Perish The Thought!

"People talk to the Speaker all the time. The Speaker needs to talk to all parties about the workings of the house."
"I would not countenance, I would not tolerate that kind of pressure being put on the Speaker by staff."
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

Ontario's new premier is dogged by a scandal that was the child of her predecessor; she but the step-mother. She didn't give birth to the cancellation of the two inconvenient-to-votes-during-an-election gas plants, but she was an integral part of the Cabinet of former Premier Dalton McGuinty which decided in the heat of the worried moment that too many votes would be sacrificed to voter-vengeance over the imposition of gas plants in vote-rich areas of Toronto.

Evidence appears to have emerged that does in fact confirm that Liberal Party-in-government staff members did attempt to interfere with the decision-making of Speaker Dave Levac. One aide in particular, who met with the Speaker to attempt to convince him to change the ruling of contempt he had brought down in light of the behaviour of the Liberal Party, attempting its cover-ups.

The speaker of the legislature is a political creature, aligned with a particular party, but capable of impartiality. It is the reliance upon his ability to judge wisely in the interests of the legislature, not the party with which he is affiliated that gives him his position -- for all parties cast their vote for this individual. On the very eve of provincial by-elections the ordure-whiff of Liberal machinations has once again surfaced.

Claims that the Liberal Party of the province was placing pressure through staffers to convince the speaker of the Ontario legislature, Dave Levac, himself a party member, to forego ruling on a breach of the privileges of parliamentary opposition members caused by the refusal of the ruling Liberals to turn over documentation relating to the gas-plants' cancellations, enabling the Liberals to be re-elected.

When asked what the cost would be to the taxpayer as penalty for the the power plant cancellations, the response was a mere $190-million, a scandalous throw-away of taxpayer funds. Not the true cost, though, which the Liberal government took pains to hide, refusing to hand over requested documentation. However, as former premier McGuinty said sanctimoniously in testifying before the commission looking into the affair, it was "the right thing to do".

Because people didn't want those plants located in their areas, including one already under construction.

So the Liberal party responded to peoples' voice raised in protest. Because they panicked in the understanding that they would be losing critical votes in the concerned ridings. Despite the prodding by the Liberals, however, Speaker Levac warned the Liberals they risked a finding of contempt in attempting to paper over the truth of the cancellation costs, which are in the $600-million range, and may yet be even more.

"While I believe it is important to consider the various sides of an issue, I have never felt unable to make an informed, objective and procedurally sound decision, free of political interference. The fact that the ruling did stand should also speak for itself", wrote the Speaker.

To his credit he did rule against his party in the greater interests of legislature procedure and the public right to know. And the public, knowing, can respond as it will in its by-election votes, starting with the Ottawa south seat of former premier McGuinty.