“Commentary” articles by St. Albert writer David Haas are most often of interest on a variety of topics, which I enjoy.
Regretfully, Mr. Haas’ article in the Gazette on Sept. 2 has lowered the bar on objective journalism and opinion to a new level. I will be brief.
Mr. Haas purports to say that Prime Minister Harper’s choice of Mike Duffy as Senator is akin to the Nazi Nuremberg trials post-war and its narrative.
This guilt by association I find abhorrent in the extreme especially considering a family member who spent six years as a POW a stone’s throw from Auschwitz in Poland.
Here are the real facts that Mr. Haas did not take time to research.
Mike Duffy, born in P.E.I. in 1946, progressed through various minor media posts until he joined CBC Radio in 1974, joining The National in 1977. He was the lead political reporter for The National and later Dan Rather of CBS (U.S.A.) congratulated him on being one of the last reporters who left South Vietnam in April 1975 before it fell.
He covered a variety of posts until he joined CTV in 1988 to be part of a successful political panel that continues to this day. Duffy in fact originated CTVs Power Play.
He won many accolades for his media work such as ACTRA Awards for reporting, and he was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1994.
In addition Duffy received honorary degrees from University of P.E.I., Wilfrid Laurier U., Niagara U., and two distinctions in U.S.A., at Duke University in North Carolina and Best Business Reporter by the Washington Post Journalism Review.
In 2002 he was awarded the Golden Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada on behalf of the Queen.
On Dec. 22, 2008, Duffy was named a Senator from P.E.I. Hansard reflects congratulations from all political parties at that time.
Mr. Haas, as an expert armchair quarterback, implies that Harper should have known better. Somehow Harper should have been psychic, he asserts, in his choice.
May I respectfully suggest to Mr. Haas that any person showing fair and reasonable qualifications and awards like Duffy received would be a prime candidate for any electable office in the land.
Sadly the Senate had the worst accounting regulations in government that have now led to forensic examination of more than 135 Senators, both Conservative and Liberal.
Duffy allegedly took advantage of very loose accounting procedures and now may (or may not) pay the price. Adjudication is ongoing.
But to blame Harper for all ills defies logic and commonsense. To invoke Nazi- era is utterly perverse.
Many of us are amazed that PM Harper remains somewhat level with other political candidates in national polls considering the ugly and vitriolic invective against him, much pure propaganda and unsubstantiated.
Bert MacKay, Energy Historian, Developer, Oil Sands Discovery Centre, Edmonton (former St. Albert resident)
