Jason Kenney in Hiding But Not Necessarily Because of Census

The Hill Times has published an article on Jason Kenney suggesting that he is hiding out because he's not happy with the decision about the census, that will hinder "his job".

A prominent political scientist with ties to Alberta has backed a leading pollster's observation that Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has dropped from sight since Prime Minister Stephen Harper ruled the government would scrap the long form of the national census—which for the past 40 years has gathered crucial information for minority populations in Canada. University of Ottawa professor Michael Behiels told The Hill Times there is little doubt Mr. Kenney (Calgary Southeast, Alta.) is "fuming" over the decision, which, combined with the Conservative government's inflammatory statements about Tamil migrants on the MV Sun Sea, could undermine the four years of work Mr. Kenney has devoted to cultivating party contacts and support within the immigrant and visible minority community.

"He must be just fuming. He has spent every waking hour of the last four years working on that," Prof. Behiels said, arguing that, based on information from contacts in his former home province of Alberta, Mr. Kenney may have lost to Mr. Harper in a standoff over whether the party should abandon its outreach to visible minorities or risk losing support from core supporters in Alberta and other western provinces.

I'm not convinced that his "work" was anything more than for political gain. When he was running the Canadian Taxpayer Federation, he lobbied hard against any money going to multiculturalism, and he jokingly refers to himself as 'minister of curry in a hurry'. Not exactly enlightened.

He has also run his department like the Gestapo, giving preference to providing cheap labour to his buddies.

Jason Kenney is a horrible little man who has been given far too much credit. If he's hiding, it may be because he's ashamed of himself, though I doubt it. He loves the power.