An open letter to new Industry Minister Robillard
Dear Madame Minister: Congratulations on your appointment as the Minister of Industry. You should be especially proud to be the first woman to hold the position. I would like to take this opportunity to offer you some thoughts concerning your new portfolio. Outstanding House Business There are currently three bills in the mix. The first […]
Improving nation’s productivity gap ‘single most important challenge for Canadian economy,’ says Industry Minister Rock
Federal Industry Minister Allan Rock says improving the nation’s productivity gap is “the single most important challenge for the Canadian economy.” “This means that to attract and retain highly-internationally mobile and productive resources such as skilled labour, capital and R&D, Canada needs to close the real income gap. To do so, Canada’s productivity needs to […]
Looking for leadership in industry
The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology and the Minister of Industry have some important and interesting issues to address in the next few weeks — especially if the sitting is cut short due to the Liberal leadership conundrum. Gas prices Prices at the pump have been up and down this summer. While some […]
Brown to Leave CBC After 16 Years, Farewell Debra
Time for another CBC farewell party… CBC Television’s Hill bureau has lost another familiar face. Debra Brown worked her final shift last Friday after 16 years with the Mother Corp and a total of 20 years in broadcast journalism. Ms. Brown, a mom of two, tells me she has been rethinking her life since returning […]
Word on the Street is MINNA Felt Betrayed by PMO
Ms. Minna’s Manners Missing?… Word is Maria Minna did not go quietly into the backbenches when she was dumped as minister for International Cooperation in this month’s cabinet shuffle. Ms. Minna, whom despite what other problems she may have had, always struck me as a rather good technical minister when it came to issues of […]
Life is a Political Campaign, and Politics Food of Life
Hey it was only 10 years and I have boxer shorts older than that…The fuss over the recent anniversary of Ottawa Councillor Alex Munter’s decade in municipal Ottawa politics seemed a bit over the top at the time, eh? There were news stories, CBC radio specials, and a massive party with anybody who was anybody […]
New Junior INDIAN AFFAIRS Minister a Surprise to Nault?
Shake-up Ruffles Feathers at Indian Affairs… Meanwhile, Indian Affairs Minister Bob Nault was less than delighted to discover when the new cabinet was announced that he had himself a helper. The appointment of British Columbia up and comer Steve Owen as junior minister of Indian affairs (a newly-invented post) was not something that had previously […]
Alliance should show us the money in leadership donations: Canadian Alliance asks leadership candidates to route donations through party, but this isn’t full disclosure
As the Canadian Alliance prepares for its upcoming leadership vote, we can expect to see all the candidates claim to speak for the party’s grassroots, and there will be frequent calls for the party to promote the principles of democratic accountability. But will the leadership race itself be democratic? Specifically, will party members and the […]
Senate staffer has run-in with West Wing’s President Jed Bartlet: Meanwhile, new Atlantic Opportunities Minister Gerry Byrne gets himself a spokesperson, little else [Hill Climbers]
It never really dawned on Paul LeMay what a good story he had on his hands until he found himself flying back from Los Angeles where he had been visiting his family and, through sheer persistence and determination, managed to bump into the President of the United States. Okay, so it wasn’t the real president, […]
Oh, those cheap-shot journalists
Patrick Corrigan’s Sunday Star editorial cartoon depicts Ontario Premier Mike Harris holding Justice Dennis O’Connor’s Walkerton report under his left arm featuring the headline: “Shared Blame,” while in his right hand he holds another report headed: “All Koebel’s Fault.” The caption quotes Harris saying: “Yeah well …I like the leaked version better.” That neatly sums […]
