By Denis G. Rancourt
BACKGROUND ABOUT ALLAN ROCK'S NAKBA AT uOTTAWA
The University of Ottawa was a reputable institution of higher learning in Canada's capital city, before it was taken-over in 2008 by former federal politician and former Canadian Ambassador to the UN Allan Rock.
Following his appointment, Rock immediately proceeded to bring in all his own people to run the place in support of his announced pet projects to support US-colonial "globalization" and to legitimize the state of Israel, in the face of growing international condemnation of Israel's on-going war crimes in Palestine.
There was a complete overhaul of the executive team, and of the Board of Governors (BOG). The new VP-Academic, Francois Houle, disappeared shortly after the start of his mandate. The whole executive team left for one reason or another. The Chair of the BOG left, to be replaced by a retired federal senior civil servant who had been an underling of the then federal minister Allan Rock, and so on.
Rock has gone so far as to receive public condemnations from both the
Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Association of University Teachers for administrative interferences with the student-based Israel Apartheid Week (see Appendix). He created a questionable joint law graduate degree with an Israeli university, for which there was no apparent or expressed need. He has been pressing for a "School of Government" without consulting the academic community. He accepts large anonymous donations for his pet programs. And so on.
Since Rock's appointment, damaging public relations fiascoes have followed, one after the other, somewhat like in Rock's former political career in which a colleague from his own party said that he has "shit magnets in his pockets".
The most recent matter illustrating Rock's ability to continually harm the institution's reputation has been the subject of several harsh editorial critiques in the national print media: Rock prejudicially and publicly dismissed and tarred the entire university hockey team, thereby wrecking student athlete careers, prior to any criminal charges being laid against two of the team's members.
A partial list of Rock's notorious achievements, up to 2010, in both his past political dealings and on campus, is given in the Appendix below.
A PATTERN OF UNILATERAL AND UNCOLLEGIAL EXECUTIVE DECISIONS BY ALLAN ROCK
An illustrative example of how Rock operates, is shown by student reactions to his "School of Government" brainchild, as follows (
LINK).
On January 29, 2013, Sarah Tayyem, President, Public & International Affairs Association, Representative of Students from the Public & International Affairs Program, writes (in part):
"Lack of student input into the consultation process ... The consulting group did not include students in their process, and so this report does not address or cover student concerns. ... There was no student input solicited for the original consultative document, and there has been a lack of effort on the part of the University to solicit feedback from students even though we are at the heart of this proposal. GSPIA students would appreciate a consultation session, especially as we stand to be strongly affected by the proposed SoG."
Similarly, on March 4, 2013, the president of the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO), Professor Christian Rouillard, wrote
THIS damning letter to Allan Rock (in part):
I am writing to you in regards to the projected School of Government. Listed as one of the initiatives on the horizon in the plan Destination 20/20, where it is introduced as «a premier centre for governance and public-policy research» (...), this project remains a mystery to most members of our university community.
About a year ago, at the Ottawa Mayor's Breakfast: Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, you explained to the members of the business community present that ... Yet, one year later, as attested by the feedback we received from many members who are themselves part of «the exceptional cluster of expertise that is already at the University», i.e. faculty conducting research in the areas of governance, public administration, international affairs, security and human rights, everyone on campus it seems, has been kept in the dark. No relevant information on the projected school has been formally shared by the administration. Not a word on it is to be found in the minutes of the Senate meetings held in the 2012-2013 academic year (...). Similarly, not a word on it is to be found in the minutes of the Board of governors meetings held in the 2012-2013 academic year ...
Such public letters are unprecedented at the University of Ottawa.
THE LATEST ALLAN ROCK SURPRISE: A FOREIGN-FUNDED SECURITY AND POLICY INSTITUTE FOR CANADA
On September 8, 2014, the Allan Rock university put out
THIS previously unannounced press release:
MEDIA ADVISORY: Launch of the Security and Policy Institute of Professional Development at the University of Ottawa
OTTAWA, September 8, 2014 — The University of Ottawa invites members of the media to attend the launch of the Security and Policy Institute of Professional Development. The new institute will offer a unique professional development program for decision-makers working in the public, para-public and private sectors whose responsibilities require them to pay particular attention to national and international security issues.
