Advice: Librano to Librano - "and check to see if she's actually broken any laws or not."

In 2004-05, when she was immigration minister, Sgro and her officials were accused of using temporary residence permits as political favours. Sgro eventually had to step down as immigration minister in early 2005, but she personally was cleared of any wrongdoing by the federal ethics commissioner.

Based on that experience, Sgro said she's been telling Dhalla to remain calm, quiet and focused on building her defence.

"I braced her for the storm, told her what I suspected was going to happen, because things get sensationalized," Sgro said. "Her job now is to prove her innocence and get herself good legal counsel and check to see if she's actually broken any laws or not."

Do I hear the sounds or someone getting thrown under a bus?

Divert, blame, redirect.

Withholding a foreign govt's passport is a criminal offense..let's start with that one.

All I know about Dr. Ruby Dhalla is that she's spamming my mailbox, even though I don't even live in her constituency. How she got my address is a mystery.

Quick! Time for a diversion - start the Bollywood dance number!

30 Million - 1. Sounds like their odds of winning the next election, doesn't it?

Rubby is speaking right now on cbc newsworld.

"I ain't the heavy, it's my brother..."

Absolutely brilliant. Only two people in the world could come up with something like this, Mark Steyn and Kate McMillan.

Indo-trash.

Ruby ain't pretty, she just looks that way.

So now maybe bothof them are lying.

Wonder if the Ontartio College Of Chiropractic will need to nuke their licenses if they are proven to be lying ?

That photo, by the way, was taken in Streetsville (part of Mississauga) by the cenotaph (over the dude's left shoulder), about 8 feet from the entrance to the ice cream shop that my wife and I go to all the time in the summer.

"I ain't the heavy, it's my brother..."

Ruby resorting to the Liberal Puffin methodology.

Lets her brother hide the nanny hiring excrement.

Are any one of us responsible for the misdeeds of others in our family?

Dhalla's lawyer insisted she was not the employer. The employer, verified through signed documents, was her brother Neill.

Hmmm. How does that make Ruby culpable? Why? Because they have a common mother?

Curiously, the truth always come out when the facts are presented.

Wonder if the Ontartio College Of Chiropractic will need to nuke their licenses if they are proven to be lying?

So what chiropractor isn't lying when they say, "this won't hurt a bit".

Allegedly, all workers claim that Ruby interviewed them and or hired them, the agency head who placed these women claims she also dealt with Ruby,and the domestic workers rights org Intercede spoke with and dealt with Ruby and not her brother.

Yup, that truth thing shall set you free.

set you free
"Are any one of us responsible for the misdeeds of others in our family?

Dhalla's lawyer insisted she was not the employer. The employer, verified through signed documents, was her brother Neill.

Hmmm. How does that make Ruby culpable? Why? Because they have a common mother?

Curiously, the truth always come out when the facts are presented."

Spin Spin Spin!!!!!!
The nannie didn't accuse the brother of threatening or taking the passport....
Inconvenient truth??????

So, she'll take her love to town for 4 days, then home for 3 .
Got it.

Dhalla's lawyer insisted she was not the employer. The employer, verified through signed documents, was her brother Neill.

Hmmm. How does that make Ruby culpable?

Posted by: set you free at May 8, 2009 3:45 PM

--------------------------------------------
Here you go set you free

From this TORSTAR article

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/628987

read it and weep!

---
"According to [NANNY]Tongson, RUBY DHALLA(catch that set you free?) demanded and took all her personal documents, including her passport, birth certificate and marriage certificate, saying she needed them to fill out the application to hire her as a live-in caregiver.

Tongson said she grew concerned as weeks passed without her documents or work authorization materializing. She turned to Intercede, the agency that helps foreign workers. Intercede called Ruby Dhalla's office in Ottawa. According to Tongson, Dhalla flew home from Ottawa the next day. Tongson said the documents were left on the kitchen counter after Tavinder Dhalla had her sign a handwritten note saying she had given the documents to Neil Dhalla, and she could have had them back at any time.

Tongson signed the letter.

Why am I not seeing "Nannygate" headline banners in the MSM?

annnnd it's all an evil neo-con plot.

annd everyone is a liar but me & my lawyer

ROTFL

It's a vast right-wing conspiracy.

Ruby and her lawyer just did a Paul Martin on National TV right now...Idiots!

This was unwise and just feeds the media more insuring more Canucks will notice this.

I think Iggy told Ruby to step down but she's fighting it instead. Bad move.

This video is a perfect backdrop to Rubygate.

Borrowing Ms. Dhalla's own words in it, the prosecutor in her case may say the following:

Ms. Dhalla, as the country celebrates International Woman's Day, numerous women working in your family home don't have much to celebrate. Last week, when I spoke to the nannies previously in your employ, they were all asking, "Why would such an outspoken advocate for women's rights not do anything to help those of us in her own home?

From what I read of the Star article, the mother was more likely in the need of a health care aid worker. I am not sure how such a program works in Ontario (if there is one). Perhaps the siblings found it cheaper to have two nannies instead of paying for a care giver. Just a thought.

Something must of ticked the nannies off to go public. Not just the stuff we read, but there has to be something else. And if there is, they're holding back for when it really counts.

...but she's fighting it instead. Bad move.

No, it's a good move.*
Ruby has her pride.

*never interupt your enemy when they're making a mistake

I'm still trying to get around the Star breaking this news.

Imagine the editors' meeting room before the story broke. Do we bite the hand (LPC) that feeds us? Or do we sympathize with new immigrants, who are likely in this country illegally, but will almost certainly vote Liberal once granted citizenship?

Can someone call LPC to see what we can get for NOT running this story?

Goodbye Ruby Dhallsday
who could hang a nanny on you day.

when she shifts with every new day

P'iggys going to miss you.

The stupid bitch is trying to blame it on a Conservative conspiracy. That is the end of her. Even msm is not stupid enough to fall for that one. Iggy, paging Iggy, oh Iggy.....

Iggy has thrown the slave mistress under the bus.

I wonder who they will get to replace her? There has to be some female liberal out there that isn't a madame for strippers, a professional leaf blower, or a keeper of foreign slaves.

Why the Star broke this story?

I think the bush whacking of Professor Puffin has just started, certain Liberals would prefer to see a democratic leadership contest that would more likely than not result in Bob Rae becoming leader.

Iggy, that sound you hear is the bus approaching at a high rate of speed.

If she has nothing to hide, then Miss Dhalla should let the police look into it.
And yes, she DID railroad her brother.

The Star's likely pissed about the right turn the Libranos have taken.

Remember, Iggy is the Ted Morton of the Liberal party - there's a lot of tweed-jacket-owning-hair-farmers out there who think a centrist in charge is worse than Harper.

imho

"Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you"

I could not resist.....

MSM reaction ... Move along nothing to see here.

Off topic but I do love how Adler takes no prisoners here!

"I throw in these Canadianisms because Michael is educating himself on how best to impersonate a Canadian. They feed him my commentaries and while I am not a Harvard professor, I try to be instructive."

Here's an old youtube video of Princess Ruby Dhalla politicing and grousing for votes at the BRAMPTON FILIPINO SENIORS CLUB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oYI9QKO4pE&feature=channel

Bet she'd get a senior,oops,I mean a serious ass-kicking if she showed up there today!!!

P.S. turn down the sound as there's no talking just a loud annoying soundtrack playing in the background.

Dhalla Nannywalla Stonewall'a

Posted by: Mr.g at May 8, 2009 3:53 PM

Dhalla's lawyer alleged it was Neill who took the passports, which were required so the immigration process could be expedited.

At one point, when the lawyer was attempting to answer a question, he got interrupted five times by a media member.

I thought he made a pretty good argument about how the media feeding frenzy got out of control.

He also produced boarding passes that demonstrated Ruby was only in Toronto for three of the 11 days the nanny was employed. He also produced contracts with a cleaning company that cleans the chiropractic office, leaving one of the allegations against the family in doubt.

I'm only interested in facts, not in character assassination or the pitiful comments about ‘what if this had been a Conservative.'

Just the facts, ma'am.

If Ruby in fact had nothing to do with this, she's no more culpable on this issue that Jimmy Carter was when his idiotic brother pissed on the White House lawn.

Ruby Tuesday tunes? About as juvenile as lefties are accused of being.

C'mon, guys. Pick up the level of debate here.

We'll see how this plays out on today's political shows.

"We'll see how this plays out on today's political shows."

As everyone here knows, you always get the unvarnished truth from political shows...

I'll bet Ed Stelmach coached Ruby to take the nannies' passports.
They're both socialists, it wouldn't surprise me.

Would you please stop citing that right-wing rag, the Star, as a source, Kate? They've convicted this poor woman already without the benefit of a trial--them and their Conservative masters.

Oz:

I'll take you up on that bet.

Since you brought it up, it's up to you to prove your allegation.

"C'mon, guys. Pick up the level of debate here."

****Warning to progressives contains BANJOS****
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhvDvMV4_FY&feature=related

rich:

Pre-game show in Regina?

set you free:

1) Because there was a cleaning contract does not mean that these two women were not asked to clean those offices.
Because there was a hired person to shovel the snow does not mean that the women were not asked to also shovel the snow - at midnight, by Dhalla's mother, apparently.

2) Gordo who admits to working only 11 days, claims she was taken three times to clean the apartment of a family relative. And it took her a month to receive payment, and only when a Brampton businessman intervened (he confirms that he did so).

