What? It never hurts to ask, right?
Heck, we – the few, the brave, the increasingly desperate for news journalists still on Hill duty during the soggiest dog days of the summer – have tried to get more information on what’s on the agenda using conventional methods, but so far, we’re not getting much beyond vague generalities:
[...]Monday’s meetings are mostly for campaign volunteers and staff, although candidates and current caucus members are also invited to attend. Those in attendance will learn how to deal with social media, fundraising, journalists and direct-mail. The party’s campaign co-ordinator, Doug Finley, is expected to speak, as are other officials. [...]
Conservatives were tight-lipped last week and declined to discuss any details about their caucus meeting or training conference. [...] Dan Hilton, the Conservative Party’s executive director, who in an email declined to offer any details on the party’s training conference, said it’s closed to the media and referred The Hill Times to the party’s website for further information.
Caucus members, candidates and campaign workers on Monday will be trained about the social media, voter contact methods, fundraising, and dealing with the media. On Tuesday, the training sessions will focus on how to effectively use direct mail, community outreach and Get Out the Vote operations. The training conference is $299 per person.
Since this is purely party business, they’re under no obligation to provide any details on what’s going down behind closed doors, of course — but that’s not going to stop us from trying to find out, of course. So far, though, there’s precious little dribdrabbing out of the Marriott, other than a persistent — and reasonably plausible — rumour that the prime minister either has, or is slated to speak to the crowd at some point, and Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt’s lament over the long line at the Starbucks.
Anyway, at the moment, ITQ isn’t quite ready to stake out the lobby in hopes of buttonholing unwary participants– although that may well change by this afternoon, so they should probably govern themselves accordingly. And if anyone out there wants to share any gossip from the various workshops, feel free to drop her a line — or leave a note in the comments. Give the opposition parties a taste of why they should be shaking in their collective and respective shoes over the prospect of going up against the most terrifyingly well-prepared political machine on the federal landscape, why don’t you?
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… and the tiger, lithely and stealthy works her way through the tall grasses, awaiting the opportunity to pounce.
… and the tiger, lithely and stealthily works her way through the tall grasses, awaiting the opportunity to pounce.
tigress
I hear one session is entitled "Social Networking and The Devil's Measure: Facebook and the Repeal of the Metric System".
Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt’s lament over the long line at the Starbucks.
Hey, Starbucks Conservatives.
So why didn't any of the media organizations send someone in undercover?
My guess would be that the logistical challenges — and ethical concerns — surrounding any attempt to gain access through deception or misrepresentation would greatly outweigh legitimate public interest in this case. This isn't exactly the Bilderberger conference.
Is undercover reporting actually unethical? I've seen it done on more than one occasion and there wasn't any concerns about the info being obtained through deceptive means.
It depends on the context, really. Usually, it comes down to whether the public interest would be served by covering the event, even if it required the reporter to, for instance, join the Conservative Party and claim to be interested in either running in the next election, or serving as a campaign manager, possibly under an assumed name, depending on how recognizeable they might be to the gatekeepers. I'm not sure if this particular event requires attendees to sign a non-disclosure agreement, but it very well might, which would be another consideration. Given that it's probably just a lot of CIMS hype and other internal stuff, I'm not sure if that would justify an infiltration attempt. (Trying to get people to leak the good stuff, though, is always fair game.)
Kady What are the 'conventional methods' if not 'buttonholing unwary participants'? Are reporters hoping the info will just happen to fall in their laps?
Kady What are the 'conventional methods' if not 'buttonholing unwary participants'? Are reporters hoping the info will just happen to fall in their laps?
The conventional method would be to call up the party and interview the organizer, or spokesperson, as well as doing one's best to elicit information from MPs, ministers, staffers and party operatives — but not, say, hanging around the foyer waiting to scrum whatever 22 year old hapless attendee might unwittingly come within range of your camera, microphone or notebook. Not, of course, to imply that there's anything wrong with the latter.
''22 year old hapless attendee''. Something against 22 year olds? Personally I think 22 is a fetching age.
Not at all, and no offence meant — I just had in mind a deer-caught-in-headlights-eyed newbie to Ottawa suddenly caught in the centre of a scrumstorm. (In fact, I had actually written "newbie" in my original text, but accidentally deleted it.)
Isn't that part of their training? That would be a great investigative report: how well does each party's Hapless 22 year-old DCIHENTO (Deer-Caught-In-Headlights-Eyed Newbie To Ottawa) stack up in a scrumstorm?
Thank you for taking questions seriously, not snarky. I was curious to know what reporters do to get info nowadays. Buttonholing pols and their minions has a long, noble history and should happen much more often.
Duh. Hang out at the Starbucks.
After three elections in four years, they still need training?
Uh well… to be fair, they *are* in government right now. So no – they don't.
Well maybe the other guys don't get new recruits … but apparently the Conservatives do and they need to be trained …
A new crop of trained seals ? Why not just let our real Representive Government onto the ballot ?
The Hill Times, July 27, 2009
PMO shuffles top-ranking Cabinet staffers
Cabinet ministers' chiefs of staff to hold a retreat at Wilson House to prepare for drama-filled Parliamentary session.
By Abbas Rana
Kady – this calls for "bar" work – booze and loose lips.
Maybe there's nothing to tell. Each get their PM approved talking points booklet, instructions not to speak unless spoken to by the PM, memorize the rhetoric, memorize how to hate Liberals, look down on the NDP and ignore the Green Party. And, make sure one gets a photo-op with PM and praise him frequently.
Class over.
I have a question about this flyer I received in the mail asking
yada yada. Is this the, what was the term…15 center?
I live in Mississauga south but the sender is one Mr Ben Lobb(Huron Bruce) , MP with no mention of party affiliation on the document but a very small and totally illegible symbol that looks like a divided maple leaf in a circle in the bottom corner(update probably product of Canada logo).
Mr Lobb's webpage has no mention of his party affiliation except for pictures of Stephen Harper prominently displayed so I assume he wasn't NDP.
Are we(taxpayers) paying for this?
No. That particular pamplet is published by dwarves in Middle Earth and delivered by flying pigs, to random doorsteps.
Crap on the doorstep is the natural result of teaching pigs to fly.
- and of giving a politician 10 cents.
Have the dwarves got a website?
Is there a help group (link)where this phenomenon has been discussed that you might suggest?
Update,
Asked and answered.
Oh – the joy of playing these investigatory games and finding all the dark and slithery things under the rocks…
My recent favourite was that of Helena Geurgis sending a monumental amount of flyers into the former riding of hubby Rahim Jaffer to add a little sparkle to his chances – only to find that the CPC was quite firm – they didn't want old Rahim to run again…
The Globe and Hill Times got leaks Kady – that at least establishes that the event happened…
Now as for the Liberal's training session – we kept it so close to our vests – that even you didn't get a sniff…..
Sorry!
Kind of like the Policy Platform – actually!
MEMO
Subject: Agenda for Conservative MP election prep training
Here is your new training manual, with a small addition from past training manuals.
CHAPTER 1:
Shut up.
CHAPTER 2:
See Chapter 1.
Congratulations on completing your training.
The Conservative Party of Canada
W.K. has a little intel from the 'event'.
Very little … but then WK has very few friends in the CPC these days.