A slow-moving trainwreck

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, December 5, 2011 at 10:45 AM - 0 Comments

Chuck Strahl further complicates John Duncan’s complicated explanation of who knew what about Attawapiskat and when.

In an interview with CBC Radio’s The House, Strahl tells host Evan Solomon the crisis at Attawapiskat “has been a slow moving train-wreck for a long time … Attawapiskat “was always a problem,” said Strahl. ”It was not good when I was there, and I don’t think it’s appreciably, or any better now. That was well known, everybody knew it was a very difficult community for a bunch of reasons.”

The House will pass judgment on asbestos

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 9:00 AM - 0 Comments

This evening the House of Commons will vote on the following NDP motion.

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) ban the use and export of asbestos; (b) support international efforts to add chrysotile asbestos to the list of hazardous chemical products under the Rotterdam Convention; (c) assist affected workers by developing a Just Transition Plan with measures to accommodate their re-entry into the workforce; (d) introduce measures dedicated to affected older workers, through the employment insurance program, to assure them of a decent standard of living until retirement; and (e) support communities and municipalities in asbestos producing regions through an investment fund for regional economic diversification.

The government whip’s office won’t say whether this will be considered a free vote for Conservatives.

Conservative MP Patricia Davidson has lobbied the government to reconsider its position on asbestos in the past and restated her opposition to exports two months ago. Former cabinet minister Chuck Strahl, father of current Conservative MP Mark Strahl, has recommended that Canada support the addition of asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention.

Full archive of asbestos coverage here.

Why Harper is never in the Stampede parade

By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, July 4, 2011 at 9:10 AM - 5 Comments

Photographs by Mitchel Raphael

Security, the royals and the parade

The Canadian tour of Prince William and Kate includes a stop at the Calgary Stampede. One MP said local officials hoped the couple would actually be in the Stampede parade, but that doesn’t look like a possibility because the security costs would be too high with so many tall buildings along the route. Ever since Stephen Harper became PM, Conservatives have been hoping to get him into the parade. But, according to the MP, the security costs for that to happen were estimated a few years ago at $300,000. The Windsors would likely cost a lot more. So instead crowds will see the royal couple do the route in reverse (a 20-minute car trip as opposed to the hours-long parade), ending up at Bow Valley College, where they will officially start the parade.

MacKay knows if you have served

At Party Under the Stars, a fundraiser to help purchase electronic and other recreational equipment for troops in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Peter MacKay told the crowd that whenever anyone sees a member of the Canadian Forces they should go up and thank them. When Capital Diary asked MacKay’s aide if the minister practises what he preaches, the aide confirmed that he did and added that his boss can spot armed forces personnel even when they are out of uniform, by looking for certain bags or signs. One time in Frankfurt’s airport he went up to an out-of-uniform Canadian soldier and thanked him. The shocked soldier asked, “How did you know I was in the military?” MacKay just smiled.

Continue…

This is the week that was

By Aaron Wherry - Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 4:18 PM - 0 Comments

The Conservatives were bashful. And mysterious. And succinct.

The House talked and talked and talked and talked and talked about sending Canada Post employees back to work. And then it stopped.

The government tabled the Afghan detainee documents. Which you can read more about here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Continue…

'Problematic if misused'

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 11:28 AM - 3 Comments

Former cabinet minister Chuck Strahl says the government should support the addition of asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention.

Canada has to decide if asbestos should be listed in the Rotterdam Convention as a product that is ‘flagged’ as potentially harmful. We should do that, not because chrysotile, or white, asbestos is the most dangerous (it’s not) or because it cannot be used safely in some circumstances (it can), but because importers and exporters have the right to know it can be problematic if misused.

While the government still refuses to say whether it will support the listing of asbestos, Julia Belluz takes to our new blog Science-ish to take apart the claim that chrysotile asbestos can be used safely.

Dear son

By Erica Alini - Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 1:08 PM - 6 Comments

Former Conservative MP Chuck Strahl sends his boy, newly elected Conservative MP Mark Strahl, off to his first day of Parliament.

Almost always, charting the path forward during those moments means convincing others – or being convinced – that the team needs to “speak with one voice.” Hard work to be sure, but remember that the caucus and the cabinet are in the political fray with you, and they need to know you have their back – and they, yours. The team isn’t the be-all and end-all, but it’s important. And you will hang together or you will hang separately.

A little help from their friends?

By Nancy Macdonald - Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 5:50 PM - 2 Comments

Ken Goudswaard/The Chilliwack Times

Nepotism, cronyism, coronations—B.C. Conservatives, long used to attacking the Liberals with these charges, now find themselves in the curious position of attacking their own the same way.