3) Tongson, (not Gordo) the second 'care-giver' who was there for about three months, states that she gave her passport and documents to Ruby and when these weren't returned after several weeks, she called 'Intercede'. The documents were returned but only after Tongson was given a handwritten letter by the mother, which had to be signed; the letter stated that she had given the documents to Neill and that she could have had them 'back at any time'.

This is a strange action on the part of the mother.

Tongson also claims that she was asked to clean those clinics, and the apartment of the cousin.

4) The lawyer is attempting to define Dhalla as the victim and the nannies as part of a conspiracy against Dhalla. He declares that their stories are 'concocted' and part of an attempt to destroy Dhalla. I think that this requires evidence.

After all, why didn't they do this last year, during the election? That would have made sense. Instead, as often is the case with immigrants who are uncertain of their rights, they did nothing about these events but went on to valid work elsewhere.

They only spoke out when Wynne referred to abuses of such workers.

5) They were hired as care-givers but were not actually doing any such work. And, they were in the Dhalla household without a legal work permit.

I don't see how Dhalla can get around these statements by trying to set up a conspiracy of 'someone out to destroy my career'.

You can take the family outa Shitholeistan but you cant take Shitholestian outa the Family .... They abuse their servants back home so why not continue the custom in Canada and our system allows it to happen all the time

The real question is where was Brian Mulroney? Did the money that paid the women come from an Airbus commission?

Honestly you are all missing the BIG PICTURE....connect the dots people!

You can take the family outa Shitholeistan but you cant take Shitholestian outa the Family .... They abuse their servants back home so why not continue the custom in Canada and our system allows it to happen all the time

Why is she consulting with & having a lawyer speak for Her? She has never had a problem before on any political program to steal the show by never giving a true answer or never stops talking.
Why is she asking the Ethics Comm to handle this when this is allegation of Provincial Labour Act violation to begin with & a allegation of Federal Immigration laws.
This did not happen in the HoC, is this so they can get the best coverage Feel sorry for me not the worker.
I watched that vid at CTV her & her lawyer, Spin Spin & spin even more typical Liberal tactic keep it up until the public tires of the Scandal & it will go away & the Liberals would know afterall no lack of experience in that department.

Evil Ted with a goatee

Does that in fact make you a good Ted from an evil universe where socialism makes sence?

My FAVORITE episode of South Park is called "Spooky Fish" where the evil Cartman with a Goatee shows up. MUST SEE TV for a Star Trek fan.

BTW did anyone hear John Gormley say he hasn't seen any Star Trek movies or episodes. These should be part of the public school curriculum if only because you can't possible watch any comedy show without seeing Star Trek references in multiples. You Star Trek illiterates have no idea how many jokes fly right over your heads.

ET:

So, what do you suppose Ruby's involvement was in ordering the women to shovel snow?

Or cleaning a relative's apartment?

If my kid throws a rock through a window, should I go to jail?

It seems somewhat backwards here, a sort of Mexican justice, where you're guilty in the court of public opinion until you can prove yourself innocent.

There is contradictory claims on the passports, to be sure.

Sticking with the facts, there would still be one way to clear up who took the passports.

If Dhalla's boarding passes show she was out of town on the date this allegedly happened, then it would have been impossible for her to take delivery of the passports.

If Dhalla's boarding passes show she was in town on that date, then the nanny's version would be correct.

That question never came up in the news conference and Ruby's lawyer said the passports were taken by Neil.

What's true is somebody is not telling the truth.

Not sure who yet, so I'm not willing to send anybody to the gallows yet.

If these assholes can admit stealing 100 million dollars from tax payers (under oath) and none of them go to jail, Ruby can do what ever the hell she wants to a couple of slumdog cleaners with "no rights".
She'll walk just like the Adscammers.

"If my kid throws a rock through a window, should I go to jail?"
Damn right you should. You are responsible for your children.

For a member of parleament who is supposed to keep abreast of events and things of importance to Canadians and those of her constituancy, she seems to be totally ignorant (suddenly) of the running of her household. Sounds like stuck on stupid, set you free.

SYF

It's politics.

I wake everyday a conservative; but, sometimes I have to be a Conservative as well. Your haughty argument is valid, and noted, but the point you're conveniently ignoring is that this is a political opportunity.(c)onservatism is an ideology, but politics is the game. You take the lay-up when you can! This isn't high school it's Canadian politics, and we shouldn't worry about running up the score on these retards.

rich:

Having trouble rising above tribalism?

set you free - Ruby Dhalla's involvement was in her hiring of them. There are conflicting statements.

The 'nannies', who were not caregivers in any sense of the term, claim that they were hired by, interviewed by - Ruby. Not her brother; not her mother.

According to the Star story, Mason, executive director of Intercede, said that she has notes and telephone records to prove that she contacted Dhalla in Ottawa demanding that she return the documents to Tongson. She also informed her that Tongson is working illegally because she doesn't have her govt documents. Yet, despite being told this, Ruby Dhalla continued to have her employed in her household. Dhalla denies having spoken to Mason.

Taniguchi, who placed the two 'nannies', has also said that she dealt primarily with Ruby Dhalla.

Tongson, the second 'nanny' says that she was interviewed and hired by Ruby, who gave her a 'test', of cooking a noodle dish.

So, from the statements of the two nannies, the service Intercede, and the placement agency, Ruby Dhalla seems directly involved in hiring these women, who did not have legal documents to work and who were not doing the work for which they were hired, i.e., as care-givers.

I was curious what Dhalla's fellow Liberal elitist friend had to say about all of this. Nothing new today but she has updated this entry with the following:

UP IN THE CORNER OFFICE DATE: I see the goderators have closed comments on this post, in keeping with the lack of comments on today's stories about Dhalla on the main web page. I had nothing to do with this decision. I assume it was done to avoid hate and libel. Judging from some of the comments left here but not approved, i am not surprised.

I have to wonder if my comment there falls into the "hate & libel category:

What a strangely worded piece. Ms. Zerbisias, you state that you're not excusing the alleged actions of Dhalla. Then you immediately provide provide a moral equivalency, portraying female MPs as victims compared to their male equivalents.

First you viciously attack Michelle Malkin, a successful Filipino-American. Now you go out of your way to suggest an excuse for Ruby Dhalla's actions. You might not mind employing Filipino women but you surely don't view them as possibly being your equals.

ET:

I'm sure some of those facts will all come out at next week's Parliamentary Committee.

If she was in fact out of town for all but three days, the only thing Ruby may be guilty of trusting her brother to look after the passport issue and her brother did not do the job he was asked to.

Not really clear about the nannies immigration status and the purpose of having an employer helping with an upgrade, but I'm sure there's some kind of process that takes a certain amount of time.

I do know for a fact that when I apply for a passport, it takes more than a week to get the actual document.

All I know for sure is somebody's credibility is going to take a huge hit next week.

Just trying to establish the facts, ma'am.

"Goodbye Ruby Dhallsday...
...P'iggys going to miss you"

Good one there, cal2 at 4:11 PM

Except I don't think P'iggy really will miss her; he can't wait to get her out of the media spotlight.

I was just making a little wager yesterday , dhallas to dhimwits, she tries to blame another family member for this.

@set you free,

Would you be so willing to give a Conservative the benefit of the doubT?

Whether or not she committed anything illegal is not really for us to judge, but with how (supposedly) sensitive she was to the issues associated with women and immigrants it strains credibility that this abuse happened under her nose in her own house without her knowing about it.

Seems to me that Ruby has really missed her calling. Maybe her buddy Judy Sgro could put her in touch with a reputable agency.

You know, all that chiropractic training might be useful for the pole work.

Apropos of nothing and everything, I can tell you stories of Filipinas being employed by Indians in Canada, straight from the victim's mouths..

From having one girl admitted to a psych hospital after the employer knocked her up, to the truly bizarre and not fully understood goings on in Mississauga last year when a girl was found murdered, there are many stories to be investigated.

..and can somebody please explain how being 'investigated' by the Ethics committee has anything to do with this case?

Surely it has nothing to do with governance?

NoOne:

There's too much Soviet-style guilt by association line of argument here for my liking.

I'm not into collective guilt, whether it be on global warming, er, climate change ... or on this issue, where Ruby is found guilty in the court of public opinion for what may turn out be the actions, or inactions, of her family while she was out of town.

Guilt by association is unbecoming for those who purport to hold conservative values.

Yet, judging by the tone of some of the posts here today, lack of dignity is no longer a monopoly of the left.

I guess sticking to the facts isn't quite as much fun as being part of a lynch mob.

I don't see how it is "Guilt by association" ...

If it was simply that her brother and/or mother took advantage of these women I might see your point. The fact is that she is a advocate for women and immigrants and these women were taken advantage of by her brother and/or mother (and she herself has been implicated) under her nose in her own house ...

To put it into perspective, wouldn't you see a problem with someone who was very hard on drugs not noticing that their brother (who was living in their house) was doing and selling drugs from their kitchen when they were in the house?

set you free - your assumptions are that Ms Dhalla was, essentially, never there. She was 'out of town'.

But, apparently, she is in Ottawa from Mon-Thurs and returns to her home on Thurs. Every week.

Plus, according to the testimony of the two 'caregivers', Intercede and the placement agency, they all dealt with Ms Dhalla directly.

I, myself, am only going on the data as presented by the Toronto Star. It's the only data any of us have.

Therefore, I don't see how you can overlook the testimony of the two caregivers, Intercede and the placement agency.

