Furlong joins Foreign Affairs Minister’s Office
Minister of Foreign Affairs Pierre Pettigrew has hired a new political aid for his ministerial office. Kim Furlong is starting her new job as director of communications to Minister Pettigrew (Papineau, Que.) on Monday, Nov. 28.That’s a dramatic first day on the job because Nov. 28 is the day when the government is expected to […]
DION VOX POPULI [Stephane Dion]
“My sense is that he’s an exceptionally bright and capable person who is open to new ideas, and that’s encouraging, but I’m not sure we’ve seen that translate into the department. But as an individual, he has an inquiring mind. Obviously as we come up to Montreal, the whole question of how the government intends […]
Opposition parties more eager for ‘E-mas’ than Grits: Federal incumbents to encourage Canadians to take advantage of early polling stations if the weather is good on those days
The federal Liberals are worried about being buried in the upcoming winter and Christmas election campaign. Senior party officials and MPs admit they have few ideas to cope with cold weather and its effects on recruitment and campaigning. “People will be deluding themselves if they think that they are going to get the same rate […]
PARLIAMENTARY CALENDAR: Ambassadors McKenna and Wilkins to speak at the Canadian Club of Ottawa Lunch on Dec. 13 in town
MONDAY, NOV. 28 United Nations Climate Change Conference – Canada will host the First Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (MOP1) jointly with the 11th Session of the Conference of Parties from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9. Environment Minister Stephane Dion will chair the meetings, which will take place at the Palais de […]
The Spin Doctors: “Parti Quebecois Leader Andre Boisclair says he will not respect the Clarity Act. Should this be an issue in the upcoming election and why?”
Leslie Swartman Liberal Strategist “Quelle surprise.The PQ won’t abide by the Clarity Act. While not surprising, it surely is a sad statement on the separatists’ respect for the rule of law in this country. “The Supreme Court’s ruling was unequivocal. It said that when it comes to a province’s right to secede, a referendum result […]
Running on empty: Canada’s bilateral relationship now at its lowest ebb in a generation and shows no near term likelihood of improvement
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over 25 years ago, during the Iranian 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, the Canadian Embassy and its ambassador, Ken Taylor, courageously secretly sheltered six U.S. diplomats from the Iranian revolutionaries. It was, without question, the seminal event of our post- World War II bilateral affairs and epitomized the mutually […]
Critics say Canada has not been able to reconcile its two faces on climate change, as Environment Minister Dion poised to chair COP11 [UN Conference on Climate Change]
He’s received a lot of positive media coverage, but what has Canada’s Environment Minister Stephane Dion actually done? It’s a crisp sunny fall day. Inside Centre Block, Environment Minister Stephane Dion is testifying before the House Environment Committee with Cassie Doyle, Associate Deputy Minister of the Environment. Mr. Dion is there to brief MPs about […]
Some 1,500 civil servants on two-year language waiting list
Government’s new bilingual requirements creating a massive nightmare for the Canada School of Public Service. Some 1,500 federal government employees are on a two-year waiting list to meet the second-language requirements of a new bilingual directive in the public service. Changes to the public service policy for federal government employees may have looked good on […]
Tis the season for BlackBerry thumb, but don’t over-use it
Forget about slippery sidewalks and icy roads. Candidates and party organizers should be cautious about overusing their BlackBerry wireless handheld devices, if they want to make it through the campaign without a trip to the disabled list. “Pretty much everyone who has ever used one has experienced pain in their thumbs,” said Toronto-based ergonomist Tania […]
Christmas cards are federal election ads, says NDP MP
This holiday season, incumbent MPs should think twice before they make a list or check it twice, an NDP MP warns. Regardless of whether his constituents have been naughty or nice, Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, Man.) said he won’t use the House of Commons printing service for greetings cards if the country is plunged into […]
