Guillon awarded Royal Victorian Order, Hill reporters profiled in Ottawa Life as ‘A Team of political reporting in Canada’

Terry Guillon, chief of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, can now add the Royal Victorian Order to his life experience. The 50-year-old, who first started working on Parliament Hill as a clerk in the press gallery when he was 22, was one of 12 Canadians quietly appointed to the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen during her recent royal visit to Canada. The Globe and Mail called the group "the curtsey dozen." The title is given as a reward for "extraordinary, important or personal services performed for the Sovereign or the Royal Family," and many who received the honour worked directly on coordinating the Queen's tour, including security and communications officials. Mr. Guillon, who was promoted to chief clerk in 1988 and has regularly worked on the planning and running of royal visits, G8 and G20 summits, and other international events in his 30 years of experience, said he didn't know about the award and only found out about it when he walked into a room at the Royal York hotel in Toronto for the private ceremony on July 6. He said Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, the duke of Edinburgh, were there. Mr. Guillon was alone. Mr. Guillon said he felt proud and described the ceremony as a "tremendous moment of joy." Dwight MacAulay, chief of protocol for the province of Manitoba, also received the RVO along with Christopher McCreery, private secretary to the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, who has written books on royal protocol and honours; Sheila-Marie Cook, secretary to the Governor General; and Bernard Corrigan, Canadian police officer to the Queen. Some 200 Canadians have received this honour since it was created on April 21, 1896, by Queen Victoria and is only presented by the Queen or another member of the Royal Family. Asked if the royal award makes any difference to his daily routine or to getting up in the morning, Mr. Guillon said, it's "business as usual." PMO's talking points on Guergis Shortly after the news came out last week that former Cabinet minister Helena Guergis was cleared of criminal wrong-doing by the RCMP, The Hill Times obtained the Conservatives' talking points: "There are reports that the RCMP has advised counsel for the parties involved in the investigation into Helena Guergis and Rahim Jaffer that no criminal charges will be brought forward. "Please use the following talking points: "The RCMP's decision to not lay charges does not affect the decision to expel Ms. Guergis from caucus. "The Prime Minister received serious allegations from credible sources and forwarded them to the appropriate authorities. " There were several factors that led to Ms. Guergis' removal from cabinet and caucus. "The ethics commissioner is still conducting an investigation into her actions regarding a letter she wrote in support of a company that her husband had business dealings with, for a municipal contract. "The actions by the RCMP and the Ethics Commissioner are separate from the decisions of the Conservative caucus, which holds its members to a high standard of conduct." Bélanger's a proud new papa, lots of Quebec jazz plays as baby born Karl Bélanger, senior press secretary and principal secretary for Quebec to NDP Leader Jack Layton, is the proud new father of baby girl, Clara, who was born on July 20 at La Maison des Naissance de Gatineau in Quebec. Mr. Bélanger, who is on parental leave, shared the happy news in an email. The baby weighed 8.1 pounds and was delivered naturally after eight hours of labour. Mr. Bélanger said his wife Melissa, who had a midwife present during her labour and delivery, was also accompanied musically by the songs and music of Chelsea Bridge and Claude Dubois, Montreal jazz Susie Arioli, and the following day by Québécois singer Kevin Parent and Radiohead. NDP MP Olivia Chow tweeted on Tuesday: "Welcome baby Clara to your world! Wishing @KarlBelanger and Melissa joy, wonder and some sleep." Hill reporters featured in Ottawa Life Ottawa Life magazine recently ran a cover piece, headlined, "The 'A Team,' of political reporting in Canada." The Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles, CPAC's Peter Van Dusen, CTV's Tom Clark, CBC's Kathleen Petty and Evan Solomon, and asked the question: "Is politics hot stuff? Sure is, according to those who do it." The quotes are interesting from the reporters who talk about the effects of social media on reporting, cynicism and trying to uncover the truth in politics. Mr. Clark is dubbed the "soldier," Mr. Solomon the "storyteller," Ms. MacCharles the "realist," Mr. Van Dusen is the "velvet voice," and Ms. Petty is the "conversationalist." Mr. Van Dusen said social media has both a positive and negative effect on reporting, that cynicism of both politicians and journalists and the adversarial and bitter process is the biggest problem facing the process, but that political journalism is