‘The minister has an obligation to tell us who was disciplined and why, this is a scandal of national importance’: Williams [Sponsorship scandal]
Public Works Minister Scott Brison admitted last week that public servants have been disciplined in connection with the Sponsorship Scandal, but he’s not saying who, when or why. There needs to be assurances from the government that whistleblowers who came forward with information on the Sponsorship Scandal haven’t been punished, says Conservative MP John Williams, […]
Industry Minister Emerson hires three new top staffers: Former OLO QP coordinator Nancy Heppner joins Tory MP Dave Batters’ constituency office
Industry Minister David Emerson,who is also one of the two powerful political ministers for British Columbia along with Leader of the Government in the Senate Jack Austin, has hired three new staffers in his ministerial political office in Ottawa. They are: Benjamin Little, senior policy adviser; Adam Johnson, director of Parliamentary affairs; and Savik Sidhu, […]
Prime Minister’s Office and Press Gallery try to get along
Earlier this year, the Parliamentary Press Gallery executive made it a priority to improve relations with the Prime Minister’s Office because of a variety of problems, including the lack of notice when Prime Minister Paul Martin makes public appearances, granting year-end interviews only to TV news media and Prime Minister Martin’s unavailability during foreign trips, […]
The week ahead in Parliament
Both the House and the Senate are back after its week and two-week break and committees will be up and running The House will begin debate for the first time on the following bills: C-37 The Do Not Call Bill C-63 The Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act Review Bill C-64 Vehicle Identification […]
Senate Internal Economy looks into Liberal Sen. Lavigne’s tree-cutting Hill staffer: Former U.S. president Clinton cancels his Ottawa visit
The Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has struck a three-member special committee to investigate whether Quebec Liberal Sen. Raymond Lavigne broke the Senate’s rules by allowing his staffer to cut down trees on his neighbour’s property in West Quebec. The matter came to a head in July after Sen. Lavigne’s Wakefield, […]
Cleaner cars aren’t made enough, and aren’t made in Canada
Voluntary commitments just don’t work and if the industry says it can meet the Kyoto targets, we should get it in writing. Canadians know that driving vehicles that burn less gas is an important way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, helping people save money and clean the air. Yet these cleaner cars aren’t made […]
Conservative MPs outworking Liberals on national automotive strategy, says Tory Auto Caucus Chair Carrie
Industry Minister David Emerson has been promising an auto strategy for more than one year. So the Conservatives decided to start working on their own. The impact of the automotive industry on the national economy is staggering.The sector contributes over $7.5-billion in total value-added GDP and no less than seven jobs are created for every […]
Dingwall and his pack of gum
So, was it double mint gum? Selfdecommissioned Canadian Mint boss David Dingwall may go down in history as the first public official to have screwed himself by being such a colossal tightwad. His travel and expenses tab were huge and pretty lavish, but in his line of work and given the turnaround in the Mint’s […]
PARLIAMENTARY CALENDAR: Graham White to talk about concentration of power at the apex of our Parliamentary system of government
Andre Blais, Kenneth Carty and Richard S. Katz will talk about the ‘political hot potato’ proportional representation on Oct. 27 in Ottawa. MONDAY, OCT. 10 The House – The House of Commons is adjourned until Monday Oct. 17. TUESDAY, OCT. 11 The Senate – The Senate is adjourned until Oct. 18. For more information, please […]
Many political journalists have a warmer regard for the elite personalities they cover than the public they presume to serve
Halloween has come early this year in the form of dark mutterings of a midnight plot by the Parliamentary Press Gallery. It’s the spooky spectre of a Liberal Media Conspiracy. Never has conspiracy talk gained such currency amongst rational people. Theorists believe Liberals remain in power with the aid of journalists. Media are led by […]
