The Bloc Quebecois does not have official party status in the House of Commons. In the 2011 general elections, its ranks were reduced to 4 seats, a decline of 43 seats. Then, Claude Patry, elected as a New Democrat in 2011, decided to go sit with the Bloc. So they were up to 5. Then the big debate over the “Charter of Values” erupted in Quebec. The PQ government of Pauline Marois loved it but BQ MP Maria Mourani did not and said so. For that, she was booted from the BQ caucus by its leader Daniel Paillé (who didn’t have a seat in himeself in the House.) Mourani then said she didn’t believe in sovereignty anyhow and is sitting as an independent MP. So the BQ was back down to 4 MPs. Today, they are down to 3 MPs as Jean-François Fortin announced he, too, will sit as an independent. Why? The new BQ leader, Mario Beaulieu (who beat Fortin for the job), is too radical. Continue reading MP quits BQ, says new leader just too radical
Baird to UN: Are you kidding me?
The Times of Israel reported this week:
A United Nations agency that last week found rockets in a Gaza school operating under its auspices has handed that weaponry over to Hamas, Israeli officials said Sunday, accusing the organization of actively helping the terrorist organization potentially attack Israeli civilians. Continue reading Baird to UN: Are you kidding me?
By phone, Harper and Netanyahu speak about the Hamas rocket attacks
Earlier today, Canada’s Prime MInister Stephen Harper spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Here is the ‘read-out’ from the Harper’s office:
—- Continue reading By phone, Harper and Netanyahu speak about the Hamas rocket attacks
I'll take Cambridge over Oxford for books on WWI's origins
In a few days, we will mark 100 years since the first guns of August boomed beginning the First World War.
Why did it happen? Well, er, it’s complicated. Really, really complicated. So complicated that there have been, literally, thousands and thousands of books written about The Great War in several languages. And historians have argued amongst themselves – and often with the lay public — about its origins for, well, for 100 years. And they continue to find new things to argue about and talk about. Continue reading I'll take Cambridge over Oxford for books on WWI's origins
Pancakes, politics, and parades: Stephen, Justin, Xavier … and Captain Kirk
Cool pic (above) taken at the Calgary Stampede and published on Justin Trudeau’s Flickr feed. Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomes Xavier Trudeau to Calgary, as dad looks on. Continue reading Pancakes, politics, and parades: Stephen, Justin, Xavier … and Captain Kirk
The courts vs the Harper cabinet: This time it's over refugee health care
This morning, Federal Court of Canada Justice Anne Mactavish delivered a sharply worded judgement slamming a decision, made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet, to deny some refugee claimants the benefits of Canada’s publicly funded health care system.
It’s the latest clash between the Harper government and the country’s judges.
- Harper versus the Supreme Court of Canada [May 2014]
- Harper versus the judges [August 2012]
- Harper’s judicial losing streak reveals the limits of government action [April 2014]
Some quotes from the 256-page judgement [which you can read for yourself here]: Continue reading The courts vs the Harper cabinet: This time it's over refugee health care
By-election scorecards: How have party leaders fared?
Since Stephen Harper became leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, he has led his side through 30 by-elections. His party’s record in those by-elections? Pretty good. Conservatives held 7 seats in which they were the incumbent, stole 4 seats from another incumbent party, and suffered 1 loss. In the rest, they were neither the incumbent nor were able to steal. Continue reading By-election scorecards: How have party leaders fared?
Liberals hope Peter MacKay is money in the bank
Arriving this afternoon in the digital inboxes of members of the Liberal Party of Canada is this fundraising pitch:
The Ontario PC Party leadership race: Where do MPPs and MPs stand?
Usually, though not always, it’s helpful for a prospective party leader to have members of the legislative caucus on his or her side, the more usually the merrier.
Alison Redford won the Alberta PC leadership with little or no caucus support (and look what happened). Justin Trudeau won with dominant caucus support (and we’ll see what happens.)
In 2009, Christine Elliott tried to win the Ontario PC leadership. She had decent caucus support but finished third, well behind winner Tim Hudak who had some dominant caucus support. Elliott announced this week she is back for another kick at the can, and this time, she appears to be attempting a pre-emptive strike by locking up as much caucus support as possible.
She is the only announced contestant at this point with seven of her caucus colleagues on board. That means that, in a caucus of 28 PC MPPs, 8 (including Elliott) are going to vote for her to be leader — better than one-quarter.
Sylvia Jones is the only one of those seven who, as an MPP, supported Elliott then and will do so again now. Norm Miller was an MPP in 2009 but back then he endorsed Hudak. Now he’s endorsing Elliott. The other five were not MPPs in 2009.
Who else among her current caucus colleagues supported Hudak against her in 2009? Bob Bailey; Toby Barrett; Garfield Dunlop; Lisa MacLeod; Julia Munro; Jim Wilson; John Yakabuski; Ernie Hardeman. MacLeod is considered a likely rival … [Watch as I interview MacLeod on Battleground on Sun News Network last night]
The rest of the current PC Party caucus at Queen’s Park was either not around as MPPs in 2009 or did not back anyone (or, in the case of Randy Hillier, ran for the leadership, finished 4th, and said he is not running this time.)
In the case of the Ontario PCs, it’s also interesting to see which members of the current federal Conservative caucus jumped into the race. Elliott is the widow of former finance minister Jim Flaherty and many in Stephen Harper’s caucus and cabinet got their start at Queen’s Park.
Moreover, many names from the current Conservative caucus have been bandied about as potential Ontario party leaders. Those include Lisa Raitt, John Baird, Tony Clement, Michael Chong, Rick Dykstra, and Patrick Brown.
Here are are current Conservative MPs supported Elliott in 2009: Peter Braid, Colin Carrie, Chong, Ed Holder, Greg Rickford, Bruce Stanton, Peter Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace, Jeff Watson and Terence Young. Elliott’s husband, Flaherty, was the only member of the federal cabinet to support her bid for leader.
Other notables who supported Elliott in 2009: A Toronto city councillor named Rob Ford. And Richard Ciano, how is the current president of the Ontario PCs.
@davidakin Also worth noting that @KellieLeitch, while not an MP in 2009, worked on @chriselliottpc campaign…
— Ian Adams (@Scoop_68) June 26, 2014
It’s worth reviewing who among current federal Conservatives supported Hudak in 2009: They included cabinet heavyweights Baird, Jason Kenney, Peter Van Loan, Clement, and Rob Nicholson.
Among backbenchers, the following supported Hudak: Gord Brown, Patrick Brown, Paul Calandra, Barry Devolin, Dykstra, Royal Galipeau, Daryl Kramp, Pierre Poilievre, Joe Preston, Gary Schellenberger, and David Sweet.
Fair to launch attack ads at an opponent who's in re-hab? Chow thinks so
Last night, Olivia Chow unveiled two new radio ads in her campaign to win the job of Mayor of Toronto. The two ads are “attack ads” and they go after the incumbent, Rob Ford. As far as attack ads go, they’re pretty slick and may make you chuckle. Listen to them here: Continue reading Fair to launch attack ads at an opponent who's in re-hab? Chow thinks so