I suspect he spends more time doing that than anything else Sandi.
Think about it. Standing up in QP, knowing that he should button his jacket to hide his girth. Holding his hands in a way that looks earnest, but not honest because it's accompanied by a lie.
To be honest, it's clear that the media centre they developed is being used.
Listen to Poillievre. He's always had weird diction, but it is even more pronounced now. Others have followed and it's creepy.
Someone is telling this gang to speak slowly but to my ear, it sounds as if they are being told to speak as though they are speaking to a 5 year old. Telling, no? That is their respect level of Canadians.
I wish to hell I could remember him in high school, but he was such a non issue except perhaps in his own mirror.
If you checked further you would discover that the CWB BOARD made the decision and that the Minister responsible, Ritz, did not even know about it.
And you list is once again misleading and bordering on lies. Numerous of the people you list were at the end of their contracts and if you did some more homewlrk you would find a few were loet go WITH JUST Cause.
I remember when Chretien came in there was a wholesale purging of literally thousands of government employees and appointees if you check history - replaced by Liberal bagmen WITHOUT merit based new hirings posted and open to all as is done today by the Conservatives. Then Martin came in and starting canning Chretien's appointees.
If you were in an organization where the employees were actively underming you how long would they be allowed to stay on?
Anon @ 9:50, if you had the courage to come out from behind the anon moniker and actually substantiate your claims, you might be a little more credible.
Ritz, of course say's he didn't know. Look at the Ministers involved in all these firings. They all said they didn't know.
You, like wilson (who comments here) expect me to believe what the Con's are pumping out. Forget it. Sheep will of course follow where they are led, most of us however think.
Sorry pal, there is too much evidence and if you were a thinking person you wouldn't buy the shallow lines.
Please, tell me the just cause that anyone was fired by.
And:
If you were in an organization where the employees were actively underming you how long would they be allowed to stay on?
You kind of get the drift, but you are so caught up in Harper's rip tide that you do not see what your Leader is doing.
The Public Servants that he has fired or forced out weren't undermining him, they were giving him facts. He doesn't deal in fact. He deals in ideology as do you apparently.
Anon, to be honest you make me sad. That anyone would be so devoted to a man, a government, an ideology that is so contrary to what most Canadians think...well it must be a lonely world.
On second thought, maybe not because I'm sure your only friends share your view. Very sad.
I have no devotion to a party or a man. I have disgust for what I saw personally the Liberals did to my country. I don't care WHO does the clean up as long as it is done. And certainly it will not be Liberal apologists who take a broom to the cesspool the federal beaurocracy has become. I know many federal employees as I once was one. Most are rooting for someone to purge the fat cats. The biggest complaints I have heard is that expence accounts have been curtailed from the mucky mucks who loved to wine and dine their friends and travel on your dime. Now they are getting caught. There are a lot of stories that don't hit the news or the Liberal media don't print them.
And there are MORE "liberal connected and even NDP connected" and no political connections known people being hired and appointed these days than ever before. MERIT. If you have the qualifications your political connections are secondary. Staffers finally have the opportunity for advancement after many long years watching bag men media types with no qualifications get the key jobs - again on YOUR dime.
So don't lecture me. I've seen it- been there myself and it will still take years to clean up the mess. There are billions in "slush funds" tacked away all over the world and CIDA, for example is a cesspool of international corruption.
Anonymous,
It's interesting you have such disdain for "what Liberal had done" but turn a blind eye to what Harper is doing. And you expect us to believe you have no party devotion? You should stop following Harper too closely. You are becoming paranoid like him. Everything is conspiracy and the media is against him. Pleeeeaaaaseee!
Maybe this "Liberal Media" can open your mind a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvE9EN4YPGM
Just another little comment on this- the Liberal media are complaining that their "sources" inthe government are afraid to talk to them, blah blah. Let me explain - ALL employees sign a confidentiality agreement and if they are caught talking to the media about their work without authroization it is grounds for immediate dismissal. The fact that so many employees did it anyways and have a nice cosy network to the media should dismay all Canadians. Graft and bribery by the media and others is commonplace I know for a fact.
The media claims they will now start receiving MORE little bronw envelopes. Well, there are far more little brown envelopes going to the government about internal corruption now that somebody will actually listen to them. Like I said, Mr. Harper's Conservatives have so much ammunition about the internal corruption under the Liberals that the media whining just reinforces how rotten it had become.
I was personally contacted by government investigators on complaints lodged against an existing scum bag Liberal appointee who was one of my bosses. Seems that during elections the good old taxpayer pays the salaries, office expences, wining and dining, etc. of full time Liberal campaign workers. This guy was blatant about it - meetings in government offices with fundraisers and media.
Remember, not much about what REALLY happens is reported.
