I have just finished reading a piece on the CTV website entitle “NDP, Bloc in coalition talks before fiscal update: tape” (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081130/conservative_budget_081130/20081130?hub=TopStories).
Jack Layton is reported to have held a telephone meeting with his caucus which was recorded by a Conservative member. The article then goes on to deal with the issues surrounding such a deal.
But nowhere, does it question the ethics of a Canadian political party conducting what amounts to electronic surveillance on one of its opponents. If I am reading this article correctly and the information is true, then we have a grave situation in Ottawa. Anybody ever here of ‘Watergate’? A very similar act brought down the most powerful politician of his time, President Richard Nixon of the United States.
Here is what needs to happen now if integrity is a word still understood in Ottawa.
- The information must be confirmed and the Conservative member publicly identified. If it is not correct then CTV needs to clarify and apologize.
- The Speaker of the House needs to take the matter under advisement to determine what sanction the House needs to apply.
- The RCMP need to be consulted for possible criminal charges.
- Stephen Harper needs to immediately apologize to the Canadian people (and actually mean it).
- Canadians need to make a statement by contacting their individual MPs from all parties and put them on notice that such behaviour will not be tolerated.
I lived through the time when governments north and south of the border believed that spying on their own citizens was justifiable and normal procedure. I will not live through such times again!
