Does this man call himself a Christian?
(That isn’t rhetorical. I want to know)
MP Gary Goodyear (Cambridge) fired one of his staffers for ordering a ticket to a movie screening.
The film is Young People Fucking, and it is being screened in Ottawa Thursday night. Apparently there was react when the story broke that Conservative MP names showed up on a list for the screening.
This is the film Charles McVety and his friends at The Canada Family Action Coalition raged about as an example of the needed clause in omnibus bill C-10.
Dr. Gary Goodyear cares more about how he thinks he looks than reality.
“I do not want to see his reputation harmed over something so trivial and untrue,” wrote Victoria van Eyk in a clarifying e-mail early Tuesday to The Canadian Press.
“The simple fact is we ordered an extra invitation for our files, and so that I may attend the film or pass the invitation on to someone who WOULD, in fact, enjoy a movie like that.”
The emphatic effort to clear her boss of any such predilection was apparently sent just before she was dismissed. No one in Goodyear’s office returned calls.
A Conservative official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the assistant was fired for ordering tickets after specifically being asked not to.
“It wasn’t the content of the film that was problematic” but the misrepresentation that Goodyear would be at the screening, said the source.
An unnamed Conservative official.
Oh.
Not the most trustworthy of sources these days.
How very Christian of Mr. Goodyear.
Bad enough he’s behaving like he is scared of fellow social conservatives; his reputation is one thing, firing someone who stood up for their choice and obstensively for him is really, really petty.
Seriously, do fundamentalists hold this much power over politicians? An MP’s office isn’t church, and while McVety and friends made this film a centerpiece of outrage, there is something decidedly slimy about an MP making such a knee-jerk either/or choice which puts one of his employees out of work.
What? He couldn’t say; “I’m not going a staff member is?”
He must be a real pip to work for.
Not all Conservatives had such a black/white life altering reaction to landing on the RSVP list.
Tory MPs Patrick Brown, James Lunney and Carol Skelton also say their names were listed in error and they have no plans to see the film. Assistants in the offices of Brown and Lunney denied even ordering tickets and said their bosses were otherwise busy.
Skelton said she authorized a staff member to attend since she has to be in Saskatoon on Friday to give a speech.
“I kind of laughed,” she said of seeing her name on the RSVP list. “I said: ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to be in the air and everybody thinks I’m going to be at a movie.”‘
Skelton was nonplussed to learn of the dismissal in Goodyear’s office. “A staffer has been fired?”
She has no problem with her own assistant’s attendance, she said.
“You know, this is a free country.”
Goodyear narrowly won his seat in 2004 and won in 2006 with the help of Vote Marriage Canada, started by two former MP’s.
That site is now defunct and links to pr0n.
Defend Marriage Canada (McVety’s contribution to the cause) is still functional and links back to his Canada Family Action Coalition, which was part of the effort to defeat C-38 and the current effort to push through the clause in C-10. Interestingly enough the tips the site used to help voters lobby politicians about C-38 was:
The website www.votemarriagecanada.ca has a number of resources citizens can use in building a case for traditional marriage with legislators. A page of “do’s and don’ts” offers tips such as: make your argument in a curt two or three sentences; be prepared to counter equality arguments about same-sex “marriage;” and encourage like-minded family members, friends and neighbours to activate as well. On the other hand, do not berate or harass your MP; do not be bullied by his or her staff; and do not use a form letter.
Do not be bullied by an MP’s staff - do not berate or harass your MP.
Oh.
But hey, it’s perfectly fine to fire someone for ordering a ticket to a movie you and social conservative puppet masters have made a showcase.
So much for family values Dr. Goodyear. Curt enough for you sir?
Victoria van Eyk, I’m sorry you lost your job, I hope you find someone less callous and censorious to work for very soon.
Vote Marriage Canada - wiki
Stephen Taylor -The Blogging Tories - Mark Holland ticket memo
Dr. Gary Goodyear homepage
Update: The Waterloo Record reports van Eyk says it’s her fault, she deserved to be punished because she had been told not to respond to the invite. Goodyear says he wouldn’t have attended the film because he opposes federal funding. Goodyear says her firing was just a coincidence, then blamed media for getting the termination story wrong, stating that ‘the real reasons he fired her are confidential.’
Update: Fired staffer Victoria Van Eyk went to the special screening with her father and sister.
CTV news was there, as were other invited Ottawa staffers, MP’s and Senators. MP James Lunney (Nanaimo-Alberni) made it clear to a local station he would not fire his staff member, as have other Conservative MP’s whose employees chose to attend.
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I want to cash in my 29 year old Wintario lottery tickets at 50 cents a piece to see a Canadian made film. Can I still do that? I used some tickets in 1979 to see the blockbuster, Meatballs. It was full of sexual antics (no sex though) and it was Canadian made (with American flags). Isn’t that an oxymoron? Sex and Canadian?
