Note: I took some heat from writing this editorial, the prevailing view being that Guergis got what she deserved. Maybe so. But what I was trying to say is - 'What happened to Cabinet Ministers only losing their jobs when involved in cooking contracts for friends and relatives and failing to disclose their personal interests when Government Financial Decisions are taken? I still do not see tandrums or a letter writing campaign rating the same level of concern! Poor judgment yes - a firing offence - you decide. G
...If I Knew Her.
But I Don't.
What I do believe is that she is being unfairly treated.
All the editorials of late, class Ms. Guergis as being totally unfit to be a Cabinet Minister and they are are critical of Harper for taking so long to boot her from Office.
I think it is all over-reaction and I am sticking my head out here somewhat because - like you, I do not know what the latest scandal is that forced Harper's hand and had him call in the Police.
I suspect it will amount to not too much - as in the case of all of the known complaints to date.
Let's review a few - beginning with the most grievous - that is to say - of the known ones - the PEI episode.
Guergis lost it when an airport security official asked her to remove her boots for scanning just prior to boarding her flight back to Ottawa. Having lived in PEI for 5 years I can tell you that anyone worth knowing is known by everyone in PEI. Hence that security official certainly knew he or she was dealing with a Minister of the Crown. Why would that person ask a Cabinet Minister to remove their boots? Who was more stupid - the Security Personnel for asking her to take off her boots or Guergis for losing it?
I suspect the official was a Liberal just trying to play one-up-man-ship on a high ranking Tory. But whether that was the case or not - it was in my opinion a dumb thing to ask of Ms. Guergis.
Plus, as you know from previous Blogs - I believe it is a dumb thing to ask of any traveller unless there is good reason - i.e. profiling and or security intelligence to back-up the request.
Indeed I suggested that I look forward to the day when the common traveller starts to balk at these inane requests. I didn't though expect it to start with a Cabinet Minister given that such action is unlikely to advance their career.
Complaint two was related to staffers writing to local media as if they were constituents and not her personal staffers. Wrong? Yes. Big Deal? Not really. Just another Dumb Move but hardly the stuff to get fired over. Suspend the Staffers involved for a period of time and you can bet that they will not be so slap happy with their pens in the future.
Now to the real stuff - her husband - former Tory MP - Rahim Jaffer.
Guilt by association but she is married to the guy.
Anyway - Jaffer's grand faux pas was to boast that as a former MP and as a husband of a Cabinet Minister he had ins with the Prime Minister's Office. Truth is, he probably did. But the over-riding truth is that anyone who is (or thinks) he or she is anyone in Ottawa makes the same claim on a regular basis. If Jaffer is guilty of that - half of Ottawa would be in the Docket with him.
And, oh yeah - he had a government issued blackberry. Just imagine. If I was Chief of Staff to a Minister, and I was once, I would see nothing wrong with the Minister's spouse being able to communicate quickly with their husband or wife. Indeed, in the crazy world of Politics it is ever more essential that families of politicians be able to do so at the public's expense.
So what does Harper know that we don't know? If it follows along with the minutia to date, it won't amount too much.
I truly hope that it is something worth while, to have brought the cops in, but I despair that it is not given the track record.
To date, Guergis has been given a bum rap. She is now history, but the bigger story here is what is does to prospective politicians out there watching all of this.
Sadly, they will likely conclude that they do not need any of this.
As I see it...
"Galagher"
