July 2010 – David Akin’s On The Hill

MPs get letters: Conservative supporter ready to quit over census decision

Not everyone in the Conservative “base” seems pleased with federal government's census decision. Take Gary Reinsch, for example. He writes a letter to his MP, Mike Lake, a Conservative who represents an Edmonton riding, and sends copies of this letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Industry Minister Tony Clement and several reporters in which he notes that while he once supported the Tories he won't anymore. (And, as he doesn't like any of the alternatives, he's off creating his own party):

July 27, 2010

TO: Right Hon. Stephen Harper, Hon. Tony Clement and Mr. Mike Lake

I am writing this letter to advise you of what I believe to be a rather large error in judgement on your parts, as well as the rest of the Conservative party. This error in judgement is in relation to your intent to make the long form of the census voluntary, which will undoubtedly impact the accuracy and/or relevance of the public data that the census currently collects. By impeding this process, the voice of an already far too apathetic public will be further muted in the House of Commons – rendering the issues and/or concerns faced by Canadians (as a whole) as even less significant when proposing, debating and passing our nation's legislation.

For years I have shown support for the Conservative party and its platforms. Furthermore, I have defended many of your decisions/actions in debates in public forums. In honesty, this is due in large part to my understanding that economics and fiscal responsibility help to form the basis for all of the socio-economic programs and assistance that we enjoy as Canadians. Unfortunately, this is also due in part to my opinion that your party is simply the best of a number of inadequate choices – at least in my own eyes. To be quite blunt, I also realize that many of your highly criticized decisions as a minority Government could not have proceeded in the House without the assistance of other parties (who are often the harshest critics). However, I can promise one thing based on the act of even considering such changes to the census: my support of your party will end in the (hopefully) very near future. On the bright side (for the Conservatives), I do not intend to support any of the other parties that are making a mockery of the democratic processes on which our nation is founded (especially since many of the other parties' seated Members appear to be showing some support for this motion).

Rather than cast what I believe to be an undeserved ballot for any of Canada's current parties (one that might have been your own), I have started work on the task of describing, finding support for and forming a new federal party with the intentions of returning the voice of the Canadian public to the House of Commons, ensuring that the public and the media that we rely upon have far greater access to information from public institutions and ensuring that agencies such as Statistics Canada have the information required to provide detailed information in regard to Canada, in general. To shed some light on how I intend for this to work: I have already constructed a new model for our electoral processes and how Canadians will be represented in the House, which encourages voting based on the wishes of constituents rather than toeing a party line; have come up with proposals in regard to shifting sovereignty and tax revenues back toward the provinces and territories, thereby increasing the responsibility of each region for issues that are not common to all Canadians while responsibility of services that should be universal (healthcare & education, to name just two) are shifted back to the federal governance.

The apathy of both the Canadian public and our elected representatives in regard to these matters and others have pained me for far too long a time.

I look forward to a time in (hopefully) the near future, where myself or the chosen representative for this party (that I am currently referring to as the Public Empowerment Party of Canada) will have the opportunity to debate such matters with yourselves and the leadership of other parties in a public forum.

Kindest regards and thanks for your time,

Gary Reinsch

Constituent Edmonton-Millwoods-Beaumont &

Founder of the Public Empowerment Party of Canada

Help Wanted: SunTV News Director

Sun TV News is currently seeking a News Director who will be instrumental in shaping the goals and vision for the Sun TV News Channel newsroom.

Responsibilities:
·          Work closely with Sr. Management to establish news content, philosophy and direction for Sun TV News
·          Determine production requirements including sourcing and mentoring newsroom staff and talent
·          Once established, lead and manage a newsroom team consisting of Managers, Hosts, Producers, Writers, Reporters, and support staff
·          Ensure daily news coverage and breaking news vision as well as long-term strategies are consistently and dynamically executed in accordance with the Sun TV News vision
·          Determine the stories that are newsworthy and the angle that Sun TV News would like to convey
·          Work closely with sales, programming and advertising and analyze broadcast ratings for business development opportunities
·          Preparation and management of the newsroom budget
·          Provide guidance, leadership and coaching to members of the team including addressing performance related concerns
·          Work closely with Operations staff to ensure the highest quality of newscasts

