Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

How many does it take to screw in a light bulb?

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, November 29, 2010 1:56pm - 11 Comments

In the process of detailing the government’s confused response to last summer’s earthquake, the Citizen’s Tom Spears explains what it takes to issue a news release in this town.

Even though the announcement was 75 words long (not including phone numbers), it needed: Approval in principle from an assistant deputy minister — but still subject to approval of “media lines,” a sort of script outlining the department’s central message;  Approval from the office of minister Christian Paradis; Translating the announcement of the conference call; Approving the translation; Approval from the Privy Council Office; Posting the announcement on the Natural Resources website — and immediately pulling it off again, because media lines were not yet approved by the assistant deputy minister; Approving the media lines; Last-minute copy editing, literally. One minute before the call, someone felt the French copy should list the time as 18 h, not 18h00.

Finally, at 6:24 p.m., sending out the conference call invitation on a commercial wire service — 24 minutes after the call began.

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  • gottabesaid

    Hey, you've got to take the good with the bad. At least they eventually got the information out, and at least they didn't deny any earthquake took place, and at least they didn't blame the earthquake on Ignatieff, the separatists and/or the socialists. Baby steps.

  • http://www.translucid.ca/site/flacklife-the-translucid-blog/ bobledrew
  • MostlyCivil

    You should have seen the gymnastics that went on during H1N1. They'd tell the provinces one thing, wait till the provinces issued a release then change their mind again. Sometimes three or four times in a day.

  • Tceh

    I think most will agree that this kind of stranglehold on even basic government information isn't good for a democracy.

  • tedbetts

    How many Conservatives does it take to change a lightbulb?

    Twelve:
    - 1 to write up the communications strategy about how the Harper government's Economic Action Plan is delivering lightbulbs for Canadians
    - 1 to monitor the 9 Economic Action Plan signs that need to go up before any lightbulb gets changed
    - 1 to say the government will install a new, energy efficient, green, "made-in-Canada" fluorescent lightbulb because that is in Canada's longterm interest
    - 1 to say the government will install an normal, cheaper incandescent lightbulb because that is in the interest of taxpayers now
    - 5 to stand behind Harper and cheer when he says the Conservative Party is the party that gets things done and changes lightbulbs
    - 1 to write a fundraising letter to all party members telling them they need more money so they can continue doing such a good job at changing lightbulbs
    - 1 to blame the Liberals for the old lightbulb
    - 1, 6 months later, to explain why the Conservatives need a majority so they can start to change the lightbulb

    • Tceh

      Also 1 senator, Mike Duffy, to organize the the taxpayer-funded infomercial in Tony 'pork barrel' Clement's riding seeded with an appreciative Conservative audience to cheer the fact the lightbulb was changed decisively and demonstrated great leadership.

      • tedbetts

        I stand humbly corrected.

        But a correction to your correction. That should read "to cheer the fact the lightbulbwould someday be changed and would someday demonstrate".

        There's no there there with these Conservatives. All carboard box and no bun, let alone any beef.

  • madeyoulook

    All the more reason we want all-knowing government to control more and more of our lives and of the marketplace. It's so reassuring to know that this paragon of competence is in charge of more and more and more and more…

  • tedbetts

    Absolutely right. (Even though Harper claims we are not a bilingual country.)

    Now we are beginning to understand why the size of the government has increased under "conservative" Harper to a larger size it has never been before.

  • tedbetts

    Anyone know how you can give a thumbs up AND a thumbs down on comments?!?!?

  • Halo_Override

    Nepotist!

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