Merv Tweed becomes the latest Conservative MP to fill his bank account using the huge legal loopholes available to retiring MPs:
Tweed was appointed Monday as president of Omnitrax Canada Inc., just hours after announcing his resignation from the Commons. (see here)
Tweed was chair of the House transport committee from April 2006 until September 2012 and joins other Conservatives who have enriched themselves using these same loopholes like ex-minister Stockwell Day (see here and here) ex-House Leader Jay Hill (see here) and ex-minister Chuck Strahl:
a consultant lobbyist with Chuck Strahl Consulting Inc, is arranging meetings on behalf of his client, Cascade Aerospace Inc, with the Minister of Jobs, Tourism, and Innovation (see here)
You seriously have to start wondering if there anyone with an ounce of shame within the Conservative caucus?
BC Blue: One BC Conservative's view on it all... 
August 13, 2013 at 10:05 AM
Disgusting. I expect far more from Conservatives, but they’re lining up at the trough right beside the others.
If my faith in the integrity of politicians hadn’t dwindled enough, this guy just took it down one more notch.
August 13, 2013 at 11:11 AM
It’s one thing to quite for health reasons but to quit midway through a term for an self serving opportunity is hardly kosher. It’s letting down the Party and the people at the riding level as well.It may not be so bad if he were not a member of the ruling party but this is really going to be made a story of by the media and the Opps as well. He gets big bucks and we the people have to pay for a by-election to replace him for half a term.
August 13, 2013 at 2:59 PM
I think any political candidate running for office should have to sign a contract stating their full intention to remain incumbent until the next election.
Meaningful financial penalties should be in place so that should an MP desire to leave early,( short of say an accident ,debilitating illness… found guilty of fraud, etc,) then their accrued pension for the current electoral period should be scaled back to a minimum amount and they foot the bill for a by-election.
Perhaps having to post one’s house as surety against less than honourable actions might be an effective way to cut down on some of this wayward chaff that passes for ” Honourable Member” in the House these days.
The Taxpayer should definitely not be left holding the bag for these opportunistic people who appear to be in “it” only for personal gain.
August 13, 2013 at 3:11 PM
This is the type of thing that makes people believe all politicians are ‘liars and crooks’ and does nothing but damage the Conservative brand by lumping us in with past Liberal governments.
August 14, 2013 at 3:49 PM
Add Sask., stubble – jumper and so “salt of the earth” Senator Pamella Wallin, who doesn’t even recognize Sask.. anymore since she has been in either T.O or Ottawa for 35 years and soooo out of touch with Sask. and the Canadian public. She’s cooked her books, obviously. She, too, is a crooked Conservative (Senator) who wants to stay in the Senate and keep her over-paid job in spite of all this? Are they all psychopaths there? We must find a means to get rid of them!
August 16, 2013 at 5:09 AM
I would like to see all Senators audited and the same criteria applied as what Deloitte did on the Wallin file. You would likely see that they are all guilty of the same thing. Hearing some of the things that Deloitte called “partisan”, it makes you wonder what exactly a Senator can do and claim. Look at what Trudeau has gotten away with expense wise.
August 13, 2013 at 6:00 PM
I’m not sure I understand what the issue is. A person is not allowed to go to a different job? Would you stand for such a restriction on your career/job prospects? It just seems like an unreasonable expectation to me.
August 13, 2013 at 6:08 PM
I can’t help you if you can’t see a problem with this…
August 14, 2013 at 1:12 AM
I’m open to having the problem explained to me. I just don’t get what your beef with Tweed actually is.
August 14, 2013 at 4:44 AM
When a person enters politics it’s purely voluntary, they volunteer their services, make a commitment for a period of time which is well known before they do so. People who enter politics are prepared to leave their regular “jobs”, whatever they may, be for the term they commit to.
It could be construed as using politics for personal gain and in politics that means the people are left with paying the price. No one should be rewarded for reneging on a commitment.
August 14, 2013 at 2:46 PM
Until the other parties are held to some kind of ethics, I see no reason to have Conservatives held to an unreasonable standard. We have JT selling himself to unions, schools and charities while he should be in parliament and using the money for his leadership campaign–NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST? The NDP pays back $400,000 of ineligible campaign donations–NO PENALTY??
August 14, 2013 at 3:39 PM
I’m not interested in a Conservative being the same as a lying, cheating Liberal – I demand better.
August 14, 2013 at 5:29 PM
Exactly! If Conservatives are no bettrer than the Libs or Dippers, there’s less reason for a person on the fence to vote Conservative.
August 14, 2013 at 8:14 PM
Time to scrub the term “honorable” from any political position.
Bastards!
August 15, 2013 at 2:47 AM
No more donations to political parties for me, all my cash and effort goes to the Taxpayers and National Citizens Coalition.
August 16, 2013 at 5:11 AM
These days all my cash goes towards paying my overly inflated tax bill
September 11, 2013 at 12:03 PM
[…] new gig as President of Omnitrax (see here) just got a whole lot […]