Wednesday, December 11, 2013

"Black shroud of secrecy" Walk of Shame











Yesterday, led by Harper's Parliamentary Secretary Paul Calandra, all seven Con MPs on the Ethics Committee voted to go in camera so the Canadian public wouldn't see them vote against conducting an investigation into what happened to those disappearing/reappearing emails of former PMO legal advisor Ben Perrin in the Senate scandal. 

This is the Ethics Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the Con members didn't want to be seen publicly covering up for the PMO.
With a majority on committee, their motion to hide out in what committee chair Pat Martin called "the black shroud of secrecy" passed 7-4. 

Chair Pat Martin : 
"I am struggling to see what possible justification, Mr. Calandra, you could have for asking this particular item of business to be moved in camera. The in-camera rule, as I understand it, is that it's to be used in cases of national security, invasion of privacy, commercial interests. It's not supposed to be the default position to save embarrassment to the government. 
[The public] have a right to know what their legislators are doing, and they have a right to know how their legislators are voting."
 Shame on all of those Cons above. 
A second black shroud of secrecy was revealed today by anonymous Hill whistleblower, Nanker Phelge - a lifetime Conflict of Interest, Loyalty, and Confidentiality Agreement gagging government staffers from ever disclosing what goes on in their ministry, even though their MPs are not similarly gagged.

 Staffers must sign it in order to receive pay increases. At least one has refused so far : 
Self-muzzled Con MPs on the Ethics Committee at top, take note : This is what integrity looks like.

 Perhaps we should drop them all a line reminding them about that :

 paul.calandra@parl.gc.ca    jacques.gourde@parl.gc.ca   colin.mayes@parl.gc.ca    
earl.dreeshen@parl.gc.ca   John.Carmichael@parl.gc.ca   pat.davidson@parl.gc.ca
tilly.oneillgordon@parl.gc.ca
at

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous11/12/13 12:37 pm

    I love how the CONtempts make a shambles of committees and then complain about it.

    Why did Pat Martin say the motion to move in camera is non-debatable? Who is that guy on his left telling him what to do?

    ReplyDelete
  2. the salamander11/12/13 12:38 pm

    .. Paul Calandra.. the lead jackal of that pack
    But this is The Harper Government you know..
    and when did courage or honesty thrive there..
    Never did .. never will

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alison11/12/13 12:47 pm

    Anon : Coz that's the rules - a motion from anyone to go in camera must be voted on immediately without debate. Pat Martin stretching things a bit by commenting on it first.

    The guy on his left is a clerk whose job it is to advise on rules and procedures, to record votes, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  4. kootcoot11/12/13 5:18 pm

    "Nanker Phelge"

    For the younger readers, Nanker Phelge was the name Jagger and Richards used to write songs under, back in the early days, when Brian was still a breathing Stone...........

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous11/12/13 10:47 pm

    Hey has Paul Calandra figured out which of the many versions of his childhood he has told us about is the best one yet? I like the one about his family selling beans at the side of the road. They must have been really good at it. By the time his sisters were suing him in court for ripping off his mum, the estate was worth $5 million.

    ReplyDelete
  6. thwap13/12/13 6:58 pm

    That's my boy John Carmichael up there!

    He's an idiot.

    ReplyDelete