The courses offered by the Institute will focus on sharing knowledge and best practices to help students take more informed decisions.
In honour of the Institute’s launch, internationally renowned intelligence expert George Friedman will present the first in a series of in-depth lectures on emerging security issues given by world-leading specialists.
Serge Blais, Director of the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Ottawa, will be on hand to answer questions about this new professional development program.
WHAT: Lecture and inauguration of the new Security and Policy Institute of Professional Development
WHEN: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Ballroom of the Chateau Laurier, 1 Rideau Street, Ottawa
It is interesting to note that the press release announces an event to be held off-campus, that a university communications person will answer questions rather than Rock himself, that there is no mention of the funding source of
the inaugural event for this new institute, and that the guest speaker is a US military intelligence expert (more below).
THIS university webpage informs us that "Symantec is the main sponsor for the launch of the Security and Policy Institute of professional development."
Symantec is a US
Fortune 500 corporation, which deals in software/internet "security" (including "cyber war"), and which has strong US military and IDF ties.
Symantec's nine-member Board of Directors (
LINK) includes one "Major General and Commander, United States Air Force (retired)".
Symantec has strong corporate ties with Israel and the Israel Defense Force (IDF). Symantec's country manager for Israel is Shmulik Angel. His web bio at Symentec states (LINK):
Previously, he served in the Israeli air force for 25 years. He retired from service as a Colonel and continues to perform active reserve duty in the air force and in the Ministry of Defense. Mr. Angel holds BSc. degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Ben Gurion University, Israel.
The
Mossad's cyber weapon "Stuxnet" is said to be "the world's first cyber-weapon of geopolitical significance". It is believed to have been developed in collaboration with the US military, and it is linked to Symantec, as per
THIS media report.
IMPLICATIONS OF ROCK'S SECURITY AND POLICY INSTITUTE
Nothing could be a better illustration of Allan Rock's zeal to make the University of Ottawa an instrument to dissolve Canada's sovereignty and to serve the US-Israeli military complex.
Now let us examine Rock's proposed inaugural lecture to launch his institute, given by "internationally renowned intelligence expert George Friedman". Who is George Friedman?
George Friedman is the Chairman of the US global intelligence firm Stratfor (
LINK).
Stratfor is dubbed a "shadow CIA" firm, and Wikileaks has shown that 13 Canadian government agencies have high-cost subscriptions to Stratfor (
LINK). "National Defence paid Stratfor $78,225 in 2011, $80,175 in 2012 and $82,200" for 2013.
In addition to obtaining actual contracts for secret services, George Friedman also spews out public "intelligence" reports, which are unabashed propaganda, about every conflict of concern to the US-Israel military. These "reports", masked as objective "intelligence" serve to legitimize the global empire's every intervention, including Israel's so-called "self-defence" against the surrounding Arab aggressors who do not accept Israel's existence and who pose a "long-term threat to its survival".
Allan Rock's star speaker is an Israeli apologist, invited just days after Israel's recent bloody massacre in Gaza. And this invited guest will deliver a "series of in-depth lectures on emerging security issue" to Canada's captive minds.
The Emperor will be pleased to learn that President Rock did not show leadership by condemning Israeli war crimes, or the massacre in Gaza. Quite the opposite, their man has stifled such discussion and replaces it with US-Israel propaganda.
Welcome to "Allan Rock's university", in Canada's capital city.
***
Dr. Denis G. Rancourt is a former tenured and Full Professor of physics at the University of
Ottawa, Canada. He is known for his applications of physics education research (TVO Interview).
He has published over 100 articles in leading scientific journals, and has written several social commentary essays. He is the author of the book Hierarchy and Free Expression in the Fight Against Racism.
