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adam radwanski

I did not expect to be defending a Conservative, any Conservative, from Tim Powers. But much as I seem to be in the minority here, I have to take issue with the idea that Rahim Jaffer owes anyone outside the legal system an explanation.

Jaffer is not a sitting MP. He's not even a candidate in the next election, since his party opted to nominate someone else in his old riding. His closest connection to the government right now is that he's married to a cabinet minister, and thankfully we tend not to unduly focus on the spouses of our elected officials.

Yes, he seems to have gotten off lightly. But considering that they're not exactly rallying around him, one can only assume the Tories didn't pull any strings for him. Maybe he just got lucky. And considering the (self-inflicted) humiliation he's already been through, it might be a good time for the rest of us - including former political opponents scoring cheap points - to move on.

It may be in Jaffer's interest to explain what happened, if he has any interest in remaining a public figure. But if he's more interested in keeping a low profile and trying to get his life back on track, he really doesn't owe anyone - the public that voted him out of office, or the Tories who rejected him as a candidate - much of anything.

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Update To be clear, I'm not suggesting that the public has no right to be upset or concerned by the perception that the system treats some of us differently from others. I get that perspective - which has been rather extensively expressed in both comments and e-mails - even if I'd prefer not to see disproportionate attention cast on one guy.

My point is only that it's not Jaffer's responsibility to address those concerns, or to clear up questions about his behaviour, because he no longer owes the public anything more than any other citizen who successfully navigates his way through the justice system.

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