Monday, February 14, 2011

Bev Oda Should Not Resign

This is not a shocking story:

OTTAWA — International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda admitted Monday that she is not responsible for modifying a memo that had originally recommended funding for an aid group.

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posted by calgarygrit at 11:48 p.m.

17 Comments:

  • For all her waffling, it was her job to approve or disaprove of the funding. She disagrees with the funding and I agree with that decision. This group look to be shills and I don't want them to get my taxpayers money.

    By Blogger ridenrain, at 1:21 a.m.  

  • ridofbrain...on the wrong side of history again.

    By Blogger double nickel, at 8:47 a.m.  

  • Even if you want a group not to get funding, you'd hope a minister would have a better process than handwriting the word "NOT" in an official document.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:01 a.m.  

  • ridenrain - I don't think the issue here is so much the funding. It's that Oda doctored a document they'd already signed.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 9:09 a.m.  

  • The plus side is all the free publicity for Kairos, who will probably also have their funding restored.

    Given that they're more of a partisan political group than they are a charity, this is probably the only way they could keep getting taxpayer dollars.

    As for Bev Oda, it was only a matter of time before she got burned. I'm surprised she lasted this long.

    By Blogger Robert Vollman, at 9:30 a.m.  

  • @Robert - I am also surprised about Oda lasting this long. When someone takes the trouble to make a song about you as far back as 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjeoc2sDf1k), it's not usually a sign of longevity.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:35 a.m.  

  • '..you'd hope a minister would have a better process than handwriting the word "NOT" in an official document...'

    Yes, and the docs do not have a place for the Minister to reject the project, this was discussed months ago, and brought to committee attention by one of those who did sign the document.

    In the absence of a rejection line, the 2 that did sign should have initialed the 'not' in accepting that Minister Oda rejected the funding.

    By Blogger wilson, at 9:41 a.m.  

  • You know what else should have happened wilson? Oda should have simply been honest with people in the first place.

    But she wasn't. Hence the headlines.

    By Blogger Gayle, at 10:04 a.m.  

  • Great point Gayle.

    Whenever people ask me why I'm so tough on the Tories for lying when everyone does it, I tell them it's because they're the only ones going around saying that they're "not" liars.

    By Blogger Robert Vollman, at 10:07 a.m.  

  • Instead of signing the document, modifying it, failing to get all other signatories to initial the handwritten change, lying to Parliament, getting caught then finally admitting she doctored the document and thinking that a simple apology would suffice, wouldn't if have been simpler to just not sign the original document? But, alas, we're talking about one of many smug, arrogant, anti-democratic, entitled Harper cabinet ministers. Don't do as I do. Do as I say.

    What will never be confirmed is the probable course this took through Oda, her department, cabinet and the PMO. It probably went like this:
    Department reviews request.
    Department determines that said request is valid.
    Department recommends funding in writing.
    Oda's staff review funding request and forwards it to minister;
    Oda signs it.
    Request gets reviewed by cabinet but Kenney is away slandering KAIROS in Israel and Harper is away lecturing other countries on how to run their affairs of state and how great democracy is while ignoring Parliament and virtually every democratic institution here at home.
    Harper and Kenney return from their missions, er, ah, I mean holiday, er, ah, I mean ^ (insert not) important government business.
    They review the KAIROS proposal.
    They don't like it as it doesn't fit in to their world view and a desire to fulfill scripture regarding the Apocalypse and the Rapture.
    Harper tells Oda to find a way out.
    Oda reaches for the first crayon she finds - conveniently it's in her purse.
    Oda edits the signed document. Not knowing even the tiniest little bit about fraud or the law, she smiles believing that she's successfully reversed her fortunes in the eyes of Dear Leader™ Stevie.

    By Blogger CuJoYYC, at 11:21 a.m.  

  • Gayle's right on this... it's dishonest.

    Anyone handing Wilson a legal document he'd already okayed and signed with a signature and a handwritten "not" would be met with scorn and derision.

    Of course, Wilson's only priority is to cheerlead for the Tories, so dishonesty's par for his course in a case like this....

    the docs do not have a place for the Minister to reject the project

    Weak, Wilson... she had other options than hand-altering a signed document.

    Sure, KAIROS may not deserve funding, we may be better off funding someone else. Doesn't excuse a flub like this (which Wilson would cry a river of outrage over if one of Duceppe's or Layton's guys had done it).

    By Anonymous Jacques Beau Verte, at 11:43 a.m.  

  • Whenever people ask me why I'm so tough on the Tories for lying when everyone does it, I tell them it's because they're the only ones going around saying that they're "not" liars.

    I wish more were like you Mr Vollman, and a lot less 'wilsons' around.

    Believe me, I get it when people would choose getting a root canal without anesthesia over voting Liberal. What I don't get are automaton cheerleaders and apologists like wilson and ridenrain ...count on them to find nothing to fault here.

    Conservative supports out there, why don't you try demanding better of your MPs and the government; rather than spinning and apologizing after they've clearly done wrong?

    By Blogger Tof KW, at 1:09 p.m.  

  • It's spin, that's why.
    It's just another communion wafer in a tooth paste tube. It's just fodder for partisan media hacks to audition for Liberal appointments.
    Despite what the CBC says, I doubt Canadians care and are pleased that their taxpayers money has been saved.

    By Blogger ridenrain, at 3:27 p.m.  

  • It's not the original decision, which is defensible. It's always the cover-up that gets you in trouble, as Nixon discovered.

    By Blogger Möbius, at 8:04 p.m.  

  • ridofbrain...I'd rather my tax dollars be saved on cutting the budget of the PMO and dumping the $18+ billion the not yet designed jets will cost us.

    By Blogger double nickel, at 8:14 p.m.  

  • Cutting the budget of the PMO would save nothing like a billion dollars. And even if you don't buy F35's, you need to buy something. Net improvement approximately = $0, unless the Libs don't plan to replace the CF-18s.

    By Blogger Möbius, at 8:25 p.m.  

  • ridenrain said...
    It's spin, that's why.

    No ridofbrain, as I told you on other threads its called fraud and lying to Parliament. Are you really this dense?

    By Blogger Tof KW, at 2:48 p.m.  

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