While most of the attention has been focused on the appalling behaviour of the Conservatives over the explosive testimony from Richard Colvin on the torture of detainees handed over to the Afghan government there have been other instances of Conservative tomfoolery uncovered over the past week.
Accidental Deliberations noted earlier today that the Conservatives played games in order to withhold information from the Justice committee studying Bill C-36. NDP MP Joe Comartin’s motion to have the bill moved back to committee was unfortunately voted down.
Another bit of monkey business from the Conservatives was revealed a few days ago by David Pugliese.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay has politicized an international forum taking place in Halifax on the weekend by refusing to invite federal politicians from parties other than the Conservatives, says the head of the Senate defence committee.
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny said the forum, being funded by taxpayers through the Defence Department, should have been a non-partisan event as it was a key meeting of politicians and military leaders from a number of nations. He noted that Canadian MPs and senators interested in defence matters should have been invited but MacKay and Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin were the only Canadian federal politicians being allowed to attend.
The final bit of Conservative chicanery uncovered over the past week involves the appointment of a drug company executive to the board of the independent public agency that funds health research in Canada.
The health committee’s Nov. 30 review comes after NDP health critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis complained the appointment of Dr. Bernard Prigent, vice-president of Pfizer Canada, to the governing council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is a “potential conflict of interest.
“Having the drug companies’ executives deciding health research directions is like having the big bad wolf directing the three little pigs on how to build their homes,” she said in a statement.
More on this from The Tyee.
Barely a week goes by now when some sort of Conservative malfeasance that undermines either our democracy or public institutions is uncovered.
if the government doesn't want to invite opposition party members, that is their perogiative. Clearly they have the power to decide who gets invites and who doesn't. If the gay NDP/liberals dont like that they ought to win an election and do something about it.