A reasonable article in The Star this morning pointing out that there is plenty of blame to go around for the Chalk River nuclear botch...except the person who was blamed:
In the view of most nuclear experts and informed observers, these AECL failures are the real cause of last month's crisis in isotope production that culminated this week in the Harper government's unprecedented firing of Linda Keen, president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. A contributing factor was the refusal of the Liberal government under Jean Chrétien to commit roughly $500 million to replace the Universal reactor with a super-reactor called the Canadian Neutron Facility dedicated to scientific research, and test new designs for the CANDU power reactor. Overarching all this was the meagre funding over the past decade by Liberal and Conservative governments for AECL to remedy health, safety, licensing and security shortcomings at the sprawling Chalk River laboratories.The hasty dismissal letter sent, like the best are, after sensible people's bedtimes has also drawn the notice of Sheila Fraser, Canada's Auditor General, who voiced serious misgivings on CBC's The House this morning. No doubt that shows a lack of leadership on her part, too. See, real leaders know when to do as they are told by people who have no authority over the substance work except to the degree they can send hasty dismissal letters after sensible people's bedtimes.
In related news, rewriting a manual can be another handy technique in leadership assertion.
Comments
Ben (The Tiger) - January 19, 2008 2:41 PM
"Norwegian cause" -- odd, that.
My big question is, does this give Dion the stones to go for an election, finally?
Alan - January 19, 2008 2:50 PM
"master Mr" - I knew the truth would come out.
I don't know because despite my ribbing of Steve, he is actually balancing two interests in this case. His Minister is doing it very very unskillfully (and would be tossed but for Harper's disinterest in holding anyone much to account) but it is not like their reneging on the accountability promise, say, or the utter collapse of any vestige of populist reform party policy.
I think Dion's real trouble is that Harper really does not stand for anything. The PM is sort of a nihilist when he comes to his own job. It makes him hard to attack - unless he says directly that a real Federalist leader does not undo Federalism from within. I don't think the Liberals have enough skill to write and pursue that sort of spin...you know, like "a real leader doesn't send a fax in the night" that sort of stuff. But all the dirty Grits from the old days have retired.
Ben (The Tiger) - January 19, 2008 3:38 PM
To analogize to American politics, Harper's pulling a Clinton -- he's triangulating. Which, by the way, drives one's opponents nuts.
That's how you govern in a country that does not share your governing ideology.
sean liddle - January 19, 2008 3:58 PM
I was giggling like a schoolgirl when I read of the discovery of that manual by Amnesty International folk who promptly managed to get it on the cnn online news feed yesterday afternoon.
Alan - January 19, 2008 4:36 PM
Triangulating? More like a third rate Gamester.