Every day that the House of Commons is sitting, just before the end of question period members of the press gallery begin to gather in the foyer outside the chamber for the scrums. It's usually the best opportunity to grab an MP and get a few quick questions answered or some comments on the story of the day without having to phone communications staffers who have to fill out message event proposals.
There are three pool cameras and microphones set up in the foyer, one each on the government and opposition sides and one in the centre ostensibly reserved for the Prime Minister, although he rarely scrums and anyone can and does use it. Impromptu scrums will also often break-out throughout the foyer when an MP stops and is surrounded more informally by questioning reporters.
Reporters typically stake-out the government and opposition doors waiting to see if someone comes out they want to speak with. If someone is trying to dodge the media (say, Dean Del Mastro this past week) they can go out a back door out of sight. Government ministers also like to escape up the stairs (like Peter MacKay) as protocol dictates media don't follow up the stairs. Rarely will anyone want to speak with government backbencers, they can just walk through ignored by the media. Ministers are least likely to want to talk, while opposition members will often wonder around in the hopes a reporter will want to interview them.
One fun part of the scrum culture is that you're always looking for someone better. While you have your microphone in one scrum, you're often continuing to scan the foyer, in case someone you'd much rather speak to decided to come out and scrum. It's not uncommon for an opposition member to suddenly be abandoned when a government minister suddenly pops their head into the foyer. Some call it scrum shopping.
I've tried to capture some of the scrum shopping experience in this video, which I shot after question period on Monday. Look for cameos from Charlie Angus, Bob Rae, Tony Clement, Elizabeth May, James Moore and Peggy Nash. Watch for Rae and May at the PM's microphone (he was out of town).
Friday, June 22, 2012
Video: Scrum shopping on Parliament Hill
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Munir Sheikh, Tony Clement and the war with Eastasia
The two figures at the heart of the census brouhaha – Industry Minister Tony Clement and now former Statistics Canada boss Munir Sheikh – actually have a lot in common. But it’s the one major difference that really sets them apart.
Sheikh resigned yesterday on a point of principle, his position having been made largely untenable by the government and the minister his department falls under, Tony Clement. It was about more, I believe, than just the wrong-headed Conservative decision to end the mandatory long-form census and replace it with a voluntary one that will produce useless data for more money. If a senior civil servant resigned every time their political masters told them to do something stupid, there’d be no one left.
As important was Clement deliberately misrepresenting the advice he had received from and the position of Statistics Canada on the census changes. Clement tried to throw Sheikh’s department under the bus to deflect some of the blowback he was taking, knowing full well the civil servants weren’t in a position to publicly respond and correct the record; they'd essentially be calling BS on the government. Sheikh’s choice was either let Clement destroy the department’s hard-earned reputation for excellence and competence by letting the Clement-created contention they'd failed Grade 11 math stand, or resign on principle. He choose the honourable path, and also set a standard for the public service.
Which brings us back to Clement. What do he and Sheikh have in common? Well, it would seem they both agree going to a voluntary long-form is stupid, and bad policy.
Another source said that Clement had, in fact, advised against the decision, as had Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Both were overruled. “It was a one-man decision,” Harper’s.
“The PMO thought nobody would care,” added the source. But now, it’s said to be stunned by the range and depth of the backlash, from right across the political spectrum.
But while Sheikh was willing to fall on his sword over principle, and to protect his integrity and that of his department at the cost of his job, Clement was not. His ministerial salary, car and driver, Challenger Jet access, and ability to sprinkle taxpayer dollars across his riding like Santa Claus was more important to him. Asked by the Prime Minister to implement policy he knew was badly flawed, he could have said no. He could have followed in Sheikh's path, in the path of Michael Chong, and stood on principle. But that's not easy.
Instead, Steamboat Tony is out in public and on Twitter making a fool of himself, resorting to nonsensical arguments and mythical Twitter supporters as he tries to lamely defend policy he himself knows to be wrong, all to keep his cushy job and please his political master. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad, but that’s too much the norm in modern politics.
Meanwhile, the Harper government has had Sheikh’s resignation letter disappeared from the Statistics Canada web site (you can still read it here).
And Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tony Clement: You're going to love his nuts?
Interesting story on CTV last night about Conservative minister Tony Clement. Apparently he thinks it's OK to appear as a minister in commercials that pitch his friend's chemical companies to China. Friends he later gives government appointments to. And I thought it was only Holywood stars that did Chinese commercials that are never supposed to air in North America. Watch out Slap Chop Vince, you've got competition...
Wed May 26 2010, 11:00pm ET
Byline: LLOYD ROBERTSON
LLOYD ROBERTSON: There are questions tonight about the conduct of a senior Conservative cabinet minister. The opposition is accusing Industry Minister Tony Clement of a conflict of interest after he did a commercial for a chemical company in his Ontario riding. Clement was health minister at the time. The video only aired in China. But in this CTV News exclusive, our Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife has obtained a copy.
ROBERT FIFE (Reporter): This ad isn't selling the Canadian outdoors. It's selling a Canadian chemical company to China. And who better to act as pitch pitchman than a high-profile cabinet minister.
TV AD: I'm Minister of Health for Canada. First of all, I want to extend my greetings to the people of China.
