Thursday, May 28, 2009

Why Not Throw In A House And A New Car...

Hey why not give the guy a new house and a new car while we're at it... he made more money after he was let go and then he refuses an offer of $59,000.00 as he calls it an "insult"... give us a break... the only insult here is to the taxpayers who have to pick up the toll... but I'm sure whatever this guy gets he'll give most of it back to the "Tory" asphalt worker he originally replaced... surely Justice Campbell will see through this foolishness...
MacTavish looking for $300,000 in political discrimination case
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian
A Montague man who was fired because of his political beliefs is seeking more than $300,000 in compensation from the Prince Edward Island government, The Guardian has learned. John MacTavish appeared before Supreme Court Justice Gordon Campbell on Tuesday. His lawyer, Jordan Brown, called on the courts to award MacTavish $127,000 for lost wages. But that is only part of the claim. MacTavish is also seeking $50,000 in hurt and humiliation, $33,000 in lost Canada Pension Plan benefits, as well as unspecified costs for punitive damages. He also wants Island taxpayers to pick up his legal bills, which are now nearing $100,000 as well as his accounting bills, more than $8,000.The grand total — $318,000 and counting. Neither Jordan Brown nor David Hooley, MacTavish’s lawyers, were available for comment on Wednesday. MacTavish maintains that he’ll take whatever Campbell decides. He wouldn’t say whether he considers a $300,000 settlement fair. “As I said in court, there’s no amount that could ever compensate me and my family for what we’ve been through,” MacTavish told The Guardian on Wednesday. MacTavish is the lone holdout in a political discrimination case dating back to when former Premier Pat Binns took office in 1996.Hundreds of similar cases have been settled, some for as little as $1,450. But MacTavish, a former asphalt raker under the Liberals, has refused a series of settlement offers, calling the offers “insulting.” He was last offered more than $59,000 and he turned that offer down as well. If MacTavish gets what he wants, he’ll receive one of the largest political discrimination payouts in Island history. In 1997, Mickey Burge, a well-known Tory, received $197,588. The former beer hauler successfully argued that his connection to the Conservatives was at the root of why he was fired. But MacTavish’s lawyer also cited a 1997 sexual discrimination case in his final arguments. That case centered on Rev. Gael Matheson, who received $600,000 — the largest human rights settlement in Island history. The P.E.I. government’s lawyer, Spencer Campbell, said that case should not be considered because it involved sexual discrimination, not political discrimination. He argues MacTavish should not get that much money, arguing that he had no income loss. Campbell provided evidence to the courts that MacTavish actually made more money after being fired from his provincial government job, which means he mitigated his losses and should not be awarded the $127,000 for income loss. MacTavish said he’s not seeking a specific number, but his lawyers have already attached a number and that number is more than $300,000. “That’s why I went to the courts, to find out what the justifiable about is.”

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