The Commons: So much to answer for
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, June 2, 2009 - 26 Comments
The Scene. The good news for the Finance Minister was this: a full 45 minutes of Question Period passed this day without a single query about a federal deficit that may now be on track to total upwards of $170 billion. Not until after QP, surrounded by reporters, did the increasingly gaping hole in the national treasury come up. At which point, Jim Flaherty’s response was as follows.
“Well, you know, economists at TD and economists at the other banks are entitled to their view. I’m sure different economists will have different views. All of them were on average more optimistic than I was in the budget in January but they’re on the low side of the private sector forecasters right now.”
Er. Well, don’t get too worried about that $170 billion then. Indeed, it could be worse. For sure, it might be worse.
That though will be for whoever the Finance Minister is in 2014. Mr. Flaherty, no fool, will have surely bequeathed the position to someone else by then. Denis Coderre, say. Or Thomas Mulcair. Or Pierre Poilievre. Or whoever Prime Minister Gilles Duceppe decides to let handle the books.
In the meantime, the bad news for Mr. Flaherty was this: even without, apparently, the time to prepare some questions about our increasing indebtitude, the opposition still arrived for Question Period ready to press all sorts of issues said to demonstrate some failing or another in the minister. Continue…
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Student government leaders talk to big government
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, March 30, 2009 at 10:54 AM - 8 Comments
Members of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) were on the Hill lobbying MPs on issues pertaining to Canadian post-secondary institutions. Here is Zach Churchill (right), National Director of the CASA, with Liberal Cape Breton MP Mark Eyking.
Labour Minister Rona Ambrose with Stephen Lecce, President of the University Student Council at the University of Western Ontario.
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Tibet Rally on Hill: MPs, an athlete and serious nails
By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 2:38 AM - 0 Comments
A large gathering of Tibetans and their supporters arrived on Parliament Hill to mark the 50th anniversary of the Tibetans revolt against China’s invasion that resulted in the Dalai Lama fleeing to India into exile.
Former National rower David Kay spoke at the rally. He decided to cycle across Canada in an attempt to raise awareness about Tibet before the Olympics in Beijing last summer. He was upset more athletes did not speak up about China’s spotty human rights record.
Other speakers included Montreal Liberal MP Irwin Cotler.
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Politics and the Pen plus the Cabinet Ministers hairdresser
By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 9:31 PM - 50 Comments
The Writers’ Trust of Canada handed out their annual $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize honouring political writing excellence to James Orbinski for An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action in the Twenty-first Century at the annual Politics and the Pen gala dinner in the Fairmont Château Laurier ballroom. Politics and the Pen is one of Ottawa’s A-list events and brings out top politicians, including Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt and Transport Minister John Baird.
A full press! Adam Chambers, aide to Jim Flaherty, with Lynn Meahan (left), press secretary to Labour Minister Rona Ambrose, and Jasmine MacDonnell, press secretary to Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt.
Laureen Harper with former Conservative MP Monte Solberg and designer Justina McCaffrey.
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Ottawa food bank anniversary and a plate of nachos
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, February 16, 2009 at 1:17 PM - 9 Comments
The Ottawa Food Bank had a reception on the Hill marking its 25th anniversary. In 1984, Gerard Kennedy, now a Toronto Liberal MP, was executive director of the food bank in Edmonton. He came to Ottawa to help them set up their food bank.
Tim Powers of Summa Strategies, who helped organize the event, gets some Liberal love.
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The Commons: Stephen Harper requests your patience
By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 6:02 PM - 21 Comments
The Scene. Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper were debating the state of the aerospace industry. Suffice it to say, the Liberal leader feels the Prime Minister isn’t doing enough, while the Prime Minister feels the Liberal leader is being silly.
Offering his second reply en francais, the Prime Minister switched in mid-answer to English. A witty retort seemed imminent.
“The Leader of the Opposition cannot support an economic plan earlier in the week and two days later say it is not working yet,” Mr. Harper argued. “That does not really have a lot of credibility.”
Ignatieff smiled.
“Mr. Speaker,” the Liberal replied, “I cannot help it if I am an impatient man.”
The Conservatives laughed and cheered.
“In terms of the leader of the opposition’s patience, he demonstrated a lot of patience in his long, 36 year return to Canada,” the Prime Minister mused at his next opportunity. “I would urge him to show that kind of patience in the future.”
The Conservatives laughed and cheered.
Lost, for the moment, was the brainteaser Ignatieff had snuck in between the chuckles.
“Mr. Speaker,” he said, “can the Prime Minister assure us that his infrastructure spending will benefit all Canadians, no matter where they live or who they vote for?” Continue…
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Your Team Iggy starting line-up
By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 5:23 PM - 43 Comments
Posted without comment for the moment. Some attempt at analysis to follow after some consideration now offered below.
