The Grits wheeled out Wayne Easter, one of the shrillest voices in the House, to denounce Stephen Harper for “another case of the PM having broken (his) word.”Doorknob Easter isn't doing himself any favor with these over the top outrageous exaggerations if not outright mis-truths. Earlier this year with his shrill over the top outrage he accused former Tory Cabinet Minister Helena Guergis of having a meltdown at the airport in Charletown that later turned out not to be true. The airport video that was later shown to a few reporters showed Helena did not have the temper tantrum meltdown that Easter had accused her of. In fact she apparently was quite calm through out her whole ordeal. I hope Helena sues the crap out of him. Maybe he would gain a little honesty and integrity and therefore be a little careful in the future with his accusations. But then I will not hold my breath, afterall he's a Liberal. I don't think honesty and integrity is programed into the Liberal DNA.
The word being that in his Reform-Alliance days in Opposition, Harper was always quick to denounce the Liberals rushing to the trough, promising to reform the appointments process if he formed a government.
Welcome to the NHL, Wayne. That was then, this is now. Or as Robert Bourassa once put it in a similar context in Quebec: “What, you expect us to do business with our enemies?”
Easter represents a Prince Edward Island riding, and on P.E.I. there is an old saying: “If it moves, pension it; if it doesn’t, pave it.”
Easter likes to work with props to make his case.
He once had his picture taken with a doorknob at a newser whose purpose was to illustrate waste in an upgrade of a government building.
This was a bad career move. The Hon. Member from Doorknob.
At his press conference denouncing Tory patronage, he awarded Harper and cabinet colleagues little trophies with smiling pigs on top. Clearly, it was no time for subtlety.
To be clear, the $25,000 donated to Tory coffers by Conservative appointees was within the individual limit of $1,100 per year under the Harper government’s 2006 Federal Accountability Act.
No law was broken, and no appointments were bought.
And if a couple of future judges once made donations to the Tories, or were party activists while in private practice, it is hardly a first for lawyers, and hardly constitutes buying seats on the bench. Applicants for judgeships have to pass a peer review before their names make a short list. That’s how it works, and generally speaking, it works very well. Imagine, lawyers in politics. Shocking.
What Doorknob Easter tends to forget when he accuses the PM of breaking a promise he should remember that it was the opposition who scuttled the appointments commission.
Easter or anyone in the opposition or the media has no reason to accuse the PM of a promise broken. The PM at least tried to keep his promise. Hypocrisy! Nothing but hypocrisy!
Heads up: Dave Rutherford to testify in front of the committee at 9:30 am mtn. Apparently not being televised but you can catch it online at the CPAC website.
