Cullen’s private member’s bill making government departments more accountable takes major step forward
A private member’s bill giving MPs a vote over the way federal departments create and adjust $4-billion in yearly userfees took a major step forward just before the House broke for the summer, even though the government doesn’t support it. The bill belongs to Liberal MP Roy Cullen, who represents Etobicoke North, Ont. His bill […]
A tale of two countries, Cuba and Myanmar
Cuba and Myanmar (formerly Burma) are two countries, oceans apart, on different continents, and Canada follows two divergent policies towards them. It is “constructive engagement” with Cuba, but isolation of Myanmar. Yet both these policies have had little impact on the leadership of the respective countries. President Fidel Castro has ruled Cuba since the revolution […]
Copps hires three new staffers in ministerial office: And Steve Grunau joins Alberta Independent Sen. Roche’s office
Federal Heritage Minister Sheila Copps beefed up her ministerial political office recently when she hired three new assistants. The ministerial political staff is headed by executive assistant Charles Boyer who was a former PMO flack before he joined Ms. Copps’ office in 2001. Minister Copps recently hired Ian Capstick, who is responsible for aboriginal and […]
Canada’s the female principle
Early last week, President George W. Bush stood in the ballroom of a downtown Washington, D.C., hotel and toasted the guests with a glass of non-alcoholic beer. The guests themselves got to drink the harder stuff and to nibble at some pretty fancy canapes. They deserved it. For the privilege of being in the same […]
C-24 won’t be complete without C-34
Chief Electoral Officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley returned to Parliament last week to remind Senators that Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s Political Finance Bill leaves open a major loophole allowing donors to make secret donations to political trust funds. The Senators on the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee heard that Bill C-24, officially known as an Act to […]
MPs’ and Senators’ Birthdays
*Treasury Board President Lucienne Robillard, 58, June 16, 1945 *Ind. Sen. P. Michael Pitfield, 66, June 18, 1937 *Liberal Sen. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, 66, June 18, 1937 *PC Sen. John Lynch-Staunton, 73, June 19, 1930 *NDP MP Bill Blaikie, 52, June 19, 1951 *Liberal MP Beth Phinney, 65, June 19, 1938 *Ind. MP Pierre Brien, 33, […]
Gimme some soul, Liberal contendahs!
As with millions of other Canadians, I tried — I really tried — to watch most of the Liberal leadership “debates.” But, even though most of these events were televised on weekend afternoons, other competing priorities — such as getting a haircut or turning the compost — often intervened. When civic-duty and self-discipline prevailed, I […]
Canadian help key to build International University of Baghdad, says an academic
Canada has an opportunity to play a leading role in the reconstruction of Iraq by helping to build an international university in the Iraqi capital city, says an Iraqi-born Canadian academic. Tareq Ismael, a professor of political science at the University of Calgary, is currently in the process of promoting the idea of building an […]
Radwanski’s ugly showdown with Parliament
I find it patently absurd that George Radwanski, the Privacy Commissioner and therefore an Officer of Parliament, is publicly fighting those Members of Parliament for whom he is supposed to be working for in keeping the government of the day honest. Radwanski asserts that he should be free from any confidence votes that Parliament might […]
Cellucci does Taxi Driver
Beef with Stephen Harper…Well, Alberta prime rib steaks to be exact – great big juicy ones with baked spuds, salads and all the trimmings, followed by triple sorbets in crystallized sugar bowls. If covering the mad cow story has put the Parliamentary Press Gallery off beef, it certainly didn’t show at the big sit-down feast […]
