Order of Canada Special Pleading

Email to the Toronto Star, October 28, 2102. Unpublished. Re Court orders Black to play by the rules, Oct. 26: "It can no longer be said that Orders of Canada are awarded as a result  of an impartial consideration of merit," according to Michael Bliss,  professor emeritus, University of Toronto. Dr. Bliss was informed,  "Once a candidate has been  considered and judged not suitable,  the file is only re-opened if there are significant new achievements that justify reconsideration."  He was referring to the reconsideration given to Dr. Henry  Morgentaler after the doctor's first nomination had been rejected. He  made no new achievements, unless one considers more abortions as adding to his oeuvre. Yet, he was awarded the Order on second appeal. In violating its own rules, the advisory committee indulged  in the "politicization of the process". This comes to mind in the advisory committee's rejection of Conrad  Black's request to make oral submission to defend his Order of Canada.The refusal was based on the advisory committee's rules. Dare we deem the committee applies its rules when politically expedient? *  *  * The complete letter of Dr. Bliss in the July 5, 2008 issue of The  Globe and Mail: Your good coverage of the Morgentaler appointment to the Order of  Canada misses a vital procedural issue. It appears that the advisory  committee reopened the Morgentaler file and reversed previous  decisions by earlier advisory committees. In the course of trying to nominate people for the Order of Canada,  I have been told that once a candidate has been considered and  judged not suitable, the file is only reopened if there are significant new achievements that justify reconsideration (such as a novelist adding significantly to a body of work). It is fairly obvious that there are no significant new achievements in the Morgentaler case. Instead, it appears the advisory committee has singled him out for reconsideration, violating past procedures and discriminating against other worthy Canadians whose files are closed, and that it has done this in response to an intense lobbying effort. The result, is, prima facie, a politicization of the process. It can no longer be said that Orders of Canada are awarded as a result of an impartial consideration of merit. Instead, getting honoured depends on who you know and getting lucky in the committee position of the advisory committee. Michael Bliss, professor emeritus, University of Toronto