CONSERVATIVES’ CRUMMY CONDUCT
What happens when you shoplift? You get arrested. What happens if don’t wear your seat belt? You get fined. The common thing in both these scenarios is punishment, but it seems some of us don’t receive that if we commit a wrong.
On February 19th, 2010, Helena Guergis, Conservative Minister of State for the Status of Women, threw a tantrum when she arrived a few minutes prior to her flight to Montreal at the Charlottetown Airport in PEI. In the pre-boarding area, Guergis refused to remove her footwear even thought she was warned that her shoes would set off the alarm in the metal detector. When the alarm went off, she was asked to remove her shoes and supposedly slammed her boots in the bin that was given to her and remarked to an airport staff member, “Happy f—ing birthday to me. I guess I’m stuck on this hellhole” (she turned 41 that day). After her boots cleared the x-ray, the minister yelled to her aide, Emily Goucher, “Get those for me. I’m not walking around here in sock feet.” She then tried to force open the locked door that separated the pre-boarding screening room from the aircraft area and when she was told that all passengers are supposed to arrive 2 hours before boarding time, Guergis retaliated back, “I don’t need to be lectured about flight time by you. I’ve been down here working my a– off for you people.” Despite this fiasco, the Minister Guergis was still allowed to board her plane and apologized later in the House of Commons. She screamed, she swore and threw things. Most people would be tasered for this kind of behaviour.
POLITICANS: THE PEOPLE OR THE PRIVILEGED?
By: Puneet Riar, Grade 12
What’s another word for a politician? A liar? A saviour? Call them what you want, but the one thing that is for sure is 
they are supposed to represent the people. They are supposed to lead by example and practice what they preach. And underneath the suits and ties and promises, they really are just like us, common citizens. They don’t receive anything extra. Or do they?
On November 3rd, federal New Democrat Leader Jack Layton refused the offer to get access to about 65 tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games that were reserved for members of Parliament and senators. He said, “I think that members of Parliament shouldn’t be jumping in line in front of ordinary Canadians who would like to participate. We should get in line like anybody else.” The NDP said they were told that about 750 tickets would be available, about 350 for the Conservatives, 240 for the Liberals, and 90 for the Bloc Quebecois. The NDP would have been expected to have received 65 tickets.
