First off, I’d like to thank the now outgoing ombudsman for Canada’s Veterans, Colonel Pat Stogran, for not being afraid of standing up for what’s right, and not going quietly into the night, because the Conservative government didn’t like that he was being too independent-minded. I have two grandfathers (still alive) who served in World War II. I thank him for standing up for them and their peers and the “new” veterans we have today from our more recent and current engagements. I hope people will take his call to arms seriously:
To all Canadians, these are your Sons and Daughters, your Brothers and Sisters. The time is now for you to do something about it. Make sure this Government understands that this must stop. Write letters to newspapers and politicians (Members of Parliament & Senators), make posts on the Internet, and …stand up and speak out for our Veterans and their families. They’ve done as much for you
The 2nd person that deserves our thanks for standing up for facts and what he believes is right is Chief Superintendent of the RCMP Marty Cheliak, who was removed from his post as head of the Canadian Firearms Program, on the eve of him about to produce a major report to the Canadian Association of the Chiefs of Police in support of retaining the gun registry.
We see here a continuing pattern of Prime Minister Harper and the Conservatives removing anyone from the public service or commissions/boards that do not toe their ideological line. Dissent and debate, vital to have in a democracy, is being quashed.
Who created the office of this ombudsman in the first place? How long was the problem going on even before the Tories created this office?
Yeah, thank you and good day.
@Kring,
But a greater point of order? Why create this office and appoint someone who has…..morals? If you are going to hamstring them and then fire them later when they actually do their job…?
Hmmmmmmmm…..
And, what is the point of even questioning that? LOL.
OH! I forgot….. The LIBERALS DID IT! (point and scream a la Invasion of the body snatchers)
Why is it that when the cons do stuff like this, it is excusable because the Liberals…Something something…
What tripe.
@Kring, No point in creating the office if all you’re going to do is fire the guy if he actually has an independent mind and criticizes the government. All this proves is the Conservatives were doing it for show and for votes, not for results.
@Kring, but if the tories neutralize their own creation making it useless more an attempt to dupe us into actually believing they did something.
Thank you Kring for making us aware of how easy it is to buy you.
Just to clarify for you folks and to rain upon your little parade: his term was up and he was not re-appointed, not “fired”. Only in the Liberal universe is a beauracrat owed a job, especially one that you can conveniently milk for partisan purposes by the former holder of the job.
And by the by, Strogan himself that as ombudsman, he was “impeded by a bureacracy that was deliberately obstructive and deceptive.” Harper’s and the Tories’ fault when the Liberals never even went near this issue in the past? Heh.
No legs; not for long anyway. Nice try though, guys.
@the King is Dead, death of a 1,000 cuts (or nuts), bully boys.
We’ll see in due course what has ‘legs,’ but I’m sure I’m not alone in being sick & tired of hearing the Cons continually telling — nay, dictating — everyone about what Canadians really don’t care about to dismiss their latest assault on democracy.
@Kring, Ombudsmen generally serve more then 3 years Kring..that shows the government did not like his strong criticisms. Harper and his guys are the ones in power, if you hadnt noticed, Kring, and it’s incumbent upon his government to do something if the ombudsman reports impediments. Yet, they decide not to renew his term.
@Scott Tribe, quite right, contrary to Harper’s sniping point that these aren’t “appointments for life,” the proof is right here in black & white (but probably not for long, before they purge it, so be sure to save the whole page and take a screen shot) that it’s certainly open to and not uncommon for the fed. gov’t to renew these types of appointments:
On his web page, in the article, “Securing the Start Line: An Introduction to Your Veterans Ombudsman,” it notes the terms of reference:
“2. The Ombudsman shall be appointed by the Governor in Council for a term of three years, which term may be renewed”
http://www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/reports-rapports/publications/line-ligne-eng.cfm
Just as with another newly created (& newly replaced: hmm, wonder why — just to show it’s ‘normal’ to replace them right away?) Ombdusman, the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, who “was appointed by the Governor in Council for a term of 3 years that could be renewed.”
http://www.victimsfirst.gc.ca/news-nouv/bg-di/doc_2.html
…_and_ the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman
who “shall be appointed by the Governor in Council for a term of three years, which term may be renewed,” http://www.appointments-nominations.gc.ca/prflOrg.asp?OrgID=NRO&lang=eng (or http://www.taxpayersrights.gc.ca/rdrncncl-eng.pdf
_and the Ombudsman for the DND/CF, at least one of whom filled two successive terms starting in ’98 & ’01: http://www.ombudsman.forces.gc.ca/rep-rap/ar-ra/2001-2002/report-rapport-eng.asp
_and_ there’s been a Correctional Investigator of Canada, whose mandate is that of an Ombudsman, since 1973; it looks like the current one’s been in for 6 years already
http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/rpt/annrpt/annrpt20072008-eng.aspx
http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/man-eng.aspx
http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/bio-eng.aspx
Mind you, there _is_ an Office of the Procurement Ombudsman in Public Works, who can only be appointed “for a term of not more than five years.” That position’s so important that, er, it’s unfilled at the moment: http://www.appointments-nominations.gc.ca/prflOrg.asp?PortfolioID=74&type-typ=2&lang=eng