Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Please investigate me

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, May 7, 2009 12:14am - 19 Comments

Ruby Dhalla calls in the ethics commissioner.

Tags: ethics commissioner, mary dawson, Ruby Dhalla

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http://www.jackmitchell.ca Jack Mitchell

Aha! Aha.
john g

From Wikipedia:

Mandate of the Commissioner and the Office
The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner supports the House of Commons in governing the conduct of its Members. Under the direction of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, the Commissioner is responsible for administering the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. This Code has been in effect since 2004 and was most recently amended in June 2007.

It also administers the Conflict of Interest Act, which replaced the former Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders. Public office holders are members of the Cabinet of Canada, parliamentary secretaries, and full and part‑time ministerial staff and advisors, Governor in Council and ministerial appointees (deputy ministers, heads of agencies and Crown corporations, members of federal boards and tribunals).

Administrative duties
In administering the Act and the Code, the Commissioner is given the responsibility of ensuring all people holding public office conform to the stipulations of these two sets of regulations in their decisions which apply to their office, duties and responsibilities.

Hmm, OK…the ethics commissioner rules on conflict of interest type things that are related to an MPs duties?

Although this is a legal issue, it’s still a private matter that as far as I can see has nothing to do with her duties as an MP or with a conflict of interest…what can the ethics commissioner possibly do except give her the PR victory of “clearing” her, or refusing to look at it?

Or am I just being too cynical?

catherine

“Or am I just being too cynical?”

No.

Perhaps the ethics commissioner would be appropriate if it were determined that Dhalla had no involvement in the employment and treatment of these women and it became an issue of what responsibility she had as an MP in her family’s use of a government program. But first one would need to determine what the situation was and what Dhalla’s involvement was, as the allegations are a lot more serious than that.
Dot

It worked for Sgro didn’t it? Probably her advice.

JFD

She’s always struck me as a moron, but a moron with a pretty face, so she’s made it far in Ottawa so far.

Why on earth would the Ethics Commish have anything to do with this? Serously? If the allegations are true – and “I wasn’t aware of what is going on in my own home” isn’t an excuse – she belongs in jail.
Smith

This is just pathetic nonsense. The nanny worked in her home. For her mother. And she knew nothing about it. And now she needs help from the ethics commissioner.
Please. Resign and go home.
http://deleted Sandi

Geez – no one knows all the facts and already they’ve got her tried and judged – whatever happened to one of our most precious Canadian values – “innocent until proven guilty”? That includes the media as well here.

Did anyone clarify if the $250/week was after their lodging and food? What about the Conservative in her riding who’s desperately trying to beat her?

Did any journalist look into whether it’s possibly a set up or not?

Do you not think it’s odd that Dhalla has been MP since 2004 and now this crap has come out in the last few months?

Na, too easy to ride the band wagon and get paid for pathetic journalism and the wonder why people don’t buy papers.

If she is guilty and that has to be proven, then by all means she should be held accountable, but if she’s not then the media can be included in destroying someone’s career by believing these ridiculous secret sources (that are probably jealous people).

Jarrid

Sandi, there are serious political imperatives involved here for the Liberal Party. Ignatieff should sit down with her, have her level with him and if this is true she should be forced to resign from the Liberal caucus.

I’ve amazed at the blinding partisanship of the Liberal commenters who frequent this blog. Sandi’s more concerned about Ruby holding her seat in the next election than what is alleged to have happened here to those poor women in Ruby’s employ. That’s the Liberal mindset, getting and maintaining power, anything that stands in the way of the goal is just collateral damage, or “just business” as certain rough and tumble sicilians are fond fo saying.

http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

Jarrid

I am thinking Dhalla and Iggy have already had the talk because, otherwise, Ignatieff would be defending her but it appears he doesn’t want to touch this with ten-foot pole.

john g

Agreed. Ignatieff’s statement pretty much said it all. He has to wait for the official facts to come out before officially cutting her loose so as not to appear to be convicting her before the trial, but it seems that she’s probably already told him that enough of the story is true and he’s probably told her so long and dispatched the “anonymous senior liberals” to start talking her down.

http://deleted Sandi

Well, isn’t that just a stupid statement. Really, partisan stupid. No one knows what conversations she and Ignatieff have or have not had including you.

I don’t know if she’s guilty or not – but nothing has been proven/investigated, etc. It’s all allegations at this point.

So, cut the crap.

Liberal mindsel? Justice.

Did Harper makes anyone resign during “allegations” – no. Double-standard.

I guess you’re drooling and frothing at the mouth at the prospects of a Liberal (not sure yet) scandal.

john g

Again with this nonsense Sandi?

Read the Star report. Dhalla is claiming never to have heard of or spoken to anyone at the Intercede agency, when they have detailed notes and phone records confirming that they talked to her, ordering her to give the passports back or they’d call in the RCMP.

Care to use your conspiracy theories to explain that?

http://deleted Sandi

Conspiracy theory? One Star report and you wet your pants. Hey, she may be guilty, but we just don’t know everything yet.

dan in van

Funny that. The Star is code word for communist-Liberal manifesto to the CON-bots. Now its official paper from Mt Sinai.
But convicting in the court of public opinion seems to be the CONs main goal here, along with trying a ‘guilt-by-association’ to everyone in Liberal colours. Guess its good for taking people’s minds off economic malfeasance/incompetence, $1M committees to nowhere, etc.

Anon

Dhalla is finished. I’m sure Iggy’s people have let her know that.

Smith

I would agree. The more she contradicts– what I would say is fairly damning evidence as published in the Star — the more she hurts the overall party. Resigning as critic won’t be enough. She will have to go before Iggy can change the channel.

dan in van

If the accusations prove true, certainly.

brick tamlin

Disproving the allegations should be fairly easy, like providing a ledger of checks written to these live-in nannies, and the bankrolls confirming their deposit. Notwithstanding the things she should have kept track of, like: benefits paid, work permits, copies of contracts, work schedules, etc.

Clearing her name should be as easy as “look, it says so here, and my bank records corroborate this.”

Obviously, that’s not the case here.

madeyoulook

Agree with some of the above comments. How does the info currently alleged in the public domain have ANYTHING to do with the parliamentary ethics office?

IF the law has been broken and vulnerable people have been abused in an employer’s private home, the rest of us Canadians have a system that would investigate +/-charge +/-prosecute.

This is getting bizarre.