Seventy more

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, January 16, 2012 at 1:20 PM - 0 Comments

Paul Dewar and Charlie Angus explain their plan to focus on winning another 70 seats.

We’ll hire more grassroots organizers and put them on the ground in key regions across the country. They will work with local activists to strengthen networks where they already exist and build them where they are non-existent. Our grassroots team will recruit new activists and help train the next generation … We’ll also give our caucus an expanded role as builders. We have an incredible and diverse team that has vast experience and passion. Under this plan, we’ll give our MPs the opportunity to show Canadians first-hand what a strong and deeply talented team we have.

I’m told the plan isn’t built on a list of specific ridings, but rather is meant to focus generally on where the NDP is strong and has shown potential for growth.

With the 103 ridings the NDP won in 2011, that sets a goal of 173 for 2015. How realistic is such a target? I suppose that’s a matter of opinion, but by the numbers the NDP finished second in 121 ridings last May. They finished a strong third in an another eight ridings. Add that up and that’s a general target area of 232 ridings.

For the sake of comparison, the Conservatives finished first, second or a strong third in 240 ridings. The Liberals finished first, second or a strong third in 114 ridings.

(Of course, 170 seats will be the new majority threshold in a 338-member House.)

The endorsements

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, January 13, 2012 at 9:45 AM - 0 Comments

Paul Dewar announced the endorsement of Charlie Angus this morning in Ottawa: the second prominent caucus endorsement for Mr. Dewar in two days.

Eric Grenier is attempting to make a science of the wider race for endorsements, but given this blog’s purview I’m most interested in caucus endorsements. By my count, 59 NDP MPs are now declared for leadership candidates. Excluding the seven MPs who are running and Olivia Chow (who has pledged to stay neutral), that leaves 34 NDP MPs left to be courted.

At the outset of the campaign, I was advised by a senior New Democrat that who was doing the endorsing was more important than how many were endorsing, so sheer numbers may be misleading, but here’s how the 59 breakdown. Continue…

Why Justin Bieber will never be prime minister

By David Newland - Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 4:47 PM - 0 Comments

zimpenfish/Flickr

For the second time in as many years, a Grammy-winning pop star wants to become president. Two years ago, it was respected rapper Wyclef Jean who made an unsuccessful–though much talked-about–bid for the presidency of Haiti. Today, it’s African singer-percussionist Youssou N’Dour, currently a candidate in Senegal’s upcoming presidential elections.

There are musician-politicians in Canada too, of course. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a decent pianist; interim Liberal leader Bob Rae is another. And the late NDP leader Jack Layton loved to play music in his off-hours. Admittedly amateurs all, the three leaders nevertheless gained a certain creative credibility for their musical chops.

There have even been professional Canadian musician-politicians. The current NDP caucus features a pair of roots rockers: onetime band-mates (in L’Étranger) Charlie Angus of Grievous Angels and Andrew Cash of The Cash Brothers. Both, however, are a long way from snatching up the country’s top job–and arguably just as far from becoming pop stars.

Which raises the question: is a pop star prime minister of Canada even possible?

The answer has a lot to do with our electoral system. If Canadians were allowed to pick the head of the executive directly (more or less as Americans do in their presidential elections), we might imagine a sufficiently popular musician—Bryan Adams? Celine Dion? Drake? BIEBER?!—translating her popular appeal into a leadership role.

Alas, to become a Canadian prime minister, there’s no escaping the slow, laborious rise through the ranks: first, win the party nomination in a local riding; then win your riding in an election; then become a member of Parliament; then put in time as a back-bencher; and take on key party roles, possibly a cabinet post. That could take a couple of terms, if you’re lucky.

Keep at it for a number of years, standing in Question Period, facing the press, stabbing the right backs and shaking the right hands, and you just may have a chance to earn your party’s nomination at a leadership convention.

After that, you only have to go out and win your own seat in a federal election—for the party that takes the greatest number of seats in Parliament—and you’re in!

If you’re a pop star, it’s sadly obvious what that would do to your rehearsal schedule and studio time. No more touring stadiums. As for a Juno, let alone a Grammy: forget it.

Which raises a point worth pondering. Remember the scene of our own prime minister, Stephen Harper, playing the piano in avuncular fashion?

Remember well, because Harper may be the closest Canada ever gets to having a a pop star for prime minister.

Note: an earlier version of this story referred to Cash as a member of Skydiggers; in fact he was involved in the formative stages of the band but not a member of the long-running lineup, which includes brother Peter Cash and Andy Maize.

