It’s time to put some serious money into CSIS and RCMP
Any government agency that suddenly gets its budget increased by a whopping 33 per cent should be delighted about its enhanced capacity to do its job. Right? Hey, that’s a pretty dramatic boost in these fiscally frugal times. Yet, I suspect that “delighted” might not be quite the right word to describe the mood over […]
McClellan told The Hill Times she wanted Health
And out of the fire into the bedpan… The call may have come late on Monday to Anne McLellan, and until it did she may have been hoping to stay put in Justice, but her move out of the gun-lobby’s cross-hairs and to the messy state of affairs in health care could not have come […]
Ensuring security of Canadians does not end at our borders [National security policy briefing]
Much has been said and written about the events of last Sept. 11 and their impact on all of us. Despite the horror of the terrorist attacks on the United States, Canadians have been determined to go forward with their daily lives. Because of the attacks, fighting terrorism and ensuring public and economic security remain […]
Leadership contender Rock must be a happy camper
Out of the bedpan into the fire… Well, Allan Rock certainly had me convinced last Tuesday morning that he was thrilled and delighted with his move from the Health portfolio to Industry. And most pundits seem to view it positively. But a well-placed little birdie tells me he was not so happy during the witching […]
Gray says Tobin’s sudden announcement sped up his departure
Former Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray, 70, says he likely would still be in cabinet had it not been for Brian Tobin’s surprise announcement the day before last week’s big cabinet shuffle. In one of the biggest surprises of the shuffle, Mr. Gray left cabinet and Parliament to become Chair of the International Joint Commission […]
Prime Minister doesn’t take kindly to being scooped
Loose lips sink Tobin ship?… The talk in Newfoundland after Brian Tobin’s shock resignation was that the final straw that pushed him over the edge was being reprimanded for being a blabbermouth. According to the story — which is treated pretty much as gospel on The Rock — is that Mr. Tobin leaked information to […]
Goodale to put own mark on House agenda
New Government House Leader Ralph Goodale says he’s hearing the calls for Parliamentary reform loud and clear and will look at ways to address the concerns of restless MPs. Mr. Goodale is no rookie to the ways of Parliament. He was first elected federally in 1974. Contrary to popular belief, Mr. Goodale, who represents Wascana, […]
More scuttlebutt on the Prime Minister’s press office
PMO scuttlebutt… Events kind of overtook us last week, and I’m afraid I don’t have the full scoop that I promised to dig up last week on Marianne Goodwin’s departure as press secretary. The gossip is still that Ms. Goodwin and Communications Director Francie Ducros were just too strong-willed to hit it off and grated […]
SGRO not far from cellphone but far from Ottawa
Shuffle devil… Prime Minister Jean Chretien is supposed to shuffle his cabinet this week, Tuesday, to be specific, and it’s supposed to be much smaller than previously thought. Meanwhile, most MPs aspire to be in cabinet and during heavy cabinet shuffle rumour times MPs’ whose names are being bandied about usually stick around Ottawa and […]
Chretien is a heavy-duty travelling Prime Minister
Maybe he should use that Ricky Nelson song as his theme… Canada’s Travellin’ Man is back on track. It didn’t take long for Jean Chretien to become Canada’s most widely- travelled Prime Minister after taking office in 1993 — for the first few years he was abroad on business anywhere from one and a half […]
