Canadian Vintners Association wine MPs
By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 0 Comments
The Canadian Vintners Association held a reception in Ottawa at the Government Conference Centre.
(l-r) Ministers Lisa Raitt, Leona Aglukkaq, Diane Finley.
Tory MP Eve Adam(left) and Dimitri Soudas.
NDP MP Jinny Sims.
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A Special Cake for the Queen
By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 11:00 AM - 0 Comments
The Monarchist League of Canada held a special reception on the Hill to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with spectacular cake made by Sweet Tooth Baking.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.
Andrea McCaffrey (left) and Doree Kovalio of Sweet Tooth Baking.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney (left).
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20th World Falun Dafa Day on the Hill
By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 9:10 AM - 0 Comments
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Peter Milliken hung
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, May 14, 2012 at 11:10 PM - 0 Comments
Former Speaker Peter Milliken had his official portrait unveiled last week.
Peter Milliken and Paul Wyse, the man who painted the portrait.
Former PM Joe Clark and former GG Michaëlle Jean.
Liberal interim leader Bob Rae (left) and NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.
Peter Milliken.
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Laureen Harper’s undercover life and hill hairstyles
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, May 11, 2012 at 1:27 PM - 0 Comments
Photograph by Mitchel Raphael
The Harper most likely to yell ‘Mine’
Stephen Harper’s son Ben is now six foot three and has become a skilled competitive volleyball player. The 16-year-old plays for the Ottawa Fusion Volleyball Club, where the online team profile lists his positions as middle and outside. Ben Harper used to play hockey (with NDP MP Paul Dewar’s son) but has given up the sport his father has written a book about to focus more on volleyball. He’ll be playing in the Canadian championships in Toronto, along with the children of two other famous Canadians, Rick Hansen and Colm Feore. Laureen Harper says so far two Canadian universities have expressed interest in her son joining their volleyball teams. Ben is only in Grade 10. The PM’s wife quipped that this is now the first year she had Maclean’s annual University Rankings issue on hand in light of the college attention.
The undercover life of a political wife
It is difficult to imagine Michelle Obama shopping undetected at Target. But a recent shopping trip by Laureen Harper illustrates the difference between the two nations and their first ladies. Mrs. Harper was recently in Wal-Mart buying large amounts of cat food. She often fosters kittens from the Ottawa Humane Society, so always keeps a hefty supply of special kitten food packed with additional nutrients. The Wal-Mart staff had no clue she was the Prime Minister’s wife; as often occurs with customers buying in bulk at the megastore, she was asked to show her receipt upon exiting. All was in order and she headed back to 24 Sussex with her cat food.
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Ignatieff’s freedom of speech and Munk’s gold
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, May 4, 2012 at 11:32 AM - 0 Comments
Photograph by Mitchel Raphael
Of duelling ribbons
Columnist Richard Gwyn took home the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his book Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times; Volume Two: 1867—1891. The prize was awarded by the Writers’ Trust of Canada in the ballroom of the Fairmont Château Laurier. At the reception, Laureen Harper predicted Gwyn would win. In 2008 she sat near political scientist Janice Gross Stein and said she would be Stein’s good luck charm. Stein took home the prize that year. Medals were also given to authors and politicians in attendance. Prize nominees had theirs on a silver and red ribbon, politicians had yellow ribbons and other writers wore green. Former Liberal leader and author Michael Ignatieff wore a green ribbon. He quipped, “Writers can drink and do anything we bloody well please. And say anything we please.” Ignatieff recently caused a ruckus over comments about Quebec separatism to the BBC. Ignatieff and his wife, Zsuzsanna Zsohar, were among the last to leave the party.
Goldfinger
Top ministers, including Jim Flaherty, John Baird and Peter MacKay, were on hand at the Canadian Museum of Nature honouring Barrick Gold Corp.’s $1-million donation, which will help refurbish a popular travelling exhibit. In return, the museum’s prime reception space was renamed the Barrick Salon. The ceremony included a $1-million gold coin valued at more than five times its face value. The coin is owned by Barrick and will be on loan to the museum for a year. Attendees were told that under no circumstances could they touch the coin. Then Barrick chairman Peter Munk put his hands all over it. He said, “I wanted to see if it would rub off.” The RCMP guards confessed that Munk was an exception and added that if former PM Brian Mulroney, also a guest, wanted to touch it they likely would not have stopped him.
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Conservatives Celebrate 1-year Anniversary of Getting a Majority
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, May 4, 2012 at 9:05 AM - 0 Comments
Tories gathered at the Hard Rock Café in Ottawa on Wednesday night.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen Harper.
Peter Kent (left) and David Belous.