This is the week that was

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 6:41 PM - 0 Comments

We tried to save the House of Commons.

Brian Topp pitched higher taxes (and considered equality). Nathan Cullen pitched democratic reform. Martin Singh pitched a national pharmacare plan. Paul Dewar prioritized. Robert Chisholm talked leadership.

Elections Canada tried to figure out kids these days. The Department of National Defence tried to keep the cost of its new headquarters quiet. The NDP bought billboard space. The omnibus crime bill went unaccounted for. The House voted to keep curtailing debate. The Harperization of Canada was confirmed. The Conservatives peddled rumours and defended their right to do so. Tony Clement explained his verbal typo. And the Speaker ruled John Williamson and Geoff Regan out of order. Continue…

‘This is the line in the sand’

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, December 2, 2011 at 3:27 PM - 0 Comments

NDP MP Charlie Angus returns to Attawapiskat, with interim leader Nycole Turmel in tow.

‘Least resistance’

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, December 2, 2011 at 8:30 AM - 0 Comments

Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kathleen Wynne criticizes the federal government’s response to the Attawapiskat crisis. And in an interview with APTN, Ms. Wynne says she can’t get Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan to answer her calls.

Minister Duncan ran into NDP MP Charlie Angus yesterday at the CBC offices in Ottawa.

The minister insisted his department did not have “an awareness of what was in the community until a few days after Oct. 28.” But he went on to tell van Dusen that the feds had “people in the community” since April. ”I don’t understand,” she interrupted. “You said you didn’t know until Oct 28.” Duncan shot back with: “They did not identify there was an issue — and neither did Charlie Angus, the representative of the area, who is not shy about talking about Attawapiskat.”

If the latter was a dig at Angus’ abundant media availability, then Duncan was repaid in more than equal measure when he attempted to make a break from the interview. Hustled off by handlers —’We gave you the time. We have to go’ — Duncan made it down one stairwell before bumping into the man himself. Angus greeted him with a hearty, “Mr. Duncan! We’ve got an emergency in Attawapiskat. You’ll know now. Just so you don’t get caught flat-footed.”

Full video here.

When “sure” doesn’t mean sure

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 4:24 PM - 0 Comments

After QP this afternoon, the Speaker reported to the House on the case of the “sure” deletions. According to Speaker Scheer, the word was deleted from the official transcript at the discretion of Hansard’s editors, without input from Tony Clement or anyone in Mr. Clement’s office.

Due to stringent timelines and the voluminous amounts of text, the technical task of editing is frequently parcelled out to multiple editors whose collective work for a given meeting is then reviewed by a Senior Editor. These Senior Editors look at the full context of the preliminary verbatim transcript, including the intonation of the person speaking, in order to accurately convey the intended meaning in the final transcript.  Thus, they routinely authorize the removal of redundant words, false starts, hesitations, words that might lead to confusion as to the true intent of the statement, and so on. Sometimes entire sentences are restructured for clarity. Even within the testimony of a single witness or Member speaking, it is not unusual for words to be removed in one place and retained in another if the editors judge that, in the latter case, the words do not lead to confusion or convey an unintended meaning.

Mr. Clement duly demanded an apology from the NDP’s Charlie Angus and, speaking with reporters, attempted to explain the realities of human speech patterns that caused him to answer in the affirmative when no such indication was intended. Continue…

Down the paper trail again

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 11:32 AM - 0 Comments

The NDP says Tony Clement misled the public accounts committee when he testified three weeks ago. The emails in questions can be viewed here.

There is also some question as to how and why the rush transcript of Mr. Clement’s committee testimony came to be altered before being entered into the official record. More here and here.

“There was a time when a minister who spent $50-million without providing any documentation would have been subject to serious sanction,” Mr. Angus said. “We now have the question of a parliamentary minister of the Crown coming to a parliamentary committee, providing false information and having someone, whoever it was, alter the public record.”

Third world

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, November 21, 2011 at 12:38 PM - 0 Comments

NDP MP Charlie Angus recorded video of a visit to Attawapiskat.

Mr. Angus has written about what he saw for the Huffington Post.

The Commons: Darkness in the mid-afternoon

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 7:42 PM - 0 Comments

The Scene. The obscenity on the Hill carries on undaunted.

