Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FELDSTED: This arrogant, condescending, dishonest piece of elitist ego is not an asset to the civil service, government or Canada


Michael Wernick to step down as clerk of Privy Council, cites lack of 'mutual trust' with opposition.  Wernick writes: 'The clerk (must) be seen by all political parties as an impartial arbiter'
Catharine Tunney ~~ CBC News ~~ Mar 18, 2019

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his retirement, Wernick wrote that "recent events have led me to conclude that I cannot serve as clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to cabinet during the upcoming election campaign."

CLICK HERE for the full story: 

This arrogant, condescending, dishonest piece of elitist ego is not an asset to the civil service, government or Canada.

Wernick is correct – the Clerk of the Privy council must be neutral, non-political and trusted by all parties and Members of Parliament – and report to the Governor General, not to the Prime Minister. Constitution Sections 9 and 11 are clear:


9. The Executive Government and Authority of and over Canada is hereby declared to continue and be vested in the Queen.

11. There shall be a Council to aid and advise in the Government of Canada, to be styled the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada; and the Persons who are to be Members of that Council shall be from Time to Time chosen and summoned by the Governor General and sworn in as Privy Councillors, and Members thereof may be from Time to Time removed by the Governor General.    

Wernick never uses his full title: Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet.

As Secretary to the Cabinet he cannot be non-political and cannot be trusted by opposition parties or Members of Parliament. He sits in the government’s inner circle and is part of the Prime Minister’s Office. Claims by the government, Wernick and the media that he is politically neutral, and non-partisan are preposterous. 

The executive power of the Governor General, acting for the Queen, were transferred to the Prime Minister by PM Mackenzie King in March 1940 by an Order in Council. 


The change was not approved by the Commons or the Senate and did not have Royal Assent ... it is not law. 


The Prime Minister does not have the constitutional authority to override the Queen. Mackenzie King invented the dual role of Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. 

Prior to that they were separate roles.

We are suffering governments of dubious legality and subterfuge. We need to get this sorted out and reinstate the Privy Council as a separate entity from the Cabinet and Prime Minister, reporting to the Governor General. The Secretary to the Cabinet should be a separate position and is naturally partisan.

The Prime Minister’s Office should be restricted to a principle secretary and two clerks. The Prime Minister surrounding himself with a dozen highly paid advisors and strategists at public (taxpayer) cost is ridiculous. His advice and policy development should come from his cabinet and caucus, not from expensive hired help. That is not democratic governance.   


John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stamer: Hope for Forestry Completely Shattered After Another Provincial Review Driven by DRIPA

IMAGE CREDIT:  Provincial Forestry Advisory Council Conservative Critic for Forests Ward Stamer says the final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council confirms the worst fears of forestry workers and communities; instead of addressing the real issues driving mill closures and job losses, the NDP has produced a report that ignores industry realities and doubles down on governance restructuring. Despite years of warnings from forestry workers, contractors, and industry organizations about permitting delays, regulatory costs, fibre access, and the failure of BC Timber Sales, the PFAC report offers no urgency, no timelines, and no concrete action to stop the ongoing decline of the sector. “ This report completely shatters any remaining hope that the government is serious about saving forestry ,” said Stamer.  “ We didn’t need another study to tell us what industry has been saying for years. While mills close and workers lose their livelihoods, the NDP is focused on re...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH – My question is, ‘How do we decide who is blue enough to be called a Conservative?’

How do we decide who’s blue enough to be a Conservative? AS OF TODAY (Friday January 30 th ), there are now eight individuals who have put their names forward to lead the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Having been involved with BC’s Conservatives since 2010, and having seen MANY ups and downs, having 8 people say “I want to lead the party” is to me, an incredible turn-around from the past. Sadly, however, it seems that our party cannot seem to shake what I, and others, call a purity test of ‘what is a Conservative’. And that seems to have already come to the forefront of the campaign by a couple of candidates. Let me just say as a Conservative Party of BC member, and as someone active in the party, that frustrates me to no end. Conservatives, more than any other political philosophy or belief, at least to me, seems to have the widest and broadest spectrum of ideals.   For the most part, they are anchored by these central thoughts --- smaller and less intru...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more