Oh dear.
I’ve never been one to say that Carolyn Parrish, outspoken, anti-American Liberal MP, can’t express her opinions. But she IS a member of the government, and some tact and sophistication is required in expressing certain sentiments…especially with the near imminent first-state visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to Canada.
Frankly, she has crossed the line with her latest comments:
“And if he [Prime Minister Martin] wants to know why he can’t control me, I have absolutely no loyalty to his team. None. After what they put me through, and lots of my colleagues, they can all go to hell. But he’s not going to control me, so all he’s going to do is end up looking weak.”
“If he loses the next election and he has to resign, I wouldn’t shed a tear over it.”
Combine this with her recent taping of a segment of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, in which she stomps on a George W. Bush doll, and the writing on the wall couldn’t be more clear: she must be booted out of the Liberal caucus, despite its minority government standing.
There is only so far a member of the government can go before he or she has completely embarassed the country. So let’s be clear on two important items:
1-Canada does not have to kowtow to U.S. military and security demands — we have more than proven we can agree to disagree and retain a good friendship;
2-Canada DOES have to work with the newly re-elected Bush Administration, despite whatever feelings we may have about them. They are still the world’s superpower and our largest trading partner. Needlessly pissing them off isn’t going to do ANY of us a lot of good. We need to constructively engage them on a variety of issues. We can and should be aggressive, but we should never be insulting.
I have serious problems with the Bush Administration. I rant and rave all the time against their policies. But I am my own person, representing myself. If I were part of the government, I would need to be much more diplomatic and less confrontational. I couldn’t engage with another nation if I didn’t have an open mind, and a willingness to listen, to debate, and to question issues in a civlizied manner. I certainly wouldn’t be insulting the leader of the world’s most powerful nation just because it gives me some personal satisfaction…at the expense of my own nation’s vested interests. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what politics is all about.
Carolyn Parrish doesn’t know the difference between insulting and agressive. It’s time for her to sit as an independent, and limit her ability to make us look like raving idiots.
So endeth the lesson.
Meanwhile, in Sorkinland… (see REVIEWS, below)
UPDATED at 3:25pm
Wow…guess what happened. She’s been expelled from caucus…
