There have been multiple allegations that our own Mayor, Bernadette Clement (a fellow former Montreal person), has been in a long term relationship with local lawyer Kimberly Walsh who’s the Chancellor at the local Catholic Diocese and formerly bankrupt lawyer, for many moons.
In 2019 gender, religion, sexuality should play zero role in access to equal opportunity across the board. There is no crime in being a lesbian. But if true isn’t it sad that someone’s main squeeze wouldn’t be up posing with her honey for pics for Ms Clement’s greatest political victory when she was elected mayor of Cornwall?
So much fuss was made that Ms Clement is a visible minority and a woman, but if she truly is a lesbian wouldn’t that make it a trifecta? Our Deputy Police Chief just was on the magazine cover for the Police Advocates Journal. One’s sexuality really just shouldn’t be an issue.
There is an issue with being a bad liar though, or bad lawyer, or bad politician. The prevailing thought being that if a public person keeps such trivial a thing secret what else are they keeping secret? And why? We all know politicians lie, but we expect them to have the talent to not get caught.
That’s a valid question. It could be why so many politicians are coming out of the closet. Some more loudly than others, but we’ve seen it across the political spectrum. We are not living in the days when Svend Robinson said “howdy!”.
Locally we had Lyle Warden get elected as a homosexual conservative. Eric Duncan is making a run at being the Conservative nomination for the Federal election in this riding. John Baird could get elected if he ever chose to run again. And so could Scott Brison.
I sent out an email to both Ms Clement and Walsh. No response. Not even a legal threat like our police chief did when I asked him about an incident from years gone by regarding allegations of his own behavior. It’s amazing the stuff that is in our files!
On a personal note, if these allegations are true, I do hope that Ms Clement comes out of the closet and moves our community forward in a more honest and bright light. There’s no sin in being gay. There is a sin being a liar. And if they are not true we’re happy to print a statement from our Mayor here on CFN saying such.
At the end of the day if the allegations are true and Ms Clement wants to remain in the closet that’s her choice too. After all, we don’t live in countries that outlaw homosexuality. And that’s a good thing.
We have many high ranking gay officials right here in Cornwall & SD&G. The list is long and prominent.
If we have a gay mayor let’s turn this into a positive thing for the community and not yet another dark secret in the shadows.
Some people prefer to keep their sexual preference private. It’s their private lives, not ours. I have no problems with politicians or anyone else keeping their sexual orientation private. Some will say if they are LGBTQ. Others want to keep it quiet. It really is none of our business. Now, if they are lying when it comes to performing their duties then I have a problem with it.
Well Hugger that’s the point. It’s not about someone’s sexuality. For example Ms Clement failed the first lying test I ever gave her.
She lied about her height. When someone does that you know deep down they will lie just about anything on the planet.
I have a hunch that when she had that breakfast a few years back with Ms Wynne that this might have been a part of their conversation and why Mitzie Hunter ended up being a Minister in a majority gov’t and Ms. Clement was left behind in Cornwall.
Now the money question is will she ditch City Council and try and run Federally again for the Liberals? If she does I would hope she has the integrity to step down as mayor for such an intensive exercise as running for MP.
A lot of people lie about their height, age and weight. I don’t see it as an issue just because she’s a politician. There are people in other professions who lie about their height. Do we have to assume they lie about other things? Some people would like to be taller, younger and slimmer. IMHO it’s no biggie. Everyone tells white lies. And if they say they don’t then they’re lying.
Hugger people that are prone to tell “small lies” tend to tell big lies. It’s part of their psyche.
We’ll never agree on this. So, all I’ll say is that I don’t agree. I don’t see it as a big issue if a person doesn’t come out as LGBTQ or tells a white lie about their height. ‘Nuff said!!
Jamie I am no libtard and I don’t believe in LGBTQ BUT everybody has their own life to live whether we like it or hate it. Bernie has her own weird life and that is hers. Bernie has to answer to God only on this issue. Leave Bernie alone. You would be mighty shocked at what goes on and Ottawa is full of LBGTQ even going back a mighty long way. I don’t agree but I am not hurting them.
What does her sexuality have to do with how she performs her job ? It’s irrelevant and almost seems like you are picking at her . In this day and age there are much more important things to be discussing , who someone loves at the end of the day is completely none of your business . Calling them a liar for not disclosing something irrelevant seems like a stretch as well.
When a diocese is so twisted that it’s a real threat to someone’s job and livelihood to be in love… Then yes, discretion is the order of the day.
The diocese needs to dispense with its first love… the love of rules, love of superstition, love of itself to the exclusion of its purpose.
Maybe it could practice that love that “bears, believes, and endures all things”… including its flock.
Just when I thought you could not sink any lower, you have. Firstly, that inflammatory, inappropriate, picture. Then, you insist that Ms Clement and her friend, Ms Walsh “come out”. If they are indeed, lesbians (and one would be hard-pressed to find evidence), it is up to them when and if they choose to come out. It is never anyone else’s choice.
http://cornwallfreenews.com/2014/05/05/in-2014-should-gay-politicians-stay-in-the-closet-by-jamie-gilcig-poll-cdnpoli/
Given your obsession with those whom you presume to be in the closet, I am inclined to believe you, sir, are a member in that closet. When will YOU come out?
Ms Knight if you wish to continue to post on CFN please do so politely and accurately. I have zero obsession for anyone or anything on this planet (or any others)
For the record, as I have run for office in the past, not that it matters other than being honest with the public, I am a happy heterosexual male. If I was gay, I would most certainly be out of the closet. This is after all the political norm for 2019 and shouldn’t matter. IE a politician choosing to be in the closet is the rarity and again, it’s not about sexuality, just as it shouldn’t be about race or gender, but about integrity and honesty which we expect to some degree from our politicians and public persons.
Your “Marie Antoinette” post of the mayor is vulgar and offensive.
No, but what is offensive is when you’re on the board of the River Institute and stay silent while beavers were being slaughtered in Cornwall Nature Park.
What was offensive as a Council allowing a bylaw officer to bully some kids selling worms.
What’s really really offensive is gender political people that don’t read stories and jump to conclusions without either asking questions or knowing the history, or even worse, purposely trying to change its history.
Hope that clarifies that for you.
Jamie you know that I am a Catholic and look at what the priests do and what they do to children as well. I remember things from my Catholic school days and going to church every first Friday of the month with my class and a boy yelling out in church because of the sexual abuse that he took as an alter boy. Jamie this is so prevalent and only go by Bernies performance as mayor of Cornwall.