Access Commissioner John Reid produces his own access bill
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler has been promising a draft government access bill to the House Access to Information Committee, but has so far not delivered. So Access Commissioner John Reid produced his own. Minority governments can create conditions that upset Ottawa’s usual ways. Take the case and challenge of what to do about too much […]
‘Systemic racism’ in Senate Administration: Senator Oliver
The Senate just released a report on its hiring practices in the last four years, and Conservative Sen. Donald Oliver calls it’s disgraceful. Systemic racism exists in the Senate and is “so glaring and so problematic,”says Nova Scotia Senator Don Oliver that it will only add to the public’s appetite to abolish the Upper Chamber. […]
Audrey O’Brien appointed top dog as Commons Clerk
Long-time House Deputy Clerk Audrey O’Brien received a standing ovation last week when Government House Leader Tony Valeri tabled his motion to officially appoint her as the new Clerk of the House, following a recommendation from the Procedure and House Affairs committee that she be appointed.The motion was agreed to by unanimous consent. Ms. O’Brien, […]
Dingwall and transparency
Revenue Minister John McCallum has been facing a lot of flak in the House of Commons on a daily basis over former Royal Canadian Mint president David Dingwall’s severance package. Rightly so. This whole Dingwall story makes it painfully obvious that severance packages and contracts for such top jobs should be fully transparent and open […]
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 […]
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 […]
Canada needs more Newman: Fan
Re: “Changes needed in higher echelons of CBC, says NDP culture and communications critic Charlie Angus.”Like I said before, I have missed Don Newman’s Politics. It was and is the most reliable program on Parliament Hill. The other stations don’t cover Parliament the way CBC does.The CBC is the heart of the nation. Don Newman […]
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 […]
Lobbyists want government to break log-jam in procurement
Ottawa lobbyists and government suppliers says the aftershocks of public outrage over perceived corruption within the contracting process are having a profound effect on the procurement process. Ottawa lobbyists and government suppliers says the aftershocks of public outrage over perceived corruption within the contracting process is having a profound effect on the procurement process, where […]
Disagree with ‘puff piece’ on new Grit Sen. Campbell
Re: the puff piece on Senator Larry Campbell (“Look out for new Liberal Senator Larry Campbell,”(The Hill Times, Sept. 19), it’s my view as a journalist in B.C. that you would be rendering your readers a disservice by leaving them with the impression, as writer Jonathan Ross did, that Larry Campbell is going to be […]
