August 24, 2000
The pie that hit us all - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Jean Chrétien got a pie in the face last week and it raised the issue of RCMP security for the Prime Minister. A part of me joins the hue and cry of some who say that it’s an embarrassment that the PM doesn’t have rigorous security. Those same said folks are also wondering if it’s a pie this time, what will it be next time?
This Prime Minister has had his security breached on a number of occasions. First there was that lunatic that stormed the PM’s bedroom and held Aline Chrétien at knife point, as well as the protester that got in the PM’s way and was summarily removed from PM’s path, by the PM himself.
God forbid, anything more dangerous happens, I’m kind of glad we have this level of closeness to the man or woman that holds the top job of land. In the United States, unless you’re an over zealous autograph seeker/flasher, you don’t get so close to the President.
We in Canada are a curious bunch. We have this closeness to the physical self of the Prime Minister, yet we have this strong sense of disenchantment and disillusion with the personage of power. I was going to fill today’s space by saying Mr. Chrétien deserved getting lobbed with a pie, if for no other reason than the shear contempt and arrogance he’s dealt the Canadian people, especially those of us here in British Columbia.
Whether it was Nisga’a or his meddling of APEC and the APEC inquiry, he’s a Prime Minister I can’t wait seen turfed. His arrogance throughout the HRDC boondoggle, especially to his request to the press corps to define the term ‘boondoggle’; he certainly deserved the pie in the face. I especially saw that over confident half-wit, Mr. Chrétien flummox when after cleaning up, he was asked about the pie and he refused to answer questions - bowing his head lightly - in shame.
Evan Brown, the self-styled activist that planted the pie on the mug of our fair PM, said his display of public annoyance was “a protest for students, for people on welfare, for social reform.” Perhaps he succeeded in taking this bold and pompous man to the depths of embarrassment, but in actuality Mr. Chrétien weathers the storm in true Liberal (and of course, I mean large-l liberal) fashion.
Reports from this past Tuesday have said that the Prime Minister refuses to surround himself with more security. He says that it’s not being Canadian to be swamped with security and on the rarest of occasions, I agree with him. I’m pleased that at the same time Mr. Brown gets his 15 minutes of infamy, Mr. Chrétien gets put in his place and the Canadian way proceeds in unabashed apathy - onwards.
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