Every once and awhile, we come across a story that is, um, so delicious we just have to sample it.
This one involves Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his wife Laureen, a cook, a dead cat and a $250,000 lawsuit.
Got your attention yet?
According to media reports out of Ottawa, Harper’s cook Henrik Lundsgaard is miffed.
Harper unceremoniously fired the guy.
Harper does this a lot.
You might remember his former media guy, William Stairs, was sacked two weeks into the government’s mandate. He’s one in a string of media relations people who have been dumped by Harper.
Then there’s Derek Zeisman, a candidate from interior BC who was fired after allegations surfaced that he had smuggled booze across the Canada/US border.
Anyway, back to the chef.
In late December, Laureen Harper led Lundsgaard to believe that he was going to be the chef at Sussex Drive, according to court documents filed in Ottawa. However, no contract was signed.
A couple of weeks later, Lundsgaard was sacked from the $57,000-a-year job he’d held since 2001, when he was hired by Stockwell Day. No reason for the firing was given.
The new Sussex Drive chef is Oliver Bartsch, whom Harper poached from Rideau Hall.
Lundsgaard is a tad hurt.
Under the Harpers, his role had expanded to include other tasks, such as washing the family car, driving their kids to school and supervising them in the pool, cleaning up after guests, cleaning the litter box and even burying the family cat after the animal died.
Lundsgaard considered the Harpers his friends.
Now, after being fired, he’s suing Harper for $250,000.
Harper’s handlers insist it’s simply a staffing issue.
But you have to wonder if it’s related, in some way, to that dead cat. (RM)