Silliopolous
09-02-2006, 15:57
Harper, understandably, made Adscam the central pillar of his case to be elected. After all, when your opposition gets caught in a scandal - it's only natural to kick them while they're down.
So he ranted long and hard on the Liberal ties to lobbyists, calling it the "Culture of Corruption" and vowing to purge this evil from the land.
One of the other centerpieces of his campaign was his desire to increase funding to defence to rebuild the Canadian Military. His first order of business? Looking to complete the negotiations started by the Liebrals to replace all our old Hercs with new heavylift aircraft. Needless to say, the contenders for this juicy contract are the usual aviation suppliers: Boeing, Lockheed, Airbus....
So, how does he go about managing these two elements?
Why - naturally the thing to do is to appoint Airbus Industries primary lobbyist to head up defence! (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060208.wxoconnor08/BNStory/National/home)
Canada's new Defence Minister, Gordon O'Connor, was involved in lobbying the armed forces to buy military transport planes that are now at the centre of the hottest military-supply controversy in Ottawa -- one that he will have to settle.
Airbus, which dearly wants to sell its A400M tactical airlift planes to replace the Canadian Forces' aging fleet of Hercules aircraft, has been pushing for the federal government to delay the process so that its plane, which has yet to roll off the production line, can compete.
Mr. O'Connor was a lobbyist for Airbus from 2001 to February of 2004, four months before he was elected as an MP, according to the Lobbyists Registry. His former firm confirmed that he was involved in early efforts, roughly 2½ years ago, to interest the Department of National Defence in buying what became the A400M.
...
Last fall, however, the Liberal government announced plans for a $4.6-billion purchase of planes.
The multibillion-dollar deal, still years away, has emerged as the most controversial battle in Ottawa's cutthroat lobbying wars over major military contracts.
Mr. O'Connor -- and others -- later charged that the government plan appeared to be favouring Lockheed Martin's C130J aircraft, and that Airbus should be given a better chance to have its A400M compete.
Among other things, the Defence Department wanted the new planes "certified to aviation certification standards" by 2007, before the A400M would be ready to fly in 2008, even though documents obtained by The Globe and Mail indicated the Lockheed plane would not be delivered until 2010.
"They had preconceived what they wanted, and they were just driving for it," Mr. O'Connor said last December. "The way they set up the requirements, they're only going to end up with one possible solution."
Mr. O'Connor, a retired brigadier-general, has insisted he will not face any conflicts of interest between his eight-year career as a lobbyist for major military-equipment suppliers and his new role as Defence Minister.
"I will not recuse myself from anything. I do not have any links to any company whatsoever," he said on Monday.
An aide said yesterday that Mr. O'Connor was not available for an interview.
The Lobbyists Registry indicates that Mr. O'Connor lobbied for 27 clients between 1996 and 2004, including some of the world's largest military contractors, such as BAE Systems, General Dynamics and Airbus -- firms that often compete for Defence Department contracts.
Some experts argue that because Mr. O'Connor has no financial ties to any firm, and has not lobbied for two years, he does not face any broad conflict-of-interest problems.
But Mr. O'Connor may have to tackle questions on issues such as the tactical-airlift contract regardless of what he does. If he changes the competition in a way that gives more hope to Airbus, he might be accused of helping his former client; if he does not, he might be accused of holding back on an important decision to avoid the appearance of conflict.
"If he wants to change the rules, he has to make a very good case. If he decides on reflection that he shouldn't change the rules, he has to make quite a good case," said Paul Pross, a former Dalhousie University professor of public administration who advised the Gomery inquiry on lobbying issues.
Mr. Harper? That white horse you rode in on? It seems to be covered in the same shit you were railing about just a few short weeks ago....
Fine, the guy is no longer a lobbyist - because he quit that job when he first got elected. Fine, he has no CURRENT ties to the industry. But who do you think he is going to go right back to work for if he loses his next electoral bid? You don't think everyone knows this?
I mean, how the hell do you start things off by appointing a guy with a built-in appearance of conflict of interest plus strong ties to the very lobby groups you railked so hard against on the very items you are touting as your highest priorities?
Not even through your first week Stevie, and already you've pissed away the public trust that you were somehow better than the option that you just replaced.
