About TDH

Archived
Commentaries

Past Projects

FAQ

Links

Contact

September, 2005 Archives

September 30, 2005 - The diplomatic posting of Canadian Ambassador to the United States is a job that, depending on the individual, can elicit non-confrontational appeasement or vocal and poignant engagement.

In the case of our current appointee, Frank McKenna is most definitely filling in the void that Paul Martin has left in our countries' bi-lateral relationship.

TDH Strategies showed an appreciation for their approach on March 31:

"Paul Martin...has contradicted McKenna on a couple of occasions since the former New Brunswick premier took over Ambassadorial duties just over a month ago.

On the other hand, the good cop/bad cop type of approach might actually be politically advantageous at times, as the only thing that Washington appreciates in its own backyard is a strong stand - testicular fortitude, if you will."

In hindsight, a more apt description would be no cop, bad cop.  McKenna is the only voice we have that not only stands up to the bully, but also has no problem pointing out his faults.

Some might ask what benefit there is to speaking in front of a joint meeting between the Empire Club of Canada and the Canadian Club of Toronto (two very influential groups of business leaders in this country) and criticizing our southern neighbours' system of government.

In McKenna's eyes, he's building a reputation as a guy who takes no gruff from anyone:

"I find Americans are very direct people and they accept directness with equanimity."

What is so refreshing is not the fact that McKenna is so willing to take the Americans to task.  Rather, it is that he from the day he stepped into his role, he has employed a particular approach, and seemed to have a plan.

Whether it has been going on CNN to defend Canada's point of view, to supporting retaliatory linkage between our energy exports and other trade disputes, to planning out a new way to establish relationships with Washington legislators, McKenna hasn't blinked, and has not for an instant seemed aimless.

TDH Strategies always had an affinity for Allan Rock when his name was still prominent within the succession of our man Jean Chretien.  By contrast, we always considered Frank McKenna as a puppet for big business - a man who would bend over backwards to appease corporate Canada (hello John "Beaker" Manley).

But now when contrasting two men who have taken Ambassadorial roles down south, the docile, blend-in-the-background Mr. Rock doesn't seem quite as appealing anymore.

There might yet be hope for the always brewing Liberal leadership race.

September 29, 2005 - Here's what we don't understand about the David Dingwall affair.  Is it the fact that he and his staff spent so much on travel?  Well, not really, because if the Mint is now making a profit, they can very easily claim that it was all a means to an end (even though $130,000 of gallivanting and $747,000  in total spending  is just sickening).

"You're not taking a canoe — you're not taking the train to Montreal here." (No, of course not...God forbid you spend 2 hours on the train)

What TDH just can't get over is how someone who is making a salary of $277,000 a year has the gall to expense packs of gum, newspapers, hamburgers, golf club memberships, and car leases. 

"You're not going to purchase a pack of gum until you know how long the flavour lasts."

Let's forget for a second how he might have been able to push those receipts through, and ask a more pressing question...why?

As observers from the outside, TDH Strategies imagines a scenario where any one of us might be appointed to a fat cat position such as the one previously held by Dingwall.  Never mind common sense, or even basic morality...is there no fear in these people when they get to such an exalted status?

Do they not see that their behaviour might put their careers, reputations and futures in jeopardy?

"You're not going to pay for your own membership to the club until at least finding out how the goose pate is."

Unafraid, exuding arrogance, and imbued with a sense of entitlement...obviously the most important and sought after qualities when looking for a suitable candidate to put in charge of a Crown corporation.

September 28, 2005 - Say what you will about yesterday's swearing in of Michaëlle Jean as Governor General, but if nothing else, the ceremonies had some character behind the usual pomp and circumstance.

While Adrienne Clarkson definitely brought a sense of class to the position, it seems as though Jean is going to bring a little personality with her:

"Her first official act? She went dancing.

With Prime Minister Paul Martin swaying somewhat awkwardly beside her, Canada's newest Governor-General danced and clapped her hands above her head to the inspired music of the People's Gospel Choir of Montreal. Soaring voices filled the usually silent and staid Senate foyer.

The event schedule called for the official delegation to "pause to acknowledge the performers." It didn't say anything about dancing.

But it was that kind of day on Parliament Hill yesterday, as stuffy protocol took a back seat to sheer celebration."

