Some of them may be bitching and complaining. Others might be cursing the Prime Minister under their breath but at least they are still in the ministry. They might as well count themselves lucky.
Think back to how former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien used to "settle" the question of under-performing ministers. Wasn't very pretty and it cut like a knife. That's what I liked about Chrétien -- the guy always had the guts to do his own slicing...just imagine how many of Harper's ministers would be long gone if Jean was still at the helm. (Here's a hint: it takes at least two hands!)
However, does that mean that these particular ministers deserved their lot. I'm not so sure. I thought Peter Van Loan was doing a reasonable job at Public Safety. I had no complaints about how Diane Ablonczy was running her shop. In fact, someone should pass the Conservatives a good dictionary so they can get a better idea of what "ministerial discretion" really entails. Diane has always been top drawer in my book. Too bad pandering to the base comes before that consideration.
And then there's Lisa Raitt, minister of repeated mistakes. Perhaps her move to Labour is justified but I do want to say something in her defence. I was none too pleased when she was "persuaded" to go before the cameras and speak of her family tragedy. IMHO, that was about as low as the PMO could get. No wonder she spent all that time crying in her office.
Finally, yours truly is left after each shuffle with the same unanswered question. When is James Rajotte finally going to make it in? I don't care if the cabinet is already chock full of Albertans. Rajotte has earned his place at the table.
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Ronald,
ReplyDeleteWhat did Raitt do that deserved the attack from the opposition?
1) Not fix the liberal boondoggle via Chalk River/Maple reactors
2) Get her aides to pick up the tape left in the bathroom
3) Get her aides to not leave files in the CTV media room
4) Having her private conversations on tape played out by the media and opposition MP for a few weeks
Let's separate the big vs small issues.
Auditor General Sheila Fraser (Chalk Maple boondoggle)nearly one billion and no replacement for Chalk.
CPC reviewed and realized Maple Reactors were never going to be functioning and have tried to extend Chalk River facility (Past due date 2000)
CPC spent millions patching up Chalk before realizing we need to get out of the business supplying Americans with Isotopes at taxpayers expense. (This is a money loser)
Why do you think the company that had the deal from Maple walked away with a deal to get the supply from the government? (It is not cost effective to produce them)
Lisa was critical of another minister in a private conversation and was eager to demostrate her capacity to fix the problem and move up in the ranks of this party.
In my books that is a good thing.
How did the opposition/media treat this "issue"?
Instead of dealing with the reality of the problems with the Isotope-nuclear industry in Canada failing to deliver after Billions of funding, they reduced it to a "sexy" issue and holding her responsible for death and pain of victims with cancer.
Another low point from our media and opposition MP's.
CanadianSense,
ReplyDeleteNo one won any gold stars surrounding Chalk River.
Like you, I have no problem with a colleague criticizing Sexy Minister. What bothers me is the venue: you don't dump on a fellow minister in private conversations; theoretically speaking, you don't rat out a fellow minister to the PMO. What you do do is call them out around the cabinet table. That is where the legitimate give and take among ministers can best be used to evaluate and improve an individual minister's performance, or alleged lack there of. With right of reply, rebuttal and critique of the other minister as well.
Credibly shoveling of shit should go in both directions!
CanadianSense,
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of taking on a prime minister in caucus. But I do think that is indeed appropriate, occasionally, around the cabinet table.
In our system, fellow ministers are equal to the first minister.