So what is the true story behind why my Conservative MP in Winnipeg South, "Rocket Rod" (aka "Odd-Rod") Bruinooge was unable to cast any vote whatsoever on bill C-393 ("An Act to amend the Patent Act drugs for international humanitarian purposes...")?
On both the 2nd reading of Bill C-393 and again on the final and 3rd reading just two weeks ago on March 9th, he was curiously mute. Hmm. Very curious. Even more so because it's not like he was a "paired vote". Further, if I am correct, he was not in any committee meetings anywhere on the Hill. The simple fact is he simply (very, very simply), didn't bother to vote at all. Hmm.
Curiouser still because I know that on March 9th he was present both on the Hill and in the House. Even odder because when I phoned his parliamentary office earlier this month, a member of his staff went out of their way to remind me that Odd-Rod is not the kind of MP who ever "misses a vote" - ergo, given my call occurred on March 9th ... his not voting on C-393 that very same day is indeed very strange stuff.
So what's up?
Could it be that Bruinooge knew all along he would not have to go on the record on bill C-393? Could it be he knew it would be killed in the Harper-Government controlled Senate on orders from the most mindless minuscule and weaselly wonders of Harpoism - Minister Tony Clement? Did Bruinooge know in advance (on March 9th?) that the hapless grinning aping chimp that is Industry Minister Tony Clement would be tasking Harpo's hand-picked partisan Senators with goosestepping marching orders to NOT let bill C-393 pass the Upper Chamber before the anticipated, ugly, and rightful demise of Canada's 40th Parliament?
Did Bruinooge know, in effect, the Tories had planned all along to leave the bill in an aborted stage on the Senate floor?
Or, alternatively (and/or concurrently) could it be that Bruinooge (much like Montreal's Tory Senator Larry Smith) had already been approached by Big Pharma here and told to either vote no and let them keep maximizing their obscene profits because of our flawed drug patent laws - or to simply (again very simply) stay away altogether? Hmm? Why wouldn't Conservative MP Rod Bruinooge cast any vote at all on a bill designed to improve access to life saving drugs for HIV/AIDS patients in Africa?
What are his true reasons for missing both C-393 votes?
Did he know something we didn't?
Stay tuned.
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