With this space next week having to be devoted to my farewell message, it occurs to me this is my last chance to hold someone to account.
(So many targets, so little space.)
Okay, target locked on.
First, here’s a scenario.
A task force is formed, made up of several independent groups of good reputation.
It is asked to look into immigration and report back to the federal government on whether it is a good thing for Canada.
In the midst of its efforts, the prime minister and Immigration minister both say they think immigration is a good thing and immigrants make a valuable contribution to Canada.
Shortly thereafter the task force brings down its report and finds immigration is indeed a good thing for the country.
A right-wing politician then dismisses the report’s findings, suggesting that would not have been the conclusion of those groups had it not been for the pressure exerted by the federal government.
And in any case, whatever the reputations of those groups making up the task force, he disagreed with them.
Outrageous, right?
But how is that different from what our MP, Nathan Cullen, did on the TERMPOL review that found Very Large Crude Carriers could safely navigate the inside waters on their way to Kitimat?
He flat out insinuated that the BC Pilots, the Pacific Pilots Authority and the Canadian Coast Guard, all respected organisations, had kow-towed to the federal government’s position.
When challenged whether he was suggesting a grand conspiracy, he denied it.
But then, in a monumentally disingenuous moment, added it’s impossible to say people weren’t influenced.
Then repeats the insinuation by saying that while the pilots are “the experts” and he respects them, they are “in the midst of a project that has enormous political interference.”
Interestingly, though Cullen professes to respect the pilots, he describes them as “can do” people who “want to say that almost anything is possible.”
Making them sound awfully like reckless cowboys.
Whatever my views on his politics, I have to say that Nathan Cullen has impressed over the years by his determination to take the high road.
This time he took a wrong turn.
Malcolm Baxter.