Alberta Conservatives don’t like Harper’s policies, Tories unlikely to lose seats in Alberta in next election

A significant number of Albertans are unhappy with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's flip flops on policy issues such as Kyoto and income trusts but it's highly unlikely that the Conservatives will lose any seats in Alberta, says a Senator-in-waiting in the province. Link Byfield, a columnist for Calgary Sun, Edmonton Sun, and president of the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy, a non-profit organization that promotes responsible government, said that Albertans expected Prime Minister Harper to expand the Conservative Party's base by embracing issues popular in Ontario and Quebec but some Conservatives believe he may have gone too far. He specifically identified issues such as Kyoto, recognizing Québécois as a nation within Canada, the last federal budget, and imposing taxes on income trusts, as policies with which Alberta Conservatives are dissatisfied. "We all knew that Harper would do this, nobody knew how much, how fast. We all knew he would go this way. He had to, to get Quebec and Ontario and you can say he went too far," said Mr. Byfield, who was editor and publisher for the now defunct Alberta Report magazine for 18 years and who in September 2004 was elected as an independent Senator-in-waiting. In the last federal election, Conservatives won all 28 seats in Alberta with 65.03 per cent of the vote, followed by the Liberals and NDP with 15.3 per cent of the vote and 11.68 per cent of the vote respectively. The Liberals and the NDP did not win any seats.–Abbas Rana Seniors group says income trusts are illegal and calls for an investigation A group of senior citizens is urging the RMCP to launch a criminal investigation on the "deceptive yields" in the marketing material investment banks use to sell income trusts to clients. Diane Urquhart, a financial analyst volunteering for the National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation and the United Senior Citizens of Ontario, has sought a professional opinion from Al Rosen, a forensic accountant in Toronto, and last month met with the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police and a municipal police force in Toronto to present evidence for an investigation. "There is serious malfeasance in the product," Ms. Urquhart said in an interview. "The criminal aspect of it is what we call the 'greensheets' used by the financial advisers of Canada to describe why seniors should buy the product." Greensheets are prepared by investment bankers and given to financial advisers who use them to market income trusts. "You cannot, by deceit, sell a product in the public markets for the purpose of inflating its price," she said. "It's been a phenomena that's been in the market for the last five years." Ms. Urquhart said that the government's surprise Halloween announcement of a tax on income trusts only accounts for a 10 per cent loss for income trust investors, and that most losses are a result of faulty marketing. "Seniors, as a consequence, paid excessive prices and have suffered billions in losses," she said, adding that the RCMP is reviewing the evidence. Ms. Urquhart and Mr. Rosen say that use of deceptive yields in marketing materials is common among investment professionals in the industry. No one has been charged.–Simon Doyle 'Grassroots Coalition of Concerned Citizens' look to start new party In Ontario, about 50 to 70 small-c conservatives, who call themselves the Grassroots Coalition of Concerned Citizens–some of them former Reform and Alliance Party members–are gathering in Kingston, Ont. on June 2 to decide whether to start a new provincial or federal party that would represent their fiscal and social values. In an interview last week, Anthony Silvestro, a spokesperson and policy director of the group, told The Hill Times that a smaller group of six people representing some grassroots Ontario groups held an in-camera meeting in Kingston, Ont., on the weekend of May 12 and decided to hold a larger meeting to examine their options. He said that at the May 12 meeting, the group agreed on five guidelines and policies, including "Less government (elimination of departments and staffing); substantial, across the board, tax reductions; referenda, recall, elected senate and elected judges; an end to enforced bilingualism and multiculturalism and enshrining of property rights." Mr. Silvestro said attendees to the May 12 meeting or the upcoming June 2 meeting don't have to be affiliated with the Conservative Party. He said that most of the people attending the June 2 meeting are from Ontario but some are coming from other provinces. "A lot of us are not Reformers. We're not Tories, I want to get away from that right, left, Conservative, Liberal way of thinking. People aren't like that anymore. Those policies are not just Reform Party policies. Some of us are