Steve and Mansbridge, cozy together

[Oscar]

Steve and Mansbridge, cozy together

[ http://www.ipolitics.ca/2014/12/18/stev ... n-the-pmo/ ]

By Michael Harris | Dec 18, 2014 8:59 pm

Last night, Canada’s most overrated journalist and underrated politician, Peter Mansbridge, performed his Yuletide foot massage on Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

You came away knowing not much more than the fact that both men love their jobs. Good for them.

As usual, Harper had his way with a host referred to inside the grandiose and troubled zones of the CBC — where even Mr. Mansbridge has been quizzed by the brass — as the ‘Chief Correspondent’, or CC. That’s a very funny title.

In reality, Mansbridge reads teleprompters and provides colour commentary on a lot of parades and ceremonies. He licks a lot in his one-on-one interviews. He is a Canadian news bureaucrat beyond compare. And he gives speeches — lots of speeches.

Or at least he did until he ran into an ethical brick wall named Andrew Mitrovica. ‘Mitro’ forced the corporation to recognize a fundamental conflict-of-interest: You can’t have your ‘stars’ both reporting on, and taking cheques from, the oilpatch and other well-heeled fans. Rex Murphy apparently is still flogging his tonsils to the Salvation Army. No, Rex, you didn’t charge the Kettle People, not at Christmas? Surely not even a stage-Newfoundlander would do that.

But back to CC. He lobbed question after question up to the net, and a happy PM batted them back like a cat playing with a shuttlecock.

Inscrutably, Mansbridge began with a barrage of questions about Harper’s well-known preoccupation with improving relations with Cuba. CC went after the Canadian contribution to the stunning and long-overdue thaw between the U.S. and Cuban relations … you know, Steve the world statesman. (It turned out we provided a few meeting rooms and a bowl of potato chips. Not even allowed to listen at the door.)

Now, if CC had done a little more research, he might have asked a better question. Something along these lines:

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What was in CC’s interview pales beside what was not in it.. Here are some questions that might have helped Canadians better understand the man who has his hand on the rudder as we approach Christmas Day 2014.

“Prime minister, both your newly appointed leaders in the Senate have been mentioned in the Charbonneau corruption inquiry in Quebec. The head of the Conservative Fund Canada was elevated by you to the Senate when he was under investigation for election cheating. Your former parliamentary secretary, Dean Del Mastro, has been convicted of election cheating. Your former cabinet minister, Peter Penashue, was caught taking ineligible campaign donations. Former Conservative party worker Michael Sona has been convicted for cheating in the 2011 election, though that conviction is under appeal.

“You put Arthur Porter in charge of oversight of our civilian spy agency and now he’s in prison in Panama fighting extradition to this country, where he faces multiple charges. Your former energy policy czar is facing multiple criminal charges and he had a criminal record when you hired him. What do you say to those people who could conclude from all this that your government has a major corruption problem?”

Finally, CC, how could you not ask a single question about the granddaddy of all political developments in Canada — the destruction of the parliamentary system by which we have been governed for our entire history? It’s not as if those that know have been silent.

“Parliament has become so undermined it is almost unable to do the job that people expect of it.” — Sheila Fraser, former auditor general.

“We operate under Westminster rules — an honourable understanding that you will play within the rules and by the rules. Mr. Harper has not played within the rules. Having attained absolute power, he has absolutely abused that power to the maximum.” — Robert Marleau, former Clerk of the House of Commons and Information Commissioner

“The PM seems to have forgotten that the government is the servant of the House. And that is all governments.” — Peter Milliken, former Speaker of the House.

CC probably had a lot of Christmas parties to go to on the Hill. That’s why he gave a free pass to the PM on omnibus bills, prorogation, time allocation, the muzzling of public servants, the Unfair Elections Act, the unconscionable attack on unions, and a foreign policy that is perfectly designed for Buzzfeed.

After all, what else do you give to a man who has everything … for now?

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Readers can reach the author at michaelharris@ipolitics.ca

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