When
the Liberals should be pit bulls, they are wimps.
the Liberals should be pit bulls, they are wimps.
After Tory
members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) refused to show up for a meeting, last week, to discuss the Humber Valley Paving (HVP) affair, Liberal MHA Jim Bennett told
the Telegram “the whole thing seems fishy to him…”
members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) refused to show up for a meeting, last week, to discuss the Humber Valley Paving (HVP) affair, Liberal MHA Jim Bennett told
the Telegram “the whole thing seems fishy to him…”
Some
condemnation!
condemnation!
And Bennett
wasn’t even in the legislature where the Speaker might have ruled any provocation out of order.
wasn’t even in the legislature where the Speaker might have ruled any provocation out of order.
A good
Opposition MHA would have whipped out his thesaurus of insults,
insinuations, epithets and allegations. The public would know, in the
colourful language of the best parliamentarians, that the guttersnipes heading
the government are weak of character as well as at the knees.
Opposition MHA would have whipped out his thesaurus of insults,
insinuations, epithets and allegations. The public would know, in the
colourful language of the best parliamentarians, that the guttersnipes heading
the government are weak of character as well as at the knees.
Benjamin
Disraeli was said to have been forced to withdraw, by the commons speaker, a
remark declaring that half of the cabinet were “asses” – whereon he offered
this riposte:
Disraeli was said to have been forced to withdraw, by the commons speaker, a
remark declaring that half of the cabinet were “asses” – whereon he offered
this riposte:
“Mr
Speaker, I withdraw; half the cabinet are not asses.”
Speaker, I withdraw; half the cabinet are not asses.”
Winston Churchill used the phrase
“terminological inexactitude” to get around the rule preventing him
from accusing another member of lying.
“terminological inexactitude” to get around the rule preventing him
from accusing another member of lying.
The great ones understood that sometimes the
delivery of an ordinary message demands an extra-ordinary missile.
delivery of an ordinary message demands an extra-ordinary missile.
Bennett, I
am sure, has no pretension to climbing the oratorical heights of Churchill or
Disraeli. And he shouldn’t.
am sure, has no pretension to climbing the oratorical heights of Churchill or
Disraeli. And he shouldn’t.
Like Dwight Ball and his shy platoon, he
is content to be an undertaker for a government moribund.
is content to be an undertaker for a government moribund.
But the undertaker, not the corpse, is the one expected to exhibit signs of life, for gosh sake!
Had Bennett called
the Tory PAC Members cowards, quislings, and schemers, at least he would have only
been stating what the public already knows.
the Tory PAC Members cowards, quislings, and schemers, at least he would have only
been stating what the public already knows.
Bennett got
noticed having lucked in with a couple of slow news days..
noticed having lucked in with a couple of slow news days..
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Related to this story:
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Former Tory
MHA, John Carter used to maintain a special book containing a plethora of perfect
words just in case such an opportunity, like Ray Hunter presented, arose.
MHA, John Carter used to maintain a special book containing a plethora of perfect
words just in case such an opportunity, like Ray Hunter presented, arose.
Words like poltroons,
buffoon, craven, and yellow-belly would have been uttered with mere reflex.
buffoon, craven, and yellow-belly would have been uttered with mere reflex.
Carter is
long gone from the Legislature. But inside or outside the House there is not a
single MHA who can match even that denizen of the Tory backbench.
Carter would never let Liberal MHAs forget their reputation for nepotism and cronyism; one they earned
under Smallwood.
long gone from the Legislature. But inside or outside the House there is not a
single MHA who can match even that denizen of the Tory backbench.
Carter would never let Liberal MHAs forget their reputation for nepotism and cronyism; one they earned
under Smallwood.
Now the shoe
is on the other foot; except Bennett would have you think the PAC Meeting is a
church social, not an inquiry into possible corruption, on a multi-million
dollar scale.
is on the other foot; except Bennett would have you think the PAC Meeting is a
church social, not an inquiry into possible corruption, on a multi-million
dollar scale.
Former
Minister Nick McGrath’s decision cost the public millions. It left a large number of HVP sub-contractors high
and dry.
Minister Nick McGrath’s decision cost the public millions. It left a large number of HVP sub-contractors high
and dry.
In the world
of opposition parties, abuse of power and cronyism justifies a specially
selected lexicon; none of those words would include benign.
of opposition parties, abuse of power and cronyism justifies a specially
selected lexicon; none of those words would include benign.
