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Ruching to judgement
It’s not often that you’ll read diametrically opposing views on the same page in this newspaper; on most community issues, our opinion columnists like Messrs. Varley, Stemp and Barris usually hold substantially similar perspectives. But every now and again it’s bound to happen, particularly when the subject is federal politics.
It can’t be denied that Mr. Varley has reason to complain about the apparent misdeeds of Durham’s MPP, Bev Oda, in the tempest that has arisen over her tampering with government documents, and then lying about how the tampering occured. Ms. Oda has obviously made a series of significant mistakes, not the least of which is refusing to talk to the media about all this. For his story on page one, Mr. Varley actually succeeded in reaching the MP’s press secretary, who stonewalled him by saying the minister was unavailable for interview. Our calls to Ms. Oda’s cell phone went unanswered.
After this story broke, it wasn’t long before we received a predictable release from the Durham Liberal Association, calling for Ms. Oda’s head, essentially saying that her actions amounted to capital treason, and lamenting that this scandal was the predictable finale to Ms. Oda’s sorry record in representing her constituents.
That is a considerable over-reaction. To this point, we believe that Ms. Oda has been a largely conscientious and effective representative for Uxbridge in Ottawa. Considering the travel schedule that she maintains in her cabinet portfolio, and the fact that her residences are in Ottawa and Bowmanville, it’s remarkable how often she makes an effort to attend important local events. Contrast her record, for example, with our former Liberal MPP Wayne Arthurs, who although a resident of Pickering, was virtually invisible in Uxbridge.
And something smells fishy in this whole business. As Mr. Varley points out, Ms. Oda was quite within her responsibility to reject the funding recommendation of her advisors when it came to the organization in question. The whole business of international aid is murky and slimy; time and again it is demonstrated that a lot of donors’ money is disappearing into the pockets of people for whom it was never intended, here and in the target countries. But initially the minister told a parliamentary committee that she didn’t know who had scribbled the “NO” on the application.
In our front page story, John O’Toole calls Ms. Oda an honourable person, an adjective with which Mr. Varley strongly disagrees. But this writer confesses to having the same impression as Mr. O’Toole; she’s always seemed like a straight talker, someone honest and forthright. But the other thing she seems sometimes is like a fish out of water; despite her years in Ottawa, she still feels a little uncomfortable with the world of politics. Perhaps she leans on her advisors a bit too much.
So maybe, just maybe, instead of lying to the committee and then being honest this week, it’s the other way around; she really didn’t know who altered the document, but is now taking the fall for someone else. Until she talks to us, it’s hard to guess.
So in answer to Mr. Varley’s eternal question, perhaps he’s not wrong, but perhaps he is being a trifle hasty.
