"Icons of democratic reform."

[kimmy]

Yahoo news: Shapiro and Stronach rock the hizzouse, say Liberals.

OTTAWA (CP) - The Liberal government is trumpeting the installation of Bernard Shapiro as ethics commissioner as an example of democratic reform - just as he faces mounting questions about his independence and credibility.

In a glossy report issued Wednesday, the Liberals also cited Belinda Stronach, who crossed the floor from the Conservatives to prop up the government in a key budget vote, as another icon of their reform agenda.

The report, tabled in the Commons by Liberal House leader Tony Valeri, also pointed to a new appointment process for judges on the Supreme Court of Canada.

While we've argued at length over Stronach's defection, I don't think even her most avid supporters hailed the move as evidence of democratic reform.

We also discussed the "new appointment process", which as I recall was just like the old appointment process except for the addition of a pointless dog-and-pony show where Justice Minister Cotler got together with an all-party committee to provide non-answers to an array of strictly limited questions.

But pointing to Shapiro as a great accomplishment seems, well, a little desperate. By coincidence, James Travers' scathing review of Shapiro's first year as ethics commissioner was in today's Toronto Star.

Toronto Star column: Shapiro kind of sucks.

Shapiro's problems stretch well beyond his glacial, uncertain "shades of grey" handling of the Judy Sgro affair. As unhappy as opposition parties are with this week's report — a report that found egregious immigration abuses and yet seemed to let the minister off the hook — they are more concerned about his judgment, competence and political savvy.

His chances of survival are dramatically reduced by the fact that the respected and soon-to-retire Ed Broadbent is leading the charge. Careful not to question motives, Broadbent points to a series of dubious decisions as evidence that Shapiro is too slow moving and malleable for a tough task requiring timeliness and clarity.

The former NDP leader has it nailed. In his first year, Shapiro hired a well-connected Liberal law firm to help investigate a Liberal minister, lifted without explanation lobbying restrictions for two former cabinet ministers, and has so far failed to rule when Paul Martin's business interests make it necessary for the Prime Minister to withdraw from policy discussions.

At least as damning, Shapiro was the dupe in a communications scam prematurely proclaiming Sgro's innocence. Remarkably, the ethics commissioner saw nothing wrong with editing a key paragraph from a letter the former immigration minister then used as proof of her vindication.

oops.

-k

edit: thanks for pointing out the bad URL, it should be fixed now.

[August1991]

Kimmy, your Yahoo link doesn't work and while I admit Travers column is scathing, I'm suspicious of Travers in general. He's the straight guy in some strange Liberal laff routine.

I suspect the Liberal announcement was prepared in advance and designed to coincide with the announcement (finally) of all these previously pending Shapiro decisions. The Liberals are into "Operation Candour". They are going to face all these issues head on. They will simply say they are honest, hard-working people doing the job they were elected to do.

Most Liberal voters in Ontario do not want to hear bad news. They want to hear that Shapiro is an honest, hard-working guy and that the Liberal Party is filled with honest, hard-working people. Belinda Stronach is honest and hard-working.

As they say in France, when the President's limo drives over the motorcycle, it shouldn't have been parked there anyway.

Now then, I'm waiting to see what Lapierre comes up with for Quebec.

[kimmy]

More Bernard Shapiro in the news.

Shapiro clears Grewal of immigration wrongdoing

(Shapiro) says Gurmant Grewal committed an error in judgment -- but an honest one -- when he demanded paid bonds from families of foreigners seeking to visit Canada.

The B.C. MP admits he asked for signed guarantees of up to $100,000 if visitors did not leave the country when their visas expired.

But ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro says Grewal never accepted any payment, and never intended to pocket the money. "There was no real conflict of interest," Shapiro said in a report tabled yesterday in the House of Commons.

"No profit personal to Mr. Grewal was either intended or realized."

While I'm sure Grewal is pleased with the decision, his enthusiasm should be muted by Shapiro's declining credibility. Being cleared by Shapiro doesn't seem to be a ringing endorsement. Grewal and Shapiro will continue to be close acquaintences, as the tapes matter will be investigated as well.

As for the Sgro case...

CP: Shapiro says he's learned his lesson.

-k