Leona Aglukkaq (right)
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NDP Celebrate 1-year Anniversary of Becoming Official Opposition
By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 11:07 PM - 0 Comments
NDP gathered in Centre Block on Wednesday..
(l-r) Peter Julian, Thomas Mulcair, Olivia Chow
Mulcair addresses the party.
MP Libby Davies.
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Why some MPs are swimming together
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, April 27, 2012 at 1:51 PM - 0 Comments
John Weston Biking/Mike Wakefield
The Hill’s version of ‘The Biggest Loser’
Conservative MP John Weston always cycles in Ottawa. Even when it’s the dead of winter—he simply uses snow tires. He is a fitness buff who runs marathons and has a black belt in tae kwon do. Weston has recently been sporting bow ties in homage to Earl Blumenauer, the Oregon congressman who is a strong supporter of cycling initiatives. The Conservative MP is currently pushing for a “National Health and Fitness Day.” He has put forward a motion that says: “Canada by nature offers abundant recreational and fitness opportunities through such things as our mountains, oceans, lakes, forests and parks; we as Canadians could therefore be the healthiest and fittest people on Earth.” The motion aims to combat the “growing concern over chronic disease.” Weston says MPs can set examples, especially when it comes to child obesity. He is working closely with NDP MP Peter Stoffer and Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan on health initiatives, including the Bike Day on the Hill on May 9. The three are also promoting weekly running and swimming sessions for MPs. On the swimming front, they got Conservative MP John Cummins to take his first-ever swimming lesson and Conservative MP Joy Smith went into the water for the first time in her life. (Smith had a swimming tragedy in her family.) Green party Leader Elizabeth May is also part of the group and says Smith told her, “If I can do it, so can you.” The group encourages each other regardless of skill, although it is acknowledged that Toronto NDP MP Olivia Chow is one of the more fit participants and one of the best swimmers.
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$25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing goes to Richard Gwyn
By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:54 AM - 0 Comments
Columnist Richard Gwyn took home the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his book Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times; Volume Two: 1867–1891. The prize was awarded by the Writers’ Trust at the Politics and the Pen gala held in the ballroom of the Fairmont Château Laurier.
- Richard Gwen, Laureen Harper and Sen. Pamela Wallin.
Richard Gwyn.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird with his hairdresser Stefania Capovilla.
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Pro-Choice group takes to Hill
By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:02 AM - 0 Comments
Yesterday, Pro-Choice protesters came to the Hill. They were angered at Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth’s private member’s motion to examine if a fetus is a human being. The motion is being introduced today.
NDP MPs Rathika Sitsabaiesan and Niki Ashton.
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On spousal privileges on the Hill
By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 3:14 PM - 0 Comments
Photograph by Mitchel Raphael
A history of how MPs pin their lovers
Before they are sworn in, MPs fill out paperwork that includes a section about whether they have a spouse. The definition of spouse is up to the member. Some list a husband or wife, others a girlfriend or boyfriend or common-law partner. Anyone who lists a spouse gets a special spouse pin to give to their partner along with their own MP pin at their swearing-in ceremony. The pin allows spouses access all over the Hill, including the use of the special MP entrance in Centre Block. Laureen Harper doesn’t wear hers since all the security officials recognize her.
The MP pin and MP spouse pin first arrived on the Hill in 1979, as part of a security measure. The MP pin is made of white and yellow gold, and says “House of Commons/Chambre des communes” along the green enamelled border. The centre features a gold mace superimposed upon a silver maple leaf. Each pin has a special number engraved on the back. John Diefenbaker, whose pin number was one, refused to wear it because he considered it insulting to identify MPs that way. His pin was donated to the Diefenbaker Foundation after he died. The spouse pin features the centennial flame in front of a maple leaf. Both pins were designed by Henry Birks & Sons of Montreal.
Svend Robinson, Canada’s first openly gay MP, says he was the first person whose same-sex partner, Max Riveron, got an MP spouse pin in 1997. Robinson was first elected in 1979. Riveron became his partner in 1994, but Robinson waited until after the 1997 election to apply for the spouse pin. “It wasn’t an issue,” says Robinson, who currently works for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “Max still wears it with pride.”
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The Missing Women inquiry is another in a series of costly train wrecks
By Charlie Gillis - Friday, April 13, 2012 at 12:06 PM - 0 Comments
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The train wreck of the Missing Women inquiry in Vancouver once again raises the question of whether this process—in the words of former Supreme Court justice Willard Estey—has been “abused beyond usefulness.” Estey spoke those words in the mid-1990s, after the federal government shut down the inquiry into actions of Canadian soldiers in Somalia.
Yet the appetite for this unique blend of justice and theatre lives on. Democracy Watch, the Ottawa-based government accountability group, maintains on its website a list of 18 “questionable situations” in federal affairs, whose only remedy, they say, are public inquiries.
