New day, new political scandal

[toraerach]

maybe the sponsoring of bills is first-come-first-served.

I believe that's how it works.

From this article in the Star:

Normally, the author of a Senate private member's bill arranges to have a sympathetic MP sponsor it once it clears the upper house and arrives in the Commons. The sponsor informs the clerk's office that he or she will take responsibility for shepherding the bill through the Commons.

But last month, Tory MPs began rushing to the clerk's office to sponsor bills almost the moment they were introduced in the upper house, whether or not they actually supported the bills and without waiting to see if they'd actually ever make it to the Commons.

 

[ungodlycrosscheck]

The CPC is fully staffed with former university politics douches who are experts in procedural shenanigans. I'm looking at you Pierre Pollievre.

Every party has their procedural experts. How would a party run without that skillset?

But to imply that Tory party is full of staffers who fall asleep at night while reading Marleau and Monpetit and can recite it verse for verse is ludacrious. There are a few exceptional experts in the party, Yaroslav Baran the Chief of Staff to the Governnment House Leader is one, David Prest is another, Darcy Walsh who worked with Sen. Micheal Fortier before departing to Hill and Knowlton was also pretty on the ball procedure wise. The Liberals have Jerry Yanover. But I would dispute you, Pierre Poilevre is not particularly good at procedure, he is however extremely good at staying on message, and being one of the leader's favourite attack dogs.

If there is one party that seems to have MPs (not behind the scenes people) who really know process it's the NDP. Peter Julian, Nathan Cullen and Joe Comartin all know their stuff.

 

[lordmandeep]

Jean Chretien and company were masters at the art of politics. Be liked for doing little and keeping your opposition divided.

 

[unimaginative2]

There's a lottery to determine the order that Private Members Bills are introduced.

 

[kEiThZ]

There's a lottery to determine the order that Private Members Bills are introduced.

But do these Senate initiated bills count as PMBs or are they treated differently? And where does the sponsor issue fit in to all this? Do they need a sponsor to enter the lotter or do they randomly get one after the lottery?

 

[jade_lee]

Suaad Mohamud vs Brenda Martin

This current government will pay for this one and if I were Suaad Mohamud I would not let this story die. We need to be reminded about the history of this current minority government's dealings with Canadians trapped in foreign lands where their very own Canadian government fabricates false information. Brenda Martin was flown home at a cost of over $82k(government jet), Suaad Mohamud and others had to fight our government and prove them wrong before coming home. Something stinks here.
Still support this current minority? Still trust this current minority?

 

[kEiThZ]

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/680809

It's less a case of political interference than incompetence (or worse) of consular staff. I hope they get fired for this. It's deplorable that a Canadian consulate would treat a Canadian citizen this way.

 

[urbanfan89]

It's just a case of incompetence? This story has been in the news for months, and unless what Stephen Harper reads and watches is censored by his minders (you never know those days), he would have known about this problem for months. He has all the authority to phone up the High Commission and say, "Look. You're screwing this woman up big time. Use your common sense and let her go now." The fact that the media has been covering this while no one in the government cared implies that the government is willingly ignoring the problem, and has to take responsibility. Pushing all the blame on a bureaucrat somewhere (who does deserve some blame) is the equivalent of blaming assembly workers for GM's troubles.

Are Chretien and Martin not responsible for the sponsorship scandal, because they didn't personally dole out stacks of cash to the ad executives?

 

[kEiThZ]

^ I am guessing you've never worked in government. Ministers can't just call up whoever they like and start bossing them around. THAT would be political interference. Politicians set policy. They don't run day-to-day operations of government. At best, the Minister could have ordered a speedy review and that's where the Conservatives did fail and deserve to be faulted. But on the whole, I think the failings for this case lie mostly with the consular staff. And quite likely it might have been locally engaged staff (LES) who interfered with the outcome. Seems to me like that whole mission needs a review. What kind of staff suggests a passport is fake and then actually hands it over for the woman to be prosecuted? Seems to me like that mission might have a mole for the crooks working there.

 

[jade_lee]

The Harper government is wearing this one.

 

[urbanfan89]

^ I am guessing you've never worked in government. Ministers can't just call up whoever they like and start bossing them around. THAT would be political interference. Politicians set policy. They don't run day-to-day operations of government. At best, the Minister could have ordered a speedy review and that's where the Conservatives did fail and deserve to be faulted. But on the whole, I think the failings for this case lie mostly with the consular staff. And quite likely it might have been locally engaged staff (LES) who interfered with the outcome. Seems to me like that whole mission needs a review. What kind of staff suggests a passport is fake and then actually hands it over for the woman to be prosecuted? Seems to me like that mission might have a mole for the crooks working there.

I don't believe Stephen Harper called up the High Commission asking them to make life miserable for this person, but it's a case of crass incompetence by him and his government. This issue has been all over TV, newspapers, and internet for months, and I don't believe Stephen Harper or Lawrence Cannon or a media liaison haven't once seen one of those headlines. Therefore for them to neglect this case for months means that responsibility for this matter rests at the very top. Business 101: You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility.

 

[kEiThZ]

On some of the other cases (like Abdelrazik) I'd concur. However, in this one, I can see how it could be quite challenging. If the consular staff were willing to go the length of seeking that the woman be prosecuted in Kenya, one can only imagine the accusations of political interference if the minister did decide to really throw his weight around. And the risk in these kinds of cases too is that the staff could well have been right about the passport being forged. Keep in mind that this case is unique. The other ones dealt with foreign governments. This one dealt with Canadian consular staff advising other government departments that the woman was an impostor and that she be denied entry. They essentially deemed her a security threat. There is no way that kind of situation gets resolved within days or even a few weeks for anybody.

As for it being in the papers, you should know by now, that in cases like this, the government never publicizes what it does. This has been the policy for both Liberal and Conservative governments for as long as anyone can remember. Anyway, we'll know more once the reviews come out.

 

[jade_lee]

I don't have to wait for the review, I trust the word of the Canadian who spent 8 days in jail and is now home with a serious breathing problem.

 

[jade_lee]

YYZgayguy from the G&M about Suaad

8/22/2009 9:11:03 AM
Anger anger anger. Blame Harper, blame the consul on duty at the time, blame the victim because she went to visit her mother instead of staying home, driving a minivan and going to Wal-Mart or a hockey game. Blah blah blah.

The wrongest comment so far is Apocalypto, who marvellously tries to blame Too Much Government Regulation.

Harper famously slashed the budget for consulates before the last election and even more stupidly sold prominent real estate we own abroad. The embassy in Dublin was probably the most outrageous but there were others. We heard warnings from professional career diplomats that the real work of consulates would suffer from the cuts. But their message was drowned out by the usual crap about diplomats living in luxury and attending parties. Cut their pay! Forbid parties! Off with their heads! Populist ranting from people who've never travelled anywhere but Florida. It would be funny, if it weren't tragic.

So now we have a reduced Foreign Affairs ministry with a new name, a Xenophobic government with a mandate of barely a third of Canadians and a policy of setting us adrift when we are abused by foreign governments.

Why is it happening? Why wouldn't it? This government's most ardent supporters are NOT world travellers. They are NOT on close terms with recent immigrants. They only know that they hate taxes. Wilde would say they know the price of everything and the value of nothing. But they wouldn't know who Wilde is, either.

And they do not feel that this woman is owed a large debt by all of us.

I Agree with him. This current federal government is going to wear this.

 

[afransen]

She is indeed owed a debt. She's suing for $2.5 million, and I think she deserves it.