Bahrain has requested an Ethics Commissioner look into troubling allegations of slavery … developing….
Intensely and excruciatingly related: He’s no Tommy Wynette! – “Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff did not speak to reporters again Thursday and has not taken questions since the accusations surfaced.”
Repeat after me, tattered Liberals – Leadership!
Partisanship should take a back seat to due process; It’s all that stands between us and the commies.
Off topic sort of:
National newswatch isnlonking to a repot that employment in Canada INCREASED by 35000 jobs. I suspect iggy and the MsM will remain mute a little while longer.
Count Chocula hiding? Nah, maybe the pork sandwich made him sick.
Are people aware that Dhalla’s accusers have not filed any formal complaint? National Post: http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=1575781
Are people aware that the only request for any formal investigation into the actual facts was initiated by Dhalla herself earlier this week?
Is anyone at all puzzled about why this comes to light now even though the nannies quit or were fired OVER ONE YEAR AGO(!!) and even though the first public complaints were made several weeks ago?
or why the Conservatives seemed to be campaign ready for this controversy and so very ready with their own talking points, press releases, Commons questions?
or why, by pure chance, a Parliamentary committee hearing just happens to be scheduled to deal with migrant workers issues (and Tilson, the Conservative chair, is calling on Dhalla and the nannies to appear)?
I am beginning to agree with the National Post: “Dhalla affair doesn’t pass the smell test[…] 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. Perhaps I’m being excessively suspicious, but a Conservative hit squad has taken aim at Dhalla for more than a year and her opponent in the last and next election, Parm Gill, has his website up and is a regular tagalong with Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.” . (network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/05/07/don-martin-dhalla-affair-doesn-t-pass-the-smell-test.aspx)
Perhaps he’s writing another book.
And, your point would be Ted ?
A Conservative hit squad? Yeah, they were there, forcing those kids to steal her purse so she could order them beaten. They were also there, demanding that those nannies, you know, not anny anyone, and instead do the housekeeping.
All the dastardly Cons fault, Teddy. Yep, you nailed it.
I wonder if Mulroney has anything to do with this?…I mean, we’ve been investigating, re investigating, re re inv…You get my drift. Let’s get the CBC and the Fifth Estate on it right away!
Meanwhile, I have not seen true justice rendered to Canadian taxpayers off the Liberal adscam scandal. Mulroney = $300,000 (Non tax payer cash), Adscam = At least $42,000,000 (Tax payer cash)…Jane Stewart’s $1,000,000,000 that ‘dissapeared’ under the Human Resources Min. was’nt even investigated I think. 1 billion dollars gone. With no paper trail!!!, but let’s keep digging on Mulroney.
What the hell is Harper doing?…Is it the minority thingy still?…(Calm down, take a deep breath, “I love my country”, “Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are not braindead, just missinformed”…)
This Ruby thing will be cleared by next month with no one being ‘hurt’ except the 3 nannies (Yes there’s a new one that came forward last night) who probably won’t get proper justice.
This land’s institutions are Liberal highjacked, stacked and corrupt to the core.
The fact 2 Ontario Liberals tried to ignore this in an attempt to cover for their Fed cousin smacks of the Election Canada “in and out” investigation again’st Harper’s Conservatives while ignoring that other parties including Liberal had done the same for years.
It is to note that just these past few weeks, the Ontario min of labour and immigration stated publicly that whoever abused immigrants should face jail time…Rubygate had not surfaced yet. If Dhalla is found guilty, the only justice appropriate would be for her to go to jail. PERIOD!
Just read that Ruby told Judy Sgro during the Liberal convention that the Star was going to be running a story about her nannies.
Got that timing???? The Star waited until AFTER Ignatieff’s coronation and held back the story.
If this was a Conservative the media would have LOVED to blast a story like this during a convention to take any good news off the front pages.
And, one asks, Ruby KNEW about the story in advance????? Why would that be?
This shows how those hillbillies that acquire power behave. (this is not to throw other hillbillies under the bus).