FIFE: Tony Clement did this promotional video in August 2008 for a company based in his riding.
TV AD: Let me have the honour to introduce to you Mr. Barry Young, who is the president and CEO.
TV AD: The science of Lord and Partners is interesting.
FIFE: It's highly unusual for ministers to play such a role.
BARRY YOUNG (Lord and Partners): He just introduced. That's what he did.
FIFE: And do you think it made a difference?
YOUNG: I think so, yes.
FIFE: The infomercial was produced by one of Clement's political supporters.
GEORGE YOUNG (Commercial Producer): It raised the profile and gave Barry credibility in China. And, you know, what better way can you do it than a federal minister?
FIFE: Clement later named his friend to the Canadian tourism commission when he became industry minister.
WAYNE EASTER (Liberal - PEI): That is way, way over the line.
FIFE: The opposition says it's unethical for Clement to open doors for friends.
EASTER: A minister of the Canadian government promoting one specific company over all others would be clearly giving that company preference.
FIFE: Clement was in Amsterdam and wouldn't agree to an interview. He released this statement. Just because this company is from Perry Sound-Muskoka does not mean it cannot seek help from its MP to enter new markets. This is clearly not a conflict.
PAT MARTIN (NDP - Manitoba): I can't imagine a more blatant conflict of interest than a cabinet minister using his office to shill for a private employer.
FIFE: The same company also received three untendered federal contracts this year valued at $41,000.
DAVID MCGUINTY (Liberal - Ontario): Is he doing promotional videos for every company in his riding? Is he doing promotional videos now as Minister of Industry for any company that approaches him?
FIFE: Tony Clement's office says the minister has done only one other promotional video, for the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. Lloyd.
ROBERTSON: And he's probably safe enough with the sick kids video. Well, Bob, first of all, how this a conflict interest for the minister, because he was, after all, promoting a company in his own riding?
FIFE: Lloyd, ministers are supposed to represent the whole country. There are other companies trying to sell the very same product to China, yet the minister is acting as a huckster for the one company that happens to be in his riding. Also the conflict interest code says it's wrong for ministers to promote the private interests of their friends.
ROBERTSON: Well Tony Clement, after all, is seen as a top line minister in the Harper cabinet. So might he be in trouble here with the prime minister?
FIFE: Not at all, Lloyd. The prime minister's office says he does not have a financial interest in this company, therefore, they do not believe that he is in a conflict of interest. The prime minister is going to stand behind him all the way. They do not want it lose a minister of Mr. Clement's calibre.
ROBERTSON: All right. Thanks, Bob.
FIFE: Good night, Lloyd.
UPDATE: The video:
Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Monday, January 18, 2010
Stephen Harper's Top Ten Cabinet Duds
So, apparently Stephen Harper is going to shuffle his cabinet tomorrow. And hopefully apologize to New Zealand on Greg Thompson's behalf, before they cut off our sheep supply.
And by the by, I'm willing to fly business/first class to New Zealand and can be at Rideau Hall for the morning, if anyone at the PMO is reading this. If you fly me Air Canada, you can even book it in economy and I'll use a certificate to upgrade. See, I'm saving the taxpayers money already!
And if the PMO is reading, hopefully the reports that tomorrow’s minor cabinet shuffle will reward incompetence by retaining ministers who have failed miserably in their portfolios are untrue. But alas, Stephen Harper seems content to keep a tight rein on the Conservative agenda and stick to a course that lacks any vision for Canada’s future.
If Harper was willing to start clearing out the deadwood however, here are ten ministers he'd be well advised to shuffle off into the sunset:
1. Lisa Raitt
Her greatest hits: Botching Canada’s medical isotope supply; her insensitive “cancer is sexy” comment caught on tape; leaving a top secret briefing binder at a TV station and then forcing her young ministerial aide to take the fall for it; signing off on thousands of dollars of questionable expenses as President and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority (TPA) and then, once in federal cabinet, organizing a partisan fundraiser out of the TPA offices. She now faces no less than three investigations – by the Ethics, Privacy and Lobbying Commissioners.
2. Peter Mackay
Ever since becoming a reality TV star, Mr. Mackay’s ratings have plummeted – first for attacking sympathetic civil servants who speak the truth, and then for using the Canadian Forces as a shield for all political criticism.
3-5. Jim Flaherty
Tony Clement
and John Baird
In a move that should terrify investors, Mr. Harper is leaving his Harris-era cohort of front-bench ministers intact.
John Baird has little more to show for his infrastructure spending spree than delayed projects and underwhelming job creation.
Jim Flaherty is responsible for a record $56 billion deficit.
And Tony Clement shrunk his side of the balance sheet after giving away Nortel’s made-in-Canada technology.
Mike Harris would no doubt be proud of what his children hath wrought.
6. Jim Prentice
The onetime cabinet superstar has lost all independent willpower. Charged with the impossible task of trying to communicate the government’s excuses for inaction on the environment, he became the laughing stock of the world in Copenhagen.
7. Gerry Ritz
Combining his cavalier attitude with a dangerous mismanagement style, Minister Ritz felt it was funny to make jokes while Canadians were dying of listeriosis.
