Prime Minister Harper has facilitated or forced the firing Linda Keen, the President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission last night. This is done on the eve of her appearance before the Commons Committee on Natural Resources. Shameful!
Such inappropriate political interference more akin to Pakistan’s President Musharraf than an open, responsible and accountable and suitable governing philosophy the Canadians expect and deserve from their government. Mr. Harper's political interference in the independence of this quasi-judicial tribunal is crossing the line and dangerous to democracy.
There is the need to rationalize or determine a priority between the competing principle issue of nuclear safety and the continuing need for medical isotopes the Chalk River nuclear facility provided. Appropriately our elected Members of Parliament made that decision by a unanimous vote in the House and Senate. This is not the issue any more and with better political judgement exercised earlier, this crisis could and should have been avoided.
There is the need to rationalize or determine a priority between the competing principle issue of nuclear safety and the continuing need for medical isotopes the Chalk River nuclear facility provided. Appropriately our elected Members of Parliament made that decision by a unanimous vote in the House and Senate. This is not the issue any more and with better political judgement exercised earlier, this crisis could and should have been avoided.
Incompetence has become the overarching operational principle that defines the Harper government. This reality is being confirmed this morning I am watching with concern and disgust the Commons Committee hearing and I see the less than Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources dancing, diffusing and distracting from the legitimate questions of the Committee members. It is a shameful performance and does nothing to instill and sustain faith and confidence in him or the government he represents.
Accusing Dion of “not being a leader” in campaign style attack ads running outside the writ period so they don’t have to account for the excess spending is a pretty Bush league tactic.
And now the irony is thick as Mr. Harper proves, time and time again, that he is not only a poor leader but a dangerous one. The probationary period of the Harper minority governmet is over and it has not gained the confidence of Canadians. It is time for and election so Canadians can tell Harper it is time for him and his government to go.
Accusing Dion of “not being a leader” in campaign style attack ads running outside the writ period so they don’t have to account for the excess spending is a pretty Bush league tactic.
And now the irony is thick as Mr. Harper proves, time and time again, that he is not only a poor leader but a dangerous one. The probationary period of the Harper minority governmet is over and it has not gained the confidence of Canadians. It is time for and election so Canadians can tell Harper it is time for him and his government to go.
It is trite law that these members serve at the pleasure of the government and can be removed at will. Remember that the government makes the law and the members are only supposed to carry out that law - even if they are liberal cronies.
ReplyDeleteMinister Lunn has, in my opinion, comprehensively outlined the incompetency of Linda Keen and her lack of leadership on the issue. If Lunn had been doing her job appropriately, this whole mess could have been avoided? Luckily Lunn intevened to clean up her mistakes.
The liberals will have their chance to vote against the budget and prevent the much-needed monies that had been allocated to failing industries across Canada. I surely hope they did not prevent this money from flowing solely due to their partisan goals. That would be a shame and people will not stand for it.
Anon @ 6:39 - I like your comment...I disagee but I appreciate the content and the tone...why are you anonymous?
ReplyDeleteDo CPC members get issued digital Burkas when they sign up??
Ha ha Ken. I think the CPC issues digital fig leafs to members and digital duct tape to cabinet ministers.
ReplyDeleteHArper is the smartest guy in the room. He knows more about nuclear safety than the regulator.
Anonymous said: "The liberals will have their chance to vote against the budget and prevent the much-needed monies that had been allocated to failing industries across Canada. I surely hope they did not prevent this money from flowing solely due to their partisan goals. That would be a shame and people will not stand for it."
ReplyDeleteIt is appalling that the Conservatives have tied this money to the passing of the budget. If this money is truly needed (as I believe it is), they should have just given it to the provinces and not made it a partisan issue.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteThe HarperCons have used the "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" tactic since day one.
It is the tactics of the thug who has no real policy vision(at least that he'll admit to), so he puffs himself up by trying to make others look bad.
This would be the same Pakistan that the Liberals want to invade, right? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMs. Keen demonstrated an appalling lack of understanding and, in my personal opinion, failed miserably at the task she was given.
Rather than work to facilitate the re-opening of the facility to provide needed isotopes, Ms. Keen stated that deficiencies in the application were present, and refused to move on the issue.
I do not disagree that care should be taken when removing officials - but if these officials have demonstrated they are not able to perform the tasks they are assigned - in this case, manage risk and develop appropriate solutions - then they need to be removed.
All parties reviewed this matter and agreed that the actions of the regulator did not take into account the profound impact of keeping the facility closed vs. the incredibly remote possibility that a SECOND BACK-UP pump would be needed (which would be after the first two pumps and the first back-up pump failed).
I've noted a lot of confusion and obfuscation on the part of the Liberals over this issue - I first thought it might be purposeful deception to try and make an issue out of it, but based on Mr. Dion's latest musing on foreign affairs, it remains entirely possible they were just confused.
For the record Ken, when Mr. Dion said that NATO intervention, along the same lines that was happening in Afghanistan, might be required in Pakistan, this was not, in fact, a call from the Liberals to engage in a military incursion into Afghanistan?
The Pakistan High Commission in Ottawa seems to think otherwise, in their official response to Mr. Dion's comments.
Will, the foreign affairs minister has clarified Canada's position with respect to Pakistan after Dion's statement. It is hoped that Dion's gaffe does not permanently strain Canada's relations with Pakistan.
ReplyDeleteThx for the cautionary comment on Dion vis a vis Pakistan and the truly remarkble efforts of our Minister of Foreign Affairs in his arduous attempt to patch up relations with that terrorist protecting dictator.
ReplyDeleteCan you also take some time out of your weekend to help your Minister with his damage control given his recent linking the United States of America to torture?
Pissing off Pakistan or America...tough choice indeed.
Nice work. You Con guys once again demonstrate your profoundly facile attitude and monumental ineptitude.
Well, I know we don't have the subtle grace of Mr. Dion, who managed to alienate the governments of both Afghanistan AND Pakistan during his trip to the region - no mean feat in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteAs for pissing off America, I think they will accept the explanation that it was a mistake. Again, we didn't have the genius of calling their leader an idiot, or their entire population morons as did the Liberal Party of Canada when it mishandled the reigns of government for a long thirteen years.
I think you should re-read the last line of your post in the light of the above information and see to which party that vitriol more appropriately applies.
Morning Will - at your suggestion I did reread the last line in my post.
ReplyDeleteRather than seeing partisan vitriol I see a plea for the citizens of Canada to one again have the choice of how they want to be lead, by whom and to what ends.
The typical Canadian election result will be a vote against someone or something or, alternatively, the forelorn pick between the "best" of a bad lot.
This will be the case given the state of our democracy (under both Cons and Libs governance) and the well founded disillusionment of the thoughtful voter.