It all started with Senator Mike Duffy performing his Hindenburg imitation, crashing and burning over false Senate expenses, flatulent explanations, and a bizarre stand-off with the PMO over who bailed him out — the Royal Bank or that White Knight of expense accounts, Nigel Wright.
It was somehow weirdly appropriate that, once he had resigned from caucus, Duffy beat a hasty retreat to his “principal” residence — once more eschewing interviews. But one thing the Old Duff can’t do is travel incognito. If he flew, he’d never get through the the commissioners and maintenance men waiting to welcome him home at Charlottetown Airport.
Then there was the spectacle of Wright throwing in the towel right after the PM gave him his full support. He was, according to the Globe and Mail, just another victim of the jolly guy who looks like the Gerber Baby.
The Globe, which is beginning to sound like it has been quietly purchased by Sun Media, thinks the redoubtable Nigel is a super-hero. In what must be the most obedient political commentary I have ever read, John Ibbitson intoned that it was a “body blow” to the prime minister to lose this rich dude-advisor.
The Nigel Wright the rest of the world has seen is the one by Harper’s side as the Conservatives lost 25 per cent of their popularity, fitted out a few more thousand public servants with muzzles, and sold off a piece of Canada to a bunch of guys who, just a few years ago, Harper saw as inhumane Commies who didn’t share our values. Now they don’t just share our bounty — they own it.
Wright was also there as the government tried to give the coup de gras to parliamentary democracy with omnibus legislation. Maybe he felt so much like a master of the universe after that exercise in passing largely unscrutinized legislation, he decided that he could subsidize an abuse of public office with a personal cheque. Patrick Brazeau must be wondering if he has body odour.
I am beginning to think that only the RCMP can reform the Senate. If they investigate, one of the people they need to talk to is Nigel Wright. The other one is Stephen Harper.
Why Stephen Harper? Nigel Wright chose his words like a Philadelphia lawyer when he supplied the reasons for his resignation. In an obvious attempt to provide maximum insulation from this scandal to the prime minister, Wright said: “I did not advise the Prime Minister of the means by which Mr. Duffy’s expenses were repaid — either before or after the fact.”
The Globe’s protective coverage of Duffygate never bothered to raise that troublesome little word Nigel used in his odd goodbye — odd because the PM had just blessed him with his “full support.” That little word was “means.”
Kids studying the journo business at community college would have caught the play here. Wright may not have talked to the PM about how Duffy’s expenses were repaid. But that’s a long walk in the country from saying they didn’t discuss Duffy’s expenses — why they were such a ticking time bomb for the government — or from knowing whether Stephen Harper gave the green light to fix the matter.
And this becomes important when it is remembered that Harper is a massage parlour prime minister: hands-on. For the record, the country needs to know what the PM knew and when he knew it.
For those who think this analysis is unkind or unfair, remember this: Stephen Harper took time out from his main job of dismantling democracy and buying ads to say how well Canada is doing compared to, say, Swaziland, to personally cast his eye over another senator who may have taken a long, deep dive in the public trough.
In the case of Senator Pamela Wallin, the prime minister may yet regret that he personally pronounced her expenses as perfectly okay, comparable to any parliamentarian travelling from that particular area of the country, going back and forth to her home province. So if they were “comparable” and enjoyed the endorsement of the prime minister’s eagle eye, why did Senator Wallin resign from the Conservative caucus a day after her former CTV colleague? (Sorry, not resign: ‘Recuse’ was the more ladylike word the senator employed.) Meanwhile, Robert Fife of CTV, which has led the way on the coverage of this demolition, is reporting that as soon as the auditors are finished with Wallin’s expenses, they will be sent to the RCMP.
Not only has the prime minister lost two senators and a chief of staff, he might yet lose a fishing buddy. While Tory heavies were going off like Roman candles in Ottawa, another Conservative icon, (some might argue two of them) was self-destructing in Toronto.
What could be cheekier than Rob Ford in a thong? Answer? Some dude flogging Rob Ford The Video. For only six figures it could be yours. But wait, there’s more. On the video, which has been viewed by two Toronto Star reporters, His Belligerence is alleged to be seen smoking a crack pipe and posing with the Bad Boys. Family values with a twist. Big guy got so mad he took himself off the radio.
But not to worry. In his depiction of Stephen Harper as the Great Man on the lonely peaks of power, Ibbitson of the Globe sees no long term cause for concern.
Why? Well, because nobody really cares about this kind of noise. It has no traction with the public. And besides, there will soon be pollsters (whose numbers didn’t quite add up in the recent B.C. election) saying the same thing. No one cares. The Maple Leaf is now blue. Great minds have actually seen the tectonic plates shift in Canada.
Here’s what I’ve seen. Prime Minister John Turner skewered over his predecessor’s patronage appointments — never again to hold power. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney buried under a mountain of sleaze that destroyed his party and stained his reputation forever. Prime Minister Paul Martin harried from office by the 100 gallon drum of rotting fish that was Adscam.
And I see this too. Stephen Harper came to power on the promise of cleaning up Ottawa. His mission turned into one of shutting-up Ottawa. He talked prudent fiscal stewardship and he spent the numbers off the credit card, while somehow misplacing $3.1 billion. He promised transparency in governance and delivered fog, fantasy and bull. He marketed integrity and gave us Bruce Carson, Arthur Porter, Peter Penashue and Bev Oda. And now we have Nigel Wright, senators Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau.
Noise, Mr. Ibbitson? Perhaps. The rumble you hear before the earthquake.
Original Article
Source: ipolitics.ca
Author: Michael Harris
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