Those agencies that were hired to clean offices or shovel snow probably had other clients also. They would have to have employee records, dates of service. What if those nannies names show up on them.
As for the boarding passes, what time were they for, and could she not have taken said documentation prior to leaving for the airport.
The lawyer had a lot of paper of receipts supposedly signed or written by the nannies. Were they forced to sign, were they threatened with deportation, or what. He had no documentation to back said receipts up. The receipt book would have carbon copies, and receipts before and after. Lets see that book.
Let's see bank records proving cheques were issued, let's see the cancelled cheques. If paid in cash, let's see bank records showing withdrawal of said cash. He caused more questions to be asked than he answered.
Just because he talks loud, fast and throws out stmts does not make them true.

Watching Dhalla's lawyer and, apparently, "sometime boyfriend" go ballistic at her press conference would seem to suggest that Ruby's in big trouble and Howard Livett's livid.

Even the so-called "political (press) pundits" on CBC's Politics said it didn't look good on either Dhalla or Levitt that he hardly let her speak and that he seemed to be blowing a gasket.

My take? There's a big fire where this smoke is coming from. Dhalla's watching her gravy train heading for a fiery crash. She's had it good, thinking that "multiculturalism" means that Canadians accept the way she and her family have always done things and, even if we don't, that because she's from a visible minority, she's above criticism.

She's finding out that that's not the case. As for the Conservatives being the Big Bad Wolf, huffing and puffing to blow her house down, give me a break! There are so many Liberals in the picture, there's no room for the CPC!

'Any chance, as others have suggested, that Bob Rae/Power Corp had precipitated this scandal? What's Bob Rae been up to? Why has he been so docile while Iggy was crowned leader? Given that it's the Liberal cheerleaders in the MSM who have blown the whistle on Nannygate, one wonders what's actually going on?

It's way too easy to posit a Conservative Conspiracy. There's something more happening here.

OH, there is more to see here, alright!

One point is key, besides Ruby's mother being quite robust, and able to travel on the taxpayers' dime, as her daughter's 'designated traveller'.

The program that the caregivers were brought to The Dhalla's home under, makes the point that " (A job offer for a housecleaner, for example, is not acceptable under the Program.)".

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/630825

"Ruby Dhalla's mother requires a live-in caregiver but that doesn't appear to have stopped her from travelling the world with her Liberal MP daughter.

And according to the rules for hiring foreign live-in caregivers, she doesn't have to be house bound or incapacitated to qualify for the federal program.

In fact, there are no medical criteria at all."

And we see that travel was not a problem, when you read the full content of this article.

"Dhalla, 35, has declared her mother, Tavinder, as her ``designated traveller," according to House of Commons records.

A designated traveller is entitled to use some or all of an MP's 64 annual travel points, which allow them to fly free in Canada or abroad."
A person need not be incapacitated in order to hire a foreign live-in caregiver.

According to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website, there are only three very simple criteria. Employers must:

– "Have sufficient income to pay a live-in caregiver."

– "Provide acceptable accommodation in your home."

– "Make a job offer that has primary caregiving duties for a child or an elderly or disabled person. (A job offer for a housecleaner, for example, is not acceptable under the Program.)"

Once you get elected it`s all about me, and we keep returning these self serving idiots to the public trough. Goodbye Ruby and the rest of your ilk!

Veteran ace reporter Kady sums up Ruby's pesser:

"My favourite part was when he got in first one, and then a series of fights with a series of reporters over the substance of the very first question, refused to let his client speak, attacked the media – both in general, and specifically the “one outlet” that has been especially naughty, got into a debate with yet another reporter over whether he should let his client speak, and was finally beaten to the microphone *by* said client when she realized what a disaster it was turning out to be, whereupon he did his best to interrupt *her*, and eventually bid everyone a good day.

Worst. Lawyer-dominated presser. Ever."
http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/05/08/her-side/
...-

Here's a link to a scribble by Ruby's mouthpiece:

"What separates good from bad
How to pick a lawyer who can win your case
Howard Levitt, Financial Post"
http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=880442

batb

Plausible....at least more plausible then the CPC and Torstar teaming up to sink the good ship Princess Ruby and by extension Professor Puffin.

Liberal knives are long knives.

As an aside, I am really enjoying the likes of Rosemary Thompson of CTV and Margot Somethingoranother on CBC squirming uncomfortably as they attempt to minimize this story and cast vague dispersions in the direction of the CPC.

Of course the disappearance of Iggy Puff and Katsmeat is a bonus that we can all enjoy....unless their both working on new books...Kicking Nanny Ass in Canadian Politics and True Patriot Tough Love....

*sigh*

Syncro

When ya go the heavy duty Lawyering up route right out of the gate, it sure makes people think you have something to hide. In her case lots to hide.

Getting the lawyer in to obfuscate, made tangential arguments and generally confuse things is what Tony Soprana would.

Whatever else happens, her political career is toast.

There will be many, many other ambitious lower level Liberals very happy over her demise. There will be many glasses raised in toast to the end of her cutie-pie career. Takes more than a smile, a figure and the ability to spout out the Liberal talking points box to get to the top.

But she will be a very bitter loser. Wanna bet Iggy won't let her within 50ft if a camera is around ?

Set you free:

I'm somewhat in agreement with you when you say that it's hard to say at this point just how involved Dhalla was in this situation, but I wonder about something: you said "Dhalla's lawyer alleged it was Neill who took the passports."

Maybe he did, but consider the following:

1. In Dhalla's laundry-list of a serial denial in which she distances herself from her family she professes no knowledge of the details of "selection, interviewing, hiring, supervising, sponsoring, or any financial transactions." Curiously absent from such a detailed denial is the matter of the passports.

2. A woman named Agatha Mason, from the agency Intercede, said she phoned Dhalla -- i.e. not Dhalla's mother or brother -- to demand that the passports be returned within 24 hours or the police would be called. Now, it's entirely possible, I suppose, that Ruby Dhalla was called in order to tell her to tell one of her family members to return the passports, but if Dhalla's mother or brother was the caregivers' employer(s), why wouldn't Mason contact them instead?

3. Most tellingly, perhaps, consider this seemingly redirecting/moot statement on the part of her lawyer, as covered in the Star: "Clutching documents, Levitt claimed to have evidence that refuted several of the nannies' allegations. Magdalene Gordo worked for Dhalla for 11 days and not three weeks so Dhalla could not have held her passport for two weeks, he said."

Note that *he's* making an issue the matter of how long the passports were held. It seems to me that if Dhalla didn't take the passports her lawyer would have said so in clear terms, as one of the first orders of business; his decision to instead dispute the length of time they were -- apparently -- held seems telling.

If it really is a Conservative conspiracy then the next step is to make sure Ms. Dhalla remains the incumbent MP.

Politically she is grievously damaged goods and nothing would help the CP more than to see her contesting the riding and seeing Iggy coming to her riding to help out or ignoring her candidacy and then maintaining that the LP is solid and unified (just like it was solid and unified in its support of the budget). Either way it is the perfect outcome for the CP.

Iggy needs to get out in front of this soon and remove her or things will get much, much worse for him and the LP.

The "Dithers" label has not been retired and can be applied to Iggy if he lets it happen.

It's a gift of manna from heaven for the Conservatives, if they can portray (with just cause) a stalwart 'champion' of the immigrant community as having feet of clay.

I will wager the Conservative party just garnered thousands of votes from the Phil. and lower caste indian communities.

While CTV's Power Play did 4 segments on the Dhalla Nanny Scandal over the last 2 days (leading off both shows with the Dhalla scandal), Newman ignored it all day yesterday and all day today, except for a measily 5 minute segment at the end of today's braaaawdcast, in which Don Martin said that it's appalling that the Conservatives are piling on and prejudging the issue before all the facts are in... you know, like martin himself did on the Cadman affair? Briden added that this could all blow up in the Conservatives' faces.

2 hours of Newman and a mere 5 minutes devoted to this matter. Pathetic! I wonder when he and the Liberals are going to announce that he's a candidate for them in the next election and in which riding.

BB

very well said

and there ain't no

"CLEAN THE FAMILY BUSINESS"

as a qualifier

If everything that Ruby Dhalla or her mouthpiece- I mean, lawyer- said is true, then turn over the evidence to the police and the labour board. Otherwise the press conference just sounds like a "pity-me" party.

I think an embassy appointment would take the heat off Ms. Dhalla.

This is an interesting development. Winnipeg has a very large Filipino population. I wonder how the Libs are polling in those ridings these days.

Hmmmmmmmm?

now thats more like it

CBCpravda swinging for the fence.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/05/08/dhalla-caregiver.html

CBCpravda All Lieberals AlL the effing Time

FIRE.THEM.ALL

from ignoring it for 2 weeks to jumping on the Sarah Palin Dhalla bandwagon.

You know, much has been made of Dhalla's being a woman and a "minority".

But not enough is being made of the fact that she's a wealthy elitist who appears to look down on and mistreat the less fortunate (if indeed the three women are telling the truth, not that there's any reason to doubt them).

Dhalla exudes an air of arrogance and conceit. Much like Whatshername, the booby girl who went out with Maxime Bernier after having gone out with bike gangsters?

Oh, and she's also a Liberal. A Librano. It only provides damaging optics for the Liberals, in that everyone in the party will now be perceived as being a wealthy elitist who only claims to be "caring and compassionate" towards the less fortunate. Apparently the "caring and compassion" slogan is just something to win big-city NDP swing votes.

And the "leader" is hiding somewhere, perhaps under a couch, like some scaredy cat when Mommy vacuums the carpet.