8. Jay Hill
Conservative MPs use Mr. Hill’s Parliamentary "disruption" manual as a guide on how to dismantle important committee work. Mr. Hill’s Afghanistan committee no-show technique wasn’t even good enough for Mr. Harper, who took it a step further and canceled Parliament altogether.
9. Helena Guergis
After nearly two years of promising an ‘Action Plan’ to advance women’s equality, we wish that Minister Guergis had achieved nothing. Instead, she has stood silently in the background while her cabinet colleagues chipped away at women’s equality rights – whether through cuts at Status of Women, the cancellation of the Court Challenges Program or attacks on pay equity – leading to a growing gender gap under her government.
10. Stephen Harper
Our Prime Minister has shuttered our dearest democratic institution for the second time in a year so he can stage daily Potemkin village photo ops. He followed up his tirades against delayed government legislation by killing 36 of his own bills, and blew up his Senate reform agenda by appointing more cronies in one year than any Prime Minister in history.
But if Stephen is shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic, perhaps it would be best if the captain went down with the ship...
Friday, December 11, 2009
Clement made right call, but it's time to revisit foreign ownership restrictions
Governments around the world have a habit of dropping significant news on Fridays, and this Friday is no exception with word that Industry Minister Tony Clement and the federal cabinet have over-ruled the CRTC and will allow Egyptian-connected Globalive to offer mobility and cellular service to Canadian consumers.
"We have concluded through normal review that Globalive meets the Canadian ownership and control requirements," Mr. Clement said in a press conference Friday morning.
The much-anticipated announcement comes six weeks after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission denied Globalive's bid to be the country's fourth-biggest wireless operator. The CRTC initially said Globalive's corporate structure violated foreign-ownership rules, as Egypt's Orascom Telecom Holding SAE held too much control through debt financing.
The decision is expected to be a blow to the big three wireless providers -- Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Telus Corp. -- as they fought to keep Globalive out of the Canadian market.
Clement made the right call in isolation here in over-turning the CRTC and giving Globalive the go-ahead. While overturning the regulatory authority is a major step, it had to be done.
Clement’s decision was necessary to untangle the mess created when Globalive was deemed Canadian-enough by Industry Canada to bid on spectrum and invest hundreds of millions of dollars to build a service in Canada, but not Canadian-enough by the CRTC to comply with foreign ownership restrictions.
Allowing the CRTC’s ruling to stand would have opened the government up to huge legal liabilities, as Globalive would probably sue their asses off, and rightly so.
Still, this seems to be a problem of Industry Canada’s making, and not the CRTC’s. The CRTC is empowered to interpret and apply the laws and regulations as they’re on the books, and I believe that’s just what the CRTC did in this case. Clement’s department created this mess when they allowed Globalive to bid on the spectrum; that’s why he had to over-rule the CRTC.
I support Clement’s decision, and I do think we need increased competition. But I’m disappointed Clement is not seizing this opportunity to launch a review of our foreign ownership rules for telcos, with an eye to allowing more foreign ownership and increased competition.
Instead, he appears to be spinning it not as him bailing-out the department, but as correcting a CRTC mistake, which just isn’t true.
Canadians pay insanely-high rates for mobility and cellular service. The way to change this is opening-up the market to more competition, and that means allowing more foreign players. In an interconnected, 21st century world, our regulations in this area are outdated.
Rather than blaming the CRTC, Clement should use his Globalive decision as a springboard to re-examining our foreign ownership rules to provide a legal framework for increased competition, not to mention head-off legal challenges from the incumbent carriers for a decision unsupported by the current laws. Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Will the Harper Conservatives fund a global pride event?
You'll recall there was quite the brouhaha back in July when Conservative minister Diane Ablonczy approved nearly $400,000 in funding from the Marquee Tourism Events Program for Toronto's Pride Parade, and had the temerity to have her photo taken with drag queens.
There was quite the blowback from the nutter, socially-Conservative wing of the party, including the always entertaining Charles McVety and a backbencher not heard from before or since, Brad Trost.
The Conservatives went so far as to remove responsibility for the program from Ablonczy and give it to Tony Clement, while maintaining with a wink it had nothing to do with the pride funding, because it's not like there's anything wrong with that. And when Clement later denied a Montreal parade it was totally nothing to do with that at all.
Well, the issue may be coming back. For in 2014, the Toronto Pride organizers want to go global, and they'll need federal help to do it:
Yesterday, Pride Toronto announced its bid to host World Pride in 2014.The Marquee program is supposed to be all about generating economic impact, and a global pride event will certaintly qualify:
Toronto's Pride Week is already one of the biggest such events worldwide, but in 2014 organizers would like to "kick it up a few notches," said Mark Singh, chair of the bid committee and current co-chair of Pride Toronto.
"Basically, we're just making our event, which is already such a globally popular event, into something a lot bigger and on the world's stage."
Toronto's pitch will be made at October's InterPride annual general meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla. Singh said he believes Stockholm is the only competition.
The event would fall during the regular Pride week in 2014 but would be substantially bigger and more expensive, costing an estimated $10 million rather than the $4 million spent this year.
