I see retired Judge Gomery, the man who headed the investigation into the sponsorship scandal, is musing about Mr. Harper's commitment to convening the promised inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair.
Harper promised the inquiry last November and has found excuses to delay taking action. The time for excuses is past according to Gomery.
Gomery was also not amused that the Prime Minister delegated the determination of the scope of such an inquiry to a private citizen when it is the central role of good government to determine such things. Paul Martin had the strength of character to call a broadly based sponsorship inquiry. Many will suggest the inquiry results cost Martin his political career, for sure his place as Prime Minister.
Harper's firing of Bernier this week was justified and the right thing to do. It also helped Harper solve the problem that was about Bernier's proven incompetence. But he was Harper's most popular Quebec minister and the Cons need Quebec to win the next election. Bernier's prervious blunders were minor compared to his five month long Cabinet security breach.
That one instance aside, there is no indication Mr. Harper is made of the same stuff and Mr. Martin when it comes to his mentor Mulroney and the cloak and dagger dealing of Mr. Schreiber.
Harper's insouciance on this ethical issue is further evidence that it is time for him and his government to go. That looks like it will not happen until the next fixed election date comes up in November 2009. Too bad!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Alberta Venture Column on Ethical Issues in Business
Check out the Alberta Venture magazine and the "Odd Man Out" column. It is a commentary piece with myself of Cambridge Strategies Inc, Fil Fraser, Dr. Tony Fields of the Alberta Cancer Board and Janet Keeping of the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership.
This a regular column I participate in for Alberta Venture magazine focused on ethical issues in business.
I would be interested in reader feedback on the issue discussed.
This a regular column I participate in for Alberta Venture magazine focused on ethical issues in business.
I would be interested in reader feedback on the issue discussed.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Updating the Public Record.
More Comments on Free Speech Limitations:
The continuing saga of proposals for the Alberta provincial governments to impose limitations on free speech during elections has been reviewed in a Calgary Herald editorial today. I have previous postings on this unnecessary and dangerous policy proposal, here, and here and here.
The Looming Fed-Prov Showdown on Environment:
A year ago former Alberta Premier Lougheed mused that a looming constitutional crisis between the governments of Canada and Alberta over environment jurisdictions and standards gets a boost today from Jeffery Simpson in the Globe and Mail today. Lougheed is recently quoted as saying his earlier suggestion that this constitutional dust up will be 10 times more volatile than the National Energy Program was a bit extreme. Maybe not. Time will tell.
Siemans Slush Fund and Bribery Trial:
Newspaper reports note that Siemans has been investigated for bribery charges in a dozen countries and were fined the maximum of 1 million Euros for bribes in 77 cases between 2001 and 2004. Sieman's was part of recent the testimony in the Schreiber/Mulroney affair. PM Harper has promised an inquiry into those dealings but has yet to deliver. Time to get going on this Mr. Harper.
The continuing saga of proposals for the Alberta provincial governments to impose limitations on free speech during elections has been reviewed in a Calgary Herald editorial today. I have previous postings on this unnecessary and dangerous policy proposal, here, and here and here.
The Looming Fed-Prov Showdown on Environment:
A year ago former Alberta Premier Lougheed mused that a looming constitutional crisis between the governments of Canada and Alberta over environment jurisdictions and standards gets a boost today from Jeffery Simpson in the Globe and Mail today. Lougheed is recently quoted as saying his earlier suggestion that this constitutional dust up will be 10 times more volatile than the National Energy Program was a bit extreme. Maybe not. Time will tell.
Siemans Slush Fund and Bribery Trial:
Newspaper reports note that Siemans has been investigated for bribery charges in a dozen countries and were fined the maximum of 1 million Euros for bribes in 77 cases between 2001 and 2004. Sieman's was part of recent the testimony in the Schreiber/Mulroney affair. PM Harper has promised an inquiry into those dealings but has yet to deliver. Time to get going on this Mr. Harper.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Bernier Resigns - Call in the RCMP Mr. Harper!
Maxime Bernier, the most troubled and troubling Minister in the Harper Cabinet is gone. Apparently he left classified Cabinet documents in a public place.
Prime Minister Harper is saying that the Bernier resignation is not related to Mr. Bernier’s recent escapades with a former biker girlfriend.
Mr. Bernier allegedly left classified Cabinet documents in his former girlfriend's apartment. I am not a conspiracy theorist but these are the reason and circumstances for the resignation, it poses more serious security questions than it answers.
I suggested the Prime Minister needs to consider a Cabinet shuffle when Bernier was shown to lack judgement. Now with Mr. Bernier's admitted recklessness and negligence and breach of trust heads have to roll and Harper is on the bubble to explain this. Harper can't delegate or duck the issues.
Mr. Bernier resignation only opens the issues and multiplies them. It closes nothing. The RCMP have to be called in to investigate and to review the security clearance status of all your Cabinet members and Parliamentary Secretaries.
Time for a face saving Cabinet shuffle Mr. Harper. This time your Cabinet must be chosen based on competence not just your compunction command and control of the PMO .
Why Harper is Afraid of an Election
Harper has not gained any traction or sustained momentum in the polls since he became the pro tem Prime Minister of Canada so many long months ago.
He played with the Quebec sovereigntist’s “nationalists” sentiments a while back and got a dead cat bounce for a bit. He even got cozy with Mario Dumont of the right wing ADQ and intentionally snubbed the Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest when he was suffering as the leader of a minority government. That has all changed recently. For Harper to realize his dream of a majority right wing government he needs Quebec or Ontario. Looks like Quebec as cooled to the ADQ and Mr. Harper’s friend Mario Dumont.
The blogger Paulitics gives a very comprehensive and interesting account of the shifting sentiments in Quebec. He is worth a read for sure if you are concerned about the future of a unified Canada. The Harper Cons friends, the ADQ, are in free fall. What will that to do Harper's prospects in Quebec in the next election?
The recent Quebec bye-elections are another reason why Harper has to be cooling if not quivering about facing the Canadian electorate any time soon. Quebec has figured him out, Ontario has as well and Atlantic Canada never did like him. The west is now more competitive – except for Alberta of course. But if Harper, the Albertan, keeps taking on personal advisors from the old Ontario Harris government and snubs the Alberta boys who made Ralph Klein and coached Mike Harris, you have to wonder how long they will stay “loyal” to Harper's cause.
He played with the Quebec sovereigntist’s “nationalists” sentiments a while back and got a dead cat bounce for a bit. He even got cozy with Mario Dumont of the right wing ADQ and intentionally snubbed the Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest when he was suffering as the leader of a minority government. That has all changed recently. For Harper to realize his dream of a majority right wing government he needs Quebec or Ontario. Looks like Quebec as cooled to the ADQ and Mr. Harper’s friend Mario Dumont.
The blogger Paulitics gives a very comprehensive and interesting account of the shifting sentiments in Quebec. He is worth a read for sure if you are concerned about the future of a unified Canada. The Harper Cons friends, the ADQ, are in free fall. What will that to do Harper's prospects in Quebec in the next election?
The recent Quebec bye-elections are another reason why Harper has to be cooling if not quivering about facing the Canadian electorate any time soon. Quebec has figured him out, Ontario has as well and Atlantic Canada never did like him. The west is now more competitive – except for Alberta of course. But if Harper, the Albertan, keeps taking on personal advisors from the old Ontario Harris government and snubs the Alberta boys who made Ralph Klein and coached Mike Harris, you have to wonder how long they will stay “loyal” to Harper's cause.
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