Whelan hires a new press secretary
International Cooperation Minister Susan Whelan has hired a new press secretary for her ministerial political office. Renee M. Filiatrault will join Ms. Whelan’s office this week, on Tuesday, April 1, as the new press secretary replacing Valerie Poulin. Ms. Poulin, daughter of Ontario Liberal Senator Marie-P. Poulin, has moved to the Canada Foundation for Innovation […]
Good for Collenette
Penny Collenette, who was in town to speak about “Governance: A Global Challenge, A Canadian Opportunity,” to Carleton University’s public administration graduate students, had some interesting things to say in an interview with CanWest News Service last week. Ms. Collenette, who used to be a top political player in the Prime Minister’s Office and who […]
Government caucus ‘torn’ and ‘divided’ over Iraq war
OTTAWA–The federal Liberal caucus is “torn” and “divided” over the U.S.-led war in Iraq, say Liberals who predict relations will continue to deteriorate between Canada and its largest trading partner, especially if the war lasts several months and if more American and British soldiers are killed. Other Liberals say Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s (Saint-Maurice, Que.) […]
Canuck budget-making not so warm and fuzzy: No one is under any illusions as to who holds the big stick in Ottawa
PARLIAMENT HILL–Regarding “Canuck budget process impresses Aussie official,” (The Hill Times, March 24). It seems that a senior Public Finance bureaucrat from ‘Down Under’ was somewhat taken (or should that read, “somewhat taken in”) by the Canadian budgetary process. Apparently Stephen Bartos especially liked the “consensual approach to budgeting,” and “that most of the tensions […]
Deputy PM Manley sets Grit leadership stage, fired up
TORONTO–His campaign hasn’t even officially started yet, but Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister John Manley is talking tough and is all fired up to get to the top job in the Liberal Party of Canada. In an extensive and lively interview with The Hill Times last week, Mr. Manley, 53, (Ottawa South, Ont.), who […]
‘Americans have lost focus on the war on terrorism’: MP John McKay says President Bush has failed to make his case for a war in Iraq
OTTAWA–Liberal MP John McKay does not support the war in Iraq because he believes U.S. George W. Bush’s case for getting rid of Saddam Hussein has been a muddle. The veteran Ontario MP from Scarborough East, who also chairs the Liberals’ Ontario Caucus, is one of the many so-called doves within his party although he […]
Boston reader responds
Regarding “Alliance predicts ‘chill’ between Canada-U.S.” (The Hill Times, March 24). I am an American writing from Boston. I am writing in relation to your reporting as follows: Mostly, I applaud your balanced view vis-a-vis hurtful U.S.-Canada relations over Iraq. While the U.S.-Canada friendship will survive, perhaps the most painful action that we see comes […]
Letter-writers want to support U.S.
I have a major problem with our government in using the UN as a cop-out for not joining the U.S. in ridding the world of the Saddam Hussein. Our government keeps using the statement that Canada will make its own decisions and not just follow the U.S., because they will not give up our sovereignty […]
International diplomacy is a two-edged sword: U.S. would not now want to push its two friendly neighbours too far
Following his speech to the Toronto Economic Club last week, U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci engaged in some unusual diplomatic activity. Usually, as guests in another countries, diplomats do not comment on the domestic affairs of the host country. Recently, when Lebanon’s Ambassador Raymond Baaklini made remarks about media ownership in this country, the same Canadian […]
Harb signs up members in effort to out-flank takeovers: ‘I don’t want a situation where any one of leadership factions would be tempted’: Harb
OTTAWA–Liberal MP Mac Harb says he’s actively signing up new members for his riding association in an effort to ward off any temptation from any of the federal leadership campaigns to take over his riding association. This is the latest in the never-ending saga in the highly-coveted Grit riding. Mr. Harb (Ottawa-Centre, Ont.), who is […]
