The former Minister for the Status of Women launches a 1.3 million dollar law suit against the Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt and more under allegations of conspiracy and defamation.
Way to go Helena Guergis.
31 pages on how Prime Minister Steven Harper, some assistants and entourage bullied the promising Minister for the Status of Women outta there. I’m getting the popcorn ready. Looks like a can of bad assets rebuttal. Just hoping the Crown’s gonna get a handle on the documentation before the Cons delete it all. They do seem to be able to press buttons …
I would wish some judicial consequences, for a head of government, but also for everybody else who was not hesitant to throw a lot of dirt on a public servant. Her reputation was trashed on accusations (delivered 2 Stevie from a bankrupt private investigator owing two million dollars in taxes who now testified he had no proof of wrongdoing whatsoever) that would have no public interest (where I would be willing 2 discuss the mind altering effects of cocaine) if this country was to apply some science on the law-making and governing. The only thing of public interest here is, what the federal Ethics Commissioner found.
Wikipedia states:
“On May 20, 2010 Federal Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson fined Guergis $100 for failing to report details of a $800,000 mortgage liability within the 30 day time limit. Guergis had purchased the Ottawa house with her husband Rahim Jaffer in November 2009. Guergis said “I simply forgot and I accept responsibility for this oversight, I have already made arrangements to pay the fine — within the 30 days I was provided to do so.”[45][46]
In July 2011 Mary Dawson further found Guergis contravened 2 sections of the MP conflict of interest code by writing a letter of support for a company to a local municipal politician. Rahim Jaffer, Guergis’s husband was seeking lobbying business from the same company at the time.[47] >> (please see sources on Wikipedia page)
The lobbying commissioner ruled the pair violated the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct. Check this article on iPolitics.ca for more info:
“In a 53-page report, Karen Shepherd found that even though Jaffer and Glémaud failed to obtain the $178 million in federal funding they were seeking, they should have registered as lobbyists. Shepherd ruled they also had to register even if they weren’t explicitly hired as lobbyists.
Shepherd investigated 10 allegations against Jaffer and Glémaud and concluded that five breached the lobbyists code.”
Oh and just btw, Jaffer’s company was developing a photovoltaic power plant for Brockville as well as a device called a BioDryer waste disposal system, a waterless garbage processor. Totally unrelated? You tell me.
And:
The RCMP (!) called in on Harper’s own request, cleared Helena Guergis of all the other charges. She was never sentenced or found guilty in any court of law. Her husband, Rahim Jaffer, pleaded guilty to careless driving, charges against him for drunk driving and cocaine possession did not hold up and were dropped as well.
Why did the gang around Harpo bully and publicly discredit her? Well, looking @ her style or some unfortunate, perfectly legal events in her entourage, she seems to have a tendency to rock the boat here and there, but Conservatives are not exactly known for any particular elegance around here.
Thinking about it, consider a renaming into the “Cowboy Party of Canada” – oil is civilization for us.
This I can only hold up while apologizing to all brave cattle herds out there with big shoulders and long … legs who are embarrassed that Harpo is also from Alberta.
What I find remarkable is, that Helena Guirgis was anything but on partyline in her political career, and seemed very dedicated to her constituents. Again I quote from Wikipedia
<< When running for provincial office in 2003 in the socially liberal riding of Trinity-Spadina, Guergis said that she would vote in favour of same-sex marriage if given the opportunity. Responding to a question on same-sex marriage at an all-candidates debate, she said, "I believe in the right to choose, so I would be voting in favour of it."[8] Campaigning the following year in the socially conservative riding of Simcoe-Grey, Guergis said that she would vote against the federal government's proposed legalization of same-sex marriage. She argued that the majority of her constituents opposed the initiative, and that she was committed to supporting their views. Guergis did in fact vote against Bill C-38, which granted legal sanction to same-sex marriage, in 2005. In the same year, she tabled a private member's bill restricting MPs from crossing parties after their election.[9] Guergis was re-elected with 49.8% of the vote in the 2006 election, substantially increasing her margin of victory as the Conservatives won a minority government nationally. On February 7, 2006, she was named by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as parliamentary secretary to David Emerson, the Minister of International Trade and the Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics. Guergis's appointment was somewhat controversial, in that Emerson had crossed the floor from the Liberal Party on the same day that he received his cabinet position. One day prior to her appointment, Guergis informed the media that she would issue a press release indicating her continued support for anti-floor crossing legislation. The release never appeared.[10] >> (please see Wikipedia entry for sources)
Let me wage a guess: that was a little bit too grass roots for your taste?
Now we gonna see the tables turned. I doubt we will see all the evidence, but it will certainly be entertaining.
Wait, what was the word you campaigned on? right. ACCOUNTABILITY.
It’s comin’ your way, Mr. Prime Minister.