Qualifications:
·          10 – 15 years of progressively responsible newsroom experience
·          Bachelors degree in journalism, broadcasting, communications or related field
·          Superior news judgment and strong decision –making and analytical skills
·          Innovative, forward-thinking leader with outstanding communication skills and ability to challenge staff to be excellent journalists
·          Passion and curiosity for news is required to lead and shape the Sun TV Newsroom of the future and bring stories to the public
·          Expertise and experience in all areas of broadcasting (reporting, writing, editing, producing) is mandatory, as well as familiarity with technical aspects
·          Must be well organized, flexible and adaptable and able to balance multiple tasks in a fast paced environment
·          Although this position will be based out of Toronto, the successful candidate must be flexible to travel across Canada to different remote sites, when required
·          A flexible schedule and the ability to be on call and accessible when major news events occur, is required

We thank all applicants but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please submit your resume and cover letter no later than Friday July 30th, 2010 to:

Sun TV, Human Resources
25 Ontario Street
Toronto, ON, M5A 4L6
resumes@suntv.canoe.ca

Help Wanted: SunTV News Production Director

Production Director – Sun TV News

Sun TV News is currently searching for a Production Director, who will supervise all News Talk Shows produced in house for the Sun TV News Channel.

Responsibilities:

· Determine production requirements for all productions and liaise with Sr. Management on production development and implementation, including sourcing talent and production staff.

· Provide leadership to a team of on air talent, executive producers and other production staff, and direct all activities to conform with the needs of Sun TV News

· Manage all budgets, casting and policies for shows produced in house

· Oversea the quality, content, format and production of the various productions

· Work with Executive Producers and other team members to generate and support original content that supports the Sun TV News vision

· Stay in tune with the needs of the audiences and community in general and provide content that is relevant

· Work closely with Executive Producers to analyze broadcast ratings for business development opportunities

· Provide guidance, leadership and coaching to members of the team including addressing performance related concerns

· Work closely with Operation staff to ensure the highest quality of productions

· Work closely with the Marketing department to develop marketing plans and establish and reach ratings goals

Qualifications:

· Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in broadcasting

· Bachelors degree in journalism, broadcasting, communications or related field

· Prior experience managing production and on air staff is required

· Superior management, leadership and organization skills

· Knowledge of all aspects of broadcast journalism required including writing, editing, reporting, producing and familiarity with technical aspects

· An excellent understanding of what makes a valuable story and how best to convey it’s message to it’s viewers is required

· Ability to supervise, mentor and challenge staff

· Must be well organized, flexible and adaptable and able to balance multiple tasks in a fast paced environment

· Although this position will be based out of Toronto, the successful candidate must be flexible to travel across Canada to different remote sites, when required.

We thank all applicants but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please submit your resume and cover letter no later than Friday July 30th, 2010 to:

Sun TV, Human Resources

25 Ontario Street

Toronto, ON, M5A 4L6

resumes@suntv.canoe.ca

MPs get letters: Here's one asking a Tory to keep the census

You'll recall that Conservative MP Maxime Bernier said that, when he was Industry Minister, he got “1,000 letters a day” at his MP's office during the last census complaining about the census. It sure would be great to see even a handful of those but, as they conveniently went to his MPs office and not his Minister's office (and thus cannot be access using Access to Information laws) where they were subsequently destroyed apparently, we'll just have to take his word for it.

Perhaps worried that his correspondence would similarly disappear, this constituent of Daryl Kramp, the Conservative MP who represents the riding that includes Belleville, Ont., thought it wise to send a copy to a reporter. To protect the constituent's privacy, I have removed the name and replaced it with an initial:

Minister Clement and Mr. Kramp

The scrapping of the Mandatory census has once again shown me the narrow thinking of the Conservative government. This was the one source of information for the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments to develop policy directed at their constituents.

A voluntary survey will be ignored by most people even after the government throws away some 25 million dollars to promote it. This government seems to lack the forethought as to what will transpire without this necessary information about the population of Canada.

Please rethink this incorrect decision. WE need information about all the population which a mandatory census provides not the information that a select few who participate will. It has been proven time and again that volunteer survey are usually not done by those group that really should and no amount of government promotion will change that.

Thank you for listening to me and I hope you change your minds because the census is an important part of Canada.

Sincerely

K.

Belleville, ON

I hope this letter isn't the first that I'll receive from a plain old constituent. If you were writing your MP — on either side of the issue — I'd be happy to reproduce some of the good ones here.

No 9/11 flix on Air Canada; affirmative action review; uproar in the art world: Friday's A1 headlines and political daybook

Alouettes front page 9/11 movies not allowed at Air Canada; reviewing affirmative action; and art world rocked: Listen to my four-minute audio roundup of what’s on the front pages of the country’s newspapers plus highlights from Friday’s political daybook by clicking on the link below.

