Month: May 2009

Ignatieff and Dhalla statements

Earlier this week, Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla and her family were accused of mistreating some domestic workers. She held a press conference about it earlier today. It was the first time we've seen her since the accusations were levelled against her family. Her lawyer prevented her from answering questions from reporters.

Similarly, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has been underground since the accusations came forth until today. He gathered reporters at Convocation Hall in Toronto to say this:

“As leader of the party, it’s tremendously important that every member of Parliament, everybody in public life treats their employees with the utmost respect and that they comply in every detail with federal and provincial law. We’ve been working closely, in my office, with Ruby Dhalla. She has mounted a vigorous defence of the charges made against her. They’re serious charges. We take them very seriously. She’s offered — which I think is a very good thing to do – for the ethics commissioner to establish the facts of the matter and we have given her support as she defends herself. But I want to reiterate the tremendous for my party of us all always treating those who we employ with the respect and that we comply in every respect with all available provincial and federal law and we need to get to the bottom of these allegations quickly, get closure, both for Ms. Dhalla and the young women in question. That’s all I have to say.”

But Ignatieff like Dhalla refused to take reporters questions on the issue.

Here is the text of Dhalla's statement:

The last week has been a difficult and trying time for me and my family. I have always believed that anyone entering my home should be treated with love, care, compassion and respect. As such, the allegations that have been brought forward against me have come as a shock, and have been devastating to my friends, family and supporters.

As a Member of Parliament I am accountable to my constituents and to Canadians. In that spirit, I myself requested a third-party review of the facts of these matters from the Ethics Commissioner on Wednesday night.

I am the daughter of a loving, caring single mother – an immigrant herself. I have seen first-hand and understand the challenges that immigrants and women face in Canada and around the world. I have dedicated a great part of life to working on these issues.

While the allegations made against myself are false and unsubstantiated, I do believe there are specific reforms that must be made to ensure that the live in care giver program protects both caregivers and employers. I am committed to working with the Canadian Care Givers Association and advocacy groups to ensure these reforms are implemented.


Transparency and accountability have always been important to me in my career as an elected official. This is why I have asked the Ethics Commissioner to conduct an investigation to ensure the truth is brought forward and the matter is resolved in a fair and objective manner. I would request the public and the media to please hold judgment and give my family privacy as we go through this due process.

I want to take this opportunity to also thank my constituents and Canadians from across the country for their continued support during this difficult time. It is most appreciated.

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Nannies alleging mistreatment by MP's family called to testify

The two nannies who allege mistreatment by the family of Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla are expected to testify about their experiences in front of a parliamentary committee next week.

Just as in a court of law, testimony at parliamentary committees is given under oath.

Dhalla, who has stayed away from the nation's capital since the allegations were first reported earlier this week, will also be called to testify, said David Tilson, the Conservative MP who chairs the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

Tilson, a lawyer, represents the riding just north of Dhalla's suburban Toronto riding.

“The two nannies . . . are saying that their rights have been violated,” Tilson said. “That is the very topic that we're looking at, the issue of whether migrant workers . . . rights have been violated. Maybe they have, maybe they haven't. The committee's going to look at that.”

Liberal MP Bob Rae accused the Conservatives and NDP of organizing a political lynch mob …

[Read the rest of the story]

Harper in Afstan: The PMO Pics

I know, I know,: I'm a cynical, “Liberal”, “Taliban-loving” member of the mainstream media. Not only that, but I'm part of a particularly loathsome MSM sub-group: The Parliamentary Press Gallery, which, as everyone knows, you cannot be a member of unless you are a hard-core avowed Harper-hater and Liberal-lover.

Which is why, of course, as a member of that loathsome sub-group, I was hardly surprised to hear this morning that Prime Minister Harper had popped up unannounced in Afghanistan. The cynic in me figures that whenever the Tories seem a bit down in the polls, there's nothing like wrapping yourself in the flag or standing tall with our troops to revitalize some sagging numbers at home. And so, with that grumpy preamble, here's two pics of Harper in Kandahar today. Both pics were taken by PMO photographer Deb Ransom and were distributed by the Parliamentary Press Gallery at the request of the PMO. The guy on Harper's right, incidentally, in both photos, is our Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. “Uncle” Walt Natynczyk.

