Kovach and turkeys

Posted by Phil Andrews

First off, sorry - well, not real sorry -- for having some fun with the Tory turkey hunt. It seems like a great cause.

On Gloria Kovach, I've been baffled for two days by two comments she offered for a story we published Friday on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' media release this month about he ouster in March.

Kovach asserts both she has no notion why she was let go and that she can't comment on what might be behind the timing of the FCM release because she had signed a confidentiality agreement with the FCM.

I can't buy that the air is cleared over this thing when neither side will talk about the elephant in the room. Why did the FCM drop Kovach?

I'm surprised someone who wanted the air cleared would have entered in to a confidentiality agreement ostensibly guaranteeing that she can't do so -- nor can the only other credible stakeholder.

Comments

[Good Hunting]

The good thing about these blogs is that the truth can come out, even if there are legal agreements in place that block the truth. The trouble is, that you can't tell if it's for real if someone (as I am) signs anonymously. All that I can hope to do is to point you in the right direction and let you newspaper folks gewt the facts for yourselves.

As someone on the inside of the FCM, I can spell it out for you.

Kovach was dumped because she sought the Conservative nomination in Guelph. At first she was asked to take a leave of absence during the nomination period (which she agreed to), but then, after direct pressure was applied by the leader of the Liberal party, she was forced out.

She initiated a legal action to clear her name, and this announcement is the culmination of that action. Because the FCM cannot be seen as being partisan, they needed to ensure Kovach's silence as a condition of the deal. Hence, the confidentiality agreement.

I hope this helps

[On the edge]

Is Gloria’s settlement any different than many other settlements that require a confidentiality agreement? The requirement of confidentiality may be a requirement before FCM would settle.

Wasn’t there a confidentiality agreement between Brent and the Conservative Party? I believe this is a requirement before you can run as a party candidate.

We on the edge only get whiffs of what is going on. Our curiosity is peaked and that is why the tabloids are so popular.

Why did her dismissal occur after she made her intentions known that she would be seeking the Conservative nomination for Guelph? One area you might delve into is the political leanings of FCM board members in contrast to Gloria’s.

[Paul Atarsus]

Some good questions here... I see the blogs are starting to catch wind of it... http://www.bloggingtories.ca

It would be great if the Merc is able to expose some of what really went on behind the scenes, and if Mr. Dion did in fact have something to do with it.