Month: February 2006

Nearly 37,000 people dropped by this blog in January, a decent figure but well down from the all-time high of about 55,000 that visited last August (oddly enough those numbers came while this blog was in hibernation.) The blog was reactivated with the recent Canadian federal election and, since then, most items here were also mirrored at CTV's Election Blog. With the election over, it's more likely posts will show up here only.
As for the most popular posts at this blog, a geek tip to help an early version Apple's Airport Extreme wi-fi card to talk to a LinkSys router continues to make the top ten and I posted it in 2003! Just three of the top ten most popular posts were published in January.
Here are the ten most popular posts that readers in January clicked on followed by the date they were originally published.

1. A Porsche moment [Mon 10 Jan 2005]
2. The new Dodge Charger [Mon 17 Jan 2005]
3. The Liberal attack ads — and they don't mince words [Tue 10 Jan 2006]
4. The New Air Canada uniforms [Mon 01 Nov 2004]
5. Air Canada and a new Celine Dion video — right here! [Mon 01 Nov 2004]
6. Blogger snags preview of Liberal attack ads [Thu 22 Dec 2005]
7. Finally!! Airport Extreme and my LinkSys router are talking! [Sat 13 Dec 2003]
8. Michael Ignatieff on liberalism and the Canadian Liberal Party [Fri 04 Mar 2005]
9. Harper on governing [Mon 02 Jan 2006]
10. A howler from Harper [Thu 19 Jan 2006]

Finally getting around to some of the stuff in my inbox not related to the election and was pleased as punch to find this from Philipa Lawson's group at the University of Ottawa. She heads up a group called the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic — a group that's fighting the good fight on behalf of Canadian Internet users everywhere.
CIPPIC has just announced the first Acess to Information User Manual for citizens. Here's their release:

On the Identity Trail releases Access to Information User Manual

Many Canadians are unaware of their rights to access information, including their own personal information, from governments and private companies. Yet these rights are fundamental to open government and individual privacy, says Philippa Lawson, Executive Director of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC). Ms. Lawson directed a team of students who researched access to information laws across Canada and have now produced a Manual explaining those laws.

The Manual fills a gap in public education on issues of government accountability and privacy rights, says Lawson. “While many of the agencies responsible for access to information and privacy across Canada provide guides and Q&As on their websites, these are generally incomplete. And the legal manuals designed for professional lawyers provide more detail than the average user needs. Our User Manual is written for citizens and researchers who aren't legally trained, but who still want to exercise their legal rights.”

After an election campaign that focused in large part on issues of government accountability, this Manual is a timely addition to the growing body of online information for citizens. “We hope that other groups and agencies will link to our Manual and that people will use it to pursue public interest issues and to protect their own privacy in both the public and private spheres”, adds Lawson.

The Manual is freely available and easily downloadable from the website www.idtrail.org . It is an initiative of “On the Identity Trail”, a multidisciplinary research project led by University of Ottawa law professor Ian Kerr and funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's “Initiatives on the New Economy” program. According to Kerr, “This multi-sectoral initiative provides a powerful tool for citizens and illustrates perfectly the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's vision of interactive partnerships between universities, industry, governmental and non-governmental organizations.”

When Garth Turner first blogged about David Emerson,  he talked about his constituents and invited them to a town hall meeting to to deal with “some justified emotion at what happened this week”.

He wrote that post late Wednesday night. When I saw him outside a meeting of the Conservative caucus on Thursday morning, I asked him why he thought there was “justified emotion” and his response was widely reported across the country. [CTV report here — click on “David Akin on the softwood speculation” under the Video links down the right-hand side of the page to watch Turner’s reaction]

That scrum — and the fact that many media organizations broadcast or published his comments from it — resulted in what Turner described as a “sombre session” with Harper. (On his blog on Wednesday, before Turner ran into “a wall of reporters”, he wrote — “I drove back to Ottawa tonight … because I am meeting with the Prime Minister tomorrow” — which raises some doubts that he was called in to Harper’s office specifically because of his comments.) 

