On Bev Oda - Respectful Disagreement with "Prairie Tory" and "A Few Figs"

Conservatives getting caught in a "NOT"

So, anyway.

About the whole stupid Bev Oda situation.

Yesterday, MaryT stopped by and suggested that my perspective was a little off, and pointed me to fellow Conservative blogger Prairie Tory, who, along with A Few Figs, has neatly dusted off the whole Oda idiocy with a shrug, relying on the support of one of the other signatories to the edited memo, President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Margaret Biggs.

Both Prairie Tory and A Few Figs point to her comments, and say, basically, "Look, the other signatory to the memo says no harm, no foul, so, what's all the hubbub," pointing to the following statement from Biggs:

Yes, I think as the minister said, the agency did recommend the project to the minister. She has indicated that. But it was her decision, after due consideration, to not accept the department’s advice.

This is quite normal, and I certainly was aware of her decision. The inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was, and she has been clear. So that’s quite normal.


I think we have changed the format for these memos so the minister has a much clearer place to put where she doesn’t want to accept the advice, which is her prerogative.

Well.


All’s Well That Ends Well, no.

No.

Firstly, let’s put down the kool-aid glass for just a second and be, well, “conservative” in our review of this.. not in the sense of being a blind partisan, but in the sense of applying our own standards of right, wrong and common sense.

Margarent Biggs was “appointed” to CIDA in 2009. For those of us who have been involved politically, unfortunately, when you get appointed to a government plum position, that usually means that you are already a good supporter of the party. With few exceptions, government appoints their pals to these positions.

Why?

Because when the shit hits the fan, you can be counted on to back them up.

Ergo.. Margaret Biggs.

Margaret Biggs is a career political appointee, who understands that the way to keep your job is to keep your head down and not embarrass the boss.  Since Stephen Harper was elected Prime Minister, she has held the following Federal Government posts:

Prior to her appointment at CIDA, she was Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, Plans and Consultation, in the Privy Council Office, a position she held since May 2006. Ms. Biggs has held a variety of senior positions in the federal government including: Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Priorities and Planning, Privy Council Office, Assistant Deputy Minister, Human Investment Programs and Associate Executive Head, Strategic Policy, Human Resources Development Canada.

Do you think she’s a “good soldier”?

And do you think, perhaps, she just might want another one of these lovely jobs when her current position expires in 2013?

So let's not get all warm and fuzzy because a good soldier got onside with her general, shall we?

Secondly, it doesn’t answer the more insidious question. Oda signed the document, which pretty clearly implies her approval – and it was later, according to her statement, that someone inserted the “NOT” into it.

Why didn’t she do it herself, if it was just a problem with the limitations of the “form”.  If Bev Oda really just exercised her Ministerial prerogative to over-ride the recommendation, why did she sign the recommendation, but not, at that time, make the edit to the form?

And while we talking about the limitations of this "Form", go read it again.

This form says, "Primary local partner - the organization works with 23 well-established local partners trusted by KAIROS."

Yes.  I'll bet they have thousands of these pre-printed "forms" just sitting around the CIDA office.

That was no form.  It was a drafted document.  So, the argument that this was a "limitation of the form" doesn't really wash.

And if you notice, Bev Oda signed the recommendation..  err.. the "NOT" recommendation, some two months after the other two committee members.  One might guess that amongs the thousands of civil servants in Ottawa, maybe, as this obviously wasn't an urgent priority, they might have found one employee to re-type the form, or maybe, oh I'm just spit-balling here.. maybe Bev Oda could have written a whole sentence in her own handwriting saying, "I respectfully decline to approve" or something like that.

Call me crazy, but as a government Minister, I'm guessing she talks and writes occasionally in complete sentences.

I’ll tell you what.

I’m guessing the committee reviews these things and then comes to a unanimous decision as a rule.  And then they draft the memo and they circulate it for signatures.

And then they sign the stupid form.

But this time, someone vetoed them.

I’d like to know who.

But then, as a card-carrying Conservative, who donates to the party.. I’m just another one of those lefties in a knot.

Not.

I'm a Conservative who doesn't like weasels when they are Liberals and I don't like them any more when they are Conservatives. 

In fact, I like them less.. because I don't expect federal Liberals to be honest and open.

From Conservatives, I expect more.