The economic payoff could be big. Toronto's three-day gay and lesbian festival in June attracted 1.3 million people, and organizers say it generated $100 million in business. World Pride would include a human rights conference and opening ceremonies at a large venue, such as the Rogers Centre, possibly with an Olympics-style flag parade.Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has already submitted a letter of support for the Toronto bid.
So, what say you Tony Clement and Stephen Harper? Can Toronto Pride count on your support? Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Caption Tony Clement
We haven't had a good caption contest in awhile, so here's a good pic of Tony Clement.
Caption away!
(cp photo, source)
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
You don't fool me, Bernard Lord
Canada's cellular providers want you to know they're committed to helping consumers make informed decisions about their cellular service. Honest, they totally are. That's why they've developed their own industry created, self-enforcing code of conduct! Let's read more:
Canada's mobile phone companies will be required to make sure consumers understand their contracts when they buy a cellphone under a new code of conduct.The code of conduct also says cellphone companies are to "communicate with their customers in a way they understand."
The rates, terms and coverage offered all have to be explained clearly to consumers, said Bernard Lord, head of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.
"In some cases, our members will have to change and adapt some of their practices to meet the code that is now in force as of today," Lord said Tuesday.
Much of the new code of conduct is already respected by cellphone companies, he added.
But wait, there's more:
Well that's great, the industry and Lord want to ensure consumers have the information they need to make informed decisions. I think that's just super of them, so kudos.But, Lord said the new code will give consumers the information they need to make informed decisions.
"This will mean good service, better service, easier to resolve complaints," he said from Ottawa.
But, wait. Where have I heard Lord's name before?
Bernard Lord, the head of the CWTA and former Conservative premier of New Brunswick, said he did meet with Industry Canada officials to discuss the calculator. The CWTA's position was that the calculator was flawed since it did not take into account data plans, bundle discounts and hardware subsidies offered by carriers.Oh, that's right. Conservative Party insider and former New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord is the telecommunications industry lobbyist who claimed credit for convincing Tony Clement and the Conservatives to kill the taxpayer-funded cellphone rate calculator that, independent of industry, would have given Canadians unbiased information to make better decision about cellphone contracts."The minister made the right decision, to not continue to dump good taxpayer money into a tool that was ineffective," he said.
Industry Minister Tony Clement is taking fire for scrapping a taxpayer-funded online tool that would have helped consumers pick a cellphone plan, allegedly after being lobbied by the wireless industry.
The cost calculator would have compared rate plans from across different cellphone providers and was scheduled for a June launch.
The service was shelved just weeks before rollout after Clement's officials met with representatives from Bell, Telus and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, according to University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist. The cellphone industry was afraid the service would eat into their revenues, Geist said on his blog on Monday.
While I'm sure there's some good things in this voluntary industry code, their actions kind of put the thing in a whole new light, no?
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Bernard Lord confirms he helped kill valuable consumer tool
In a follow-up to yesterday's news that the Conservatives caved to industry pressure and killed an online tool that would have helped Canadian consumers find more affordable cell phone plans, former Conservative Premier of New Brunswick, current industry lobbyist, and likely future Stephen Harper successor Bernard Lord has confirmed he helped convince the Conservatives to kill the tool:
Bernard Lord, the head of the CWTA and former Conservative premier of New Brunswick, said he did meet with Industry Canada officials to discuss the calculator. The CWTA's position was that the calculator was flawed since it did not take into account data plans, bundle discounts and hardware subsidies offered by carriers.While Lord and his industry friends may be happy with Tony Clement's capitulation, consumers aren't. While a spokesperson for Clement is desperately trying to spin...
"The minister made the right decision, to not continue to dump good taxpayer money into a tool that was ineffective," he said.
"Technical limitations prevented the officials from building a tool at this time that captures the full spectrum of offerings available to consumers in the cellphone marketplace," she said. "The proposed calculator design only considered voice communications and text messaging. As this is an industry with ever-evolving elements, such as bundles, data and seasonal offerings, it made it highly improbable to ensure that Canadians were being presented with current and relevant data."... their excuses are transparently feeble.
Liberal consumer affairs critic Dan McTeague dismissed the technical issues as an excuse and called on the government to explain the decision.And the scale of this Conservative boondoggle is growing."If there was a significant problem in the implementation, it would have been discovered much earlier in the process," McTeague said in a statement. "Why is the Harper government against transparency? A significant amount of taxpayer-funded government resources had already gone into this project. This calculator is especially important during these belt-tightening times."
PIAC's Lawford, who used to work for a database company, said such extra charges could have easily been added on later, after a tool for calculating basic costs was set up. He estimated the calculator project has cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly even reaching into the millions. The Decima user study cost $60,000 alone.Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Monday, August 31, 2009
Conservatives won't stand-up for Canadian consumers
Interesting piece this morning by technology lawyer and analyst Michael Geist, who writes that the Conservatives have pulled the plug on an online tool that would have helped Canadians find more affordable cell phone plans, apparently under pressure from cellular industry lobbyists:
After spending tens of thousands of dollars creating and testing an online calculator designed to help consumers select their ideal wireless plan, Industry Minister Tony Clement killed the project weeks before it was scheduled to launch. Government records suggest intense lobbying this spring by Canada’s wireless companies, who feared the service would promote lower cost plans, played a key role in the decision.As Geist reports, the government awarded Decima Research a $60,000 contract to do usability testing with the public in 2008 (the people loved it, by the way). And that doesn't include the unknown amount of taxpayer dollars spent developing the tool in the first place.
