Crux of the Matter

Update May 16, 2008: Speaker of the House, Peter Milliken, kills Ethics Committee motion.

Stephen Maher wrote an update today, in the Nova Scotia based Chronicle Herald, on the state of the Ethics Committee opposition motion to change the rules on parliamentary committees. The motion related to the fact that the federal Ethics Commissioner had ruled MP Robert Thibault had been in a conflict of interest when he had questioned former PM Brian Mulroney during the Ethics Committee’s inquiry — because both were before the courts as a result of Mulroney suing Thibault.   

Well, as I wrote above, the Speaker of the House, Peter Milliken killed the motion yesterday ruling “that the House couldn’t vote on the motion because it was produced by the ethics committee, which does not have jurisdiction over the code of conduct.”

Well, that was certainly a refreshing outcome because it means that the federal Liberals cannot simply change the ethics rules when they don’t like the rules.

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Why do we have elected trustees on school boards at the municipal level? We have them to oversee the education and well being of children and youth living in a specific municipality — representing both public and separate (Catholic) rate payers. And, key in that role of overseer is making sure money is spent wisely and appropriately.

While we frequently like to say that elected officials should spend public money as if it were their own — we don’t mean that literally. Yet, when we hear the “average” amount allocated to some Toronto trustees last year was $107,218, what are we, the public, supposed to think?

Well, clearly, the school board trustees that took that amount of money out of a school board budget thought they were “entitled” to it. That board is the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). And, as the Toronto Sun editorial says today the Education Minister will have to take over this board and appoint a provincial supervisor in order ”to restore fiscal sanity.” 

What is especially unfortunate with this type of “collective failure” is that it silences the competent trustee voices in the confusion. How very frustrating it must be to be a hard working and effective trustee on that board, such as John Del Grande, who the Sun says filed 21 motions proposing various reforms.

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Yes, you have that right. Even though education is within provincial jurisdiction, Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the recipients of the 2007/08 “Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence” and “Excellence in Childhood Education.”

A news release at the Prime Minister’s website states:

“A total of 95 Prime Minister’s Awards will be given to educators from across Canada.  The recipients represent Canadian teaching excellence in a wide range of subjects at all grade levels, from preschool through secondary school.  All are recognized as having developed innovative ways to teach – including groundbreaking uses of information and communication technologies – to enhance their teaching practices.”

Since we hear so much negative information these days about teachers and teachers’ unions, I thought I would share this good news announcement. At the end of the day, the prime minister is right to recognize ”the teachers who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of young Canadians.”

All of us can remember one or two teachers who made a difference in our lives. I remember a Mr. Nicholson in Grade 6 at what was then called Dewson Street School in Toronto. I think it is now called Dovercourt. I also remember Sister Mary Andrew at Immaculata High School in Ottawa — a school that has been closed for many years now. In university, at the undergrad level, I remember Professors Josephine Meeker, John Mayer and David Rupp, all at Brock University and now retired.

To all of them — thanks!

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Note: The “recipient honour lists” are at the bottom of the above link to the prime minister’s website.

If you have left comments at Crux-of-the-Matter and they have not appeared, or disappeared once they were posted, you are not imagining things. True, I have deleted some comments in recent days but not as many as are actually disappearing all on their own.

Moroever, whether I have comments on “moderation” or not, it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Things are just not working right. Some comments go into “moderation” while others go directly into the spam filter. And, more often than not, my Akismet spam filter is acting as though every comment was spam — including even those from regular readers.

I can’t deactivate the spam filter, so I will have to try and figure out what is going on. My apologies to anyone inconvenienced. However, be assured that I will continue to approve (or delete if I find that necessary) comments on my own.

Remember though, if I am away from the computer for a few hours, there will be a gap in the approval process. But, I will return.

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Yes, you read that right. Today’s Toronto Star editorial is actually complaining about ”Tory” smear tactics in Ottawa. Can you believe that? How can The Star completely ignore the daily barrage of innuendo and gotcha questions in Question Period — that is coming “from” the Liberals “to” the Conservatives.

