Canadian way as quiet collaborator in democracy is pretty good: Challenge is to shape institution to unique national circumstances, strengthen roots of democratic culture
The Globe’s Jeffrey Simpson recently called on Canada to “go the extra mile for democracy” by creating a national institute to promote democracy at home and abroad. The idea was inspired by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in the United States and its offspring, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the National Republican Institute. […]
Sensational CBC 60 Minutes story fuels stronger attacks on Canada’s refugee and immigration policies, negative stereotype
The refugees and immigrants whose infusion into Canada fuelled decades of development are under attack by the Canadian Alliance in Parliament. The negative stereotyping generated by these attacks does not help in creating a tolerant and inclusive society. There are about 12 million refugees on the move in almost every part of the world in […]
Lunch with Mel Cappe: Clerk of PCO spends $61,000 on travel, meals
Mel Cappe, the Clerk of the Privy Council and the most powerful public servant in the land, spent $61,000 on travel expenses and meals over a 19-month period between April 1, 2000 and Nov. 8, 2001. The figures are found in expense claims recently released by the Privy Council Office through the Access to Information […]
Liberals lack any real leadership on Kyoto: Tory MP John Herron: Name one regulation or incentive whereby the government fostered industrial response to greenhouse gases
I can demonstrate how void the government has been when it comes to taking action on this Kyoto file or actually providing any kind of leadership. The government has been vigorous in engaging industry on this issue and has wanted to reward early action taken by industry. For instance, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters has […]
Give MP Jim Pankiw the boot: He’s still caught between DRC and Canadian Alliance
Saskatchewan MP Jim Pankiw remained in limbo as of late last week, caught between the now- defunct Democratic Representative Caucus and the Canadian Alliance. If Alliance Leader Stephen Harper wants to do the best thing for his party, he should leave him there. Mr. Pankiw represents everything that the Alliance must get away from if […]
Eddie Goldenberg is the ‘man’: PMO staffers top list of Terrific Twenty-Five survey
The man who’s acted as Prime MinisterJean Chretien ‘s “eyes and ears” for over a quarter century, easily took top spot in “The Hill Times Terrific Twenty-Five” second annual survey of the best political staffers on Parliament Hill this year. PM Chretien’s (Saint-Maurice, Que.) veteran adviser “Fast” Eddie Goldenberg is “the man,” as one of […]
Canada should lead by example: As a G-7 nation, we could show the rest of the world how to conserve energy, reduce consumption of fossil fuels, through demand side management measures
Prior to Rio we were dealing with these issues. One of the things that came up at that time is that we are too much concerned with supply side management and that maybe this is how we have to break out of the box: we have to start talking more about demand side management. As […]
Big problems with decision to flip MPs,’ staffers’ expenses into private information
Treasury Board’s directives defining ministerial and exempt staff travel and hospitality expenses as personal information are easily challenged, loose, unworkable, and far-reaching. I’m just starting. That’s despite their winning the Prime Minister’s good-housekeeping seal of approval. For 17 years, these expense records were public and not private in nature. Now, with Treasury Board’s directives they […]
Play ball! It’s that time of year for Hill’s famed softball league: Next generation of Alliance members started Hill internships last week, most working in party’s war room
Staffers looking to cut loose on the softball diamond were disappointed to learn that the season opener of the Parliamentary Hill Softball League had to be pushed back two weeks because of poor field conditions in Ottawa. “Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t cooperated,” said Doug Secord, long-time assistant to Grit Mac Harb and one of the […]
Still no legislation governing conflict of interest in Parliament: The only major innovation of the last decade has been the creation of the position of federal Ethics Counsellor
A whole chapter could be devoted to how each jurisdiction handles varying types of ethically sensitive activity. Since the federal regulatory scheme is in most ways the least well-developed, however, we will concentrate on Ottawa in particular. In other words, although the provincial governments are far from perfect, the biggest, most expensive government we support […]