Anyone who has been around for a while would know that there is no worst tyrant.
Suddenly they “feel” they have the power to order plebeians to do things for them as they see fit.
Note in Janke’s post where the MP is calling on commissioner of HOC to look into a matter that is of no business for the commissioner.
This country has laws and if they are broken then it is for the justice industry to sort things out. There is the crime and then there is the punishment.
No crime, no punishment.
Socialism/fascism is on march.
”or why the Conservatives seemed to be campaign ready for this controversy and so very ready with their own talking points, press releases, Commons questions?”
Gee Ted, just how long to you think it takes to whip up a reaction to a story?
Your leader may need a week or 2 to respond, but this government has the experience to handle issues as they pop up?
Explain how in your world of CONspiracy,
the CPC got the McGuinty Liberals to stage a public forum to trap Ruby in.
And then conspired with the TorontoStar to have the issue kept under wraps until Iffy was crowned…
It can’t be long until Dhalla claims it a cultural norm where she comes from to treat employees as slaves and that anyone not realizing it is a RACIST!
I’ve always felt Dhalla is one of the more scummier scumbags who populate the House of Commons; she’s always had no trouble uttering the most outrageous accusations against her political opponents. So I’m enjoying her current problems immensely.
Can a Sikh rally in support of her at University & Queen in Toronto be long off?
By the way, Ted, have you gone over the allegations from the other 30-odd complaints that were aired at the meeting? No, of course not — they were probably plants as well. This is all just a Conservative Hit Squad ™ operation.
“OVER ONE YEAR AGO(!!)”
Great use of caps, however your punctuation needs a little work. Try this next time:
OVER ONE YEAR AGO(!!!!)
David (10:33 AM): Count Chocula? What’s the connection?
The LPC war room must be working on this. Let’s be realistic. They’ll pay off these 3 immigrants, maybe 5 or 6 figures each, and this whole thing will blow away. Ignatieff knows doing nothing (which is much better than lying and stealing) is better than saying anything at this point.
But I think this has more steam in the Ontario legislature, as it is now clear a LPC MPP did not promptly follow-up on these allegations.
Ted;
Dhalla’s request for a formal investigation is with an irrelevant investigative body.It was carefully selected for that reason. You know it.
It is not just Cons. that are on the offence. Ndp’s and even some Liberals are also on the case.You also know that.
The Count himself is hiding from this because even he understands the consequences.Perhaps your beef is really with him. Why doesn’t he defend her?
Lorraine!!! I’m shocked at what you have said!! Are you implying that the Noble Red Star..er, I mean the Toronto Star were biased in their news presentation and that the CBC didn’t do anything during that convention other than gush about what a swell guy the Puffin is? I’m shocked to my core!
”Just read that Ruby told Judy Sgro during the Liberal convention that the Star was going to be running a story about her nannies.”
Wow! If true, Iffy has some explaining to do.
Surely he knew, and told McGuinty too.
What did Iffy know and when?
Why didn’t Mr Human Rights get out ahead of the story and come clean?
Umm, Lorraine…she knew about the story because the Star reporter interviewed her for it.
“employment in Canada INCREASED by 35000 jobs
Does this mean there’s 34,997 possible Rubi Slaves out there ?
Nice try Ted, trying to say the National Post has dismissed this as a non-story. The only thing I read to back up your statement was Don Martin’s own opinion piece, and it’s been rightly dismissed as, shall we say, lacking in intelligience.
And Dhalla asking for a formal investigation as you put it is a lark. What Dhalla asked for was the ethics commissioner to investigate. The commissioners purview does not include Ontario labor laws or federal immigartion laws. The investigation would only determine whether she was in violation of conflict-of-interest in her position of MP.
And I nmight note that today the Star has a picture of Dhalla with her arm around the third nanny. But Ted, I thought Dhalla already said she wasn’t involved with any of the nannies?
When I look at the G&M comments on this issue, I’m totally baffled.
