Monday Conservative sleaze update

A year ago, Canadians were promised in the Conservative platform an end to patronage appointments. They said:

The Liberals have repeatedly appointed insiders, in some cases completely unqualified, to important public offices. Liberal candidates and MPs have received appointments as heads of Crown corporations, board members, and ambassadors. Liberal staffers, including some of those responsible for the sponsorship program, have worked their way into key positions in the public service.

A Conservative government will:
• Establish a Public Appointments Commission
to set merit-based requirements for appointments to government boards,
commissions, and agencies, to ensure that competitions for posts are widely
publicized and fairly conducted.

It was with this in mind that I was shocked to learn that Canada's lily white New Government has been appointing hacks, slacks and bagmen to the committee that nominates and reviews judicial appointments. I guess Steve has no problem with politicizing the judiciary after all.

As John Ibbitson says in this morning's Globe and Mail,"There isn't any other way to put it: The Harper government, by perverting the rules and by appointing party loyalists to key positions, intends to stack Canada's courts with conservatives."