Is the incompetence that of the appointees or the Prime Minister? by Daniel Wilson, February 22, 2013, rabble.ca
It strains credibility that Duncan resigned as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development because he wrote an inappropriate letter to a judge. Several Conservative Ministers have been caught inappropriately using their Cabinet title in correspondence to officials, were even found to have broken rules by the Ethics Commissioner, but none have had to resign. … None of the other Conservative Ministers who similarly wrote letters to officials were blameless; their offences were just ignored, creating a working climate in which Duncan’s letter is not anomalous. The Conservatives certainly could have blustered their way through this mini-scandal the way they have illegal robocalls in Saskatchewan for example. They could have just stood there and boldface-lied their way out of it until the media went away. But they chose to do the right thing, in this one case. Neither the Prime Minister nor John Duncan have said why it took nearly two years for the letter to come to light, nor how it was discovered, who brought it to anyone’s attention, or why this scandal wasn’t swept under the rug like all the others.
….the defining moment came when Chief Spence refused to meet with him, rendering his impotence and ineffectuality plain for all to see. As a result of Friday’s meeting, he is now entirely irrelevant. Having failed to maintain control and keep the Indians quiet as he was expected to do, his boss has removed any pretence at Duncan’s authority, passing “oversight” to the Privy Council Office. On the upside for him, he will continue to collect a Minister’s salary without the work.” A month after this embarrassment, a letter written 2 years ago is found, suddenly compelling an immediate resignation. One might wonder if revelation of the letter was the only way to avoid admitting what a complete failure Duncan was as a Minister, what an ignorant choice Harper made in appointing him in the first place and what a continuing failure Conservative policy on Indigenous issues remains.
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If people thought that demonstrating how empty were Harper’s promises and apologies, how much his unwillingness to compromise, his resort to bullying and his own incompetence is costing Canada, they might look for an alternative. His friends in the oil and gas sector might realize how much he is costing them while he ignores the constitution, begging to be beaten in court once again,…. [Emphasis added]