One hates to differ with organizations dedicated to accountability. They’re so rare. But a quick calculation reveals that Ottawa has spent nearly $200 million on seven inquiries of national import, dating back to the early 1990s:
• Somalia, $25 million
• Tainted blood, $15 million
• Arar, $27 million
• Air India, $30 million
• Dziekanski, $4.5 million
• Schreiber-Mulroney, $16 million
• Gomery, (take a breath) $80 million
This total does not include compensation for victims. In some cases, it does not include legal costs incurred to the taxpayer such as counsel for impugned public officials.
Nor does it include the cost policy-based royal commissions like the $15-million Romanow Report on health care, or provincial ones like the inquiry into sexual abuse in Cornwall, Ont., whose $53 million price tag forced the Ontario government to rethink its entire inquiry process (Dziekanski was called by provincial authorities, yet involved federal agencies like the RCMP and border services).
So. Are we getting our money’s worth?
In a few cases, like the Krever inquiry into tainted blood and Arar, the cost seems bearable, if not a bargain. Victims and their families get their say. Meaningful change stands in plain view. From time to time, heads roll.
In others, not so much. Anyone who figured the Gomery Inquiry would send a jolt of rectitude through political circles has long since been set straight by the “in-out” scandal, or the Harper government’s G20 spending extravaganza.
Moreover, these days, internal controversy or questions of fairness tend to overshadow an inquiry’s road map to reform. Yes, there’s always a vague hope that the exercise will serve as a warning to the negligent and venal in the future. But as the Missing Women case illustrates, that hope is fragile. From this point on, the inquiry led by Wally Oppal is itself on probation. Its next lapse might well condemn it to irrelevance.
That’s not to throw the whole model overboard. Like democracy, it’s the worst system except for all the others. Still, with public dollars in short supply, it could use fixes—greater reliance on reports rather than testimony; less reliance on lawyers; limits on legal fees.
Governments, meanwhile, would do well to ponder before commissioning their next set of proceedings: under what circumstances do inquiries materially change the behaviour of individuals and institutions? Do those circumstances apply in the case at hand? Is the matter best left to the courts?
Last but not least, do you, as a government, really need a specially commissioned judge to tell you to do the right thing?
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The Thrilla on the Hill and Linda Frum’s passover
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, April 13, 2012 at 10:54 AM - 0 Comments
Photograph by Mitchel Raphael
Linda Frum way ahead of cooking trend
When it comes to cooking during the Jewish holiday of Passover, Tory Sen. Linda Frum mastered flourless cakes long before they became a hot trend. The Passover prohibition against using leavening in bread also applies to cakes. Frum’s twins, who turn 18 on April 16, usually have their birthdays during the holiday, which this year goes from April 6 to 14. In the past, that has meant a lot of special Passover birthday cakes. Liberal interim leader Bob Rae also celebrated Passover. His wife Arlene Perly Rae and children are Jewish. Perly Rae has created her own Haggadah, the religious text read at Passover Seders. She took parts from different versions of the Haggadah to make what she says is a more interesting and inclusive read. The big bonus is that hers is shorter, a huge plus for a service known to drag on.
HST or Human Sexuality Tax
Could the deficit be reduced by Canadians on their backs as opposed to on the backs of Canadians? The recent striking down of Ontario’s prostitution laws prompted one Liberal insider to note that if the HST could be applied to sex work, it would be called the Human Sexuality Tax.
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The Commons: Speaking of redundancy
By Aaron Wherry - Monday, April 2, 2012 at 5:59 PM - 0 Comments
The Scene. Kirsty Duncan rose and reminded the Environment Minister of what he had said three days ago.
“Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of the Environment said of the Round Table on the Environment and the Economy: ‘It was created before the Internet when there were few such sources of domestic independent research and analysis on sustainable development.’ This is no longer the case. There are now any number of organizations and university-based services that provide those services.”
“Very well,” the Liberal MP said, pausing for a moment as if about to say something quite dramatic.
“Can the minister name these organizations and services?” she finally asked.
Peter Kent stood here, not to answer Ms. Duncan’s question, but instead to essentially repeat what Ms. Duncan had just said he said. Continue…
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Heated and nasty exchange ends with Trudeau boxing victory
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, April 2, 2012 at 2:27 PM - 0 Comments
Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau was clobbered by Liberal MP Justin Trudeau at the annual charity boxing match Fight for the Cure 2012. Brazeau had trash-talked Trudeau at the weigh-in a few days earlier at the Aulde Dubliner & Pour House, blaming the MP for Papineau for everything his father did including the National Energy Program.
