The Globe's Murray Campbell (Ghost of Gomery Helping Caplan Keep His Seat in Cabinet) suggests that Caplan et al have learned lessons from Paul Martin's reaction to the sponsorship scandal, and are now using a 'Don't worry be happy' approach instead of fire and brimstone.
"Let's just say the lessons of Gomery were well noted and often mentioned," said a senior government official.
However, I have a few problems with Mr. Campbell's column. First of all he seems to be indicating that Caplan's staff somehow coached the OLG on how to deal with the unwanted publicity:
When the Public Infrastructure Minister began feeling the heat over apparent misdeeds at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., the advice from his staff to the agency was to fight hard if it thought it had been wronged.
And yet, we hear quite the contrary in this report by Keith Leslie:
The cabinet minister at the centre of Ontario's lottery scandal denied Wednesday that the Liberal government told the provincial agency responsible to launch a public relations offensive to refute reports that retailers were winning too many jackpots.
Interesting. So where did Campbell get his information from?
Leslie also notes that the opposition parties are not giving up:
The opposition parties said the involvement of two high-profile Liberals shows the premier's office was involved in developing the lottery corporation's response plan.
"These two partisan McGuinty operatives are having meetings to try and spin your way out of this scandal, but the premier's very own fingerprints are all over this," Tory said.
"If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then it's probably a cover-up."
Campell seems to be of the opinion that the 'Circle the Wagons' approach is working, and that this whole thing will soon be off the public radar:
The opposition says it will keep up its attack, but the reality is that the story needs oxygen to survive. They are hoping for lottery-corporation whistle-blowers to emerge, but that may be a vain hope...
I don't know about that. Something tells me that this could very well be an issue for the opposition and taxpayers to take to the bank.
10 comments:
'The corporation's strategy was to say that lottery insiders win more often because they play more than most people.'
This is the logic lottery corporations use when the majority of the large jackpots are won in Ontario and Quebec.
That duck definitely should have legs. I just put up a post about McGuinty's broken promises. What I found troubling was that there was very little on the John Tory site. If that had been Harris, they would have been all over the place on the issues, including this one you are writing about. There is also no platform. They had better get with it or they won't have a chance once the Liberal red machine takes off.
On another matter, Sara and I have discussed the possibility of getting together for a blog gabfest this summer, maybe in Kingston. If you are interested, go to her site and put in your two cents worth. I like the lunch idea because I could still get back to Niagara and not have to pay a hotel. What do you think? Leave a comment at Sara's blog.
Legs? Maybe...but it sure does Quack me up!! }:)
PGP - lol! Caplan sure is driving me quackers watching QP this afternoon!
Meanwhile McSquish is getting another $26 million from the ROC to help bail him out of the Caledonia fiasco.
PGP - Yeah, anyone who thinks that Ontario's native issues don't involve them better check their wallet.
Someone should point out the floor crossing to Grth Turner.
This mpp has done it the right way showing integrity. Sit as an indy and then run for your new party at election time.
Ok, so I'm addicted and back at blogging. Stop in at my new incarnation if you'd like:
http://towardsajustsociety.wordpress.com/
Zac
Alright, Zac!!!
This mpp has done it the right way showing integrity. Sit as an indy and then run for your new party at election time.
So true.
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