Desperate House Members
Just a few final (I hope) thoughts on the latest soap-on-the-hill. The NDP’s Paul Dewar has it right :
"I’m more concerned about (Bernier’s) ability to do the job because of his credentials as Foreign Affairs minister than I am in his pillow talk."
I have to admit that I’m less than impressed with Bernier, but do we really want to start investigating every Cabinet Minister’s significant others in titillating detail (past and present)? I really don’t think we want to go there.
However, we do need a competent Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I think Paul Dewar has every right to present any legitimate concerns in a respectful manner.
There is a very fine line between the public and personal lives of politicians. How we determine that boundary is exactly what defines us as Canadians.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:30 am
[...] Eunomia wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptJust a few final (I hope) thoughts on the latest soap-on-the-hill. The NDP’s Paul Dewar has it right : “I’m more concerned about (Bernier’s) ability to do the job because of his credentials as Foreign Affairs minister than I am in his pillow talk.” I have to admit that I’m less than impressed with Bernier, but do [...] [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 9:40 am
bernier has displayed a profound ability to blow it. while his choice in companion may not be public business, it seems to say something about the man.
in other words, he’s a stunned bunny and really needs to be replaced.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Jeff, it makes no difference who the Tories get to replace Bernier, because you’ll never be satisfied with the replacement.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I made a post some time ago about Bernier needing to go. I stand by that today. Let’s face it, MacKay is still the Foreign Affairs Minister. He should officially get the job back. Bump Laurie Hawn up to National Defense.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Maybe McKay could handle both portfolios.
I think Jason Kenney deserves some kind of promotion, and does Diane Ablonczy! (For anyone reading this who is trying to make Cabinet-shuffle decisions.)
May 12th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I don’t see ANY problem with Bernier.
I do see a problem with people who are more concerned about scoring political points than in dealing with problems.
Once again we have a non-issue …. non-story that has been successfully sustained by the media for FAR longer than it deserved to be.
What would the LIberals do without their support team?
May 12th, 2008 at 11:25 am
O/T but for those who still can’t get enough of … Brenda Martin, she was interviewed on 940 Montreal. If you absolutely want to listen to Ms. Martin thank everyone (except the government), go to the station’s archives. They are usually up by the next day. http://www.940news.com/members.php
One bright note: when she was asked if she’s planning to write a book, she said that unfortunately the notebook she had used as a diary during her two years in jail was left behind after one of the hearings. When she got her notebook back, all her notes had disappeared.
Thank God for small miracles.
But I’m sure Charles Rusnell has a book in the works as we speak.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
And as far as Minister Bernier is concerned, some other Foreign Affairs ministers haven’t put in exactly stellar performances either, like Jean Chretien, Joe Clark, and Pierre Pettigrew.
Also, some of the so-called gaffes committed by Bernier have been overblown by the usual suspects.
Case in point: the comment regarding the governor of Kandahar. Here’s a bit of background. (I posted this elsewhere a couple of weeks ago).
During the first week of February 2008, the opposition was bleating in the House of Commons about the alleged corruption of the governor of Kandahar, Asadullah Khalid, accusing him of being involved in the torture of prisoners and detainees.
Check the Friday, Feb. 1, Hansard, where Ralph Goodale said:
“Since last April, the government knew about credible allegations that Governor Khalid had been involved in torture, but the Minister of National Defence continued to deal with him. Senior Canadian commanders and diplomats still deal with him.”
And John McCallum said:
“This government’s cavalier attitude is disturbing. It is now clear that the Conservatives hid what they knew about the Governor of Kandahar and his involvement in cases of torture.”
Then the Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier answered a reporter’s question while on a visit to Afghanistan this way (Globe and Mail story “Bernier gaffe ignites diplomatic fire”):
“They’re a sovereign state, they’re going to have to decide, and it’s a decision the President will have to take in the near future. … Is it [the governor] the right person at the right place, at the right time? President Karzai will have to answer these questions as soon as possible.”
Mr. Bernier’s comment could be interpreted as Pres. Karzai being told to oust the governor (as the press and the opposition said), but it could just as reasonably be interpreted as affirming the sovereignty of Pres. Karzai, i.e. it’s Pres. Karzai’s decision whether the governor stays or goes.
So following that comment by Min. Bernier, the opposition who weeks before had been wailing about the governor’s corruption, now cried that the Minister should have kept that opinion under wraps, not divulging it in public.
Pray tell, what is more public that the HoC during QP?
The minister’s critics’ hypocrisy is astounding.
And I disagree we heard “Bernier veering wildly off-script.” In Bernier’s comment I quoted above, IMO, he was affirming the sovereignty of Afghanistan and Pres. Karzai.
Is Min. Bernier the strongest minister in PM Harper’s government? No, but perhaps he should be given an opportunity to grow into the position.
Hasn’t the MSM been asking for more time for Stephane Dion to grow into his prime-minister-in-waiting role too?
May 12th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Name me the Conservative cabinet ministers that the lib/msm has NOT demanded resign…..short list isn’t it…
Just because msm only prints crap, views EVRYTHING our ministers do as a misstep, doesn’t mean Bernier is not worthy of his position.
There was a time when the same ‘incompetent minister’ label was attached to McKay…now he’s everyone’s first choice????
May 12th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Here’s my take on Paul Dewer & the NDP…they may “appear” to come across as not being involved in some of the “SCANDALS”, because they don’t have too. The media, Liberals & the block have been doing the job for them. Don’t kid yourselves, they LOVE every dying minute of it & they DO get their DIGS in. It’s just their plan, as portraying themselves as the party of “the official opposition”, for VOTES in the next election.They have also gotten their own “SMEARS” into the mix, for those of you who really listen. I agree with OMMAG.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
We have all had a toy that when you pull the string it talks and repeats the same phrase over and over. Dion has given all his MPs a string, and when pulled says, Resign. Only the names change.
Hopefully many of those mps will be told to resign next election by the voters.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
As long as we have human beings in cabinet, we will have human behaviour. And, since none of us are perfect….. Me thinks the opposition (all parties) doth protest too much.
I gotta say, this “gotcha” game is getting sooooo tiring.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Gabby…thanks for ‘the rest of the story’ It seems as soon as MSM prints ‘gaffe’ then whatever happenned is deemed a ‘gaffe’…no questions asked..When Bernier was being bashed for his comment I kept reading it trying to figure out what the ‘gaffe’ was. MSM will use their 10 second sound bites to paint the picture knowing full well that the ‘masses’ don’t read the ‘rest of the story’.
Did anyone notice the fatique on PMSH’s face when he called the Libs ‘busybodies and gossips’?
I was glad to see him relaxing at the hockey game in Halifax.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Certainly no cabinet minister is perfect, but if the NDP’s Dewar wants to really look at competency, perhaps he should do a retrospective on Belinda Stronach as HRDC Minister. Or a look at Jack “sucks and blows” Layton, as (ineffective) leader of his own party. Or Iggy for class-act, non-retractions of vapid positions and actions. And so on.
People in glass houses …
May 14th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Bluetech, “the rest of the story” is my interpretation of events, supported by statements made by members of the opposition. Probably some cynics and anti-conservatives would interpret those events differently.
I do not claim to have an inside track into anyone’s motivations … I just wish the MSM would stop sinking to the lowest common denominator and using the 10 second sound bites you alluded to, not to inform people, but only to disparage members of the government.
And it’s true, like you said, the PM looked tired … not surprising, given the amount of work he puts in. I believe this is the “workingest” PM we’ve had in a long while.