Ok I'll Bite

So, what are the Conservatives saying, that Denis Lebel has no chance of ever becoming leader of the Conservatives because of his separatist past? How about Maxime Bernier? Does that reasoning apply to him as well?

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Mr. Sinister's Public Service

As a public service to my three readers, I am going to provide the script that Peter Van Loan will (I suspect) be using this fall every time someone asks a question about the Bernier Affair:

Mr. Speaker, the Foreign Affairs Department has thoroughly investigated this matter and its conclusions have placed the greater responsibility for this incident on another person. Mr. Speaker, the government, unlike the Liberals, has nothing to hide and that's why we on this side, are always found innocent whenever there is an investigation into our behavior. The government now considers the matter closed and if the official opposition insists on wasting the time and resources of this parliament trying to pursue this matter further, we will conclude they have nothing else to offer the Canadian people and will go to the Governor General to dissolve this House.

There, now you don't have to watch question period in the fall.

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Bernier Is Still Small Cheese

I know the whole country is seized with Bumbling Bernier, but the bigger story is still NAFTAgate. If what James Travers wrote yesterday is true, this government deliberately leaked a memo to the son of a Republican congressman, with the aim of interfering in the internal politics of a U.S. election. That is way bigger than leaving briefing notes on a ex-girlfriend's coffee table. We are into Watergate territory here. If I was Psycho Steve, I would be looking for a nice country property in France. He would be better off living offshore for a while.

Update: The Sensenbrenner story has hit the Daily Kos. Gee, I wonder if any Democrats read that thing? Harper had better be sure his partner works overtime on behalf of McCain this fall. I suspect Obama will hold a grudge.

Update 2: I guess the Dems have noticed. Question: Why is Harper still in Europe?

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Credibility Gap

It would easier to believe Mr. Harper's denial if he hadn't been so categorical that there was never a "Mad Max" problem in first place. In fact, now that he says that there were no "bugs", I am inclined to believe there were in fact, "bugs".

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When Evasion Becomes Pathology

One of the things that drives me nuts about this government is its reflexive "Fuck you, that's why!" response to any question directed at it. I said yesterday that I think this whole Bernier "issue" was small cheese and I still mean it. The problem is, this government is completely incapable of even pretending to act like a government. The following exchange between Bob Rae (who it shames me to admit, actually comes off looking good) and Peter Van Loan demonstrates the Conservatives approach to crisis management.

Hon. Bob Rae (Toronto Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the government House leader.

After the exchanges yesterday, a number of security experts, including Professor Wark, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, have indicated that there are some legitimate questions that need to be answered with respect to the situation facing the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

If the government House leader would simply respond in the affirmative that the government has every intention of ensuring that there is no security problem or security issue with respect to the situation facing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I am sure that would go a long way to satisfying members of the House that the appropriate steps have been taken.

Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC): Mr. Speaker, this government takes very seriously national security issues. We do not see that asking questions about the private lives of ministers in the fashion that the opposition has fits that bill.

We are surprised that the hon. member for Toronto Centre, after we thought he was too classy to ask these questions, would.

However, we would point out that if that party were at all concerned about national security in a serious way, its members would not have stood in this House on Wednesday asking us to fly back, at taxpayer expense, someone suspected of terrorist links, against the United Nations rules, who happens to be on a no-fly list. That is hardly a party that is concerned about national security.

Van Loan could have stood up and said "Yes Mr. Speaker the government does take security seriously and I want to assure the House that we have taken steps to bring this matter to a close". Such an answer would have probably brought the matter to a close. Instead Van Loan essentially tells Rae to go to Hell. Why? It is a complete mystery to me why, when given an opportunity to end a minor problem, the government chose to toss a verbal grenade instead. Such a response from Mr. Van Loan will add a couple of days to an otherwise one day problem and makes it look like there might be some good reason to suspect them of hiding something.

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Why Are We Talking About Biker Chicks?

The answer is quite simple. We can't talk about the budget, Afghanistan, climate change, immigration, the faltering Ontario economy, or any issue that might lead to an election, because the Liberal Party hasn't got the guts to bring down the Harper government. So, all we are left with is the burning issue of who Maxime Bernier is squiring around Ottawa. Yes, Bernier is an idiot. I get it. But, in the bigger scheme of things, it is small cheese. However, when you have mice running the official opposition, small cheese looks like a big deal.

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