Team Rae

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 3:08 PM - 6 Comments

The interim Liberal leader has announced his House line-up.

Dominic LeBlanc takes Mr. Rae’s old spot at foreign affairs and Irwin Cotler takes Mr. LeBlanc’s old spot at justice. Rookies Sean Casey and Ted Hsu get veterans affairs and science respectively.

The Night of 1,000 Delusions

By Scott Feschuk - Friday, May 6, 2011 at 7:00 AM - 57 Comments

Adrien Veczan/Reuters

The most surreal moment of election night 2011 took form as it became apparent to one and all that Jack Layton, leader of the Opposition, had lost his mind.

It’s well and good to celebrate a historic surge in one’s popular support. A wide smile and a jubilant bit of cane-waving are undoubtedly in order. But a few lines into Layton’s speech, a nation gaped as it grew clear the NDP leader had mistaken his moral victory for, you know, an actual victory. He seemed to labour under the impression that he would hold sway in the next Parliament. Indeed, Layton went so far as to imagine that Stephen Harper would be psyched to meet with him to discuss NDP priorities.

It was kind of adorable, like a kitten pawing at a vacuum. One envisioned Layton’s aides whispering between themselves:

Continue…

The Commons: Law and points of order

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 7:07 PM - 99 Comments

The Scene. Bev Oda stood this to day to audibly commit various words to the official record. Really, it was the least she could do.

In keeping with the government side’s “operational decision,” John Baird stood to take the first two questions asked of the International Cooperation Minister this afternoon, but then the Liberals asked generally about the functioning of Canada’s development agency. Here Ms. Oda motioned to Mr. Baird that she could take this one and so she stood and mouthed various platitudes.

Then though, Liberal Anita Neville stood with her supplementary, wondering if, while she had the minister’s attention, she might ask some questions specific to the handling of KAIROS. And so she did. And so Ms. Oda apparently felt compelled to stand again. What followed from her had absolutely and precisely nothing to do with the particular issue at hand. But she spoke words. And she did so while standing. And that was apparently more than enough for members of the government side to leap up and applaud her when she’d finished.

Less enthusiastic was the response to another day of questions about how the Conservatives funded their campaign for high office in 2006. Continue…

Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen and Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada

By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 8:58 PM - 0 Comments

New Brunswick Conservative Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen hosted the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada at the National Arts Centre. The event was the world premier of the company’s Ghosts of Violence, a work that tackles the subject of women who have died at the hands of an intimate partner. Below is Stewart Olsen with Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc.

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Liberal MPs Michelle Simson (left) and Anita Neville.

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(L to R) New Brunswick Premier David Alward, Carolyn Stewart Olsen and Public Works and Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose.

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'No public figure can be completely immune'

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 11:50 AM - 35 Comments

Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc, recently the subject of death threats, considers the reality of public life.

“It makes us all stop and think,” LeBlanc told the Star on Monday. “No public figure can be completely immune from any threat whatsoever if you’re taking public positions on controversial issues. But it’s the responsibility of the police to ensure that public persons’ freedoms aren’t restricted by these threats.”

… Events like in Arizona, certainly that incident involving Mr. Chrétien, remind everybody that there’s often a violent fringe element that doesn’t live in any kind of real world, or any kind of reality, and can resort to senseless violence without any warning,” LeBlanc said.

Last year, a Guelph court dealt with a mentally ill woman who had been threatening the Prime Minister.

'The process is a serious one'

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, December 10, 2010 at 11:29 AM - 46 Comments

From yesterday’s scrums after QP, here is Liberal defence critic Dominic LeBlanc’s response to the NDP’s impatience.

My understanding is that the process is going quite well. Mr. Dion and others don’t identify any disruptions in the process. The NDP were not serious from the beginning in finding a way to make a process work. They sabotaged the discussions and walked out prematurely as they had always planned to do. So this is as predictable as their publicity stunt around the discussions with the government. I think it is a little disingenuous to pretend that former Supreme Court justices and senior judges would somehow be involved in a sham process and as a front for some government obstruction. My understand is that the process is a serious one and is proceeding well and I’m quite confident that we will see some documents released very soon.

Separately, Gilles Duceppe said there would be documents made public in January.

The Commons: Sergeant Harper deploys his decibels

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 6:50 PM - 0 Comments

The Scene. Flirting dangerously with a public demonstration of intellect, Ralph Goodale opened with a reference to Einstein. “The definition of insanity,” Mr. Goodale mused, referring to the father of modern physics, “is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

This could’ve been understood as a comment on most of the actors in our political process, but in this case was apparently intended as a reference to the Prime Minister. ”In the case of the Chinook military helicopters, the Conservative sole-sourced, untendered, non-competitive process caused overruns of 100 percent and at least five years delay. The Auditor General says that fiasco could well be repeated on the F-35 purchase; sole-sourced, untendered, non-competitive,” the Liberal deputy continued. “Why will the government not listen to Sheila Fraser, define the specifications and get competitive bids?”