ex-Reformers, yes. Are we frustrated with what Stephen Harper's done? No doubt about it, but it's not just a frustration with Stephen Harper's party, it's frustration with every party out there," said Mr. Silvestro, a founding member of the Reform Party, who, in the 1999 Ontario provincial election, ran unsuccessfully as a Confederation of Regions Party candidate in the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean. Connie Wilkins of Kingston, owner of freedominion.ca, a popular Conservative website, also attended the Kingston meeting and told The Hill Times that based on the political discussions on her website, which she said receives two-million page views per month, Conservatives across the country are dissatisfied with the Harper government's policies, some of which include Kyoto, income trusts, Public Works Minister Michael Fortier's appointment to the Senate, International Trade Minister David Emerson's cross into the Conservative caucus and the Shane Doan affair. "The feeling has been growing, an increased dissatisfaction how the Conservative Party is representing the membership and there were several issues that people had felt that Conservative Party dealt with differently than the membership would have wanted and haven't been feeling like they've been terribly receptive to hearing from the membership," said Ms. Wilkins. Chief Government Whip Jay Hill, in an interview with The Hill Times, disagreed, saying that Conservatives across the country are not happy with the Harper government's policies. He said that the only indication of dissatisfaction that he has seen is one of the recent Globe and Mail stories that reported about the May 12 Kingston, Ont., meeting. Other than that, Mr. Hill said that he hasn't received any such feedback. "That's absolute nonsense. I haven't heard from any of my supporters. I'm still in contact with lots of old Reformers, being one myself, and I don't know that there's any credibility to this story that appeared in the media about old ex-Reformers wanting to get together and maybe resurrect the party. I haven't heard that anywhere other than that one media story," said Mr. Hill. He said that he's not concerned that some of these people may decide to start their own party. "There's always tensions in any political party. That's the reality of the situation and I'm not concerned at all. I know that Mr. Harper is a Reformer like I was. I know where his roots are. He's one of the few Western prime ministers that we've ever had in this country, certainly had in the last few decades, and I strongly support him and certainly all the Reformers in my riding strongly support him. So, I haven't heard about this and I don't see any need for it. If you look at the legislation that we've been putting forward in the House, whether it's on democratic Reform or changes to the House of Commons ... Senate tenure limits in the Upper Chamber, all the myriad of criminal justice bills that we've brought forward, support for the Canadian forces, and a solid fiscal plan, including the largest tax relief in Canadian history for all citizens. When you look at those fundamental principles, they were part of the Reform Party." But Mr. Silvestro disagreed. "Everybody I've talked to has been emailing their MPs for the last six months in regards to numerous issues, the billions of dollars in expenses. The Conservatives aren't reducing expenses. They're spending actually. Government spending is up under a Conservative government. Jay Hill is going to be in for a bit of a surprise."–Abbas Rana Commons passes motion for committee protocol on 'accounting officers' MPs passed a committee report in the House last week that orders "accounting officers" to appear before Parliamentary committees on the terms of Parliamentarians, not the executive. The Conservative government's Federal Accountability Act amended the Financial Administration Act so that deputy ministers are identified as "accounting officers" who may be called before Parliamentary committees to account for their management responsibilities, particularly before the House Public Accounts Committee for financial management. However the House Public Accounts Committee is at odds with the Privy Council Office on developing a "protocol" for the appearance of accounting officers before committees. PCO drafted a protocol that says accounting officers should appear before committees in support of ministerial accountability. The opposition parties on the Public Accounts Committee drafted their own protocol that says DMs should be available for appearances before committees even after they are shuffled, and that they may be held responsible on issues of financial management, control and accountability (but not policy). Last week MPs voted on the protocol reported to the House by the Public Accounts Committee, passing the motion in the Commons by a vote of 160 to 116. Government members voted against the motion. With its passage, the committee protocol becomes an order of the House and assumes the same authority as the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, overriding the authority of the PCO protocol. The government whip's office said it was a free vote. Conservative MP John Williams, a member of the Public Accounts Committee who supports the committee protocol, abstained.–Simon Doyle PM Harper appoints Pierre Duchesne as Lt.-Gov. of Quebec last week Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week announced the appointment of Pierre Duchesne as lieutenant-governor of Quebec. "I am pleased with the appointment of Pierre Duchesne, who I know will be honoured to continue serving his province and country to the best of his abilities," Mr. Harper said in a release. "He served for 30 years in the Quebec National Assembly in addition to devoting himself to numerous social, community and professional causes." Pierre Duchesne made his debut in the Quebec National Assembly in 1974. In 1984 he became secretary general, which he held until December 2001 when assumed the role of special advisor to the secretary general, where he remained until January 2004. Pierre Duchesne replaces Lise Thibault as Quebec's lieutenant-governor, a position she has held since January 1997. Mr. Duchesne and his wife, Ginette Lamoureux, have three children, Nathalie, Dominique and Simon, and seven grandchildren.–The Hill Times Renowned National Press Club declares bankruptcy, trustee changes locks The National Press Club declared bankruptcy on Wednesday of last week and a bankruptcy trustee changed the locks to the club, barring access, Tim Kane, the president of the National Press Club of Canada Foundation, said in an interview last week. After several years of financial difficulties, the National Press Club could not pay a rent increase planned by the Public Works Department, which owns the building. The Press Club Foundation will continue operating, however, and is awaiting charitable status. Some Press Club events are likely to go on as scheduled as planners look for new locations to hold them. Mr. Kane said he remains hopeful that he will be able to work out a new lease with Public Works, keeping the foundation at the historic Wellington Street location in the National Press Building.–Simon Doyle P.E.I. Senator Callbeck criticizes PM Harper for failing to fill vacant Island seat in Upper Chamber Prince Edward Island Liberal Senator Catherine Callbeck criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week in the Red Chamber for failing to fill the vacant P.E.I. Senate seat which she said is depriving her home province of adequate representation in the Upper Chamber. Sen. Callbeck criticized the Prime Minister for choosing to appoint Public Works Minister Michael Fortier to the Red Chamber and subsequently to Cabinet soon after the Jan. 23 federal election to represent Montreal at the Cabinet table and choosing not to fill the P.E.I. vacant seat. She said that there were a number of qualified Conservative Senators from Montreal at the time who could have been appointed to Cabinet but the Prime Minister chose to make a new appointment to the Senate to represent Montreal at the Cabinet table. Quebec has 24 seats in Senate out of which two seats are vacant. In comparison, P.E.I. has only four seats out of which one has been vacant since Aug. 15, 2004 when Progressive Conservative Sen. Eileen Rossiter retired. Citing section 24 and section 32 of the Constitution, Sen. Callbeck said the government is obliged to fill the vacant seats in the Senate. Currently, there are 12 vacant seats in the Senate including one for Newfoundland and Labrador, one for New Brunswick, three for Nova Scotia, one for Prince Edward Island, two for Quebec, two for Ontario, one for the Yukon and one for British Columbia. Out of the 105 seats in the Senate, Liberals hold 62 seats, Conservatives hold 23 seats, Progressive Conservatives hold three seats, the New Democratic Party holds one seat and there are four independent Senators.–The Hill Times MPs' soccer team defeats pages team MPs soccer team last week defeated the House of Commons pages soccer team by 11 goals to seven in the eighth annual soccer game. In a statement about this friendly game in the House of Commons, Nova Scotia NDP MP Peter Stoffer said: "It was a glorious night in Ottawa. The media and the fans couldn't believe what they saw. There were MPs and pages running on the field. With neither team wanting to bend or to yield. Soccer was the reason for which we all gathered. For pride and honour is all that had mattered." Mr. Stoffer pointed out in the statement that out of the total of eight annual games with pages, MPs have won six and the pages won two.–The Hill Times

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Alberta Conservatives don’t like Harper’s policies, Tories unlikely to lose seats in Alberta in next election

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