MPs don purple

By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, November 1, 2010 at 9:26 PM - 0 Comments

MPs from all parties donned purple recently as a way to raise awareness over the wave of gay teen suicides that have been happening in North America. Below, Liberal MPs Mario Silva (left) and Rob Oliphant.

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Liberal MP Scott Simms.

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The Liberal Christmas party

By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 11:53 AM - 11 Comments

(Left to right) MPs Navdeep Bains, Mark Holland, Martha Hall Findlay, Mario Silva, Gerard Kennedy and former MP Omar Alghabra.

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MP Mario Silva (centre) with Navdeep Bains (right).

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Do the shuffle

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 10:18 AM - 19 Comments

Four Liberals (Dhalla, Wrzesnewskyj, Silva and Wilfert) get advisory roles for various regions of the world, four new critic portfolios are created and various spots in the shadow cabinet are distributed as follows:

Navdeep Bains – Small Business and Tourism
Siobhan Coady – Treasury Board
Bonnie Crombie – Crown Corporations
Ujjal Dosanjh – National Defense
Kirsty Duncan – Public Health
Marlene Jennings – Government Ethics and Democratic Reform
Derek Lee – National Revenue
Joyce Murray – Amateur Sport and Vancouver Olympics
Robert Oliphant – Veterans Affairs
Justin Trudeau – Youth and Multiculturalism

Mitchel Raphael on who wore jeans under his tuxedo

By Mitchel Raphael - Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 12:00 PM - 0 Comments

The ring bearer had issues
Liberal MP Mark Holland married Cindy Fournier in Ottawa last weekend. At the ceremony, most of Holland’s fellow Liberal MPs, including Navdeep Bains, sat in the back benches of the church. Bains said it was in case the children got rowdy. Gerard Kennedy’s young son, John-Julien Kennedy, clearly did not want to wear a suit. There was much grumbling, and then during the ceremony he kept untucking his dress shirt and removing his clip-on tie. (Though during the exchange of vows, John-Julien suddenly fixed his shirt and put his tie back on.) Holland’s son and ring bearer, Riley Holland, also had issues with formal wear—because he didn’t want to get out of his jeans, he wore them under his tuxedo pants. At the dinner in the West Block, Fournier’s aunt brought to the head-table microphone two dolls that sang Sonny and Cher’s hit I Got You Babe. Only the female doll’s head moved to the beat of the song because, noted the aunt, “Women do all the work.” Fournier had two maids of honour, Chanel Watts and Susan Goss, who recalled the time the three worked at Swiss Chalet and Fournier forgot the cheese on a customer’s burger. She took some grated cheddar, microwaved it because she thought it should be melted, and then went to the customer’s table, removed his top bun and scraped the cheese onto the burger. Also on the microwaved-food-testimonials front, Fournier’s father said he discovered that both he and Holland like to microwave ice cream a bit before eating it.

Who lives in the peace tower?
Parliamentary tour guides say they’ve seen more Ontarians than usual in their groups this summer. Four-year veteran guide Mark Palmer, who famously took Kiss rocker Gene Simmons on a tour recently, says when he started doing the tours there were more Europeans in the groups. The most popular questions asked include, “What are the red buttons at the Senate seats for?”—they are the lights that go on when a senator is speaking—and “Where are the washrooms?” At the end of the tour, folks are shown the expanded gift shop set up for the summer in the railway committee room. The most popular items are maple syrup products. Among the more unusual questions about the Parliament Buildings that come up, says Palmer, are: “What denomination church is this?” and “Who lives in the Peace Tower?” (There is no Quasimodo.) Once, in July, a group came on the tour with ice skates; they asked where the Rideau Canal was. During a recent tour taken by Capital Diary (not one of Palmer’s), a guide pointed out to a group “the famous staircase,” explaining, “This is where the Prime Minister always comes down.” Unfortunately, Stephen Harper almost never comes down that way, preferring to enter the Commons from the back. Continue…

Wedding bells ring in Ottawa as Liberal MP Mark Holland ties the knot

By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, August 28, 2009 at 12:44 PM - 19 Comments

Ontario Liberal MP Mark Holland recently tied the knot in Ottawa with Cindy Fournier.

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More Toronto gay Pride events

By Mitchel Raphael - Friday, July 10, 2009 at 5:33 PM - 7 Comments

Part of Toronto Pride was its Gala & Awards ceremony where politicians hobnobbed with who’s who of the gay community.

Toronto Liberal MP Mario Silva.

Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty with drag queens.

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Toronto Pride: So this is what the Conservatives helped fund!

By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:50 PM - 25 Comments

There’s been much  drama over this year’s announcement of the Conservative government funding Toronto Pride. But just who was at this mega gay parade? Men in leather jockstraps, drag queens and  porn stars, naturally. But also pro-Israel groups, anti-Israel groups, gay Anglicans—and the Canadian Armed Forces doing recruitment. Several on-duty police forces wore festive gear. While politicians from the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, the Liberals and the NDP were out in full force. And Rick Mercer.

Iggy at Toronto Pride.

Toronto Liberal MP Bob Rae shows off his huge umbrella.

NDP leader Jack Layton, with his MP wife Olivia Chow, shows off his huge rainbow umbrella.

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Ideas men

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 11:45 AM - 0 Comments

The Mark has taken lately to publishing short essays by MPs who have ideas about things. The latest is Mario Silva on literacy. Previously there was Garry Breitkreuz on the gun registry and Jim Maloway on air travel.

From such noble intentions are a thousand ill-fated private members’ bills born.

