Bloc Quebecois goes on $400,000 Adscam offensive: But Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe admits his own party asked to use program before scandal broke
As his party launched a $400,000 ad campaign to remind Quebecers about the sponsorship scandal, Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe admitted his party also sought after money from the controversial program. “Of course, on this point we never denied that,” Mr. Duceppe (Laurier, Que.) said, before the House adjourned for its week-long break. Borrowing a […]
Chief Government Whip pulls in all Liberal MPs for intense political week in Ottawa
With election fever hitting Parliament, the Liberals aren’t taking any chances about the possibility of MPs being absent for crucial Commons votes, says Chief Government Whip Karen Redman. “It’s my job to try to provide for every eventuality,”Ms. Redman (Kitchener-Centre, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week. “Starting Monday with [Finance] Minister [Ralph] Goodale’s economic […]
The Parti Quebecois won’t want another leadership race for at least 20 years, after they get through this one
Combine the Gomery after-shock with the Paul Martin government centralist attitude and it’s impossible not to believe that Gilles Duceppe, as soon as he passes ‘go,’ will collect votes like Bill Gates collects billions. QUEBEC CITY – As you read this column, Quebec sovereigntists are voting by telephone to choose their new leader. Out of […]
The week ahead in Parliament: This week it’s all about the opposition days
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe were both pleased last week to see the NDP join them in committing to defeat the government at the earliest possible time. But no one, they say, wants a Christmas election. Tuesday, Nov. 15, belongs to the Conservatives in the House, as the first opposition day […]
It’s ‘the friendship factor’ and lobbying [lobbyists fund raise for politicians]
Ten years ago, ‘the friendship factor’ and trust relationships may have helped politicians and lobbyists argue against any potential conflicts of interest, but not in today’s ethically-sensitive environment. So, you’re a lobbyist and you throw a fundraiser for a politician whom you’ve known for years.You charge $150 a person and raise $9,000.Then you find yourself […]
Harper’s ethics package
One of the “major flaws”in Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s ethics package is that it targets only former Cabinet ministers and their staffers and not the opposition critics and their staffers from lobbying the government after they leave public office, says a senior Liberal lobbyist, who didn’t want to be named. “These people do get access […]
Conacher calls Harper’s proposed Federal Accountability Act ‘most extensive, comprehensive and effective package in history’
The Conservative Party’s proposed Federal Accountability Act is the “most extensive, comprehensive and effective package in the history of Canadian government,” says Democracy Watch coordinator Duff Conacher, but voters shouldn’t trust that Stephen Harper will implement any of the initiatives unless he guarantees his promises by putting his own job on the line. “Politicians play […]
‘Sustainable Economy’ requires sustained investment in our transportation infrastructure: Liberal MP Tonks
The only responsible way to move forward in the long-term will be to develop a National Sustainability Plan that maps out Canada’s transportation and other sustainability priorities. Canada must make substantial investments in its transportation infrastructure over the next decade to ensure Canada’s competitive position in the global economy. This will require strategic investments in […]
Meet Daniel Leblanc, the guy who broke the Adscam story
Globe reporter Daniel Leblanc says he’s happy that it took the media, before all politicians, to push the Sponsorship Scandal into the national political consciousness. Daniel Leblanc, The Globe and Mail Parliamentary Hill reporter who broke the Adscam story in December 1999, is one of the best investigative reporters on the Hill. In fact, his […]
Security concerns growing as Transport Minister prepares for ‘worst case scenario’: Jean Lapierre to name new panel following Fifth Estate investigative reports on airport security
Only a few days after a media report uncovered serious security shortfalls in Canada’s major airports,Transport Minister Jean Lapierre said the federal government is getting more alarmed about the country’s vulnerability to a terrorist attack. “The transportation security file is one that is of increasing concern to me,”Mr. Lapierre (Outremont, Que.) said in an email […]
