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The message was, and is, scary |
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Written by Al Hollingsworth
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Friday, 27 February 2009 |
Steve Murphy always ends his six o’clock CTV News package with “something interesting for last.” Wednesday evening, the “interesting” part came early.
During an interview with Premier Rodney MacDonald, Murphy asked about Nova Scotia contributing $1.5 million to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. He then followed up by asking about the four VIP tickets that were delivered along with 200 other tickets to the games.
I sat in total disbelief when MacDonald said it was the first he knew about the VIP tickets. The first he knew!
Having worked (it began with a major brain cramp) in a Leader’s office for three years, I have a bit of insight into what goes on. Believe me, the Leader had to read every document that came across his desk, and was then debriefed on what he had taken in.
I have a friend who was a close confidant of John Buchanan, and he would call her at two in the morning to be brought up to speed.
Here we have the Government of Nova Scotia, which Rodney MacDonald heads, signing a contract with the Vancouver Organizing Committee. This contract spelled out the terms of the agreement, including what Nova Scotia would receive in return for the investment. The contact, as are all contracts, was taken to cabinet for approval.
MacDonald’s revelation, then, suggests that our premier donated 1.5 million precious and shrinking tax dollars to the West Coast group and did not read the contract. Or wasn’t advised of the terms by his staff. That’s scary.
It also sheds some light on how the Commonwealth Games Committee could bleed nine million dollars and then decide that it was not a good idea after all. The government was not paying attention.
This begs the question: what other programs are siphoning off tax dollars without an accountability system in place?
Three years ago, when MacDonald won the Progressive Conservative leadership and, as leader, became the Premier, I was extremely happy. Here was a 34-year-old man, a brand new generation, not your typical suit, heading our government. How refreshing, I thought. So much so that I voted for his candidate in the election of 2006.
When I think back on that time it reminds me of a day in my army service when an individual (no names, no pack drill) offered up this gem: “yesterday I couldn’t spell sergeant, today I are one.” I am also reminded of the Peter Principle, named for the author Dr. Laurence J. Peter, who said that “In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence,” meaning that they are promoted until they reach a level at which they are incompetent, and then remain there. This more or less sums up our esteemed premier’s career to date.
(Al Hollingsworth is a retired journalist and broadcaster who, for three years, worked as Director of Communication for the Leader of the Opposition.)
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