“I ain’t the heavy, it’s my brother…”
Facing new allegations she mistreated nannies, Dhalla, in a statement released to the Star through a lawyer, said she has “no knowledge of the details regarding the live-in caregivers for her family” and had “no involvement in the selection, interviewing, hiring, supervising, sponsoring or any financial transactions whatsoever with a live-in caregiver for my family.”
[…]
In the interview, Ruby Dhalla said nannies at the home work for her family, not her.
She said she spends four days a week in Ottawa. Gordo and Tongson said Dhalla arrived at the home every Thursday and left for Ottawa on Monday. They said she occupies the biggest suite in the four-bedroom house.
Dhalla said all queries should be directed to her brother.
(Youtube)
More – Ruby and the Slumdogs
WAIT! There’s more!
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.