[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Drakken]

yes, Drakken, I haven't forgotten your monarchist hardon    I guess you had a poster of Elizabeth II instead of Samantha Fox when you were younger

Samantha Fox, and Princess Margaret too.  

[PRC]

First time a sitting Canadian Prime Minister comes under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ethics-commissioner-probing-trudeau-trip-to-aga-khans-private-island/article33631838/

Ethics Commissioner probing Trudeau trip to Aga Khan's private island

Daniel Leblanc
OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail (includes correction)
Published Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 10:19AM EST
Last updated Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 2:25PM EST

The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has launched an examination into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's holidays at the home of the Aga Khan, the billionaire Ismaili Muslim leader who owns a private island in the Bahamas.

In a letter to Conservative MP Blaine Calkins on Jan. 13, Mary Dawson acknowledged the concerns about two potential breaches to federal rules: the fact that the Aga Khan's foundation lobbies the federal government and the use of a private helicopter by Mr. Trudeau to reach his secluded residence.

Ms. Dawson said that Mr. Calkins' request "satisfies the requirements" of the Conflict of Interest Act, which allows MPs to ask the Commissioner to weigh in on potential breaches by other members of the House.

As such, she said she has "commenced an examination ... to determine whether Mr. Trudeau has contravened" the Act in relation to his "recent stay at and travel to the Aga Khan's privately owned island."

The Aga Khan's foundation has received $300-million in Canadian international development funds and is a registered lobbyist with the foreign affairs department.

Mr. Trudeau and his family flew to Nassau aboard a government Challenger jet in late December.

He was joined on the vacation by Newfoundland Liberal MP Seamus O'Regan and his husband as well as Liberal Party president Anna Gainey and her husband.

"The travel back and forth from Nassau to the island happens on the Aga Khan's private helicopter, which he offered us the use of," Mr. Trudeau told reporters last week.

"It is something that we look forward to discussing with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, but we don't see an issue on that," Mr. Trudeau said.

Mr. Trudeau's Open and Accountable Government rules state that "ministers and parliamentary secretaries must not accept sponsored travel ... this includes all travel, non-commercial, chartered or private aircraft for any purpose except in exceptional circumstances" without the approval of Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson.

Mr. Trudeau conceded he did not seek Ms. Dawson's sign-off but said that he believes he had not done anything unethical.

"The fact is that I am engaging with the Conflict of Interest Commissioner to answer any questions she may have," he said last week. "The fact is, as I have said many times, the Aga Khan is a personal family friend and travel to and from the island only happens through private means."

NDP Leader Tom Muclair urged Mr. Trudeau to reveal all the details of his trip as he accused him of breaking his own conflict rules. "This is a clear conflict of interest and it is worrisome that the Prime Minister has been so evasive about the specifics of the trip," he said last week. "He claims that this was a family vacation and not government work. These were not exceptional circumstances and therefore cannot excuse the use of a private helicopter."

Sections of the Conflict of Interest Act that are relevant to Ms. Dawson's examination, as outlined in her letter to Mr. Calkins:

Section 6: Decision-making

No public office holder shall make a decision or participate in making a decision related to the exercise of an official power, duty or function if the public office holder knows or reasonably should know that, in the making of the decision, he or she would be in a conflict of interest.

Section 11: Gifts and other advantages

(1) No public office holder or member of his or her family shall accept any gift or other advantage, including from a trust, that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence the public office holder in the exercise of an official power, duty or function.

(2) Despite subsection (1), a public office holder or member of his or her family may accept a gift or other advantage

(a) that is permitted under the Canada Elections Act;

(b) that is given by a relative or friend; or

(c) that is received as a normal expression of courtesy or protocol, or is within the customary standards that normally accompany the public office holder's position.

Section 12: Travel

No minister of the Crown, minister of state or parliamentary secretary, no member of his or her family and no ministerial adviser or ministerial staff shall accept travel on non-commercial chartered or private aircraft for any purpose unless required in his or her capacity as a public office holder or in exceptional circumstances or with the prior approval of the Commissioner.

