1. Though I live to see the day that Svend Robinson is torn apart by wild baboons on network tv, I am not among those who see social disaster in his recent light sentence for theft. There has been a chorus of bleating from social conservatives who claim that his suspended sentence proves that there is a separate law for the rich and the poor, for the famous and the obscure, etc. Anyone who has been following news of recent sentencing decisions in Canada will not be able to discern anything else than an abdication by the judiciary of the notion of deterrence or punishment. When a Winnnipeg teenager can get a one-day sentence for beating a stranger to death with a billiard ball wrapped in a sock we should not expect a mere thief who voluntarily returned his ill-gotten lolly to serve hard time on the chain gang.
2. What does trouble me about the Robinson case is the extent to which the media conspired with his lawyer and political allies to portray Svend as a victim. To hear Clayton Ruby, Libbie Davies or David Suzuki speak, one would think that it was the burden of a life well spent that made the ex-MP crack. Rising daily at the crack of dawn to save Canada from religion, capitalism and morality had taken its toll on the poor lad and when he saw a diamond ring that was just perfect for the hand of his Latino inamorato, well, your honour, his noble mind just snapped. Only bed rest and a long course of hearing tributes to his selflessness can save this sainted soul now.
3. And speaking of thieves , it doesn't get much lamer than Andre Ouellet's reply to accusations of financial hanky-panky at Canada Post. A recent audit stated that Ouellet claimed expenses that averaged $250,000 a year, with no receipts; he intervened in the tendering process for three contracts worth a total of $35 million; he mandated dozens of "special hires" done outside normal rules; Canada Post paid $75,000 for trips for former Public Works minister Alfonso Gagliano. Ouelllet didn't challenge any of the facts adduced by Deloitte & Touche but insisted that his unreceipted expenses of over $1,000 every working day were done "on the honour system" and produced great results for the corporation; his interventions were only to ensure fairness; his irregular hiring of those friends and relations was only a fraction of Canada Post's hirings; and as for Mr Gagliano's 9 trips abroad, well, uh...
4. Dave Ritchie was canned today as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In the opinion of this jaded columnist he was unjustly terminated, forced to walk the plank for the failings of the team's management. Much the same might be said for the firing of Blue Jays' head man Carlos Tosca.
5. The link between these sporting assassinations, Canada Post and Svend Robinson is a disregard of the notion of individual responsibility. Let heads roll, but let them be the right heads! Cue the wild baboons...
Posted by Dexter at August 9, 2004 05:50 PM