Harper on knowing journalists names: "Why would I care?"

Licia Corbella is the editor of the Calgary Sun and the latest journalist to receive an “exclusive” interview with Prime Minister Harper. Some excerpts from her latest column, based on that interview:

Alan Leadbeater, Canada's deputy information commissioner, claims the Conservatives new Accountability Act, which is before the Senate, will actually make accessing government documents more difficult.

“That is completely false,” says Harper.

“Even the opposition hasn't proposed any amendments that would correct this problem, because there is not such a problem. The truth is you've got an extreme view in the information commissioner's office that things like journalistic sources should not be protected — they've got really radical positions that we will not adopt. The bottom line is, this act opens up information, it puts a range of crown corporations and foundations under Access to Information for the first time in history. That is what it does with regards to access to information. All the rest of what they say is completely false and without foundation.”

The biggest laugh of the interview came when Harper was questioned about a story that broke a couple of weeks ago, when the Liberals accused the Conservatives of doing what they themselves did for 13 years in power.

Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart is looking into an incident in which government officials discussing topics of media interest shared the name of a journalist who had made a request under the Access to Information Act. That's an apparent violation of the Privacy Act.

“I don't know who asks for information and I'm not sure why it would matter anyway,” says Harper. “I mean, why would I care?”

Some people would say it's so you can punish the journalists who ask, he's told.

“I punish them all anyway.”

At that, he has a long and sustained laugh, knowing his thorny relationship with the Ottawa Press Gallery has in itself, garnered headlines.

After he stops laughing, he adds, “Look, I don't assume any of them are friends and I assume they'll ask for information — that's what access is for.”

Many in Harper’s own caucus, incidentally, worry that there is backtracking by the PMO when it comes to their party’s election promises to strengthen access to information laws.

 

 

Why us MSM types love blogs

Washington Post editor Len Downie has some things to say about the value of blogs to a mainstream media (MSM) newsroom and I find myself agreeing with much of what has to say:

“Reporters love newsroom blogs, said Downie, because they put writers in better touch with their readers: “Everyone in our newsroom wants to be a blogger.”

And the blogs that pick apart every article that the Post produces are a good thing, said Downie, because they “keep the paper honest” and, even if their commentary isn't positive, bring people to the site.

“Blogs are not competitors and not problems,” he said. “Instead we have a very interesting symbiotic relationship. Our largest driver of traffic is Matt Drudge.”

 

The Minister Responds: Pay Allowances for soldiers

The Department of National Defence has just distributed the following “Letter to the Editor”, in response to reports like this about the compensation wounded soldiers receive:

Over the last few days, media coverage regarding special pay allowances for our Canadian Forces members deployed overseas has been inaccurate and confusing.

When Canadian Forces members are deployed on foreign military operations, they are paid what we call operational allowances. These allowances are over and above regular pay, designed to recognize the difference between normal conditions and those exclusive to overseas deployments.

These allowances are determined based on the degree of risk, hardship, and other inherent factors of a specific military operation like our mission in Afghanistan.

This operational allowance policy has been in place since 1995 and other operation tax breaks are in place since 2004. We have no intention of changing this policy.

However, and quite separately, our military is looking at options regarding the benefits wounded soldiers receive upon their return to Canada before the end of their rotation period to ensure they are being properly compensated.

This review doesn't affect the current pay and benefits package Canadian Forces members are entitled to. Canadian Forces members still retain their full salary while they are injured, and they are also eligible for a wide variety of benefits and services, financial or otherwise, provided by National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada.

The Honourable Gordon O'Connor P.C. M.P.
Minister of National Defence

Senate: We won't pay Lavigne's bills

My colleague Graham Richardson last night reported that Senator Raymond Lavigne, under fire for allegedly misusing public funds, wanted taxpayers to pick up the legal tab he’s ringing up to clear his name.

Some Senators were watching last night, apparently, and today this press release came forth from the Red Chamber:

“The Senate wishes to confirm that the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration last week refused to underwrite the legal expenses of Senator Raymond Lavigne.”

Environment Minister at Committee

Environment Minister Rona Ambrose (left) is, so far as I know, the only minister responsible for a major federal government department who has yet to meet with the Standing House of Commons Committee responsible for her portfolio. International Trade Minister David Emerson has met several times with the International Trade Committee. Industry Minister Maxime Bernier has met with the Industry Committee. Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay has met with the Foreign Affairs Committee.
And today, finally, Minister Ambrose will meet with her Environment Committee. The event will be televised by House of Commons TV which means you will be able to watch the Web cast and, if we're lucky and there are not a whole lot of other breaking news events in the world today, you might catch part of it on CTV Newsnet beginning at 9 a.m. Ottawa time.
The typical format for these things works like this: Minister reads a statement and then committee members can ask her some questions.
The Liberals will get the first question and it will likely be John Godfrey, the Liberal environment critic, who leads off. Ms. Ambrose can also expect some tough questions at the meeting from Bloc Quebecois critic Bernard Bigras and the NDP's Nathan Cullen.

The Auto Summit

I just went on CTV Newsnet with an update on tonight’s auto summit. Auto industry execs have been summoned to Ottawa for a big meeting tonight — a meeting that is noteworthy for its subject matter as well as its attendee list.

The summit has been called by the Environment Minister Rona Ambrose. The invitees that I’ve spoken to have not been told what they should be prepared to talk about but they believe that, as it is Minister Ambrose’s meeting, they will be discussing automobile emissions. Many invitees are worried that the Conservative government will announce that it will be moving towards a system of mandatory emission reductions. The last Liberal government negotiated some voluntary agreements from Canada’s car makers to reduce harmful auto emissions.

