This just in from today's National Post --
Ms. Lise Thibault was the Queen's representative in Quebec for 10 glorious years. Now the party's over and she's been accused of misspending $700,000. Her defence? She said she was “more of a humanist than a manager.”
Wow! What a defense!
For $700,00 I'm ready to be more of a humanist too. And my management skills are already sub-zero!
She dismissed criticism of her spending taxpayers’ money on golf, ski trips, fishing expeditions, travel expenses, meals, parties, photo shoots, gifts and alcohol, claiming she brought joy to those she met.
Indeed.
Give me $700,000 of OPM (other people's money), and I'll bring joy to a lot of people, too. Guaranteed. Or your money back (unless it's already spent).
Then she goes a bit dark, or, at least, murky.
“As much as I have respect for true professionals, I pray to Heaven not to send to hell the people who have broken human lives,” Ms. Thibault said.
There may be a threat in there somewhere but I really haven't a clue what this means. However, I suspect if I were a true humanist, I would, and, for $700,000 I'm willing to learn!
Most people's defense consists of speaking to a judge or jury. In Ms. Thibault's humanist case, it consisted of speaking to herself: “I am 69-and-a-half and I said to myself the day before yesterday, ‘If I saw a woman of my age before a committee, I would say, poor old woman, poor old woman.’ ” You can see her inner-humanist at work!
For $700,000 I too am willing to speak to myself! In fact, I do this already, so it really wouldn't be Rick stop blathering on and get to the point.
OK.
Turns out the $700,000 in unjustified spending is just the bit from Ms. Thibault’s federal allocation -- she may have misspent TEN TIMES AS MUCH from her Quebec budget.
That's a lot of humanism!
Apparently Ms. Thibault claimed her job as lieutenant-governor — opening the National Assembly, confirming Cabinet nominations, giving royal sanction to laws, etc. etc. etc. — was a 24-hour-a-day job, so she did not need to justify her spending.
For $7,700,000 I too am willing to claim to work 24/7, and am prepared not to justify a single dime of what I spend!
Finally, in her defense, Ms. Thibault claimed that Quebec's auditor-general Mr. Lachance had never spoken to her about her expenses. However, Lachance said he had met personally with Ms. Thibault three times, once with federal auditor-general Sheila Fraser.
For $7,700,000 I'm willing to forget meeting with the auditor too.
Forgive and forget, that's what I say.
Because, I Am A Humanist!
And that's the way the hale and hearty humdinger of a humanist Ball bounces.
2 comments:
She also plays on the fact that she is handicapped.
Really, an awful, awful woman of the Pauline Marois "I'm entitled to everything" school.
Who appointed her, was it the PQ? If so says everything, and Quebecers got what they deserve.
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