Brazeau, who was born in 1974, even went on to say, “I remember the 1969 White Paper when your father wanted to take our rights away, I’m going to give you so many rights you won’t even believe it.”
Things got heated and nasty. Trudeau noted: “Mr. Brazeau seems to be under the mistaken impression he is fighting my father.” Considering the results and a bleeding nose, perhaps Brazeau wishes he had.
On the day of the fight Trudeau ate normally and then mostly watermelon from 5pm until the fight. A whole melon was in the dressing room.
Since he had begun training for the event Trudeau had put on 20 pounds. His shirt collars are now too tight and he can’t do up the top button. Brazeau says his weight pretty much remained the same. Brazeau, who is 5-feet-10 weighed in at 183 pounds, while Trudeau, who is 6-foot-2, was 180 pounds. Tory MP Patrick Brown, who was at the weigh-in, said he would also be happy to battle Trudeau so long as it was on ice and they were wearing skates and hockey equipment.
Bal Gosal, Minister of State for Sport, noted this was one sports event where he would not remain neutral and sported a Brazeau T-shirt which said Patrick “Brazzknuckles” Brazeau.
As part of the humility of losing to Trudeau, Brazeau was required to wear a Liberal jersey for a week. The Senator has said he wants a re-match with the Montreal MP. $230,000 was raised for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.
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What really swayed NDP voters on leadership
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, April 2, 2012 at 11:09 AM - 0 Comments
Photograph by Mitchel Raphael
New leader, old pic
The photo of newly elected NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair that appeared on the NDP leadership convention screens and the flyer for his after-party is the same one he’s been using since his 2007 by-election win. One Mulcair campaign worker said the new leader actually hates the picture and is tired of seeing it. Mulcair hired Kumpa’nia, a drumming band from Montreal, for the convention. The group drummed him in with the Cuban song Comparsa, chosen “because it’s groovy,” said one drummer. To help kill time between votes, Mulcair supporters used several of his signs to build a model of 24 Sussex Dr., much to his delight. One young Brian Topp supporter built a Topp restaurant out of the candidate’s materials, with a walk-up window but no drive-through.
The button factor
Some people did not make up their minds until the first day of the convention. MP Mylène Freeman said, “It’s easy to remain neutral when you don’t know who you are voting for.” Before the final vote, Freeman had a Mulcair button, which pleased her boyfriend, David DesBaillets, a volunteer on Muclair’s campaign. One delegate, Rob Shostak, quipped that he had a few specific criteria in terms of swaying his vote: candidates had to be bilingual, which he says eliminated Paul Dewar, and they had to have a button at the convention, which eliminated Niki Ashton. Bonus points went to Peggy Nash for having the biggest button.
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Justin Trudeau vs Patrick Brazeau: the weigh-in
By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 12:07 AM - 0 Comments
Liberal MP Justin Trudeau and Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau held a weigh-in at the Aulde Dubliner & Pour House before their big charity boxing match on Saturday in Ottawa. Fight for the Cure 2012 is an annual fundraising initiative for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Since training for the event Trudeau has put on 20 pounds. His shirt collars are now too tight and he can’t do up the top bottom. Brazeau says his weight has pretty much remained the same. Brazeau, who is 5-feet-10 weighed in at 183 pounds, while Trudeau, who is 6-foot-2, is now 180 pounds. Tory MP Patrick Brown, who was at the bar, said he would also be happy to battle Trudeau so long as it was on ice and they were wearing skates and hockey equipment. Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), noted this was one sports event where he would not remain neutral and sported a Brazeau T-shirt which said Patrick “Brazzknuckles” Brazeau. The majority in the bar were Brazeau supporters.
Justin Trudeau (left) and Partrick Brazeau.
Justin Trudeau.
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NDP Convention – scenes from the second day
By Mitchel Raphael - Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 1:32 PM - 0 Comments
Thomas Mulcair comes down the escalator.
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NDP Convention – Peggy Nash after-party
By Mitchel Raphael - Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 2:27 AM - 0 Comments
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NDP Convention – Paul Dewar after-party
By Mitchel Raphael - Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 2:20 AM - 0 Comments
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NDP Convention – Brian Topp after-party
By Mitchel Raphael - Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 2:17 AM - 0 Comments
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NDP Convention – Thomas Mulcair after-party
By Mitchel Raphael - Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 2:14 AM - 0 Comments
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NDP Convention – some faces at Jack Layton tribute
By Mitchel Raphael - Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 2:07 AM - 0 Comments
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Photogallery: Day one at the NDP leadership convention
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, March 23, 2012 at 8:01 PM - 0 Comments
A colourful snapshot of day one (minus, of course, the Jack Layton tribute, which is going on right now). It was a feast of orange and smiles:
