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, […]
Governor General’s party in the garden on June 27
Secretary-General of La Francophonie visits Canada this week until June 26 MONDAY, JUNE 23 House Sitting–The House has adjourned for the summer for a 12-week break and is scheduled to return on Monday, Sept. 15. For more information on the House’s schedule, please contact the Government House Leader’s Office at (613) 952-4930. Senate Sitting — […]
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 […]
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 […]
Some winners and some stinkers at Press Gallery Dinner: Clarkson: the Alliance would get their Triple-E Senate: ‘Elected, Efficient, and E-merican’
OTTAWA–It was billed as Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s last Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner, the biggest and the best… and the meanest ever. Well-read and influential National Post columnist Don Martin predicted in The Hill Times the Monday before that since it would be Prime Minister Chretien’s last dinner he may as well “settle scores” with […]
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 […]
‘Political nightmare’ awaits Libs on National Archives bill
The bill to amalgamate the National Archives and the Library of Canada moved one step closer to law last weekcomplete with controversial proposed changes to the Copyright Act that would extend copyright protection for unpublished works for as long as 42 years after death. But what was supposed to be a simple housekeeping bill could […]
Media’s due diligence?
Recently, The Toronto Star ran a picture of veteran anti-smoking zealot Garfield Mahood on page B4 proclaiming the news that he and two others had received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medals for their work against smoking. Mahood, 62, has been executive director of the non-profit — but hearty recipient of taxpayers’ cash — Non-Smoker’s Rights […]
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 […]
Mr. Harper, no means no
This is a message to Canadian Alliance Stephen Harper: A clear majority of PC voters repeatedly rejecting a coalition with the Alliance means no. The PC constitution requiring the party run 301 candidates means no. That not one of the four main PC leadership contenders was in favour of a split-slate of candidates means no. […]
