Ottawa gets one message from business and labour: Putting a dollar figure on cost of Innovation Strategy’s engagement process would hardly do justice
Over the past two years, the federal government has made a commendable effort to highlight the human resource challenges facing our economy. An aging workforce, with growing skills shortages in critical areas as baby boomers begin to retire. Rising workplace skill requirements, outstripping our capacity to train and re-train workers. Tough global competition — a […]
Mideast about to face test
One of the most common ways so-called intractable international problems finally get resolved is by artful lying. The opposing sides agree to disagree, or pretend not to notice that the other’s interpretation of key parts of the proposed pact is entirely different from their own, and so allow a momentum to develop that bulldozes aside […]
Wayne’s world response
Regarding your editorial, “Wayne’s world,” (The Hill Times, May 19). Isn’t it interesting to note about three per cent of the correspondence received by Tory MP Elsie Wayne regarding her recent comments about homosexuals in the House expressed views contrary to hers, while about 97 per cent are in agreement with her. Russell Crosby Fredericton, […]
Wonder if they’ll be serving beans?
One of the hottest parties on the Hill is coming up this week — the Liberal Quebec assistants’ summer bash — and this year it is going to be environmentally friendly. Oh, there will still be beer and wine and dancing and whatnot, but the twist is the party organizers are going to calculate how […]
What’s behind PM’s motives?
Regarding “PMO’s Quebec staffer working hard on Campaign Finance Bill,” (The Hill Times, May 26). I understand that part of Pierre Brodeur’s new job in the PMO is to explain Bill C-24, the Prime Minister’s Political Finance Bill. He is and I quote “trying to ensure that everybody understands the reasons why we are doing […]
MPs’ and Senators’ Birthdays
*Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilaqua, 43, June 1, 1960 *Liberal MP Aileen Carroll, 59, June 1,1944 *Bloc MP Pierre Paquette, 48, June 1, 1955 *Liberal MP David Price, 58, June 2,1945 *Liberal MP John Harvard, 65, June 4, 1938 *Bloc MP Bernard Bigras, 34, June 4, 1969 *Right Hon. Joe Clark, 64, June 5, 1939 *Alliance […]
Paul Martin’s privilege
House Speaker Peter Milliken ruled last Monday that Paul Martin, the former finance minister, was well within his rights to evade a subpoena to appear as a witness before British Columbia Court of Appeal. In doing so, he upheld an obscure Parliamentary privilege exempting MPs from being subpoenaed while the House is in session and […]
Martin’s endorsement of national missile defence was a major victory for Canada’s corporate lobbyists
Last week, the Chretien government decided to take Canada one step closer to joining the Bush administration’s national missile defence system. But strangely, no one has explained what missile threat Canada faces leaving Canadians to wonder if national missile defence is more about defending the country from rogue U.S. trade policies than from rogue nations. […]
The Middle East roadmap: No shortage of hard-liners on both sides, only the brave and committed will deliver peace
There is cautious but also growing optimism in the Middle East this week. The credit for it goes to United States President George Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. There is obviously a supporting cast of world leaders who have contributed to this week’s unfolding of historic events. […]
Latest AG report speaks to frustrations of MPs: Audited departmental performance reports show MPs, Senators get bad information
Last week, Auditor General Sheila Fraser reported that the federal government departments continue to provide bad information in their annual performance reports which are normally tabled in the fall. Of the nine departments her team of auditors looked at — whose mandates are geared towards protecting Canadians from organized crime and terrorism – all had […]
