Harper Fires Pilot

Interesting tidbit from a Globe article...

"By way of illustration, on a recent trip, the Prime Minister was asked by a flight attendant to turn off his cellphone and BlackBerry. Mr. Harper declined. The pilot then made a request, saying it was for safety purposes. The PM relented. But, at the end of the journey, one of his staffers gave the pilot some news: His services would no longer be required on prime ministerial trips.

The aviator should have known that this is the new Ottawa. In Harpertown, you fall in line or fall from favour."

Now I seem to recall from my time on airplanes that everyone has to turn their phones off when they're in the air. I think a trained pilot understands better why this is done than the Prime Minister. Regardless, if it is so essential he have his blackberry on while in the air, perhaps he could work this out with the pilot? This all seems overly harsh.

I know Harper is often a noted control freak, but I also hear he's a good guy. He cares for foster cats (cats... grr), he um shakes his kid's hand, a class act. Doesn't seem like he was behaving like one in this case.