Wednesday, August 5, 2009
628...A Demain 93.1 CKCU 8 - 9 30 AM
Emily O.
Joel Martin.
Blake Batson.
If he shows, big Larry O'Brien party tonight.
Natasha Wilson.
Ms. Wilson is from the Ottawa Riverkeepers and they are having the Casting for Clean Water Fishing Tournament starting Wednesday of next week.
And, of course, you.
Tomorrow morning, 8 bells, 93.1.
WFDS
627...In My Defense Mr. deBeauxOs
Radio Canada, CBC French, did not have ongoing coverage of the Larry O'Brien verdict; I reiterate that the only over the air station in the Capital that had ongoing coverage of this important trial was the much maligned CFRA.
Again, I thank you for reading sir and I thank you for the comment.
WFDS
Saturday, June 27, 2009
384...ZeroMeansZero Is Wet
For those of you not current on this file, the Mayor of Ottawa is in court. A former candidate for the office, a window licker named Terry Kilrea, has accused hizzoner of being a politican and convinced the Crown Attorney and the Ontario Provincial Police that that is a no no. Hizzoner made a bit of move to have everything thrown out of court yesterday. Alas, not happening.
This is what has got ZeroMeansZero so very wet.
WFDS
Friday, June 19, 2009
329...How Did I Miss This? Buster Douglas/Ott
Thursday, June 4, 2009
209...Penny Collenette, Wisdom, Ottawa Citizen
Citizen Special
June 4, 2009
The current courthouse drama on Elgin Street over Larry O'Brien's alleged "offer" to former mayoral candidate Terry Kilrea of a job on the National Parole Board is a good opportunity to take a reality check on federal appointments. These include every post from part-time positions on local port authorities to the governor general.
The media describe appointments as plums, not as jobs. Wages and benefits earned are known as perks, not salaries or compensation.
The reality is that many of these positions are among the toughest jobs in the country. For example, the decisions made by the National Parole Board and the Immigration and Refugee Board can have far reaching consequences for our society. There is little room for error and there is no time for "learning on the job." Individual appointees have been known to suffer from stress due to media scrutiny.
So why don't we take these jobs seriously? Why do some people believe that they can simply ask for a position or even worse, promise it?
In his time, Sir Wilfrid Laurier had his appointments work cut out for him: "No other subject bulked so large in correspondence; no other subject brought so many visitors to Ottawa. It meant endless bombardment of ministers, ceaseless efforts to secure a word from the friend of a friend of the premier, bitter disappointment for the ninety and nine who were turned away ..."
First, let me observe that the current system is light years away from those of yesteryear for several reasons, but no less difficult. If Sir Wilfrid were alive today, he would no doubt be bombarded, not only by letters, but by e-mails. (To my knowledge, no one has yet mounted a Facebook campaign for an appointment, but no doubt someone, somewhere is thinking of it.) But modern technology allows access to names and talent which are easily found through websites and databases. The "local" nature of appointments has evolved into a connected and networked database of talent.
Secondly, smart modern government should demand collaboration. For example, when I was responsible for considering federal appointments, I found it crucial to consult with heads of agencies, those individuals who have already received their appointment but will have responsibility to train and govern others coming on to their boards or commissions. If the president or chair of a commission has not been brought somewhat into the circle with new appointments, his or her board may have difficulty functioning efficiently. Additionally, in some sectors such as justice, various advisory committees made up of peers are established to vet names. Therefore, a modern appointment process is one of massive and varied consultation.
Third, in 1993 the Chrétien government began a sea change in the appointment process which has sustained itself. This was an evolution in culture which was not always easy to manage. Based on an initiative by Kim Campbell's government, we began the process of advertising for most full-time positions.
To Ms. Campbell's credit, she had made the decision not to appoint individuals during her tenure because she felt that as an unelected prime minister, she did not have the moral authority.
While I more than agreed with her decision from an ethical standpoint, when we took office in 1993 boards were often left without quorum because of a lack of members. Catching up took months. Job descriptions were drawn up and interviews established. Reference checks and security clearances often took time, especially for quasi-judicial agencies, like the Parole Board.
Lastly, the communications messaging behind the appointments system was brought into the open. No longer were appointments announced on a Friday afternoon when journalists were not looking. Timely press releases with bios attached were the order of the day. One only has to remember the national publicity when the present governor general was announced to understand the symbolic importance of communicating a government's choice in a forthright fashion.
All this is to say that a federal appointment which is discussed, suggested or offered should never be taken lightly. No federal appointment should ever be offered as an inducement for a change in behaviour, whether it is to run for elected office or not to run for elected office.
