Welcome to ‘bullshit theatre,’ as John Turner called it, or, the entertaining daily 45-minute Question Period
Claire Hoy once said, ‘To really inform the public, journalists should be allowed to cover Cabinet – and the Commons could be closed to the public,’ but is it fair to criticize Question Period simply because it’s transparent? It is the best part of Ottawa. Everyone ought to see it in person. It is brash […]
MPs bitterly fighting over franking privileges, House-funded partisan pamphlets
There were a lot of long faces in the opposition benches where the Bloc Quebecois MPs sat last week, former Cabinet minister Denis Coderre told The Hill Times. “These are people who are nervous,”said Mr. Coderre (Bourassa, Que.), who raised a question of privilege over mail-outs that Bloc MPs are sending to their constituents, linking […]
Gomery Report, Who’s Responsible: some briefs
“The report that follows chronicles a depressing story of multiple failures to plan a government program appropriately and to control waste – a story of greed, venality and misconduct both in government and advertising and communications agencies, all of which contributed to the loss and misuse of huge amounts of money at the expense of […]
Calgary Herald, National Post columnist Don Martin set to write Stronach book
The book on Belinda… Calgary Herald and National Post Ottawa columnist Don Martin has a verbal agreement with Key Porter books to write a biography of rookie Liberal Cabinet minister and recently departed Conservative Belinda Stronach. Tentatively earmarked for publication next September, Mr. Martin says his book will cover Belinda from birth to the next […]
MP Angus says Kashechewan is ‘Paul Martin’s New Orleans’
NDP MP Charlie Angus says he didn’t get into federal politics to be comfy and play the game. But the rookie MP sure played the game when he shook things up recently. The Kashechewan reserve is “Prime Minister Paul Martin’s New Orleans,”says NDP MP Charlie Angus, the MP who helped force the issue of deplorable […]
Libs out of commission in Quebec for 10 years
TORONTO – Last week was one of the most chaotic weeks in federal politics. It was a skunk fight, a free-for-all. Liberals were divided and dispirited in their effort to keep this brain-dead government alive. But oddly, in this Parliament, there’s a minority government, a minority opposition, and no one is winning in this chaotic […]
Busy day at the Press Theatre
When John Gomery released his blockbuster report at 10 a.m. on Nov. 1 in Ottawa, the House was debating the Energy Cost Assistance Measures Act, Bill C- 66. Outside the House, the political spin was in full tilt.”The report that follows chronicles a depressing story of multiple failures to plan a government program appropriately and […]
Canadians deserve a meaningful response to Gomery’s report
Treasury Board President Reg Alcock claims the sponsorship scandal could not happen again because of new financial oversight rules the Liberals recently introduced. Don’t believe him. In 1993, the Conservative government gave $21- million in advertising contracts to firms with Tory ties. The contracts were handled without competitive bidding by a public servant who was […]
Gomery spins off in Quebec, a probe into Jean Charest’s Liberals
After record-breaking ratings, the Gomery Inquiry will soon have a sequel in Quebec. The province’s Chief Electoral Officer, Marcel Blanchet has launched an inquiry into allegations that Jean Charest’s provincial Liberal party received a $50,000 payment from Groupaction, sent through Groupe Everest prior to the 1998 Quebec election. Premier Jean Charest could be called to […]
Conservatives hope to get secret list of Liberal lobbyists: Rajotte
Industry Minister David Emerson could soon be forced to release a secret list of naughty Liberal lobbyists, the opposition Conservatives said last week. A motion adopted last week by the House Public Accounts Committee is calling on the government to turn over Industry Canada’s internal audit of the Technology Partnerships Canada program. “So far, the […]
