Jerome Kennedy - Wrongfully elected?

Goodbye Jerome? - you have left your mark on the political landscape of our province.

Yours was a reign of arrogance, belligerence, intolerance, and prejudice.

Prior to becoming a "politician" - Mr. Kennedy was a defense lawyer of note - fighting against injustices, protecting the wrongfully accused. The lion of of a lawyer standing between them and the zealous prosecution, them and sloppy police work and more between them and the judges. Don't forget how Kennedy once described the judiciary: "It's the trial judges, some of whom don't know what they are doing" and "Part of it is as a result of political appointments. Part of this is as a result of intentional or unintentional biases."

Well what has Kennedy become?

I can certainly say that he acted on some policy issues where he did not know what he was doing and part of that was because of political influence. He certainly has biases whether intentional or unintentional.

He has punished people or threatened to punish people without any fair hearing or process.

With respect to those who have plead guilty of violence - who are sexual offenders - I say that Minister Kennedy had no problem celebrating such a criminal because he was successful in a hockey game. he stood in the House of Assembly, our Legislature and said: "The CeeBees rode stellar goaltending by Mark Yetman and were led on and off the ice by their captain, veteran Keith Delaney, and assistant captains, Mike Dyke, Donnie Gosse, and Robert Slaney."

So when Jerome Kennedy was fortunate enough to be elected and sit as an MHA and as a Minister - how did he handle his new found power?

Did he try to bring what he learned as a lawyer fighting for the innocent and challenging how the judges handled the power they had?

No he became what he complained about and fought against. His power was so intoxicating he lost sight of all the little people. He condemned without ever meeting. He issued threats to small business owners and professionals to get his way. He was vindictive toward critics of his government. He was a bully. Then hockey prowess trumped the rights of women who were violated by a person - he chose to celebrate.

Poetic justice is probably more suited to our Mr. Kennedy.

Was he able to take constructive criticism? No.
Was he able to use his power wisely, justly, and with humility? Yes - however he chose not to.
Did he practice what he preached when given the opportunity? No
Did he treat all citizens fairly and without prejudice? No
Did he become a political hack? Yes

All that was done in his previous career has been greatly diminished by his approach when holding a powerful position.

Is it time for him to go? It was - for me - the day after his first appointment to Cabinet.

How he looked up into the galleries of the House of Assembly and mocked ordinary citizens who were there to fight for what was right. That's the last memory I have of Jerome Kennedy - for after that - there was no need to listen to anything else he said.

I leave the allegedly departing - student of poetry - Minister with the following:

Wrongfully Elected

His potential was great, his ability - exceptional, his timing ideal 

He however squandered, underperformed, abused political power.

Contempt became his noun, as he sentenced others without

trial, representation, or financial clout to fight him.

His act of despising defined him, clouded him, 

ruled him.

Injustice he bemoaned became justice he delivered,

power he protested became the legislative hammer he wielded.

Society should hold no favorites; therefore society was unnecessary.

Brave when times were celebraTORY when actions could be retaliaTORY words deprecaTORY - cowardice abound when polls are in the lavaTORY, or a rogaTory process was replaced with the number 29; a bill of ill repute. 

So great was his opportunity that his deeds seem so feeble.

This adieu is doubly sad; that when there he retreated and when retreating is irrelevant.

The mark left is big - broad - bold - but bush-league. An oxymoron? No - for when so much was possible yet so little realized - the resulting scar can be profound.

The Covered Building Holds all the Secrets

Have you driven by the people's building yet? You know the (Con)federation building.

Have you noticed all the sheets draped over it?

Outside of changing the bricks to Tory blue - the sheets are holding another meaning.

Since (con)federation in 1949 and the initial Joey's ownership years that followed - the WillDun administration must be the most secretive and unaccountable government.

So enter stage right - Danny Williams - and boom - all truths will be revealed. Let's bring the Auditor General in and let him see what everybody else was trying to hide. While former MHA's were being carted of to jail - Williams was busy.

Yes we seen an untendered pile of money go to Dean MacDonald's company, Persona for "good" public policy reasons. I call this "Flip that Utility" - which you can read HERE.

Then we seen Williams - after demonstrating shock and disappointment - over the findings of the Auditor General - promptly call in Chief Justice Greene to study what went wrong and present a report on how to fix it.

Chief Justice Greene in his usual style - expertly reviewed the material - and presented a superior report with recommendations. (He should be a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada) If that were to happen I could actually say that the federal government had for once made a good decision. In either case, Chief Justice Greene's report spoke specifically about the need for accountability in public accounts.

So Danny - King of the Truth and Accountability - after the worst mess since Sir Richard Squires - proceeded in presiding over government MHA's that did not hold a public meeting in 6 years. Nobody noticed! Excuse me - we had 4 MHA's locked up and nobody noticed that the PUBLIC Accounts Committee was not holding PUBLIC meetings?

Roland Butler the Chair of the Committee and a Liberal - said nothing. Just the other day - the retired Butler said he tried but the Tories would not let him. He's RETIRED and now he's talking.

What of Lorraine? Well the NDP did not have a seat on the Committee - however - the Leader wanted one right? Where are all the News Releases over the past 6 years complaining about the fact that the Committee was not holding public meetings? Is the deal here that if I don't have a seat on the Committee it does not matter? Well no sooner had I wrote this last night than Ms. Michael says in the Telegram today that "When our caucus is represented, I can assure you we will speak very strongly in favour of regular public meetings". I'm sorry Ms. Michael but that is very weak. Why would we have you on it - if you will not speak of it until you are there?

So after the King of Truth exposed the corrupt and criminal behavior of MHA's including his choice for Deputy Premier - Ed Byrne - he proceeded in running a secretive government.

Anybody remember poor Tom Osborne? He was booted from Cabinet by Williams - why? Well as we all recall a bureaucrat did not advise Osborne about error rates in the hormone receptor tests; Osborne has not been in Cabinet since the removal.

Kathy Dunderdale for her part - just experienced a scathing review on accountability by our current Auditor General. Anyway you slice it - it's keeping the public away from how decisions were made on billions of dollars. Open and accountable? Not a chance. What did she say about the negligent behavior of her own MHA's regarding the Public Accounts Committee? Well - apparently she didn't notice either - but now that the CBC has advised her on the operations of a House Committee - she will be drilling down on that.

Let's have a serious discussion here people. We the people are not in control of our own government or the MHA's that we elect. After the most disgusting exposure of corruption and criminal behavior by some of our elected representatives and the not-criminal but very questionable expenditures and behavior of many more - we are allowing them to set up another system that is ripe for abuse.

The PC, Liberal, and NDP had at least one of their MHA's locked in a prison cell - and therefore every party should be super sensitive to anything that may look odd to the people they serve. For 6 years these politicians sat on their hands and said nothing about this very disturbing situation.

How arrogant are they? Well they take the recommendations of a Chief Justice and essentially flush them down a toilet. What do we do? Is it time to meet on the steps of the Colonial Building?

You see what better way to set up a secretive government than by claiming to be the King of Truth and Accountability on the front end?

Waiting for change from these politicians? Boot them out first or make them change the rules first? Which comes first the chicken or the egg? I am going to have to trek from here to the chicken farm by Cochrane Pond to think about it - oh wait that's private property now - right?