What goes around comes around.
Recall Guiliano Zaccardelli? Canada's newly minted Minister of Public Safety sure does. Zaccardelli was the infamous RCMP commissioner who made up spurious allegations about Goodale that were divulged to the NDP who used it to sabotage the Liberals in the 2006 election, helping Harper come to power and plunging Canada into the decade of darkness. Afterward Zaccardelli refused to answer MPs questions about the scandal. Shortly after that the bent nail commissioner got into even more trouble on the Maher Arar scandal and the RCMP pension scandal whereby he became the first commissioner in history forced to resign.
Things haven't gone too well for the RCMP ever since. Zac was replaced by the first civilian commissioner, Tory backroom operative Bill Elliott and then the current office holder, Bob Paulson, who stands to go down in history for inventing the 'immaculate bribe' charge whereby senator Mike Duffy was charged with receiving a bribe from a guy that Paulson cleared of giving a bribe, Nigel Wright.
Now Paulson is going to have to answer to Ralphie. Wonder how that's going to work out?
7 comments:
I'd love to be a fly on the wall during the first meeting between Minister Ralph and Commissioner Bob. It could be a real 'barn burner', as they say.
Trust me, I had much the same reaction when Goodale was named to this Ministry, and karma, got to love it.
Poetic Justice.
Thanks for that . I hadn't made that connection. This is why I read you and why I was ready to miss you when you talked about a break . Glad to see regular posts.
I do wonder about Paulson's first meeting with the new Attorney General. As a reformatory bully and coward, I expect a quick resignation, and big pension cheque nosethumbing. I doubt there'll be any double dipping for that clown though.
One thing that did impress me was the number of new ministers with international NGO experience and local social justice experience. These individuals gave up professional salaries to work for MSF and LWB and aids groups and homeless shelters and more. Notice that they are all women.
Off topic but: I rad an article yesterday asserting secret Treasury board approval of the F35 purchase. Any thoughts ?
I think Trudeau made a fine choice in Goodale. De-politicizing the state police apparatus won't be easy and it will take a minister with an even hand and a cool head if it's not to go horribly wrong.
Despite his personal history with the RCMP I think Goodale will keep the past in perspective, not forgetting it but not taking revenge either. That said, for a guy like Paulson, I imagine he was hoping for someone else.
The 'immaculate bribe' ... brilliant ... 1st time I saw it.. yours?
Not as a main or urgent focus but I think that Goodale should do a thorough investigation of the last decade in the RCMP, starting with the tip that turned a close election. (That was also the year of in/out when CON Senators avoided being CONvicts via plea bargain.. This sh*t adds up in a close election.)
I do not see it as revenge* ... just prudence to identify the crimes and avoid more of the same down the road.
*schadenfreude Yes!
@ NPoV - No, I think I filched "immaculate conception" from one of the guys at Galloping Beaver or else Sudbury Steve.
I agree. We don't need a witch hunt but the country does need a glimpse behind the curtain and an assurance that the "C" in RCMP will again denote Canada, not 'Conservative.'
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