A tool that was needed, a tool that consumers wanted, a tool that would help Canadians navigate the minefields of a Canadian cellular industry sorely lacking in competitiveness, an industry that charges Canadians mobility rates far exceeding many other countries.
It's a tool everyone wanted, it seems, but the telecommunications companies, and their lobbying in April of Zoe Addington, director of policy in Tony Clement's office, appears to have paid off in the death of the tool, which despite being near launch, and despite the investment of tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars, will not see the light of day under this Conservative government.
By the way, take a look at the lobbyist filing for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association's meeting with Addington. See if you recognize the name.
Why yes, that's former Conservative Premier of New Brunswick (and perennially-touted Stephen Harper successor) Bernard Lord.Small world, no?
If the Conservatives aren't willing to stand-up for the interests of Canadians, I'm glad to see the Liberal Party is:
The Harper government is standing against transparency and against the interests of consumers by scrapping a web-based cell phone fee calculator, Liberal Consumer Affairs Critic Dan McTeague said today.Scott has more. Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
"This project was designed to help Canadians find the most affordable cell phone plans in a country that already faces some of the highest rates in the world," said Mr. McTeague. "Rather than stand strong for Canadian consumers, the Harper Conservatives scrapped the project."
Public reports show that just before the decision to scrap the project was announced, there were meetings between the staff of the Minister and representatives of the cell phone industry. Reports indicate that a significant amount of field testing, all with positive reviews, had already occurred.
"If there was a significant problem in the implementation, it would have been discovered much earlier in the process," said Mr. McTeague.
"Why is the Harper government against transparency? A significant amount of taxpayer-funded government resources had already gone into this project. This calculator is especially important during these belt-tightening times. Industry Minister Tony Clement needs to explain to Canadians why this decision was made.
"The government already provides a similar service for credit cards, why not cell phone plans? This tool would have helped Canadians, especially those on lower incomes, find affordable cellular service. Why the government feels that Canadians don't need that service is beyond me," he said.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Liberals support net neutrality
A question during question today from Liberal MP Marc Garneau on net neutrality, who stated the Liberal Party's support for the principle:
Marc Garneau: Mr. Speaker, in a free and open democracy in the 21st century, in an innovative and progressive economy, no tool is more paramount than the internet. The internet is the backbone of today's flow of free ideas and sharing. My party, the Liberal Party, supports the principles of net neutrality and an open and competitive internet environment. Do the Conservatives support the principle of net neutrality?Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
The speaker: The honourable minister of industry.
Hon. Tony Clement: Mr. Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his submission. I look forward to working with him and other s who are active in this field. I am, in fact, convening the first digital economy conference this nation has ever done that. That will be on Monday in Ottawa. Where we have all of the great companies -- the academics, government officials -- to work on the new digital economy strategy for this nation, so we can be number one in the world when it comes to the digital economy. I invite my friend to participate in any way he sees fit.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
(Video) More media from Michael, and outside the Ottawa bubble
In Canadian politics, there’s inside the Queensway (not Kady’s blog) and there’s the rest of Canada. Inside Ottawa, the reviews of Michael Ignatieff’s performance yesterday are mixed. But it’s not inside Ottawa that matters, it’s the rest of Canada. And that’s who the Liberals are speaking to.
Inside Ottawa, the media pundits in particular like tough-talking politicians. They want bluster and threats. Give in, or else! My way or the highway! Election, rawwrrrrr! They like confrontation. It makes for fun (and easy to produce) stories. Much easier than writing on issues.
The Liberals, though, decided to go another way yesterday, because what plays inside the Queensway isn’t what plays in the rest of Canada, where most Canadians live. Canadians want our parliamentarians to at least take a shot at making this parliament work, and that's what we've been doing since the budget.
So, the Liberals said these are our four concerns. We need answers in these areas. If we like the answers, we can consider not voting the government down. But you need to work with us. We’re not going to draw lines in the sand. We want to hear your proposals first, and we’ll see if we can come to common ground.
The Conservative response has been a bit scattered. It ranges from “no way, Jose” to “we don’t know what he wants” to “we’ve already told him all that.” I think Harper hit on all three in his presser, along with designated spokesthingy Tony Clement. It was rather amusing, really.
We’re staying reasonable, though. Harper knows what we’ve asked for, and he knows Friday is the deadline. If he comes with workable proposals on, say, EI, we’re open to extending that timetable by having Parliament sit longer so reforms can be passed now, not this fall. Ignatieff and Harper are going to meet today, and we’re staying cautiously optimistic.
Now, the politico in me would have loved to see Ignatieff engage in some of that tough talk. Throw down the gauntlet. Myself, I’m ready for an election. Bring it on.
But I can give this approach a chance, because I believe it’s a balancing of my desire to see us standing-up with the desire of Canadians for cooperation. We’ve made reasonable requests, and as long as we’re prepared to pull the plug if they’re not met, we can do so with a clean conscious, having made an honest effort to make this parliament work.
