Leader of the Opposition Thomas Mulcair is hardly the first egotistical politician to be challenged by the RCM Police on his way to Canada’s Parliament. Many Ottawa natives just assume that duty on the Hill is used as a form of punishment by higher ups in the national police force. While the Speaker’s security people look after the inside of the Parliament buildings, the Mounted Police are delegated to look after the grass and Centennial Flame. And, two weeks after graduating from RCMP training school in Regina, these newly minted officers take their work seriously.
Many years ago, a Member of Parliament from Toronto asked us for a ride from the Ottawa airport to his office on Parliament Hill. It seems he was late for a meeting and knew that we would have a rental car waiting. We were quickly out of the airport and heading down the Airport Expressway.
When we got to the Hill, he asked to be dropped at the Centre Block. We turned in at the West Block to go around the internal driveway to the Centre Block. It was while driving past the West Block that we were flagged down by a RCMP Constable. Rolling down the driver’s window, we offered the constable a pleasant ‘good morning.” He politely asked where we thought we were going.
This did not suit the MP in the front passenger seat. He screamed impatiently, “Do you know who I am? The young constable obviously did not but he did a snappy salute with his right hand while surreptitiously indicating to get moving with his left hand. The incident was not overly memorable except for the deafness in our right ear for the rest of the day.
In the more recent problems of Thomas Mulcair, it seems that little has changed on Parliament Hill. Obviously, the RCMP personnel are taking their responsibility for the Parliament grounds more seriously. This might not be just because somebody trampled on the tulips.
But why is the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition driving his own automobile to work? Are those union bosses who run the New Democrats too cheap to get him a chauffeur? That is a disgrace.
Mind you, Tommy needs to be a little more patient with overly officious minions. He needs to remember that they might vote NDP.
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Copyright 2013 © Peter Lowry
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