Intergovernmental Affairs Michael Ignatieff
House Leader Ralph Goodale
Deputy House Leader Marlene Jennings
Whip Rodger Cuzner
Deputy Whip Marcel Proulx
Finance John McCallum
Foreign Affairs Bob Rae
Defence Denis Coderre
Environment & Energy David McGuinty
Health Carolyn Bennett
Industry, Science & Technology Marc Garneau
Public Safety & National Security Mark Holland
Natural Resources Geoff Regan
Justice and Attorney-General Dominic LeBlanc
International Trade Scott Brison
Public Works and Government Services Martha Hall Findlay Continue… -
Recent historical precedent of the day
By Aaron Wherry - Monday, December 8, 2008 at 10:45 AM - 21 Comments
Do you suppose the Democrats would’ve ultimately regretted forgoing the primary process and just going with the candidate who appeared “inevitable” at the outset?
The Liberal Party of Canada may have few options under the present circumstances, but it is probably not gratuitous to point out that they will probably come to feel at least somewhat badly about whichever they choose. Not that that hasn’t been something of a party motto for the last couple decades.
No pressure, Mr. Ignatieff.
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Fantasy government
By Aaron Wherry - Monday, December 1, 2008 at 2:25 AM - 37 Comments
Latest reports put a coalition cabinet at 24 members—18 Liberal, 6 NDP.
Consider this a rough draft (uninformed by any inside information and based only on personal speculation). Continue…
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BTC: One question before we move on
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 2:22 PM - 64 Comments
“There are some who will tell you that the last election was simply an accident, never to be repeated again. According to them we only need a new Leader and a new slogan and Canadians will embrace Liberal government again. Or they say an election is right around the corner so we don’t have time to get it right.
“For so many of you who, like me, campaigned on behalf of Liberal candidates last winter, who looked into the eyes of our good neighbours who said ‘no,’ you know in your heart that’s not true. I am here tonight to say it may not be an easier way but there is a way for us to win. We have to win the next election in the right way, and for the right reasons. It requires to us to renew our party. It requires us to present a long-term practical vision for the direction of this country. My friends, Mr. Harper is vulnerable but he is not going to defeat himself. We will defeat him by becoming the Liberal Party that we need to be, no matter when the election is called.”
—Some guy whose name escapes, Dec. 2006So the Liberals are going to pick a new leader. Let’s say that happens, as expected, next May. The House will probably adjourn a month or so later, giving the new leader a summer to get settled. Then maybe we get an election next fall or early in 2010. Continue…
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The Final Day: Ontario
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 10:20 PM - 0 Comments
Ken Dryden and Gerard Kennedy have slim leads. Garth Turner trails Lisa Raitt.
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Megapundit: Gerard Kennedy ruins it for everyone
By selley - Friday, September 19, 2008 at 2:19 PM - 13 Comments
Must-reads: …Colby Cosh on the economic meltdown; Chantal Hébert on Gerard Kennedy’s big mistake;
Must-reads: Colby Cosh on the economic meltdown; Chantal Hébert on Gerard Kennedy’s big mistake; John Robson on Elections Canada’s censors; Rosie DiManno on Jeremy Hinzman.
Wayne Easter’s revenge
Why can’t the Harperites shut up and play nice?The Calgary Herald‘s Don Martin believes the Liberals got off lucky yesterday with Gerry Ritz’s gallows humour dominating the news instead of whatever Stephen Harper, who recently described a $9-billion promise as “mind-boggling,” might have said about Stéphane Dion’s $70-billion infrastructure plan. In these trying financial times, Martin suggests we’re less in the mood for twelve-figure “vote-buying tactics” than we are for modest measures like, er, cracking down on banana-flavoured cigarillos. Lehman Brothers and AIG be damned, we’d respond—we want good roads and kids not to smoke, and we won’t be convinced it’s not possible!
Sun Media’s Greg Weston summarizes Harper’s response to the Ritz crackup as follows: “While [he] may have insulted and otherwise upset the families of 17 Canadians killed by tainted meat under his watch, that ‘should not detract from the good work that he has done,’”. (We’re not sure you can really “insult” someone in a private conversation to which he or she isn’t party, and suspect whichever bureaucrat leaked the conversation probably took far longer away from his or her job to do so than Ritz did to make his off-colour jokes. But never mind.) In any case, says Weston, each of these ongoing Tory gaffes and the ensuing apologies “likely negates a dozen of Harper’s homey sweater ads,” and not only do they throw the campaign off-message, they force Harper to actually “praise the public service” in hopes of plugging any future leaks. Gross! Like kissing your sister!