I thought Roy MacGregor, a voice from outside the Ottawa bubble, had it well:
And yet Michael Ignatieff came across pretty well for once.
Perhaps not satisfactory to those wet-your-pants Ottawa media who need their daily cup of crises, but good enough for those of us who would reach for pitchforks if they called an election at a time like this.
Here’s Michael interviewed by Peter Mansbridge last night on CBC’s The National:
And here he is this morning on CBC Newsworld:
Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
(Video) Tony Clement on deck to defend the government
It seems the Conservatives have designed Tony Clement as their go-to talking head to take the bulk of the media interviews yesterday and today about the election speculation and the four questions Michael Ignatieff wants answered by Stephen Harper ahead of Friday's confidence vote/s.
This video is Clement's interview yesterday evening on CTV's PowerPlay program. I thought Tom Clark gave him a pretty through grilling on why the government can't just cough-up the numbers that Canadians have a right to know anyways, and questioning the validity of Clement and the government's claims they can still get the country out of deficit in five years.
Clement looked like a dear in the headlights at times, although all in all I thought he did reasonably well with a bad script, managed to keep his composure, and offered what may at a brief glance seem like a reasonable explanation. On a closer look though, not so much.
The deficit has ballooned since the January budget to over $50 billion, yet the government is still sticking to its five-year out of deficit plan. With a much bigger than forecast deficit it doesn't make sense, right? Clement says it does, because revenues are going to be EVEN HIGHER than forecast in the budget, therefore increased revenues cancel out the increased deficit and the five-year plan is maintained.
Except I find that very hard to believe. Clement says private sector economists are now revising their revenue projections upward. Which ones? Because I recall private sector economists saying Jim Flaherty's budget revenue projections were grossly optimistic. Now we're to believe they've actually vastly underestimated revenues, despite massively underestimating the deficit?
The economists at TD Bank, for one, still say the government's numbers are way off. On next year's deficit, for example, TD says Flaherty is underestimating the deficit by $15 billion. That's a $15 billion hole in the Conservative 5-year plan they haven't explained away yet. Over the next five years, TD projects a deficit DOUBLE what Flaherty forecast in the budget. And Tony Clement wants us to seriously believe revenues are going to increase so much they'll easily cover off that? It doesn't pass the smell test, Tony.
And then there's the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Kevin Page, who has a far better record so far that Flaherty on these matters. Page says the only way to get there in five years is to cut spending, raise taxes, or both. Flaherty says pishaw.
Clement does, at least, say sure, we'll release our numbers. I'm sure they'll make for creative reading.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Flaherty out
No, not Out of Ottawa. If only. Out of the race to replace John Tory as Ontario Progressive Conservative leader. Too bad, I'd have liked to see another Conservative MPP pressed to resign to give Flaherty a seat, so the Liberals would have a shot at another by-election seat.
Federal Finance Minister Flaherty has no aspiration to lead Ontario Tories (Flaherty-Tory)
Source: The Canadian Press
Mar 6, 2009 14:48
------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------
TORONTO _ Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he has no ambition to lead the Ontario Progressive Conservative party.
Flaherty said after a Toronto luncheon speech today that he already has ``more than a full-time job now.''
He said he was disappointed at yesterday's byelection defeat of provincial party Leader John Tory, which prompted Tory to announce his resignation today.
Flaherty acknowledged people have been and will be asking him if he'll try to take the provincial leadership, and the answer is that he is not interested.
He noted that it's a challenging time economically, and as long as the prime minister wants him to see it through, he'll see it through.
Over to you, Tony Clement!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Video: Conservative MP running away from Harper and Clement
The Conservatives have recruited a candidate of some profile to carry their banner against Hedy Fry in Vancouver-Centre: Lorne Mayencourt, who resigned as the MLA for Vancouver-Burard and was nominated as the Conservative candidate last night.
As an MLA, Lorne Mayencourt was a member of a B.C. government that supported Insite. Lorne’s former boss (as in a few days ago), Premier Gordon Campbell, has been calling on Stephen Harper (Lorne’s new boss) to keep Insite open:
Premier Gordon Campbell urged the federal Conservative government Monday not to close Insite, the controversial supervised injection facility in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
"It's part of the solution," Campbell told reporters, when asked about speculation that the Harper government's new anti-drug strategy, to be unveiled this week, won't renew the federal exemption allowing the site to operate.
Harper, of course, and by Health Minister Tony Clement, has been extremely anti-Insite:
The World Health Organization has strongly endorsed safe injection sites like Vancouver's Insite as one of the “priority interventions” that countries should implement to slow the spread of HIV-AIDS, a view that was swiftly and firmly rejected by Canada's Health Minister.
“Allowing and/or encouraging people to inject heroin into their veins is not harm reduction, it is the opposite. … We believe it is a form of harm addition,” Tony Clement said Tuesday in Mexico City, where he is attending the XVII International AIDS Conference.
So, two polar extremes from Lorne’s old party and his new one. Where will Mr. Mayencourt come down on the issue? As you'll see from this video interview with Lorne and some Liberal youth recorded last night after his nomination meeting, no where at all...
Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Friday, August 29, 2008
Conservatives wanted LOWER listeria standards
Stephen Harper and Gerry Ritz are talking tough now about strengthening our food safety system, after a listeria outbreak has led to the death of at least 15 people. And Tony Clement is down in Denver making macabre jokes. But before? Before the crisis they were doing everything they could to weaken the system:
OTTAWA — The Canadian government strongly opposed tougher U.S. rules to prevent listeria and lobbied the United States to accept Canada's more lenient standards, internal documents reveal.
Briefing notes prepared by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for an April 7, 2006, meeting with the board of directors of the Canadian Meat Council outline how both industry and the Canadian government were frustrated with the increased precautions the United States was demanding.
Specifically, Canada opposed daily inspection visits and the testing of finished products for Listeria monocytogenes.
Further, the documents show the CFIA agreed to the meat packing and processing industry's request to end a 20-year-old practice of having inspectors issue reports and rankings on facilities. The Canadian Meat Council complained the reports were ending up in the hands of reporters through the Access to Information Act, leading to bad coverage.
Yes, we wouldn't want the media to find out which plants were failing inspections and not meeting standards, would we? They would tell the public, and the public might decide to buy their food from the safer plants, forcing the bad plants to either improve or go out of business.
That would be...wait a minute, isn't that exactly how the free market is supposed to work?
The government documents indicate Canada's meat producers were frustrated that they must add more stringent safeguards to their production lines when producing meat for export to the U.S. market.
"Industry would prefer a single set of standards for both the Canadian and American market," states the document prepared by Dr. Richard Arsenault of the CFIA, anticipating what meat council board members would tell CFIA at the meeting. "[The CMC] will also express their frustration about the recent [United States Department of Agriculture] imposition of product testing for Listeria monocytogenes and of daily visits in U.S.-eligible meat processing plants."
When it comes to something as fundamental as food safety, we shouldn't strive for the lowest common denominator. And in certainly seems in hindsight like more listeria testing would have been wise. If we need to harmonize standards, and given the heavily export-driven nature of our economy I think that makes sense, shouldn't we harmonize to the highest standard?
Gerry Ritz thinks so...now, after the crisis has erupted:
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, who is responsible for the CFIA, hinted this week that Canada might move toward U.S. practices of preventing listeria, such as the pasteurization of packaged meat.
But before the crisis his department was taking a different track:
But the documents reveal the CFIA lobbied the United States to adopt Canada's rules.
"The CFIA is working at bilateral levels to convince the USDA that its system is equivalent to theirs in order to minimize the need for extra import rules," the document says.
It's easy for Stephen Harper and Gerry Ritz to say now, after 29 confirmed cases of listeriosis and the death of 15, that they support higher standards. But these documents and the documents released previously show their true thinking on the matter.
It's their thinking then, before a crisis erupted, before the public and media glare was on them, that showed their true judgment. And they had it completely wrong. They're only now being shamed into stronger action by the glare of the public spotlight, following the eruption of a food safety crisis.
On how many more issues, on how many more matters that have yet to become a crisis, have they and are they now executing this same bad judgment? On how many more issues, on how many of the little, every-day decisions of governing that are so impactful on the country, are they donning they applying their ideological mantras to their decisions instead of governing in the best interests of all Canadians? Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tony Clement must apologize or Stephen Harper must fire him
Some 15 deaths have been linked to the listeria outbreak and the Maple Leaf Foods recall, and more are likely to come. It’s a public health crisis.
And where is Tony Clement, the minister of health in Canada’s Conservative government? Is he working on the issue? No. He’s down in Denver, making jokes at their expense: (H/T Pogge)
The Canadian government sponsored a swish lunch reception at its consul-general's Denver residence.
The food included bite-sized bits of beef, shrimp, tortellini and potatoes gratin. Health Minister Tony Clement, whose absence from Canada during the tainted meat crisis has not gone unnoticed, was there and introduced himself:
"I'm Health Minister Tony Clement, and I have to say I approved this food."
No one is laughing, Mr. Clement. There’s nothing funny about the death of 15 Canadians. This is not a joking matter.
Tony Clement needs to apologize to the people of Canada immediately, and especially to the families of the 15 Canadians who have died because of this outbreak. And if he doesn’t, Stephen Harper needs to fire him.
We’re waiting Tony. Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
See Tony be a hypocrite
Tony Clement is lecturing the medical community on ethical and moral standards. Yes, that Tony Clement. The Conservative. No, really. He is.
Health professionals who support Vancouver's safe injection site are unethical and immoral, federal Health Minister Tony Clement suggested on Monday.
Umm say, Tony, speaking of professional ethics and all that why’d it take you so long to sell those shares in Prudential Chem Inc.? You know, that pharmaceutical company you had a 25 per cent stake in while health minister? An industry that, as health minister, your decisions decidedly influence?
And it’s just coincidental, of course, that in February the government gave Prudential Chem owner, Vikram Khurana who Clement transferred his shares back to, an appointment to the Asia-Pacific Foundation.
