Gun registry math
By Aaron Wherry - Monday, August 23, 2010 - 0 Comments
When Bill c-391, an act to repeal the long-gun registry, came to a vote on second reading last November, it was passed by a count of 164-137. Those 164 votes in favour included 143 Conservatives, 12 New Democrats, eight Liberals and one independent.
C-391 is now due to return to the House for a final vote when the House returns this fall and the vote seems set to be very close.
How close? Well, let’s see. Continue…
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Au revoir
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 12:32 PM - 0 Comments
Conservative backbencher Inky Mark will step aside next month. That puts two Manitoba ridings—Mark’s Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette and Winnipeg North, formerly of Judy Wasylycia-Leis—in line for fall by-elections.
Pundits Guide has a primer, including speculation that Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette, despite its voting history, could be in play. Winnipeg North has gone decidedly to the NDP the last two times it was contested, but, as Alice Funke has noted, the Liberal candidate there is bullish.
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Mitchel Raphael on who Laureen Harper got Paul Gross to call and dancing Senators
By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 3:20 PM - 1 Comment
Peter Milliken’s ‘luxury’ lodgings
In the course of reporting on Peter Milliken’s decision to release uncensored documents about transferred Afghan detainees, the National Post’s Don Martin noted that the Speaker’s job “comes with a luxury apartment inside the Centre Block.” Years back, tired of journalists constantly referring to the Centre Block apartment as “luxurious,” Milliken invited some of them in to take a look at the lodgings: it’s basically two large walk-in closets with a cheap single bed. That stopped the journalists for a while—until Martin’s story. Milliken’s fabulous official residence, the Farm at Kingsmere, is of course another story. -
Au revoir, Judy Wasylycia-Leis
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 12:47 PM - 15 Comments
The NDP MP is stepping away, maybe to run for mayor of Winnipeg.
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Hill Helps Haiti fundraiser packed
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, January 29, 2010 at 11:56 AM - 8 Comments
Folks from all parties packed the Hill Helps Haiti fundraiser organized by the government relations firm Summa Strategies. The event raised over $32,000. Below, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq (left) and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Gail Shea.
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Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay.
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Green leader Elizabeth May.
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MPs and Mark Wahlberg’s red tie
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, January 8, 2010 at 2:57 PM - 0 Comments
The Canadian AIDS Society held a special “It’s A Red Tie Affair” fundraiser. Below, NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis with Jordan Tarini from the Canadian AIDS Society.
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Transport Minister John Baird.
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Fighting for more women in politics and the "mystery MP"
By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 12:15 PM - 9 Comments
Equal Voice, an organization dedicated to getting more women elected, held a reception at The Métropolitain Brasserie & Restaurant. Below, Helena Guergis, Minister of State for the Status of Women.
Donna Dasko (left) of Equal Voice chats with Liberal MP Marlene Jennings.
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The Commons: Swallow this impressive-sounding number and call your doctor in the morning
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 6:46 PM - 90 Comments
The Scene. The Prime Minister’s chair, as an inanimate object, was unlikely to answer. But Michael Ignatieff insisted on asking anyway.“Mr. Speaker, today we learn from the Auditor General that, for its entire time in office, the government has failed to develop any national emergency preparedness plan. That includes planning for epidemics and pandemics like H1N1. Does that not begin to explain why the government’s response to this crisis has been so slow and confused?” he wondered aloud. ”We have heard from the Minister of Health. When will we begin to hear from the Prime Minister? When will he stand up, take responsibility for the government’s mistakes and correct the situation?”
The Prime Minister was otherwise engaged with escorting the Prince and Camilla around rural Newfoundland. John Baird, Mr. Harper’s de facto deputy, was away as well, while the Health Minister was in Vancouver. No worries though, because this seemed to be a question about emergency preparedness and that is distinctly the purview of the Public Safety Minister and that minister, the typically unshy Peter Van Loan, was most certainly in his seat.
And yet, here came Tony Clement, the Minister of Industry and master flailler of arms.
“Mr. Speaker, let me dwell in the realm of facts,” Mr. Clement boldly offered. “The fact of the matter is that there have been six million doses of H1N1 vaccine that have already been delivered to the provinces and territories.