We know that because Turner blogged about that as well (here, here, and here)

On Friday, in Touchdowns and Fumbles, a weekly commentary on various news events from a communications and branding viewpoint published by  Veritas Communications, Veritas vice-president says Turner scored a “Touchdown” with his comments and subsequent reaction. “Turner is strategically addressing his brand as an outspoken maverick, one honed over years as a newspaper columnist and TV and radio commentator.” Michael Fortier, on the other hand, fumbled the ball, says Walker, for his comment earlier this week to reporters that he didn’t want to run in the election. “There was better messaging for Fortier to stick to, namely that he planned to run in the next election or a by-election should one occur,” wrote Walker.

When he unveiled his cabinet earlier this week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not designate anyone as deputy prime minister. In the last cabinet, of course, Anne McLellan was deputy to Paul Martin.

But even though he has not designated a deputy prime minister per se, Harper has had to set down a list of who ought to stand in for him if he is unable to perform his duties. Number one on that list: Lawrence Cannon, (left) the MP for Pontiac and Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities.

Cannon was a top pick for those pundits who, prior to the announcement of the cabinet, believed Harper would designate a Deputy Prime Minister.

Rookie MPs from Quebec, in fact, hold down two of the top five spots, which are:

1. The Honourable Lawrence Cannon
2. The Honourable Jim Prentice
3. The Honourable Robert Douglas Nicholson
4. The Honourable David Emerson
5. The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn

Peter MacKay, who was deputy leader while the Conservatives were in Opposition, is 10th on this list.

All of this is spelled out in Order-in-Council 2006–35, one of more than 75 orders-in-council Harper has signed off since taking office on Feb. 6.

My colleague Rob Brown, a reporter at CTV Vancouver, broke the news last night that David Emerson's riding association in Vancouver-Kingsway says Emerson (left) ought to give back more than $90,000 he received in donations.
“That money was spent to elect you as a Liberal, not a Conservative,” his former riding association executive writes.
Emerson, who was elected as a Liberal on Jan. 23, never spent a day on the Opposition benches and was sworn in as a Conservative member of cabinet on Feb. 6.
Blogger and Liberal Jason Cherniak has PDF copies of the letter that went to Emerson.

We marked his entry into the blogosphere and now we must mark his exit.
Monte Solberg, the MP for Medicine Hat, was appointed to Stephen Harper's cabinet on Monday as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
In what looks like will be his last blog post “for a while”, Solberg says “blogging just might have to take a back seat to Ministering.” (He also notes that his roommate, the Minister of Agriculture, does not do dishes.)
The blogosphere was enlivened by Solberg's contributions. He was a minister who understood the form and, even better, we all discovered what a terrific writer he is.
I say all this, of course, in the hope that he reads this, realizes what a swell guy I am, and feeds me all the cabinet secrets I could want 🙂

Here’s the list of Parliamentary Secretaries, sworn in this afternoon at a ceremony at the Centre Block of the House of Commons:

February 7, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today the appointment of 26 new Parliamentary Secretaries to assist Ministers with their parliamentary duties.

“In the context of our smaller Cabinet, these Parliamentary Secretaries will take on a larger and more important role. They will be a key link between Ministers and Parliamentarians and will help ensure our relations with all Members of Parliament are effective and productive,” the Prime Minister said. “They are an important part of the team that will help implement the commitments we have made to Canadians.”

Parliamentary Secretaries support productive dialogue by sharing information and by bringing the concerns of Parliamentarians to the Minister, and within the government, along with other specific duties delegated by the Minister.

As public office holders, Parliamentary Secretaries are subject to the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders.

* * * * * * * * *

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIES
February 2006
(In order of date first elected to the House of Commons)

James Abbott
Kooteney – Columbia (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women

Diane Ablonczy
Calgary – Nose Hill (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Jason Kenney
Calgary Southeast (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Multiculturalism

Deepak Obhrai
Calgary East (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

David Anderson
Cypress Hills – Grasslands (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary (for the Canadian Wheat Board) to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board

Betty Hinton
Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

James Moore
Port Moody – Westwood – Port Coquitlam (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services

Lynne Yelich
Blackstrap (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources
and Social Development

Colin Carrie
Oshawa (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry

Steven Fletcher
Charleswood – St. James – Assiniboia (Manitoba)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Helena Guergis
Simcoe – Grey (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver – Whistler Olympics

