Conservatives threaten to defeat Liberals even if it means a cold Christmas federal election
Conservatives aren’t ruling out defeating the government late next month, in the seemingly neverending game of political chicken on Parliament Hill. The Conservative Party isn’t ruling out defeating the government, even if it means an election near Christmas, says Conservative House Leader Jay Hill,in the seemingly never-ending game of political chicken on Parliament Hill. “If […]
Germain tries out the funny guy schtick
Stand-up guy…The Parliamentary Press Gallery owes Anthony Germain one. When it booked the Museum of Civilization in Hull, sorry, Gatineau, on Oct. 22 for the annual Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner, it forgot to check if its emcee for the past 10 years was available. As it turned out, Dan Dugas,Broadcast News reporter and comical Impersonator, […]
Bill C-24 to bring ‘more substantive changes to party system than ever contemplated’: LeDrew
The new Campaign and Financing Bill will drive donations underground, will do nothing but breed cynicism and “will bring about more substantive changes to the party system than anyone ever contemplated,”says the former president of the federal Liberal Party of Canada, who also once called the legislation as “dumb as a bag of hammers.” Stephen […]
Lobbyists and contingency fees: is the ban naive, over simplistic and just plain dumb? Many lobbyists and lobby experts say it’s so
Some lobbyists and experts say the ban on lobbyists receiving contingency fees for work on government contracts forces the whole issue underground. The controversy over contingency fees allegedly received by former Public Works Minister David Dingwall during his post-Parliamentary career as a lobbyist continued to consume the Commons last week, both in Question Period and […]
A look at one newspaper’s scoop on upcoming Gomery Report
The Star said Gomery’s report will show ‘the Quebec sponsorship scheme was a narrowly-held secret with broadly dangerous implications for government integrity’ ain’t news. Tell us something we didn’t know already. “G (superscript omery targets Chre) tien team,”was The Toronto Star headline in a story last week. Wow, that was a scoop! And there was […]
What’s wrong with this picture? [political and public policy media coverage]
Some of the country’s top journalists and a few senior mandarins weigh in on the trouble with Canada’s national political and public policy coverage. It ain’t pretty. Canada’s political journalism is dutiful and responsible, not marked by hysteria and excess that characterize a lot of journalism elsewhere, but our country has nothing “remotely comparable with […]
Recent government appointments
Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Irwin Cotler made appointments on Oct. 11 to the Advisory Committee that, as part of the new Supreme Court of Canada appointments process, will assess candidates to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice John C. Major, effective Dec. 25, 2005.The Advisory Committee includes a Member […]
Some journalists treat the Gomery Report like a game of tag
The public is sick of the Adscam, even if some journalists are oblivious to the shame. Did nothing profound come out of Adscam? Poets think deep thoughts, so I asked the Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Pauline Michel, if she planned to compose any verse about the sponsorship scandal. No, she replied. She was overwhelmed with requests, […]
The Spin Doctors: “What do you make of the recent Pollara poll that shows that the Conservatives are only six points behind the Liberals?”
Leslie Swartman Liberal Strategist “Not much, frankly. But don’t take my word for it, ask John Reynolds, who was quoted in The Vancouver Sun recently about a poll showing that the Liberals, at 46 per cent support in B.C., are killing the Conservatives, who have 29 per cent. He said, and I quote, ‘I don’t […]
This minority government is the most undemocratic Parliament ever, says Conservative House Leader Jay Hill
Twice now the PM has ensured that the only tool really available to the combined opposition to hold his government accountable cannot be used. Thanks for nothing. Under our Parliamentary system in Canada, it is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to prove that on any given day he has the confidence of the House […]