“That’s what you said yesterday!” lamented a Liberal.
“We currently have more H1N1 vaccine per capita than any other country in the world,” Mr. Clement reviewed. “The vaccine is being distributed as quickly as it is being produced and there will be sufficient H1N1 vaccine available in Canada for everyone who in fact needs or wants to be immunized.”
“Merry Christmas!” chirped a Liberal, yesterday’s points and counterpoints now sufficiently covered. Continue…
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MPs and Mental Health Awards
By Mitchel Raphael - Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 11:29 AM - 7 Comments
The seventh annual Champions of Mental Health Awards were held at the Fairmont Château Laurier ballroom. Margaret Trudeau, seen below with son Justin, got an award for being open about suffering from bipolar disorder.
Also on the awards list were Defense Minister Peter MacKay (left) and General Walter Natynczyk, Canada’s Chief of Defense Staff, for their work launching the “Be the Difference” mental health campaign in the Canadian Forces.
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Smoked salmon in East Block courtyard
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, October 19, 2009 at 2:02 PM - 0 Comments
To honour the Jewish holiday of Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles), a special ceremonial succah was set up in the East Block courtyard. Representatives from Chabad and Bnai Brith were on hand for the celebration. Below, Conservative MP James Lunney.
Frank Dimant of B’nai Brith (left) with Liberal MP Joe Volpe by the succah.
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Particularly edifying exchange of the day
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 5:58 PM - 16 Comments
From Question Period this afternoon.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North, NDP): “Does the minister realize H1N1 is not a postal code?”
Leona Aglukkaq (Minister of Health, CPC): “Mr. Speaker, the only party that thinks H1N1 is a postal code is that party.”
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Mr. Doer goes to Washington
By kadyomalley - Friday, August 28, 2009 at 1:06 PM - 13 Comments
12:39:44 PM
Hey, look, it’s an impromptu scrum-in-waiting! Turns out that the NDP’s Judy Wasylycia-Leis will be stopping to chat with reporters about Brother Doer’s ascension to the ambassadorship, so we’re now hanging out just down the hall from where the health committee will be meeting. It’s downright serendipitous!Incidentally, ITQ had a Doer Sighting of her own on the way here — he was striding purposefully from Wellington to the Chateau Laurier, entirely ignored by the passing crowds of tourists, and entirely content with such. I was going to yell out a greeting, but he vanished behind the pillars before I’d de-shaded-and-ipoded. Alas.
12:42:00 PM
And here’s Judy — who looks just plain delighted to be here. “This decision just makes perfect sense,” she says, before giving kudos — yes, *kudos* — to the prime minister for recognizing what a fine job Doer would do. “He’s a pan-Canadian politician … he’s a diplomat by all accounts, he’s easygoing and fun to be with … But more importantly, he has a *strong* vision of Canada.” She lists some of his accomplishments — water, health — and promises that he will “stand up for Canada”. Wait, isn’t that some other party’s slogan?12:43:50 PM
Questions — first, the obvious: Will he find it difficult to work for this particular prime minister? Not at all … Although it sounds like she’s expecting him to “stand up” for Canadian health care, in the light of all those nasty things that some Americans have been saying about our beloved Medicare, which seems like a bit of a long shot, as far as I can tell. Isn’t there a rule about Canadian ambassadors getting involved in American domestic disputes?12:45:37 PM
She sort of breezes past the question about whether this will create “good will” leading up to the fall session, thereby possibly saving us from a fall election, but notes that, while this is a sign that Harper is able to reach beyond his “nucleus” of close advisors, it’s not going to change the lay of the land.12:46:47 PM
Julie Van Dusen notes that just last week, the NDP was “parading” Doer and Darrel Dexter around as twin icons of NDP winnibility, “and now Stephen Harper has poached him.” According to Judy, that just shows that even Harper can recognize talent.She also thinks that there are two issues on which he’ll be particularly strong: the environment, and “standing up for Kyoto” — are we starting to notice a theme? — as well as water (think Devil’s Lake) — and health care. “He can help set the record straight,” according to Judy. He can make those fatcats down in Washington see reason. “The role of an ambassador in the United States is to stand up for Canadian values,” she tells us. So — he should hire Ari Fleischer to get him on FoxNews, and take Bill O’Reilly to task? Wow.
