Perhaps even more disturbing than the allegations that MP Ruby Dhalla may have mistreated two foreign live-in caregivers, is the apparent lack of initiative taken by two Ontario Ministers when the nannies finally worked up enough courage to voice their complaints.
Star reporter Dale Brazeo explains:
…The meeting was held by provincial Education Minister Kathleen Wynne and Labour Minister Peter Fonseca after a Star investigation exposed widespread abuse in a program that allows Canadians to hire foreign caregivers to look after children, the elderly or people with disabilities.
Prompted by Wynne to speak their minds, nanny Gordo stood up and accused Dhalla, MP for Brampton-Springdale, of holding her passport and refusing to pay her when she quit.
“Seeing (Wynne) up there asking us to be strong and stand up for our rights, I had a flash of what happened to me and I decided to speak out,” said Gordo, adding she admitted to the politicians she worked “illegally” at the Dhalla household without a work permit.
The Star learned of the allegations and began its own probe…
However their concerns seemed to fall on deaf ears. Jim Coyle says it so well:
…Yesterday, (Labour Minister Peter) Fonseca turned in a hapless performance, saying that story was just one of many disturbing tales heard that night, that it was enough the provincial government had set up a 1-800 line for reporting such matters and that employment fact sheets were distributed.
The province can be grateful, one supposes, no one reported a burning building to the minister. He might have responded with a dissertation on the origins of fire…
As Coyle points out, it’s rather ironic considering how Wynne lectures on the importance of intervention regarding bullying in schools.
Yesterday in the Ontario Legislature, the opposition parties understandably took the Government to task, with Tory MPP Lisa MacLeod stating that Minister Fonseca should have immediately reported the claims to the appropriate authorities and added, “Minister, you don’t get to pick and choose who abides and who breaks your laws…”
Macleod is calling for his resignation. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath seems to agree saying that instead of posing for a photo op, Fonseca should have immediately been taking action regarding the allegations.
Fonseca tried to deflect the blame to Jason Kenney: (Globe) (H/T Anne in swON)
…During Question Period, Mr. Fonseca pointed the finger of blame at federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, accusing him of ignoring his pleas to fix Canada’s “completely broken” live-in, caregiver program. He said he spoke to Mr. Kenney after he heard the caregivers’ stories, and told him about the shortcomings in the program.
I said “Take some national leadership on this, fix your program,” Mr. Fonseca said.
But his attempt to deflect the matter backfired slightly, when Mr. Kenney’s office sent an e-mail during Question Period to Ontario MPP Lisa MacLeod, to set the record straight.
“If there is any confusion, Minister Fonseca has never raised the issue of Magdalene Gordo and Richelyn Tongson with Minister Kenney,” according to the briefing notes. “Nor has he or his staff raised it with Immigration … officials. Fonseca spoke to Kenney a month ago to talk about the program generally; they haven’t spoken since and he’s never discussed the case with us or our officials.”
So someone is lying.
Meanwhile, Dalton McGuinty tries to sweep this under the rug, saying that it is “a perception issue” according to Jim Coyle, and that the two Ministers should be excused because they were just “so focused on doing their job…”
If this is an example of how Liberal Ministers stay ‘focused on their jobs’, then Ontario is in a lot more trouble than I suspected.
* * * *
Update
Russ Campbell wants some answers:
…Is this not a deliberate attempt on the part of Labour Minister Peter Fonseca to deceive the Legislature? And is there not a scrap of honour to be found within the Liberal caucus, who to a person offered not the mildest censure of Mr. Fonseca’s behaviour?
It all boils down to a matter of trust and credibility. And I don’t think the McGuinty Government has much of that left now.
Dhalla wants review of allegations against her – Edmonton Sun (H/T Maz2)
From the National Post - “In no way shape or form has my sister been involved,” Neil Dhalla said in a statement from May 1. “I hope my family and I are not being used as a scapegoat to deflect attention from their possible misrepresentations and any current legal difficulties that these live-in caregivers may be facing.”
I’ve just written to the Premier and my own MPP to demand that Fonseca step down. Actually, rightly both Fonseca and Wynne should see a reprimand in trying to hide the truth.
Is this not akin to aiding and abetting a crime if it’s proven to be true.