Well frankly it is my fault for ordering a ticket to a movie using Gary’s name without Gary’s permission so I can see it. It’s understandable that I’d get fired for that. Alas… we all do stupid things, I’m just hopeful that I can be forgiven for the mess up and this all passes.
Keep on bloggin, fine Bene!
No problem, but for future reference, my last name is van Eyk
Hi Victoria:
That was careless and inconsiderate of me, I apologize for the typo. Fixed.
I’m glad you stopped by, I suspect the last few days have been stressful.
Are you one of the founders of Regenesis Initiative?
You have a bright future in front of you and I hope others go to bat for you and give you an opportunity to fulfil your dreams.
You have shown grace, tansparency and maturity under pressure, and you have my respect.
Having been fired, I can identify, life isn’t fair and I’m angry for you.
I looked up Dr. Goodyear’s comments in Hansard regarding Bill C-10.
Given how strongly he spoke in the House, I don’t believe what he has said about his behavior surrounding your firing.
An unnamed Conservative official chiming in, and Goodyears ‘clarification’ coming after the fact is about putting his image votes and backers above principle and respect.
It’s his office, he can hire and fire anyone he wants to, but I humbly disagree you need to be forgiven.
His punitiveness is not your mess.
He and the unnamed official have shown poor judgement, shallowness and an eagerness to place ideology over character.
I also humbly disagree this is ‘your fault.’
The media picked up a story, you became part of it and handled yourself very well.
Following the ‘my fault’ line of reasoning, every staffer in Ottawa in every department and in every office who responded to the RSVP would meet your fate.
I don’t think you did a stupid thing at all.
I don’t believe for one moment given how clear and honestly you’ve presented yourself and handled this attention that you rebelled or disobeyed Dr. Goodyear.
You have responded with more character, decency, and professionalism under pressure than your former boss seems capable of appreciating, acknowledging or doing so himself and I applaud you.
Enjoy the movie.:^)
This situation is far more significant than it appears on the surface.
As an average Canadian it appears that Harper has trained his puppets well. It’s sickening.
Victoria - you did nothing wrong. When you get older and wiser you will come to the realization that no one has the right to tell you what you can do in your private life (unless you are a cabinet minister or the PM :)) You were not the only MP’s office that accepted tickets. Once again, to an average Canadian this is like the timbit story, just one more example of our current governments attempt to intimidate. ‘Dr’ Goodyear may never come to realize how deceived he is, you are young enough to get away from the Charles McVety wannabes in this world.
It’s about him. He stuck his foot in it and frankly he could be the nicest man on the plant - what he did was wrong. There isn’t one person I have talked to about this that agrees with Dr. Goodyear. Not one.
From a spiritual perspective BD said it all. Having been raised in a fundamentalist church I can now how damaging Dr. Goodyear’s mindset is. As a Canadian I am appalled at his ignorance and lack of insight.
Getting out of his office is one of the best things you can do for yourself. There are MP’s, MPP’s and other politicians who would be proud to have you work for them.
Victoria and her father are forthcoming and forthright.
The more Dr. Goodyear opens his mouth the less credibility he displays.
Victoria van Eyk isn’t hurting him, he’s hurting himself. He goes from unavailable for comment to refusing to comment, to using a hit and run unnamed Conservative offical, to coicidence, to confidential. He blames her and the media.
Respect would be working to get to the bottom of the leak and giving an employee the benefit of the doubt.
From The Ottawa Sun:
“Victoria van Eyk, assistant to Conservative MP Gary Goodyear, was fired Tuesday when Goodyear’s name showed up on the screening guest list after she ordered a ticket for herself.
“I was fired because I RSVP’d him to the film to acquire an extra ticket without his permission,” she told the Sun.
“People working in politics need to be politically savvy and sensitive to current issues.
“I showed a lack of respect for my boss because I didn’t ask him if it would be okay for me to use his name to acquire the extra ticket, and a lack of political sense on how this specific action could hurt him.”
Her father, Robert van Eyk, said his daughter had e-mailed other staffers to try and get a second ticket for her boyfriend. Someone leaked her e-mail to The Canadian Press, he claims.
“She got caught up in something bigger than she thought. She just wanted to take her boyfriend to a movie,” he said.
Goodyear refused interview requests yesterday, but sent the following statement:
“The story was wrong about the termination of my staff person. Out of respect for my former staff person I will not comment any further, the real reasons for her termination are confidential.”
I realize that Dr. McVety is very concerned about this movie and others like it. But the headline on his Canada Family Action Coalition certainly raised my eyebrows.
“Taxpayers poled about paying for these movies…
read the results here. (5-23-2008)” http://www.familyaction.org
Being “poled” sounds rather painful, and as a taxpayer, I don’t think I’d want it done to me. Also, being “poled” sounds rather like an activity of which Dr. McVety wouldn’t approve.
This is all so confusing.
arr arrr arrrr!
Looks like one of my typos.
You’d think after their push poll smackdown in the Senate committee appearance the Canada Family Action Coalition would just lay it down or put it to bed.
Poling may be hazardous to your health or ‘contrary to public policy.’;^)