Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Thank you, Glen Pearson


Finally a Liberal with some common sense on the Helena Guergis issue. Liberal MP for London North Center, Glen Pearson wants to put a stop to the Helena pile on. To that I say Amen! I think enough is enough now.

Is it just me, or does this whole Helena Guergis saga seem increasingly macabre? Every week seems to bring out some new sordid revelation that turns this narrative into some kind of neverending story. I’ve grown increasingly disturbed at what appears to be a pack mentality swirling around the junior cabinet minister. It’s almost as if we’ve reached the point where we can no longer avert our gaze, as most civilized people would normally do.
In any story like this, things take a clear turn for the worse when we go from hearing of someone’s troubles to actually pursuing more discoveries in hopes that the person in question goes through even further shame.
I’ll be honest here and state that I believe it’s time we backed off from the Helena Guergis story – not because of what we’re discovering about her but about what we’ve seen in ourselves. Citizens, media, political parties (including her own) – we’ve all pursued her calamities to such a degree that we now seem kind of ghoulish. I’m reminds of Albert Einstein’s sage observation: “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”

In the mean time his caucus colleague Marlene Jennings is keeping on with the pile on. She want the Ethics Commissioner to investigate the financing of a mortgage on a home that Helena has purchased. This is just getting ridiculous!


The Liberals have asked the federal ethics commissioner to review the financing of an $880,000 Ottawa home purchased by Status of Women Minister Helena Guergis.
Montreal MP Marlene Jennings wrote to Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson on Monday afternoon to ask that she look into the terms of the mortgage on the four-bedroom home on Rock Avenue in Lindenlea

Ms. Jennings and Mr. Pearson seem not to be on the same page. Mr. Pearson should have a little chat with Jennings and Doorknob Wayne Easter too for that matter to tell to back off and leave Helena alone now.
The media too should pay attention to this common sense Liberal and stop as well. There are more important stories to cover, like what are we going to do next in Afghanistan for instance or we have a looming crisis coming in healthcare, we need to be talking about that too. Gee, how can you make the Conservatives look bad talking about issues like that? Hmmm.............!

Come on Jennings, Easter and MSM how about acting like adults for a change and focus on adult issues and stop playing these juvenile junior high games? Listen to Mr. Pearson, he makes sense!

Thank you Mr. Pearson for bringing some sanity to this saga!

Update:
Dave Rutherford has a good rant on this here. A must listen. Goes after the Liberals and the MSM on the Guergis mortgage thing. Takes phone calls after rant. Go to the around April7, 9:35 am mark.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Who Will Be the Next Governor General?



 The current Governor General Michealle Jean's term is ending in a few months and the speculation is PM Harper is on the hunt to appoint a new GG.  Michealle Jean has done an admirable job during her tenure and  I for one will be sorry to see her leave.  She would make a great ambassador to Haiti. Hopefully PM Harper will appoint her to post like that.  

The next GG will have a hard act to follow.
The buzz around now is who will replace Michealle Jean?  There have been a few names bandied about such as

  1. Rick Hansen
  2. Inuit leader Mary Simon
  3. Preston Manning
  4. Wayne Gretzky
  5. retired General John de Chastelain

I like Rick Hansen, Preston Manning, and Wayne Gretzky. I think they have all represented Canada very well well in their particular capacities and would do a great job at Rideau Hall.. I don't really know the other two names, Mary Simon or General John de Chastelain so it's hard for me to comment on them.

But my first choice I think  would be retired Major General Lewis Mackenzie. He's had a distinquished career in the military, has been a great spokesman for the forces and Canada, and is a man of strong principals and of high integrity, a man of common sense.  General Mackenzie, knows the forces inside out and is well respected by all in the armed forces  and would make a great commander in chief.  He's also well liked and respected by general public as well.  So I hope the PMO is considering him too.

So that's my choice, what say you?

Monday, April 5, 2010

Deeply Troubling and Gravely Disturbing




That's what the Prime Minister's office is calling the pardon of ex-hockey coach Graham James and are demanding answers. James was convicted of sexually abusing young players when he was coaching junior hockey. Sheldon Kennedy former NHL star was abused by this creep. The latest accusation from another former NHL'er has come from Theoren Fleury which is being currently being investigated by the Winnipeg Police.

Graham James, the junior coach convicted of sexually abusing his players in a case that rocked the hockey world from house leagues to the NHL, has been pardoned by the National Parole Board, The Canadian Press has learned.

Though the pardon was granted three years ago, it comes to light only now as a result of a previously unknown accuser contacting Winnipeg police.
The Prime Minister's Office, notified of the pardon by The Canadian Press, called it a “deeply troubling and gravely disturbing” development that demands an explanation from the parole board.
Mr. James, now 58, pleaded guilty to sexual assault after two of his former teenaged players, including ex-NHL player Sheldon Kennedy, came forward with their stories of abuse at his hands from 1984 to 1995. In 1997, Mr. James was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
His whereabouts is unknown.

The latest accuser, who says his encounter with Mr. James preceded Mr. Kennedy's by four years, is deciding whether to follow former NHL star Theoren Fleury in lodging a formal complaint with police.
Mr. Fleury's lawyer, Hersh Wolch, said Sunday that he had not heard about the pardon.
Winnipeg police have confirmed they're investigating Mr. Fleury's allegations, and Mr. Wolch said his client won't speak before that process is complete. “We're in the hands of the police right now and we should just wait for them.” Globe and Mail

I echo the same sentiments as the PMO in this case. IMHO, James should not have been pardoned especially when there are more allegations that have come forth.
I would like to know, has James been rehabilitated? Because in most cases rehabilitation of sex offenders does not work and they most often re-offend. Is he anywhere where he has access to young boys?

Eligibility for pardon should be extremely rare for these type of offenders. I wish the best for Sheldon Kennedy, Theoren Fleury and all those others he has abused over the years. I pray that the scars he has left these young men with, will be completely healed over time.

Lastly, how to those clowns at the Parole Board sleep at night when they pardon or parole creeps like James? Fire them all!

Sunday, April 4, 2010