The industry attendee list includes senior executives from Toyota Manufacturing, Honda, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, and Ford, along with auto sector union leaders.

But it is the political attendee list that is a real eyebrow-raiser. It includes Minister Ambrose, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon and Industry Minister Maxime Bernier. Treasury Board President John Baird may also join the meeting.

We are told that only Minister Ambrose is preparing a presentation. Other ministers are attending to be available for consultation and the ensuing discussion.

This meeting could have broad ramifications for the entire North American auto sector. Why? Ontario makes more cars and light trucks in a year than any other jurisdiction in North America, including Michigan. 

 

Day 1 – Iggy, then Dion

Political junkie alert: The Liberal Party of Canada has a very cool real-time delegate selection results ticker. With the first of three days of voting over, Michael Ignatieff is, as advertised, leading the way with 239 delegates who will vote for him on the first ballot of December's leadership convention. That represents 27.6 per cent of the delegates who have already been elected. In the second slot is Stéphane Dion with 160 delegates, or 18.5 per cent. If there's a surprise in these early results — and it's very important to read the fine print at that Liberal ticker to note the “unofficialness” of this early tally — it's that, compared to early predictions, Dion is doing so well and Gerard Kennedy is doing so poorly.

Volpe to appeal — says party was too hasty

Joe Volpe, facing a $20,000 fine, from the party he hopes to lead, says the panel that levied the fine didn’t get it right:

Press Release

Statement from Volpe campaign.

September 29, 2006, Ottawa- The Honourable Joseph Volpe, Member of Parliament for Eglinton – Lawrence and Liberal leadership candidate released the following statement in regards to the decision handed down today by a compliance panel of the Liberal Party of Canada in regard to issues surrounding membership recruitment in Quebec.

The compliance panel seriously misconstrued the evidence before it as well as submissions and recommendations of the compliance officer and testimony of other witnesses.

“It should be noted that the panel found no evidence to suggest that Mr. Volpe or his senior campaign workers had actual knowledge of the wrongful purchase of memberships.” Liberal Party Press release

“The press release issued today by the Liberal Party prior to the compliance panels official report on Monday as well as the haste to proceed without due process seems designed to inflict as much damage as  possible to my campaign immediately prior to the delegate selection meetings” Volpe added.

We will be mounting a vigorous appeal to the permanent appeals committee of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Volpe fined but gets to stay in the race

Minutes ago, the Liberal Party of Canada announced that it had levied a fine of $20,000 against the Joe Volpe leadership campaign.

The campaign was fined after the party’s own investigation concluded that it had indeed improperly signed up party members in Quebec. The party notes that it found no evidence that Volpe had any direct knowledge himself that this was happening but, nonetheless, the campaign is guilty of failing to properly supervise its volunteers.

Volpe has 30 days to cut a cheque to the party or he’s out of the race. He also may appeal the decision.

Here’s the release from the Libs:

Date: September 29, 2006
PRESS RELEASE

Ottawa – The Liberal Party of Canada today issued the following on behalf of a Compliance Panel (“the panel”) appointed under Regulation 13.3 of the Party’s Regulations Concerning Expenses of Contestants for the Leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada (“the Expense Regulations”).

IN THE MATTER OF A COMPLAINT PURSUANT TO THE REGULATIONS GOVERNING EXPENSES OF CONTESTANTS FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA (“EXPENSE REGULATIONS”) MADE AGAINST THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH VOLPE, LEADERSHP CONTESTANT, FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF REGULATIONS 5 c), 12.1 AND 12.2.

The panel, adjudicating a complaint investigated by a Complaints Officer appointed pursuant to Regulation 14 of the Expense Regulations, held a hearing on September 28, 2006 in the City of Montréal.

The panel directs that its forthcoming written decision be made public at the time of its availability in English and French.

The panel finds that Joseph Volpe and his campaign team violated Regulations 5 c) and 12.1 of the Expense Regulations by providing membership forms to leaders of cultural community organizations in Québec to obtain memberships for Volpe supporters without adequately instructing those leaders not to pay for the memberships of others and without providing adequate supervision of their volunteer efforts.
The panel finds that the distribution of such membership forms and the selling and solicitation of memberships resulted in an environment where Volpe volunteers improperly paid for the memberships of others.
Joseph Volpe and his campaign team accepted responsibility for the inappropriate activity, yet the panel found no evidence to suggest that Mr. Volpe or his senior campaign workers had actual knowledge of the wrongful purchase of memberships.

Pursuant to Regulations 16 b) and 16 c), the panel issues a public reprimand to the Leadership Campaign of Joseph Volpe and assesses a fine in the amount of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00), payable within 30 days of September 29, 2006. In default of full payment within the specified time, Mr. Volpe will be deemed to be disqualified as a leadership contestant.

The panel strongly recommends that the Regional Returning Officer for the Province of Québec put measures in place in, among others, the electoral district of Papineau, to ensure the eligibility of those who present themselves to vote.

The panel notes that the evidence in this matter does not constitute grounds for disqualification. Such a sanction would deprive Party members of the opportunity to consider Mr. Volpe’s candidacy, and should be applied only in limited circumstances where a candidate has knowingly or wilfully violated, or has shown reckless disregard, for the Expense Regulations.
Pursuant to Regulation 13.4, the panel’s decisions may be appealed to the Party’s Permanent Appeals Committee.

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