Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

It was revealed earlier this year that the Canadian Council of Chief Executives — among others — had worked with the government to keep negotiations for a new perimeter security deal with the US under wraps until the marketing campaign could be properly coordinated with the government’s formal announcement. At the time I suggested that the willingness of John Manley, the CCCE’s new front man, to work with the government in a context that involved keeping secrets from citizens tarnished his reputation as an elder statesman. In the specific context of Manley’s role in chairing a panel that examined Canada’s role in Afghanistan I asked: when John Manley chaired that panel on Afghanistan a few years back, was he acting as an honest broker? Or did he work behind the scenes with Harper and company to prepare a script that he read from when the appropriate time came? And the answers are: no to honest broker and yes to participating in another bit of political theatre:…