Resign

I have a pretty high threshold for cabinet firings, especially amid election campaigns. But ag minister Gerry Ritz should go.

Here's what Ritz said during an Aug. 30 government conference call on the listeriosis outbreak that has killed 17 people:

"This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts."

When told of a new death in PEI, Ritz said, "Please tell me it's Wayne Easter."

Easter is the Grits' ag critic.

Here are Harper's reasons for keeping Ritz on:

• Stress: "It obviously was an inappropriate joke by a minister who was under a lot of stress."
• Competence: Ritz should not be removed from "the good work" he has done in dealing with the outbreak.
• Everyone makes mistakes: "Look I suspect everybody in this room if they're honest with themselves will admit in private conversations they probably said things that were pretty insensitive and inappropriate if somebody shines a light on them."
• It was "a private conversation."

If you can't cope with stress you don't belong in a position of responsibility. Ritz has not exuded any special competence in this crisis. Everyone does make mistakes, but the standards are higher for folks in leadership positions, whose conduct must be worthy of emulation. And it was not a private conversation, but was attended by 30 bureaucrats, government scientists and communications staff from at least three departments.

Confronted by reporters, Ritz actually ran away. He should keep running. We've heard enough.

Comments

[Wascally Wabbit]

Here Here!
And I'd go further..farmers - who have not been well served by the ideology of this government - including Chuck Strahl's attempts to break the Wheat Board marketing monopoly when they need every edge to take advantage of rising corn prices - have traditionally been among the most loyal supporters of the conservatives...
I wonder how farmers feel now about getting such a parade of bums "taking care" of their file? Still loyal?

[chuckg]

Those are all clear arguments.

The everyone makes mistakes line is disturbing. Ritz is a Minister responsible for the portfolio which oversees safety on this issue and upon first being informed of a Canadian dying his immediate response is to crack a partisan joke? What kind of people does Harper hang out with, that he thinks this is how everyone responds to a Canadian dying? Makes one wonder about Harper too. Ritz should go. Harper should go too.

[blackhawk72]

Two ideologically blind responses to a pure 'gotcha' moment cooked up by partisan public service union mandarins (one of which, representing government scientists has publicly demanded Ritz' head on a platter, albeit not until two and a half weeks after said 'offense'). Olive's a herd mentality thinker as his rote denunciations of anything that isn't stereotypically socialist attests. Many of his columns reek of an undying faith in every left-wing, hobby-horse pet cause conceived by the social engineering wing of York University- the nuttier the better for Olive- especially if said initiative involves bushels of taxpayer money and punishes corporations, which for those of you who've been following the great seer for a while now will know, are inherently evil- no shades of gray here folks- government good, profit, freedom, individuality bad- unless it's a part of an NDP campaign platform and employs lots of expensive unionized bureaucrats. Then it's not expensive and foolish, it's 'visionary.' Thanks for clearing that up, Davey!

But I digress...the topic at hand...right.

Ritz made the mistake of trying to inject some gallows humour into a tense, nervewracking situation. Big mistake- the inappropriateness police never sleep, and the Liberals and their media supporters took full advantage- look at the fulminating outrage appear on cue from wascally and chuck. Ritz isn't human, he's a conservative robot dancing to the PM's tune right? He probably cheered when he heard about Canadians dying! Apparently only left-wing politicians are allowed to have unguarded moments. For anyone else, it's all black and white. Thanks for clearing that up. Presumably, we'll have a lot of out-of-work politicians in the near future. Conservative only, of course.