Opposition Won't Let L'Affaire Dechert Die

Libs, NDP call for Bob Dechert to resign over his literal interpretation of what the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs does.

So l'affaire Dechert isn't going away anytime soon, is it? Tory MP and Foreign Affairs parliamentary secretary Bob Dechert's steamy (for a Tory MP, at least) letters to Shi Rong, a journalist working for the Chinese state broadcaster Xinhua, has the opposition doing what the opposition does, such as calling for his resignation. We figured this story would die down over the weekend (have you read the emails? So harmless! Even if the guy's married), but security types are warning that basically anyone who works for Xinhua could be a Chinese intelligence officer, so, if nothing else, Dechert showed a lack of judgment over the objects of his affection. Well, we suppose Beijing now knows what gets Bob Dechert going, but barring any indication that he gave Shi Rong any sensitive information, we'll just think up some more cheap “foreign affairs” jokes for ourselves and be done with it. Mrs. Dechert can probably take care of the rest. (Did you hear the one about the Tory MP who gave his heart to a Chinese journalist? Shi Ronged him, etc.)