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We are living in interesting times, as the saying goes. Here in Canada, the house of cards that is the federal Conservative government of Stephen Harper is starting to self-destruct; the only surprising thing to me is that it took this long to happen. The Harper government is throwing bodies overboard as fast as they can, hoping to avert the crisis and avoid closer scrutiny by voters and the media. Senator Mike Duffy, receiver of $90,000 personal cheques from Harper’s Chief of Staff and filer of dubious expense claims, has left the Conservative caucus but remains at the taxpayer’s expense a member of the Senate. Senator Pamela Wallin, whose exorbitant expenses were much defended by Harper & friends up until very recently, joined Duffy in his departure from the Conservative Senate caucus late last week, but (like Duffy) continues to receive her salary from us the taxpayers. Early this long weekend Sunday, as Stephen Harper prepared to exit the country for a visit to South America, Nigel Wright (writer of the afore-mentioned $90,000 personal cheque to Duffy) also announced his resignation from the PMO.
What other grenades remain in this government’s closet, waiting to explode? Stay tuned; but as a climate activist and mom who has seen her children’s health and climate stability being sacrificed on the alter of Harper’s pro-oil, short-term-profit agenda I’m having the best Victoria Day weekend I’ve had since Harper came to power in 2006. My schadenfreude meter was particularly high this morning when I noticed the hashtag #PMHarperShouldResign was trending on Twitter in both Ottawa and Toronto. Now that’s the start of a good holiday Monday!
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One of the Canadians who has been speaking out fearlessly about the federal government’s muzzling of scientists and artists while it pursues its fossil-foolish goals is Toronto artist and writer (and friend of 350orbust) Franke James. Franke has a new graphic book, Banned On The Hill: A True Story of Dirty Oil And Government Censorship, and she’s got a IndieGoGo campaign to help spread the word about the book, which tells the story of how a single-minded focus on tar (“oil”) sands expansion at all costs, including democracy, is playing out in Canada right now under this government. If you want to support this talented and outspoken artist, as well as Canadian democracy, consider donating to the Banned on the Hill campaign.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/65761477]
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More links:
And under the heading of I-can’t-believe-she-can-say-this-with-a-straight-face:
Conservative Michelle Rempel says Wright wanted to ensure no taxpayer money was “on the hook“
More on the Harper Government woes:
The Mike Duffy Bomb Sends More Shrapnel Through Conservatives
Huffty Duffty sat on a wall,
Huffty Duffty had a great fall.
All Harper’s Horsies & Cheque Writing Men
Couldn’t put Huffty together again
*thanks to N Lumley for the share*
Looks like I stole the ditty from Helena Handbasket @MyPetGloat who posted it on 16 May
Thanks for the correction, Nadine – and for your persistence in having fun while relentlessly holding the Harper regime to account!
It remains to be seen whether Harper can keep these scandals bottled up inside the black hole of the PMO. It was there that every key element of this was hatched 1) bring Duffy in-house, 2) under the table cash, 3) thwart the independent audit by ordering Duffy not to speak to or cooperate in any way with auditors, and 4) see to it that the Senate committee report on Duffy was laundered.
That’s an insane degree of corruption, befitting of a true sociopath, yet Harper appears to be succeeding in deflecting blame onto Duffy, Wallin et al and the Senate. Duffy, Wallin, Harb and Brazeau are small change, bit players. The Senate actually did everything pretty much right, save for those senators who capitulated to orders from above to launder the Duffy report but how can Harper fault them for succumbing to his corruption? The real corruption lies inside the Grand Corrupter himself, our prime minister.
Harper has transformed the PMO into his dirty works studio. Remember Bruce Carson? How did that ex-con, swindler, disbarred lawyer get into the PMO? I personally know Tories who warned the PMO about Carson, gave them all the sordid details on the guy including his rap sheet. The only way Carson was able to remain in the PMO is that Harper chose to keep him.
There’s a reason the PMO has become an unaccountable, untouchable criminal enterprise. That reason is a sociopathic prime minister who uses it as his instrument of dirty deeds and his personal liability cut out.
I think if Steve is vulnerable it will be from inside the caucus. I had hoped that at least one Tory would stand up during Steve’s performance before the caucus Tuesday morning and walk out. Didn’t happen. They simply applauded as he poured his blame all over them.
Harper’s been getting a whole lot of bad press this last week or two. Frankly, up until now his teflon reputation has been partly due to good luck and ineffective opposition leaders. The playing field is different now, especially with the popular (notice I didn’t say effective) Justin Trudeau leading the Libs. I really don’t think SH has a clue what to do once the CPC spin machine can’t spin the truth anymore, which is what is happening right in front of our eyes. And that “open” caucus meeting was classic Harper & Reformatories – pretending to be responsive but drowning out any real questions that might require some non-talking point answers with their own applause!