Dumb ministers

[Trex]

Canada has new cabinet. I watched today on CTV interview with two new ministers, environment and natural resources. The host asked minister of environment how he was going to reconcile the needs of economy with protection of environment, to which minister responded in a pretty long speech how important it is to reconcile economy with environment, but didn't say a single word on how he was going to do it. What is funny is that the host didn't have brains or courage to point out to the Minister that he hasn't actually answered the question.

Then there came a turn of Minister of Natural Resources. The host asked minister as to what was her plans of action as a minister. And she answered that in the nearest weeks, she will be talking to the people in the field to find out what their problems were. Effectively, her response was: "I have no idea what I am going to do".

Here is my suggestion to any host how to interview a minister: ask him what is his education, what is his experience, how his education and experience is relevant to the portfolio that he is receiving. I would ask for example the new Minister of environment why does he think that he would be better minister of environment than someone with doctorate in Environmental studies.

I just wonder how stupid we must be as people to allow appointment of ministers to the field where they have no education, no experience, nothing at all which would justify their appointment. You would probably not hire a doorman who doesn't have experience in this field.

So Benny,
Is it new to you that politicians rarely answer the question posed to them?

I gotta tell ya Benny.....they pretty much all do that.....all the time.
A question from the media is viewed as free airtime to plug either themselves or sell some new unrelated plan.
It's really not about answering the question.
Its about controlling both the media and the message.

On another tack ministers rarely recieve a portfolio in which they have had previous expierence in.
Nobody is really to sure about what the logic is.
But that tends to be the way it works.

Ministers almost always take Deputy Ministers or other experts from within the ministry along with them on conferences and meetings so that their is almost always an expert on the portfolio in question in the room.

Trex

 

[scratch]

So Benny,
Is it new to you that politicians rarely answer the question posed to them?

I gotta tell ya Benny.....they pretty much all do that.....all the time.
A question from the media is viewed as free airtime to plug either themselves or sell some new unrelated plan.
It's really not about answering the question.
Its about controlling both the media and the message.

On another tack ministers rarely recieve a portfolio in which they have had previous expierence in.
Nobody is really to sure about what the logic is.
But that tends to be the way it works.

Ministers almost always take Deputy Ministers or other experts from within the ministry along with them on conferences and meetings so that their is almost always an expert on the portfolio in question in the room.

Trex

How old are you and where are you from?

 

[Trex]

How old are you and where are you from?

Old as the hills son.
Old enough to have paid a lifetime of taxes.

As to where I am from.
Army brat...grew up in 5 provinces and two countries.
Then I worked in 6 of em.

Now I just fart about over the pond.

Why ?

Trex

 

[Risus]

I agree with you that sometimes fresh look can solve problems except that it has to be a fresh look from a person who knows the field, who knows the issues, who has education. There is no way a lawyer can handle issue of fishing in oceans. You need an ichthyologist here.

I heard an interview of our new minister of fisheries. She is supposed to participate in couple of weeks in an international symposium in Turkey related to the situation with tuna fish. How much do you know about situation in tuna fish? She knows about that much as you. She says that she was to be briefed about it. My question is why don't you send to this symposium the person who is delivering brief to the minister?

I'm sure she knows more aboutthe tuna fishery than you do about the workings of the cabinet and cabinet ministers.

You should keep your mouth shut because every time you open it you sound ridiculous.

 

[scratch]

I'm sure she knows more abouy the tuna fishery than you do about the workings of the cabinet and cabinet ministers.

You should keep your mouth shut because every time you open it you sound rediculous.

Gee Risus,
I didn't know `iculous` was `red`!

 

[Risus]

Gee Risus,
I didn't know `iculous` was `red`!

Neither did I! 8O

 

[scratch]

Neither did I! 8O

Oops!

 

[karrie]

*sigh* Okay, so, I was ticked over the 'hired just for' comment, but, after reading through the rest of the comments to benny in this thread, I gotta say, at least he's here talking about it rather than not paying attention at all. It's nice to see new faces (or sort of new, I see benny's been around a long time) and it's nice to have new things to argue about, even if the p.o.v ticks us off.