“You think he’s going to be pro-Kyoto and bring Omar Khadr home?” JVD wonders, with just a hint of scepticism (and amid some chortles from the rest of us).
“Well, you can dream,” she notes.
12:51:04 PM
And now, back to your regularly scheduled questions on H1N1. This has been the most bizarrely two-track day, y’all. I’m not going to liveblog the rest of her scrum, because she’s not saying anything new, so you can head over to the other thread for all the flu coverage you can possibly handle. -
NDP sizzle
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, June 26, 2009 at 12:58 PM - 14 Comments
The NDP party held its year-end BBQ in the courtyard of East Block. Here is leader Jack Layton.
Edmonton NDP MP Linda Duncan.
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Mitchel Raphael on the picture that took 20 years to get
By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 1:40 PM - 0 Comments
Why the Ruby Dhalla story is not big in the Philippines, and how Bob Rae beat Ignatieff in the Parliamentarians of the Year awards
Gilles Duceppe’s short-lived acting career
At the third annual Maclean’s Parliamentarians of the Year awards gala, Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe was runner-up for most knowledgeable MP and best orator. He found the latter recognition “funny, because in Quebec they are saying I am not that good an orator. But here, I am very good.” Duceppe comes from a family passionate about theatre and film. When asked if this had influenced his oratorical skills, he noted: “I was not a good actor at all. I can’t play a role. I did only once for a Christmas play [in Grade 6 at his Catholic school]. The nuns had me play Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary, which is the most awful role for a man to play—the husband of a virgin!” The awards gala was hosted by Maclean’s columnist Paul Wells and Le Devoir columnist and L’actualité magazine contributor Manon Cornellier.
Speaker Peter Milliken did the toast. Bob Rae won for best orator but could not attend—in his place he sent Toronto Grit MP Kirsty Duncan to fetch his award. (In 2007, when Michael Ignatieff won for best orator, he sent Ruby Dhalla on his behalf.) Toronto Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, who voted for Rae as best orator, said the reason Rae beat Ignatieff this year was that as leader “Michael doesn’t have as much time in the House. Bob gets more floor time.” Ontario NDP MP Joe Comartin won, for the second year in a row, the award for most knowledgeable MP. He said he can now place the extremely heavy awards in his Windsor, Ont., office because he just replaced his flimsy desk with a more solid one. For the third year in a row Nova 
Scotia NDP Peter Stoffer won most collegial. In second place was Liberal whip Rodger Cuzner, who noted: “I guess I’ve got to drink a little more [to beat Stoffer].” Cuzner said he wasn’t surprised that fellow Grit Paul Szabo once again won for hardest-working MP. Szabo sends new MPs a three-page letter filled with things they need to watch out for. “He wants to see everyone succeed,” says Cuzner. Halifax NDP MP Megan 
One of the highlights for her was seeing Garneau at the Canada Aviation Museum. “I really wanted to get my picture taken with him but I was too shy,” recalls Leslie. “So I took a picture of him by himself and it’s in my photo album still.” Twenty years later at the awards gala, Capital Diary snapped the first picture of Leslie and Garneau together. The NDP continued to dominate the awards for the third year, which had leader Jack Layton beaming all night. He noted the most knowledgeable MP, Joe Comartin, is his party’s justice critic and that the best rookie MP is their deputy justice critic. Layton also had kind words for the winner of best overall MP, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney: “He’s always a guy you can approach. I’ve always had a good relationship with Jason. He’s straight up. What you see is what you get.”
Another chip off the old Bloc The Bloc’s Paul Crête also did well in Maclean’s Parliamentarians of the Year poll. He placed third for most collegial MP and fourth for hardest-working. Crête has been an MP for nearly 16 years and was part of the wave of separatists elected when the party ran in its first federal election in 1993. It was a well-timed tribute to the MP, who will be leaving federal politics to run for the Parti Québécois, in a yet-to-be-announced Quebec by-election in the riding now vacant thanks to the resignation of ADQ leader Mario Dumont.
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The Canada-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, May 22, 2009 at 9:30 AM - 3 Comments
The Canada-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group was recently created on the Hill at a meeting in a West Block conference room just a few doors down from Ruby Dhalla’s office.