Now that it is official, Madame Jean deserves the chance to prove her detractors wrong.  Did the Prime Minister fail to do his proper due diligence before appointing her?  Without a doubt.  But if she is prepared to renounce her citizenship in France, and spends the first moments in her new job speaking about ending the country's two solitudes, then both are hopeful signs.

In consideration of yesterday's performance, if Jean wants to do something revolutionary as Governor General, maybe she can lead by example and show Canadians that politics doesn't always have to be manufactured, insincere or boring.  This is the prevailing attitude of Joe Shmoe on the street, and it is going to take a lot more than stock speeches and horns trumpeting for her arrival to overcome this hurdle.

But this is an approach that everyone in politics should try out a little more.  Even a recent discussion with our friend and rising Liberal star MP Ruby Dhalla has shown us that the protocol of Ottawa is easily instilled in any new recruit who steps foot in that city.  So concerned with appearances and how people perceive her behaviour, Ruby feels the need to be extremely cautious, not only in her professional life, but also in her personal life.  Fair enough...TDH will never know the pressures and interactions a young, beautiful, intelligent and ambitious woman must experience within the halls of power.

But these shackles really are a shame.  Politicians have lost respect because of non-answers, political spin and selfish power grabs.  But more than anything, the one aspect about the modern Canadian politician that continues to create distance with the public is the fear of being human.

If you are willing to make mistakes, not always give the perfect answer, and God forbid, even admit fault, then you are much more likely to be supported when you embrace innovation, test out new ideas, assume personal responsibility, and above all, take risks.

These are the true qualities of leadership.

So to Stephen Harper:  Throw caution to the wind, and get off your yellow brick road.  We all know you have a brain...the question now is, do you have a heart?

September 27, 2005 - Once again, you can listen to TDH's interview with thecommentary.ca by clicking here.  But thanks to that punk Kinsella (by the way, nice album bud), we are reposting and expanding on this information...let's see which enterprising reporter takes advantage.

The Technology Partnership Canada (TPC) program is dirty...another example of a sloppy government program taken advantage of by unscrupulous lobbyists and greedy private sector fat cats.

At the time of the program's introduction, Peter Harder was the Deputy Minister over at Industry Canada.  He was (and still is) very good friends with Jeffrey N. Parker, formerly the Executive Director of TPC, a position responsible for a $2.5 billion research and development portfolio in advanced technologies.

Mr. Harder then becomes the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in mid-2003.

Also in 2003, TPC rot starts to hit the fan, and stories of corruption begin to start surfacing.  Throughout 2004, Parker continues to feel the heat, and speculation arises about his relationships with some of the accused lobbyists, as well as the lifestyle he was able to keep.

In September, 2004, old friend Harder recommends to Prime Minister Paul Martin that Parker should be taken out of TPC and made the Consul General of Canada for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska, a position based out of Seattle.

Parker still lives the good life, escaping the ongoing scrutiny of his handling of the TPC program, but now tending to a very tough job that requires plenty of "meetings" and lots of wine and cheeses outside of the country.

We won't even speculate about the Consul's new residence.

So...does anyone think that Parker might be worthy of an Access to Information request?

September 26, 2005 - TDH Strategies just finished an interview with Joseph Planta of thecommentary.ca talking about the Vancouver Mayoral race, the Liberal leadership race, the upcoming federal election, Harper's future, Pierre Pettigrew, and several other topics.

Click here to listen to the interview.

September 26, 2005 - With regards to Paul Martin's speech to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce yesterday, the content tends to suggest that Mr. Dithers and his handlers are becoming a little more savvy as his tenure continues to plod along.  Even with the numbers as favourable as they currently are for the Liberals, there should be absolutely no rush to go to the polls.  First, he went on national television and begged the nation for some breathing room - looking like the most blatant type of opportunist prematurely would turn the public's good will very quickly. Secondly, the Tories are self-destructing, and so allowing it play out in front of a national audience can only help the government look serious (regardless of how sparse the legislative agenda is or isn't).

On the other hand, why any Conservative would want to go to the polls rests comfortably within a conspiracy theory, in the humble opinion of this website.  Harper + current polling means a loss, and a Conservative initiated election is one way to speed up Harper's exit from the leader's chair.  Notice how Peter McKay, Harper's ambitious second-in-command, has been the main point man in fuelling media speculation about a fall election - one that he must be aware will be extremely difficult to win. 