 

[gerryh]

*sigh* Okay, so, I was ticked over the 'hired just for' comment, but, after reading through the rest of the comments to benny in this thread, I gotta say, at least he's here talking about it rather than not paying attention at all. It's nice to see new faces (or sort of new, I see benny's been around a long time) and it's nice to have new things to argue about, even if the p.o.v ticks us off.

See....told ya you were too nice.

 

[Mulk]

I have just one small question: why don't you let the experts make the decisions? You will save taxpayer one huge salary. And by the way, the minister who needs expert might be quite good doing some other job where he is an expert.

Consider a portfolio such as "education". Is there any single person who can be an expert in all aspects of education? Can a university professor be the minister of education? Will they be able to make all the decisions regarding grade school, adult education, technical schools etc? I think even a university professor would no doubt consult other experts in that field. The question becomes then, what kind of a leader or manger are they? Just because they are an expert in one field or another does not make them leadership material.

 

[karrie]

See....told ya you were too nice.

yeah yeah yeah. I know.

 

[scratch]

yeah yeah yeah. I know.

Sunday hugs!

 

[benny_patrick7]

Benny...to put it blunty...... you're a frickin moron. Ministers are apointed from those that WE THE PEOPLE have elected. This is how ministers of a particular portfolia can be held accountable TO THE PEOPLE. If the Prime Minister was to start appointing NON ELECTED people to head the different governmental portfolio's they would be accountable to the Prime Minister ONLY and not to the people footing the bills. Is that what you would prefer?

YES, this is exactly what I want, and if you think that these people are accountable to you, wake up, and watch them voting for any law. They are like puppets who stand up and vote according to what Prime Minister told them to do. They never ask you how to vote.

The only thing what you get is incompetent crooks whose main job is to steal money by Government contracts to their buddies and in addition, they are being paid TWO salaries: as member of Parliament and as a minister. How do they justify these two salaries? Do you think they work 16 hours a day?

Imagine opposite situation: a minister is a top specialist in the field who is, yes, accountable to Prime Minister and since Prime Minister is accountable to you, so the minister is accountable to you through the Prime Minister.

In U.S. for example, none of the Ministers is a member of House or Senate. More than that, they have to resign their seats if they want to be in Government, because this constitutes conflict of interest. Are you capable to understand this?

 

[benny_patrick7]

Consider a portfolio such as "education". Is there any single person who can be an expert in all aspects of education? Can a university professor be the minister of education? Will they be able to make all the decisions regarding grade school, adult education, technical schools etc? I think even a university professor would no doubt consult other experts in that field. The question becomes then, what kind of a leader or manger are they? Just because they are an expert in one field or another does not make them leadership material.

Yes, professor of education is usually specialist in elementary education, secondary education and University education. This is the person who has to be the minister, not some lawyer who is a buddy of the Prime Minister and knows nothing about education. This is why our education is so bad.

Fabrikant

 

[scratch]

Yes, professor of education is usually specialist in elementary education, secondary education and University education. This is the person who has to be the minister, not some lawyer who is a buddy of the Prime Minister and knows nothing about education. This is why our education is so bad.

Fabrikant

Unfortunately that is not the way government works, rarely would they or do they go to the private sector looking for ministers.
scratch

 

[gerryh]

YES, this is exactly what I want, and if you think that these people are accountable to you, wake up, and watch them voting for any law. They are like puppets who stand up and vote according to what Prime Minister told them to do. They never ask you how to vote.

The only thing what you get is incompetent crooks whose main job is to steal money by Government contracts to their buddies and in addition, they are being paid TWO salaries: as member of Parliament and as a minister. How do they justify these two salaries? Do you think they work 16 hours a day?

Imagine opposite situation: a minister is a top specialist in the field who is, yes, accountable to Prime Minister and since Prime Minister is accountable to you, so the minister is accountable to you through the Prime Minister.

In U.S. for example, none of the Ministers is a member of House or Senate. More than that, they have to resign their seats if they want to be in Government, because this constitutes conflict of interest. Are you capable to understand this?

