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Let those accountable, not their minions, speak… |
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Written by Al Hollingsworth
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Friday, 10 April 2009 |
I absolutely abhor peek-a-boo politics, with gutless politicians hiding behind paid staff members rather than facing those who pay their salaries.
Tell me, on what ballots did the names of Wade Keller and Glennie Langille appear? None.
They are paid hacks, accountable only to their bosses. Keller, who speaks all too often for Premier Rodney MacDonald, and Langille, the front person for Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil, were both in the news this week. Keller was trying to explain away the latest debacle in the Justice system, while Langille defended the idiot who released a semi-nude picture of NDP candidate Lenore Zann.
I use the term “idiot” because, in addition to unexplainable poor judgment, this individual may have cost their Leader and his party a shot at the next election. The crass move sent shock waves through the arts community in particular, and caused thinking Nova Scotians to shake their heads in disbelief.
When McNeil discovered the release of a legitimate photograph from the movie The L-word, he should have sought out the culprit and booted his rear (note to Ron Chisholm, I didn’t use the dreaded “A” word) out the door and had his/her name removed from the membership roll of the Nova Scotia Liberal Association.
Instead, it was Langille out there carping about the images of Ms. Zann as “part of the public domain.” Yes, they are, because she is a legitimate actor who makes her living in the theatre. While all of this was going on she was in New York auditioning for a part on my favorite program, Law and Order.
If I were a resident of Truro-Bible Hill, I would be very proud to call her a neighbour.
The signal the Grits are sending is “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Pity.
Then there is Keller speaking for his boss, who is apparently trying to distance himself from the Burnside jailhouse riot. He blew it, when after the release of two prisoners by mistake, Justice Minister Cecil Clarke offered to resign. Clarke did the proper and honourable thing.
Accepting the resignation, while difficult, would have shown the leadership we desperately need in Nova Scotia and restored confidence in the system.
Where was he Wednesday when all hell was breaking loose in Burnside? Where was he Thursday when questions were being asked about the riot? Hiding? Playing golf? Ill?
One place he wasn’t, and that was facing the music. No, the unelected Wade Keller was defending his boss and Clarke, with understatements like “obviously improvements are necessary and Minister Clarke is taking the steps to make those improvements.”
In these, and other matters of accountability, the Tories and Grits have some work to do. To the credit of the NDP, I have no idea who is the media person advising Darrell Dexter. And that’s the way it should be!
(Al Hollingsworth is a retired journalist and broadcaster)
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