The issue has cropped up in the old Reform heartland, where MPs like Chuck Strahl and Stockwell Day used to make hay tackling the patronage and privilege infecting Ottawa. On March 12, Transport Minister Strahl announced his retirement from politics. Barely a week later, his son Mark snagged the nomination in Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, his dad’s Bible belt riding, hardly hurting for fresh Tory blood. Yet Strahl faced a single opponent. “A number of very prominent, very interesting people” were keen to run, says Chilliwack deputy mayor Sue Attrill. But the abbreviated process barred “80 per cent” of them, says Casey Langbroek, an accountant who served for 16 years on council. Langbroek, who was stranded in Ontario on business when he learned of the race, calls the process a “gross injustice.”

It’s the same story in the riding next door, long held by Treasury Board President Stockwell Day, who announced his retirement the same day as Strahl. In Okanagan-Coquihalla, only three candidates, all associates of Day’s—his former parliamentary secretary and two members of his constituency board—were able to get their nomination papers in on time.

Continue…

MPs mix with Genie stars

By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 9:05 AM - 6 Comments

The 31^st annual Genie Awards were held at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. Below, Industry Minister Tony Clement.

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Laureen Harper.

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Shannon Tweed and the boys!

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Continue…

Au revoir, Chuck Strahl and John Cummins

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 1:19 PM - 45 Comments

The Transport Minister and the Conservative backbencher will also refrain from seeking reelection. Both were members of the Reform party’s class of 1993.

Since the last election, Jay Hill has resigned, while Jim Abbott and Keith Martin have announced they will not seek reelection. Assuming that all those who remain decide to stand for reelection and are subsequently relected, that class is poised to be reduced to six after the next vote: Diane Ablonczy, Leon Benoit, Garry Breitkreuz, John Duncan, Stephen Harper and Dick Harris.

That's a no, sort of

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, February 11, 2011 at 6:16 PM - 33 Comments

Transport Minister Chuck Strahl dismisses any use of gas tax revenues to fund an arena in Quebec City.

“We have no plans to change that criteria,” Infrastructure Minister Chuck Strahl told reporters in Montreal. ”(The program is) quite flexible. It’s not infinitely flexible,” he added.

And yet, “a PMO spokesman explained that Strahl’s comments on Friday applied only to the gas tax—not to the possibility of funding an arena.”

Jim Prentice’s goodbye bash

By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, December 28, 2010 at 3:11 PM - 1 Comment

Former cabinet minister Jim Prentice held a goodbye party before the House rose. Prentice (left) with Justice Minister Rob Nicholson.

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Tory MP Lynne Yelich (left) with Karen Prentice.

Continue…

The Commons: Anyone can be environment minister

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 7:02 PM - 70 Comments

The Scene. Demonstrating their interest in climate change as a matter of great consequence, the official opposition led this afternoon with Michael Ignatieff’s 95th, 96th and 97th attempts to convince the Prime Minister that the government’s spending priorities are woeful and that the Liberal home care proposal is a superior alternative. After the Prime Minister had batted away these entreaties just as he had the previous 94, the Liberals sent up Lise Zarac, a backbencher, to ask about the latest report of the environmental commissioner and his passingly troublesome suggestion that the government lacked anything like a comprehensive plan for what the Prime Minister once termed “perhaps the biggest threat to confront the future of humanity today.”

And here, in the form of Chuck Strahl, did the government demonstrate the seriousness with which it views our potential apocalypse.

In fairness, John Baird, the government’s part-time environment minister, was away this day—off to carry this country’s banner at climate talks in Cancun. But Mark Warawa, the Conservative who has for four years now held the title of “Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment” and who presently collects an extra $15,834 per annum as compensation for performing that task, was most certainly present. And while Mr. Strahl is certainly a fine performer and seemingly a pleasant enough man, it is unclear what, if anything, he has to do with leading this government’s efforts against what is perhaps the biggest threat to confront the future of humanity today. Continue…

Where the responsibility belongs

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 1:18 PM - 52 Comments

The House is debating today the Bloc motion on Afghanistan. In his remarks this morning, the NDP’s Jack Harris recalled a private member’s bill that would have subjected all peacekeeping missions to debate and a vote in the House. The mover of that bill was Chuck Strahl, the current Minister of Transport.

Bill C-295 is a good idea, worthy of all party support because it would not cut off or even reduce Canada’s peacekeeping role in the world. Rather, it would affirm and institutionalize the role of peacekeeping in Canada’s foreign policy and strengthen Canada’s place as a leader among the United Nations.