Maybe it is just the season—as soon as the clocks are turned back each fall, Ottawa is suddenly made even darker and colder than usual—but the daily insulting of the public’s intelligence seems particularly dreary of late. For sure, it has been worse. And it may yet get worse. But has it ever seemed so witless? Has it ever felt so leaden? Is it just us or is it getting dim in here?

There is much to be said—with expletives and otherwise—about the government’s recent penchant for shutting down debate. But it is surely more than that.

It is, no doubt, certain practicalities: the temporary status of the two opposition leaders, the prolonged nature of certain disagreements or the lack of some tangible new gazebo-based outrage to focus on, for instance. But it is also the collective and universal decision that sound economics, study and evidence are not particularly necessary when formulating public policy. It is the rote demagoguery. It is general neglect. It is smug disregard. It is the willingness of grown men and women in business attire to stand and allow themselves to be used to read scripted banalities and invective into the official record.

It is not all bad, of course. Continue…

The Commons: Drawing a line at “stupid”

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, November 14, 2011 at 7:04 PM - 0 Comments

The Scene. After some hurling of invective over other issues, the House turned to the matter of Dean Del Mastro’s apparent willingness to upend the constitutional order by which this country has functioned for more than 144 years.

“Mr. Speaker, in the past month the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister has been called out by the Canadian judiciary, the Ethics Commissioner, the bar association, but now the senior law clerk of the House of Commons is warning that his behaviour at committee is interfering in the independence of the courts that is both unconstitutional and ‘unlawful,’ ” the NDP’s Charlie Angus reported. “Either the government respects the constitutional limits of Parliament or it does not.”

In his seat across the way, Mr. Del Mastro slapped his own hand and laughed.

“I have a simple question,” Mr. Angus declared. “Will the government rein in this rogue member, yes or no?”

It was here Heritage Minister James Moore’s responsibility to clarify that it was, in fact, Mr. Del Mastro’s duty to do as he has been doing. Continue…

The Commons: Tony Clement comes clean

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 7:39 PM - 0 Comments

The Scene. Tony Clement, his suit tightly buttoned up, arrived at precisely 3:30pm in the appointed room where the public accounts committee was scheduled to demand some kind of public accountability of him. The next hour and 45 minutes would mostly be spent trying to explain why there was little reason to be there.

He did not sit at the far end of the table alone. Beside him sat John Baird, the Foreign Affairs Minister who now officially splits his time between representing this country on the world stage and speaking on Mr. Clement’s behalf in the House of Commons. Around the two cabinet ministers sat a total of four previously anonymous bureaucrats. To the left of this group sat no less than eight Conservative MPs, here as members of the committee (or rather, as would soon become clear, loyal representatives of the Conservative Party of Canada). Behind these Conservative MPs sat their dutiful aides. And in the area reserved for the spectators appeared to be still more professional supporters, including at least one young man from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Opposite the Conservative brigade sat four New Democrats, one Liberal, their own dutiful aides and, for whatever reason, Pat Martin. Later, Elizabeth May stopped by, though her attempt to ask a question was foiled after the debate about whether she was allowed to ran so long that there was no time left for her to actually do so.

“It is indeed a pleasure to be here,” Mr. Clement said by way of opening. The rest was smiles and laughs and sighing. Continue…

Parliament: now literally a joke

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 4:27 PM - 0 Comments

Pierre Poilievre, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Transport, responding this afternoon to the NDP’s Alexander Boulerice, who asked if the government would allow a parliamentary inquiry into the G8 Legacy Fund to proceed.

Mr. Speaker, there already has been an inquiry into it. There has been an exhaustive review by the interim Auditor General. If I could quote a truly great Canadian, “The facts have not changed.” Everyone could take a moment now to recognize that truly great Canadian, ladies and gentlemen, the honourable member for Calgary East.

The member for Calgary East is Deepak Obhrai, who was, until yesterday, the Conservative MP assigned to handle questions about the G8 Legacy Fund when John Baird is absent from the House.

Today’s round of Legacy Fund questions after the jump. Continue…

The Commons: Over and over again

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 7:32 PM - 13 Comments

The Scene. At some point some months ago, it was decided—by whoever makes such decisions in whatever underground lair the important decisions are rendered—that Tony Clement would not be standing in the House any more to account for his actions in regards to the G8 Legacy Fund. Presumably, this seemed like a good idea at the time. Conceivably, this was thought to be fine communications strategy, at least insofar as “communications” now mostly involves figuring out how best to steer conversations away from any kind of reflection.

