Reboot Alberta

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Will Bernier to Get the Boot in a Cabinet Shuffle?

The Hill Times is running a front page story this week speculating that Maxime Bernier will be shuffled and demoted due to his poor judgment concerning his biker girlfriend. I suggested in an earlier post that it was time for a Cabinet shuffle. Looks like Harper is considering it at least.

Sources tell me Bernier actually noted in certain documents calling his former biker girlfriend his “spouse” so she could travel internationally with him on the taxpayer’s dime. A classy guy – all the way.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:09 pm

    You should be ashamed of yourself. Bernier's girlfriend has never been convicted of any offence. People make mistakes in the past. Sorry, not everyone can be as perfect as you. She has turned her life around and you are disgusting calling her a "biker girlfriend". Do you not have any decency? Partisanship should only go so far.

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  2. Anon @ 6:09 - spare me the histrionics. She is not the issue except for her significant past affiliations with criminal elements that are connected with international drug crimes. That is a part of her past that ought have relevance and be of concern to our Minister of Foreign Affairs...don't ya think?

    My point in this post is all about how Bernier handled the situation, from beginning to end. This is about his personal judgment and if he was reckless with our national security. We need to know more about how he conducted himself in his Cabinet position around this affair.

    It is clear that Cabinet Ministers should not be exempt from serious levels of security clearances. The senior Government of Canada administration must be cleared. Surely the temporary help of the Harper minority government needs more serious security scrutiny too.

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  3. Anonymous8:14 pm

    Ken, your Republican-like smear attempt is one of the main reasons that highly respected and hardworking Canadians choose not to run for politics.

    How was this "reckless for national security"? Where is your evidence of this? Of course, as always, you do not have any. You make ridicolous accusations that will subsequently proven wrong (read Cadman story where the RMCP found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing). It is a shame that Liberals will do and say anything to tarnish someone's reputation. They of course normally don't do anything outside of the House because it is by definition defamation.

    Let's talk about Bernier's policies rather than do the drive-by-smear. Canadians are sick of that type of politics but Liberals do not seem to be learning.

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  4. Spare me the lecture ANONYMOUS. The Harper Cons have been doing personal attacks on political opponents for years...including many of their own...past and present, Day, Manning, Casey, Turner, Stronach to name a few.

    It is not the exposure of bad judgment by politicians that deters good people to run for office. It is the tendency for leaders so sweep it under the carpet that dissuades quality folks from politics. Who want to be tarred with that brush by association?

    Thank God the Cadman scandel is not criminal. Imagine what that would do to voter confidence in all of our politicians and political institutions. That does not mean that offering a dying man a life insurance policy in exchange for his political support is right. The fact that your guys did not break the CRIMINAL LAW hardly means the issue of how your party handled this matter is over ...not by a long shot when it comes how you are being judged in the minds of Canadians.

    Just tell me this. When the PMO will get around to finally setting up the inquiry he promised on the Mulroney/Schreiber Affair. The public is watching and waiting and judging!!!

    As for Bernier's policies - he has none. The foreign policy is all dictated by the PMO. You must know that. The only non-scripted thing Bernier has said was about suggesting the firing of an Afghan governor AND that was none of his business AND caused international embarassment for Canada...more bad judgment by your boy I am afraid.

    As for evidence of a threat to national security, it is not my job as a citizen to prove that such a threat exits. It is the Harper government's job to prove to me as a citizen that my safety and security has not been compromised by this Minister's reckless actions. When will we have that set fo facts proven to Canadians?

    You can't delegate political accountability to citizens and expect them to continue to allow you to govern. Get serious about the real job of governing the country and quit this constant conniving for power if you want to stay in office past the next election.

    You guys can sure hand it out but you sure can't take it. Nobody who is informed and engaged in politics in Canada today is taking the CPC seriously, except as something to worry about.

    You guys are suffering from some kind of self-absorbed exceptionalism but are out of ideas and energy. Your cabal is now feeding aggressively at the public trough that you said would not happen as you promised to "clean up" government.

    Looks more like your guys are cleaning up IN government as you sense your time is just about up. Flaherty's overt breaking of the rules in a non-tendered speechwriting contract is but one recent example.

    Call your own election if you are so confident in your support from the Canadian voter. The Governor General is at Rideau Hall most days and I am sure she would accommodate a visit from the Prime Minister to accept his resignation and trigger an election.

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