Inside Politics

Counterpoint of Order: Dean del Mastro vs. Michelle Simson

by Kady O'Malley Posted: November 17, 2009 4:04 PM Last Updated: November 17, 2009 5:34 PM
Okay, so I have to admit that I was momentarily struck speechless when Dean del Mastro got up in the House after Question Period to demand an apology from Liberal MP Michelle Simson over "an entry she posted on twitter" -- a tweet, in other words -- in which, he sorrowfully informed the speaker, she had made hurtful remarks about his weight that, as far as he was concerned, went beyond the bounds of decent parliamentary conduct. 

With the air of a grievously wounded martyr, del Mastro read the text of the tweet from his BlackBerry,  accusing Simson of "discrimination" -- not just against him, but every Canadian whose body shape falls outside the approved Liberal standard, and even suggested that it was this kind of elitism that will keep the party from ever returning to its previous strength. 

It was a masterful performance, really -- del Masterful, even -- given the fact that it was coming from a member who, just a few hours earlier, had repeatedly refused to withdraw the potentially unparliamentary comments that he made at the very committee meeting to which Simson's tweeting referred; a meeting that, as luck would have it, I was able to witness firsthand, what with liveblogging it and all. 

While ostensibly questioning the witnesses -- a pair of senior PCO bureaucrats, who were there to discuss accountability for the ethical conduct for ministers -- del Mastro veered off into what can only be described as a rambling diatribe about his very favourite topic in the world, the sponsorship scandal.  

No, it wasn't even close to being relevant to what was actually being discussed, but that didn't stop the honourable member from waxing indignant in retrospect over the whole affair. He did, however, manage to work the final sentence into the form of a question, demanding that the luckless bureaucrat concur that the trust Canadians have in their political institutions will continue to deteriorate until Liberal members "are held accountable for their crimes." 

Which prompted the chair to intervene to remind him that, actually, no Liberal members - or Members, at least - had actually been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one, and invited del Mastro to withdraw his remark, which he refused to do -- twice, even -- because, in his words, he thought it was a crime. 

Given his peevish response to what was not, as far as I can see, a terribly unreasonable request to temper his words for the record, it's hard to work up much righteous outrage on del Mastro's behalf over a tweet sent by another backbencher on the other side of the parliamentary aisle, no matter how clumsy and devoid of actual wit. 

For the record, Simson apologized, although not without grumbling about the "disparaging" remarks that she had been forced to endure from del Mastro. Really, she could just as easily have turned his argument from earlier in the day against him, and informed the House that she thinks he's "growing out," whereupon they could settle the whole thing with a few rounds of "I know you are, but what am I?" 

Alternately, everyone involved -- including Simson herself -- can take her advice to heart: Grow up, and lose the pout. 

For full video of del Mastro's point of order, Simson's apology, and Charlie Angus telling the whole lot of them that if he hears one more gripe about The Twitter, he's going to turn this House around and go home, click here. 


Tags: blackberry jungle, dean del mastro, ethics committee, michelle simson, that's about enough out of all of you