Neither would it reduce the power of the government to make decisions about the deployment of Canadian troops. The bill deals strictly with peacekeeping and allows cabinet full authority to act on a temporary basis. However, it also places the responsibility for our long term commitments squarely where it belongs, in the capable hands of the Canadian people through their members in the House of Commons.

Choose your own adventure

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, October 15, 2010 at 12:47 PM - 0 Comments

The Harper government is talking, isn’t talking and is prepared to talk with the United Arab Emirates, not there’s anything to talk about.

… on Thursday, International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan told Reuters News Agency that Canada hasn’t made a final decision to reject the UAE’s request that more landing slots at airports such as Pearson be given to its two air carriers. The Conservative minister said talks are continuing…

Within hours of Mr. Van Loan’s comments hitting the newswires, another government official denied, on background, that air-negotiation talks were still taking place. And a spokesman for Transport Minister Chuck Strahl said that his department believes the existing air flight agreement with UAE adequately serves market needs…

Asked to clarify his remarks, Mr. Van Loan would only say that Ottawa remains ready to talk.

Notable use of adjective

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 10:16 AM - 0 Comments

Transport Minister Chuck Strahl, responding yesterday to a question about the proposed arena for Quebec City.

Mr. Speaker, of course many Canadians are proud sports fans. They support their sports team wherever they happen to be in all regions of this country and that is great to see. It brings not only cultural opportunities but also economic opportunities across the country.

These initiatives are primarily led by private sector interests. In the case of the NHL, these are wealthy owners along with wealthy hockey players who bring us a lot of fun, but they need to take the lead on this and we look forward to any leadership they might show in the private sector as we move forward with this kind of initiative.

Your hopes, redashed

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 5:00 PM - 0 Comments

Transport Minister Chuck Strahl says there’ll be no federal funding for the arena in Quebec City without private investment first.

“It really has to be driven by the private sector and so far that hasn’t happened,” Strahl told reporters Tuesday. ”The best way forward for any hockey team is (to) get the private sector involved, let them take the lead on it and let them tell you how they’re going to make this work. Then other levels of government can say, ‘If that’s what you’re going to do, this is how we can contribute.’”

The new line-up

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, August 6, 2010 at 10:37 AM - 0 Comments

We interrupt this vacation to note that the Prime Minister is on television explaining that Parliament depends on the “maturity and wisdom” of its members.

So John Baird fills Jay Hill’s spot as government house leader, Chuck Strahl fills Baird’s spot at Transport and John Duncan fills Strahl’s spot at Indian Affairs.

As Transport Minister John Baird not only handled questions on the federal stimulus program, he took the Prime Minister’s questions when Mr. Harper was absent from QP and defended other ministers (Helena Guergis, par exemple) when the questions became too incessantly uncomfortable. Continue…

Small world

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 11:13 AM - 0 Comments

Here, from last week’s edition of the magazine, is a profile of Ray Novak, the Prime Minister’s largely unknown, but decidedly important, right-hand man.

A decade ago, Ray was a fastidious young student politician at Western. At approximately the same time, I was becoming an overly serious young student journalist for The Gazette. I would have, if memory serves, peripherally covered his campaign for student council president. The Gazette editorial board—of which I was a member—endorsed his campaign (overly earnest headline: ‘Winds of change’), our considerable influence apparently just enough to help Ray to a second-place finish.

Of those who would covered that campaign closely, one (John Intini) is a senior editor at this magazine, another (Nina Chiarelli) is now director of communications for Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl. Here is the story from election night—Ray is pictured at top, hiding his disappointment behind a garish shirt. The student to his left, Paul Hong, is now director of policy for Lawrence Cannon.

The Commons: Picking up the crisis where we left it

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, November 16, 2009 at 5:42 PM - 27 Comments

The Scene. So where were we? Ah yes, that global pandemic.

“Mr. Speaker, the last time the House sat, the Minister of Health claimed that every Canadian who wanted the H1N1 vaccine would receive it before Christmas,” Carolyn Bennett recapped. “Now, she is saying that the rollout will take up to 12 more weeks and run well into next February.”

So it is for the Health Minister. If not for her having to periodically stand and state things as fact, her critics would likely have little to complain about.

“Why,” asked Ms. Bennett, “did the minister mislead the House and why did she not tell Canadians the truth?”

The Prime Minister, the Transport Minister and the Industry Minister were all away this day, so Leona Aglukkaq was offered the chance here to answer the question herself.

“Mr. Speaker, again, we have said all along that we would try and complete the vaccination program by December,” she said.

Her use of the term “try” was perhaps notable, at least in so much as it was not employed two weeks ago when the Minister told the House that, “every Canadian who wants the vaccine will be able to receive the vaccine by Christmas.”

