Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Memo To Robert Fife: This Is Why The PM Accepted Bernier's Resignation...

Robert Fife appears to still be having a coniption every 15 minutes on CTV. It seems Booby is having trouble with the fact the PM accepted Maxime Bernier's resignation but not Lisa Raitt's. Now Fife, who's hair color today was quite similar to the seat covers in my dad's '56 Oldsmobile way back when, has even tried to imply that Bernier was let loose because he is a Quebec MP, and Raitt stays because she isn't. Poppycock Bobby. It took me 10 seconds after going to google to figure out how the two cases differed. And so Mr. Fife, I present you with this, which by the way was taken from the CTV website's ccached page. Read and learn:

"In Bernier's resignation letter to the prime minister, he wrote that "the security breach that occurred was my fault and my fault alone and I take full responsibility for my actions."

See that Bobby? It was Bernier himself who misplaced the documents, not a ministerial aide. Although I guess if there was an aide at Couillard's at the same time, that would be a whole new story. And by the way Bob, I noticed you didn't like Raitt's answers in Question Period today. I refer you to this government document, dated 2001, I believe at the time of a Liberal government:

http://www.atirtf-geai.gc.ca/paper-ministerial-e.html#2

" Report 4 - Access to Information Review Task Force
MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY : INTERPRETATIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND INFORMATION ACCESS
Published: August 2001

Pay particular attention to this paragraph Mr. Fife. Being a supposed journalist, you should know it.

"The answerability component of the doctrine requires that each minister answer to Parliament, in the form of explanation or defence, for all the actions of his or her department. Thus, when public servants make an error, the minister is expected to explain to Parliament what went wrong; to promise that the error will be remedied and that measures will be taken to prevent its repetition; and to impose appropriate sanctions within the department on the public servant(s) who committed the error. In practice, this answerability component is generally respected, even though ministers often do not provide answers that are complete and unambiguous."

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess that it would have been somewhat kinky if Bernier brought his staffers with him toJulie's....

paulsstuff said...

That's what I was thinking:0)

Fay said...

I notice that Robert Fife and Jane Taber have the same hair colour. What is up with that?

Anonymous said...

In the Canadian Forces it is automatic that an inquiry must be called to look into the circumstances of lost classified documents. It is appalling that soldiers face an inquiry and cabinet ministers walk. DISGUSTING.

Bec said...

Whoo hoo, Anony! Are you the cut and paste king/queen, or what?

Way to show your intellect and unbiased position.

Anonymous said...

Bec, do you endorse a double standard? Soldiers get punished and tory ministers walk?

paulsstuff said...

"Bec, do you endorse a double standard? Soldiers get punished and tory ministers walk?"

That's apretty mute argument. There are different standards set for all tpes of jobs. What might be cause for dismissal at one employer might be a verbal warning at another.

If you really are in the military you would realize leaked military documents could result in a lef and death situation if the information gets into the wrong hands. Not to mention the fact it would have the highest level of security warning attached to it.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of how you cut it, this is getting ridiculous. After Bernier's screw-up you would think that all ministers would take extraordinary precautions to ensure that all their documents were secured. How many times must the government be held up to liberal ridicule before the lesson sinks in?

Anonymous said...

Gee paulstuff, I am in the military and I think leaking secret documents about nuclear facilities is kinda dangerous. Surely you do too. Although I admire your blind partisanchip. I just can't get my brain to stop working like that.

The documents were deemed secret for a reason. It means the loss of them could be injurious to CAnada.

Anonymous said...

The minister is lucky she is not a soldier or she would be the subject of a Board of Inquiry, RIGHT NOW.

Here's the link for all the doubters:
http://www.admfincs.forces.gc.ca/dao-doa/7000/7002-3-eng.asp

Harper sets a poor example for the troops.

paulsstuff said...

And those "secret" documents could also be seen with an Access to Information Request.

I'm pretty sure the miltary doesn't make available military strategy or operations information thoruogh the same program.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anonymous said...

paulstuff you are wrong. You can't get Access to Information that is deemed secret. Duh. Secret is secret whether it is military, RCMP, income tax or nuclear powerplants.

Your ignorance is shocking. And yet you show no restraint is yakking about stuff you know nothing about. You are now a charter member of the Bloggingtories. Congratulations.

paulsstuff said...

Sorry buddy. Fife himself admitted he could get access through those documents by filing an Access to Information request.

By the way, now that the story has evolved a little more it turns out what was in that binder were talking points.