You can also get these audio summaries automatically every day via podcast from iTunes or via an RSS feed by subscribing to my AudioBoo stream. Both the iTunes link and the RSS link are at my profile at AudioBoo.fm. Look in the top right corner of the “Boos” box.

Black's back; Stat stuff; and Semrau talks: Thursday's A1 headlines and political daybook

Robert Semrau Conrad Black is back; some crazy stuff at Statscan, and Semrau talks: Listen to my four-minute audio roundup of what’s on the front pages of the country’s newspapers plus highlights from Wednesday’s political daybook by clicking on the link below.

Industry Minister Tony Clement on StatsCan chief's resignation

This just in from Industry Minister Tony Clement:

I acknowledge with regret the resignation of Munir A. Sheikh, the Chief Statistician of Canada.

There has been considerable commentary about the federal government’s decision to replace the 2011 mandatory census long form with the voluntary National Household Survey.

The Government took this decision because we do not believe Canadians should be forced, under threat of fines, jail, or both, to divulge extensive private and personal information. We believe it is not appropriate to compel citizens to divulge how many bedrooms they have in their houses, or what time they leave for work in the morning. The Government’s approach is about finding a better balance between collecting necessary data and protecting the privacy rights of Canadians.

As I have noted previously, Statistics Canada’s preferred approach would have been to maintain the mandatory long form census.

However, after the Government’s decision to replace the mandatory long form census Statistics Canada was asked to provide options for conducting a voluntary survey of households. One of the options provided – the voluntary National Household Survey – was chosen.

A voluntary long form survey offers challenges that do not exist in the case of a census that uses coercion to compel completion. Nonetheless, by working together with the professionals at Statistics Canada I believe we can compensate for these challenges and offer data-users high quality and accurate information.

I have relied throughout this process on the frank and open advice of Statistics Canada and the Chief Statistician. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all employees of Statistics Canada for the hard work and dedication that has made Statistics Canada one of the best national statistical organizations in the world.

Until a permanent successor can be found Wayne Smith, Assistant Chief Statistician, Business and Trade Statistics, will act on an interim basis.

Aghanistan's deadline, crime stats, and lots of hockey news: Wednesday's A1 headlines and political daybook

Afghanistan’s deadline; crime stats and lots of hockey news : Listen to my four-minute audio roundup of what’s on the front pages of the country’s newspapers plus highlights from Wednesday’s political daybook by clicking on the link below.

His own words: StatsCan chief resigns over census flap

Munir A. Sheikh, minutes ago, says he’s quitting as head of Statistics Canada. Here’s his statement:

July 21, 2010

OTTAWA — There has been considerable discussion in the media regarding the 2011 Census of Population.

There has also been commentary on the advice that Statistics Canada and I gave the government on this subject.

I cannot reveal and comment on this advice because this information is protected under the law. However, the government can make this information public if it so wishes.

I have always honoured my oath and responsibilities as a public servant as well as those specific to the Statistics Act.

I want to take this opportunity to comment on a technical statistical issue which has become the subject of media discussion. This relates to the question of whether a voluntary survey can become a substitute for a mandatory census.

It can not.

Under the circumstances, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister.

I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity of serving him as the Chief Statistician of Canada, heading an agency that is a symbol of pride for our country.

To you, the men and women of Statistics Canada – thank you for giving me your full support and your dedication in serving Canadians. Without your contribution, day in and day out, in producing data of the highest quality, Canada would not have this institution that is our pride.

I also want to thank Canadians. We do remember, every single day, that it is because of you providing us with your information, we can function as a statistical agency. I am attaching an earlier message that I sent to Canadians in this regard.

In closing, I wish the best to my successor. I promise not to comment on how he/she should do the job. I do sincerely hope that my successor’s professionalism will help run this great organization while defending its reputation.

Munir A. Sheikh

This is a remarkable statement. One simply doesn’t see senior civil servants going out so publicly. It’s also remarkable, if you ask me, for that last paragraph, where he promises not to comment on his successor. One assumes that’s a veiled swipe at Sheikh’s predecessor, Ivan Fellegi who spent 30+ years in the job and has been a go-to source for journalists to take shots at Sheikh’s decision to allow this decision to go ahead.

Suicide by cop, the county's strip club bill, and could Black be back?: Tuesday's A1 headlines and political daybook

Suicide by cop, a county warden’s strip club bill and could Black be back? : Listen to my four-minute audio roundup of what’s on the front pages of the country’s newspapers plus highlights from Tuesday’s political daybook by clicking on the link below.