PM TIM HORTONS AFGHANISTAN.jpg

HARPER DAHLA CDS.jpg

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Filipino Seniors in Support of Dhalla

200905071841.jpg

The Brampton Filipino Seniors Club issued the following statement today, in support of Brampton-Springdale MP Ruby Dhalla (left). Two Filipino foreign workers say that the Dhalla family mistreated them during while they were employed with them.

Statement from the Brampton Filipino Seniors Club

We are writing in support of Dr. Ruby Dhalla, Member of Parliament for Brampton-Springdale, who has been unjustly smeared by the Toronto Star's article released on May 5th 2009 — and by the Canadian media. The Brampton Filipino Seniors Club have known Ruby since she was first elected in 2004 and can attest to her character as being nothing short of the highest integrity. She is one of the hardest working and most dedicated people we have ever known.

We have seen firsthand Ruby's commitment to people, to Brampton and the Filipino community. When ever any one has needed her she has always been there.

In fact, early this year Ruby lent her support to a Filipina live in caregiver who was diagnosed with colon cancer. Ruby went shoulder to shoulder with the Filipino community to fight for the live in caregiver to receive her permanent residency.

As well, earlier this year, when a Filipina resident of Brampton (a former Caregiver) was terminally ill Ruby went above and beyond to comfort this women. She offered help and support to the members of the Filipino community and the members of the Filipino-Canadian Autoworkers Association as they provided care and comfort to this dying woman. When she succumbed to death, Ruby again stood shoulder to shoulder with the community to collect funds for her funeral. Ruby spoke at the funeral with a speech that touched the hearts of everyone in the room.

On several occasions we have had the pleasure of working with her and her office on a number of initiatives to empower women, seniors and the Filipino community. She tabled a petition in the House of Commons to call on the government to stop the political killings and human rights violations in the Philippines and also worked with the Filipino community to support the campaign to demand justice for Comfort Women.

Everyone in the Filipino community in Brampton knows Ruby is always a phone call away when help is needed. She is a champion of women, of immigrants, of seniors and of children. She is seen as role model by our youth and as a compassionate and loving person by our community. Whether it's empowering women, giving youth a voice or advocating for seniors, Ruby has always stood up for the community.

Given Ruby's floving and caring nature and her dedication to people and the community the allegations by the caregivers and treatment in the media is unfair. We don't know what motive the care givers have in making these allegations but anyone that knows Ruby finds it difficult to believe. She is caring and compassionate. The Brampton Filipino Seniors and the entire community stand behind Ruby as she goes through this difficult time.

Sincerely,

The Brampton Filipino Seniors Club
Aurora G. Villanueva
President

UPDATE: Ms. Villanueva has since retracted this letter.

An update on Minister Baird and Committee appearances

After reviewing this morning's post “To appear or not to appear? Baird's office assesses the damage”, Baird's press secretary Chris Day provides some more information and context. In addition to providing one more e-mail message from Baird's office to the clerk of the committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO), Day writes: “You'll note in the email that our Director of Parliamentary Affairs provided the committee chair a detailed explanation as to why we preferred to have the Minister appear at a later date than what was being proposed. The Minister has appeared before committees six times since the budget was tabled, including one appearance at OGGO on March 5th. It is our goal to always ensure that the Minister is fully prepared prior to committee meetings in order to provide committee members with as much detailed information as possible.”

Here is the additional e-mail provided by Day and should be read in context with the earlier ones published here.