Section 21: Duty to recuse

A public office holder shall recuse himself or herself from any discussion, decision, debate or vote on any matter in respect of which he or she would be in a conflict of interest.

[Josephus]

I see the conflict of interest with Trudeau spending time at the property of a major lobbiest. The helicopter rule is a bit silly though...so Justin should have chartered one instead on the public purse?

[Barrister]

I see the conflict of interest with Trudeau spending time at the property of a major lobbiest. The helicopter rule is a bit silly though...so Justin should have chartered one instead on the public purse?

Well for starters maybe he should have told people where he was going in the first place, rather than hide it and have it trickle out after-the-fact.  Sure makes it look like he knew it was contrary to COI rules.

[crazy canuck]

I see the conflict of interest with Trudeau spending time at the property of a major lobbiest. The helicopter rule is a bit silly though...so Justin should have chartered one instead on the public purse?

It would not have come out of the public purse.  It was a private vacation so he would/should have paid for it himself.   It is the sort of lack of judgment the Tories were hoping would have showed up a lot sooner than now.  But I don't think it is the breach of the ethics rules that has resonated with public so much as a revelation of who the Prime Minister really is.  It will be interesting to see if the damage control works.

[viper37]

It will be interesting to see if the damage control works.

The Globe&Maill and La Presse will significantly tone down the severity of this, make it some sort of rookie mistake without consequence.  If only it was the first.

[Barrister]

So how are Trudeau's comments that we need to "phase out" the oil sands going over in the rest of Canada?

They're not going over well here.

[Grey Fox]

So how are Trudeau's comments that we need to "phase out" the oil sands going over in the rest of Canada?

They're not going over well here.

Totally overshadowed by an helicopter ride with the Aga Khan.

[viper37]

So how are Trudeau's comments that we need to "phase out" the oil sands going over in the rest of Canada?

They're not going over well here.

Didn't hear about it.  Looking at Lapresse.ca right now, and there's no mention of it.

[Grey Fox]

So how are Trudeau's comments that we need to "phase out" the oil sands going over in the rest of Canada?

They're not going over well here.

Didn't hear about it.  Looking at Lapresse.ca right now, and there's no mention of it.

I looked for one, It's buried on the Politique Canadienne tab. From last friday.

[PRC]

So how are Trudeau's comments that we need to "phase out" the oil sands going over in the rest of Canada?

They're not going over well here.

From what I could see (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/justin-trudeau-oilsands-phase-out-1.3934701) his comments were:

"You can't make a choice between what's good for the environment and what's good for the economy," Trudeau said. "We can't shut down the oilsands tomorrow. We need to phase them out. We need to manage the transition off of our dependence on fossil fuels.

"That is going to take time. And in the meantime, we have to manage that transition."

I don't get the outrage.  He didn't say let's turn them off tomorrow, he said let's phase them out.  That could be a twenty year plan or a hundred year plan.  But it doesn't take much for a moron like Brian Jean to latch onto something so innocuous. 

[Barrister]

It shows Trudeau just doesn't "get" Alberta.

The oil sands are a vital part of the economy here.  They've driven by over a hundred billion dollars of investment.  It employs tens, if not hundred of thousands of people.  It's not something we want "phased out" of existence in 20 or even one hundred years.

Even the hated NDP has embraced the oil sands.  They've imposed a carbon tax to give us "social license".  They recognize we should cost in the environmental effects, but oil sands will be an important part of the province for the forseeable future.


Look, industries changes.  Maybe in time the oil sands production will stop.  But it will stop because of economic factors, not because the PM decides we're going to "phase them out".

The automobile industry may well close in Canada as well, what with ride sharing, self-driving cars, increased public transit and of course increasing manufacturing in low-cost countries.  But Ontario would rightly lose it's shit if Trudeau said we were going to "phase out" the automobile industry.

[viper37]

well, if that's what he said, I don't find it objectionable either.

[Josephus]

How many Albertans voted for him, vs. Ontarians?

[Barrister]

How many Albertans voted for him, vs. Ontarians?

If that's how he wants to run the country, so be it.

I thought he came into office wanting to appeal to Canadians across the country however.  And he has talked a reasonably good game about pipelines.