Harper: 70 patronage appointments in 2 days in June, 2015

[Oscar]

Conservative government made more than 70 patronage appointments over two days in June

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Postmedia News, National Post Tuesday, July 7, 2015

The Conservative government made more than 70 patronage appointments over two days last month, filling up federal boards, tribunals and panels in advance of the October election.

On June 18 and 19, cabinet approved the long list of appointees and reappointees to bodies such as the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the National Capital Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

It also made 40 judicial appointments, elevating some sitting judges and adding new names to the bench at various levels of courts.

The blizzard of patronage will, no doubt, have some recalling the preamble to the 1984 election campaign, when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau approved a similar orgy of appointments of mostly Liberal supporters.

Left to pick up the mess after Trudeau resigned, Prime Minister John Turner claimed during the televised leaders debate that he had no option when he sat at the cabinet table when the appointments rubber stamped.

Brian Mulroney shot back, “You had an option, sir. You could have said, ‘I am not going to do it. This is wrong for Canada, ‘” scoring a decisive blow in the debate.

The list of appointments and reappointments made last month:

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