Yes, Gomery's first report in November will be damaging for the Liberals. But as this website has pointed out in the past, the height of this country's anger over the sponsorship scandal passed long ago, and no amount of already revealed revelations is going to change that fact.

Our sources in the Conservative party tell us that the Red Tories have a finger that has never been itchier, and believe that their time to strike is now.  Therefore, losing an inevitable election is simply a means to an end - to replace Harper with McKay.

What should be interesting is McKay's upcoming showdown with New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord, who thus far is the only Conservative leadership contender that has a realistic chance of giving the Liberals a run for their money.

Because if the Tory membership lines up in large numbers behind McKay, it should serve as an indication to every last Canadian that Canada's newest (and oldest) political party has gained an appreciation for losing.

September 26, 2005 - Christy Clark suffered a crushing loss over the weekend, and Vancouver is still in shock (to those readers outside of the city who need an accounting of the major federal implications of the race for City Hall, please refer to TDH's September 19th commentary)

For a B.C. political machine that has not only dominated the west coast wing of the federal Liberal party for much of the past decade, but also produced the only seat gains for Paul Martin in last year's election, this is a monumental blow.  Christy Clark has always led a charmed political life, largely due to the strength of numbers that the Martin organizing forces were able to bring to her side.

Until this past Saturday, that is.

They walked all over democracy in Grit nominations and AGM's with ease.  They entered provincial Liberal politics and were soon in control of much of the party's apparatus.  They were even successful in convincing the most popular Mayor in the history of Vancouver and to join the Liberal fold.

But when it came to their fair-haired golden girl, the pyramid of insta-members finally collapsed.

A note to all aspiring federal Liberal leadership candidates: THEY CAN BE BEATEN.

September 23, 2005 - TDH is putting off our cabinet shuffle speculation until next week, partly because of some interesting lunches and meetings we have coming up over the next little while, and also because this story warrants some information that we have been sitting on for some time now.

This program is a disgrace, and could be another hugely damaging file for the government in the same vein as the sponsorship scandal.

Now, inappropriate commissions, unregistered lobbyists, embezzled money, that's disgusting enough.

What makes us even angrier is the safe landing this guy received after his old boss got a new job.

This is getting passed along to a reporter that has a little more pull than this website.  Time to break the lid off of this one.

Stay tuned.

September 22, 2005 - This photo must go up again:

after the bumbling Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro delivered yet another gem of a quote in a CanWest news interview, calling the sponsorship scandal:

"a triumph of entrepreneurship."

This is of course after his recent brilliance demonstrated this past June:

"I'm learning as I go along.  What makes sense, what doesn't make sense, what's helpful and what's not helpful. The list of those things I'd do differently gets quite long."  

"Bernard Shapiro originally insisted he had no mandate to probe Tim Murphy's behaviour. But he now concedes his interpretation of his powers may be wrong and that he is still learning the ropes as ethics commissioner."

"Shapiro seemed unprepared for this appearance [in front of the parliamentary ethics committee]. He didn't bring copies of the lawyers' advice on the Sgro case with him. He couldn't recall how many people were being given a chance to comment on his investigation, and he couldn't tell Broadbent the job title, or role of the staff member in Sgro's office, a person Shapiro says acted inappropriately."

Why the BQ voted with the Liberals to keep this moron in the job is beyond logic.

Absolutely unbelieveable.

September 22, 2005 - For the knuckle-dragging Tories, the fact that anyone (never mind a federal Minister) would have a same-sex partner is blasphemy, so the tone of this piece in Ezra Levant's Western Standard isn't a surprise in the least.  In fact, it is pretty disgusting

On the other hand, there is a consideration that does have some validity.  Speculation about whether the Minister is having a relationship with his chauffeur does become relevant if the public purse is being abused as a result.

It doesn't matter whether the recipient of these perks of the job is a man or a woman...the point is that the Minister's chauffeur never had any business being on such overseas trips.

With our experience working within Ministers' offices before, we are well aware of the way that certain ministerial staff clamour over some of the interesting locales that their bosses must visit.  Don't get us wrong...sometimes the trips warrant every underling that accompanies (and then some), and other times the entourages become a little ridiculous.

