Four stories are dominating the news.
The David Emerson story is not going away despite his vow to stay until the PM asks him to leave, or the next federal election, whichever comes first. There are growing petitions for his resignation, NDP undertakings to have the Parliamentary Ethics Commissioner investigate and bring a Bill to prohibit MPs crossing the floor without resigning and continuing criticism from Conservative back benchers, particularly Garth Turner from Oakville (who may have his own issues with the PM since he was left out of the Cabinet notwithstanding his previous cabinet position in the Mulroney government. This one will be around to haunt the PM for a long time marking, as it does, his rush to abandon his promise to bring ethical reforms to Parliament. The appointed Senator issue has faded, although Scott Brison is trying to keep it hot. Public Works was his last department and he, no doubt, wanted to have a chance to go at the new minister in Question Period.
A few cartoons printed in a Danish news magazine have set-off riots around the world. Thousands of Muslims, at the urging of their clerical leaders, are burning embassies and injuring police and civilians to protest what they perceive as blasphemy against their “peaceful” religion. More outrageous though is the speed with which the “western” media have abandoned their assumed commitment to freedom of the press and condemned any media that reprinted the cartoons for inflaming the situation. By implication, these media concur that it is OK for fundamentalists to call for the death of all non Muslims but not for their objectors to critique such excesses! Do we assume that when the fundamentalists want to take control of our newspapers, TV, clothing, etc. that any opposition will be considered an affront to their freedom of religion?
The winter Olympics in Turin are also front and centre and as boring as ever. The story does not change: rich international socialites use financially struggling young athletes to attract mega-corporations to cough up billion of dollars to stage a fabulous party every four years. Throw in nationalist bragging rights, add 20-hour a day television coverage ant get nauseous.
Finally, there’s a brewing story about illegal gambling in the USA, with links to Wayne Gretzky’s wife. Whether or not he is involved, the “perfect family” image has been shattered with the revelation that his wife has a serious gambling problem in which she has spent a few hundred thousand in a matter of weeks. He didn’t know? His financial managers didn’t alert him to a problem? No help was sought? Herein lies more of a tragic story than the possibility Team Canada may not win a gold medal in Turin, but the media are not playing it that way.