But close enough. Continue…

The Commons: In joyful strains then let us sing, Advance Australia Fair

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 5:44 PM - 17 Comments

The Scene. Like a young man on the verge of a break from school—and indeed the House will not be in session next week—the Prime Minister seemed lighter this day. Rising from his seat before Question Period, he stopped by to visit with John Baird and Chuck Strahl, the three demonstrably laughing at something or other the Prime Minister had to say. Returning to his spot, Mr. Harper chuckled with Lawrence Cannon about something on Jim Prentice’s BlackBerry.

Yes, indeed, all was fun and frivolous. And then Bob Rae stood up.

“Mr. Speaker, we now know that more than half of the vaccines that have been produced are in fact in storage and not in people’s arms,” the Liberal reported. “Experts are also telling us that the peak of the epidemic is expected to be at the end of November and not at Christmas, so I would like to ask the Prime Minister this: What exactly is going to change to ensure that Canadians in fact are inoculated before the end of November?”

The Prime Minister rose to respond, appearing largely unperturbed by Mr. Rae’s suggestion that something was amiss. Continue…

Confidence, or the distinct lack thereof

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, October 2, 2009 at 6:18 PM - 29 Comments

The entirety of yesterday’s debate on the Liberal motion of non-confidence is likely worth a read this weekend, but here we’ll excerpt the final submissions from the Liberal and NDP sides, Bob Rae and Thomas Mulcair pitted against each other.

Unfortunately, the motion went to a vote at the end of Mr. Mulcair’s remarks, likely depriving us of further battle between the two. Some media outlet or think tank might find a Conservative to include—maybe Chuck Strahl—and make a traveling show of it. Continue…

The Commons: Shameful, callous, disrespectful, unacceptable, insensitive

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 6:29 PM - 74 Comments

The Scene. Nothing quite calms the barroom atmosphere of an afternoon in the House of Commons quite like death. Or, in this case, the theoretical possibility of same.

So that silence descended today once it became clear that Todd Russell (left) was opening Question Period with something of such seriousness.

“Mr. Speaker, imagine that you, your child or your grandmother has H1N1. Imagine people who live in fear at the spread of this disease. Imagine being a community leader or health worker pleading for help, trying to prepare and too often doing so on your own,” he began, speaking evenly and deliberately. “What message does it send a person, their people and their community when the government will not send medicine but will send body bags? Will the Minister of Health own up to her responsibilities and apologize for this shameful incompetence?”

There were some grumbles and groans from the government side.

The Health Minister was otherwise engaged, so it was John Baird sent up to offer a response.

“Mr. Speaker, I totally agree with the member for Labrador,” he said. “What happened in recent events is unacceptable. It is incredibly insensitive and offensive. The Minister of Health has ordered her department to conduct a thorough and immediate inquiry into this matter and the results of that inquiry will be made public.” Continue…

Pixie dust

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 2:28 PM - 0 Comments

Here is the aforementioned magazine piece on Chuck Strahl.

If there is a minister in Stephen Harper’s cabinet capable of selling something new on the subject of Canada’s oldest struggle, it may be Strahl. Bob Rae has deemed him one of the best performers in the House of Commons. Equal parts folksy and stern, his metaphors are mostly food-based—“soup to nuts,” “peaches and cream.” He quotes Dr. Phil (“how’s that working for you?”). Even when talking about reopening the Indian Act, the contentious legislation of 1876 that has defined Aboriginal affairs ever since and is once again open for discussion, he pines for reasonableness. “I think that, while there’s a broad consensus that people don’t like it, both within our party and within the Aboriginal community,” he says, “what we’re doing is taking pragmatic steps to address outstanding issues instead of the big, grand reorganization plan.”

'Let's change the system'

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, August 10, 2009 at 12:31 PM - 8 Comments

Recently, in the process of researching for a magazine piece on Chuck Strahl (on newsstands now!), I stumbled across the University of Calgary’s online database of political papers and documents—a treasure trove of, among other things, old Reform party campaign pamphlets.

My favourite find so far might be this, “So You Don’t Trust Politicians. Neither Do We.” In fact, I’ve since printed it off and hung it on my office wall, right beside Stephane Dion’s first, last and only Christmas card as Liberal leader.

Elsewhere, on page 3 of this flyer, you’ll find a short write-up on an eager young Reformer named Patrick Muttart, who seems quite taken with the promise of free votes, voter recalls and referendums. Pity young Patrick never rose into a position of sufficient power to implement such changes.

At last report, obviously disillusioned with the political process in Canada, he was living in exile in Washington, D.C.