Monsters, Part 5: Slimy, Serpentine Stephen Harper

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Amanda Murphyao

Hey, I just write the headlines to be eye-catching. The cartoonists did all the real work:

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday, October 24, 2013 Pamela Wallin accuses 2 Senate colleagues of having 'personal vendettas' Sen. Pamela Wallin is accusing two Senate colleagues of having Òpersonal vendettasÓ against her, and says that a motion to suspend her from the upper chamber without pay is Òbaseless and premature.Ó In a measured and forceful speech in the Senate chamber Wednesday afternoon, Wallin accused the government and its leader in the Senate, Claude Carignan, of putting Òthe cart before the horse,Ó in attempting to oust her from the Upper Chamber. Wallin singled out Sen. Marjory LeBreton, former government leader in the Senate, and Sen. Carolyn Stewart Olsen, saying they Òcould not abideÓ that she was outspoken in caucus, sometimes critical of their leadership and being an activist senator who Òonce garnered the praise of the prime minister.Ó ÒIn this chamber, Senator Marjory LeBreton derided me, accusing me of having an inflated view of my role. 'ÒThis narcissism É is the crux of the situation before us,ÕÓ Wallin quoted LeBreton as saying. ÒIn fact, the crux of the situation is not about narcissism Ð not hers or mine or anyone elseÕs Ð the crux of this matter is the lack of due process and a flawed system that allows personal vendettas to be indulged.Ó LeBreton denied that she held a vendetta against Wallin. (Source: CTV News) http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/pamela-wallin-accuses-2-senate-colleagues-of-having-personal-vendettas-1.1509403#ixzz2iaGyW3me

Graeme MacKay, Hamilton Spectator, 24 October 2013

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday, January 31, 2014 CanadaÕs lonely tower on Hamilton Harbour When the Canada Centre for Inland Waters officially opened in May 1972, it was described as the "finest of its kind in North America, maybe in the world," by the federal environment minister at the time. But 40 years later, critics say the sprawling agency on the Beach Strip is a shadow of its former self, a victim of a steady stream of downsizing and changing government priorities. They say it is backtracking on its Great Lakes research mandate and is no longer the steady hand of science it once was to guide the restoration of Hamilton Harbour. The centre was intended to be Canada's flagship headquarters for fresh water management, a 54,000-square-foot complex of six interconnected buildings with more than 520 federal employees (with claims, apparently unrealized, of eventually having 1,000 workers). Now it's estimated there are closer to 350. Environment Canada, the main government department in the facility, won't say how many scientists work at the facility or how many used to work there. Spokesperson Mark Johnson said in a statement the department is focused on "achieving and maintaining a clean, safe, and sustainable environment for Canadians" and the government is spending "significant money each year in direct research to support these goals. Environment Canada's Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW) provides scientific information to support informed decisions about the environment..." The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the other main government department at the CCIW, did not respond to a request for staffing numbers. According to the union that represents scientists in the federal government Ñ the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Ñ there are nearly 25 fewer scientists at the CCIW than in 2010. But Tom Muir, a retired environmental economist who worked at the CCIW for 30 years, says that's only part of the story.

Graeme MacKay, Hamilton Spectator, 31 January 2014

harper

“Stephen Harper et les pipelines… ” Garnotte, Le Devoir, 3 February 2014

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