While he was at the University of Ottawa, he supported student activism
and opposed the influence of the Israel lobby on that institution,
which fired him for a false pretext in 2009: LINK.
Appendix: Rock's dealings up to 2010
PART-I : At the University of Ottawa
- Made a commitment at university
Senate (April 12, 2010) to repair the Ann Coulter freedom of expression
fiasco and then "clarified" at Senate (February 7, 2011) that this "was
not a commitment"
The "clarification" only occurred after physics student Senator Joseph
Hickey insisted that the commitment should be honoured as agreed by
Senate (
LINK,
LINK).
- Deceived the student body and university community regarding donation ethics, again (February 2011)
In the fall of 2009 Allan Rock put on a series of show panels as a mock
consultation to prepare an upcoming administrative policy for “donor
recognition”. The policy was to be presented “within weeks” (
LINK). It never materialized.
There was a tacit understanding that large donations would not be accepted until the new policy was developed and instituted.
On June 22, 2010, the University announced a 3.5 million dollar
anonymous donation for a research chair in business management (
LINK, and below).
On February 7, 2011, the University announced a new exchange program
with Israel "generously supported by the Gerald Schwartz and Heather
Reisman Foundation" (
LINK,
LINK)
- Lied about the origin of the infamous March 2010 Francois Houle letter to Ann Coulter
“Worse yet is that Mr. Rock fudged
when initially questioned about the letter. He stated that “it was sent
with my knowledge” – when the truth is it was sent at his instigation.
When it blew up into a controversy, he let Mr. Houle take the brunt of
the heat. Talk about the boss hiding behind his staff.”
– National Post, June 30, 2010.
BC Blue blog report:
HERE.
- Hypocrisy regarding respect, restraint, civility, consideration, and a reasoned and intelligent approach…
“I therefore ask you, while you are a
guest on our campus, to weigh your words with respect and civility in
mind. There is a strong tradition in Canada, including at this
University, of restraint, respect and consideration in expressing even
provocative and controversial opinions and urge you to respect that
Canadian tradition while on our campus. ... [This will] lead not only to
a more civilized discussion, but to a more meaningful, reasoned and
intelligent one as well.”
– Rock-Houle letter to Ann Coulter, March 19, 2010.
Versus Allan Rock to Houle and staff:
"Ann Coulter is a mean-spirited, small-minded, foul-mouthed poltroon... She is 'the loud mouth that bespeaks the vacant mind'."
"She is an ill-informed and deeply
offensive shill for a profoundly shallow and ignorant view of the world.
She is a malignancy on the body politic. She is a disgrace to the
broadcasting industry and a leading example of the dramatic decline in
the quality of public discourse in recent times."
"You, Francois, as Provost, should
write immediately to Coulter informing her of our domestic laws. ... You
should urge her to respect that Canadian tradition as she enjoys the
privilege of her visit."
"Quel excellent message! Merci et felicitations. I am sure she has never been dressed down so elegantly in her life!"
- Deceived the student body and university community regarding donation ethics
In the fall of 2009 Allan Rock put on a series of show panels as a mock
consultation to prepare an upcoming administrative policy for “donor
recognition”. The policy was to be presented “within weeks” (
LINK). It never materialized.
There was a tacit understanding that large donations would not be accepted until the new policy was developed and instituted.
On June 22, 2010, the University announced a 3.5 million dollar
anonymous donation for a research chair in business management,
anonymous no less (
LINK).
It seems to us that anonymity would be an important discussion point in any “donor recognition” or donation ethics policy.
- Was publicly accused of lying by a student representative about budget consultations
On June 2, 2010, Martin Schoolts-Mcalpine, Senator-elect for
undergraduate students of the Faculty of Arts publicly called for Rock
to be impeached and publicly accused Rock of have lied to him about the
Faculty of Arts having been consulted in an imposed budget exercise.