Regardless, if Art Eggleton lost a cabinet post over directing department contracts towards his girlfriend, then Pierre Pettigrew is certainly subject to the same criteria.

Does anyone else sense the winds of change?  Smells like a cabinet shuffle is on the way.

Tomorrow, an analysis of how the shake-up might go down.

September 21, 2005 - Honestly, this good 'ole boy from down south is really starting to get on our last nerves.  Not only does he seem to be grossly ill-equipped to deal with complex policy issues, he is also showing the ignorance that generally surrounds legislators from the Southern half of the United States (excluding the likes of Oxford educated Rhodes Scholar Bill Clinton).

We never thought that we'd miss the blowhard that is Paul Cellucci, but TDH will take Massachusetts straight talk over South Carolina "charm" any day of the week.

September 21, 2005 - There seems to be a wave of glowing reviews for Paul Martin's speech to the civil service yesterday in Gatineau, including this high praise from the Toronto Star this morning.

Well, Martin did hit on many issues that will confront Canada over the coming decades (the ageing population, child care and education investments, energy resources, foreign talent and investment, our northern territory) and so his speech was a welcome change to the damage control mode he has been in for the past year and a half. 

TDH Strategies is not going to get our hopes up, however, until Martin starts to take these "plans" and translate them into tangible initiatives and more importantly, new legislation. 

There have been many knocks against Paul Martin in his just under 2 year reign as Prime Minister, but one of the most palpable criticisms has to be Martin's deficiency in his role as a legislator.

We have commented before that this fall parliamentary session has to be jam-packed with new items in order to make any kind of imprint on Canadians.  It also seems as though the hopeless Tories are going to continue to hammer away on sponsorship while at the same time failing to address anything else of substance.

Paul, here's yet another chance to lead the agenda.  And hopefully this time around, it won't be Jean Chretien's leftover policy initiatives that give your government purpose.

September 20, 2005 - As late as yesterday afternoon, TDH sources back east were reporting that Liberal House leader Tony Valeri had very recently told Liberal MPs and nominated candidates to be ready for a December 12 election, to be triggered by the opposition as soon as the first Gomery report was released on November 1.  And as TDH commented on September 13:

"2 reports from Justice Gomery are on their way.  The first...will be full of enough Liberal sponsorship feces that even Stephen Harper could be fooled into thinking he has a shot at victory."

Then polls like this are released, and it makes one question why the opposition would attempt such a thing.

40% for the Liberals, 24% for the Tories, and 15% for the NDP.  So Harper's summer tour has been a complete flop, Jack's momentum from the spring has severely stalled, and the Liberals have been able to solidify their base, and more importantly, mildly rebound in Quebec (29%).

Now pollsters like our friend Warren Kinsella (and by the way, you were completely correct in ordering a cherry coke with a smoked meat sandwich...it is tradition) continue to tell us that polls in between elections don't mean squat.  And, it is hard to argue with that logic.

On the other hand, we're in late September, and you have long time Tory MPs like Myron Thompson trying to explain to the Vancouver Sun this morning why Conservative support in the West (the Liberals are up 16 points in Alberta and 14 points in British Columbia) is collapsing:

"The only shift I'm aware of in my area is western alienation. It is getting stronger and stronger.  Most of them have got to the point where they don't much give a hoot any more because they have a feeling in their hearts that the central Canada populace that has been supportive of this Liberal movement for the last few years is not going to be broken."

It is absolutely unbelievable to see the long-time Conservative strongholds of Alberta and B.C. slowly turning away from Stephen Harper and gang.  It didn't happen to Preston Manning...it didn't happen to Stockwell Day...which then begs the obvious question: is Harper really that bad, or is Martin just that good?

TDH shudders to even consider the latter as a viable argument, meaning that once again the blame must fall on the Tory leader.

What should be more frightening for Tories is their leadership's response to these latest trends:

"Deputy Conservative leader Peter MacKay called the poll results disappointing.

MacKay told a party fundraiser in Calgary that Tory support will rebound once Canadians start paying attention again to Gomery and other government accountability issues."

Here is a wake-up call, gentlemen:  GOMERY IS NOT GOING TO WIN YOU THIS ELECTION.  Ethics in government, accountability, the public trust...all worthy issues, but all subjects that have been played to death.  Without your own platform, without your own set of ideas, your upcoming campaign will be little more than a retread of 2004.