From: Hamilton, Ben
Sent:Thursday, April 09, 2009 3:53 PM
To:Shamoon, Rana; Michel Marcotte
Cc: Baldwin , Kristin

Subject: RE: OGGO

Hi Michel ,
Just to provide further context to Rana's email , Minister Baird has to present at a cabinet committee in the morning, then presents for Bill C-7 to the Tranpsort Committee in the afternoon , right after Question Period . He also returns to the Transport Committee on Thursday for Main Estimates. The Minister always wants to make sure that he has proper time to prepare for his committee presentations, as he feels that coming unprepared can be a frustrating experience for Committee members and ultimately damage the Minister/Committee relationship. I imagine that there will be a number of opportunities to appear before OGGO for updates as the fiscal year continues, hence our caution on the April 21 st date .

Regards,

Ben Hamilton
Director, Issues Management
Office of the Hon. John Baird

To appear or not to appear? Baird's staff assesses the damage

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (known on the Hill as OGGO) asked that John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities, to appear for before it. Yesterday, some odd e-mail correspondence was distributed to reporters by the press relations people in Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's office. The correspondence is between the clerk of that committee – an independent, non-political servant of the committee — and Rana Shamoon, a special assistant in Baird's office. Shamoon would be part of the minister's political staff and is not part of the independent, non-partisan departmental staff.

First, a message from Shamoon in response to clerk Michel Marcotte's initial request to have Minister Baird appear before the committee (In these messages, I have removed telephone numbers and replaced e-mail addresses with the individual's name):

De : Shamoon, Rana
Envoyé : 8 avril 2009 14:47
À : Marcotte, Michel Cc : Tony Reznowski; Hamilton, Ben; Baldwin, Kristin
Objet : OGGO

Hi Michel, As discussed, Minister Baird will be unable to appear before OGGO on April 21st concerning the stimulus fund since he has made other commitments that day.

Thank you, Rana Shamoon

Marcotte tries again with this e-mail to Shamoon:

From: Marcotte, Michel
To: Shamoon, Rana
Sent: Thu Apr 09 09:02:11 2009
Subject: RE: OGGO

I understand Minister Baird will appear before the SC on Transport between 3 :00 and 4 : 00 p.m.. Are you sure he cannot appear before the SC on Government Operations and Estimates, between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m., on the Infrastructures side of the stimulus package? The plan is to have a televised meeting with Ministers (Department officials already appeared last week) on the status of the 3 $ Billions envelope.

Michel Marcotte
Procedural Clerk / Greffier à la procédure
Committees Directorate / Direction des comités
House of Commons / Chambre des communes

To which Marcotte gets this very odd reply from Shamoon:

From: Shamoon, Rana
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 9:14 AM
To: Michel Marcotte Cc: Baldwin, Kristin; Hamilton, Ben
Subject: Re: OGGO

Hi Mike – as already discussed this at the strategy meeting, we really are not trying to be difficult but we think it would be more damaging to have him appear than not appear at this point.

Rana Shamoon

At this point, enter Liberal MP Martha Hall FIndlay in Question Period Tuesday. Hall Findlay is a member of the Govt Ops and Estimates committee:

Mme Martha Hall Findlay (Willowdale, Lib.): Monsieur le Président, le Comité permanent des opérations gouvernementales et des prévisions budgétaires examine les mesures de stimulation dans le budget 2009. Le ministre des Transports, de l’Infrastructure et des Collectivités s'est engagé à comparaître devant le comité afin de discuter des mesures de stimulation. Or, depuis, le ministre ne cesse de décliner des convocations à comparaître.

Le ministre voudrait-il expliquer pourquoi il a changé d'avis?

Hon. John Baird (Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I was before the committee just last week and I have always made myself available to go to the committee. I would be very pleased to answer any specific questions that the member has and I look forward to doing just that.

Ms. Martha Hall Findlay (Willowdale, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, different committees and let me quote from and email sent by the minister's staff to the clerk of the government operations committee now declining the committees request to appear,“We think it would be more damaging to have him appear than not appear”.

I know I may have been a little firm with the minister the first time he appeared, but he is not usually short of things to say. Could he explain what exactly would be damaging and to whom?

Hon. John Baird (Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I say to the member of the Liberal Party, if I had the opportunity to go before the committee and to read the quote from the Leader of the Liberal Party, “We will have to raise your taxes”.

