Christiane Ouimet

It's been two years since I wrote an entry in this blog, which I launched in the wake of several Wall Street scandals which plunged the world (not just the U.S.) into The Deep Recession. The lack of shame, in the form of greed and arrogance, led to a mountain of toxic mortgages and inflated housing prices which ruined economies in America, Ireland, Spain and too many other places.

The two-year absence wasn't a result of laziness on my part, but to a general backlash against these offenders. Wall Street crooks were hauled before Congress, newspaper editorials raged, angry documentaries hit the screens. The world was becoming sane again.

Suddenly, we're hit with a rash of SHAMELESS actions by various people around the world. Maybe the old axiom is right: when it rain it pours. This rainstorm is enough to piss me off and nominate some new faces to The Hall of SHAMEless. Believe me, I wish I didn't have to do this, but I got the vent somehow. Let's start with someone close to home:

CHRISTIANE OUIMET

Christiane Ouimet was Canada's former public sector integrity commissioner in Ottawa. That means she was in charge of the agency that hears complaints from public-sector whistleblowers tattling on their bosses for doing corrupt things. Guess what? During her tenure:

* she received 228 disclosures of wrongdoing
* seven were investigated
* five were closed with no finding of wrongdoing
* two remained under investigation when Ouimet herself was being audited
* Ouimet harassed and berated her employees
* she sought reprisals against those she suspected of trying to undermine her

Add to this some serious allegations (actually the Canadian Press is reporting them as fact) that she tried to meet with the very folks she was supposed to investigate, even though her agency was supposed to be arm's length.

Well, Ouimet eventually lost her job, but walked with a golden gag order worth $407,000. That includes 18 months of regular salary plus foregone benefits worth $53,100. God knows where she's spending the taxpayers' hard-earned money? Ironic that the integrity commissioner is now hiding. No wonder kids today are cynical towards government.

Ms. Ouimet, you're not only Shameless, but Gutless.

More sordid details found here...and here.