Anonymoos is right, the CONs know to rid themselves of any Alan Cutlers before their poop hits the fan. It's Do-As-I-Say Theatre to the extreme with Harper the ethically challenged Narcissist at the helm.
Spin this one knb:
(mismanagement, incompetence and hiding Sheila Fraser's report of 5 years until someone in the dept leaked it! And Keen was fired without cause?)
''How the heck did so many get so much so wrong for so many years? Ask the Liberals
...For 13 years, successive Liberal administrations underfunded and mismanaged Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL), a federal agency with a history rich in boondoggles, even without outside help...
In 1998, the auditor general rang alarm bells, noting the Liberal government had slashed AECL's funding almost in half, with no particular plan...
(big surprise Liberals had no plan eh...another Kyoto)
The Liberals kept Fraser's damning report a secret more than five years until we obtained the first leaked copy a month ago...
In fact, the same Liberal government had not approved AECL's business plans for more than three years at that point, and even the auditors had not been able to sign off on the agency's books for six years in a row.
In response, the Liberals did nothing for another four years.
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Weston_Greg/2008/02/03/4809823-sun.php
Spin this one:
New audit ordered at Privy Council
Study of 2002-2003 contracts showed rules were broken
By DEAN BEEBY The Canadian Press
(Martin calls audit on Chretien contracts, report just out!
FINALLY, New investigation called into Chretien years!!!!!!)
of 39 sample contracts audited:
7- seven of the contracts were not properly authorized,
including cases where the cost was higher than the approved amount and
-others where there was no signature at all.
4-Four of the contracts contained no statement of the work required
2- two contracts the description of the work was drawn up by the contractor rather than the government
3-Three handed out without competition, which was required for any contract worth more than $25,000.
plus all 39-Investigators found the sole-sourcing rules had been bent in every case.
-Amendments were made to other contracts even though they had expired.
1/2 of the 39- And in almost half the sample, work had begun on projects before any contract was signed.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1035822.html
Hey Wilson, AECL's underfunding started with Mulroney. He gave the revenue from medical isotopes to a private company (MDS Nordion) and left AECL holding the bag on building new reactors without funding! So if you like to go way back in blaming someone, start from the source. And don't even make up excuses, I know the events surrounding that one.
And Anonymous, so if a bureaucrats exposed a Liberal government then they are doing the right thing but if a bureaucrats exposed Harper's government wrong doing then it is cause for dismissal?
Remove your blinder. Are you saying if you witnessed a crime and it would compromise your idol Harper then you would keep quiet?
One more thing Wilson, as for awarding contracts without bidding, check Harper's record. It's not any better. The next government should introduce a hefty penalty for government official that violate this rule.
The Anons really fall for Harper's CYA spin machine don't they? (CYS - cover your ass).
About the Audit - did you take notice that Martin ordered this audit in 2005 - oh, let's not pay attention to details.
No matter what happened in the past - it IS THE PAST. This is 2008 and Harper is responsible for what happens now. He put himself on the purer than driven snow mantle - so he wears it.
knb - did you go to school with Harper or Pollievre? Funny, Pollievre is an MP for Ottawa, but he was born and raised in Calgary and certainly has the Alberta Reform Party mindset.
Actually, Pollievre is like a little kid copying daddy - he stands up like Harper, does up his button (does only own one grey suit?) like Harper, etc. It's just too funny to watch.
anon, your comments make it pretty clear that you blame Liberals for all evil and give the current band of liars a pass, so you can drop the no affilation facade.
We do share one thing though. I have disgust for what I see Harper doing to the country.
And anyone who see's the media in this country as liberal, let alone Liberal as you suggest, is deluded, imo.
wilson, Sheila Fraser made it clear last week that this has been going on for years, beginning with the 1988 report.
Hmmm, who was in power then?
Greg clearly missed that part, which is odd since all media is supposed to be so liberal.
Look wilson, if the Lib's screwed up, I'm not giving them a pass. I deplore this stuff no matter who is in power and if what is being said is true, I'm certainly not going to defend them.
Here's the thing though that conservatives always seem to forget. YOU'RE in power now and the buck stops at Harper's desk.
He's not done what he said he would do re'transparency nor accountability. If I were a conservative I'd be angry at that because so far all they've been able to claim is that they are just as bad as those that came before them.
You guys want to stay focused in the past, be my guest but it's the future that I'm most concerned about.
I went to school with Harper sandi.
Yes, Poillievre certainly does seem to imitate his boss, right down to his low blow digs. Have you ever seen him on committee? It's bizarre to be honest. He's got the pit bull thing down, though it looks funny coming from someone who more resembles a lap dog and you'd think he majored in filibustering.
I find he and Brian Jean particularly obnoxious and their own biggests fans. Of course that would apply to Harper too.
anon 2, thx for the video clip. I'd forgotten about that.
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