As anticipated, more delays at this hobbled inquiry.
Yesterday’s rescheduling of events sees Father John Allan Loftus take the stand commencing 2pm Tuesday 05 September 2006.
Prior to this latest rescheduling Loftus was slated for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday(5th, 6th and 7th) of that week. However, according to the most recent revision of the ever-evolving scheduling there will be hearings conducted only on Tuesday the 5th and Wednesday the 6th of next week. After the 6th there is absolutely nothing until the 19th of September. And after the 19th that’s it again until 03 October 2006.
Is the 19th set aside for more Loftus testimony? I have no idea. Perhaps Glaude has it ear-marked for another as yet unidentified “expert”? Or perhaps it’s simply another day to discuss the way ahead and see how this thoroughly fumbled and costly disclosure/redaction process is going and whether or not all parties feel properly prepared to proceed in October?
Whatever: Three days of hearings scheduled for September! Can you believe it? The grand total of three days!
This is where we’re at nigh to 18 months after the inquiry was called! And in all those months not a boo about the facts of Cornwall sexual abuse scandal, specifically as it relates to what did or did not happen, who was or wasn’t involved in a paedophile ring, who did or did not participate in and/ororchestrate a cover-up and who did what to whom and/or with whom, how, why, when or where.
I suppose we just have to settle for the fact that thanks to the carefully-crafted toothless mandate things won’t get much better in that regard.
But now thanks to the fact that the whole process of disclosure and redaction was apparently botched from the get-go for lack of guidance we will have to twiddle our thumbs and foot the ever-mounting bills for another month – minus three days – while everyone scrambles to finally get it right.
In the lull, next Tuesday, starting at 2pm – not 10am mind you – 2 pm, Father John Allan Loftus, Jesuit priest, Director of the Jesuit Urban Center in Boston, adjunct professor of psychology and the psychology of religion at Boston College and former Director of Ontario’s Southdown, will take the stand.
According to the recent inquiry press release, the Loftus testimony will give “ further context setting Testimony” which has been provided by
a number of renowned experts whose research and experience served to frame a number of issues
at stake in the Inquiry and helped to create a broader understanding of the earlier factual evidence from a historical, legal and social perspective.
I don’t have the faintest idea what is meant by “the earlier factual evidence.” Do you?
What factual evidence have we heard to date? The large majority who have taken the stand to date on anything knew a little about this, and perhaps a little less about that, and generally not an awful about the other thing. How many ‘I don’t knows’ and ‘I don’t recalls’ and ‘I thinks’ did we hear?
As for “renowned experts” I have as you know been posting information on Loftus so that one and all can start to grasp why this Jesuit’s expertise will undoubtedly go a long way to help Glaude “frame the issues at stake” da da da…
And I’m not finished with the Loftus postings! I have more information which needs to get out, but it takes time to pull together. So, I’m working at it, and I must assure you it’s no fun. It’s thoroughly disheartening. But it will get done 🙂
Incidentally, the last press release emanating from the inquiry was signed off by one Julie Mason of G-4 Communications, not Marie Josee Lapointe.
Is Marie Josee Lapointe holidaying? or is she perhaps temporarily and otherwise occupied? Is there perhaps a remote possibility that she and her G-4 have offered their services to aid Alex Munter, Ottawa’s self-proclaimed homosexual city councilor, in his bid for mayor? or is she perchance again busy with the brewing battle regarding same-sex marriage?
Who knows? All I know right now is that the name and presence of Marie Josee Lapointe, Glaude’s hand-picked politically-well-connected Director of Communications and gay rights activist is slowly but surely disappearing from view at the inquiry.
And that’s more than enough for now,
Sylvia
(cornwall@theinquiry.ca)