As Dave suggests, this issue first became public during Question Period in the Ontario legislature when the NDP questioned possible labour standard violations … a provincial jurisdiction.
Yet, a few G&M commentators have somehow managed to pin the blame on the Prime Minister. And, others have invoked racism and sexism as factors in why this issue became public.
Dhalla is now damaged as a player on the national level, yet there’s parliamentary committees studying this issue?
I’m unsure why it’s any of parliament’s business to clear Dhalla’s name. But, until the nannies are willing to press charges, not much will get resolved other than her public embarrassment.
It seems, though, Dhalla feels no shame.
If she gave the nannies room and board, plus $250 a week pocket money, that seems reasonable. How many of us have $250 a week left over after our mortgage, grocery and utility bills are paid?
Ted, this from the National Post editors own piece on Dhalla:
“Mr. Rae says Ms. Dhalla “has a right to defend herself, and there will be full investigations, I’m sure at both the federal and provincial level” — which is no doubt true. But for her own part, Ms. Dhalla has gone further, telling the media that “anyone who has ever worked in our home has been treated with a lot of love, with a lot of care and compassion.” The mere fact that two women in her employ have stepped forward in a move that will likely ruin her political career, we believe, would seem to suggest otherwise”
Dave
The reference to a Count is well documented. Compare the links below if you will.
The first is Iggy.The second is our hero on every kids favourite cereal box Count Chocula. The resemblance is uncanny.They both are also not to be taken seriously as far as Counts go. Both figures are made to make you feel unthreatened and safe.I do not know however, if the Count on the cereal box has written a bunch of books.
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2006/12/18/ignatieff-dion_cp_11295750.jpg
http://hubbub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d8d9253ef010536a51aa3970b-800wi
He will emerge and throw her the standard political rope that we are supporting you until it is proved and then you are outta here, the problem is he needs time to arrange for her soft landing afterward and time for the images of him Ruby at the convention to not be so fresh in peoples minds.
He cannot take a stance early because he has a 50% chance of being wrong and sinking the whole ship.
So he will come out and claim his party takes these allegations seriously and will do everything in his power to make sure the truth is brought to light, he has accepted her stepping down as critic and will wait for the results of an investigation.
Boilerplate Ottawa Scandal response # 216.
Where is WaldoIggy?
Liberal.caca. has Iggy’s position; and, Anita’s and Maria’s; but, not Ruby’s position. tsk tsk
Iggy’s Song: My Nanny is a feisty fighter, furiously scrubbing my floors.
SOW is my labour pool, Iggy ‘xplains; ask Boob Rae (Hi! I’m Mao Stl…).
More here: “Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and Beyond”.
…-
“May 5, 2009
Harper government needs comprehensive plan to fight human trafficking
OTTAWA – The Harper government must take stronger action against human trafficking, particularly as Canada prepares to host the world at the 2010 Vancouver OIympic Games, the Liberal Women’s Caucus said today.
“There is evidence that high-profile international sporting events are accompanied by increased demand for human trafficking victims for the purposes of sexual exploitation within the host country,” said Liberal Status of Women Critic Anita Neville. “We must do everything we can to ensure that the Vancouver Games do not become a feeding ground for this type of activity.”
Women’s Caucus Chair Maria Minna said while Liberals support Bill C-268 – the private member’s bill that calls for mandatory minimum sentences of five years for human trafficking – the government must go farther.
“Yet again, we have a Conservative member who believes that simply increasing jail times will solve problems,” she said. “It doesn’t. It requires a more comprehensive approach that brings the world’s police forces, prosecutors and social agencies together to work on issues of prosecution, protection of victims and prevention.”
Recently in Vancouver during the Liberal Party’s Biennial Convention, members of the Women’s Caucus met with the Citizens’ Summit on Human Trafficking at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and Beyond to deliver this same message of support and to back their declaration that calls for, among other things, increased resources from the Conservative government to effectively fight this battle.
“Canadians can be assured that we will continue working to press for federal government action on this matter,” said Ms. Neville.”
