Parliamentary Calendar: Manley to table his first budget this week
Outlook 2003 this Wednesday at Westin Hotel MONDAY, FEB. 17 Black History Month — Black History Month was officially recognized by the Government of Canada in 1995. There are activities ongoing throughout the country for the month. For more information, please visit the Canadian Heritage’s website at http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca House Sitting — The House will remain […]
Fear and loathing of Eastern Canada
Regarding Liberal MP Karen Kraft-Sloan’s column “Fear, loathing and candour in the Kyoto debate” (The Hill Times, Feb. 3). I’d like to know who is spreading this fear? Ms. Kraft-Sloan blames the oil industry, but let’s put it this way, the government is elected but in Western Canada nothing we say or do will stop […]
Pankiw rebuffed
Independent MP Jim Pankiw’s point of order that several senior public servants were in “contempt of Parliament” for blocking his controversial attempt to contact thousands of bureaucrats by email was rebuffed by House Speaker Peter Milliken last Wednesday. In a ruling brought down after Question Period, Mr. Milliken said that top mandarins, such as Jim […]
MPs’ and Senators’ Birthdays
*Bloc MP Ghislain Lebel, 57, Feb. 17, 1946 *Bloc MP Michel Gauthier, 53, Feb. 18, 1950 *Secretary of State David Kilgour, 62, Feb. 18, 1941 *Tory Sen. David Tkachuk, 58, Feb. 18, 1945 *Alliance MP Art Hanger, 60, Feb. 19, 1943 *Liberal MP Guy St-Julien, 63, Feb. 19, 1940 *Tory MP Bill Casey, 58, Feb. […]
This week [in Parliament]
Parliament enters its fourth week of sitting since the holiday break but there seems to be no signs that the House leaders are ready to settle their differences over private member’s business. The Alliance, led by its House Leader John Reynolds, continues to allow most Commons’ committees from travelling, and has now blocked most government […]
Membership rules leave door open to marauders: Hostile takeover attempts by issue activists could become common event
OTTAWA–In 1998 David Orchard jolted conventional party politics. He targeted left-leaning, single-issue activists from the environmental and anti-free trade movements, signed up 12,000 new members, and found himself in a second ballot run-off with Joe Clark for the leadership of the Conservative Party. What if he throws his hat in the ring again–and wins? It […]
Public Accounts told government debt ‘understated’: AG shows most of $7.4-billion transferred to foundations has never been used
Auditor General Sheila Fraser implored the Commons Public Accounts Committee last Wednesday to consider why the government has transferred billions of dollars to various arm’s-length foundations, most of which have been sitting in bank accounts collecting interest for years. Ms. Fraser highlighted the fact that, since 1996-97, $7.4-billion transferred to these foundations – such as […]
Jack Layton ran against Dennis Mills only once
In his Feb. 3 “Heard on the Hill” column in The Hill Times, Sean Durkan writes “So Mr. Layton wins in a byelection, but goes back to his hometown Toronto at general election time to try, for the third time, to unseat veteran Liberal MP Dennis Mills in the city’s Toronto Danforth riding.” In fact, […]
Committee business
British Columbia NDP MP Libby Davies’ lengthy campaign to have Parliament study the country’s sex trade finally paid off. On Feb. 7, the House approved her motion to have the Justice and Human Rights Committee review federal laws relating to solicitation. Chaired by Liberal MP Andy Scott, the committee – which is already undertaking a […]
Happy with Hoy
Regarding Claire Hoy’s column, “Diverse opinions in the media?” (The Hill Times, Feb. 3). This was a pleasure to read. J. Visser R
