Tearful MP's career on hold after pocketing jewelry

CBC News ^ | Thursday April 15 2004 | CBC News-No author cited

[Threepwood]

Tearful MP's career on hold after pocketing jewelry Last Updated Thu, 15 Apr 2004 14:53:25 BURNABY, B.C. - New Democratic Party MP Svend Robinson stunned supporters Thursday by saying he needs to take medical leave after admitting he took a ring without paying for it.

Svend Robinson is comforted by NDP MP Libby Davies.

"Something just snapped in this moment of total, utter irrationality," he said while crying and struggling to read a statement during a nationally televised news conference in his Vancouver-area riding of Burnaby-Douglas.

"While attending a public jewelry sale, I pocketed a piece of expensive jewelry," Robinson said, as he described what happened on Good Friday.

"I did this despite knowing full well … that the entire area was under electronic surveillance," he added, and that the employees recognized him.

He said he's been battling severe stress for the past few months and is now undergoing therapy.

Robinson, who has since returned the property, is now under criminal investigation.

'I am human and I have failed'

It's not clear if he will run in the next federal election. Robinson has temporarily stepped down as the riding's nominee, and is waiting to find out if charges are going to be laid.

"As you can imagine, this has been a nightmare. I cannot believe that it has happened, but I am human and I have failed."

The 52-year-old Robinson, Canada's first openly gay MP, has been a member of Parliament since 1979. He's won seven consecutive elections, and had been preparing to run again.

"I await the decision of Crown counsel and will not seek to in any way avoid full responsibility for my actions should charges be laid in these circumstances," he said.

Written by CBC News Online staff

[Threepwood]

Svend is well known to Canadian conservatives. He's about as far left as you can go without falling off the page altogether. He is *also* the author of a bill that could potentially make aspects of the Christian gospel hate literature. Thought I'd share.

[Guillermo]

I guess if one is rich, white and liberal, they can steal and get away with it by taking a "medical leave."

[LibWhacker]

The meaningless old "I snapped" defense.

[thoughtomator]

Another data point on the chart showing that Leftist policies are based in the belief that others are equally disabled in the self-restraint category.

[EggsAckley]

'I am human and I have failed'

Well, I am human too, and I've never stolen anything.

[prion]

'I am human and I have failed'

It just kills me when politicians say stuff like this. They're forever using ordinary language to excuse extraordinary conduct. I'm human and I've failed, too, but there's a giant difference between failure and nutty as a fruitcake.

[mitchbert]

Calling him Liberal is too generous. Robinson is a core member of the New Democrats, our hard left third party. Imagine a political party where Martha Burke and Jesse Jackson are considered cautious moderates and you get the idea.

[TXBSAFH]

Not just content with stealing from the pay checks of the hard working cannucks, he has sunk to the level of petty theft.

[shhrubbery!]

The 52-year-old Robinson, Canada's first openly gay MP, has been a member of Parliament since 1979

Hmmmm. A guy swiping jewelry. Usually it's just female Leftists (Bess Meyerson, and that phony hate crime female prof in California) who do that.

I thought that sounded odd, but now it makes sense.

[Guillermo]

Canada is hopeless. I put the Canadian lefty up there with the French.

Maybe the conservative parts should consider seceding.

[jerod]

This bonehead is so far left that left wing looks far right to him. An admitted homosexual, the guy is always crying for attention. In fact, I think that he admitted his own homosexuality solely for the attention that it brought him.

Considering this latest incident, I'd say he has some major mental problems, and they probably won't be fixed with a leave of absence.

[eggman]

He is *also* the author of a bill that could potentially make aspects of the Christian gospel hate literature.

I guess he considers "Thou shall not steal" to be hate speech. Of course, he didn't mean to steal it. He was just under stress. Perhaps his conscience is trying to tell him something but the master he serves is demanding more.

[Leroy S. Mort]

'I am human and I have failed'

ahh the ole quasi-Swaggart defense. Boo freakin' hoo.

[Itaintwhy]

Well, diamonds are after all a girl's best friend.

[Lorenb420]

Burnaby NDP MP Svend Robinson (right) takes a moment to compose himself Thursday as partner Max Riveron looks on.

[BlueLancer]

"...52-year-old Robinson, Canada's first openly gay MP ...While attending a public jewelry sale, I pocketed a piece of expensive jewelry."

It was a very nice tiara ...
Robinson later admitted that it (s)he only did so because it matched his robin's egg blue princess dress so nicely.

/sarcasm

[You Dirty Rats]

So is he to the left or right of Jihad Cindy?

This guy wasn't an "exchange politician" in the 1990's, was he? If so, he might offer up the defense that stealing was perfectly OK in the White House during those years.

[Tacis]

His deviance made him do it.

In Canada, isn't this thing fully excused if he can prove that, in addition to being a fairy, he can prove he is an Indian, too?

[mountaineer]

What a lying, whining sack of poofter excrement.

[CFC__VRWC]

Considering this latest incident, I'd say he has some major mental problems, and they probably won't be fixed with a leave of absence.

OTOH, his approval ratings will most likely skyrocket, and the media will gush about how "brave" he is for coming forward. Now if he just blames George Bush for creating the stressful environment that made him to steal the ring, he's probably just made himself the next PM of Canada.