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

A misunderstanding

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:30pm - 19 Comments

Gerald Keddy, yesterday. If anyone ever stops Nova Scotia farmers from hiring migrant labourers to harvest their crops, they would destroy a lot of businesses because unemployed Nova Scotians don’t want those jobs, says Gerald Keddy, the Conservative MP for South Shore-St. Margarets. ”Nova Scotians won’t do it — all those no-good bastards sitting on the sidewalk in Halifax that can’t get work,” Mr. Keddy said Monday.

Gerald Keddy, today. Conservative MP Gerald Keddy is apologizing for referring to some unemployed Haligonians as “no-good bastards.” Keddy, MP for the Nova Scotia riding of South Shore-St. Margaret’s, issued a statement Tuesday saying he was sorry for the “insensitive comments.” ”In no way did I mean to offend those who have lost their job due to the global recession, nor did I mean to suggest that anyone who is unemployed is not actively looking for employment,” he said.

Tags: economy, farming, Gerald Keddy, Halifax, migrant labourers, recession, unemployment

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http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

Kind of tough to take no-good bastards out of context….
http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Okay. Kenney's "F" word slip I can take the apology for. It was an inappropriate word, but not really indicative of anything but a lapse in decorum.

This though? How the hell does "Nova Scotians won't do it" in any way jibe with "nor did I mean to suggest that anyone who is unemployed is not actively looking for employment?" If Nova Scotians don't want to do the job, maybe it's not being compensated well enough, and if it's not profitable if the compensation is high enough for Nova Scotians, maybe it's a business that Nova Scotia shouldn't be in.

It has nothing to do with the "bastards" comment, it has to do with an attitude toward his own constituents. This man alone is justification for Canada to implement some means of recalling an MP.

Amateur Hour

So long as Keddy delivers federal money for highway paving contracts, he's on safe ground. Unfortunately.
Remember, this is the guy who stumbled his way through lies when asked by a journo about the Conservative logo-cheque thing … first he blamed the print shop, then his staffers, then said he hadn't had anything to do with it. When photos of him doling previous big cheques showed up the next day, he changed his story. The guy has problems with the truth. But that won't stop his constituents from backing him so long as the pigs keeps oinking.
Dave

Actually, it's an attitude towards Megan Leslie's constituents, since she's the member for downtown Halifax, and he is not.

CAPS

PM Steve would probably attribute it to their defeatist mentality.
Steve M

I agree 100% with the sentiment, just as I did when Ralph Klein had his famous drunken rant at a homeless shelter, but I still can't believe an experienced politician would say it aloud.

http://coyne kc

You’re woefully ignorant then. I’ve had the misfortune to spend one night in that single men’s hostel. A good half the residents are either mentally or physically incompetent at any particular time. Sure there are slackers around, but the real ones aren’t at no single men’s hostel…no sir.

Amateur Hour

”In no way did I mean to offend those who have lost their job due to the global recession, nor did I mean to suggest that anyone who is unemployed is not actively looking for employment,” he said.

Except for the part where he said exactly that.

MJ Patchouli

Sheesh, he WAS referring distinctly to the "no-GOOD bastards," not the not-bad bastards.

Besides, every one knows no-good bastards are too lazy to get off their no-good bastard hinies and vote, so what's the issue here?

Lunenburg county guy

Gerald Keddy, in case anyone wants to know, is a Christmas tree farmer. 'Nuff said.
http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

A more recent update …

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9014196.html

As well, a number of job seekers say they have never seen "help wanted" addies for Xmas tree
workers anywhere. And a gentleman from the Spring Garden Merchants Assc. who has made
an avocation of finding jobs for panhandlers says he has never been made aware of the need
for workers. But his continuing displays of ignorance is not likely to hurt Keddy among his Tory friends.
http://intensedebate.com/people/john_g2708 john g

Gerald Keddy, today (privately, to himself): "It worked! I got Wherry to stop talking about Afghan detainees! Woo Hoo!"

http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

ssshhhhh! It might not last long!

http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

I don't see how we can have a "Gerald Kennedy" on one side of the house and a "Gerald Keddy" on the other, it's simply too confusing.
http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

Obviously lacking in tact, it is clear he did not mean "no-good bastards", he meant "lazy bastards".

burlivespipe

Some of them are apparently awaiting that Senate appointment from that no-good Harper…

Bill Simpson

Indeed, how insensitive! To say the unsayable: that Nova Scotia depends on imported seasonal workers and has a local unemployment problem!

http://coyne kc

Maybe they should raise the wages…i don’t know…just a thought. On the other hand they could try the Harris solution…make people work regardless of the wage.

http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

If they raise the wages they cannot hire as many workers. Maybe if they raise the wages they cannot compete. Maybe if they raise the wages they cannot survive. Maybe earning X dollars on a farm is better then earning 0 dollars watching Oprah.