On our newest Senator.
According to the terms of the draft Accountability Act, civil servants/government employees would have to wait 5 years after leaving government service before they could lobby.
Ironically, if you're Stephen Harper's campaign co-chair (you spell that B-A-G-M-A-N), you can be appointed to a a major spending portfolio (13 billion in contracts to give out, if memory serves) within days of an election.
You can be appointed to the Senate as well. Where you won't have to face opposition questioning. Where Question Period is not something you have to prepare for. Where you don't have to answer questions about just what and who is getting all that money.
You can hold that Senate seat and not be accountable to anyone.
You are untouchable.
You cannot be forced out.
And this promotes accountability and ethics?
This is the new ethical government?
This is the party that wants to clean up Ottawa?
Your party's bagmen and bagwomen and bagtransgendered types do not have to worry about conflicts of interest, or undue influence, or even the piddling idea of being elected. They're not the bad guys.
It's the civil service that's the enemy.
It's the civil service you have to watch.
It's the civil service that has to put their careers on hold for five years.
Not you.
Not yours.
No matter how many promises you have to break.
Welcome to Stephen Harper's Ottawa.
(Ironically, at least Jean Chretien waited for his Public Work ministers to get caught doing something wrong before trying to make them untouchable. Harper is preemptively making his bagman untouchable. Gives me that sinking feeling to know Harper just out Jeaned Jean on his first day of office.)
Ironically, if you're Stephen Harper's campaign co-chair (you spell that B-A-G-M-A-N), you can be appointed to a a major spending portfolio (13 billion in contracts to give out, if memory serves) within days of an election.
You can be appointed to the Senate as well. Where you won't have to face opposition questioning. Where Question Period is not something you have to prepare for. Where you don't have to answer questions about just what and who is getting all that money.
You can hold that Senate seat and not be accountable to anyone.
You are untouchable.
You cannot be forced out.
And this promotes accountability and ethics?
This is the new ethical government?
This is the party that wants to clean up Ottawa?
Your party's bagmen and bagwomen and bagtransgendered types do not have to worry about conflicts of interest, or undue influence, or even the piddling idea of being elected. They're not the bad guys.
It's the civil service that's the enemy.
It's the civil service you have to watch.
It's the civil service that has to put their careers on hold for five years.
Not you.
Not yours.
No matter how many promises you have to break.
Welcome to Stephen Harper's Ottawa.
(Ironically, at least Jean Chretien waited for his Public Work ministers to get caught doing something wrong before trying to make them untouchable. Harper is preemptively making his bagman untouchable. Gives me that sinking feeling to know Harper just out Jeaned Jean on his first day of office.)