“They would prefer, I think, to keep a cloak of secrecy on it,
and take the political fallout of not looking under that rock, so to speak” added Bennett.
and take the political fallout of not looking under that rock, so to speak” added Bennett.
Yawn! Yawn!
Lucky for Bennett he wasn’t speaking with a St. Barbe fisherman who would have had him
understand equivocation with a good smack from a rotten sculpin.
understand equivocation with a good smack from a rotten sculpin.
There is
nothing “fishy” about what the Tories are up to. It stinks. What is there to equivocate
about?
nothing “fishy” about what the Tories are up to. It stinks. What is there to equivocate
about?
And you can
bet your booties the decision to rob the PAC of a quorum was not made by Ray
Hunter or any of the Tories on the Committee, either. The Constable Premier can talk chapter and
verse about the law regarding driving and talking on your cell phone. But with
an election looming itty bitty issues, like government corruption, are not on
his police radar.
bet your booties the decision to rob the PAC of a quorum was not made by Ray
Hunter or any of the Tories on the Committee, either. The Constable Premier can talk chapter and
verse about the law regarding driving and talking on your cell phone. But with
an election looming itty bitty issues, like government corruption, are not on
his police radar.
Now, John
Carter would have called the tory PAC members scurrilous, shameful, arrogant,
and unscrupulous. He would have made sure they paid dearly for their truancy.
Carter would have called the tory PAC members scurrilous, shameful, arrogant,
and unscrupulous. He would have made sure they paid dearly for their truancy.
Perhaps, the
strangest part about Bennett’s tepid comments is that they still elicited the
ire of Ray Hunter and the Premier, anyway.
strangest part about Bennett’s tepid comments is that they still elicited the
ire of Ray Hunter and the Premier, anyway.
“I don’t
know where Mr. Bennett is coming from with this bullshit he gets on with” the
Telegram quoted the Member. “You might
get one (Tory MHA) to say, ‘Yes I can,’ and then the next day, call you and
say, ‘Uncle Joe just died, I’ve got a funeral.’ Or, ‘No b’y, I just got an
invitation to a garden party, and there’s going to be 300 people there.’”
know where Mr. Bennett is coming from with this bullshit he gets on with” the
Telegram quoted the Member. “You might
get one (Tory MHA) to say, ‘Yes I can,’ and then the next day, call you and
say, ‘Uncle Joe just died, I’ve got a funeral.’ Or, ‘No b’y, I just got an
invitation to a garden party, and there’s going to be 300 people there.’”
We actually
elect people who say these things!
elect people who say these things!
And how does
the ‘cop from flop’ react to Jim Bennett’s limp explosion?
the ‘cop from flop’ react to Jim Bennett’s limp explosion?
“A low blow”
…“disgusting”, roared Davis; invoking Hunter’s health condition, which even Ray
Hunter didn’t do.
…“disgusting”, roared Davis; invoking Hunter’s health condition, which even Ray
Hunter didn’t do.
The invective
must have sent McLeod seeking the safety of his Twitter feed.
must have sent McLeod seeking the safety of his Twitter feed.
John
Carter probably would have taunted the Premier as an insolent and impertinent blatherskite for the effort.
Carter probably would have taunted the Premier as an insolent and impertinent blatherskite for the effort.
He would
have looked as silly as the Telegram reportage made him sound.
have looked as silly as the Telegram reportage made him sound.
Carter’s book may be old now, but it’s not out of date. My guess
is that he is so poisoned with the Tories he’s be happy to give Jim Bennett his
coveted book.
is that he is so poisoned with the Tories he’s be happy to give Jim Bennett his
coveted book.
Except it would be wasted on someone so wimpy.
50$ oil is exposing the bunch of idiots who have run this province for the past 10 years. You can hide incompetence with largesse. However, incompetence is quickly exposed when accountability is required.
PCs under DW have always had thin skin and rabbit ears, Jim Bennett must have hit a nerve to get the responses he did out of considering how tame his words were. PCs want a private meeting before the PAC (so they can get their stories all straight) and I immediately thought of this Dilbert comic strip http://dilbert.com/strip/1996-07-05 . Davis brought up health as a reason Hunter couldn't attend, did he run this by Hunter because the original Tele article didn't include it?
Ray "sookie" Hunter threatened the PCs would all resign from the PAC if Jim Bennett kept up his barrage of pea-shooter level salvos, moving the PAC meetings to January or February. Sounds to me like taking the ball and going home, learned behavior from DW.
Want to get re-elected but won't fight – mixed messages are being sent here.