Even in my wildest dreams, I didn't think it would be possible for you to do so much damage so quickly. In that respect only are you exceeding my expectations in your abilities.
So he ranted long and hard on the Liberal ties to lobbyists, calling it the "Culture of Corruption" and vowing to purge this evil from the land.
One of the other centerpieces of his campaign was his desire to increase funding to defence to rebuild the Canadian Military. His first order of business? Looking to complete the negotiations started by the Liebrals to replace all our old Hercs with new heavylift aircraft. Needless to say, the contenders for this juicy contract are the usual aviation suppliers: Boeing, Lockheed, Airbus....
So, how does he go about managing these two elements?
Why - naturally the thing to do is to appoint Airbus Industries primary lobbyist to head up defence! (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060208.wxoconnor08/BNStory/National/home)
Canada's new Defence Minister, Gordon O'Connor, was involved in lobbying the armed forces to buy military transport planes that are now at the centre of the hottest military-supply controversy in Ottawa -- one that he will have to settle.
Airbus, which dearly wants to sell its A400M tactical airlift planes to replace the Canadian Forces' aging fleet of Hercules aircraft, has been pushing for the federal government to delay the process so that its plane, which has yet to roll off the production line, can compete.
Mr. O'Connor was a lobbyist for Airbus from 2001 to February of 2004, four months before he was elected as an MP, according to the Lobbyists Registry. His former firm confirmed that he was involved in early efforts, roughly 2½ years ago, to interest the Department of National Defence in buying what became the A400M.
...
Last fall, however, the Liberal government announced plans for a $4.6-billion purchase of planes.
The multibillion-dollar deal, still years away, has emerged as the most controversial battle in Ottawa's cutthroat lobbying wars over major military contracts.
Mr. O'Connor -- and others -- later charged that the government plan appeared to be favouring Lockheed Martin's C130J aircraft, and that Airbus should be given a better chance to have its A400M compete.
Among other things, the Defence Department wanted the new planes "certified to aviation certification standards" by 2007, before the A400M would be ready to fly in 2008, even though documents obtained by The Globe and Mail indicated the Lockheed plane would not be delivered until 2010.
"They had preconceived what they wanted, and they were just driving for it," Mr. O'Connor said last December. "The way they set up the requirements, they're only going to end up with one possible solution."
Mr. O'Connor, a retired brigadier-general, has insisted he will not face any conflicts of interest between his eight-year career as a lobbyist for major military-equipment suppliers and his new role as Defence Minister.
"I will not recuse myself from anything. I do not have any links to any company whatsoever," he said on Monday.
An aide said yesterday that Mr. O'Connor was not available for an interview.
The Lobbyists Registry indicates that Mr. O'Connor lobbied for 27 clients between 1996 and 2004, including some of the world's largest military contractors, such as BAE Systems, General Dynamics and Airbus -- firms that often compete for Defence Department contracts.
Some experts argue that because Mr. O'Connor has no financial ties to any firm, and has not lobbied for two years, he does not face any broad conflict-of-interest problems.
But Mr. O'Connor may have to tackle questions on issues such as the tactical-airlift contract regardless of what he does. If he changes the competition in a way that gives more hope to Airbus, he might be accused of helping his former client; if he does not, he might be accused of holding back on an important decision to avoid the appearance of conflict.
"If he wants to change the rules, he has to make a very good case. If he decides on reflection that he shouldn't change the rules, he has to make quite a good case," said Paul Pross, a former Dalhousie University professor of public administration who advised the Gomery inquiry on lobbying issues.
Mr. Harper? That white horse you rode in on? It seems to be covered in the same shit you were railing about just a few short weeks ago....
Fine, the guy is no longer a lobbyist - because he quit that job when he first got elected. Fine, he has no CURRENT ties to the industry. But who do you think he is going to go right back to work for if he loses his next electoral bid? You don't think everyone knows this?
I mean, how the hell do you start things off by appointing a guy with a built-in appearance of conflict of interest plus strong ties to the very lobby groups you railked so hard against on the very items you are touting as your highest priorities?
Not even through your first week Stevie, and already you've pissed away the public trust that you were somehow better than the option that you just replaced.
Even in my wildest dreams, I didn't think it would be possible for you to do so much damage so quickly. In that respect only are you exceeding my expectations in your abilities.