"VANOC torch relay manuals obtained under Freedom of Information from the City of Vancouver say sitting politicians cannot participate in the relay." wrote 24Hours reporter Bob Mackin on Monday.
“This policy is not an IOC policy,” said International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge. “Who runs with the torch relay is a matter for the organizing committee.”
To many, the controversy revolved around the admitted past steroid use by the bodybuilder turned Republican politician, as the Games have long fought the scourge of tainted competition.
Scrambling to save face, John Furlong, the chief executive of Olympics organizing committee Vanoc, told Canwest "He has taken an extraordinary position on the environment and has developed a great relationship with the province of British Columbia."
However, that was certainly not the explanation given to Winnipeg blogger ChrisD.
He asked Vanoc why the rule prohibiting elected officials from the relay had been ignored for the Governator, and got an email:
"Mr. Schwarzengger (sic) is not an elected official of Canada and therefore does not fall under these guidelines. Kind regards, Media Relations"
If that is the case, then what explanation can John Furlong offer for allowing Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger to take part in the relay as it passed through Gimli, Manitoba last month?
Selinger, who won the New Democratic Party leadership and succeeded Gary Doer as Manitoba Premier in October after Doer resigned, is by any definition "an elected official of Canada", isn't he ??
His Olympic run on January 6th received unquestioning fawning attention from the local mainstream media, which ignored Vanoc's prohibition against politicians taking part for ethical reasons, even as they covered the ethics of reporters participating in the relay.
The Winnipeg Sun even wrote "Here's a perk to being premier; you get to carry the Olympic torch".
The VANOC guidelines for selection of torchbearers states:
"Elected government officials or declared political candidates are not permitted to gain access to a torchbearer position through their offices or roles as public leaders and typically are not permitted to be torchbearers. This is to ensure that participation as a torchbearer is not used for political purposes."
Meanwhile, TGCTS reporter Spirited Kenny followed up with Vanoc that same day and asked:
"How many Premiers, or other elected officials are running a leg in the torch tour?
Why was our premier, Greg Selinger, selected to run a leg of the torch tour?
Since the Olympics were original designed to transcend all politics, I just wondering what the justification to have a politician run a leg."
Vanoc replied:
"Approximately 70% of torchbearer spots have been
made available to members of the Canadian public. A majority of these public torchbearer spots have been selected through applications to torchbearer programs issued by Coca-Cola and RBC in partnership with VANOC ...
Similar to our ticketing program, the remaining 30% includes
allocations to Vancouver 2010 sponsors and partners ...
Participation by politicians is extremely small and selection was done by our partners. We encouraged our partners to select individuals who represent the Olympic ideals and several felt that certain politicians would be appropriate to invite. We defer to them to explain in more detail how they chose their torchbearers.
At this time, no other Premiers have been selected to run as torchbearers.
...Final approval of torchbearers is a shared responsibility
between VANOC and our presenting partners, Coca Cola and RBC."
Kenny then put Vanoc on the spot:
"Why was the selection of Gary Doer to run with the torch, passed to Greg Selinger?
It would appear that Greg Selinger was award the honour of running with the torch because of his elected office that he held.
This is a complete contradiction to the VANOC rules for torchbearers."
Vanoc immediately passed the buck despite having admitted they held final approval :
" Hello Ken, please be advised that Canwest made this selection regarding Greg Selinger. You can contact them directly:
John D Douglas MBA
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
Canwest Global Communications Corp."
However, presenting partner Coca-Cola gave an answer that suggested Kenny was getting the runaround:On Friday, January 15th, Canwest spokesman John Douglas responded to Kenny's invitation to come on the air:
" ... From listening to you, it is clear that you have already taken a position on this matter that differs from that of Canwest.
For clarification, let me provide you with a bit of clarification and background.
Canwest, through its sponsorship in the Games was provided a number of torch bearer positions that it could fill as it saw fit. We did so ensuring a wide variety of Canadians including community partners, employees, business partners and others participated. Our sponsorship specifically precluded us from holding a public contest as other larger sponsors have done. When we had a position in Gimli, we asked the premier to participate as our guest and we are proud to have done so.
Thank you for the offer to participate on your show but I will decline as I have nothing further to add."
Why the public would be concerned about the Premier of Manitoba living the dream of a lifetime that was denied to an average Canadian, just because he won a political contest, is obvious to anyone not named John Douglas.
Firstly, it should be noted that Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz received a similar offer but upon reviewing the manual, declined the invitation as it would have been improper.
More importantly, when Doer was invited, two Canwest board members had a deep reliance on his NDP government.
Coincidentally, they both resigned this Wednesday, on the eve of the Olympics.
* David Asper is counting on provincial funding to complete a complex deal to buy the community-owned Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football league and build an upscale shopping mall to finance a new stadium. His stadium has already received a secret boost in Selingers' first budget via a little-noticed property tax exemption for being located on the University of Manitoba campus.
* His sister Gail convinced former Premier Gary Doer to commit at least $40 Million to her floundering Canadian Museum of Human Rights. The project is mired in debt, misled Parliament about the true costs of the project by at least $45 Million, and staged a fake sod-turning to beat a federal funding deadline.
Her millionaire panhandling roadshow took her to British Columbia " where CBC reported "I have been having very, very wonderful chats with [British Columbia] Premier Gordon Campbell, who passionately believes in this project," said Gail Asper, chair of the fundraising campaign."
As unbelievable as it is that Vanoc claimed that their keep-the-Olympics-pure rules somehow did not apply to either the one non-Canadian politician or to a Canadian politician selected by a media sponsor (despite it being a serious conflict of interest), it seems a mathematical impossibility that out of 50 US State governors and 10 Canadian premiers, the 2 originally selected as Torch Relay participants were coincidentally very well acquainted.
"In fact, he has quite a rapport with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, having bonded with him over environmental issues.”
In another co-incidence, "an extraordinary position on the environment" was the excuse cited by Vanoc chairman John Furlong to explain allowing Schwarzenegger's participation in the Torch relay.
Why he didn't give Canwest the same reason the blogger was -- that their rule didn't apply to foreign politicians -- is not known, but then again, the rule against politicians did not seem to apply to CanWest either, regardless of Selinger's nationality.
Two elected heads of government were allowed to run with the Olympic Torch by the Canadian Olympic organizing committee, against their own published rules.
If Arnold Schwarzenegger makes an appearance at the Manitoba Olympic Pavilion "CentrePlace", where "The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has partnered with the provincial government and has an interactive feature exhibit", and poses with Gary Doer's stand-in Greg Selinger for a photo-op, the International Olympic Committee may finally be forced to ask serious questions about the manipulation of the Olympic Torch Relay guidelines by Vanoc, to potentially benefit the pet projects of millionaires from the CanWest media empire, while Canada's gold medal heroes were treated with no respect.
Perhaps Vanoc will also send those inquiries to Canwest, so the former journalist John Douglas can explain that one. Or maybe he will again say, "we are proud to have done so."
marty gold
talk@kick.fm
