As tomorrow is Remembrance Day, there are a couple of letters to the editor that I have included in today's update dealing with successive governments' unwillingness to compensate some veterans and their spouses.

Monday also means the Hill Times is out, a must-read for political junkies in Canada. The Hill Times gathered some opinions on the controversy surrounding the Parliamentary Budget Officer and those who would like to muzzle him. It also revealed - to the shock of many, I'm sure - that the Conservatives would like the Cadman and "in and out" inquiries to disappear. But since such issues and the hoopla that surround them are bread and butter to the media and opposition parties, I'd think that I'll be bringing you more stories on this in the near future.

There's also a piece on some shenanigans in the Ontario Provincial Police, and another on the Olympic loan scandal in Vancouver. Finally, I finish with an amusing bit about an executive who thought nothing of wrongdoing when in his well-paid job, but suddenly wanted to become a whistleblower when he, too, was stiffed.

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In This Update

Veteran's Claims

Injustice to veterans
Peterborough Examiner, November 10, 2008
Summary: Letter to the editor - 'With Remembrance Day being honoured tomorrow, it's time Canadians realize the sleazy hypocrisy of the federal government and all members of Parliament who pay lip service to the solemn oath "We Shall Remember Them." '

Veteran's widows still waiting, PM Harper
Ottawa Hill Times, November 10, 2008
Summary: Letter to the editor - When Stephen Harper was leader of the opposition he made a promise not only to myself, but to all veterans' widows in a letter written to me on June 28, 2005. The letter stated that a Conservative government would immediately extend the Veterans Independence Program Services to all Second World War and Korean War veterans' widows... He did not keep it.

Cadman and "In and Out" Inquiries

Tories want opposition to drop 'in and out' and Cadman probes in House
Ottawa Hill Times, November 10, 2008
Summary: Chief Government Whip Gordon O'Connor said he hopes House committees will move on from some of the contentious issues that paralysed some committees in the last session, for example the "in and out" scandal and the Cadman Tape Affair.

Parliamentary Budget Officer

The Spin Doctors

Ottawa Hill Times, November 10, 2008
Summary: "Parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page is asking for independence and says that he can't function under the Library of Parliament to do his job properly but the House and Senate Speakers say he had overstepped his mandate. What do you think?" Note: Available by subscription only.

Trial on Reprisals in OPP

Judge asked to recuse himself over comments about Fantino
Globe and Mail, November 10, 2008
Summary: When a hearing resumes today at Ontario Provincial Police headquarters in Orillia it will be the latest chapter in a legal saga that started as an incident of domestic violence involving an OPP officer. In the ensuing years the case prompted allegations that OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino was running a personal vendetta against his underlings. It has now snowballed into claims of political meddling.

Olympic Loan Scandal

Olympic loan scandal deepens
Calgary Herald, November 8, 2008
Summary: NPA mayoral candidate Peter Ladner said Friday he was prepared to lose the election rather than go public with -- and risk -- negotiations on a $100-million city loan to developers of the financially troubled False Creek Olympic village.

What isn't Whistleblowing

Altruism? Looks more like a case of self-interest
Toronto Star, November 8, 2008
Summary: An excellent example of what isn't whistleblowing.