If Canadians didn't take the Liberals out for the sponsorship scandal before, they certainly aren't going to do so now (35% in that Leger poll are less concerned now than they were when the story first broke).

It is interesting how the Tories are consistently chided (particularly by this website) for remaining true to leader Stephen Harper, who on the surface appears to be the party's biggest stumbling block to electoral success.

After today, however, we don't think that a change would make much of a difference - it is clear that these guys just don't get it.

September 19, 2005 - NOTE: To those Hill Times readers visiting the site for the first time, welcome.  TDH Strategies will have an RSS feed up within a week, so please continue to check back to add it to your reader.  In the meantime, daily political commentaries are posted on this site every weekday, so please add us to your bookmarks.

As a follow-up to TDH's Larry Campbell column (Page 23), the emerging Vancouver mayoral race has become a microcosm of federal politics, and as usual, Paul Martin's crowd is at the centre of the brewing shitstorm.  Here are just a few of the incestuous details:

For those visitors outside of Vancouver who are unaware, Christy Clark, former Deputy Premier, long-time federal Liberal and wife of Mark Marissen, Martin's biggest political operative in the province, has decided to make a run for the city's top job.  This comes less than a year after "leaving" politics to spend more time with her son.  It also comes 6 months after her husband made the first call to Larry with the idea of becoming a Liberal Senator. 

From the top, TDH has been emphatically assured that these events had absolutely nothing to do with each other.  Still, it is hard not to put two and two together.

And in what can only be considered as an indication of her commitment to the job and the city, Clark has promised to actually move to Vancouver should she become Mayor (she currently lives in the Vancouver suburb of Port Moody).

Clark is seeking the nomination under the NPA (Non Partisan Association) banner, a party whose right of centre tendencies and Brutus "knife in the back" practices are well entrenched in Vancouver political history.  Her opponent is long time councilor Sam Sullivan, a man who has the respect of the city, regardless of his politics.  His campaign is being run by Colin Metcalfe, the ex-communications director for the Tories last federal election campaign.

In a sure sign that Paul Martin's organizers have hit the municipal scene (despite consistent denials by the PMO and the BC wing's party president Jamie Elmhirst, a man formerly employed by, and still closely associated to Marissen), accusations of fraudulent mass membership signups have surfaced.  In a three week span, Clark's team managed to bring in 2,500 new members to the party, many of which have been rumoured to have no idea about their new status.

The sheer nastiness that has surfaced over the past week in local papers means that Clark's initial promise to keep the race with Sullivan as a "debate of ideas" has long been abandoned.

In all likelihood, Clark will win the nomination handily on September 24th, and will face off against Vietnam draft dodger and veteran councilor Jim Green, a close confidante of Larry Campbell's and a staunch supporter of the NDP.  Newly appointed Senator Campbell had promised that he would be campaigning for Green long before Clark's entry into the race became public, a fact that should make for some high drama in the backrooms of Liberal party circles.

Should Clark win, the forces of cutthroat politics that propelled her and Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals to victory as well as Paul Martin to the Prime Minister's residence will invade Vancouver city politics with a vengeance. 

It is a great dilemma as to whether this website should commend the Paul Martin crowd for their political successes or condemn them for their oft-used dirty tactics.  In this situation, no impropriety can yet be confirmed, and thus the determination behind Christy's run for the nomination is impressive. 

On the other hand, if it is proven that membership abuses have once again occurred (take for example the dead dog in Victoria that got signed up in the final days of the Liberal leadership race), then Vancouver's grip on democracy becomes that much more tenuous (take a read of this email by long-time federal Liberal Tex Enemark written just after Jamie Elmhirst was elected party president, as reported by our friend and fellow shit disturber Sean Holman).

This is what TDH wrote on September 9:

"Herein lies the crux of the problem with politicians these days - they are so concerned with winning that they aren't prepared to lead.  Leadership involves risk, and it takes courage to be unafraid of losing a grip on power."

In our view, this applies to every individual involved in politics, whether elected or not.  Because for some of us, winning at all costs just isn't worth it. 

