Where's Yer Hat, What's Yer Hurry?

The controversial and much maligned (mostly by moi) "human rights" mausoleum isn't even up and running, and already its COO, in hot water over his lavish spending habits at taxpayers' expense, is out on his keester. From the Winnipeg Free Press:

OTTAWA -- The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has parted ways with its chief operating officer.

Patrick O'Reilly confirmed Wednesday he left the museum Feb. 28 after nearly two-and-a-half years as the COO.

O'Reilly would not get into any further details of his departure, citing ongoing discussions with the museum at this point.

Museum spokeswoman Angela Cassie praised O'Reilly's work.

"Over the time of his involvement with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, he has made a tremendous contribution to bringing this project to fruition," Cassie said. "All of us who care about human rights and the establishment of this museum are very grateful for the work that he has done."

O'Reilly was appointed chief operating officer in October 2008. He came from the federal civil service, where he spent time in the Heritage Department and in the Privy Council Office.

He was the acting CEO as well until September 2009, when the federal government appointed former provincial Tory leader Stuart Murray to the role.

O'Reilly reportedly applied for the CEO job but it went to Murray in what many criticized as a patronage posting by the Harper Tories.

O'Reilly ran into some controversy in 2009 for expensive trips for museum conferences at a time when the museum was going over budget on both its capital construction and operating estimates.

In a six-month span in 2009-10, he racked up nearly $60,000 in travel bills, including trips to Europe and Australia...

Not that the COO's sense of entitlement will cast a shadow over "the first new national museum in more than four decades and the first located outside the national capital region." No indeedee. The 'Peg's white elephant with elephantine ambitions (it aims at nothing less than making a significant impact on the world's "human rights" conversation)

is slated to open next year. Ottawa, Manitoba and Winnipeg contributed $100 million, $40 million and $20 million, respectively, to the $310-million construction costs. Private fundraising is covering the remainder.

As well, Ottawa is providing $21.7 million in annual operating funding to the museum. The museum is still seeking a resolution on payment of its annual municipal tax bill.

Can you say "egregious and collosal waste of cash"? I know I sure can--and do, as often as possible.

Update: And speaking of the world's "human rights" conversation--time to tell it to put a sock in it, no?