(lib.caca)
Ted, I agree we should wait for the facts to come out in more detail. The only problem with Liberals making this point is it’s hypocritical of them, given the nonsense they have generated over the Mulroney non-affair, torturing soldiers, and many other faux scandals which Liberals, especially in their joke parliamentary committees, have subjected the public to.
Thanks to the Grits, and their cohorts at CBC, the public is being subjected to international humiliation v.v KH Schreiber being allowed to remain in Canada when he should be sitting in a German jail now.
That’s the real point, Ted.
Paul:
There have been more than Don Martin article questioning this “story”. I linked to one other at the Post.
And seriously Paul, there is a photo of Dhalla with her mother’s nanny and that is proof of “being involved” with her nannies??? You think she should stay away from her mom’s place.
To me the really puzzling thing about this media/Conservative created circus is, if what happened was so horrendous (Kate here and others refer to “slavery”, why have the nannies not filed any complaint?
They could have filed a complaint easily with the police, Ministry of Labour, etc. But despite no complaints in all the years they worked for Dhalla’s mother and after waiting for over a year since they worked there, they go not to any authorities but to the press?
The only one who has asked for any kind of formal investigation into the truth of this has been Dhalla herself in the only venue she can.
Maybe she was meanie with her nannies. Maybe she crossed some ethical line. But why wait for things like facts to inform us when there is a great opportunity to distract from real government business and the Conservatives falling numbers and failing economic “plan”.
Just a coincidence this all comes out the week after the convention. Uh-hunh.
Say it quick… Ignotenough…
Ummm, john g…..IF the star knew about it BEFORE the convention…funny they kept it under wraps until AFTER the convention, huh.
or why the Conservatives seemed to be campaign ready for this controversy and so very ready with their own talking points, press releases, Commons questions?
Alas, poor Teddy… Methinks he theorizes too much about conspiracy…
Indeed, a conspiracy between the Toronto Red Star and the Conservatives… right, sure, ok.
Nice attempt at diversion, Teddy Bear. But don’t waste your efforts.
Ted – for a split second, I will pretend that you actually put some thought behind your comment instead of spouting LPC sheeple speaking points.
First – the nannies met with two Ministers. I will lay dollars to donuts that they figured that speaking to not one, but two Ministers did constitute a formal complaint and that one of the TWO Ministers would have done more than just posed for photographs.
Second – the labour Minister handed out a 1-800 number. So…why would these nannies think that they had to call the number when they just spoke to two Ministers? I am sure that, in their minds, they think that Ministers actually do something other than smile, pose for photos and then sit on their hands and brush off all of their concerns.
Third – the 1-800 number that the Minister handed to the nannies, after listening to them and posing for photo ops, did not work.
So, Ted, how are they supposed to file a formal complaint when the number does not work and they do not know where and how to file a formal complaint. After all, they aired their concerns with TWO Ministers…who, in the end, sat on their hands.
Ted:
Since this issue was first brought up in the Ontario legislature by an NDP member on a provincial jurisdiction, how does that make it Harper’s fault?
Ted.
#1. They didn’t work years for Dhalla’s mother, it was weeks.
#2. The hiring agency said it was Ruby Dhalla who contacted and did the hiring.
#3. The spokesperson for Intercede has verified that one of the nannies contacted them as she could not get her passport back.
#4. That same spokesperson has notes, dates, and details of the call madeto Dhalla.
#5. It has already been confirmed the women were paid cash under the table.
#6. This was not a Conservative created scandal. The Toronto Star has been doing investigation into the treatment and abuse of nannies for months.
#7. The nannies were probably reluctant to file a complaint as they were working illegally, and being paid cash under the table with no deductions.
#8. The allegations were brought up two weeks ago during a meeting with LIBERAL cabinet ministers of the Ontario government.
#9. By Dhalla’s own admission, she knew of this story coming out at the leadership convention, yet remained silent.
