All Tories Are Racists …

 

So said a caller to one of the local radio stations here in Ottawa yesterday.

My reply to him is that ‘all those thinking such are Morons’.  So there.

But first and just to confirm, I am going into a siesta state but first have decided to get one or two Blogs off my chest…so to speak.

The nimwit’s comment would have ordinarily fallen on my deaf ears but it was the second time in two days that I had heard more or less the same thing; the first time was by a Chinese Canadian woman who up until then I had respected.

It happened during our Wednesday discussion group and the topic was the Northern Gateway Pipeline.

I had led off the discussion by saying it had to go through and fast given that the centre – Ontario and Quebec, were rapidly losing their manufacturing, which was not likely to ever return.

Oil and Gas, especially from the West were the things that would keep our economy afloat.

Others joined in, and not surprisingly the issue of native opposition to the pipeline came up.  The essence of their concerns was that native groups should not be allowed to disrupt the process by way of violence, as some of their Chiefs have threatened to do.

I too added to the discussion by saying that natives who did interfere in such a way, should have their Government of Canada funding cut off.

The discussion continued.

It was then that our Chinese Canadian woman piped (pun?) in by saying ‘Canada consists of many racists as is evident by the discussion here today’.

I was dumbfounded on two accounts:

First, I was saddened that such a bright lady would stoop to invoking racism for the sole purpose of shutting down the discussion. 

Second, I was angered by her suggestion since it is totally false.

It was the second result that caused me to reply to the dear lady.

I said, “if being critical of those who would use civil disobedience to defy the Will of the People is racist, then call me a Red Neck”.

“My only concern is for the welfare of all Canadians –be they red, black, blue and white as I truly believe we will all benefit by having our oil and gas reach world markets”.

I made my point but probably made an enemy in so doing.

The fact is though, the World runs on oil and will do so for the better part of this current century. And we in Canada are blessed to have it in abundance.

As stated above,Canada, like the Western World generally, is losing its manufacturing.  It is relocating to parts of the world that provide cheap, abundant labour.  But those countries are not self sufficient, they need oil and gas to operate and if Canada does not meet this need, other countries will gladly do so.

We therefore have an opportunity to move forward or fall back.

And in that regard, to say that we will not condone violent native protests is not racist; it is only common sense and in the end will be best.

Later I got in another relevant point.

I pointed out how bizarre it is for such projects as the Northern Gateway Pipeline to literally takes decades to get approved. “If it were China – the about to become largest economy in the World – approval can be obtained within a day”.  I also stated that in saying this I was not defending dictatorship but only voicing the need for these types of decisions – for or against – to be made more quickly.

Our lady piped up again to say that she was from China and their projects were done in such a way as to cause needless death to its workers.

Once again, the dear lady missed the point but sadly I know that she is not alone in her misguided thinking but I do think they are in the minority.

As such, the Conservatives have a golden opportunity to push the pipeline through to completion and in doing so re-set the political agenda in their favour as both Young Trudeau and Angry Tom have come out against it.

The Conservative’s tepid support of late for the project causes me to wonder though if they are smart enough to seize the moment.

It would be a shame.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

Happy 104th Mr. Hees !!

 

Today, June 17, 2014, is the birthday of our former boss and much loved politician, the Honourable George Hees.

A year ago, I wrote a belated Eulogy for this late great Statesman, and it seems fitting to publish it once again:

When we see how politics has fallen into disrepute in recent times, we consider ourselves most fortunate to have worked for one of Canada’s last great statesmen-politicians, the Honourable George Hees.

Mr. Hees passed away in Toronto on June 11, 1996 at the age of 85.  This Monday, June 17th, would have been his 103rd birthday.

Married in 1934 to Mabel Dunlop..’the Pembroke Pearl’, the Hees’ had three daughters and a life together full of interesting times and adventure.

Save for a brief interlude between 1963 and 1965, our Boss was continually a Member of Parliament from 1950 until his retirement in 1988.

His accomplishments were legend: all star athlete culminating with his being on the 1938 Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts; a war hero wounded in the heavily fought battle for the Walcheren Causeway in Holland in 1944; a most successful businessman having had to take over the family business at a young age after his father was killed in a riding accident; he served as Cabinet Minister in the Diefenbaker Government of 1957-1963 both as Minister of Transport and Minister of Trade and Commerce;and, later in life served in the Mulroney Government as both Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State for Seniors.

The list could go on and on but for us, Mr. Hees was far more than these biographical entries.  He was a gentleman of the first order.

Always cheerful and never critical he inspired his staff to do their utmost simply by the fact that we never wanted to let him down.  On those occasions when we did, he encouraged us to shake it off “we all make mistakes” he said, “and no one more than me”.

When asked one time what best prepared him for a life in politics he replied simply, “that’s easy, sports, in sports you have to depend on your teammates and with sports comes both victory and failure and the lessons learned in how to successfully deal with each”.

He did not view the Members of other parties as the enemy, rather he considered them friends, all working in the interests of a better Canada and he lived that philosophy by example, as well as by word.  When we came to work for him as the newly appointed Minister of Veterans Affairs his first order of business for us was to get to know the Veterans’ Opposition Critics. He asked us to find out what he could do for them to make their jobs easier all with the goal that this would benefit veterans whom he viewed as the most special of Canadians.