Canadians from coast to coast to coast want to know from this member for Willowdale which taxes will she raise, how much will they be raised and will the Liberals finally come clean with Canadians and be honest about their tax increasing plan?

But wait there's more — Baird press secretary Chris Day provides more information and context

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On energy, Canada needs to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, says industry

If Canada wants to fulfil Prime Minister Stephen Harper's oft-stated goal of becoming an energy superpower, his government and some provinces must do a better job reducing regulatory and financial uncertainty for global oil and gas investors, a trio of industry representatives said Tuesday.

“Quite frankly, as a result of federal and provincial policy decisions . . . investors have lost some confidence in Canada,” said Don Herring, president of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, which represents the operators of almost all of the country's drilling and service rigs.

“Governments have in place regulatory policies that result in high-cost production.”

“Canada provides among the lowest rates of return on investment in the world. I know Canadians may be surprised to hear that,” said Gary Leach, executive director of the Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada. “We have a highly regulated industry. We have some of the highest environmental standards in the world. And all of this increases the costs of operating in Canada. We are facing — and have for several years — an uncertain regulatory climate for CO2 emissions. The uncertainty alone delays, deters and discourages investment.”

[Read the rest of the story]

Jason and Ruby and Nanny Troubles

At 1620 this afternoon, Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla's Nanny Trouble was the most read story at the Toronto Star's Web site. Reporter Dale Brazao finds that “two caregivers say they were mistreated after MP hired them. Dhalla says she is 'appalled' by their accusations.”

After Question Period today, in a scrum with several reporters, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney spends quite a bit of time not commenting on this case:

Reporter: So what should be done about these allegations?

Kenney: Well, it's difficult for me to comment on particular cases but we're aware of stories of abuse of the rights of live-in caregivers that are very disturbing. These are typically vulnerable workers. It's a very valuable program and provides a pathway to permanent residency within three years for thousands of women who otherwise would have a real hard time coming to Canada. So we think it's a good program but it needs to be improved. And I'm working with provinces, encouraging them to ensure the proper monitoring and enforcement of provincial Labour Code protections for live-in caregivers. And at the federal level we have launched consultations with caregivers and other stakeholders, including employers, to hear how we can better ensure their protection. We're looking at the role of intermediaries, of recruiting agencies. We are looking at the sanctions that are imposed. For instance, if we hear about – if we have reports of employers who are repeat abusers of the rules, we're looking at making it impossible for them to get future labour market opinions for additional caregivers in the future. And so we're basically open-minded about how we can improve the program to prevent abuse because one thing is clear : taking away someone's passport, requiring them to do work that's outside the terms of the caregiver status, not processing the work – having people work as a caregiver without a work permit, paying people under the table without takes, these – the accusations this happens on a fairly widespread basis. I think most employers are very dutiful and very good honest employers but we want to crack down on the abusive cases for sure.

Reporter: Is your department going to launch an investigation based on what you've heard?

Kenney: Well, to the best of my knowledge – I don't comment on particular cases so I can't really say. . . .

Reporter: The fact that this involves a sitting MP, what do you think should happen next?

Kenney: I'll leave that to the MP in question or her leader. I can't comment on the details of particular cases. That's a matter for that individual but as it relates to the appropriate authorities, if complaints are provided, you know, one question I have is if this information came to light in a public forum, I would hope that any responsible authorities would have notified the appropriate officials. I think these allegations may have been provided two weeks ago to a Minister of Labour in Ontario and I presume that the appropriate authorities were informed.

Reporter: Do you have to rely on a complaint in order to launch an investigation? So you won't necessarily investigate until you see that complaint?

Kenney: Well, you know, I think it's – that's up to officials. We don't want to politicize the complaints process and whether or not our officials have taken public reports into account, I'm not aware and I should probably not be asking questions of that nature because we want to ensure that any process is fair and not politicized. I'm just commenting on the broader issue here. We're aware of these instances of abuse and we're concerned and that's why we've launched these consultations and plan to tighten up the regulations surrounding the live-in caregiver program.

