Jan. 22, 2007: #3 Another wrinkle ... in education

The Globe and Mail, Jan. 22, 2007, A6 -- Did I read that Power Corp had acquired part of it? Check further.

Half-page Advertisement: Worth looking at the line-up. Is this politicized and Liberal-connected? Decide for yourself.

York University Announces the Glendon School of Public Affairs Advisory Committee
International Masters Degree in International and Public Affairs
Bilingual

With photos for all:

Alexander Himmelfarb, formerly and until the last election, Clerk of the Privy Council Office under the Liberal administration, and now Ambassador to Italy since. [That no Liberal will ever go unemployed is understood. There will be something created or held open for just such emergencies.]

Rosalie Abella, justice appointed by Paul Martin to the Supreme Court of Canada [She must have time on her hands.]

Rita Burak, Chair, Hydro One Inc., formerly Ontario Hydro, who has followed in the footsteps of Eleanor Clitheroe who left under a cloud of excess spending and perquisites, I believe, and Maurice Strong appointed by Pierre Trudeau, and found to have acquired a million dollars ... somehow ... something having to do with Iraq and UN Oil for Food Scandal. Ms. Burak follows some stellar examples ... of doing well ... out of Liberal connections.]

Kim Campbell, ex-Progressive Conservative PM, that party being defunct, was appointed to a cushy position in New York as Canada's trade representative by Jean Chretien [who must have hoped by example to ensure all turfed PM's would be employed. What is JC doing these days?]

Mel Cappe, Pres. Institute for Research on Public Policy [I suspect we could assume it is another organization set up by Liberals to carry on their political beneficence on the backs of the Canadian taxpayers, but do check further.]

David Collenette, formerly Liberal Minister of Defence [His wife, Penny Collenette, worked in the Liberal Prime Minister's Office, and then moved seamlessly into some lecturing position. Was it lecturing on whistleblowing and at the University of Ottawa? Check.]

Jean-Louis Roy, Pres. of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development

Jodi White, Pres., Public Policy Forum

Paul Wells, Sr. Columnist, Macleans

Chantal Hebert, Columnist, National Affairs, Toronto Star

Michael I. M. MacMillan, Exec. Chair, Alliance Atlantis Communications

Jacques Menard, Chair, Nesbitt Burns, and BMO Financial Group, Quebec

Graham Fraser, Official Languages Commissioner, appointed by PM Harper but who will do as Languages Tsars have always done, expand his own department and promote French across the country, thereby ensuring positions for some and jobs for those who hue to the linguistic party line. [The unilingual Anglos may remain unemployed or shovelling hamburgers and chips ... or manning the lower level jobs. The more things change... ]

In similar vein, the advertisement continues, each additional committee member L/liberally connected politically or linguistically, connected to strong Liberal areas such as BC or Ontario, connected to business, banking, pension plan, capital, law, or the media. There is usually mention of some soothing word like "Forum", "Institute", "Democratic", or "Public", as though the public had anything to do with anything ... but paying.

This is a politicized committee to keep the Liberal brand alive and to promote the only language that counts in Canada, French. Perhaps there is even hope of bringing back the Progressive Conservative Party and burying the CPC. I am seeing hints of this even now. Language demands and reach have passed far beyond service ... to promotion across the country, whether necessary or not, and you'd better toe the line or that linguistic group won't vote for you. Do I make myself clear? Right!

The most obvious result I am hearing is a negativity of sentiment about the language and the pushy promoters from people who were positive, or at least neutral, years ago. They have had enough of this never satisfied minority. Throwing more taxpayer money--check, it is sure to be there somewhere in some grant or other--is only exacerbating the negative attitude. Canada will eventually split, which may have been the intention, if not to completely run everything. The above advertisement is simply more of the same pushing further and farther. Meanwhile, a Canadian and a Quebecker I know cannot get the health care she needs. There is always money for languages, meaning French expansion, whatever else goes under-serviced.

Check for the results for children's tests in core French in NB, posted within the last few days. Dismal. More funding will be provided, Canadians may be certain. The classic Liberal strategy will be employed ... throwing more money and power at the problem. It never goes away.