In Harper and CON universe, bullies rule. (Part 2)

 

The opposition has raised questions about former RCMP Bruno Saccomani's qualification given this, another Harper patronage appointment, as the Canadian ambassador to Jordan.

[...] NDP international development critic Helene Laverdiere, herself a former diplomat, said there is no reason to believe Saccomani has the skills required to fill such an important ambassadorial position.

“At the moment it is one of the hottest region in the world,” she told reporters in French. “We have specialists, professionals who have been in the diplomatic service for years who know the issues who know how to represent Canada more adequately. … This is certainly not someone who has the skills for a position in an area as sensitive as that.”

Bloc Quebecois MP Andre Bellavance alleged the only reason Saccomani received the appointment was because of “his proximity to the prime minister.”

In a previous post, DJ! linked to this, with regard to Saccomani's "diplomatic skills":

The management review report, published in January [2012], paints a grim picture of on-the-job morale for the 117 Mounties who protect the Harpers around the world and across Canada.

"The (review) team found that the examples of conflict in the workplace, harassment, discrimination, intimidation and perceived favouritism given during the interviews were disturbing," says the report.

Evaluators interviewed 41 per cent of the protection unit in December, and found a majority of officers had issues with their supervisor — Supt. Bruno Saccomani. [...]

Some complained about being reprimanded in front of their peers or in public. Mounties reported they felt they were "walking on eggshells" or feared repercussions following the review.

Saccomani appears to have his ardent fans though; look how they gush over him.

Guy Giorno, Harper's former chief of staff, said he's suspected RCMP brass have had Saccomani in their sights for a while.
"This is exactly what the brass was looking for -- to put a bullet into Bruno," he said. "They were happy about this."

Since then, it appears the RCMP have changed their opinion of Saccomani.  Medication taken to curb aggressiveness?  Insider knowledge, applied judiciously to his advantage?

"In his most recent annual performance review, dated March 28 and obtained by Postmedia News, Saccomani receives glowing praise from his manager."

I would guess that Tom Flanagan knows where Saccomani's RCMP manager lives.

More about Harper Cons and their hogs at the trough patronage appointments, at Sixth Estate's blog.

CON hogs at the trough!

It comes as no surprise that the Harper government is dispensing corporate welfare, in generous acts of CON cronyism, with taxpayers' money.  

If there's money to be made by accompanying PMSHithead to China, shouldn't these profitable private companies PAY their own way and cover their own business expenses?

The Conservative government covered expenses for some of the country’s top executives as they accompanied the prime minister around China a year ago, a move business leaders and officials defend as a good investment.

The trip signalled a change of approach for Stephen Harper, who for years eschewed the idea of leading big trade offensives abroad.

Then came the China trip last February.

The delegation to three Chinese cities included 30 executives from major oil, agricultural and manufacturing companies as well as roughly two dozen members of the Chinese-Canadian cultural community.

Compare that with a 2009 trip to China — Harper’s first — when he brought along eight people, including Laureen, his stylist and four Chinese-Canadian businesspeople.

The Foreign Affairs Department says local transportation, accommodation, meals and “miscellaneous expenses” incurred by an official delegation is covered by the government. For the 2012 non-governmental participants, that meant an average of $1,200 a person.

Corporations and associations — including Bombardier, Cenovus Nuclear Energy, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Cameco — confirmed that the government paid for portions of the expenses, with the amount varying from firm to firm.

From here.

Last word to Stephen Lautens who brought this story to our attention.

"What's a Harper photo-op without a paid entourage?"

Hence the photo at the top of this blogpost.

Rob Anders' CONvictions

Infamous for falling asleep whilst warming a CPC backbench in the House of Commons, Rob Anders "beaked off" recently.

There was the predictable fall-out and, as one journalist mused, there must have been some vigorous "arm-twisting behind the scenes" to get Anders to produce a classic CON non-apology.  He did not retract  his spurious claims nor admit he had made a mistake by advancing fallacious information, but instead stated his remarks were inconsiderate and insensitive.

In the meanwhile, two tweets from Glen McGregor were intriguing.  One referenced a piece he wrote in 2009 about CPC MPs who had openly pledged to remain virgins until they married.  The other tweet  raised questions.

Who is Karma MacGregor? You may well ask.

A long-time CPC political operative it seems, now traveling on taxpayers dime.  Is she Anders' significant other?

It's really not the public's business whether they engage in high-risk activities like eating steak tartare off each other's quivering nekkid butts or chastely worship together at Charles McVety's church, united in platonic commitment.  Privacy issues.

But if MacGregor was given this perk only because of her dedication to the cons, would that qualify as feeding at the patronage trough?

Contempt Cronyism

Well, well. That didn't take very long, did it?

Alykhan Velshi's climb up the ranks of the Contempt Party continues.

Alison at Creekside first took note of Velshi here.

Now CBC reports:

Former Jason Kenney staffer Alykhan Velshi is returning to Parliament Hill -- this time as director of planning for the Prime Minister's Office [...].

Velshi was most recently executive director of EthicalOil.org, an organization set up to promote writer Ezra Levant's take on Canada's oilsands.

Funny how the ReformaTory claim that Stephen Harper Conservatives would govern differently never happened.

Plus ça change, more there are Con jobs feeding at the public trough.

Update from The Mark.

It's the Contempt culture!

According to a news report in the French media, the G20 currently taking place in Cannes has a budget of 20 million euros - roughly 28 million Canadian dollars.

Yes. You read that correctly.

In June of 2010, PMSHithead's Contempt Party government spent $858 million on security alone for the G20.

Joe Wormington provides a chilling update on the most contentious aspect of that security: the illegal detention of hundreds of men and women who were rounded up by police, deprived of their basic human rights and never charged.

Past DJ! posts about the police actions, here and here.

This is what a *fiscally prudent, transparent and accountable* minority Con government did.

Now that the ReformaTories have flim-flammed themselves a slender majority with a minority of votes, all bets are off. Stevie Spiteful will sell off our natural resources and will spend our tax revenues on consultants who will advise them on how to slash government services.

From here:

Occupy Montreal protesters joined an anti-G20 protest organized by the anti-capitalist group known as CLAC Thursday night.

Hundreds of people marched through downtown after gathering at Phillips Square just after 6 p.m. The protesters expressed frustration with what they described as a focus on big business, not financial inequality, at the G20 summit in Cannes, France. Before dispersing shortly before 8 p.m., someone lit an effigy of Prime Minister Stephen Harper ablaze.

Smells like bacon frying, no?