Tobinism and Additional Rules of Law

Tobinism
and Additional Rules of Law

Nipawin - February 10, 2001 - by: Mario deSantis

"In a state where corruption abounds, laws must be very numerous"

--Publius Cornelius Tacitus⁽¹⁾

broke his
promise
It was last October that I came across the term "Tobinism" succinctly defined by Pierre

Bourque as the art of our politicians to speak out and lie to the listeners⁽²⁾. At that time,

Brian Tobin broke his promise to serve as the premier of Newfoundland and entered

federal politics after being invited by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

ethical
rules
Today, we have another display of Tobinism by Industry Minister Brian Tobin as Ethics

Counsellor Howard Wilson has been proposing additional Rules of Law related to the

ethics guidelines of our ministers⁽³⁾. Wilson's proposed additional ethical rules have been

prompted as a consequence of Jean Chrétien's alleged impropriety in arranging a federal

loan for his criminal friend Yvone Duhaime⁽⁴⁾, owner of the near bankrupt Grand-Mère Inn.

conflict
of interest
Jean Chrétien's improprieties for arranging this loan have been raised in Parliament by the

Opposition, and the matter of the timing of the sale of Chrétien's golf shares has surfaced

all over again to haunt the Prime Minister. The golf course is adjacent to the Grand-Mère Inn,

in Chrétien's hometown of Shawinigan, and the Opposition has been charging the Prime

Minister of being in conflict of interest when he personally participated to the arranging of

the above loan since at that time Jean Chrétien still owned share of the golf course.

no trusteeship
But Brian Tobin has come to the defense of the Prime Minister saying that Jean Chrétien

didn't know he owned the golf shares because such shares were kept in a blind trust.

Howard Wilson has then responded that Brian Tobin was not correct and that there was

no such a blind trust. Subsequently, Tobin corrected himself saying that the golf shares

were not placed in a blind trust because they were sold before Mr. Chrétien became Prime

Minister. Again, Mr. Wilson had to correct Mr. Tobin and said there was no trusteeship of

any kind involved.

vicious
circle
The morale of the story is that we try to fight the Tobinism of our politicians with additional

Rules of Law, and in the process we lose our freedom, and as we lose our freedom so our

politicians arrange for more additional Rules of Law. It's a vicious circle. When are we

going to break it?

------------References/endnotes:

List of relevant political and economics articles http://ensign.ftlcomm.com

1.
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Roman Historian 55~117 AD

2.
-
DAUPHIN" TOBINISMS, Note by Pierre Bourque, October 16, 2001 http://www.bourque.org/pb.html

3.
-
PM shouldn't set ethics rules, opposition says, CAMPBELL CLARK, February 10, 2001, The Globe and Mail,

4.
-
We must obey the Rule of Law but not trust luminary lawyer Jean Chrétien, by Mario deSantis, February 8, 2001

Tobinism and Additional Rules of Law

Nipawin - February 10, 2001 - by: Mario deSantis

	"In a state where corruption abounds, laws must be very numerous"
	--Publius Cornelius Tacitus⁽¹⁾

broke his promise	It was last October that I came across the term "Tobinism" succinctly defined by Pierre
	Bourque as the art of our politicians to speak out and lie to the listeners⁽²⁾. At that time,
	Brian Tobin broke his promise to serve as the premier of Newfoundland and entered
	federal politics after being invited by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

ethical rules	Today, we have another display of Tobinism by Industry Minister Brian Tobin as Ethics
	Counsellor Howard Wilson has been proposing additional Rules of Law related to the
	ethics guidelines of our ministers⁽³⁾. Wilson's proposed additional ethical rules have been
	prompted as a consequence of Jean Chrétien's alleged impropriety in arranging a federal
	loan for his criminal friend Yvone Duhaime⁽⁴⁾, owner of the near bankrupt Grand-Mère Inn.

conflict of interest	Jean Chrétien's improprieties for arranging this loan have been raised in Parliament by the
	Opposition, and the matter of the timing of the sale of Chrétien's golf shares has surfaced
	all over again to haunt the Prime Minister. The golf course is adjacent to the Grand-Mère Inn,
	in Chrétien's hometown of Shawinigan, and the Opposition has been charging the Prime
	Minister of being in conflict of interest when he personally participated to the arranging of
	the above loan since at that time Jean Chrétien still owned share of the golf course.

no trusteeship	But Brian Tobin has come to the defense of the Prime Minister saying that Jean Chrétien
	didn't know he owned the golf shares because such shares were kept in a blind trust.
	Howard Wilson has then responded that Brian Tobin was not correct and that there was
	no such a blind trust. Subsequently, Tobin corrected himself saying that the golf shares
	were not placed in a blind trust because they were sold before Mr. Chrétien became Prime
	Minister. Again, Mr. Wilson had to correct Mr. Tobin and said there was no trusteeship of
	any kind involved.

vicious circle	The morale of the story is that we try to fight the Tobinism of our politicians with additional
	Rules of Law, and in the process we lose our freedom, and as we lose our freedom so our
	politicians arrange for more additional Rules of Law. It's a vicious circle. When are we
	going to break it?

------------References/endnotes:

	List of relevant political and economics articles http://ensign.ftlcomm.com

1.	Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Roman Historian 55~117 AD

2. -	DAUPHIN" TOBINISMS, Note by Pierre Bourque, October 16, 2001 http://www.bourque.org/pb.html

3. -	PM shouldn't set ethics rules, opposition says, CAMPBELL CLARK, February 10, 2001, The Globe and Mail,

4. -	We must obey the Rule of Law but not trust luminary lawyer Jean Chrétien, by Mario deSantis, February 8, 2001