Kovach FCM bounce fodder for a national inquiry?

Posted by Phil Andrews

Some national Conservative blogging traffic is sniffing around the odd, recent Federation of Canadian Municipalities release issued surrounding the organization's termination of former president Gloria Kovach this spring.

A rumour thread has emerged – we're trying to test its credibility – that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion successfully pressured the FCM to dump Kovach because she was seeking to become a federal Conservative candidate.

Talk surrounding that speculation has some anonynous bloggers expressing or feigning outrage. One suggests the matter is fodder for a national inquiry. Me think that's fly-and-sledgehammerish in terms of what may be needed to get at the truth. But I'd love to get to the bottom of this one.

It seems Kovach and the FCM aren't revealing more.

Comments

[Municipal Man]

Phil: I'll have to call you out on your bias on this one. "Fly-and-sledgehammerish"? Me thinks you want the exclusive scoop for yourself. Just a thought.

[Good Hunting]

Phil - here are a few more points, and some speculation as grist for the mill.

- The ouster was performed in a closed teleconference by the executive in March. No minutes have ever been provided, which calls into question the legality of the whole affair

- You might want to speak with another Guelph concillor who sits on the FCM board. Did she participate in the process? Did she speak up for her colleague? Or, as a liberal, did she toe the party line?

- Regina Mayor Fiaco requested Kovach not attend a breakfast meeting of the big city mayors (of which she is a part as president) and Mr. Dion as he and FCM staff had received emails from Dion's office upset that the President was Conservative and saying he would not attend if Kovach was there. I would imagine that those emails still exist....

- The knapsack that Dion is seen with all the time is an FCM embroidered knapsack. Paul Martin had no problem working with Kovach, but then but he didn't carry the knapsack.

What I don't know is if it all came from Dion or were there Guelph Liberals involved? All of Guelph has done well by Kovach and her local and national leadership, so just imagine what she could do if she were sent to Ottawa. Of course, as a Conservative, that would be bad news for the Liberals in Guelph..