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I posted a new photo to AlbumArtMuseum.

We're in a different, more frugal time

For that reason, I suspect we'll see a lot more of this — a U.S. bank, which has received federal government financial help, is sponsoring a golf tournament, and getting a lot of heat about that use of funds. There are tales of professional golfters, bankers and their friends enjoying “lavish dinner parties” and other pre-tournament luxury trappings with money that came from the bailed-out bank. (The bank in question is Northern Trust and the tournament is the North Trust Open in L.A.)

And then there's Robert Mugabe, who has been obscenely feathering his next for ages at the expense of his countrymen. Mugabe turned 85 and held a birthday party which cost $250,000. The money came from his “supporters.” Mugabe's birthday party was held just days after Zimbabwe asked other African states for US$2 billion in aid a few days ago. If Zimbabwe does get that aid, do you think it will help out the poor and starving of that country? My bet is that aid goes right to the “supporters” who kicked in so Mugabe could stuff his face with a piece of the 185-kg birthday cake.

I'd be inclined to give the bank and its golf sponsorship a bit of slack. But Mugabe? Not an inch.

I'm fiddling with the look, feel and content around here over the next day or so. Among other things you will likely notice are advertisements placed here by Google. A reminder to check out my disclaimer notice at the bottom of the left-hand column. As always, direct feedback welcome.

If you want to work as a journalist on Parliament Hill — attend press conferences in parliamentary facilities, sit in the House of Commons press gallery or even get in on the scrums in the foyer — you have to be a member of Parliamentary Press Gallery. The House of Commons security staff, in fact, won't even let you in the building unless you've got your press gallery pass dangling about your neck. This edict comes down from the Speaker of House of Commons, incidentally, who is responsible for the general operations of the Hill. But while Parliament, through the Speaker, has insisted that only accredited journalists be allowed on the Hill, the Speaker has left it up to journalists themselves to administer that accreditation system, decide who gets a pass and who doesn't, and generally be responsible for administering their own affairs in the Parliamentary Precinct.

Journalists formed a corporation — The Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery — and hired a full-time staff of about a dozen to administer the accreditation process and generally organize the affairs of journalists working on the Hill.

Because it's a corporation, the Press Gallery must hold an annual meeting for its members and, at that meeting, elect its officers and directors. Today was that day.

This year, as in other years, there was no election for the executive positions. Each individual who put their name forward (with nomination papers signed by five others) was acclaimed to the job. Richard Brennan of The Toronto Star had been our president for the last two years but decided not to seek re-election. He has been replaced by Hélène Buzzetti, a reporter for Le Devoir. Chris Rands, a senior producer with CBC Radio is the vice-president; Karine Fortin, a reporter at La Presse Canadienne is the Treasurer; and Elizabeth Thompson, a reporter with Sun Media is the Secretary.

The Press Gallery's constitution requires that five directors also be elected to sit on the board. I was elected as a director last year and was seeking re-electon this year. In the four annual press gallery meetings I've ever seen, there has always been an election for directors. You never know who is running as nominations come from the floor of the meeting. So, just in case, I've been politicking all week seeking votes should I need them (and I did.) Here, in fact, is the campaign platform I distributed by e-mail to the voters yesterday:

Colleagues —

I seek your support for re-election as a director of our Parliamentary Press Gallery. Last year, I asked for your support and committed to working on issues, such as providing wireless Internet service on the Hill that would improve our working environment and protect our independence. I'm pleased to report that we've made progress towards getting wi-fi on the Hill and I hope to continue to work on that issue. This year, the board will be working to protect and, if we're lucky, extend parking privileges on the Hill. I also seek to protect access our Members have to other services on the Hill such as the gym at 131 Queen. As a broadcast, print, and online journalist, I believe I can be an effective and sympathetic advocate for a broad cross-section of our members. I hope I can count on your support.

Chers collègues —

Je me présente comme candidat au poste de directeur de la tribune de la presse. Il y a un an, vous m'avez élu à ce poste pour faire avancer plusieurs dossiers et je croix qu'on a fait un grand pas en avant. Par exemple, on a fait du progrès dans nos efforts pour obtenir un réseau sans fil pour améliorer notre milieu de travail et afin de protéger notre indépendance.

Cette année, la Tribune va travailler pour protéger vos privilèges de stationnement sur la colline et j'envisage aussi la possibilité de les bonifier. Je travaille aussi pour proteger l'accès de nos membres à d'autres services sur la colline, tel que la salle de gym à 131 Queen. J'aimerais aussi souligner que je comprend les besoins et défis de tous nos membres, en écrit, télévision, radio ou Internet parce que je fais des reportages dans toutes ces catégories à chaque semaine. J'espère avoir votre appui pour la prochaine année.

I am pleased to say that my campaign platform seems to have been a winner for I — ahem — ended up with the most votes in the election we had for five director slots. (Six individuals put their name forward). 0

So here are the 2009-2010 directors:

• David Akin (Canwest News Service) – Re-elected
• Alex Panetta (The Canadian Press) – Re-elected
• Manon Cornellier (Le Devoir)
• Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail)
• Luc St.-Jean (Freelance ENG technician)

The president of Canada's nuclear safety regulator said Tuesday he was surprised by public and media interest in what he described as minor, harmless leaks of water — including radioactive water — last December at the Chalk River, Ont., nuclear reactor operated by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL).

But Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) president Michael Binder told MPs the commission and AECL have re-evaluated their communications protocol in the wake of the leaks at the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, and will establish a new proactive system of disclosure — even for events that pose no health risk, and may seem like routine variations on normal operating procedure.

“Given that we deemed the December leak at the NRU to be of low safety significance, we were caught by surprise at the level of interest that events generated,” Binder told MPs on the House of Commons Natural Resources Committee.

“I'm surprised that you're surprised,” said Nathan Cullen, a B.C. NDP MP. “I'm finding it hard to reconcile the history of this particular reactor over the last 18 months.”

[Read the whole story]

I'm in West Block 209, listening to representatives of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives testify at a meeting of the Commons standing committee on international trade.

The committee is considering Bill C-2, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Kingdom of Norway and the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Swiss Confederation. (Mouthful, that one, isn't it?)

Negotiations on this trade deal are done and the deal will likely get signed this summer. MPs, though, are not unanimous that this would be such a good thing.

At this committee's last meeting, we heard from witnesses representing labour groups that this deal with EFTA will be bad for Canada's perennially struggling shipbuilding industry. (Norway, it is feared, will eat our shipbuilding lunch)

Today pro-deal groups note the following:

• Combined trade with these relatively small group of European countries totals $12.9 billion a year, making this our fifth largest trade relationship.
• we do more business a year with EFTA than with all of South America combined.
• This is our first bilateral trade deal with any European country. For that reason, “It offers huge symbolic value,” said David Stewart-Patterson of the CCCE.