There was a rather a funny story about Gary Goodyear, his aide and her taste in her movies. Apparently she had ordered tickets for Young People &^&%$, and somehow his name got on the list of those attending the opening.This was right after Charles McVety had pushed the Harper government to impose censorship on any movies with questionable content, so needless to say he was not thrilled. It's fine to invite the doomsdayer John Hagee,who claims that Hitler was just doing God's work, and Hurricane Katrina was punishment for a planned gay parade, to Canada; but young people having sex? That's downright evil.
MP Gary Goodyear fires staffer over movie ticket
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 ....., 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.” (How do you ask somebody something like that. Would you like to see young people doing the nasty?)
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.
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.
Given recent events concerning a bogus adoption agency that he and wife were involved in; I don't think Gary Goodyear has any right to judge anyone.
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