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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Water-bottle rejection leaves sour taste for MP

By: Bruce Owen

14/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 62

They were only meant as a reward for speaking French.

That's the reason St. Boniface Conservative MP Shelly Glover offered -- in a letter to Louis Riel School Division -- free environmentally friendly water bottles for students, the rookie politician said Friday.

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But the division turned down Glover's offer when trustees learned the bottles would bear the Conservatives' logo and Glover's name.

Glover accused the Free Press of blowing the matter out of proportion in a story published in Friday's newspaper, a story she described as a "media tragedy."

"It's really disappointing to see a media outlet exploit that and turn it into a story where it wasn't a positive story, but it should have been a positive story," she said. "I'm still going to work with the school division to try to make sure that we give those kids incentives and rewards when they speak French."

Glover said she made the offer several weeks ago to recognize the efforts made by students in the division's immersion schools to speak French in their community.

"I want them to get the jobs that are available through the federal government," she said. "We have 5,000 of them that we cannot fill because our bilingual students are not able to meet the standard."

But the division rejected the offer because it would go against a policy that bans any political materials in classrooms that promote a single individual or party, Louis Riel school board chairwoman Marilyn Seguire said Thursday.

"I was not aware of any policy," Glover said. "Whether or not the Conservative logo is on paraphernalia or not, I believe the issue should be that we are encouraging our children to do better."

She also said she is trying to speak with someone in the division about what else she can do as the area's MP. She found out about the division's decision on the water bottles from the Free Press.

"I actually tried to phone the school board today and they refused to take my call," she said.

She also took a shot against the riding's former MP, Liberal Ray Simard, whom she beat in last year's election.

"I do not think he did anything to come up with any proactive activities to help these kids who are struggling with their French," she said. "If he had perhaps they wouldn't be in the situation that they are in where they are embarrassed to speak the language."

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 14, 2009 A5

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62 Commentscomment icon

How come all the positive comments that are left in regards to this article keep disappearing leaving only the negative to influence readers.....sketchy sketchy.....

[Editor's note: I have reviewed all of the comments approved and rejected in our system on this story and can find no evidence that any positive comments on the story were rejected after they were posted. A half-dozen comments on this story were rejected as they included name-calling, slander or unproven allegations; none of the rejected comments supported Ms Glover.]

Editor's note: See our terms and conditions. We do not allow all caps.

I think it's great when Conservative MPs speak without the Harper filter, this way we get to see who they really are.

What a disappointing situation. Shelly Glover reacted poorly. When she blamed the media and Ray Simard, she showed a lack of decency.

I agree with the others: admit the mistake and move on.

All of this over some water bottles? Why not offer the water bottles without the logo? Or better yet, ask the division what they need. Perhaps a donation of french library books would be helpful.

I was very happy when Glover was elected. I hope this isn't her true personality showing. To tell you the truth, I won't forget this story for a long time.

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What about all the other kids in Louis Riel SD? Are they not worthy of reward for their hard work too? Why just the immersion kids?

Just becasue the rest of hte children are taking a 'regular' ciriculum they aren't worthy of a reward? isnt this a form of exclusion?

Seems to me Glover should spend more effort working for the people who voted her into office and less time trying to get a pat on the back from the media - because that's all this really was... a publicity stunt gone wrong.

Shelly, we do need more women in parliament so please please do the right thing and own up...and please please don't let yourself be jerked around by some young and stupid Harper backroom boys [who, I will assume, are up to now telling you what to do and say]. This is YOUR career (I will assume you want to do it well and are not in it just to warm the seat which is why Harper wants you there, that's all) and you are in the driver's seat.

Who cares about bottle water? At least make it a Dr Pepper. :0

http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/index-eng.htm

a search with "bilingual' as keyword in all regions of canada

5, FIVE, Cinq results... i guess the other 4995 have yet to be posted

One has to credit the Liberal Party's email savvy and its army of posters. What's wrong with the Cons., don't they use computers?

...just additional confirmation of the old adage: politicains and political parties don't win elections, they lose them.

While Ms. Glover's folly is obvious, I also understand that if one is going to play the game, one kinda has to acknowledge the rules... or work toward changing them. The [political] game is one where party politics trumps common-sense and the common good. Do "we" care enough to make changes? [And, I don't just mean switching personnel.]

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