The Prime Minister stood here to dismiss this. “Mr. Speaker, of course, nothing could be further from the tooth,” he shrugged, quickly correctly himself to say “truth.” Continue…

Shadow cabinet shuffle

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 12:20 PM - 0 Comments

Michael Ignatieff has significantly restructured his government-in-waiting. Ralph Goodale is elevated to deputy leader, David McGuinty becomes house leader, Scott Brison replaces John McCallum in finance, Gerard Kennedy takes over environment, Dominic LeBlanc goes to defence, Ujjal Dosanjh goes to health, Marlene Jennings gets justice and Denis Coderre returns to the shadow cabinet as natural resources critic.

Full list after the jump. Continue…

The Commons: A day like any other

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 8:35 PM - 40 Comments

The Scene. As Bob Rae began the first question of the last Question Period before this third session of the 40th Parliament pauses for the summer, a respectful silence took hold.

The subject matter was this morning’s release of the final report from the inquiry into the Air India bombing. Mr. Rae commended the government and the inquiry’s commissioner. The Prime Minister stood and added his thanks to Justice Major. Mr. Rae probed for specific details of the government’s expected response, Mr. Harper offered assurances. The two danced quite delicately on the edge of combativeness, this adversarial system at its most sensitive.

Not until the Speaker called on the polarizing member for Ajax-Pickering, the Liberal Mark Holland, did the noise return to the chamber, government members groaning and moaning as Mr. Holland abruptly and loudly changed topics. Continue…

The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 4:00 PM - 40 Comments

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses. Continue…

The new new deadline on Afghan detainee documents

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, June 4, 2010 at 9:37 AM - 22 Comments

And so next week looks potentially pivotal in various ways for various parties.

Bloc Quebecois House Leader Pierre Paquette says the time has come for opposition parties to set a deadline and proceed with a contempt of Parliament motion if the government fails to meet it. NDP justice critic Joe Comartin agrees, however Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale is urging all sides to take a deep breath and concentrate on finalizing the deal.

Update 10:36am. A meeting of all parties has been convened this morning and may even still be happening at this very moment. More to come later. If there is, in fact, more to come.

Update 2:32pm. Not much more, but here are Joe Comartin’s comments after QP today. Continue…

The Commons: Aboard this tiny ship

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 6:48 PM - 87 Comments

The Scene. As Dominic LeBlanc proceeded with his opening statement, a general denunciation of the government’s spending on this month’s meeting of the G20, a young man from the opposition research department made his way along press row, passing out photos of what appeared to be a rundown tugboat. The vessel in question would turn out to be a steamboat, but this would take a moment to become clear.

“Mr. Speaker,” proclaimed John Baird when Mr. LeBlanc finished, “we have brought in Canada’s economic action plan designed to encourage job creation, more hope, more opportunity, and the good news is the plan is working.”

Mr. LeBlanc made his second intervention, wondering aloud how security costs had so dramatically multiplied. Mr. Baird returned to his feet to explain that this was somehow Michael Ignatieff’s fault (“Who also supported the location of Huntsville for the G8 summit? In fact, it was the Liberal leader.”).

Here, finally, did Mr. LeBlanc turn to the small matter of this mysterious marine vessel. Continue…

Someone should do something to make things somehow better

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 10:40 AM - 13 Comments

This video has been posted to YouTube under the headline “Jason Kenney calls for more civility in the House.” It features two of the more prominent members of Parliament lamenting for the tone and tenor of debate in Ottawa and if you look closely you can just about make out the halos that hang above each’s head.

Senators boogie on the dance floor at All-Party Party

By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 9:15 AM - 7 Comments

The final All-Party Party organized by NDP MP Peter Stoffer packed 200 West Block. The building is scheduled for major maintenance and will be closed for years. Below, Liberal Senator David Smith (left) and Tory Senator Nancy Ruth take to the dance floor.

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Liberal MP Siobhan Coady.

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The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Sunday, May 9, 2010 at 9:35 AM - 20 Comments

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses. Continue…

The Commons: ‘Whoops!’

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, May 3, 2010 at 6:09 PM - 28 Comments

The Scene. Dominic LeBlanc stood and did as so many great rhetoricians have done before him. In this moment, he stood and sought solace in a complicated law that governs the professional behaviour of elected officials.

“Mr. Speaker, the Conflict of Interest Act specifically states that a public office holder is in a conflict of interest when he or she exercises an official power, duty or function that provides an opportunity to further the private interests of their friends,” Mr. LeBlanc stated.