relevant because "it tells you what the people who are influencing your lives are up to." Ms. Petty, host of CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning and The House, told Ottawa Life that both journalists and politicians are to blame for public cynicism, that journalists seldom examine public policy which has somewhat turned off the public, and that there is a correlation between how media cover politics and voter turnout. "It is a 50/50 partnership between politics and journalists. It's about politicians who want to cover their talking points and the journalists trying to knock them off their talking points." At the same time, Ms. Petty said the journalists are trying to get the stories, but that the game of politics obscures the ability to tell good stories about politics. "It is about what conversation we are having as a nation, and what future all of us would like to collectively pursue." Kenney's riding single wealthiest in Canada: Pundits' Guide Alice Funke, the editor of the Pundits' Guide to Canadian Federal Elections, put out an excellent list last week of the 30 wealthiest ridings in the country in 2009. Based on the riding associations' financial returns to Elections Canada, Pundits' Guide found that the single wealthiest riding in the land is Conservative MP Jason Kenney, who has represented Calgary Southeast, Alta., since 1997, won 74 per cent of the vote in the last election, spent 41 per cent of the maximum allowed, and had $283,700 in net assets at the end of December. Pundits' Guide also found that Conservatives dominate the list of the 30 wealthiest ridings, except in Haldimand-Norfolk, Ont., currently held by Human Resources Minister Diane Finley, but to be targeted by the Liberals in the next election with candidate Bob Speller. As well, Halifax West, N.S., held by Liberal MP Geoff Regan, is on the top 30 list with $113,055. Mr. Kenney is followed in his No. 1 position by Conservative MP Scott Reid in second place with $246,003. The Conservatives have No. 3 position in Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe's riding with $216,530. The Conservatives have No. 4 position in Ed Fast's riding of Abbotsford, B.C., with $207,792. The Conservatives have No. 5 position in the Liberal-held riding of Vancouver Quadra, B.C., by Joyce Murray, with $205,795. The Conservatives again have No. 5 position in Minister of State for Seniors Diane Ablonczy's Calgary-Nose Hill, Alta., riding with $196,869. Conservative MP Rick Dykstra holds No. 6 position in his St. Catharines, Ont., riding with $183,010. Prime Minister Stephen Harper holds the lucky No. 7 position in his riding of Calgary Southwest, Alta., with $181,783. Conservative MP James Rajotte is No. 8 in Edmonton-Leduc, Alta., with $175,413. The Conservatives in Russ Hiebert's South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale, B.C., have $174,850. Chief Government Whip Gordon O'Connor holds No. 10 position in Carleton-Mississippi Mills, Ont., with $171,633. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's riding of Whitby Oshawa, Ont., is No. 11 with $168,695. Conservative MP Merv Tweed is No. 12 in Brandon-Souris, Man., with $160,631. The Conservatives in Earl Dreeshen's Red Deer, Alta., have $157,928 putting him in No. 13. The Conservatives in Pierre Poilievre's Nepean-Carleton, Ont., have $153,033. He's ranked No. 14. Government House Leader Jay Hill's Prince George-Peace River, B.C., riding has $149,505 which makes him No. 15. The Conservatives in Guy Lauzon's Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, Ont., have $148,221. Transport Minister John Baird's Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont., riding has $148,105, ranking him No. 17. The Conservatives in Rob Merrifield's Yellowhead, Alta., have $131,061; the Conservatives in Kevin Sorenson's Crowfoot, Alta., have $128,105; the Conservatives in Cheryl Gallant's Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, Ont., have $126,115; the Conservatives in John Weston's West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, B.C., have $122,998; the Liberals in Ms. Finley's Haldimand-Norfolk, Ont., riding have $118,433; the Conservatives in Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl's Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, B.C., have $115,775; the Liberals in Geoff Regan's Halifax West, N.S., riding have $113,005; the Conservatives in Bruce Stanton's Simcoe North, Ont., riding have $112,075; the Conservatives in Heritage Minister James Moore's Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, B.C., riding have $111,502; the Conservatives in Public Safety Minister Vic Toews's Provencher, Man., have $110,608; and the Conservatives in Human Resources Minister Diane Finley's Haldimand-Norfolk, Ont., riding have $109,993. The Hill Times

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Guillon awarded Royal Victorian Order, Hill reporters profiled in Ottawa Life as ‘A Team of political reporting in Canada’

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