Be a real leader Dalton and for once correct this wrong and don’t push it under the rug.
I agree, this IS the smoking gun!
It angers me, that there are people who require these services, as quickly as any of the ‘cheaters’ but they adapt, make interim arrangements until the correct and legal process has been completed.
OT, PM Harper surprise visit to Afghanistan..
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090507/harper_trip_090507/20090507?hub=TopStories
Here we have another “parachuted” candidate a Paul Martin “legacy” really just how the Lieberal system works. Any thoughts on the subject Mr Ignatiff? you seem to be missing in action, this is not leadership and this problem won’t go away. Just how long does it take to get the facts? I guess you are still busy looking for the “adscam” money.
Okay, he believes that a 1-800 number is all that’s necessary. Is this guy that stupid? That’s like calling 9-1-1 and, hey, thanks for your call. Or calling a suicide hot-line and, hey, thanks for your call, have a nice day.
His explanation is way beyond the pale – does he really believe that a 1-800 number is all that it takes?
Does anyone find it ironic it was “The Toronto Star” that broke this story. Does anyone wonder why when Iggy tells his MP’s not to talk about a story it’s leadership. When our Prime Minister tells his MP’s to be quiet he is a Dictator. I am actually surprised how quickly the Liberals are throwing her under the bus, kind of makes you think they know the allegations ring of truth.
JDot, you beat me to it re the PM’s surprise visit to Afganistan.
Oh, and the liberals moved a motion or whatever in some committee to demand that guy that is on a no fly list be a witness. Why are the liberals so set on bringing back to Canada all those in jail or somewhere for supposed terrorist ties back home.
What is wrong with this bizarro province. The only quibble I have with your post Joanne, is that this McGuinty government never had any credibility. The 200 lies he got elected on the first time took care of that. Is ther really a majority of people in thsi province who want to be lied to every day, then told what to do in every aspect of their lives. (ie weed killers, having one beer with friends, etc)
Jeff Allan will be discussing this story now. You can listen live.
The only quibble I have with your post Joanne, is that this McGuinty government never had any credibility.
Good point Greg.
Thanks JDot @ 9:39 am
It makes me frantic, that so many otherwise intelligent Canadians, DO NOT SEE what humbling greatness, we have in our Prime Minister.
Wake up SOON? Please!
Keep the focus on Liberal Iggy.
Iggy is the albatross ’round the neck of the Liberal Party.
Dhalla is on her way to the PET Cemetery with Iggy pushing the hearse.
…-
“Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff said in a written statement, “I look forward to a determination of the facts regarding her family’s experience with live-in caregivers.”
>>>> “Dhalla remains a member of the Liberal caucus.”
…-
“Dhalla wants review of allegations against her”
urlm.in/cjkc
MI is MIA, not a big surprise.
The flakey fake is hard pressed to make a decision that he doesn’t later reverse anyways.
If the nanny story went into a public forum 2 weeks ago,
surely Iffy was told.
Surely Dahlton was told.
Fingers crossed, hoping the story would wash away?
Were the nannies threatened or their stories discounted using the levers of Ruby’s MP status?
Who knew what and when?
The media suppressed the news until after Iffy was crowned.
The Liberals and their media just never change.
o/t Canandian governments have been trying to seal a deal with Europe for 30 years……PMS is getting it done.
Check out QP at the Legislature!
Runciman just referred to Dhalla as ‘The Queen of Mean’.
Fonseca is going after Kenney again.
“Dhalla wants review of allegations against her””
Then she can pay for it. Her problem.
It would absolutely cost MORE THAN, $500.00, on the 15th and 30th…..
If you have ever been on the pointy end of the stick when any MPP has taken an interest in what you said or are doing,you just know that Fonseca is prevaricating/covering for his liberal cousin/and just plain incompetent.Laws were admittingly broken and he true to liberal form turned a blind eye.
I’m holding a Caption Contest very much related to the Ruby Dhalla fiasco. I encourage your many readers to participate!
We just have to remember that these are only allegations against Ms Dhalla right now – nothing has been proven.
Dhalla asking the ethics commissioner to investigate is just smoke and mirrors to divert attention. The ethics commissioner can only rule wether their was a conflict of interest. Seeing as Dhalla was in opposition and as such, a critic, not a member, it would be very unlikely that the ethics commissioner would find any wrongdoing.