MPs, gay rights and underwear models

By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 11:51 AM - 0 Comments

The gay advocacy group Egale held its first-ever large-scale gala in Toronto’s Le Meridien King Edward Hotel to mark the 40th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada. Conservative strategist Jaime Watt, who is chairman of the Navigator communications firm, was presented with the group’s inaugural Leadership Award for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) human rights. Justin Trudeau was the keynote speaker. Designer John Walke served up a fashion show with his Superstein label.

The PM, Jason Kenney and a room packed with rabbis

By Mitchel Raphael - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 11:41 PM - 12 Comments

Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave a speech to the Canadian Federation of Chabad Lubavitch to honour the memory of the Lubavitchers killed in the Mumbai Chabad House terrorist attack.

Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, also spoke passionately about the horrific attack.

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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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Upon further review

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 10:49 PM - 2 Comments

Say this much for Michael Ignatieff, whatever his previous position, he now is apparently quite okay with members of his caucus saying stuff like this:

“To all those brave men and women who have in fact objected to [the Iraq] war, we say bravo. We say welcome, you should be here in Canada. We’re asking again the Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney to do the right thing, to search his heart, to do what is right.”

To be clear, that would be Liberal MP Mario Silva applauding American soldiers who have chosen to leave the U.S. military as the result of a war the Liberal leader once endorsed.

The Commons: 'Unbelievable'

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, December 1, 2008 at 7:37 PM - 54 Comments

Prime Minister Dion had a question. “Does the Prime Minister,” he asked, “still believe that he enjoys the confidence of this House?”

Prime Minister Harper would not tolerate such a tone in this place. “When the honourable gentleman speaks about playing politics,” he said. “I think he is about to play the biggest political game in Canadian history.”

The Conservative leader sounded envious. Continue…

Today in Parliament

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, November 28, 2008 at 1:39 PM - 15 Comments

Before Question Period each day, 15 minutes is set aside for MP’s to stand and deliver short statements on whatever subject they wish to speak to. Usually this involves expressions of concern for international events, commendation for local charities, or reference to legislative matters. It is, at least in theory, the House’s one forum through which individual members can speak of their own volition, irrespective of ongoing debate or strict party interest.

Here’s a quick recap of today’s statements.

Conservative Lois Brown rose first to decry violence against women. Liberal Mario Silva expressed concern for the welfare of senior citizens. The Bloc’s France Bonsant called on the government to aid workers in her riding. The NDP’s Peter Julian outlined human rights violations in Colombia. Conservative Dona Cadman accused the opposition of greed and arrogance. Liberal Anthony Rota asked the government to support an airport in North Bay. Conservative Harold Albrecht accused the opposition of greed and arrogance.

The Bloc’s Luc Malo saluted a Quebec professor who helped develop a more environmentally conscious way to manufacture steel. Conservative Rick Norlock accused the opposition of greed and arrogance. Liberal Brian Murphy asked the government to address declining salmon stocks in the Bay of Fundy. Conservative Jacques Gourde accused the opposition of greed and arrogance.

New Democrat Paul Dewar drew attention to the raping of women in international conflict. Conservative Gerald Keddy accused the opposition of greed and arrogance. The Bloc’s Meili Faille lamented the ideology of the government’s economic policy. Liberal Marc Garneau expressed concern for Canadians caught in the turmoil presently taking hold in Thailand. Conservative LaVar Payne accused the opposition of greed and arrogance.

Government Ops – Who investigates the NAFTA leak investigator? (These guys do!)

By kadyomalley - Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 11:50 AM - 0 Comments

11:09:32 AM
After a somewhat haphazard start to the day that involved much strategic scrambling on the part of your humble liveblogger, I managed to make it to Government Operations — with time to spare, even. That’s no small accomplishment, considering I only found out this morning that the committee will be considering a most intriguing motion from Liberal MP Mario Silva. He wants the committee jumpstart its investigation into the Lynch Report, the PCO-authored inquiry into the notorious NAFTA/Obama/Clinton/PMO/CTV/And-A Player-To-Be-Named-Later/Just-Don’t-Call-It-NAFTAGate leak, which may or may not have cost Obama a crucial win in Ohio by implying he wasn’t serious about re-negotiating NAFTA. Of course, since then, Hilary Clinton has dropped out of the race, Obama secured the nomination, and it’s all one big happy Democrat family, except for those possibly mythical angry Clinton supporting women who John McCain is hankering to seduce into voting Republican just to show The Man.

Anyway, Silva is calling on the committee to hold its first hearing on Thursday, just one day before that very same John McCain is scheduled to speak to a Chateau Laurier ballroom-sized crowd on, of all things, free trade. Why is that relevant, you ask? Well, because the suspect list has recently expanded to include Frank Sensenbrenner, Republican operative, Canadaphile, and formerly on contract with the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, much to the reported displeasure of the existing staff. According to the Toronto Star’s Jim Travers, Sensenbrenner was foisted onto the embassy by PMO, and was basically treated like Langevin’s spy in DC by all and sundry. Although his name surfaced at the time, he was never interviewed by Lynch’s handpicked detectives, which the opposition finds somewhat suspicious. That’s one reason – among many – why the opposition members want Government Operations to review the report.
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Liveblogging the Khadr committee – Who will think of the children?

By kadyomalley - Monday, May 12, 2008 at 12:30 PM - 0 Comments

11:51:47 AM
It’s a pity, really, that the Khadr hearings always seem to be shoehorned into the lunch hour, although I guess that’s by design, since subcommittees have to work around the schedule for the full committee. Still, you always come away with the feeling that members are frustrated by all those questions they didn’t have time to ask.

Scott Reid is chairing the committee again. I don’t see Jason Kenney, which is odd because he’s been taking the lead for the government up until now. Maybe he’s off apologizing for another historic wrong like the head tax or internment camps. I wonder if the Jason Kenney of the future will wind up apologizing for Canada’s failure to protect a child soldier from the machinations of the American military justice system.

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