And so the echoes were sufficiently stirred.

Funny thing about this Gaffer Affair, the longer it remains with us, the more substantive it becomes. What once was a simple tale of well-endowed prostitutes and illicit narcotics is now something to do with the Conflict of Interest Act, a 13-page code of conduct that is understood by perhaps one person in the capital. This is progress. Continue…

Day 6 of 14

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, May 3, 2010 at 10:33 AM - 4 Comments

Joe Comartin and Jack Harris have just now briefed reporters on this morning’s negotiations. Progress is apparently being made, specifics are being dealt with, no roadblocks as yet. Mr. Harris observes “good faith from all sides” and he repeats that the solution has to be “parliamentary.” Some suggestion the government would like a resolution by Friday.

Liberals Ralph Goodale and Dominic LeBlanc are similarly positive. Both stress compliance with the Speaker’s ruling. One idea that has apparently been floated is that the committee be made up of one member from each party—but that seems to be just one of many options under discussion.

More from the Canadian Press, Globe, Sun, CBC and CTV.

The Commons: Let he who is without shame

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 6:10 PM - 82 Comments

The Scene. Liberal Dominic LeBlanc rose to report on the latest stash of documents to be released in regards to the Gaffer Affair and to wonder aloud, with seven departments now said to have been contacted by Rahim Jaffer, how many more ministers and parliamentary secretaries were still to disclose their communications with the husband of the deposed Helena Guergis.

And so John Baird stood to pronounce on the heroism of his government. ”Mr. Speaker, let me very clear,” Mr. Baird clarified, “we would not be having this debate about documents if it were not for the government which made all these documents public.”

Alas, the Liberals did not congratulate the minister so much as laugh derisively.

Mr. LeBlanc stood again and took direct aim at Mr. Baird with the allegation that the Transport Minister had put his parliamentary secretary between he and Mr. Jaffer and that such a move might constitute some violation of the vaunted Accountability Act. And here Mr. Baird did what he had the day before—he invoked the ghosts of Liberal scandals past. Continue…

The negotiations (II)

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 11:08 AM - 4 Comments

Liberal house leader Ralph Goodale and justice critic Dominic LeBlanc emerged just now to report on this morning’s discussion amongst parties. Both seemed reasonably confident. Mr. Goodale said the meeting was not confrontational. Mr. LeBlanc said there appeared to be a determination from all parties to find compromise.

The parties will meet again early next week.

Mid-afternoon in Guergis

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 16, 2010 at 3:40 PM - 70 Comments

Dominic LeBlanc says the government didn’t act fast enough to guard the cabinet. The Globe tries to sort out exactly what the ethics commissioner was asked or told. Libby Davies formally asks the ethics commission to investigate. Mark Holland formally asks the lobbying commissioner to investigate. Mr. Gillani’s spokesman talks to the CBC. Doug Bell notes that spokesman is also a dog photographer. Alison Crawford notes the difference between “credible” and “serious and credible” allegations. The Prime Minister of New Zealand surmises that salaciousness is universal. Mr. Jaffer is scheduled to appear before a parliamentary committee next week. And the Ontario Provincial Police union wants to know why the charges against Mr. Jaffer were dropped.

The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, April 3, 2010 at 3:18 PM - 14 Comments

After a week off to accommodate all that thinking in Montreal, here is the return of our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses. Continue…

The Commons: Just visiting

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 6:31 PM - 7 Comments

The Scene. As lovely as it is to be visited, it is always, at least for the conscientious host, a cause of some anxiety. Is the house clean enough? Is the fridge well-stocked? Are the guests sufficiently comfortable and entertained? Will they approve of our choice of wallpaper? And what, heavens, will they think of our approach to Arctic sovereignty and the war in Afghanistan?

“Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs told the House that there would be no request from the Americans to extend Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, but yesterday, Hillary Clinton came to town and blew the government’s cover,” Michael Ignatieff offered with his opportunity.

The Conservative side groaned.

“It is perfectly obvious the request had either been made or was just about to be made,” he continued. “It is perfectly obvious the government knew the request had either been made or was coming. The question is simple. Why did the Conservatives mislead Canadians last week?”

Whatever was perfectly obvious to the Liberal leader was apparently quite confusing to the Prime Minister. “Mr. Speaker,” he sighed, “I really do not know what the leader of the opposition is talking about.”
Continue…

The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, March 19, 2010 at 4:53 PM - 13 Comments

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses. Continue…

The Backbench Top Ten

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, March 12, 2010 at 4:40 PM - 23 Comments

And now the debut of a new weekly feature here at Beyond the Commons: a wholly arbitrary ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Exact criteria will take shape over time, points for now will be awarded on general competence and ability to amuse me. Continue…