In Ottawa tonight, journalists and politicians are getting together for the annual Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner.
Meanwhile, a smaller group of Parliamentary Press Gallery journalists, including yours truly, was 41,000 feet in the air on board RCAF 01 enjoying a smaller party with a smaller group of politicians, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Harper is headed to Asia, for 6 days in India and a day each in the Philippines and Hong Kong.
About midway through the flight, the Harper’s communications director came to the back of the plan where the journalists sit and invited us up to the PM’s (very modest) cabin to enjoy some Samosas, a consolation prize for having to miss the annual bash back in Ottawa.
Harper (who, as prime minister, has never attended a press gallery dinner) was joined in his cabin by MPs Parm Gill, Devinder Shory, Nina Grewal, Kyle Seeback and Deepak Obhrai. We exchanged some small talk, enjoyed a Samosa and resumed our flight.
I’m posting this from Cologne, Germany where we’re re-fueling en route to Agra, India.