Striving Against Opposition

The Gomery Inquiry and Sponsorship Scandal

I outlined my reaction and a few thoughts moving forward in my past post on the subject. At the moment I simply wish to take the time to offer a sincere thank you to Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters, who set the ball rolling in bringing the relevations of the inquiry to the public's conscience. He did so in defiance of a law gagging the media, but then again the law of Canada is not the law of the United States. However, his firm belief that people have the right to know and the importance of freedom of expression is heartening and reassurases me that the internet is not simply a means of dispensing pornography and cheap junk via ebay.

For those of you whom have not had the opporunity to puruse the media's coverage of the Inquiry's recent relevations. I'd direct you to CTV 's summary here and the CBC here. While the fellows at PolSpy have a rather extensive series of links found here.

To add to the humiliation of the Liberal Party of Canada, the Alberta Liberal Party which essentially involves the same cast of characters as the Liberal Party of Canada (Alberta), has a leader whose opennly musing about changing the party's name to distance the provincial party from the federal party. There is a great deal of irony in wanting to distance yourself..from yourself, but it seems in keeping with Martin's strategy of being a "new" Liberal government even if there seemed to be a lot of continuity. Changing the party's name is just taking that cynical ploy one step farther.

While it would seem the one of Edmonton's Liberal MPs David Kilgour is contemplating retirement or defection. I find this wholly understandable as Kilgour is actually a fairly decent guy - for a Liberal. Admittedly that's likely because Kilgour is a Liberal by convience or coincidence as much as anything else, having run afoul of Mulroney over his opposition to the GST and was kicked out of the PC caucus. I had the opporunity to listen to Mr. Kilgour speak perhaps a month ago, and he spoke about involving Westerners and those from the east more in government and broadening the decision making process beyond the interests of the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal axis. He also spoke of democratic reform and senate reform. I being slightly incredulous upon hearing a Liberal say any such thing inquired why he sat as a Liberal MP supporting those who perpetuate the establishment he'd just spoken out against. His response "I really don't have any good answer to that, it's something I struggle with." If Kigour either retires because of this or becomes the first PC-Liberal-Conservative MP by crossing the floor, power to him. It will be the response of a decent man to indecency in his own party - and a travesty far worse than the GST.

posted by Chris @ 4/09/2005 10:04:00 p.m.