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 […]
This week
Some of the bills on tap this week include Bill C-20, the child protection bill, Bill C-23, the sex offender bill, and Bill C- 13, the cloning bill, which is at third reading. Friday is a day off because the Bloc is holding its national congress. The House will stand adjourned until Monday, April 7. […]
Strongly rejects Jones’ column
Regarding “Don’t blame the French,” (View From Washington, D.C. column, The Hill Times, March 24). My eyes just could not believe what I read in the article by David Jones. After a long list of poor “arguments” (which are more feeble opinions than facts or rational), the author finishes his paper by a sentence that […]
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 […]
MPs vent about broken-down estimates process: ‘We can ever forget the role of an MP is to keep government to account’: Valeri
The process for holding the government to account is “boring,” “frustrating” and generally ignored by most House committees, said several veteran Liberal MPs last week who also complained that Parliament has completely failed to prepare new MPs to stay on top of the billions of dollars spent yearly by the governing party in power. The […]
One more sacred cow
Regarding the column “Lack of leadership defines government’s online: strategy,” by Paco Francoli, (The Hill Times, March 17). As someone who is participating in the creation of the Canadian e-learning enterprise alliance, combined with the dealings I have had so far with those in the various government departments and agencies with regards to e-learning, I […]
Stairway to heaven…
Sometimes the more serious stories do earn responses. Last week’s item on John Manley being slow to pick up membership forms in Alberta and B.C. is one such case. Examples of the comments – which blame the problem on stalling and other sneaky tactics by Paul Martin supporters who control the provincial wings and the […]
More talk of Senate reform
It’s not the kind of reform many have been pushing for for the Senate, but Nova Scotia Tory Senator Donald Oliver’s bill to have the Upper Chamber’s Speaker elected by secret ballot is bound to be seen as a start for many. The Nova Scotia Senator, appointed by former prime minister Brian Mulroney in 1990, […]
MPs’ and Senators’ Birthdays
*Liberal MP Gilbert Normand, 60, March 31, 1943 *Liberal MP Lawrence O’Brien, 52, March 31, 1951 *Alliance MP Rob Anders, 31, April 1, 1972 *Liberal MP Denis Paradis, 54, April 1, 1949 *Liberal MP Alan Tonks, 60, April 2, 1943 *Liberal MP Karen Kraft Sloan, 51, April 3, 1952 *Liberal MP Robert Bertrand, 50, April […]
Parliament’s e-mail system clogged
Farmers, war and e-mail log jams… Ongoing woes with the parl.gc.ca e-mail system came to a head again this month when many MPs and staffers found their computers freezing up upon the return of the Commons from its two-week March break. Incoming e-mails were bouncing back to senders as “undeliverable” and many recipients were unable […]