#10. Whether these allegations are proven or not, the fact Ignatieff is mia, and has refused to take questions since the story broke, is not a great example of leadership.
When Ignatieff talks about hope, I guess he means he hopes nobody finds him till this thing blows over.
East:
Why don’t you call up a Minister, any Minister, and see if you can set up an appointment with them? Something very fishy about the way this is being played out.
No formal complaint. They don’t even bother to follow through on the advice given. But instead, over a year after ceasing employment, they go to the media first.
Hmmmm.
“The first is Iggy.The second is our hero on every kids favourite cereal box Count Chocula.” …
…And David McGuinty is Frankenberry. John McCallum is Booberry. Scott Brison is the Lucky Charm’s leaprechaun. Pablo Rodriguez is the crackpot Coco Puff bird.
Ralph Goodale?: Just plain old prairie Puff Wheat (Remember those cheap huge bags your mom got at the store of tasteless, nutritionless, immediatly soggy when hit with milk in which you finally dumped half a pound a sugar over to make them somewhat eatable? your mom got them because that Saturday you had decided to go play with your friends instead of ‘supervising’ the cereal aisle to which you would have nagged to get the top choice: Captain Crunch!
Did this whole thing not come from an Ontario Govt Inquiry? Not a Federal.
Like Bob Fife said just the other nite on Power Play, If this had been a conservative MP the Liberals would be burning down the house to get to the bottom of this.
I agree these are allegations, But they are also very serious allegations of violations of the Ontario Labour Act along with others.
Also i see that another Nanny has come forward & for those that said this was a year ago, you must remember quite often immigrants are not aware of their rights & quite often where they came from they would be afraid to come forward.
“Maybe she was meanie with her nannies. Maybe she crossed some ethical line. But why wait for things like facts to inform us when there is a great opportunity to distract from real government business and the Conservatives falling numbers and failing economic “plan””.
Check out those employment numbers today Ted?. The TSX has had several weeks of decent gains, and is now back to November levels and still showing improvement. BoC head says no further stimulus needed as economy showing signs of recovery. Unemployment rate is where it was 7 years ago, under the Liberal’s in boom times. Government is expected to post $800 million surplus for the last fiscal year ending March. Pretty impressive during a world-wide global recession. Dollar climbing today.
Yep, that economic plan is really failing Ted.
“Just a coincidence this all comes out the week after the convention. Uh-hunh”
It is a coincidence Ted, you’re right…they knew about it before, how come they waited until AFTER?
Speaking of conspiracies, Ted, I would look at the conspiracy between the MSM and the Liberals to keep things out of the news until after Iggy is crowned to make sure that he doesn’t have to answer anything too hard.
Paulstuff:
Well, thank you at least for engaging in facts, instead of attacks and insults, the modus operendi here.
The facts don’t really fly though, but they are a decent attempt at least. Take this one for example:
“The nannies were probably reluctant to file a complaint as they were working illegally, and being paid cash under the table with no deductions.”
So reluctant that… they spoke to a minister and spewed it to the public? Seriously, does that argument even make sense?
Dhalla’s affair has certain symbolic dimension how Liberal Party is an old rusty organization just thinly painted on the surface. The show is as phony as Ignatieff himself.
Ted, they never went to the media. The Star in it’s investigation found out about the meeting with the two Ontario ministers. and why do you keep talking about the Conservative’s? Have you seen NDP Olivia Chow’s comments?
So Ted, when will Iggy come out of hiding and address the issue? You know, show some leadership.
No formal complaint yet? Interesting but proves nothing. Perhaps that’s pending. Then I guess that’ll prove everything, eh?
Leftists wage wars using the Big Media all the time.
But with the notoriously Liberal-friendly, Conservative-unfriendly Toronto Star all over the scandal like the dust cloud surrounding Charlie Brown’s friend Pigpen, one can hardly claim a “Vast, Right-Wing Conspiracy” just because the National Post is also, like every other paper, talking about it, and the Tories, like also the NDP, had something to say when asked. Yep, it’s all a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, what’s happening to Dhalla. Sure.
Geez… this is the best the Liberals can do when under inconvenient heat? The leader, Iggypoopypants, runs away to exile, unable to deal… and some guy named Ted claims there’s a vast, right-wing conspiracy afoot…
Sorry, Teddy Bear… there is no vast, right-wing conspiracy.
Ted, you asked why they never complained ayear ago, and the reason was they were working illegally and being paid cash. And according the the two Liberal ministers, who I’m sure are not Conservative hacks, the nannies only spoke out when prodded to do so. The nannies never went public, and nobody ever heard their names before the Star spilled the beans.
It’s just common sense that once the story broke every news agency would be seeking interviews.
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.
Hurray for the MSM.
Without it, we would never know the details of this story.
So in Liberal Lawyer Ted’s opinion, this is a non-story because the foreign nannies don’t know the proper procedure to complain?
“There has been no complaint to the proper channels” is a particularly pitiful excuse when dealing with any non-politician or lawyer.
Hell, I was born here but would have no clue which of the billion or so federal and/or provincial bureaucracies to complain to had I been in their position.
And how about the fact that these nannies did complain or there wouldn’t be the political fallout from the complaint, would there? Maybe it took them a year before they had enough courage to speak out against so powerful a foe. Maybe it took them that long to find someone to take them seriously or who wouldn’t cover-up or sweep it under the rug, eh? For 13 years, the RCMP was Chretien’s personal attack force. They bullied his foes and covered up his wrong doings.
You liberals keep gripping on about how subject to abuse minorities and immigrants are when bashing the evil corporations but fault the same minorities for not knowing their rights and who to complain to when it’s your lot doing the abusing? Shame. As usual, when the “victim” group leaves the reservation, they get to be attacked by leftard mercilessly. Got any Oreos to throw at them?
And Ted, a liberal crabbing about making a political issue out of a scandal before the conviction just makes you more contemptible. If this was a conservative, you’d be organizing the lynch mob and your buddies in the media would not be questioning the treatment.
You would also be screeching about cover-ups if the provincial conservatives were burying a story for their federal friends.
So, like liberals everywhere, just you try and deflect blame away from your own. Yup, the real story isn’t our alleged malfeasance but those evil, plotting conservatives pointing it out. Pitiful.
Don Martin pro-Conservative?
Good to see you have a sense of humor Ted. Let’s look at one of Martin’s columns, where in another instance there were some unsubstantiated allegations made, and whether Martin thought the accused deserved to be preumed innocent till proven guilty:
“Don Martin: Patrick Brazeau should have stayed a ’senator-in-waiting’
Posted: February 03, 2009, 10:44 AM by Daniel
Don Martin
…But the allegations, investigations and accusations against newly-appointed aboriginal Senator Patrick Brazeau, 34, are piling up in such a frenzy that it’s quickly put the unelected Senate under a negative light, and must surely embarrass Canada’s other six native senatorial representatives.”/
Yep, pretty pro-Conservative there. I guess with allegations piling up against Dhalla Martin needs a higher level of allegation to rule out smoke-and-mirrors.
Your probably right T, nothing will come of it.
After all, we are talking about a pretty, young India native representing a Toronto Liberal seat and not some old white christian Conservative from Calgary.
“So in Liberal Lawyer Ted’s opinion, this is a non-story because the foreign nannies don’t know the proper procedure to complain?”
Not at all.
I am saying there is a huge disconnect with the rhetoric of those trying to spin this for partisan political gain (and frankly, Cheri DiNovo of the NDP and Bob Runciman of the provincial PCs make the federal Conservatives almost look not hypocritical with calls to throw Dhalla in jail and for the Minister of Labour to resign) and the actual facts that we know of, including among others the fact there has been no formal complaint or investigation yet the Conservatives want to haul Dhalla and the nannies up before a Parliamentary Committee for a full hearing (even though, even if the worst of the accusations were true, would still have nothing to do with the federal government or that committee).