Senator LeBreton hires five new senior exempt political staffers
Marjory LeBreton, the leader of the government in the Senate, has hired five new exempt staffers for her ministerial political office. Sen. LeBreton’s office is headed by chief of staff Sandy Melo who was appointed to the job in February, after Sen. LeBreton was sworn into Cabinet on Feb. 6. The other new senior ministerial […]
Question Period loses Bill Blaikie
Members of the NDP caucus acknowledge they lost one of their stars of Question Period when seasoned NDP MP Bill Blaikie was elected as Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons on April 3. As Deputy Speaker, Mr. Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, Man.) will adopt a less partisan role in the Commons and can no longer put […]
Former Parliament Hill staffers organize key policy conference in Mont Tremblant, Que.
Four former Liberal Hill staffers who earlier this year launched a think-tank called “Canada 2020” are organizing a policy conference “Progressive Policies, Practical Solutions” in Mont Tremblant, Que. in June to come up with solutions for Canada to meet with the social and economic challenges of the 21st century. Tim Barber, executive director and co-founder […]
Not welcome on the voyage
It wasn’t just reporters who had to face down the Prime Minister’s Office during last week’s accountability press conference. Liberal MP Stephen Owen, who serves as his party’s Treasury Board critic, was initially barred from entry as well. “I walked in and was asked to leave by some officious looking person,” Mr. Owen told The […]
What’s your take on the Conservatives’ decision to ban BlackBerries and cellphones from their national caucus meetings for security and caucus confidentiality reasons, but still allow them at Cabinet meetings?”
Mike Storeshaw Conservative strategist “It’s pretty simple, really. Apart from the obvious desire not to see a play-by-play of caucus meetings on the cover of The Globe and Mail-a regular occurrence with Liberal meetings-cellphones and BlackBerries can be a distraction. There’s a reason why you turn them off in movie theatres too, or at least […]
Grit Sen. Campbell saves a dog near Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa on his way home from Hill
Who says the Senate never does anything worthwhile? Earlier this month while walking back to his quarters at the historic Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa located high up on the banks of the mighty Ottawa River, Vancouver Liberal Senator Larry Campbell, the real-life model for CBC TV’s (now cancelled) crusading coroner in Da Vinci’s Inquest, […]
Say what? Mercer wins an Arthur Kroeger for public discourse
When comedian Rick Mercer found out he won an Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs award for excellence in contributing to public discourse, he was lying on the ground, holding himself, after getting kicked in his privates. Or so he says. It was tax time, he told an audience of 200 at the awards dinner […]
Afghanistan debate part II
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last week in the House Chamber that Canadian troops will remain in Afghanistan for “years,” indicating that Canadians will be in Afghanistan even after the current commitment expires in 2007. So last week’s “take-note of Canada’s significant commitment in Afghanistan” debate wasn’t exactly compelling, but it’s important it happened. Moreover, […]
Symposium on leadership and Deputy Ministers, Mulroney to be honoured as ‘greenest PM,’ electoral reform conference this week
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 Parliamentary Business Seminar-The Canadian Study of Parliament Group hosts this seminar featuring a panel discussion on legislation issues called, “Legislating: From Ideas to Acts.” 200 West Block, Parliament Hill. For more information, please call 613-943-1228. WXN Breakfast-Dr. Jacqueline Shan, co-founder of CV Technologies and co-discoverer of ColdFX; and Elyse Allan, president & […]
Harper’s Accountability Act darkens any movement forward on access to information
The Accountability Act, released last week, puts on two shades of Tory blue: one that colours-in stronger conflict of interest, election spending, and lobby registration accountability rules; and the other that draws in immediate secrecy measures, and darkens over any movement forward for a brand new access reform bill. The official reason for delaying a […]
