Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Leadership By Bean Counter




 In his academy award winning film, Roger and Me, Michael Moore documented what happened to the world's largest corporation after a bean counter was put in charge. After Stephen Harper tore up the Kelowna Accord, he called on Sheila Fraser to audit Canada's native communities. Lawrence Martin writes this morning that Ms. Fraser smelled a rat:


Ms. Fraser’s department had done a report before the Tories came to power showing that an average band produces close to 200 reports a year. If the bands didn’t file audited financial statements, their funding was cut off or delayed. The AG’s office thought that for any government to pretend it didn’t know where the money was being spent was foolhardy. There was likely some abuse, but no more or less than most other organizations.

The Conservatives’ motivation in pushing for the band audits was political, the AG’s office suspected. They wanted to score points with their base and the chiefs were an easy target. 

Having been stiffed by the recently retired Ms. Fraser, Mr. Harper has returned to his original game plan. Come hell or high water, his government will rely on bean counters as their first line of defence in its dealing with Canada's first nations.

Attawapiskat is the tip of the iceberg -- an iceberg which has only increased in size and complexity over more than a hundred years. If Stephen Harper thinks that the solution to the problem lies in appointing talented bean counters to solve it, he should consider the recent history of General Motors.

6 comments:

thwap said...

the only problem that harper is trying to "solve" is the separate constitutional status of the First Nations and their claims on any valuable mineral wealth underneath those claims.

harper isn't going to let a little thing like historical reality get in the way of his errand-boy duties to assorted capitalists.

Owen Gray said...

I fear you're right, thwap. He'll offer an apology. But offering anything substantive would mean taking from the rich and giving to the poor.

Our prime minster is definitely not Robin Hood.

The Mound of Sound said...

Wait until Harper gets into it with First Nations over the Northern Gateway pipeline/tanker port initiative. He'll do everything in his power to tear them down. That's what little shits do.

Owen Gray said...

I suspect that's what he'll try to do, Mound -- unless North Korea takes you up on your offer and replaces one pudgy leader for another.

Anonymous said...

Steve Harper, Steve Harper
Riding through the land
Steve Harper, Steve Harper
Without a merry band
Steals from the poor
Gives to the rich
Stupid bitch, dumb dumb dumb
Steve Harper

(sung to the tune of 'Dennis Moore')

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnf2aRCYRSI&feature=fvwrel

Owen Gray said...

He's not Robin Hood. Perhaps Friar Tuck?