Senior Tory Minister to be named judge?

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080517/...ies_judge_toews

A key member of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet could be parachuted into a judgeship in Manitoba, a Conservative Party source has told the Canadian Press.
Treasury Board President Vic Toews is expected to be offered a federally appointed judicial position, said the source. Toews represents the Provencher riding in Manitoba's Bible Belt, generally regarded as a safe Tory seat.

But Toews' wife of more than 30 years, Lorraine Kathleen Fehr, has filed divorce papers. Court records show the divorce petition was entered March 31.

The judicial appointment is "100 per cent a golden parachute," the source said, adding: "Harper doesn't want it (Toews' personal life) as an issue in the next election."

I wonder if we will see a flurry of Tory appointments to the bench of loyal Tories.

Alta4ever · May 17, 2008

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080517/...ies_judge_toews
I wonder if we will see a flurry of Tory appointments to the bench of loyal Tories.

So what? It might be nice to have some balance against all the plum posts given to liberals during their 13 years of rule. Are all liberals this arrogant, that they think only they are the best people for government jobs?

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

So what? It might be nice to have some balance against all the plum posts given to liberals during their 13 years of rule. Are all liberals this arrogant, that they think only they are the best people for government jobs?

Are the Tories that arrogant to think that the public will accept their patronage appointments with anymore favour than they greeted Liberals ones?

Alta4ever · May 17, 2008

Are the Tories that arrogant to think that the public will accept their patronage appointments with anymore favour than they greeted Liberals ones?

Looks like you are the only one complaining.

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

Looks like you are the only one complaining.

Yup. I'm sure people in Winnipeg will welcome Toews back. He was once thumped by the NDP in his home riding before seeking federal office in a safe seat. His partisan shenanigans have not been forgotten in this province.

Wild Bill · May 17, 2008

Are the Tories that arrogant to think that the public will accept their patronage appointments with anymore favour than they greeted Liberals ones?

This is an odd statement, don't you think? Considering that the public obviously DID accept all the Liberal ones! After all, they happened, tons of them, for years!

No, it's pretty obvious that most Canadians don't really notice or care.

I can understand your partisanship but usually you're much more logical. Perhaps you just needed a coffee?

Keepitsimple · May 17, 2008

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080517/...ies_judge_toews
I wonder if we will see a flurry of Tory appointments to the bench of loyal Tories.

You're too funny Dobbin. I'm sure this is your tongue-in-cheek humour again.

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

This is an odd statement, don't you think? Considering that the public obviously DID accept all the Liberal ones! After all, they happened, tons of them, for years!
No, it's pretty obvious that most Canadians don't really notice or care.

I can understand your partisanship but usually you're much more logical. Perhaps you just needed a coffee?

I don't think the public accepted them without question. If they did, there would not be so much cynicism now that the civil service and the judiciary were politically partisan. Past Liberal and Tory governments have undermined federal institutions.

In recent weeks even columnists from the National Post have questioned the use of the military as a backdrop for Harper's spending announcement. Don Martin, who is no friend of the the Liberals, went so far as to call them "potted plants" who were expected to clap after each pause in the speech. Andrew Cohen on Thursday's CBC political panel stated that the speech by a sub-Lieutenant appeared to be written by a politician and crossed the line.

Think I need a coffee now? I think there is a danger if various departments of government openly endorse political parties. Does it make sense for the military to endorse the Tories and the Foreign Service to endorse the Liberals?

New Brunswick politics used to operate on the premise that when a new government was elected that you put your cronies in right down to who plows the roads. It is hardly the way to build public trust in the civil service or a professional operating government.

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

You're too funny Dobbin. I'm sure this is your tongue-in-cheek humour again.

I wish I was. The Canadian Bar Association has commented on the fear that moves made by the Tories could make the appointments more political rather less political.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...bba&k=58731

The Canadian Bar Association's pitch comes after years of vocal opposition to public vetting of Supreme Court contenders on the grounds that it could degenerate into a political free-for-all and leave the impression that judges are beholden to politicians.
Association president Bernard Amyot said that the group is no longer against the government holding a Parliamentary hearing, but that the organization's support comes with caveats, including allowing lawyers to join in.

"Instead of it being only MPs asking questions, all the stakeholders could be canvassed," Amyot said in an interview.

