Paper Champions Award #2

And the winner is . . .

Week: #2 May 25-31 2008

Champion: Garth Turner

Pourquoi: Letter - Secret Capital 2of6 -

Publication: Toronto Star

This week’s paper champion Garth Turner is of all things a politician. Turner a federal politician in Canada’s multi tiered political arena has been a representative of the people for over a decade. Serving as progressive conservative from 1988-1993, Turner took a break from politicking through the mid-nineties building a portfolio as a business journalist and editor, facts I was unaware of when I made the initial decision to award the second paper champions award to somebody whom I believed held the unfortunate distinction of being a politician and nothing else. Well with that being said, here’s to my own ignorance, and here’s to Garth Turner, may we both wallow in our ways.

On Tuesday, as part of a six-part news serial on the secrecy of the Canadian Prime Minister’s office, the Toronto Star printed a letter from current MP and member of the opposition party Garth Tuner. Turner, a former member of the current Prime Minister Stephen Harper conservative party was ousted in October of 06 after failing to adhere to party polices. Tuner was asked to speak from prefab speeches and to "immediately" stop writing a blog that had been critical of Prime Minister Harper. Mr. Turner refused and was ousted on the grounds that he had violated caucuses confidentiality by writing on his biog. Hogwash.

The letter it self, dark, bitter and the closest thing to Orwell’s (1984) since Orwell’s (1984), were addictive to say the very least. I read the entire contents of Garth Turner’s letter no less the six times throughout the course of the week, then I shared it with friends, co-workers and my less then surprised partner.

In the US, Americans are all too aware of the corrupt, baboon like nature of The Bush Administration and this awareness extends above and beyond American borders. Everyone around the world knows a tale or two involving the fool, Bush.

The Canadian political system is not nearly as transparent, first of all the level of secrecy obtained by the powers of the north are an obscene throwback to a long forgotten era, second, Canada, Canadians and the Canadian political arena are just not at the top of international watch lists, hell I live in Canada and had no idea some of this stuff was going on. After having a week to obsess over Mr. Turner’s letter I feel I have uncovered a very clear message, spread the word, pass it on.

Zoltan Black