The late American composer Oscar Levant once cynically quipped that a politician is someone who will “double-cross that bridge when he comes to it.”Which brings us, of course, to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and his shameless reaction to the final report of the Ipperwash Inquiry by commissioner Sidney Linden, a retired judge.
Moments after Linden’s overwritten and overwrought report was released, McGuinty telephoned the George family to apologize on behalf of Ontario and then stood in the legislature to repeat his apology on behalf of the province.What McGuinty failed to say, of course, was that the real reason he set up the inquiry to begin with in November 2003, was to embarrass former Tory premier Mike Harris and use the tragedy to enhance his own electoral fortunes.
No doubt that given all these sorry events, the natives undoubtedly are now convinced that the laws which apply to the rest of us don’t apply equally (if at all) to them, we can count on more of the same when they hold their national day of protest later this month.