(Left to right) Winnipeg Conservative MP Rod Bruinooge, Philippines Ambassador Jose Brillantes and NDP Winnipeg MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis. Bruinooge and Wasylycia-Leis are the co-chairs of the new group.
MPs (standing) and three congresswomen from the Philippines (sitting).
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Israel at 61, quality food, students join senator in elevator
By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 5:31 PM - 0 Comments
The Canadian Friends of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Canada-Israel Committee held a special reception on the Hill in honour of Israel’s 61st year of independence.
Toronto-area Tory MP Peter Kent and Merle Goldman, Associate National Director of the Canadian Friends of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Conservative B.C. MP James Lunney, Chair of the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group.
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MPs, mosquitos and nets
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, May 4, 2009 at 6:18 PM - 1 Comment
Speaker Peter Milliken held a special reception for the group Buy-A-Net. This Kingston, Ont.-based organization raises money to purchase insecticide-treated bed nets and anti-malaria medicine for Ugandan villages.
Winnipeg NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis.
The Speaker (right) and His Excellency George Marino Abola High Commissioner-designate for the Republic of Uganda.
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'A work in progress'
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 12:49 AM - 13 Comments
It is, rather obviously, a bit soon to declare her handling of the swine flu outbreak a resounding success, but Canadian Press files a good quick take on Leona Aglukkaq’s performance in the early going.
The caution exhibited by the former health minister for the Nunavut territorial government apparently doesn’t just apply to pandemic decisions. Aglukkaq deflected almost all questions during her three news conferences to her officials, including chief public health officer Dr. David Butler-Jones…
Aglukkaq called the three opposition health critics Sunday before speaking to reporters about the flu outbreak, then arranged an in-depth briefing for them with her officials Monday. Her Sunday call, said Bennett, was “to ask for advice and also to make sure we were on the same page and comfortable with the path going forward.”
NDP health critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis described the Conservative minister’s gesture as a new experience — “quite a shock, actually.” ”For a rookie minister, she’s on top of this file and she’s responded very effectively,” said Wasylycia-Leis. “She’s probably one of the better rookie MPs in the House.”
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Israeli wine, meets Canadian cheese
By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, March 6, 2009 at 5:16 PM - 2 Comments
The Canada Israel Committee and the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee held a special Israeli wine meets Canadian cheese reception on the Hill. Here is Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv with Conservative James Lunney, Chair of the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Committee.
Transport Minister John Baird (left) and Adam Chambers, Jim Flaherty’s aide.
Baird with Justin Trudeau.
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The Commons: A rhetorical downturn
By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 6:22 PM - 22 Comments
The Scene. With the Prime Minister back in the House, Michael Ignatieff decided to pick up yesterday’s line of questioning where it had been left. Perhaps he figured Stephen Harper might be better equipped to explain this government. Perhaps the Liberal assumed the mutual respect between opposition leader and government—the Liberal-Conservative coalition, as Jack Layton puts it before crying himself to sleep each night—might lend itself to a clear and fulsome discussion of our present situation.
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said last Friday there would be no new stimulus measures even if the economy continues to decline; the so-called economic action plan is the plan,” Ignatieff began. “However, the same day, the finance minister appeared to say the opposite.”
His use of the term “so-called” did not bode particularly well.
“The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance appear to have some kind of disagreement and Canada needs clarity,” Ignatieff continued. “Will there or will there not be further action beyond the budget as the crisis worsens?”
Obviously troubled at the suggestion that his public comments might be confusing Canadians, the Prime Minister jumped to his feet to correct the record. “Mr. Speaker, last week the leader of the Liberal Party supported the budget. This week he is out criticizing the budget,” Mr. Harper reported. “I can assure him that both the Minister of Finance and myself agree that we do not change budgetary policy once a week.”
The Prime Minister’s use of the passive aggressive bode even less well. Continue…
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A very NDP Christmas
By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, December 22, 2008 at 10:10 AM - 11 Comments
Former NDP MPs Bill Blaikie and Alexa McDonough returned to the Hill for the NDP Christmas party in 200 West Block. Both were presented with their green chairs from the House of Commons.
NDP leader Jack Layton and former leader Ed Broadbent.
