For leaving behind top-secret documents at a former girlfriend's, Maxime Bernier resigned this afternoon as Minister of Foreign Affairs:
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister
Room 313-S, Centre Block
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Prime Minister,
This is to inform you that I am resigning my post as Minister of Foreign Affairs, effective immediately.
I informed you late this afternoon that last night I became aware that I had left behind classified government documents at a private residence.
Prime Minister, the security breach that occurred was my fault and my fault alone and I take full responsibility for my actions.
I have asked the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to conduct a thorough review of the situation.
Thank you for the trust you have shown in me. I will do everything I can to serve the government well in my capacity as Member of Parliament.
Yours truly,
Maxime Bernier
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So this woman discovers a what? Folder? Page of paper stamped Top Secret? A locked Briefcase maybe?
And what then does she do with it? Did she call Mr. Bernier and notify him? Did she pull a Pandora and open the box to see what was inside? As soon as she realized what she had, why did she not immediately return it to Mr. Bernier?
Why did she keep it? Had Mr. Bernier already broken it off with her and left in a hurry? Did she knowingly and intentionally mean to create mischief with these sensitive documents? If so, how can she get away with such reckless abandon to National Interests? Did she try to cut a deal with Mr. Bernier's office? With the government? Or did she keep it a secret just out of spite?
I hope that if the RCMP are brought in to investigate, they attempt to answer these very important questions and hold this woman accountable for her own potentially illegal actions.
The only reason that the RCMP would need to be brought in would be if a criminal act was committed. I don't know if leaving a briefing document is a criminal act. If it is sounds a little extreme.
The Liberals as usual are making wild accusations and theories about what happened. Like so many of the other faux scandals nobody is paying attention other than the left wing media who want Harper destroyed at all costs. So this is their cup of tea and they will go on and on day after day with a different slant to the story.
However, Harper will satisfy himself that no security breach took place and he will let the opposition and the media swing in the wind. To address the issue in a fullsome way invites more coverage and more speculation. So he will do what he needs to do and the opposition and media will enventually get tired and move on.
Bernier got what he deserved and while the PM probably should have fired him as soon as the information on the background of the lady in question was revealed he elected to support him until it was no longer tenable. So much for the vicious Mr. Harper eh David.
To suggest that Canada has been embarassed on the international stage goes too far. Nobody in Europe, China and the Middle East gives a flying fig about Canada and want it is doing.
Once again the Liberals and the media with their hysterical rhetoric and blaring headlines will hurt their own cause because unless the Conservative government hurts Canadians on bread and butter issues this whole issue will be considered as political gamesmanship played in Ottawa and Canadians will not pay attention to the issue.
There will only be two choices in the next election, Dion or Harper. While the Conservatives have not been perfect the other alternative is much worse. A professor who is not a politician who cannot speak effectively the language of the majority of citizens and who has the political instincts of a nat.