This decision was likely based on the premise that the questions would eventually cease to be asked if Mr. Clement refused to respond. That the opposition parties would get bored or distracted or frustrated, and the questions about gazebos and such would subside and everyone would move on to something less consequential.

Alas, the solution has become a communications problem of its own. For here we are, months later, and the questions have not ceased. Each and every day (or nearly so), at least one MP from the NDP side is sent up to ask at least one more question of or related to Mr. Clement. And each and every day (or nearly so), Mr. Clement sits and does nothing on his own behalf, except maybe to mutter at the question asked of him or applaud the answer offered for him.

We arrive at this daily spectacle as a result of what must only be termed an epiphany on the opposition side. Continue…

Rogers Communications turns 50

By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9:05 AM - 3 Comments

Rogers Communications  celebrated their 50th anniversary in Ottawa at the Metropolitain Brasserie.

(Left to right) Rogers president and CEO Nadir Mohamed and Rogers Vice Chairman Phil Lind.

(Left to right) U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.

Liberal MP Justin Trudeau.

Loretta Rogers.

Continue…

This is the week that was

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM - 0 Comments

Paul Dewar and Brian Topp divvied up endorsements. Nathan Cullen proposed joint nomination meetings. Mr. Dewar worked the room in Winnipeg. Mr. Topp dared suggest raising taxes.

John McCallum and Tony Clement exchanged tweets. The shadow cabinet was shuffled. House of Commons redistribution proposals were floated, but Tim Uppal cautioned against believing everything a government source tells you. The Harper government tabled its Wheat Board reforms and took aim at its crime-fighting partners. Dean Del Mastro’s lamented selectively. Steven Blaney sided with the French. Charlie Angus kept on mocking Mr. Clement. John Turner kept on complaining. And Pat Martin tried to explain himself. Continue…

Let’s all have a good laugh about parliamentary accountability

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 1:10 PM - 13 Comments

Unable to get via Twitter to his question about Tony Clement’s promised committee appearance, John McCallum tried the Question Period yesterday. John Baird promptly stood on Mr. Clement’s behalf and assured the House that Mr. Clement would be taking questions from a parliamentary committee at some point.

This segued nicely into a lively exchange between Charlie Angus and Mr. Clement.

Harper’s facial hair and new gig writing books

By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, October 17, 2011 at 8:05 AM - 4 Comments

Photography by Mitchel Raphael

Harper’s final chapter

For several years Stephen Harper has been working on a book about hockey. The PM can finally use one of the Conservatives’ favourite catchphrases: “Getting the job done.” Word is the book is written. A publication date has yet to be announced.

A cake for Clement

During question period, NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus has been counting the days that Treasury Board President Tony Clement has refused to answer questions about what Angus calls the G8 “slush fund.” The MP says that on the 150th day, in the first week of November, he will present the cabinet minister with a cake and, he jokes, “maybe it will have a file in it.” Senior Tory cabinet ministers have expressed embarrassment to Capital Diary that Clement has not risen to explain himself (or apologize, if necessary). Foreign Minister John Baird gets up to answer questions on his behalf, although Clement is sitting right next to him. Perhaps there’s a double standard regarding which ministers can answer questions in the House: Defence Minister Peter MacKay recently rose to answer queries about his use of aircrafts. Liberal MP Judy Sgro says that under Jean Chrétien, ministers had to answer their own questions. There was only one exception: if the opposition called for a minister to resign, Chrétien took the question.

Continue…

The long-gun registry six

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 10:53 AM - 8 Comments

A footnote to this footnote.

Left to their own devices, six New Democrat MPs who had previously stated their opposition to the long-gun registry subsequently voted to defeat C-391: Malcolm Allen, Charlie Angus, Claude Gravelle, Carol Hughes, Peter Stoffer and Glenn Thibeault.

Four of the six—Allen, Gravelle, Hughes and Thibeault—subsequently increased their total vote and margin of victory in this spring’s election over their 2008 election result. Messrs. Angus and Stoffer saw their vote totals decrease, but still won by 18.7 and 23.5 percentage points respectively.

Conversely, four of the seven Liberals who were compelled to change their votes and subsequently stood for reelection, were defeated this spring.

Make of this what you will.

The Commons: Rest assured, your vote is appreciated

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 6:09 PM - 15 Comments

The Scene. Bob Rae rose with provocation in rhyme.

“Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the President of the Treasury Board, we know very well that he can Twitter. We know very well that he can tweet,” he informed the House. “What we also know is that he cannot get up on his feet.”