I will repeat that.  During Question Period, it is the Liberals who ask the questions and the Conservatives who answer. Therefore, the smear is coming FROM the liberals TO the conservatives.  In other words, how can anyone look at what is happening in Ottawa and actually blame the party that is being attacked?

For example, the Star quotes the following:

“When Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion criticized the government for misleading Parliament on Canadian troops handing over Afghan detainees, Harper retorted: “I can understand the passion (the Liberals) feel for Taliban prisoners. I just wish occasionally they would show the same passion for Canadian soldiers.”

It is truly astonishing that the Star would see this as a cheap shot against the Liberals. It was the Liberals who were more concerned with Taliban prisoners and had been hammering away at that fact for days. In other words, the Liberals were showing no such compassion for our troops and that was what the prime minister was getting at. The smear was coming from the Liberals. They knew perfectly well that it was an issue that the Afghanistan government had to deal with. They were simply trying to make the Tory’s look bad. 

Yet, the Toronto Star sees only one side of this story — the Liberal side. While I have seen Liberal bias in many forms before, this one truly takes the cake because whoever wrote it obviously believes what they wrote.

Amazing. Truly amazing. It only goes to prove that “what each one of us sees” is influenced by “what each one of us believes.”

C/P at Jack’s Newswatch.

It somehow doesn’t seem appropriate that the Ontario Liberal Party is sending a type of recruitment letter to Ontario teachers, addressed to them personally, not at their home address, but at their school. I know this to be true because my husband received one today. It was titled “Moving Forward Together” and was linked to this website – clearly the official site of the Liberal Party of Ontario. Note also the anti-John Tory messaging.

On the top of page two the letter states:

“That’s why I’m writing you today. You can join your friends and neighbours and help us keep Ontario moving forward by making a donation to the Ontario Liberal Fund. Your tax-creditable contribution of $100, $150, $250 or an amount of your choice will be a sound investment in our province.”

And, then the letter goes on to spin the supposed Liberal accomplishments: “A Healthier Ontario,” “A Stronger Economy,” “Better Education and Training,” “Greener Communities” and “Improved Quality of Life.” It was signed by Bobby Walman, President, Ontario Liberal Fund.

What is going on here? The last time I checked there was freedom of political affiliation in this country. Yet, this type of letter would certainly have a chilling effect. For instance, how free would a teacher feel to talk about John Tory?  While one might be tempted to say, “well, no Ontario teacher is going to talk about John Tory.” That would be wrong because my husband works for a “private” school – a school that receives not a penny of taxpayers money and where many people are openly conservative.  

So, as far as I am concerned, this type of solicitation and wooing of teachers at their place of employment, is totally inappropriate. However, decisions as to whether it is more than that is for other people to decide.

But, what a double standard! Can you just imagine the reaction by teachers and the media if PC leader John Tory sent out a similar letter?

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If the blogosphere is ever to become an important resource for news, for citizen journalists to write their opinions and/or for people to weigh in with their own views, political or otherwise, there needs to be a spirit of mutual respect and civility — at least within certain blog communities.

Otherwise, the Internet will become nothing more than a free for all where only the most rude and extreme will be heard and be able to tolerate it. When that happens, blogging will have jumped the shark and a wonderful opportunity will have been lost to the lowest common denominator.  

I am writing this post about the importance of civility now because I am noticing a lack of it more and more every single day. For instance, while there are many wonderful regular readers both here and at Jack’s Newswatch, where I also post, increasing numbers of commenters are becoming impatient, insistent, dismissive and sometimes downright abusive to each other and to the bloggers themselves. 

What is going on?  In the 18 months I have been blogging and at least a year before that when I used to leave comments, people have always expressed strongly held opinions and were willing to debate on those opinions. Yet, that it not what I am talking about. Moreover, there have always been trolls, or what I call “shock” bloggers, who love nothing better than to post nasty messages and comments.

No, something else seems to be at work now. Are people just tired of all the goings on in Ottawa, no matter which political party is involved? Has the “gotcha” game of the federal opposition tainted everyone, whether liberal, progressive or conservative, with the same brush?