First off...Harper is not really "beholding" to the general Canadian public. Unless you live in the riding of Calgary Southwest you can not vote Harper out of the House of Commons next election. If a cabinet minister screws up then the people in his/her riding can vote them out of office come election time. If we were to allow the PM to "appoint" non elected officials to head ministries then all it becomes is somewhere else for the Prime Minister to pork barrel and appoint those that are sympathetic to that particular parties cause with no way for the general population to show their disaproval of that appointee.

I realy don't give a crap HOW the frickin americans do things....if I wanted to live like the americans I would move south of the border....if I wanted to live with a government like the americans...I would move south of the border. I suggest you do just that if you feel their system is so much better than ours.


I prefer ELECTED officials to head cabinet posts and not another silly servant that can not be held accountable to the general population.

 

[scratch]

First off...Harper is not really "beholding" to the general Canadian public. Unless you live in the riding of Calgary Southwest you can not vote Harper out of the House of Commons next election. If a cabinet minister screws up then the people in his/her riding can vote them out of office come election time. If we were to allow the PM to "appoint" non elected officials to head ministries then all it becomes is somewhere else for the Prime Minister to pork barrel and appoint those that are sympathetic to that particular parties cause with no way for the general population to show their disaproval of that appointee.

I realy don't give a crap HOW the frickin americans do things....if I wanted to live like the americans I would move south of the border....if I wanted to live with a government like the americans...I would move south of the border. I suggest you do just that if you feel their system is so much better than ours.


I prefer ELECTED officials to head cabinet posts and not another silly servant that can not be held accountable to the general population.

Did you get that all Benny?

 

[benny_patrick7]

First off...Harper is not really "beholding" to the general Canadian public. Unless you live in the riding of Calgary Southwest you can not vote Harper out of the House of Commons next election. If a cabinet minister screws up then the people in his/her riding can vote them out of office come election time. If we were to allow the PM to "appoint" non elected officials to head ministries then all it becomes is somewhere else for the Prime Minister to pork barrel and appoint those that are sympathetic to that particular parties cause with no way for the general population to show their disaproval of that appointee.

I realy don't give a crap HOW the frickin americans do things....if I wanted to live like the americans I would move south of the border....if I wanted to live with a government like the americans...I would move south of the border. I suggest you do just that if you feel their system is so much better than ours.

I prefer ELECTED officials to head cabinet posts and not another silly servant that can not be held accountable to the general population.

It is totally astounding to hear such a thing. You would prefer an incompetent person and a thief just because he was elected? And because he could be voted out FOUR years from now? An alternative to have someone who is not elected, but is a brilliant specialist in the field and because of that would do excellent job is not good for you?

I have another surprise for you, the thief minister, no matter how he or she screws up, will still be re-elected in majority of cases, because he brings a lot of pork to this constituency and at the same time, he can screw with impunity the rest of Canada. For a normal person, this is conflict of interest, which is not allowed, in many countries, including U.S. Are still not getting it?

 

[Tonington]

The Cabinet Minister's job isn't to be an expert in the field of "insert department here." That is the job of Deputy Minister and other senior level civil servants who have made their careers in the field, who advises the politician running the department on all matters of the government's business for that particular scope.

Most politicians are MD's, economists and lawyers, how many fisherman do you see being elected? How many farmers? How many agrologists for that matter? How many social workers?

We don't require politicized experts...

 

[gerryh]

It is totally astounding to hear such a thing. You would prefer an incompetent person and a thief just because he was elected? And because he could be voted out FOUR years from now? An alternative to have someone who is not elected, but is a brilliant specialist in the field and because of that would do excellent job is not good for you?

I have another surprise for you, the thief minister, no matter how he or she screws up, will still be re-elected in majority of cases, because he brings a lot of pork to this constituency and at the same time, he can screw with impunity the rest of Canada. For a normal person, this is conflict of interest, which is not allowed, in many countries, including U.S. Are still not getting it?

I can see you are beyond help when it comes to how we run things here....don't like it....don't let the door hit your backside on the way out.