Copps boasts support of 26 MPs and Senators: Former PMO strategist Jean Carle helping out on Sheila Copps’ bid
OTTAWA–Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, the only officially declared candidate in the Liberal leadership race so far, says at least 26 MPs and Senators support her bid to replace outgoing Prime Minister Jean Chretien. “I have six MPs and 26 caucus Members [total],” she said in an interview last week with The Hill Times. The minister […]
MPs get $3.3-million boost to office budgets: House budget increases to $325-million, up $100-million in 10 years
OTTAWA–MPs will benefit from a three per cent boost to their operating budgets next year and what amounts to an increase of $3.3-million in the total House of Commons budget. The move is expected to allow MPs to stay better connected to their constituents. These numbers were buried in the main estimates tabled by Treasury […]
Lyle Vanclief’s Press Secretary
When Hill Climbers profiled political staffers in Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief’s office a few weeks ago, one staffer, Donald Boulanger, who was supposed to be interviewed by Climbers was unavailable because of a scheduling conflict. So, Hill Climbers contacted him again last week for an interview. Mr. Boulanger is the press secretary to Minister Vanclief. […]
George W. Bush a profile in courage: U.S. President has bet his presidency on facing the Iraqi threat today
WASHINGTON, D.C.–It’s fill time. Everything useful has been said about the confrontation over Iraq. But there is still empty air time and column inches of newsprint to fill. Thus the heads will talk and the pundits will prognosticate and the marchers will march. However, the important element in the equation is none of the above; […]
A distinct election for the distinct society: Charest tends to shine on trail and Landry has never campaigned as leader
QUEBEC CITY–It was only a few short months ago that the polls and politicos were predicting the PQ would not only be defeated in the upcoming election, but it would be crushed. The PQ would be like the federal Tories under Kim Campbell, decimated and left with barely enough members to occupy a tiny corner […]
Political leadership should not end with budget: Much will turn on how the funds made available in the budget are administered
OTTAWA–John Manley says that his budget is about the society that Canadians value. And, truth be told, most Canadians support the idea of investing in health care, poor families, poor children, aboriginal Canadians, the homeless and foreign aid — without going into debt. Why then did so many of us feel a tightening in the […]
Herb-al remedies…
Now that Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal has officially taken himself out of the running for the Liberal leadership, as anticipated here last week, the question is, who will the government’s B.C. political lieutenant back against Paul Martin? He will get involved somehow – the taking over of his riding executive by Martinites last year […]
Two Senior Liberal Staffers leave
Raj Chahal, special policy adviser to Prime Minister Jean Chretien, left his job last week and will now join the influential law firm of Bennett Jones. Mr. Chahal will work out of their offices in Toronto and Calgary but continue to reside in Ottawa. The 34-year-old Calgarian who started his last gig at PMO in […]
Campaign finance reform bill wrong
Prime Minister Jean Chretien wants to force all Canadian taxpayers to finance political parties whether they want to or not. That’s the upshot of his so-called campaign finance reform bill recently introduced into the House of Commons. Chretien’s plan, which will cost Canadian taxpayers about $30-million a year, is wrong for a lot of reasons. […]
So, Saddam has to go: For the sake of his people
OTTAWA–Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein has to go! He has to go for the sake of the people of Iraq. They have endured far too much suffering for far too long. His departure will not only end the Iraqi people’s daily suffering but bring back economic buoyancy, which should be the state of affairs in Iraq […]