I am writing this post because I am genuinely concerned. I make a point never to write anything about another blogger, particularly anything that is critical or demeaning — even when I strongly disagree. In fact, I like and respect bloggers from all political persuasions, many of whom are on my “favourites” list. And, I try very hard not to get into one upmanship on comment threads.

Perhaps it is the anonymity that brings out the worst in some people. I don’t know. But, think about it. As bloggers, why on earth would we continue to volunteer our time, day after day, if we are going to be faced with a complete lack of civility more often than not? When we have to put our comments on moderation because we have to make sure they are not insulting, degrading or inflammatory.

So, at the end of the day (literally), if the blogosphere is to be a player in the news and opinion business, civility should be a must.

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While there are definitely some Toronto parents and public school supporters who agree with the notion of an Africentric program from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, the speed at which Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees and members of its “advisory panel” are putting forward and approving proposals is clearly political. 

For example, today’s Toronto Star editorial comment states:

“Bureaucrats at the Toronto public school board have barely begun the effort of launching an Africentric elementary school this coming fall. But now some trustees are calling for an Africentric high school to open just one year later.”

So, however well intentioned, some TDSB trustees are making recommendations for an Africentric high school without adequate “action research” and feedback on the pilot elementary program slated for Sheppard Public School in September of this year.  As such, in their unseemly haste, the needs of the students seem to have been forgotten or minimized.

Moreover, since the pilot project at Sheppard is to be a JK - Grade 5 “school within a school,” what has happened to the intermediate Grades 6 - 8?  Are students aged 11 to 13 supposed to be included with the high school aged youth? That would be a big mistake and a recipe for bullying.

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The Accomplishments

Accountability

The Federal Accountability Act was passed which: (Link)

• Provides protection for whistleblowers;
• Bans political contributions by corporations and unions;
• Reduces personal political donations from $5000 to $1000 per year; *
• Strengthens the power for the Auditor General to ‘Follow the Money;’ * and
• Added fixed election dates.

Child Care

• Child Tax Credit ($2000 for every child under 18); *
• Universal Child Care Plan; (Link)
• Universal Child Care Benefit — $1200.00 per year for every child under age six; (Link)
• New tax credits for kid’s sport (up to $500 per child under age 16), textbooks, tools and apprentices;  and
• Free Medical Alert Bracelets for Children. (Link) 

Cities & Infrastructure

• New tax credits for public transit;
• Increased the Canada Social Transfer by $800 million per year; *
• Public transit infrastructure grants — up to $500 million in 07/08; *
• Municipal infrastructure projects — $16 billion over seven years for roads, bridges, sewer and water systems and green energy; (Link)
• A Public Transit Capital Trust ($195 million); (Link)
• Supporting the vulnerable in our society (Link) – see also the 2008 budget quick link here, click on “H,” then “Homelessness;” andHomelessness Partnering Strategy – $269.6 million over two years from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2009 to help people move towards autonomy and self-sufficiency. (Link)

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As Ottawa Citizen journalist Randall Denley wrote on the weekend, “the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has established bargaining positions that are badly out of sync with the province’s faltering economy.” While I suspect these positions are perhaps over the top because they expect to get only part of what they ask for, it really does show that the union is out of touch with reality.

Ontario is suffering economically. Many people are out of work because of the decline of various manufacturing sectors. There are threats that we might even become a “have not” province within the next couple of years. Yet, according to Denley’s column, here are some examples of what the teachers’ unions are apparently asking for:

• a five-per-cent salary increase in each year of a two-year deal;
• higher starting pay for teachers and one year less to get to top salary;
• class-size reductions and caps in all grades;
• 10 days a year for report cards and assessment;
• a near-doubling of preparation time;
• actual teaching and supervision time to decline to 1,125 minutes a week from 1,500;
• full benefit costs to be covered by school boards; and
• principals and vice-principals to be prevented from teaching.

Now, recall, during the last two Ontario election campaigns, Dalton McGuinty said he was the “Education Premier” because he brought peace to the Ontario education system. Given these expectations of “entitlement,” I question at what cost to the taxpayer and the economy McGuinty is getting that so-called peace. Is he getting peace, for example, by simply giving the teachers’ unions everything they ask for?

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