Veteran Sun Media columnist Doug Fisher recently said House Speaker Peter Milliken has been ‘completely ineffective at controlling the daily oral Question Period.’ Do you agree?
Mike Storeshaw Conservative Strategist “Mr. Fisher has probably employed a bit of exaggeration to make his point. I think everyone in the little village we call Parliament Hill was pleased to see Peter Milliken re-elected as Speaker of the House. His humour, charm, and nearly unmatched knowledge of procedure make him a great fit for […]
Conservatives won’t say who will be the next public sector integrity commissioner
A former civil servant who was praised in Justice John Gomery’s first report on the sponsorship scandal for denouncing and refusing to sign murky government contracts with advertising companies could receive the position of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, but critics say he’s potentially too close to the situation. Allan Cutler, who also ran unsuccessfully […]
Lights, camera, controversy!
As the ongoing skirmish between the Prime Minister Stephen Harper and media continues to make life difficult for reporters on the Hill, the press gallery is wrestling with its own policies on access-specifically, the practice of giving out “day passes” to reporters who don’t normally cover the Hill. Although mostly provided for the convenience of […]
May steps down from Sierra Club, Green leadership on horizon?
Elizabeth May stepped down as the executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada last week amid rumours she will run for Green Party leadership. In a press release last week, the board of the Sierra Club said it “reluctantly accepted her decision.” “Elizabeth has led the Club at the national level from its infancy […]
Cooperation on Throne Speech last week no indication of how rest of Parliament will go: MPs
The tone has settled down in Parliament, but don’t expect smooth sailing from now on, says NDP House Leader Libby Davies. “I think relative to what happened in the last Parliament, where it was so explosive and the feeling that the government could fall even in the first week, which was pretty ludicrous, I think […]
Wanted: Thick-skinned bilingual Hill hack with a knack for cracking wise about the affairs of the nation
When veteran Parliament Hill BN reporter and longtime Press Gallery member Dan Dugas signed on as communications director for Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, he left the press gallery executive in a bit of a pickle. The gallery will have to find a new Master of Ceremonies at this year’s Press Gallery Dinner, which is […]
RCMP swept Speaker’s Office for bugs, listening devices before secret ballots counted last Monday
The RCMP swept for electronic bugs and recording devices in the Speaker’s Office in Centre Block before the secret ballots were counted there and after MPs elected for the House Speaker last week, says the House. On Friday, March 31, the RCMP looked for anything that could be used to record the tally of votes, […]
Today, Berger finds that barely seven years after the new territory was established, Nunavut is headed for social catastrophe
Seven years ago, the map of Canada changed for the first time since Newfoundland joined in 1949. A new territory of Nunavut was created and it is unlike any other part of Canada. Inuit form 85 per cent of the population and the first language of the territory is Inuktitut. Nunavut was formed as part […]
Conservatives ban cellphones, BlackBerries in weekly caucus meetings
The Conservatives have banned MPs, Cabinet ministers, and Senators from carrying cellphones and BlackBerries into the new government’s weekly caucus meetings on Parliament Hill for “security and confidentiality reasons” and they’ve barred political staffers from attending the meetings as well. Some say the move indicates a lack of confidence of the loyalty of the national […]
More accountability needed PM
Prime Minister Stephen Harper got elected on a campaign of bringing more accountability into government and to the people. To date, he hasn’t delivered too much. Broadening the Access to Information Act is a question mark. National caucus meetings are in lock-down mode. Although all political parties’ caucus meetings are private and closed-door affairs, but […]