September 16, 2005 - Chantal Hébert has an interesting take on the Brian Mulroney debacle that has erupted with the release of Peter C. Newman's new book.  Specifically, she singles out Mulroney's misogynist attitude towards his successor Kim Campbell.

For those readers who are unaware, Mulroney called Campbell a:

"very vain person who blew the 1993 election because she was too busy screwing around with her Russian boyfriend" resulting in "the most incompetent campaign I've seen in my life."

He also claimed that:

"The only thing I didn't do was physically carry her through the doorway of 24 Sussex Drive."

Hébert responds to these comments by stating:

"If Campbell had been one of the boys, it would not have crossed Mulroney's mind to use her romantic life to mask his own central responsibility in the Tory debacle. His fear of ridicule would have gotten the better of him."

"Indeed, had she been male, her election handlers would likely have flaunted her campaign romance as a sign of political virility. Even in the more conservative Canada of the late '60s, the romantic dalliances of Pierre Trudeau were more of an asset than a liability to the Liberal party."

Hébert also points out that other losers in recent political history - John Turner, Joe Clark, Jean Charest - have all been able to reinvent themselves into an elder statesman or in Charest's case, the premier of Quebec.

Let's put something out there before TDH is accused of being another misogynist - women have always got the short end of the stick in politics, and it takes great strength and courage to try and tackle the male-dominated political establishment.  In fact, TDH wrote this on February 16, 2004:

"It has long been the goal of the Liberal Party, and indeed every political party in the country, to attract more women candidates for public office.  The huge barriers that women face in attempting to enter public life are systemic and ingrained, and hence not easily overcome.  Therefore, just like Jean Chretien before him, Paul Martin is apparently getting involved in certain ridings across the country in order to ensure that more women have the opportunity to become Members of Parliament."

"However, if Mr. Martin is so interested in protecting women candidates, why is he allowing a head-to-head battle in Hamilton between his former leadership opponent Sheila Copps and his Transport Minister Tony Valeri, despite the fact that a riding currently without a declared candidate sits right next door?"

That being said, Campbell's legacy (or lack thereof) has to at least partially be shouldered by the woman herself.  Joe Who? came back from political disaster in 1979 to prove himself as a worthy leader for the Progressive Conservative party in very difficult circumstances.  Jean Charest lost an election in Quebec and took his political beats before eventually winning the top job in the province (and in the process becoming one of the most unpopular leaders in Quebec history).

The point is, politics does provide opportunities for rebirth and new successes - but like everything that is worthwhile, persistence and the ability to once again step forward is necessary.  In Campbell's case, she was comfortable slipping into a relatively private life, lecturing at Harvard, living in Russia, and serving as the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles.  She chose to dive into obscurity and leave her public life as just a sweet (and bitter) memory.

That is her right.  But with the raw deal she was handed by Mulroney in 1993, there is no way that she would have shouldered the political blame for the Tory collapse if she had chosen to once again run for office, whether federally, provincially or municipally.

Women have it tough, and male politicians consistently protect their ground because they are threatened by strong female figures like Sheila Copps and Belinda Stronach. 

But blaming men for everything that does not work out with women in politics does everyone a disservice. 

Whether you are male or female, this is the game.  Love it or hate it, you win or you lose - there is no draw.

September 15, 2005 - TDH half expected him to be using a crayon:

"I think I may need a bathroom break."
U.S. President George W. Bush writes a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a Security Council meeting at the 2005 World Summit and 60th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York September 14, 2005. World leaders are exploring ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war.

Oh, and in terms of the President's speeches, there is a very complicated process to get them just perfect, and I think this docu-short really captures his poetry in motion.

September 15, 2005 - So the U.S. feels increasingly threatened by China's economic strength.  So too, apparently, should Canada.

Who needs softwood lumber when you can get pirated copies of Shrek 2 and all the counterfeit purses you could ever dream of.

September 14, 2005 - TDH will never understand the logic of some politicians, irrespective of how long they've served or how comfortable they've become, in public life.

So Pierre Pettigrew was angry a couple of weeks back when a reporter started asking questions of the neighbours of Pettigrew's Paris apartment.  Fair enough...the Minister's personal life should be respected.

But is Pettigrew now going to show the same anger with the reporter who has dug up this tidbit?