To put it simply, it would be like an MP being a serial killer, and then when caught asking the ethics commissioner to exonerate him/her as the killings had no relationship to his/her job as MP.
I have to wonder whether Fonseca and Wynne were the ones who determined it would be best to sit on the story until after the Liberal convention or whether Dalton McGuinty had a hand in the decision about when it would be less damaging to his federal counterparts to let the excrement hit the fan.
Anne, I was wondering the same thing. Dalton was front and centre at the convention. And there have been rumours of Federal leadership aspirations in the past.
We conservatives are always being accused of being racists. What does it say about the provincial liiberals if they decided to sit on these allegations because it was just a couple of brown foreign women. As for Ruby, sometimes familiarity breeds contempt.
Liberal Iggy remains in the closet; mute, silent.
Time passes; nothing more from Iggy.
Iggy is frozen.
…-
“May 6, 2009
“Statement by Michael Ignatieff
This morning I accepted Ruby Dhalla’s resignation as Youth & Multiculturalism Critic. Ms. Dhalla will continue to serve as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Brampton-Springdale. I look forward to a determination of the facts regarding her family’s experience with live-in caregivers.”
(libcaca)
Mr Ignatiff “looks forward to a determination of the facts regarding her familys experience with live-in caregivers” ?
I look forward to Mr Ignatiff doing more than stallin’, shucking and jiving, and standing in front of a microphone with his puny “girly-man” fists clenched in a poor imitation of a actor pretending to be a politician and a leader. Mr Ignatiff NOT a Leader. Come out from under your desk, Sir!
The Real Leader our P M is overseas giving our troops on the ground support and encouragement, God bless him in his efforts and our Troops in theirs.
Funny how Mr. War Room Warren is not available. Seems to me, his expertise is needed now more than ever. Did he know this was coming and decided to make himself scarce? Curious, that.
JDot, thanks for the link re: the PM in Afghanistan. Good stuff there.
Dhalla asking the ethics commissioner to investigate is just smoke and mirrors to divert attention.
Paulsstuff – Exactly. Steve Janke points that out in his latest post.
So she’s either being disingenuous, or else she just doesn’t have a clue.
“buzz fazbert from Surrey, Canada writes: Ruby is gonna burn because the press outed her.”
From comments at G-M: urlm.in/cjle.
Which “press” “outed her”?
The leftist TORedStar outed Liberals Ruby and Iggy together.
This must rankle/rattle the Iggys, including KatMeatK.
The outing came from the left MSM.
Why? Who benefits if Iggy goes down? Rae? ??
This confirms this: Iggy is the albatross ’round the neck of the Liberal Party.
Why are the Libs talking about her FAMILY’s experience. Have they forgotten that it is the experience of the NANNIES. Tyical Liberal channel changing and deception.
Greg – yes, Ontarians can be really stupid, especially in the 416 area code. Dalton lied to win his first majority. Ontarians, unfortunately, fell apart when John Tory made the fatal mistake of mentioning faith-based school funding, which he later retracted. So, Ontario gave Dalton a second majority and he has added one tax or charge or ban after another. I predict that Ontario will vote him in a third term – the 416 area code (my apologies to 416 Conservatives) is a pocket of sheeple.
For a couple of good laughs visit SDA, re comebacks to the press. -villiage idiot via Darcy.
From Chantal Hebert’s blog today(loosely translated):
“The Ethics Commissioner needs to have a broad mandate, but it does not include the treatment of domestic help by an MP or her family.
The Ontario Labour Standards Commission or even Immigration Canada have reason to pay attention to this file.”
[...] the Liberals wallow in the muck and Michael Ignatieff still seems to be hiding under his desk, the grownups are taking care of [...]
re the NP update, is a threat being made against said caregivers. What legal problems could they have that would not involve Ruby and her family.
Barbara..War Room Warren is likely out with his cellphone cam checking kids washrooms for swastika’s so he can change the channel and take the heat of Ruby
Just heard a liberal-Cotler (sp) give a members statement praising caregivers in Canada, and how the provide over 25 million in unpaid care/year. Ruby is absent.
