PHOTO GALLERY: NDP rock the House

By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 11:54 PM - 0 Comments

The NDP held their annual holiday party in the Hall of Honour. Great lighting, booze bars, an oyster bar and food stations were spread over the Hall and and adjoining meeting rooms. It was one of the best parties held on the Hill.

Mitchel Raphael on three very important political wives

By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 1:20 PM - 0 Comments

Harper draws the line
As the press gathered at 24 Sussex for Stephen Harper’s media Christmas party, there was buzz about whether the PM would perform as he did at the recent Conservative Christmas party (where he sang the Rolling Stones’ Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline). In one of the living rooms was a piano and a set of drums that had a red and white plastic popcorn box (available at Dollarama) attached to the side. When Capital Diary suggested Paparazzi by Lady Gaga might be an appropriate song, one bright PMO staffer jumped in with, “Yeah, in the meat dress,” referring to Lady Gaga’s infamous outfit at the MTV Video Music Awards. In the end, the PM just mingled. Laureen Harper noted there’s been pressure put on the PM to do more modern songs, but he’s resisted, preferring to keep it old school.

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Mitchel Raphael on NDP hijinks at the xmas party and why some tories boycotted theirs

By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM - 13 Comments

Jack gets worried
The NDP Christmas party featured a moustache showdown between MP Nathan Cullen of B.C. and MP Glenn Thibeault of Sudbury, Ont. The one voted to have the best moustache was supposed to shave off half the loser’s moustache. Thibeault seemed the clear winner (he noted that Cullen had more of a goatee than a moustache), but the equality-minded NDPers suddenly demanded both shave half their moustaches. NDP Leader Jack Layton helped with the proceedings but then quickly withdrew when the clippers approached his ’stache. Other entertainment for the evening included a spoof of CBC’s The National “At Issue” panel. Manitoba MP Niki Ashton dressed up like panellist Andrew Coyne of Maclean’s. She said the key to doing Coyne is to not move your hands. (Coyne actually does move his hands.) Vancouver MP Don Davies played panellist Chantal Hébert of the Toronto Star, but with his wig he looked more like his fellow MP Libby Davies. “I thought he was going to do me,” confessed Libby Davies, who is not related to Don. Meanwhile, on the Conservative Christmas front, several MPs boycotted their own party ($50 for no dinner, overpriced drinks, and a Prime Minister out of town wasn’t worth it, they said). At the Liberal Christmas party, there was some griping about Justin Trudeau working the room. One staffer said it was just a long walk to the washroom. If all those camera flashes were any indication, the reality was that most in the room wanted to see Trudeau. This year he sent out 7,000 Christmas cards. Two thousand were personalized.

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