The 37,000-member association also wants the Harper government to enshrine a no-go list of banned questions, which would include the judicial candidate's personal views on topics that could come before the high court, said Amyot.

All questions should also be posed through a disinterested third party, such as a journalist, rather than politicians and lawyers, he said.

The Harper government is in the midst of deciding how it will go about replacing Bastarache, who retires on June 30. By convention, the vacancy on the nine-member bench will be filled by an Atlantic Canadian.

After the appointment of former Tory Justice minister Bradley Green in April, the Canadian Bar Association said that cabinet minister should face a two year cooling off period following stepping down before taking a judicial appointment.

I happen to agree with that decision.

I don't know if Toews will be appointed but we have already seen one former provincial Tory cabinet minister appointed.

Edited May 17, 2008 by jdobbin

Wild Bill · May 17, 2008

I don't think the public accepted them without question. If they did, there would not be so much cynicism now that the civil service and the judiciary were politically partisan. Past Liberal and Tory governments have undermined federal institutions.

I think your underestimating the depth of that cynicism! Partisan appointments have gone on for so long that Canadians now see them as just part of the odious nature of politics. Trying to link them to one party or another no longer is an effective tactic.

Patronage accusations worked against Turner for Mulroney because both Trudeau and Turner had disgusted us with patronage. Then Mulroney did the exact same thing. Our trust has been shattered for about two decades now. We still don't like them but they are now a factor more like the weather. We can't do anything about it so why think about it? Work in a horse barn for a surprisingly short time and you no longer notice the smell.

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

I think your underestimating the depth of that cynicism! Partisan appointments have gone on for so long that Canadians now see them as just part of the odious nature of politics. Trying to link them to one party or another no longer is an effective tactic.

Harper had said he will do things differently. Appointing a second cabinet minister straight to the bench is about as partisan as it gets. You don't agree?

scribblet · May 17, 2008

Just levelling the playing field a bit - what's the problem -

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

Just levelling the playing field a bit - what's the problem -

By all means: appoint a flurry of Tories to the bench. Show how different the Harper government is.

geoffrey · May 17, 2008

I'm with Dobbin on this one. Come on now, don't appoint a Minister. If you want more Tories to balance it out, ok.

But appointing a Minister? Does the CPC not realise how bad this looks?

jdobbin · May 17, 2008

I'm with Dobbin on this one. Come on now, don't appoint a Minister. If you want more Tories to balance it out, ok.
But appointing a Minister? Does the CPC not realise how bad this looks?

I happen to agree with the Canadian Bar Association on the two year cooling off period. Straight to the bench from Parliament is a pretty quick turn around.

As for the rest of the judicial appointments, I had no problem with Harper's Rothstein appointment. He was shortlisted by both Liberal and Tory governments for judicial appointments. I do have a concern that judicial appointments could increasingly become political.

I know some Tories are saying it is only to balance things out but they never do in such an environment. I happened to respect Mulroney's appointments to the Supreme Court. I think it is important to ensure that the court appointments are above board. That should be the goal. Anything else undermines the court.

Michael Bluth · May 17, 2008

I'm with Dobbin on this one. Come on now, don't appoint a Minister. If you want more Tories to balance it out, ok.
But appointing a Minister? Does the CPC not realise how bad this looks?

Half the posts on this thread are Dobbin's. Just another attempt at starting something. You are the only one to fall for his rabble-rousing. The majority have spoken. Non-issue.

What is the big issue here?

Toews is eminently qualified.

Shakeyhands · May 17, 2008

I'm with Dobbin on this one. Come on now, don't appoint a Minister. If you want more Tories to balance it out, ok.
But appointing a Minister? Does the CPC not realise how bad this looks?

I seem to remember hearing claims that this government wouldn't be doing this sort of this as well....

DrGreenthumb · May 17, 2008

Half the posts on this thread are Dobbin's. Just another attempt at starting something. You are the only one to fall for his rabble-rousing. The majority have spoken. Non-issue.
What is the big issue here?

Toews is eminently qualified.

Toews is one of the worst of all the tories, hearing his name makes me start to dry-heave. This guy is a total bible thumping whackjob, from the centre of bible thumping whackoville. Alcohol sales have only been legal in Toews riding for maybe 2-3 years. The last thing we need to do is put fundamentalist religious nutbars on the bench. Toews is probably salivating at the chance to "punish the sinners". Every day the Conservative government disgusts me more than the day before.

Keepitsimple · May 17, 2008

Interesting article that alligns quite well with the old question "when did you stop beating your wife". When nothing happens - as is very likely to be the case, the follow-up story will be that the "Conservatives bow to public pressure". As the article says, it's all anonymous rumours and Toews is running in the next election. When Toews decides to exit politics, he will probably make a pretty good judge, if he is so nominated. In reality, I'll bet it's hard to find a lawyer who has not been affiliated or made contributions to political parties.

Questions about the possible career change were dismissed as "anonymous rumours" by Toews' office.
"The minister has been the nominated candidate for his riding for some time, he is dedicated to his constituents, and as such will be running in the next election," Mike Storeshaw, Toews' director of communications, wrote Friday in an e-mail to The Canadian Press.

Toews was named justice minister when the Tories were elected in 2006. He held the position for eleven months until he was moved into the Treasury Board post.

It wasn't the first time he worked as justice minister. He spent two years as Manitoba's attorney general until the provincial Progressive Conservatives were ousted from office in 1999 by the New Democrats.

Toews was elected as MP for Provencher in 2000. Trained as a lawyer at the University of Manitoba, he was called to the bar in 1977, and worked for Manitoba Justice until 1991.

Edited May 17, 2008 by Keepitsimple

Michael Bluth · May 17, 2008

In reality, I'll bet it's hard to find a lawyer who has not been affiliated or made contributions to political parties.

And judges for that matter. But most of them are Liberals so no big problem.

Toews is one of the worst of all the tories, hearing his name makes me start to dry-heave. This guy is a total bible thumping whackjob, from the centre of bible thumping whackoville. Alcohol sales have only been legal in Toews riding for maybe 2-3 years. The last thing we need to do is put fundamentalist religious nutbars on the bench. Toews is probably salivating at the chance to "punish the sinners".

Freedom of religion for all - as long as they aren't Christian! :rolleyes:

Can you imagine the howls of protest from the left if the same were said about a member of any other religion? The hypocrisy is sickening.

CANADIEN · May 17, 2008

And judges for that matter. But most of them are Liberals so no big problem.
Freedom of religion for all - as long as they aren't Christian!

Can you imagine the howls of protest from the left if the same were said about a member of any other religion? The hypocrisy is sickening.

So, he won't be appointed judge anytime soon.

Good... we can concentrate on the principle here.

I do expect a government to appoint judges who fit their idea of what a judge should be. I would expect they hire people who have a track reputation as knowing the law.

As for appointing recently retired politicians, or even worse appointing them straight from the Cabinet... WRONGGGGGGGGG idea. Even the person is Moses brought back to Earth, it looks too much like a partisan appontment.

Michael Bluth · May 17, 2008

Good... we can concentrate on the principle here.
I do expect a government to appoint judges who fit their idea of what a judge should be. I would expect they hire people who have a track reputation as knowing the law.

Crown Attorney in Manitoba - 1977 to 1987

Director of Constitutional Law for Manitoba - 1987 to 1991

Appointed Queen's Counsel - 1991

Manitoba's Minister of Justice and Attorney General 1997 to 1999

Justice Critic for the Official Opposition of Canada 2001 to 2006

Federal Minister of Justice 2006 to 2007

That appears to be 30 years experience of knowing the law...

Edited May 17, 2008 by Michael Bluth

Wild Bill · May 17, 2008

Harper had said he will do things differently.

So did Martin. And Chretien. And Mulroney. And Trudeau. And Clarke. And Pearson. And Dief.

And, and, and.

What's your point? Are you the only Canadian left who believes such words?

I admire your faith.

Shakeyhands · May 17, 2008

So did Martin. And Chretien. And Mulroney. And Trudeau. And Clarke. And Pearson. And Dief.
And, and, and.

What's your point? Are you the only Canadian left who believes such words?

I admire your faith.

Are you saying that the CPC promised transparent, open government with out the usual partisanship just to get elected and had no intention of following through on those promises?

It seems to fit....

Michael Bluth · May 17, 2008

Are you saying that the CPC promised transparent, open government with out the usual partisanship just to get elected and had no intention of following through on those promises?
It seems to fit....

Far from it. How about getting back to Toews' eminent qualifications to serve as a judge?