YORKTON THIS WEEK (Feb 27)

My stomach turns with each passing day I have to see the smug Mike Duffy on television talking about how confused he was concerning this ‘major distraction’ over his claimed expenses relating to his primary residence on Prince Edward Island.  At first, Duffy scorned the media and said, “When it’s all over, you all will be very embarrassed.”  Then, a day later he decided he, “May have been mistaken.  What we have here is a case where the rules aren’t clear.”  Isn’t it something that we can put someone into public office in Ottawa who doesn’t know where he lives?  Now, Duffy says he’s going to repay the expenses.  I say it’s a crock of dandelions.  Forward the matter to the police and let them sort it out.  Residents of PEI should be beating down the doors of their MP and doing everything in their power to get Duffy out of the Senate.  It’s an insult to them to even suggest that he lives on PEI more than he does Ottawa. 

There is way too much abuse of taxpayer money in Ottawa.  Look no further than former MP Michelle Simson, who posted all of her expenses on her website only to feel the wrath of her political brothers and sisters for doing so.  Why?  What’s to hide?  And, isn’t it interesting that politicians never can agree on anything until it comes to the money each one of them is spending and then they all agree it should be a well guarded secret.  How come?  It’s not their money!

I emailed Yorkton-Melville MP Garry Breitkreuz on Sunday night to get his thoughts on this issue and I’d like to see him take a stand in the House of Commons and put it on the record that he’d like to see better accountability by politicians in Ottawa.  I also asked how easy would it be to see his expenses, but I don’t imagine I’ll get to see it.  After all, the Auditor-General has had great difficulty looking at an MPs expense sheet, so don’t hold your breath that Mike Stackhouse will get one.  And, if I did I am sure it will be extremely general in nature.

This is why I could never be a successful politician.  I, generally, vote Conservative in federal elections and with the SaskParty provincially.  But,  I will also be the first to admit those parties are far from perfect and I despise it when they don’t admit mistakes.  Duffy, for example, is paying back the money even though he feels like he doesn’t owe it.  I re-iterate.  Charge this guy with a criminal offense.  It’s like me stealing merchandise from a retail store, getting caught with it, and then offering to give it back without facing a penalty of some sort.  If he’s found not guilty, then so be it.  He can keep the money.

Why do I get the feeling Oscar Pistorius is going to be found not guilty of killing his girlfriend?  I mean he fired four shots into the closed bathroom fearing it was an intruder.  If he were a Canadian that excuse still wouldn’t fly.  You can’t blow away a burglar with four gun shots.  You can take ONE shot if you, rightfully (and you have to really prove this) fear for your life.  Isn’t it reasonable that after the first shot the girlfriend would have woken up, suddenly, to the sound?  And, I’m not the most thoughtful guy in the world, but if I thought there was a prowler in my en suite, I would check the other side of the bed to see if my wife is being held captive in the bathroom.  I should also mention Pistorius lives in a gated community.  So, lots of hurdles to get into the dude’s home.

I spent Thursday night in La Ronge broadcasting the SJHL Game Of The Week for Access 7 and on my back I stopped at the McDonald’s in Prince Albert.  It was exactly 12:49am as I pulled up to the drive-thru window and noticed a mom with four kids, all clearly under the age of seven, inside the restaurant enjoying the playground all to themselves.  I guess that’s one way to beat the crowd.  They also appeared to be consuming enough food to feed a small nation.  Whatever happened to the term ‘bedtime’?

Speaking of food, I also made a stop at a convenience store and thought I’d try one of those refrigerated sub sandwiches (I wasn’t still hungry after McDonald’s; this was a separate food break).  I got lucky as the clerk raced back and warned me against eating it.  “I think it only has one more day before it should be expired,” she said.  After stopping and letting myself process what she had just said, it dawned on me that I wouldn’t eat a sandwich made by myself if I let it sit in the fridge for even a few hours let alone a few days, so what on earth am I doing considering a sandwich that was made who knows when, by who knows who, at who knows where.  Common sense.  So uncommon.

Nice person mentions this week to Michael George, Bev Yaschuk, Bob Parker, Leon Marchenski, and Brad McNeil.