Embattled Conservative Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt has become a growing liability to the Harper government. Once hailed as a star candidate, in the year since she was first elected, she has lurched from one fumble of her ministerial files to another. For those who’ve lost count of her errors in judgment, here’s a refresher:
1. Signing her own expenses at the Toronto Port Authority – Today it was learned that as President and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority, Lisa Raitt signed off on thousands of dollars of questionable expenses, thwarting proper oversight by the Chair of the Toronto Port Authority’s Board of Directors.
2. Fundraising through the Toronto Port Authority – Minister Raitt’s former executive assistant used the resources of the Toronto Port Authority, where she was formerly President and CEO, to organize a partisan fundraiser.
3. Appointing Conservative board members to the Toronto Port Authority – Since joining cabinet, the Harper government has appointed numerous loyal Conservative supporters and donors to the Toronto Port Authority’s Board of Directors.
4. Logos at government announcements – At a government announcement concerning recreational stimulus funding, Minister Raitt wore a blue hockey jersey with a giant Conservative logo emblazoned on the front of it. When a complaint was filed to the Ethics Commissioner, the offending photograph was taken down from her website.
5. Botched Canada’s medical isotope supply – Despite multiple warnings, Minister Raitt had no alternate plan in place when the nuclear reactor producing over 30% of the world’s medical isotopes was indefinitely shut down. Cancer and cardiac patients are still coping with delays in crucial medical tests as a result.
6. “Cancer is sexy” tape – In a tape discovered by the media, Minister Raitt mused about how the crisis in cancer testing unfolding under her watch would raise her cabinet profile, noting, “It’s sexy. Radioactive leaks. Cancer..,” shocking Canadians whose cancer tests were delayed from the reactor shutdown.
7. Criticizing Minister Aglukkaq – In the same tape, Minister Raitt observed that one of her cabinet colleagues, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, is in over her head: “I think her staff is trying to shield her… I really hope she never gets anything hot.” Her observation was prescient given the Conservatives’ subsequent mishandling of the H1N1 pandemic.
8. Forgotten Raittgate binder – Minister Raitt left a briefing binder containing top secret government information about Canada’s nuclear industry behind her at CTV.
9. Fired ministerial staffer – Instead of taking responsibility for leaving her cabinet binder behind her, Minister Raitt forced her young ministerial aide to take the blame and fired her.