Has the system worked? I was at the 40th anniversary of the National Arts Centre Tuesday night and looked around me at some wonderful people. Peter Herrndorf, the much loved president of the National Arts Centre, Madam Justice Beverley McLachlin, chief justice of the Supreme Court, and former senators Jean-Louis Roux and Laurier LaPierre. Order in council appointments all of them.
Could the system work better? Of course. But let's begin with some respect for the history and the tradition.
Penny Collenette was director of appointments in the prime minister's office from 1993-1997. She is a lawyer and is currently adjunct professor in the faculty of law and executive-in-residence at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
201...When Did Canada Become So Mean?
Ditto the comment after Post 197, by, you guessed it, Anonymous, who has decided that Omar Khadr is less of a Canadian than you and I.
More examples.
The insane proposed new mandatory sentencing laws for marijuana; who needs discretion anyhow.
Ontario's new anti drinking and driving laws that offer the same lack of discretion.
And on and on.
WFDS
199...Larry O'Brien; A Question Of When, Not If
WFDS
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
107...ZeroMeansZero are Zeros
A good judge like Roland Freisler, a sharp guillotine, none of these fancy defense lawyers, especially ones like Michael Edelson [and you know what I mean] y'all would have had tres fun.
By the way, when are you ZeroMeansZero cowards starting an I Love Ruby hate group?
WFDS
Friday, May 8, 2009
104...Ruby Dhalla and Mayor Lar' Offered Me A Job
John Mraz, personal friend of mine, was succinct in the National Post when he wrote that they, and by they he means you ZeroMeansZero mindset people are all about convicting, due process be damned.
Poor Ruby, following in the footsteps of Mayor Lar', Sinclair Stevens, Greg Sobara and on and on. Presumed guilty until proven innocent. That be backwards, eh? Totally.
There has been no establishment of the facts in the case, which the Tory less Ontario Tories are calling slavegate. Heaven forbid there should be a cooling off period where one would wait for a bit of due process, perhaps an investigation, an inquiry or review of the facts. Nah, what's the point, let's just ruin her career of public service coz three of her ex employees don't like her.
Here is why you should be pissed: when they take away Ruby Dhalla's rights they diminish yours.
That sucks.
WFDS
Thursday, May 7, 2009
102...A Response to a Comment re 100
For those who have not read Eric's comment, please look underneath note 100 from WFDS.
Let me congratulate you on your measured response.
Here is what I think, with respect to the maximum.
First off, there is a little thing that makes Canada different from say North Korea or, back in the day, Soviet Russia and the Third Reich, that being the presumption of innocence; the onus is on the state to prove that Mayor Lar' is guilty, not the other way around.
Secondly one of the things that makes us, as Canadians, a strong country and society is the ability to face one's accuser. The pussies that are on ZMZ are afraid for their jobs and their mortgages and their little lives. They are the kind of cowards that in a different time and a different place would allow regimes like Adolph Hitler's, Joesph Stalin's and the disgrace that is North Korea to exist. If they are city employees they are keeping the system going going going by doing their jobs or, if they are goldbricking, they are stealing time from all citizens of this town.
Three, they, the state, seem to be building their case with Terry Kilrea as the foundation. The man couldn't spell 'cat' if you gave him the 'c' and the 't' and, at best, has an elusive relationship with the truth.
Thank you Eric, for both reading my blog and for signing your name.
WFDS
100...Ottawa, the city, not the capital
I did not vote for him either but he is our mayor, show a little support.
It is said that nature abhors a vacuum yet none of the fearless civic leaders, both elected and pretenders to the various thrones in north eastern Ontario, have stepped up to fill the supposed vacuum that is the mayor's office in Ottawa.
Not that you haven't had opportunity: a bus strike, the light rail/subway issues, an impending health crisis, the stadium kerfuffle all come to mind.
Yet none of you know it alls have stepped up to the proverbial plate.
Meme chose for the many who spend their work day filling ZeroMeansZero with their libelous rants.
What's with that?
Fear factor I suppose, fear factor.
As per usual, I sign my work, not anonymously, not with a cute nick name, but with my name.
WFDS
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
92...Larry O'Brien, Mayor For Life
Note to all the haters: when His Worship of Ottawa, Larry O'Brien, gets acquitted of the spurious charges leveled against him by that window licker Terry Kilrea it is my prediction, and I am right 57.28 per cent of the time, that Larry O will run for mayor yet again and win by a huge margin.
Tell that to the anonymous posers and posters on ZeroMeansZero.
WFDS
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
88...Gutless Wonders aka ZeroMeansZero
Of course none of them are signing anything with their real names.
These people are the biggest losers extant: at least the people whom they hate on, Mayor Larry, Lowell Green, Steve Madely and so on, have the integrity to sign their names to their work.
Embarrassments to the human race they are, embarrassments.
WFDS