I’d been wondering what my former Conservative MP (John Duncan, Vancouver Island North) had been up to since the voters showed him the door in January. I needn’t have worried though, as, while they may like to chastise the Liberals for it, the Conservatives also take care of their own.
In John’s case, that means a nice, cushy job with the Federal government. After all, isn’t he entitled to his entitlements too? For John, that means a position as “special assistant for Pacific” to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
But wait, it gets better. Mr. Duncan didn’t actually accomplish much during his time as a Reform, Canadian Alliance, Conservative Party (I think that’s all of them) MP. Well, to be fair, by flip-flopping and opting back into the MP pension plan not long after campaigning against it and saying those that opted in “didn't deserve to sit in the House of Commons" he did provide one of the earlier examples of how his party’s supposed commitment to ethics and integrity is an entirely fluid concept. Ah, but campaigns are campaigns though, right John?
But one thing John could regularly be counted on was to rail against those ivory tower DFO bureaucrats in Ottawa, making decisions from thousands of miles away that impacted B.C. fishermen. “How many salmon are in the Ottawa River?” he would demand piously from the podium. And, you know, I agree. The DFO does need more people on the ground in fishing communities on the coasts and less bureaucrats in Ottawa.
So, now that he has joined the DFO, where is our friend John working?
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
MINISTER'S OFFICE,
CENTENNIAL TOWER
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario Canada
K1A 0E6
If he’s on a high enough floor he might be able to see the Ottawa River from his new office. How many salmon do you see there Johnny?
(H/T Cowboys for Social Responsibility)
Sunday, May 14, 2006
If you get beat, join them
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4 comments:
I don't know, I pulled the pic from his Wiki page. I can well imagine that he must have aged considerably in the last two years though, from his near defeat in 2004 to his eventual, and inevitable, defeat in January.
Wow, a Conservative government hiring Conservatives to implement Conservative policy. If that's the best you can do I'm not terribly worried. Patronage isn't hiring qualified people of like-minded ideas, it's hiring unqualified people because of their political friends, or only hiring qualified people of a certian politcal bent to positions where political like-mindedness is not needed. For example, appointing good Liberals to be immigration judges is wrong. Or appointing only qualified Liberals to federal judgeships. It is perfectly reasonable for both Liberals and Conservatives to hire their like for many government positions.
Basically Jeff, come a-cryin' when Harper's nephew is ambassador to the US, or Harper's daughter-in-law is appointed to the Olympic board, or when defeated cabinet ministers start heading crown corporations. Until then, you're just crying wolf.
Patronage isn't hiring qualified people of like-minded ideas, it's hiring unqualified people because of their political friends...
I totally agree with you there, Rat. I just wish your Conservative friends had made that fine distinction at any time during the last 13 years, or that you'd even made it further on in your comment.
Anyway, on Duncan, more so than his patronage appointment I was more amused by the fact that, after years of screaming against Ottawa-based DFO buracrats, he had become himself what he'd supposedly so despised.
Fair enough, hypocrisy doesn't dicriminate. If he said one thing and does another he should be called on it. If he is unqualified he should be called on it. I won't defend Conservative hypocrisy.
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