Foreign affairs minister resigns

[tuvor]

Source: CBC

Embattled Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier has resigned from cabinet over a security breach involving classified documents, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters on Monday.

The resignation came ahead of a French-language television interview of Bernier's former girlfriend to be aired later Monday.

Harper said he accepted Bernier's resignation after learning late Sunday that Bernier had inadvertently left the documents in an unsecured location. It was unclear what was in the documents.

"It's only this error. It's a very serious error for any minister," Harper said. "The minister immediately recognized the gravity of that error.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/26/harper.html#socialcomments

[HeresyLives]

1. And other fairy tales of the

Harper government.


'Montreal newspaper Le Devoir reported today that Ms. Couillard – who had links to the criminal biker underworld as late as 2005 – is the head of a high-tech firm that has been involved in security at airports.

And it quotes a source as saying she received documents regarding airport security in 2005, before she met the minister.'


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080526.wbernierresign0526/BNStory/National/home

[stevedeshazer]

2. Canada's Foreign Minister Quits After Security Breach (Update1)

Source: Bloomberg.com

May 26 (Bloomberg) -- Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier resigned over a security breach involving cabinet documents, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.

Bernier quit after realizing yesterday that he had left ``classified government documents at a private residence'' earlier this year, Harper told reporters in Ottawa.

``The security breach that occurred was my fault and my fault alone and I take full responsibility for my actions,'' Bernier wrote in his resignation letter.

Canada's opposition parties today reiterated calls for Bernier's resignation because of alleged missteps, such the minister's pledge to send a cargo plane to Myanmar that the military didn't have ready, and interfering in Afghanistan government affairs by suggesting an official there be replaced.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aAqG.EN.n3dQ&refer=home

---

Uh-oh.

[aquart]

3. What? He took responsibility and just QUIT?

People still do that?

[Doctor Cynic]

4. He was dating a girl with ties to biker gangs.

At first he told others to shove off, and that it's none of their business. Now he was just let go to prevent any more damage to Steven Harper.

[concerned canadian]

7. a correction, please

Maxime Bernier dated a woman TEN years ago, who had dated a biker years before she met Bernier.

The Liberals calling for his resignation was embarrassing. Particularly in the light that one of Canada's

most loved prime ministers, who happened to be a Liberal, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, said famously

"The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation."

This security breach bothers me, though. How can someone leave classified government documents at a 'private residence',

especially when that someone is the minister of foreign affairs??? In the link, he is also responsible (or criminally

irresponsible) for pledging to send a cargo plane to Myanmar that never materialized, meddling in politics in

Afghanistan.

[Boswells_Johnson]

11. That is incorrect

He did not date this woman 10 years ago. It was very recently--at least until April of this year.

"She started dating Bernier before he was sworn in as foreign affairs minister in 2007. They recently split up."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/26/harper.html

The picture in the main article of this thread is from Aug. 14, 2007.

[Spazito]

14. Ummm, it is also of concern she is now involved in airport

security. Her involvement with bikers was as recent as 2005 so the concern is legitimate. Bernier has been an unmitigated disaster for harper but then again harper has been an unmitigated disaster for Canada.

[stevedeshazer]

5. Those silly Canadians don't get politics. If only he'd proposed a huge corporate tax break!

He'd be an Amerikan hero.

[tuvor]

6. Exactly. Nothing to see here.

Move along...

[concerned canadian]

8. hey, just noticed you're from the same island as me!

:hi:

[tuvor]

13. Back atcha, c.c.

Hello from the Comox Valley! :hi:

[DeSwiss]

9. Here's the "cause" of his forgetfulness....

- And they've brought bigger men than this guy, that's fer sure.....

[Buns_of_Fire]

10. Our governments and corporations seem to be all populated with Lucy Ricardos, these days.

How in hell do you just FORGET that you've got classified documents in your possession?

Maybe it's something in that rarified atmosphere that's turning their brains to cottage cheese.

[Ian David]

12. The whole world is just falling over themselves to steal CANADA'S secret documents, too! n/t