Month: July 2012

US Ambassador pushes back on "Obama lost Canada" meme

U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson
David Jacobson, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, peers from behind an American flag at the Ambassador's annual 4th of July party Wednesday at his residence in Ottawa. (Chris Roussakis/QMI Agency)

Obama’s [decision to suspend the Keystone XL decision] marked a triumph of campaign posturing over pragmatism and diplomacy, and it brought U.S.-Canadian relations to their lowest point in decades. It was hardly the first time that the administration has fumbled issues with Ottawa. Although relations have been civil, they have rarely been productive. Whether on trade, the environment, or Canada’s shared contribution in places such as Afghanistan, time and again the United States has jilted its northern neighbor. If the pattern of neglect continues, Ottawa will get less interested in cooperating with Washington. Already, Canada has reacted by turning elsewhere — namely, toward Asia — for more reliable economic partners.

– Derek Burney and Fen Hampson, “How Obama Lost Canada”, published June 21, 2011 by Foreign Affairs

The thesis put forward by Burney — a former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. and Hampson – an academic at Carleton University — has generated some pushback. Continue reading US Ambassador pushes back on "Obama lost Canada" meme

Party finances: Conservatives still rule but Libs, Greens show strong growth

Elections Canada has posted the financial returns for most federal parties at its Web site.

The NDP asked for and received an extension to file its financial returns after the July 3 deadline set for the 2011 financial statements.

But we do have enough info we can start looking at the numbers and seeing how parties did. The first thing we should note, of course, is that 2011 was an election year. Typically, all parties will have better fundraising numbers and donor numbers in an election year.

Dollar amount of all contributions:

  1. Conservative Party of Canada: $22,737,966
  2. Liberal Party of Canada: $10,119,908.62
  3. Green Party of Canada: $1,714,365.34
  4. Bloc Quebecois: $789,491.31

Total number of donors

  1. Conservative Party of Canada: 110,267
  2. Liberal Party of Canada: 49,650
  3. Green Party of Canada: 12,590
  4. Bloc Quebecois: 7,056

Average donation:

  1. Conservative Party of Canada: $206.21
  2. Liberal Party of Canada: $203.82
  3. Green Party of Canada: $136.17
  4. Bloc Quebecois: $111.89

Percentage increase in contributions (2010 vs 2011)

  1. Liberal Party of Canada: +58.1%
  2. Green Party of Canada: +32.7%
  3. Conservative Party of Canada: +30.6%
  4. Bloc Quebecois: + 23.0%

Percentage increase in number of donors (2010 vs 2011)

  1. Liberal Party of Canada: +53%
  2. Green Party of Canada: +40.5%
  3. Bloc Quebecois: +20.5%
  4. Conservative Party of Canada: +16.1%

In the wake of a minister's resignation, some Bev Oda arcana

Bev Oda, the Minister for International Co-operation announced yesterday that, two weeks ago, she informed the prime minister of her intention to retire as an MP for the Ontario riding of Durham, effective July 31. A collection of related info… Continue reading In the wake of a minister's resignation, some Bev Oda arcana

CBS gets the back story on Chief Justice Roberts Obamacare switch

Jan Crawford, the Chief Political and Legal Correspondent for CBS News, gets some great — and extremely rare — dish from inside the U.S. Supreme Court in the wake of the historic Obamacare decision of last week.

In her piece, she chronicles how Chief Justice John Roberts — widely seen as a conservative — flip-flopped on Obamacare, was heavily pressured by the other conservative justices, and than was abandoned by them. Continue reading CBS gets the back story on Chief Justice Roberts Obamacare switch

Minister Oda vs. Bureaucrat Helene Yarmuch: A different approach to upgrades

In my column for Tuesday’s papers I contrast the upgrade instincts of International Development Minister Bev Oda and Industry Canada bureaucrat Helene Yarmuch. You can read about it here. In it, these documents figure prominently: Continue reading Minister Oda vs. Bureaucrat Helene Yarmuch: A different approach to upgrades