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Liberals accused of telling Toews his failure to speak French disqualifies him for a minister's job

While I was busy listening to energy executives speak to a subcommittee of the Industry Committee, Treasury Board President Vic Toews was appearing before the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

Toews (left) was there to discuss a “Study of the Transfer of Certain Duties Related to Official Languages from the Canada Public Service Agency to the Treasury Board.”

Conservatives say that during the committee's proceedings, Liberal MPs Pablo Rodriguez and Jean Claude D'Amours told Toews he was unfit to serve because he does not speak both official languages. Toews, born in Fildelfia, Paraguay in 1952 and a former attorney general of Manitoba, speaks Spanish, German and English. About one of every five voters in his riding of Provencher is a francophone. And yet, as Toews says, he has always won the polls in the franchophone areas of his riding.

“English or French may not be my first language and I may not have been born in this country but I would not have believed that the Liberal members on the Official Languages committee from Honore- Mercier (Pablo Rodriguez) and Madawaska – Restigouche (Jean-Claude D'Amours) – would tell me (and millions of other Canadians) that because I do not speak both official languages we are unfit for public office,” Toews told me.

But Rodriguez (born in Argentina, incidentally), in an interview after Question Period, said Toews is over-reacting. He and D'Amours were critical of Toews for two reasons. First, he said, a minister of the Crown who is supervising a bilingual federal program ought to be bilingual. Second, in Rodriguez' view, Toews was not well briefed on the matters that he was to speak to the committee about.

My colleague Mike De Souza was at the Languages committee and will have the full play-by-play shortly.

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Access to Information Reform: The Twitter feed

For those who don't do Twitter, here's my Twitter “feed” from Monday's meeting of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Ethics, and Privacy. It's presented in chronological order, from the beginning of the meeting to its conclusion. A note for non-Twitter users: On Twitter, you get 140 characters per message so there is a lot of shorthand. The Committee's name on Twitter is #CETHI, for example. Nicholson is Justice Minister Rob Nicholson

  • lineup: Chair Lib Paul Szabo, Lib MPs Wrzesnewskyj, Simson, BQ MPs Nadeau, Lévesque. NDP MP Siksay. Con MPs in next tweet
  • Lineup cont'd Cons MPs Poilievre, Dechert, Block, Hiebert, Dreeshen. Score: 5 Govt Mps vs 5 Opp MPs plus 1 Opp Chair.
  • Why is there a stranglehold in the PCO on Access to information requests? Nicholson: Can't agree with you; things are getting better
  • More background on broken ATI system: DFAIT, e.g., delay tactics “illegal as stink”
  • BQ Nadeau — we're studying something we've been studying for a long time, all the way back to Lib Jus Min Irwin Cotler.
  • Nadeau and Nicholson argue themselves into a dead-end. Moving on now to NDP MP Bill Siksay ..
  • Info Commish Marleau's recommendations: Nicholson said he's not crazy about recommendation 4 & 11.
  • NIcholson gets hot at Lib Michelle Simson “This country has an outstanding record .. (on Access legislation)
  • Nicholson gone. Now up: Witnesses from the Justice Dept: Now up Carolyn Kobernick, Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Law Sector
  • LIB Simson tries to get bureaucrats to concede that Access to information is a basic human right. No Jus Dept lawyers agrees.
  • other witnesses now up: Joan Remsu, General Counsel and Director, Public Law Policy Section and ..
  • witnesses … Denis Kratchanov, Director and General Counsel Information Law and Privacy Section
  • Con Dechert asks bureaucrats if it would ok to charge requesters for info requests. Bureaucrats demur.
  • Cons Dechert wonders if it would be OK to identify those who make hundreds of access requests.
  • Dechert is now attacking Ken Rubin – not by name — but that's who he's talking about: Is it reasonable for taxpayers to fund him?
  • #CETHI now in camera. (Which means reporters get kicked out)
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