Just heard a liberal-Cotler (sp) give a members statement praising caregivers in Canada, and how the provide over 25 million in unpaid care/year. Ruby is absent Now a Bloc member going after MIMI re raising taxes, now a member from AB.
The one is going to speak, loud applause and cheering.
Oh oh, Bob Rae gets up instead. He want that terrorist suspect brought back to Canada, and it isn’t Khdar. This guy was put on the now fly list by the UN.
And, now, a THIRD worker alleges abuse.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/630399
I am absolutely amazed that the Star is carrying this story, considering how Lib-friendly it is. And the comments from readers are mostly pro-Conservative and, in fact, some of them question how quickly Fonseca would have moved had it been a Conservative who was accused of abuse.
PS – I wonder how MacLeans, the Ignatieff fan magazine, will spin this whole thing – if at all.
Iggy’s likely MIA today because he’s busy in conference calls with Dalton and the rest coming up with a story that will pacify Canadians and the MSM, AND it will be important that they all sing from the same songsheet.
Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the king of the war room wasn’t right there doing damage control.
Stay-tuned for a Liberal diversion plan.
Re: Dhalla seeking an ethics probe – the only reason she wants THAT is because it’s slanted in her favour.
I say this must go to the authorities, police and if a crime has allegedly been committed let it be in the hands of those best able to determine that.
Re: Wynne and Fonseco – Same deal at the provincial level. Legal authorities and police.
Rob C. – we’re on the same wavelength. It’s all about stemming the flow of LPOC bleeding now….and yes both Warren’s boys – Iggy and McGuinty will be wearing this.
What will the Liberals try to divert media attention too do you think? If Kinsella’s pattern history is any indication it will involve Harper and Mulroney….except that now Iggy’s Brian’s new best bud, no?
Oh, they had poor old Ralphy muttering the old EI thing but that’s just not catching on like wildfire is it? Yeah, the economy might be a nice diversion except that things are looking marginally better according to “experts”.
And, now, a THIRD worker alleges abuse.
Yikes! Thanks, East.
Also, if you go to Janke’s website to the link given earlier here and scroll down the comments I do believe that the LPOC strategy re: Dhalla is there offered by
“da Prince”
Looks like there going to pull the old – big bad conservatives picking on an ethnic female trick, pitting the big, bad cons. against poor helpless Ruby.
Only this will not work. Ruby has allegedly brought this on all by herself.
You also have to know that all stops will be pulled to discredit the two nannies.
Just a thought or two to share with the regulars, Mr Ignatiff MUD (missing under desk) mighr be able to entice him out with a pork-chop sangy? Can you folks imagine how differently this would have been handled by Ontario labour Minister Peter Fonseca if the two Nannies had been employed by a prominent Conservative? The charade of going to the “ethics commissioner” is a little rich why is this not being handled by Minister Fonseca? Why has Mr Ignatiff not speaking up about these women? It is not about “the experience of Dhalla’s family” it is about the “alleged” mistreatment of these women who got a “pamphlet and a 1-800 number from Mr Fonseca shameful IMO
OMG – As if Don Martin couldn’t sink any lower. He goes and does it anyway.
Don Martin is a pr!ck….and I hope you are reading this Donny. Speaking of “smelly” – you take the cake
Bob Rae is talking terrorists? Good grief – typical Liberal channel-changing. Why isn’t the great liberator standing up for these poor nannies.
You know, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when the chips are down, the left walks away and the right takes up the slack. The left talks the talk but only the right walks the walk.
My pleasure, Joanne. The Libs spent years slagging our PM when he is pretty much the only honest PM we’ve ever had and now that the tables are turning on the Libs and AdScam is back in the news, I want to see those tables turned and smashed down.
[...] – complaining of brutal working conditions, long hours and money paid under the table. (H/T East of Eden and Michael [...]
Just heard on CFRB that a 3rd nanny has come forward to complain of Dhalla abuse and Ottawa has announced an investigation into the matter. That should cook 3 birds with 1 stone. Dhalla, Wynne and Fonseca
New post (or 2) up Dillon. You have to keep up here.
This Dhalla story is beautiful. She asks if she has a conflict of interest. LOL. Wait till Mommy dearest is put in legirons.
[...] Liberal Minister Peter Fonseca has been attacked in the Legislature for not acting immediately on the information and he in turn has been blaming the Feds for [...]