For the past few days political circles and talk radio have been unpacking a rude tirade by Ontario cabinet minister Lisa MacLeod aimed at Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk.
MacLeod apparently approached Melnyk unprovoked at a Rolling Stones concert the other weekend, calling out: “Do you know who I am? I am your minister and you’re a f—— piece of s— and you’re a f—— loser.”
Both MacLeod and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have reached out to Melnyk to apologize but the wealthy NHL owner remained unimpressed.
While a lot of people are scrutinizing the finer points of the exchange, I’ve got a question about the bigger picture: Why on earth was a cabinet minister attending a Stones concert in an official capacity in the first place?
MacLeod wasn’t there on her own as a private citizen. And the concert venue – Burl’s Creek near Barrie – is nowhere near her home riding in Ottawa and over 90 minutes away from Queen’s Park. No, she was there as the minister for sport, culture and tourism and had her staff in tow.
There’s a certain excitement and energy that drums up a crowd at such an event that is the exact opposite of the sort of energy that a senior politician should get caught up in. It’s already a recipe for disaster as it is.
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