Carnival of the Innocent

"Most Canadians probably think there should be some sanction. But they want it to happen after the process. We all take a separate oath to Her Majesty to do our job loyally and honourably; the prime minister's views are taken very seriously and they are important. But our oath to Her Majesty to do what's right is actually more important than any other politician."
Conservative Senator Hugh Segal

True enough, to a point. But the politician who sits in the executive administration seat of head of the Government of Canada is a pretty important person. He is, furthermore, possessed of gravitas relating to his position, fully committed to the well-being of the country. He is a man of resolute integrity and acute intelligence. He understands the anger of the public at the reality exposed of entitled appointees to the Senate of Canada, seeking to further their own agendas in prestige and emoluments.

He must surely cringe at the reality that three of his appointees have deliberately chosen to enrich themselves by corrupting an interpretation of Senate rules established with the view that mature, responsible and intelligent individuals would never stoop so low as to claim expenses they are not ethically entitled to. The measure of the man is that he sought to fill seats with trustworthy and useful individuals, and discovered to his dismay they are neither, and is now determined to dispatch them.

It is a situation of much ado about little. A mountain constructed from a veritable molehill of laxity in firmly setting out rules and regulations to ensure that no unprincipled mind would seek to construe them to personal advantage. It is a scandal of high dudgeon and low value. One which offers an easy enough fix; remove the offenders and re-write the regulations. And take greater care in identifying appointees of value.

Their choice, to betray the standards of decency and honesty in response to the responsible position they were appointed to, represents a disappointment to the prospects of their engaging in the furtherance of the public interest. The Prime Minister, unfortunately, chose poorly, and the calibre of his choices have betrayed his trust in both those he selected, and doubtless in his ability to make such decisions, Despite the best of intentions.

The craven theatricals of a man like Mike Duffy who brazenly claims the high road while casting aspersions on the principles and integrity of his betters is a disgusting performance. His insinuations and innuendos cast as proof of his innocence of wrong-doing in the face of his bold, unabashed claims of entitlements that amounted to thievery do his cause no good whatever.

He exhibits unspeakable chutzpah in claiming that "they have no moral compass", when it is he whose compass is entirely deranged.

The grand drama of Mike Duffy's public performances, his grandiloquent attestations of his bafflement at accusations of malfeasance, and his counter-accusations that he is innocent of all charges, has nothing to hide or be apologetic about, while pointing the finger of blame elsewhere is a pitifully ridiculous scenario of a man addled by his own misplaced sense of importance.

His accusations are toothless portrayals beamingly delivered as a trump card in a malicious scenario of hapless vengeance.

The time to pull the plug on his endless personal excuses of misunderstandings and persecution by the PMO is now, but for the need to await the final drama of the RCMP findings which have already concluded his guilt, but have yet to file the completed document.