KAIROS Doc Is No Longer About Funding
It has become increasingly clear that for sure Bev Oda, Minister for International Cooperation, needs to resign or be fired. It has also become increasingly clear that Prime Minister Harper is going to stand behind her no matter how much subterfuge it is going to take.
We’ve learned in the last week that the ‘NOT’ which was inserted into the KAIROS document was done so on Oda’s orders. She may choose to split hairs over whether she knew who exactly picked up the pen and did so, but she had full knowledge the document was being altered. Therein lies the issue. Therein also lies a question.
The issue is that Oda knew the document had been changed and at what point. It was after the two CIDA officials had signed off. The issue is NOT if she made a decision to grant funding to KAIROS ornot. She has the right to make a decision, even if it disagrees with the recommendations of the CIDA officials. The fact she made the decision and then mislead the house and the Foreign Relations committee about the circumstances of the decision, THAT is the issue.
The very fact she had the right to make the decision, truly begs the question — why did she cover up the decision by having someone else alter the document? Why not just make the change, initial it and send it back to the original signatories so they know the finished document had been changed? Or send back a memo advising them that their recommendation had been rejected and why?
There is no reason for the lying and obfuscation that has gone on around this. Oda needs to offer up her resignation before she is found in contempt, which she is.
Harper is currently doing his best to change the channel on this. He’s trying to portray the issue as being if Oda had the authority to make a decision against the bureaucrats. Nice try Harper, that might fly with your buy any crap you throw at them support base, but it’s easily seen through. The issue is, your minister lied. I realize that doesn’t mean much to you since you twist the facts pretty regularly, but it means something to others.
It is also entirely possible Harper’s office ordered the change and Oda had to figure out how to change it without drawing a lot of attention to the change. As long as Harper stands by Oda, there is no reason for the full truth to come out. Now, should Harper give into Opposition and public demand for Oda to go, she might just let fly the whole story.
Personally, I believe the defunding of KAIROS had more to do with politics than good stewardship of public funds but, that is not the issue. The government, and in particular, Oda, had the responsibility to make a decision for whatever reason. She didn’t have either the responsibility or the right to lie to and mislead the House and a Parliamentary committee, for that she needs to pay the price.
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