Yeah, that Tony, he’s a real beacon of ethical and moral virtue. A true role model for the medical community. Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Dion supports Insite while Harper and Clement dither, possible Hill hearings Thursday
Liberal leader Stephane Dion was on the left coast on Friday, and I was glad to see he used a speech there to reaffirm the Liberal Party’s support for the Insite safe-injection site.
"The site must stay open," Dion said during his Vancouver visit Friday, flanked by his B.C. caucus members and Insite supporters. "It depends on the will of the prime minister.
"I ask them to listen to science, not their ideology," he added. "The science is telling us that this facility is saving lives. It's as simple as that. It's a matter of life and death for many people."
The last Liberal government granted the facility a temporary permit, and the facility's current temporary permit is set to expire June 30; the Conservatives have been dithering on the future of the facility and appear to be gearing-up to kill it, despite the fact the science says its working, and so do the people in the community.
The Conservatives are trying to hide behind the science. Health minister Tony Clement says they’re waiting for more reports to be in. In fact though the science is in, it just doesn’t support the Conservative ideology.
University of B.C. Dr. Thomas Kerr, the top researcher for Insite, said it has improved public order, reduced needle-sharing among addicts and gotten them treatment.
"The science is in," he said. "This health facility works. It's saved lives that would have been lost to overdose."
Also:
Since the site's opening, scientists have been conducting studies on its effectiveness, and Thomas Kerr, one of the principal research scientists evaluating Insite, said the results are conclusive.
"Insite is doing what it was supposed to do. It improved public order. It has reduced HIV-risk behaviours, in particular syringe sharing and connected people to treatment," said Kerr. "There is no academic debate. This is good public policy," he added.
So, the science says the facility works. It saves lives. Some 22 peer-reviewed studies all support the facility. That’s a whole lot of science. But what do the people in the community say? Surely, if the Conservatives ignored the community, they’d listen to the people, right?
The head of the Chinatown Merchant Association, Albert Fok, joined Dion at the facility to give support to the site remaining open.
Chinatown, which is two blocks from Insite, is the neighbourhood closest to the Downtown Eastside and Chinese merchants had opposed the facility.
But within two years of its opening, Chinatown merchants say they saw a marked decrease in street crime and are now staunch advocates of keeping the facility alive.
"It's an undeniable fact that the optics have improved as a result of the opening of the site and it should continue to be open," said Fok.
Clement and Harper say this isn’t ideological. Well, the science is in, and it’s in favour. The people that live there, in the community, on the ground, and were once even opposed to the facility, now say it’s not only working, and not only say it should say, they say it’s actually reducing crime. Will this be enough for the government to give Insite the support it deserves or is this just all about ideology for them after all? It seems to me that the Cons are desperately trying to find any non-ideological reason to make a decision that supports their ideological bent, and they're failing spectacularly.
I wonder what John Reynolds would say about all this? You’ll remember he was the national co-chair of the last Conservative election campaign, and a former senior Conservative MP. He has also been a registered lobbyist for Project CAST. According to lobbyist registry data, he was retained by Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan to help obtain a “grant for drug rehabilitation in Vancouver” by lobbying MPs, Health Canada, Justice Canada and, yes, the Prime Minister’s Office. According to Vancouver council both CAST and Insite are important parts of a comprehensive strategy on drug use.
With just over a month left for Insite as things stand now, it looks like this issue will be heating-up in Ottawa this week as the HoC’s standing committee on health hold hearings on the facility. Here’s some of the details for Thursday’s hearings (via the Sun’s Frances Bula):
Please note that the meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Witnesses will be appearing before the Committee from 10 a.m. to approximately 11:50 a.m., either in person or by videoconference.
At 11:50 a.m., the Minister of Health, the Hon. Tony Clement, will be addressing the Committee and answering questions until 1 p.m. Witnesses are welcome to remain in the committee room during the appearance of the Minister if they wish to do so. The entire meeting will be open to the public.
Witnesses are asked to limit their presentations to five (5) minutes in order to accommodate the large number of persons confirmed to take part in the meeting and to allow sufficient time for questions from members of the Committee.
Here is the list of witnesses confirmed so far:
Dr. Julio Montaner, Chair of AIDS Research, University of B.C. (by videoconference)
Dr. Thomas Kerr, Chief Researcher for InSite, University of B.C. (in person)
Inspector Scott Thompson, Youth Services Section, Vancouver Police Department (in person)
Liz Evans, Portland Hotel Society (in person)
Dr. Neil Boyd, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University (by videoconference) Dr. Donald Hedges, Addiction Treatment Specialist (by videoconference)
M. Mario Gagnon, Director General, Point de Repères in Québec City (in person)
Mr. Donald MacPherson, Social Planning for the City of Vancouver (in person)
Mr. Philip Owen, Former Mayor for Vancouver
It should be interesting to hear what Clement and the other witnesses have to say, and particularly the tone and track taken by the Conservative questioners on the committee. One snag though: I can’t find any notice that the meeting is happening on the parliamentary Web site. The only meeting of the health committee the site shows scheduled is for Tuesday, with the subject “Statutory review of the 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care."
Could just be a Web site update issue, I don’t know. Anyway, if the meeting does happen hopefully Macleans.ca live-blogger extraordinaire Kady O’Malley will be able to add it to her committee live blogging schedule.