Russ Hiebert
South Surrey – White Rock – Cloverdale (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Brian Jean
Fort McMurray – Athabasca (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Randy Kamp
Pitt Meadows – Maple Ridge – Mission (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

Ed Komarnicki
Souris – Moose Mountain (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Tom Lukiwski
Regina – Lumsden – Lake Centre (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

Dave MacKenzie
Oxford (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Ted Menzies
Macleod (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages

Rob Moore
Fundy Royal (New Brunswick)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Pierre Poilievre
Nepean – Carleton (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board

Peter Van Loan
York – Simcoe (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Mark Warawa
Langley (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment

Sylvie Boucher
Beauport – Limoilou (Quebec)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister

Rod Bruinooge
Winnipeg South (Manitoba)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians

Jacques Gourde
Lotbinère – Chutes-de-la-Chaudière (Quebec)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board

Christian Paradis
Mégantic – L’Érable (Quebec)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

During the last Parliament, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts was an effective forum to focus attention on the sponsorship scandal and other matters. According to the Standing Orders of the House of Commons,  that committee is one of two Commons’ committees that the Liberals will get to chair and for which opposition party members will have a majority. John Williams (Edmonton-St. Albert), (left) who is a chartered accountant, was the chair of that committee in the last Parliament. I asked him about the irony, if you will, of the Liberals getting the chance to chair the committee which shone such a powerful on Liberal backroom dealings:

Williams: Well, standing orders require that the opposition chair the Public Accounts Committee and I’ve enjoyed the responsibility since 1997 in the opposition and of course now I’m glad to take my seat on the government side and hand that position over to presumably a Liberal from the Official Opposition.

Akin:  Do you expect [the Liberals] will be as effective as — that committee was very effective under your leadership.  Do you think the Liberals have the same zeal for that?

Williams: Well, of course they know what stones not to unturn — turn over so we’ll see if they have the same zeal to begin with.  I certainly enjoyed my stint as the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee holding the government accountable.  As a parliamentarian that was my responsibility, still is my responsibility to see that the government responds to the needs of the people.  And but of course, as I say, from a Liberal perspective, the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee there may be some areas that they want to stay away from and we’ll try and find them out ourselves.

After yesterday’s cabinet announcement, we’re learning today of other appointments. Here’s a few:

• Edmonton-Strathcona MP Rahim Jaffer (left) is the National Caucus Chairman for the Conservatives.
• Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River) is Chief Government Whip.
• Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast) is Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister

Late update: Had bad information on this one — Rookie Quebec MP Sylvie Boucher is Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

• James Moore (Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam) is Parliamentary Secretary to the Public Works Minister.

Because James Moore is P.S. to Michael Fortier and because Fortier is to be a senator, it will be Moore who will have to take any questions in the House of Commons about the administration of the Public Works department.

We are advised that the rest of the Parliamentary Secretaries will be sworn in later this afternoon. Conservative staffers are also saying that the secretaries will have a greater role to play in the next Parliament. They say that is becuase the cabinet smaller and more work will have to be shared with the secretaries.

Prime Minister-designate Stephen Harper and his cabinet will be sworn in in about two hours. No one knows for sure who will be in that cabinet. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in Ottawa — although there sure is plenty of speculation who will be doing what.

Harper’s inner circle has let it be known, however, that his cabinet will be smaller than the last one. So here’s the numbers on Paul Martin’s last cabinet:

• Cabinet size: 39
• Number of women: 9 (23%)
• Regional breakdown:
• Ontario had 15 cabinet seats
• Quebec had 7 plus the Prime Minister for 8 cabinet seats
• British Columbia had 5 cabinet seats
• Atlantic Canada had 6 cabinet seats.
• Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta each had one cabinet seat.

My best guess at this point has the Harper cabinet looking something like this:

• Cabinet size: 25
• Number of women: 5 (20%)
• Regional breakdown:
• Ontario – 8 cabinet seats
• Alberta – 4 ministers plus the Prime Minister for 5 cabinet seats
• Quebec – 4 cabinet seats
• Atlantic Canada – 3 cabinet seats
• British Columbia and Saskatchewan – 2 cabinet seats