05) ODIOUS EVENTS, SCARY IMPLICATIONS

People's Voice Editorial

     As calls for Bev Oda's dismissal get louder, one response hurled back by the Tories is the accusation of "sexism" among the opposition parties. There may be a grain of truth in this charge. After all, Tony Clement was the Minister responsible for the scandalous billion-dollar assault on civil liberties during the G20 summit, and also for the long-form census fiasco. Yet few demanded his resignation, perhaps reflecting a sexist double standard.

     But the fact remains that Oda's resignation is long overdue for many reasons, starting with her eager support for the vicious attacks on women's equality programs by Harper's Tory minority in 2006. The minister is also notorious for racking up tens of thousands of dollars in limousine charges. Imagine the howls from the Tories if a Liberal was caught in such a spending outrage! But this elitist behaviour is simply shrugged off by Mr. Harper.

     Now, Ms. Oda has admitted misleading Parliament about the Kairos affair. The efforts to deflect this scandal lead in a frightening direction. Essentially, the Tories are saying that the federal cabinet cannot be held responsible to the people of Canada through our elected MPs. The Oda affair is another move by Stephen Harper to place his office above the courts and Parliament, including refusals to submit to Supreme Court rulings, the rejection of majority votes in the House of Commons, the arbitrary decision to extend the military mission in Afghanistan, the recent secretive "perimeter" deal which sells out Canadian sovereignty, and much more.

     Such systematic abuse of power further weakens democracy in this country. Even if Mr. Harper is defeated in the next election, his actions set ominous precedents for future prime ministers to simply ignore the will of Parliament and the voters. This dangerous trend must be reversed, starting with the resignation of cabinet ministers who lie to Parliament.

(The above article is from the March 1-15, 2011, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)