We can hear him now … in his speeches … telling audiences of the sacrifices made by these young men and women, “they risked their lives, risked having their heads were blown off and too often their limbs destroyed, all so that we might enjoy the many freedoms we have today.”

Our Boss was fond of mottos; while Minister for Trade and Commerce in the early 1960s he promoted the phrase You Can’t Do Business Sitting On Your Ass and neckties of a donkey accompanied with the letters YCDBSOYA soon flourished.  While Minister of Veterans Affairs he coined the phrase Courtesy, Generosity and Speed (C.G.S.). Both these mottos encouraged his departments to double their efforts on behalf of their respective clientele.

Mr. Hees was very much from the old school in that he was proud of his profession and proud of his colleagues on all sides of the House of Commons. Often he would coach newly elected M.P.s regardless of party just because that was the way he was. Few know this, but he met often with Pierre Elliott Trudeau to discuss issues of the day.

Also of interest, was the fact that he was offered a Senate position by both the Liberals and the Conservatives but dismissed them by saying “I’m too young to retire.”

Perhaps the best way to sum up this Eulogy is to refer back to Hansard on the last day George Hees appeared in the House of Commons, the date was September 1, 1988:

Neil Young the NDP Critic for Veterans Affairs stood and asked the Boss a rather soft question – he began with the following lead-in – “My question is to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, and it may very well be the last chance I have to ask the Minister a question in the House or indeed for him to give a response.  And I regret that very much Mr. Speaker, because the Minister has been appreciated by all members on all sides of the House and certainly by the Veterans of Canada”.

Mr. Young’s question was met with thunderous applause throughout.

George Hees then replied -

“To start with, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all Honourable members for their very kind and generous expression of good will that they accorded me a few moments ago. This is one of the reasons that makes serving in Parliament the finest profession that anyone can have. I’ve enjoyed it tremendously not only because of the work that we’re all able to do,but because of the associations that we make, not only with members of our own party, but with members of all other parties.”

This was followed by several standing ovations.

It has been a quarter century since the voice of George Harris Hees echoed in the Halls of Parliament but for many and most especially for those like us who had the honour to have worked for him, those words will never be stilled.

Respectively submitted by:

Keith Bell … Former Chief of Staff

Shirley Cheevers … Former Executive Assistant

It is all about the Children …

 

I have decided to take a break once again from Blog writing.

Before I do however, I want to leave you with two more blogs – today’s and then one to follow about the little gaffer in the White House.

Today’s is about the future … for our once proud Province of Ontario.

Kathleen Wynne, in her recent campaign, urged voters to forget the past – you know the numerous scandals and such … and to focus on the future.

The past, said Wynne, was all about her predecessor Dolton McGuinty.

So okay, let’s do what dear Kathleen wants and focus on a Wynne Ontario.

And let’s do it from the perspective of the future … namely our children and our children’s children.

First … Sex Ed.

As Minister of Education, dear Kathleen tried unsuccessfully to introduce radical sex education into our schools.

This was something that even the Dolster could not stomach and, to his credit, quickly shelved the idea.

But now Wynne is in the driver’s seat, she has announced that one of the first things she will do, as Premier, is to bring back the ill fated Sex Ed Program.

Now some background is in order to better understand the curriculum to follow:

1st., Wynne is a lesbian;

2nd., the person she hand picked to introduce the new sex ed program, while she was Minister, has been charged with being a pedophile, and,

3rd., the most recent study in the United States found only 4% of Americans self identifying as homosexual.

Begs the question what is fuelling this most controversial initiative.

And Controversial It Is:

Starting in Grade One the little gaffers will be exposed to graphic lessons and pictures of sexual body parts.  (as a aside this alone could run educators afoul of the criminal code… but I digress).

In Grade 3, the little urgings will be taught gender theory, that is to say, that it is normal to question whether or not a you are a boy or a girl, regardless of your physic.

In Grade 6, you will be taught how to masturbate and,

In Grade 7, your studies will focus on oral and anal sex.

(And to think, I was always of the opinion that there was not enough history being taught in our schools.)

And at a time when our youth – Grades 1 and 3 should be playing cops and robbers or with dolls.

And then the lessons for Grades 6 and 7 go even further afield.

Bet you did not hear much about all that in the recent election campaign?

So that’s bad, but so is the fact that our children and their children will have to pay off our debts racked up under 4 successive Grit terms.

The Debt is approaching $300 Billion Dollars, our Deficit is slated to climb this year to over $12 Billion Dollars and the Liberal Promise to balance the Budget within 2 to 3 years is … simply pie in the sky.

It won’t happen.

So hug a kid today and thank him or her or whatever, for their kindness.

Talk about a reverse inheritance.

Sadly though, there will be less of them to thank since our Energy costs are three times the norm and rapidly climbing, there will be less jobs for them and the lucky ones will continue, as they do today, to escape the Province for jobs elsewhere – primarily in the West and in the United States.

So go girl go – you are the Wynner; let’s see what you can do.

We can afford to wish you well since it will be our children who will get the bill.

As I see it …

‘K.D. Galagher’