PM considers US, Russian legal system equivalents: where do you begin with such a dog’s breakfast of error in PM Jean Chretien’s statements?
Where do you begin with such a dog’s breakfast of error in PM Jean Chretien’s statements? WASHINGTON, D.C.–On June 28, a group of heavily armed men reportedly seized the offices of Yugraneft, the largest Canadian-owned oil company in Russia. According to the media, the Canadian embassy in Moscow described it as “an illegal confiscation of […]
So much for economic miracle
I remember reading the Financial Post last month — it was the Aug. 23 issue — and its page one headline read: “Markets Surge on Tech Hopes.” This was followed by a subhead saying, “Cisco CEO sees signs of early turnaround.” So, here it is September already and no turnaround yet. I would advise shareholders […]
Where’s journalistic fairness?
At one time, newspapers were published essentially to promote the partisan interests of a particular political party or ideology. There was certainly no attempt at objectivity — what that is anyway — or even fairness. If you were a Liberal paper, the Liberals were good and the Tories were bad. If you were a Tory […]
Anatomy of a virus: inside Health Canada’s strategy committee [Executive Committee on Risk Management]
Ottawa certainly has its share of mind-numbing, bureaucratic-sounding committees meeting regularly in board-rooms across the capital, but there is one powerful weekly gathering that is anything but boring. The mere title of Health Canada’s “Executive Committee on Risk Management,” hints at the weighty topics discussed every Thursday morning behind closed doors in the Brooke Claxton […]
Politico, read anything good lately? Sink your teeth into these [Short book reviews]
Ibbitson’s Loyal No More is an absorbing book about a self-absorbed province, and DePalma’s a good read Loyal No More John Ibbitson Harper Collins $30 At last, someone has written a book about the place of Ontario in Confederation, and the redundancy that Canada has become to its largest province. The math of Confederation is […]
Water main flood knocks power out in some influential offices: PMO’s Langevin Block luckily not affected by floods
If you’re holding a fresh copy of this week’s Hill Times, consider yourself lucky because it was hellish to put out. Think of the movie Being John Malkovich and picture us last Friday here in our second-floor office at 69 Sparks St. in Ottawa, working by candlelight and battery- operated lanterns to get this 32-page […]
Grit leadership contenders are Irish descendants [New Irish ambassador]
If you’re Irish, step into the leadership race… Just over a week after Canada brought back former Indian affairs minister Ron Irwin from a three-year stint as ambassador to Dublin and plopped him in Boston, Ireland installed a new ambassador here in Ottawa. Martin Burke, Ireland’s former ambassador to Sweden, arrived here in the middle […]
Mills had an epiphany in Rome, nun’s words “seared his psyche”
Dennis Mills was told Mother Teresa ‘never cared much for politicians, they did things for the love of power’ Seasoned Liberal MP Dennis Mills says he’s “mystified” by Industry Minister Brian Tobin’s apparent turn to the right and the indications he might be succumbing to a pack instinct. Mr. Mills (Toronto-Danforth, Ont.) was responding to […]
Kinsella’s book hits Ottawa, to rattle some [Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics]
Political insiders and national reporters were fastening their seat belts last week in Canada’s capital as they read through longtime Liberal strategist Warren Kinsella’s latest book, Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics. Called “The Prince of Darkness” in some circles and known as Canada’s Lee Atwater or James Carville, Mr. Kinsella dishes up his insider’s view […]
Captain Canada reinvents himself, now pro-business kind of guy. Day makes meaningless ultimatum
Brian Tobin now wants Canadians to be a little bit more American in the way that we sell ourselves abroad, eh? One day, Industry Minister Brian Tobin might be revealed as a brilliant political strategist for his efforts to reinvent himself on the national stage. But watching him right now, one has the sense that […]
