New lobbying opinion could force senators who are corporate directors to register [Includes members of Senate banking committee and their directorships]
Senators who also sit as directors of corporations may have to watch their step to avoid running afoul of the latest advisory opinion issued by the Lobbyists Registration Branch. According to an opinion published last month, outside directors — those who are not employees of a company or organization — who undertake to meet with […]
The PM’s instincts of survival [Alberta and the election of senators]
Presumably, everyone in Alberta is hot under the collar because the prime minister appointed Douglas Roche to the Senate. This has spoiled their plan to elect their own senator in a province-wide election. Alberta’s Premier, Ralph Klein, has written the prime minister saying, “I think you have underestimated the depth of feeling on this issue […]
Martin behind Cullen ousting [Ottawa West-Nepean riding]
Score one for Martin’s people…Federal Finance Minister Paul Martin’s local Ottawa supporters helped to orchestrate the surprising nomination defeat of Liberal MPP Alex Cullen in Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont., two weeks ago. Mr. Cullen was ousted by fellow Liberal and Nepean City Councillor Rick Chiarelli, a second cousin to Regional Chairman Bob Chiarelli, who is a […]
APEC controvery hits home for backbench voters
Suppressing civil rights ain’t pretty…While Prime Minister Jean Chr tien faces questions about his role in RCMP manhandling of protesters at last year’s APEC summit in Vancouver, B.C., Ontario Liberal MP John McKay kicked off an almost surreal plea for protection of religious tolerance when the House returned last week. In the Commons, Mr. McKay […]
Question period: the prime minister said that his staff may have told the RCMP what to do at APEC. Should he be held responsibile for his PMO staff?
“I think the question of his own personal responsibility or the actions he should take afterwards is mitigated to some extent by whether he knew what his staff was doing. He can’t be like the king who ordered the murder of Thomas Becket and just say, ‘Why won’t someone rid me of this man’ and […]
[Justice dept awards for contribution to the advancement of legal & linguistic duality]
Meanwhile, in other news, the leader of the team that drafted the Official Languages Act of 1988 was one of four people to receive an award of distinction for his contribution to the advancement of the country’s linguistic and legal duality recently. The awards were handed out by Justice Minister Anne McLellan and her Parliamentary […]
[Public Service Commission of Canada survey on recruitment]
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission of Canada released the results of a study last week, done by the Public Management Research Centre. Called “Facing the Challenge: Recruiting the Next Generation of University Graduates to the Public Service,” this is the study which is helping the PSC focus its efforts for a mass recruiting already underway […]
Freedom of the press belongs to who owns you
It has often been repeated that freedom of the press belongs first and foremost to the person who owns the press. While this is a somewhat cynical and simplistic view of the day-to-day operation of newspapers, when push comes to shove it’s true: the owner has every right to take whatever editorial stance he wishes […]
McSweeney to leave Standards Council one year shy of seven-year appointment
Mike McSweeney, a loyal Tory, former Ottawa city councillor and once the babysitter for former Tory prime minister Brian Mulroney’s children, is leaving his post as executive director of the Standards Council of Canada one year before his time is up. Mr. McSweeney was appointed six years ago to serve a seven-year term as the […]
CRTC explores brave new world of electronic communications: Canada’s Internet service provider sector has a strong message for the CRTC: back off
The Canadian Radio-television Commission launches hearings this fall on the regulation of new media, looking into everything from Canadian content on the Internet to the ongoing battle between Internet providers and telephone companies over who own the wires. But when it comes to regulating Canada’s nascent Internet service provider sector, the industry has a strong […]