After the interim Liberal leader had expounded on the “absurd situation” before us—a cabinet minister unable or unwilling to stand in the House and explain his actions in helping divvy up millions in “border infrastructure” funds for bike racks and gazebos in his riding—the Prime Minister stood and restated the script about this having been “thoroughly aired” and there being “process improvements” to be made and so forth.

Then though, feeling charitable or chuffed or some combination thereof, the Prime Minister decided to impart his analysis of the spring election’s meaning and lessons. Continue…

The Commons: Tony Clement’s one-man sit-in

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, September 26, 2011 at 6:10 PM - 20 Comments

The Scene. The Hill was alive this day with the vigour of public protest. On the lawn, several hundred lay siege to the barricades, anxious with objections to a continental oil pipeline. Inside the House, Tony Clement kept vigil on his seat, resolutely unwilling to remove his posterior from it in defiance of the opposition’s tyranny.

Thomas Mulcair’s first question was actually quite simple enough.

“Mr. Speaker, earlier this year the Prime Minister released an important document entitled ‘Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State,’ ” the NDP deputy reviewed. “Could the Prime Minister tell us if it is within the guidelines for a minister to run government funding out of his constituency office? Is it within the guidelines to have inaccurate and incomplete information provided to the Auditor General? Also, is it within the guidelines to have ministers interfere in spending reviews?”

Mr. Mulcair was just wondering these things, mind you. He was not necessarily referring to the latest news concerning Tony Clement’s handling of the G8 Legacy Fund, he was just speaking in the theoretical.

Continue…

The first day back, and two MPs’ ‘messy breakup’

By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, September 26, 2011 at 9:50 AM - 0 Comments

Photography by Mitchel Raphael

Jack Layton’s chair to go to his family

MPs arriving back on the Hill for the first day of Parliament were greeted by black coffins covered in cut-out, pastel-coloured butterflies on which were written the names of murdered and missing Aboriginal women. It was part of an awareness campaign coordinated by Walk4Justice. That morning, there were tributes for Jack Layton, and his green House of Commons chair was left empty for the day. NDP MP Peter Stoffer says his caucus is buying the chair Layton sat in for $950 and presenting to the late leader’s family. MPs wore orange ribbons in honour of Layton, though at question period it was mostly NDP, Liberal and Bloc parliamentarians wearing them. That included both interim Liberal leader Bob Rae and interim Bloc leader Louis Plamondon. On the Hill for the tribute was former NDP leader Alexa McDonough. The day before, she had helped with the orientation sessions for new MPs from all parties, covering issues ranging from office management to how to avoid temptations like the endless supply of booze at Hill functions. Question period started with interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel reading her questions from her papers, which lessened the impact. She was followed by NDP finance critic Peggy Nash, whose voice boomed out. “I’m used to speaking at rallies,” quipped Nash, who is seen as a strong potential NDP leader candidate.

MPs call it splits

Liberal MPs Mark Eyking and Rodger Cuzner were both elected in 2000 and until Parliament resumed on Monday they were also roommates. “It’s a messy breakup,” jokes Cuzner. “Eyking wants visitation rights for the clock radio.” In reality, two of Eyking’s sons have moved to the capital. One sells real estate and the other is at university. That means Eyking’s wife is in the capital more often too. Cuzner jokes he was “tripping over” Eykings at their place. So he moved out and is now living with his nephew.

Continue…

A brief word on Tony Clement’s arse

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 2:00 PM - 1 Comment

Charlie Angus laments for the fact that John Baird continues to take questions directed at Tony Clement.

He’s accountable to the Canadian people through the House of Commons. They have turned his role in the House of Commons into some kind of private joke with him and John Baird.  I’ve got great respect for John Baird. This guy’s dealing with UN resolutions. This guy’s dealing with Libya.  That he’s got to take time out of his busy function to cover up Tony Clement’s arse is staggering.

Fight promotion

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 5:12 PM - 4 Comments

The NDP is touting its readiness to fight the government’s “lawful access” legislation.

“What we have been hearing from experts and citizen is that this new law gives the government and police way too much power to snoop into our lives,” said New Democrat Privacy and Digital Affairs Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay). “Canadians are right to feel that the Conservatives are not protecting their privacy and that we need to curb this bill.”

Over the summer Angus has been putting in place a team of MPs to work with civil society groups, stakeholders and citizens to fight against lawful access legislation both in and out of parliament.

“Spearheading” the fight at the justice committee will be Charmaine Borg, one of the NDP’s undergrads.