Don Martin = Liberal Elitist Poster Boy

Two telling quotes in his article:

"Ruby Dhalla is the Liberal MP at the epicentre of an incredibly nasty smear campaign as she moves to fight allegations by a pair of Philippine nannies who accuse her of making them work too hard doing menial tasks beyond their job description."

"Something doesn’t smell right in having two former nannies step forward a year after they left the Dhalla family’s employment to suddenly complain about conditions that don’t seem unusually onerous for immigrant workers."

Let the last part of that second quote ring around in your head for awhile. I hope that his article is forwarded to every Filipino in Canada. What a truly pathetic bastard!

Agatha Mason & Intercede are clients of Canada’s socialist State.
She draws her salary from Canadian taxpayers’ tax money.

Mason’s comments are invalid.

Every time she speaks she is speaking on our dime. She is biased and irrelevant.

She would be well advised to stop, cease, and desist from making public statements.

From her organization’s website:

“We are funded by Canada Immigration and Citizenship Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (CIC-ISAP).”
http://www.intercedetoronto.org/Annual_Report_April_2007_To_March_2008

Without the CBC's help I would never have known about this plot by those dasterdly Filipino's.
Makes the Jihad threat look tiny in preportion.
Ruby should be allowed to follow her culture . After all hers has caste systems.
JMO

P'Iggy is hiding because the cat got his tongue.

Quite likely, before this weekend's over, those nannies will be a few bucks richer and, next week, this will all fizzle away. I know the Liberals.

OOOOIggy. Look and read; see Spot run.

Iggy, you better get out front on Ruby; don't be leading from the rear.

This is getting tres serieux, Iggy.
Your pals are turning agin you.

But, Iggy, there is a way out: tell Ruby to lodge a complaint at Canada's HRC tribunals. Won't cost you a penny; you can make some easy $$$$ also.
...-

"Ruby Dhalla and the ethics commissioner: looks like a dead end

Ruby Dhalla and her lawyer suggest new layers of complexity and even conspiracy in the story of allegations about caregivers her family employed. But don’t hold your breath waiting for the federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to step in to settle the matter.

At her news conference today, Dhalla’s lawyer again referred to her request for the commissioner to review the allegations against her. It certainly sounds like the sort of thing that would make sense. The problem is that MPs took steps last year to make sure the commissioner doesn’t have any clear mandate to look into this sort of affair.

The commissioner, Mary Dawson, has the power to hold inquiries into cases where MPs might have used public office to benefit their private interests. But the emphasis is squarely on conflict of interest—not the general ethical tone or, for that matter, the legality of an MP’s behaviour.

The Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons details how an MP is prohibited from using public office to “further his or her private interests.” There’s no conflict of this sort suggested in any of the claims about how the Dhalla family’s former caregivers were treated.

Dawson’s office would only confirm to me that she is considering Dhalla’s request, and wouldn’t offer any help interpreting of how the code might—or might not—apply in this case. So I called Duff Conacher, the tireless head of Democracy Watch, who knows more about the conflict code than anybody else I know.

Conacher confirmed that there’s no obvious way for Dawson to take up Dhalla’s plea for an impartial inquiry into the matter. He points out an interesting wrinkle, though: up until last spring, when MPs changed the rules, Dawson just might have had leeway to examine a case like this one.

Here’s why."
http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/05/08/ruby-dhalla-and-the-ethics-commissioner-looks-like-a-dead-end/

"Every time she speaks she is speaking on our dime. She is biased and irrelevant."

You are talking about Ruby, right ?

Has anybody ever heard of Joyce Murray? Apparently she is a LPC MP from BC who was thrown in front of the bus on Power Play tonight. Defending Ruby has fallen to the backbenchers because "the leader" is otherwise engaged.

Iggy is obviously busy stacking stool.

Syncro

Robert W.

What I love is how Don Martin emphasizes in his column that all there is against Dhalla are allegations while immediately following with: "Ruby Dhalla is the Liberal MP at the epicentre of an incredibly nasty smear campaign..."

Most responsible journalists (or at least the smart ones who try to conceal their own political/party bias as best they can) would have inserted "what some say" or "what critics say" just before referring to it as an "incredibility nasty smear campaign."

The fact that that's excluded from his musings, especially right after he paints her as a victim in his next breath, proves him to be especially moronic.

Iggy spoke today and said what any normal human being would have said.

Everybody has the right to defend themselves.

The lynch mob may think otherwise, until their neck is in the noose. First they came for Ruby, now they come for me.

Next time a troll comes here and starts smearing and namd-calling remember you have the right to stand up for yourself.

If you just whine about how you're losing, then you've defined yourself as a loser as in the irellevant ‘if it would have been a Conservative' line which totally defines a self-pitying loser.

If you'd like to continue being a victim, may as well join the NDP and Liberals right now. They're much better at it.

Jim, I expanded upon my thoughts of Martin here. What an absolute piece of work!

As I said there, the class system is alive and well in Canada, at least in the minds of Liberal elites like Martin!

P'Iggy is hiding because the cat got his tongue.
Posted by: Bernie at May 8, 2009 8:14 PM

Yep, and Warren ate the cat.

Wasn't it John A MacDonald who said "Those Liberals make me Sikh"?

The left always seems to draw conclusions and make laws from the most far fetched stretches of the imagination you could think of. They abuse statistics and make conclusions based on feelings instead of facts. But when one of their own is caught they demand forensic exacting proof.

Just a quick thank you to Kate for linking to my blog. Greatly appreciated.

So now we see what the liberals are up to when they aren't trying to steal Jesus off the cross.

"As an aside, I am really enjoying the likes of Rosemary Thompson of CTV and Margot Somethingoranother on CBC squirming uncomfortably as they attempt to minimize this story and cast vague dispersions in the direction of the CPC" - Syncrodox @ 6:57PM

In one McDiarmid's pieces on Newsworld, she stated that Dhalla was the "first" female Sikh MP elected to the HoC and, as a result, is an inspiration and a trailblazer for Sikh women everywhere, when in fact Nina Grewal was elected to parliament at the same time Dhalla was. But Nina is a Conservative so she's automatically disqualified in Margot's world.

Was this mere oversight on McDiarmid's part that can be chalked up to not having the facts, or is it yet another instance of bias by omission by yet another CBC reporter, attempting to paint Liberals in the best possible light, especially when they're embroiled in scandal? Like with so many Liberal shills in the MSM, it's often by omissions of information that their bias is - ironically enough - exposed.

I look forward to when Margot is forced to point out after the next election that Nina Grewal is the only female Sikh woman in Canadian history to have 3-peated. At least then she'll have her facts straight.

I may have to change the expressions I use.
Instead of saying 'beat him like a rented mule' I may have to substitute 'beat him like Ruby beats her nannies'.

Stan:

Could you point out the evidence where Dhalla beats her nannies?

Stan:

Could you point out the evidence where Dhalla beats her nannies?
Posted by: set you free.

----------------------------

Right here:

http://tinyurl.com/o7v32t

Watch for the nannies or members of their families to suddenly come into some yummy money and all of a sudden their memories of the Ruby Dhalla household events will get really really muddy.

That'll teach those immigrants to speak out against the Liberal elites. Let that be a warning to any and all other domestic workers who "may" forget their place and complain.

Oh, and by the way, the domestic foreign worker program is a conservative plot.

Sheeeeesh.

SYF - lighten up. You are being unreasonable. There is sufficient evidence to justify holding Ruby's feet to the fire until she screams...metaphorically speaking (good one, Stan!)

Politicians should be held to a higher standard, not a lower one...as is currently the fashion.

I do, however, agree that we should not be rejoicing about this, for several reasons, one of which is the following:

Proverbs 24:17,18 - "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when (s)he stumbles; or the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from (her)."

Another angle on "Nannygate" I would've like to have seen played up in MSM today (aside from the fact that today's Stats Can unemployment figure of 8%, which the MSM enforced as a sign of Harper's failure to turn the economy around, is the same as it was in 2002, when the Liberals were in gov't and, more importantly, when there WAS NO global recession for them to deal with) is that while the Conservatives are not playing up the allegations against Dhalla on their website (have a look, the homepage is very non-partisan, makes no mention of the Dhalla issue, no reference in the "NEWS" or "OTHER STORIES" section of the "PRESS" tab either), the Liberals went into immediate attack-mode on the Cadman affair on their website, plastering their homepage with headlines that screamed criminal activity on behalf of Harper while the Liberals themselves were going on allegations. If Don Martin had any credibility (sorry to beat up on Don again LOL), he will point that out the next time he opens his mouth when he states that the Conservatives are unfairly rushing to judgment. Or would making that contrast make the Conservatives appear to be level-headed, reasoned and calm on this issue while making the Liberals out to be opportunistic and power-mad?

jag baduria, gurmant grewal, ruby dalla.....

'set you free': Absolutely Ruby Dhalla has the right to defend herself against the allegations. And I hope she does so! This forum is merely the electronic equivalent of a discussion around the water cooler.

What I don't understand is why you are so quick to assume that the 3 nannies are lying. Also, I have not once seen you condemn the shabby reporting of CBC News or Don Martin.

An analogy: If a woman claims that she was beaten up by a man, then that man has every right to defend himself and his reputation. But is your natural inclination to assume that she is lying or that somehow a "conspiracy" is afoot?

Robert W

We're talking about the smarmy socialist set here...words are more important than actions.

Syncro

Stan:

10:52 goes into the Pantheon of Great Comments.

That's really, really funny.

*
if ms. dhalla is willing to "bus-under" her bro to dodge this bullet...
what does that tell you about her (cough, cough) character?

they're gonna have to rename it the "ruby" prize.

*

Please don't beat me Ruby.

I wonder why the racism card hasn't been played on this gig...

Syncro

EBD, just trying to be a responsible citizen and help the poor guy.

http://www.wiseacre-gardens.com/sound/foghorn11.wav

Thats a good one Stan.

The racism card is sort of in play, Syncro, but it's part of an aggregate victim-card: At her news conference Dhalla began by talking about how she understands the challenges facing immigrants (code for race, really), and women, and women immigrants. And she tossed in that her Mom is a single mother, etc.

In technical terms, it's the race-immigrant-women-single-mother combo, in the pike position.

Shorter Ruby..

'I could not have possibly done this because I am the daughter of *sniff* immigrants, and we are minorities, so we get a free pass anyhow..what was the question?'

EBD

Victimizational Diving is more of an art then a sport....best left to .....well...victims.

Syncro

Syncro

Although I'm tempted to agree with some of the bigoted, small-minded commentators on here - I think I'll wait until the facts are confirmed. I don;t believe the nanny, the politicians, or you lot. Anyone able to think for themselves around here?

"You've painted up your lips
And rolled and curled your tinted hair
Ruby are you contemplating
Going out somewhere
The shadow on the wall
Tells me the sun ('n you) is going down
Oh Ruby
Don't take your love to (the) town (bus)"

With apologies to Kenny Rogers

Enjoyed reading all the comments, but I'm honestly surprized that no-one picked up on the most galling bit of the presser.

That Ruby would dedicate her future days in pursuit of justice for migrant workers and improvements to the live-in caregiver program.

Give me a break. That sounds to me like OJ's quest to never rest until he finds the true killer of his wife.

Juxtapose that sucker.

The Nannies will soon be getting HUSH money.

It seems really odd that the Star broke this story and are devoting so much ink to it.
Could it be that they are upset with the liberals and are taking one down to show Iggy who's boss?
Or do they need cash and have concluded that the liberal tongue baths don't sell newspapers so it might be time to actually cover liberal scandals?
Could media bias be one of the casualties of the recession?
Strange times indeed.

There's no denying Dhalla is clever - too clever again by half, as the saying goes. I've been trying to give her the benefit of any doubt, considering that I can't stand her, personally, and that I have strong feelings regarding the abuse of foreign workers. I considered I may have any number of reasons to let my personal bias cause me to unfairly leap to judgement.

After a night's fitful sleep, I've come to the conclusion Ruby Dhalla is so smart she understands people will leap to judgement for the wrong reasons, including political motivations, and is using that to create a smokescreen to obscure the facts.

Some things don't add up. - the passport issue. There's no getting around that. For someone in Dhalla's position, even as an MP, there is no excuse for taking possession of someone's passport. It's illegal, in fact - a very serious crime that smacks of third world corruption. There's only one reason I can think of that anyone would do that. That someone in Canada would do this sickens me, especially someone in a position of power, especially someone who is multiculturalism critic for the opposition, especially someone who is building a political career (literally it would seem) on the backs of immigrant women.

As if all of the transgressions against the Filipino caregivers isn't enough, now they have a bulldog lawyer going after them. It would seem manipulation, intimidation, and bully tactics are what Dhalla is all about. Beauty is only skin deep in her case, and ugly goes to the bone. Seeing her on TV make me think she actually remains convinced she is the victim here, as if she's being denied her right to preferential treatment and denied recognition of her superior royal status.

She's not just lying to us, she's been lying to herself. I think she actually believes it when she says foreign workers in her house have been treated with love. I'm sorry, but after what I've heard, it comes out like "We treat our slaves much better than we really should, or need to, given their lowly status and vulnerable position."

Disgusting.

Some good points Jimbo.
Maybe only part of the story is true but let's face it ruby's a phoney. She has been saying one thing and doing another her whole politico life.
Every incident requires an explaination, or somebody got it wrong or she was misquoted. Right.
She got caught and doesn't like it. Trashing the uneducated disadvantaged nannies will be easy for her. Reams of sworn testimony will now be produced by witnesses who claim the nannies are unreliable liars and ruby is a paragon of virtue.
It might not be enough... right gurmant?

Jimbo - well put

I must confess that I'm severely disappointed not to see any response to my simple questions from 'set you free'. Might he have had a dream overnight in which 3 Filipino nannies pointed out that *he* was the actual racist toward *them*?!?

Just askin'!

Kate,

Paulstuff commented similar sentiments at Macleans blog.....and was promptly deleted.

As I stated before, this is a mere tempest in a teapot and no significant consequences will arise out of it. One of Harpo's puppet ministers stated that the so called victims would be called before a parliamentary committee to provide statements under oath, however this has been quickly backed away from, especially enlight of the evidence Ms. Dhalla is providing. Put the two or even the third "victim" on the stand and the Harpos will be suborning perjury. Ms. Dhalla made a proper and wise move by referring this entire matter to the House ethics commissioner. The timing when these "victims" decided to come forward is highly suspicious. Harpo and Harperites are trying desperately to deflect attention from their own ineptitude and failings, also their continuing dismal showings in the polls.

T and others,

so nice to see the Liberal establishment trying to now destroy these poor immigrant women in order to protect their Liberal princess.

I would expect nothing less under Sir Iggy's royal leadership.

P'Iggy has become the invisible lib.

Mikey , your flock awaits!

I suspect he is managing to find himself a photoop somewhere. Afganistan ? with a press corp in tow.

Dear T,

Have you always hated Filipinos or is this a new virulent strain in your life?

Robert

T

I'm surprised you failed to mention the obvious Bush/Cheney/Rove connection.

BTW enlight should probably read in light...One would think the Liberal war room is being run by illiterate idiots....wait....scratch that last bit.

Syncro

RE: jim at May 8, 2009 11:19 PM

--Hear, hear! Bravo!

Listen up, Big, Liberal-Partisan Media! Listen up or go out of business!

Posted by: Robert W. at May 8, 2009 11:36 PM

OK Robert, here goes.

I found Friday night's National thoroughly disgusting.

One statement sticks out: ‘The Conservatives are reacting with glee.'

No mention that the issue was first brought out in the Ontario legislature by the NDP. Or that the Ontario Liberal government held talks with these gals.

No, only that ‘Conservatives are reacting with glee.'

There's a reason I advised a more cautious and dignified reaction to this story.

The CBC proved my point.

Mr. ' T ' your back! - You provided such delightful fodder. You got a full thread all to yourself. I would have thought the shame would have compelled you to go into hiding, or perhaps a name change - but then i remembered your a socialist.

Posted by: Tenebris at May 8, 2009 11:08 PM

I totally agree with your last paragraph.

Although I did not see any evidence of any members of the federal Conservative Party ‘reacting with glee' about the situation, the CBC nonethless used it to plunge a sword into them.

The CBC has taken yet another credibility hit on this one, but I'm not sure how much lower they can sink.

"Bulldog lawyer" is a good way to describe Ruby's lawyer.

He did Dhalla no favors with that effort.

The women who came forward were vulnerable then, but are more so now, *because* of this Liberal.

Threatening to hammer them on some witness stand in some Parliamentary Committee would not look good on Ruby.

There would not enough shoe polish in the country to cover that scuff.

Harpo and Harperites are trying desperately to deflect attention from their own ineptitude and failings, also their continuing dismal showings in the polls.
Posted by: T at May 9, 2009 11:25 AM

Could you expand on this statement 'T'.

T:

Only one problem with your deflection.

This is not a question of ethics in a Parliamentary context or an abuse of taxpayers' money, so it makes no sense to put the question before the Ethics Committee.

Apparently polls have determined that there are more Sikh votes available to the Liberals in critical areas than abused domestic worker votes. Iggy is making appropriate support-type noises for his "smeared" follower and the MSM has likely received their leftist encoded marching orders for the counter campaign by now. The "brain trust" must be regarding it as good practice for the next election. If the high priced help can't blow smoke and tilt mirrors and hold a simple fairytale about "what is really going on" together for six weeks, what chance is there at a real national election requiring a winning patronage image to attract real money?

It is to be hoped that many additional Lieberals/lawyers/"strategists" will be "drilling down" to determine which evil genius from Fox News was hired by Harper to organize and oversee this huge plot and how the Star was hoodwinked. Waterboarding if necessary, but not necessarily waterboarding.

re: T at May 9, 2009 11:25 AM

"...this is a mere tempest in a teapot ... One of Harpo's puppet ministers stated that the so called victims would be called before a parliamentary committee to provide statements under oath, however this has been quickly backed away from, especially enlight of the evidence Ms. Dhalla is providing"

Ms Dhalla has not provided any evidence to show why she was holding the nanny's passport. She can't, because there isn't any. She can't take their pssport, for any reason - full stop. It's a serious crime here, as it should be.

One of the nanny's said she had to sign a paper stating she could get her passport back on request (notwithstanding it took a third party agency to threaten police action to actually get it returned). Does that make any sense to anyone? Is that the evidence her bulldog lawyer is referring to? If I was Dhalla, or her lawyer, I'd think twice about producing that piece of evidence. More damning than absolving, it shows a clumsy attempt at pre-empting a future expose should the fact the passport was taken come to light.

I'm speechless when I hear people somehow blaming this on Harper. He has nothing whatsoever to do with it. The Star broke the story, and they're no friend to Harper or the Conservatives. Ruby Dhalla has more than a few enemies within her own party and outside of politics, because of the way she treats people. Contending this is a Conservative conspiracy is beyond ridiculous, and destroys the credibility of anyone who suggests it. If there's any

What is far worse, in my opinion, is that those making those contentions, including Don Martin, are all too ready to dismiss the credibility of the Filipino nannies. Aren't these the same people who claim to be looking out for vulnerable Canadians? In fact, wasn't that the fundamental purpose of Dhalla's job. This is corruption in nice makeup and an expensive dress, but it's the same as if it happened in a third world dictatorship done by a soldier with a gun. At least the soldier is upfront about it.

Personally, I'll leave the politics to others - this is about an imperious two-faced bully who was caught mistreating her servants.

Think about it
12-16 hour days, seven days a week;

substandard rate of pay in contravention of labour laws;

required to do work outside caregiver guidelines;

room & board part of the deal, but they aren't allowed to eat with the family or even go into the refrigerator for something to eat;

none of the legal permission was obtained by the "employer";

paid under the table by a federal MP;

passports seized and held; story corroborated by an independent agency;

three people with similar stories;

If Ms Dhalla's lawyer comes up with documents showing Dhalla applied for, and was given, permission by the authorities to hire these caregivers, as required BY THE LAW, I'll give a little slack. If the lawyer provides timesheets, hourly rate of pay, and pay stubs showing they were paid IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW, with all deductions taken off, also AS REQUIRED BY THE LAW, I'll give a little more slack.

If not - she BROKE THE LAW! Does Mr Newman not understand this? Does "T" above, and the other apologists not understand this? This isn't "she said, she said".

Doesn't pass the smell test, indeed. The reason Dhalla wants this to go to the federal ethics commissioner, is to delay things, and try to misdirect. Smokescreens and intimidation tactics are all she has left.

At this point, it doesn't even matter if the caregivers are taken at their word. She is a professional Chiropractor, has a small business, and must be well aware of the laws regarding employing people. There has to be a paper trail showing these people were hire, employed, and paid in accordance with federal and provincial laws. If not, she's guilty.

Or did Dhalla fail to employ people according to the law at the behest of Stephen Harper too, as part of a giant conspiracy?

To top off the conspiracy theories, Jimbo, concerning Prime Minister Stephen Harper's so-called "involvement," PMSH was inspecting the Dahla Dam in Afghanistan, as part of his surprise visit to the troops there, when the Dhalla story broke.

This story gets more and more interesting.
Ruby is an MP in the parliament of Canada. These Nannies could have assumed her to have the power to take a passport, doubt her brother would have the same advantage to do do such a thing.

If this case is not properly dealt with we could have these immigrants who do such service vulnerable to further abuse. Who is paying for their legal fees?

'set you free':

You answered one of my three questions. Let me pose the other two to you again:

1. Why you are so quick to assume that the 3 nannies are lying?

2. An analogy: If a woman claims that she was beaten up by a man, then that man has every right to defend himself and his reputation. But is your natural inclination to assume that she is lying or that somehow a "conspiracy" is afoot?

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'll tell you why I have a smirk on my face over all of this: Because I've long felt that Ruby Dhalla is an absolute hypocrite. I am allowed to hold that opinion, aren't I?

Yes, time will tell if she is completely guilty, partially guilty, or completely innocent. If the latter, you have my word that I will publicly apologize on my blog.

Hold the newliblogo: I did surface.

I and Ruby are now refuseniks: Bamming the reporters.

“Ignatieff like Dhalla refused to take reporters questions on the issue.”

Translation to Dionkyese:

““The car goes by, and bam, the dog. Now go to sleep.””
…-

“I want to reiterate the tremendous for my party of us all always treating those who we employ with the respect and that we comply in every respect with all available provincial and federal law and we need to get to the bottom of these allegations quickly, get closure, both for Ms. Dhalla and the young women in question. That’s all I have to say.

But Ignatieff like Dhalla refused to take reporters questions on the issue.”
http://davidakin.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2009/5/8/4179528.html

Robert:

1) Somebody is lying. It could well be Dhalla.

2) Her lawyer brought out the possibility of a conspiracy. It's obviously a distraction. Now, it's up to somebody to press him for details. The CBC ran with this in their slimy ‘Conservatives are reacting with glee' innuendo. The CBC will have to give proof that anybody in the Conservative Party is gleeful about the circumstances or face an avalanche of letters to the ombudsman.

3) Opinions are like a**holes. Everybody has one. My opinion is the MSM is going to take an even bigger credibiilty hit on this one, especially when the facts point out this issue was first raised at a provincial level in Ontario. They were given a hearing by the Ontario Liberal Party, then in follow-up questions led by the NDP. Facts are more important than opinions.

Robert:

Did you check out the Wait! There's more link.

Sensational.

Even after several generations in Canada, some Indians cannot get past the overwhelming need to dominate and control people from a lower caste. It has nothing to do with money, work, or convenience of any kind. It's simply about asserting their social superiority.

My sons have a Hindu friend, the son of a doctor. The mother kept asking one of my sons to do chores which her own son refused to do. She offered to pay my sone very well for the chores. When I found out, I put a very swift end to it, and I kicked her kid's ass out of my gym. They had been slowly trying to attain some kind of dominance over us.

What they don't understand is, in Canada, there's still an option open to every citizen, an ass-kicking. Assault charges are no more severe for an un-touchable, than they are for the elite class.

I see this post is linked at Bourque.org. Cool.

Harpo and Harperites are trying desperately to deflect attention from their own ineptitude and failings, also their continuing dismal showings in the polls.
Posted by: T at May 9, 2009 11:25 AM

--Really, T? Care to provide evidence of this? Explain how, with factual examples to justify your claims.

Far as I'm concerned, you could've accused the PM of picking his nose and wiping the booger on somebody. But then you'd need proof or else no one would believe you.

The Dhalla's contend they only took the passports to make photocopies as part of the process of hiring these people. Apparently it takes weeks to make a photocopy.

At the very least, Dhalla hired these people prior to obtaining the proper paperwork, contrary to federal regulations.

Here's a link to transcripts of communications Dhalla, her brother, and legal council had with Star reporter Dale Brazao:

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/acrobat/67/76/4eff7f0f4f8c825b625785f6f3bf.pdf

BTW, didn't T say the same basic talking point yesterday?

The entire Dhalla affair is a tempest in a teapot and will soon pass without any significant consequences. Harpo and Harperites attempting once again to deflect attention from their own ineptitude. Their administration is in freefall and Harpo sees the writing on the wall; his government is in trouble. Don Martin of the Post is usually very pro-conservative, and for him to categorize this as a non-story, well, I think that speaks volumes.
Posted by: T at May 8, 2009 11:52 AM

http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/011367.html#c388656

T sounds like a broken record.

Who gave T the talking point? A clown named Warren?

Apparently it takes weeks to make a photocopy.

Yep, sure it does. And doing it on my all-in-one peripheral takes weeks, too, not mere seconds.

I don't believe it takes weeks. Nor does anyone else who's made copies, and that's be pretty much everyone.

Further, the Liberals and the Liberal friendly media outlets (except, strangely, the TorStar) are desperately trying to claim some kind of vast, right-wing conspiracy without offering evidence. How Hillary Clinton of them! Cleary the Liberal Party is in the toilet.

To Canadian Sentinel:

Your lips are obviously so firmly planted to Harpo's and the collective right-wing conservative ass that it would take one of your buddy Bush's bunker buster bombs to extricate them. Further, it would be an effort in futility to attempt to explain and document how the Harpo government is in freefall. Look at the polls. His popularity is at an all time low, especially in Quebec and he continues to loose ground in Ontario. However, I digress, and simply reply: run along and delude yourself some more, as soon we'll have a real PM and government.

loose = opposite of tight

lose = opposite of win

loser = T

I do know the difference. I inadvertently typed an extra "O". However, Conservatives will certainly be really accustomed to the word lose and its meaning after the next election, as have the Republicans. NS Conservatives will experience it June.

HARPO? gees, hehe.

Think iT could come up with something a bit more original.

and dream on, wanna be june brides.

Like others, I challenge T to furnish evidence of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his CPC "attempting once again to deflect attention from their own ineptitude." What? How?

This is T's opinion only. I see nowhere that the CPC or PMSH are "gleeful" about what's surfaced about Ruby Dhalla and her domestic help. Obviously, they're not going to go into mourning over a severe critic's distress, but I would need links to any comments that CPC members have made to indicate that they are trying in any way to use the Dhalla Disaster in order to deflect "from their own ineptitude."

In fact, what ineptitude would T be referring to? The Canadian dollar's rise in value? The unemployment rate actually falling? The Canadian economy's strength compared to the U.S. and European economies?

T is all talk and no walk. Cough up the facts, T, or ST#@&%$#@U!

T sounds just like the idiots on the Globe and Mail site. Never offers anything but juvenile comments with no facts attached or discussion involved. I'm assuming he's still in high school or there might have at least been some kind of rational thought in his posts. He just trying to provoke people and turn this site into a "low rent" discussion group. Don't let him.

Da proof is da proof is da proof because it is proven.

batb and gord:

I like this courageous tone both of you are taking.

Never let an intellectual inferior like T define you.

Always ask for proof on any false allegations.

Once you stand up to a sliming bully like T, they'll slither back under their rocks.

'set you free':

I completely misinterpreted your earlier comments. My apologies. And thank you for clarifying!

Btw that Paul fellow, the CAW worker, is HILARIOUS!!!

Rewrite headline/story*:

>>> *Federal LIberals IggyRuby should watch their steps around PET Cemetery.

Flashback: Iggy “blasted” by PET’s fils/son**.
…-

*”[Quebec] Liberals should watch their steps around pet hotel

The saga of the Doggie Inn has legs, and could spell troubles for government”
urlm.in/cjtj
…-

**”Ignatieff gets blasted by Alexandre Trudeau
Updated Wed. Nov. 22 2006 9:02 PM ET
Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Michael Ignatieff received a blast Wednesday from one of Pierre Trudeau’s sons, after a top aide suggested the late Liberal icon would have endorsed the leadership front-runner’s position on recognizing Quebec as a nation.

Alexandre Trudeau issued a written statement saying that anyone who believes his father would have supported Ignateiff’s views “couldn’t be more wrong.”

He said it’s “more objectionable still” to suggest that his father “would, like Ignatieff, deal in vacuous terms meant to appease emotions.””
urlm.in/cjti

"Look at the polls. His popularity is at an all time low" -"T", re. PM Harper

Oh, really? Which polls? The ones your doggie whizzes on? C'mon, don't be chicken (cluck-cluck)... give us some polls that prove your claim. Just ONE!

Funny. If PMSH's popularity is at an "all-time low", yet Ignatieff is LESS popular than Harper, well, then, it doesn't bode well for Ignatieff.

Should've had a leadership election. Stupid party! Letting the bigwig elites in the ivory tower decide who shall lead the Party into the sewer.

Conservatives will certainly be really accustomed to the word lose and its meaning after the next election, as have the Republicans. NS Conservatives will experience it June.

Posted by: T at May 9, 2009 3:55 PM

Someone's really cocksure of being a latter-day Nostradamus.

Geez... them "progressives", they're so delusional.

it would be an effort in futility to attempt to explain and document how the Harpo government is in freefall

-"T"

--Nonsense. You just don't have what it takes to make the case. You've got nothing. Zero, zip, zilch, nada.

Typical Liberal. Making claims but never making the case.

re passport,

as the nannies came through a gov't approved process, all the employer would need to see and copy down is the passport ID #, no nee to take the document

and wasn't it the second nannie that complained about this???? this move appears to be a method of controlling the nannie as her predecessor left after 11 weeks

and as far as Indian and cast system, yup, very much practiced be certain elements of that community

What a pest T is: no facts, no case, just his/her opinion, which is very slim and based on nothing other than his/her entitled wishful thinking.

GYM:

You bring up an interesting point.

Since one nanny worked for 11 days, did she get her passport back when she quit?

One question.

If the nanny was ‘controlled,' why was she allowed to quit?

Some control, huh?

The spectacle of that bizarre press conference, where more allegations by Dhalla, that the nannies were liars and fabricators, and their statements were "false and unsubstantiated", and where her lawyer is craving to subject them “to the laws of perjury”, and where Dhalla refused to answer a single question, we now learn, was orchestrated by Ignatieff and his office, since Ignatieff has now informed us, they have provided Dhalla with advice and support through this whole affair, and "we've been working closely, in my office, with Ruby Dhalla."
I am sure that Dhalla, her lawyer, and Ignatieff, will want to extend the same courtesy that people have extended to Dhalla, in that accusations of her are only allegations, and so the accusations of the nannies by Dhalla, her lawyer and Ignatieff are allegations only as well, and are unproven.

I would suspect that the nannies would like to have their day in court and avail themselves of the Canadian justice system – do they deserve anything less or are we becoming Mexico North as far as justice is concerned . Dhalla’s elite lawyer Howard Levitt told us that “Ruby Dhalla wants due process” - so are the nannies not entitled to due process as well?
Who in their right mind believes, and since when, has the ethics commissioner become part of Canada’s justice system and "due process" to which these nannies can place their faith and trust and depend on?
I know that Ignatieff is the author of many books, but one of them, is obviously not the Dispensation of Justice in Canada. Although he may be excused, since he has been away from Canada for umpteen years, he obviously needs to be reminded that justice in Canada, is not dispensed by any parliamentary committee, or least of all by an ethics commissioner. If Ignatieff is sincere, when he said "We need to get to the bottom of these allegations quickly, get closure” - is he naïve enough to think the route or Canadian way is by a parliamentary committee or involvement of an ethics commissioner.

These Nannies don't have the luxury of assistance, of a high priced lawyer, the leader of the opposition and his office staff - they are entirely dependent on a revered justice system. Since Dhalla says she has “always been the champion of immigrant women and their rights” I suspect she would want them to have their case be heard in a court of law, even though her leader has a different view, of how the allegations against these nannies, and how justice should and is dispensed in Canada.

Who wants a political circus to replace our justice system, and deny anyone their legal rights or due process, be they poor nannies with limited resources, who are insecure and powerless, or a prominent MP with unlimited financial resources and the benefactor of counsel of the leader of the Opposition and his office staff.

set you free - I am beginning to speculate that you are, yourself, involved in hiring or using undocumented workers. You continually reject the data as outlined in the press and try to persuade us to accept a different conclusion. That is OK, but your different conclusions and your rejection of the data seem to be 'stretching' credibility.

There was no need to take the passports of these workers. All you need for documentation is a photocopy and/or the passport number. No employer has the right to take an employee's passport.

Don't quibble about semantics - i.e., the meaning of the word 'control' can mean controlling the work done during that time period. When this woman got in touch with Intercede - they called Dhalla in Ottawa to get the passport returned. And once she was in touch with an agency that would provide help, that 'nanny' could get her passport back - and quit.

And we've been over other items such as having a cleaning contract doesn't mean these women weren't asked to clean the offices..and shovel the snow at midnight (after all, a service would only come once a day and not right after a snowfall)...

So, you seem to be not merely looking at the raw data, but trying to shovel that data under the rug. Why? As I said, I'm beginning to speculate..

"Ignatieff's Turner problem*
Walkom:" (H/T NNW)
...-

*The Long Run: The Political Rise of John Turner | CBC Archives
24 Sep 2008 ... When John Turner is caught on camera in patting the bum of Liberal Party President Iona Campagnolo, the 55-year-old finds himself the target ...
archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/topics/2106-13007

One question. If the nanny was ‘controlled,' why was she allowed to quit? -Posted by: set you free at May 9, 2009 5:51 PM

Don't be daft, SYF. Of course she could quit. What, are you suggesting that she didn't have a choice? Did someone have a firearm pointed at her? Was she somehow physically prevented from leaving the premises?

The nanny was obviously only under control as long as she continued to work for the Dhallas.

She set herself free by quitting and getting the hell out of that allegedly slavedriving household.

Duh.

ET:

I need not speculate for one second that there's been a lot of jumping to conclusions on this issue.

I'm involved in hiring undocumented workers? I laugh in your general direction.

Do we have any assertions from the nannies it was Ruby who demanded snow be shovelled? If the nannies could provide a date, that could be cross-referenced to her whereabouts on that date. Easy fact to check.

The only thing being shovelled so far is a bunch of BS.

Facts are facts and BS is BS.

Typical Liberal MO:

--caught in middle/appearance of scandal.

--deny deny deny

--muddy the issue twelve ways to Sunday

--accuse everyone else of wrongdoing and vendetta

Hell, they had them on tape offering bribes. Ask how that went for Grewal.

In my opinion there are two really sticky and difficult issues remaining for Dhalla: there's the passport issue, but also, as the Star notes, "(Dhalla's lawyer) did not produce federal work permits that allowed the women to work legally in the home, documents that go to the heart of the controversy."

These issues, the passport and the permit, are troublingly linked: if the workers didn't have permits, AND their passports were held, that...ah, erm, doesn't look good.

Pssst, Iggy. Do ya have a .....lite?
This post has legs.
...-

"Maybe not snobbish, but certainly vain and preening

Thanks Jane Taber for offering us another revolting glimpse at the True Patriot, Michael Ignatieff. (He is a true patriot because unlike us, he can only "imagine" Canada. To him, there is no real Canada.)

So, it appears hip, feet-on-the-ground Iggy likes to spend his time reading celebrity gossip and home remedies for cellulite.

I think that's just terrific. What this country needs is a leader who can mediate between Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston or who knows what Kate Moss looks like topless on a beach in Turkey. And it must be great to be Zuhzzhanna Ignatieff with that endless stream of tips to get rid of the ulgy jelly collecting on her legs.

But here's the thing. Wouldn't it be even more terrific if we were told that in his spare time Michael Ignatieff is reading the Wall Street Journal and taking a seminar on investing. This is not to knock his command of Hollywood happenings but a man as woefully ignorant of money should not be allowed to command the nation's largest purse... no? (He's never bought a stock, bond or mutual fund. He's never had to weigh risk against reward. He's never considered the tax implications of interest or dividends.)

Especially when you think that the Liberal pretext last December for launching a bloodless coup was a fiscal update that turned out to be accurate and fair - a fiscal update whose opponents distorted and manipulated for political gain without regard for the economic havoc that bullshit caused."
http://chuckercanuck.blogspot.com/

set you free - you are, again, 'shovelling the facts under the rug'.

The issue isn't whether or not Ms Dhalla herself ordered the women to shovel the snow; it was clear that it was her mother doing so.

There are several issues that are relevant, and that do involve Ms Dhalla.

There is the issue of the documents, of passport, birth certificate etc, which the second caregiver states were asked for and taken by Ms Dhalla herself. They were not returned until Intercede contacted - not Neil Dhalla nor the mother, but Ms Dhalla in Ottawa - to get them returned.

This caregiver was asked by Ms Dhalla's mother to sign a handwritten note that it was not Ms Dhalla but her brother who took the documents. Why should such a note be deemed necessary?

And why were these documents taken in the first place?
And remember, all the workers state that it was Ms Dhalla who interviewed them - and how about the 'test' for the second 'caregiver', which was making a dish of noodles.

Second, the legal documentation that allowed these women to work was not done.

Third, their work permits - which they didn't have - made it clear that their work was to be as a caregiver not a housekeeper. But the women state that they did essentially no caregiving but only housework for the family.

Now, if Ms Dhalla had nothing to do with these women and it was strictly and only her family - that's one situation. And I'm not talking about shovelling snow or cleaning shoes. I'm referring only to the legal situation.

Unfortunately, the data that we are being given, by the women, by Intercede and by the placement agency, states the opposite - that Ms Dhalla was directly involved in all these events: the passports, the hiring, the documentation.

I keep hearing the liberal media refer to Ruby as a "rising star"...
She's a typical liberal - dishonest, egocentric, abusive, and semi-retarded...
I hope this is the end of Ruby's political career...

ET

thanx...saves me a lot of typing trying to point out to that thick skulled 'set you free'

A political investigation isn't what's needed.

There needs to be a POLICE investigation, a CRIMINAL investigation.

And it needs to go to court.

The Liberals don't want this to happen.

The optics will devastate the entire party if this happens.

Therefore they're engaging in a desperate, massive, B.S.-intensive, conspiracy-theorizing propaganda campaign to try to manipulate voter perception to try to minimize the devastation to their electoral future.

Little doubt much of the Big Media will help them... little doubt. They already are, except, oddly, for the Toronto Star.

Definitely this whole scandal has legs... long, muscular, powerful legs ready for a marathon.

It's not going away. Unlike Ignatieff. Where's he, by the way? Oh, autographing his book somewhere, avoiding the Press. Damn, if Harper avoids the Press, Ignatieff and his cronies give him the Third Degree!

Maybe Iggy is hiding out in a toilet stall somewhere with his propaganda hitman, Warren...

Where is the probation officer Iggy??
Dhalla for $$$ dollars won't go away soon enough!!
Looks good on the HYPOCRITE Liebranos!!
Where is the Adscam refund Mr. Dithers promised!!

Behind every elitist bureaucrat, wearing the mask of maudlin Liberal moral superiority, lies the atrophied heart and cold cunning of a plutocrat.

ET:

I'm sure the pertinent facts will come out at the parliamentary Immigration Committee this week.

There's a limited number of facts established so far in this case.

Dhalla did the interviewing. Hmmm. That should be worth at least five years hard labour.

Dhalla took possession of passports. We haven't heard the reasons yet. All I know is when I cross the border, I need my actual passport, not a photocopy.

So, if they were undocumented workers, perhaps Dhalla was trying to help them gain legitimate documentation. I suppose the nannies could have gone down to the immigration office themselves.

Since I was not there, I don't know the nature of their discussion and why they trusted Dhalla enough to hand over the passports. What? You weren't there either. Those facts will come out this week.

In the meanwhile, sit back and enjoy whatever you enjoy and be thankful that some government agency is not pounding at your door with a bunch of unproven allegations. And, be thankful you live in a country that when they pound on your door, you have the right to give your side of the issue.

Would you buy a used car from these two?:

http://1800cute.blogspot.com/2006/09/scandalous-shame-on-you-ms.html

'Looks like Dhalla's been up to a bunch of dirty tricks long before Nannygate.

Nice try, Set Yourself Free.

Very good. I'd be saying the same as you are, if the circumstances were reversed, and it was a Conservative who had been fingered by three minority immigrant women for being a cruel slavemaster outlaw or whatever one wants to call it.

Unfortunately, the damage is already done, and it's going to get worse, once the police launch a proper criminal investigation and it goes to court, with witnesses under oath, the judge, jury, massive Big Media coverage, bloggers taptapping away at the keyboards, Rick Mercer joking about it, etc... the whole enchilada.

No political party wants one of its own "rising stars" to be in this position, for it transfers a bit of a radioactive glow to the whole party in the eyes of the voters.

It doesn't help that Ms. Dhalla, when she went before the media, refused to answer questions. That only adds to the whole poisonous-optics thing, complicating it all, keeping folks talking, talking, talking, including even the Toronto Star, who's no friend of the Conservatives.

Iggy's in exile, running away from the supposedly Liberal-friendly Big Media. What happened? I thought the Canadian Big Media would just pretend nothing was wrong, just as they do when Obama does bad stuff, like bring in draconian, unconstitutional, rights-threatening legislation and ramming it down Americans' throats, etc., etc....

I think it's more probable (than a VRWC, as Liberals and the likes of Don Newman absurdly want to believe) that it's a matter of a faction or factions of the Liberal Party trying to destroy Ignatieff's chances of becoming PM. It appears possible that we're seeing yet another repeat of Liberal infighting, fraticide, backstabbing. There's men (and women too, probably) behind the curtain screwing things up, and I wonder if they called in favors at the Toronto Star to get that arguably Liberal-loyalist paper to aid their dastardly derrings-do to attack Iggy with an incessant bombardment of puffinpoop until he cries and quits or something.

Poor Liberals. Poor Iggy.

But I don't pity them. Wouldn't vote for 'em as long as they're the same old party that commits fraticide due to longstanding grudges or due to refusal of players to play ball with the folks behind the curtain. Of course, there's a lot of other reasons, but...

Somebody or somebodies in the Liberal Party, in the shadows, doesn't/don't like Michael Ignatieff for some reason. Too "right-wing", perhaps, too vulnerable to the inconvenient truth... which you can view on my blog, as I've posted a bunch of video ads that appeared on YouTube over the past few days and have yet to get a whole lot of views, as they've yet to be talked about... visit and scroll...

I never thought I'd say it:

"I miss Jason Cherniak."

No justification of taking someones passport by an employer that's what they do in Saudi Arabia.
This is Canada.
Ms. Dhalla deserves the heat she has reaped.

***I'm sure the pertinent facts will come out at the parliamentary Immigration Committee this week.****

this is a law and order issue, and needs to be addressed in court to get the REAL facts

****There's a limited number of facts established so far in this case.****

and 3 of those facts are that 3 nannies quit and cite similar reasons for doing so

****Dhalla did the interviewing. Hmmm. That should be worth at least five years hard labour.***

and this makes her responsible for the hiring and thusly the eventual working relationship

****Dhalla took possession of passports. We haven't heard the reasons yet.****

what ever the reason, she had NO legal rite to do so, FULLSTOP on the one, and when she did she placed herself in legal jeopardy, and then has lied about it

**** All I know is when I cross the border, I need my actual passport, not a photocopy.****

this has nothing to do with discussion

***So, if they were undocumented workers, perhaps Dhalla was trying to help them gain legitimate documentation. I suppose the nannies could have gone down to the immigration office themselves.****

still no need for taking legal docs (ie;passport) for the nannies as there are other gov't agencies who have the pertinent info for processing

****Since I was not there, I don't know the nature of their discussion and why they trusted Dhalla enough to hand over the passports. What? You weren't there either. Those facts will come out this week.*****

how do you ascertain trust in this situation????

****In the meanwhile, sit back and enjoy whatever you enjoy and be thankful that some government agency is not pounding at your door with a bunch of unproven allegations. And, be thankful you live in a country that when they pound on your door, you have the right to give your side of the issue.****

the gov't ain't at any one's door, the Liberal Star is banging on Rudy's door and she is foaming at the mouth (or her mouthpiece is)

Posted by: set you free at May 10, 2009 11:29 AM

Unlike many here, my wife and I actually hired a nanny from the Philippines, seventeen years ago. It took us 18 months to get her approved, as we did not go through an agency. We had to ensure that she passed medical tests, literacy tests, and had proper documentation (which we never held, BTW, but told her to bring with her to Immigration).

I think we treat her pretty well. She has her own room and bathroom, and her own sitting room with TV, cable, VHS (and now DVD) player. We paid for her driving lessons, and she's now on her second car, which we pay for, including insurance. We paid for her to attend George Brown. Now that the kids are older (15 and 12), she doesn't need to be home after school, so she asked if she could take a part time job outside. "Sure" we said. She has travelled with us to the US, Europe, and Asia.

Does she work odd hours? Yes. She gets up early to make breakfast and lunch for the kids, but after they get dropped off at the bus, she's pretty much on her own for the next eight hours. She's busy again from 4:30-7:00 when she leaves for her outside job. Saturdays she takes off with her friends, unless she's going on a trip with us. Sunday, we usually cook for her. I think the fact that she's stayed with us for 17 years is evidence that she's treated well.

However, she meets other Filipino nannies, and tells us horror stories of how they are treated. Hours of 7 am to 9 pm five days a week, plus being expected to be back by 6 pm Saturday so the parents can go out while the nanny watches the kids. Most of them are uneducated, and coming from the Philippines, they are scared to rock the boat (which in the Philippines can - sincerely - get you killed). She's the only one who has a car - she's practically the only one who knows how to drive.

A big deal for Filipino nannies is sending money "back home". Foreign remittances are a major source of foreign exchange for the Philippines. Because my wife still has relatives there, she simply instructs her brother to give the money to Fe's family - no charge. According to Fe, other nannies tell her their employers routinely deduct 10-20% of any amount they remit.

None of the allegations against Dhalla surprise me - I've heard them all before. And let's remember where they first surfaced - at a news conference held by two Ontario Liberal cabinet ministers, where a group of nannies all told similar tales of misuse and abuse. To think that the allegations against Dhalla are fantasy or contrived just doesn't jibe with my own persona experience.