Rock responded by belittling the student representative who had made
every effort to be consulted by his faculty. (
VIDEO LINK HERE)
- Mislead the Board of Governors with incorrect budget information
At the April 27, 2010, Board of Governors meeting Rock told the Board
members in his briefing that the projected budget deficit was 25 M$
whereas he had previously told the media that the projected deficit was
19 M$ (without ever explaining how the figure jumped from 25 million to
19 million).
Rock only corrected himself to the Board near the end of the budget
discussions and only after being confronted on the question during a
break by graduate student union representative Sean Kelly (
LINK).
- Lied to the media to cover up his attacks against freedom of expression
““Freedom of expression is a core
value that the University of Ottawa has always promoted,” said Allan
Rock, President of the University.”
–
University press release, March 24, 2010.
Rock had been sent a
letter
in 2009 from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) explaining
that the University had violated the principle of freedom of expression
by banning a student poster. And in 2010, the national media had the
CCLA and the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)
explaining to the Rock administration that its March 2010 letter to
potential speaker Ann Coulter was a violation of freedom of expression.
Therefore Rock knew that the University of Ottawa had not always promoted freedom of expression (
LINK).
- Hired a student newspaper editor in
the president’s office, effectively as a reward for favourable editorial
support, in violation of the paper’s rules of ethics
Quite remarkable:
LINK. The student retained a senior position at the paper while he was fully salaried by Rock.
Related background articles:
LINK.
- Practiced flagrant disregard for student democratic and procedural rights
THIS
letter from the student union was sent to Rock requesting urgent
attention to student rights being violated by his administration.
The student concerns were disregarded and the student representatives were simply brushed off.
PART-II : Before becoming University of Ottawa president
- Accepted what was effectively a bribe – This put an end to Rock’s political career and showed him to be “ethically challenged”
"[Rock's] behaviour since the Irving
affair became public has revealed him to be ethically challenged. […] it
took Rock days to apologize. And he only grudgingly did so after Labour
Minister Claudette Bradshaw rose in the Commons and offered an
unqualified apology for accepting a ride on the Irving corporate jet
three years ago. She also announced she was reimbursing the family for
the flight."
– Ottawa Citizen, November 8, 2003, page 1.
In 2002 when the then Ethics Counsellor Howard Wilson discovered that
Minister Rock had in summer 2001 accepted a private jet stay at the
Irving family salmon fishing lodge, he issued a ruling that Rock was to
avoid all ministerial dealings benefiting Irving enterprises for one
year. During that blackout year Rock made three significant ministerial
decisions benefiting Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
On investigating the latter multimillion-dollar violations, "Wilson said
it 'would have be better' if a minister other than Rock had signed the
$55-million grant, but noted the signature was made by a machine on
instructions from Industry officials." (Ottawa Citizen)
Rock accepted the latter whitewashing that the opposition leaders called
a "complete joke" but it put an end to his political and federal
judgeship ambitions.
Other well known affairs:
- Deceived Parliament and the Canadian
public regarding the cost of the gun registry: The costing reported to
Parliament was overshot by one billion dollars.
- As Minister of Justice, Rock paid 2 million dollars to Brian Mulroney for no known reason. This was never justified. (RECENT COMMENTARY)
- As Minister of Health, Rock allowed
and found justification for a dubiously discriminating attribution of
reparations to tainted blood victims: Victims had to have been infected
between 1986 and 1990, not before, not after.
“The offer came despite a
recommendation by the report of the Krever Inquiry a year earlier, which
called for compensation for anyone harmed by bad blood, regardless of
when they were infected.
In just over two months, Ontario would
break ranks, saying people who were infected before 1986 had waited
long enough for help. The province came up with another $200 million for
victims of tainted blood.
"Regardless of legal liability, all
governments have a moral responsibility to Canadians who placed their
faith in the blood system, and, through no fault of their own, became
infected," [said Ontario Premier Mike Harris.]”
–
CBC media report, July 2006.
"We've done the best we can under very difficult circumstances."
– Federal Health Minister Allan Rock, February 27, 1998.
The cost of the inadequate federal compensation package was less than the gun registry budget overshoot.
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