So we now find out that Bruno Labonté, Pettigrew's ministerial chauffeur, has accompanied his boss on trips to Lima, Paris and Madrid.  The only problem is, Bruno didn't do any driving when he was over there.

The Minister's official response?  Take a look:

"Mr. Pettigrew's chief of staff, Francis LeBlanc, explained last night that Mr. Pettigrew will occasionally be accompanied by non-political staffers in an effort to give them a glimpse of how the office operates while in foreign nations."

"We don't do it often, but we do it sometimes," Mr. LeBlanc said. "And in the case of Bruno, he has some responsibilities that are not on his official job description."

Kind of makes one wish they didn't eat anything before reading that. 

But wait...it was all in the name of...wait, you ready...SAFETY.

Yes, that's right, while Bruno might be a mild-mannered driver by day, at night, his secret identity takes over as Pettigrew's "personal security adviser,"  where he provided "advice and liaising with local police authorities and officials on the ground."

And they wonder why politicians aren't trusted, and in fact, are often despised. 

Guess that's where Bruno and his security detail take over.

Thank God.

September 14, 2005 - TDH doesn't care who this concept is directed towards - black students, white students, Asian students, whatever - it is a horrible path to even consider.

Lloyd McKell, the new "executive officer of student and community equity" for the Toronto District School Board, seems like a sharp and decent man.  Yet it is hard to rationalize his arguments for going back to a segregated school system when McKell simultaneously points out that "city schools don't do enough to make students of all backgrounds feel valued."

Toronto is the most diverse city in the world by birth origin, and the Toronto District School Board has over 1,100 interpreters that speak 60 different languages available for immigrant families (largely due to McKell's advocacy), and now he wants to turn his back on all of his hard work for inclusion?

It makes no sense whatsoever.

You cannot promote equity for all in one breath, and then suggest that a certain segment of the student population needs its own school to the exclusion of others.  This is not what this country is about.

Sometimes the best intent leads to the worst ideas.  This happens to be one of those instances.

September 13, 2005 - This about sums up the U.S. federal government's response to the Gulf Coast disaster:

September 13, 2005 - Why is Stephen Harper looking for candidates in Ontario and Quebec? Well, let's break it down.

2 reports from Justice Gomery are on their way.  The first, to be released November 1, will be full of enough Liberal sponsorship feces that even Harper could be fooled into thinking he has a shot at victory.  The second, which will be full of recommendations, has now been delayed until February, meaning that Paul Martin needs only to wait until the springtime to honour his televised commitment to Canadians.

It is hard to keep track of the numbers, with Chuck Cadman's unfortunate passing and Carolyn Parrish's mouth still flapping in the wind.  But rest assured, the BQ and the Conservatives will again unite in early-November in another attempt to topple the government.

Which brings us back to little old Jack Layton, whose last efforts to save the government earned him over $4 billion in budget commitments from the government.  Is he likely to repeat this performance?  Not likely.

He does, however, have the ability to show Canadians that the NDP is the party that continues to bring forth ideas and care most about legislation and policy making unrelated to scandal and corruption.

This is a good scenario for Jack to be in.  His niche is not with Gilles Duceppe and Harper, but rather as a centre left presence that continues to prop up the government should it advance a particular agenda.

This is the area of the political spectrum that the NDP has been searching for for almost 2 decades.  Not since Ed Broadbent took the NDP to their best seat total in 1988 has the party been so well placed in the eyes of voters.

The NDP has become a political force that surpasses being anti everything - anti-American, anti-tax cuts, anti-industry, etc.  They are now the party that has the ability to get things done, all the while bringing forth a plan for the country that a majority of Canadians are not only comfortable with, but one that people actually like.

The day that Layton joins his opposition brethren in bringing down the government is the day that the party must stand alone.

That being said, Jack hasn't yet taken them that far...so his ability to simultaneously hug the Liberal middle, all the while taking advantage of the opportunities when they are down, should provide the party with the roots it needs to grow.

The NDP...for the moment, stuck in the middle with you, Paul.

September 12, 2005 - So Gomery just announced that his final report is now going to be delayed by 6 weeks...big surprise there, considering the way he has run his inquiry up until this point.

This in turn brings a window of opportunity for columnists to pipe in with their two bits on why a winter election is a bad idea.  Chantal Hébert of the Toronto Star talks about how voter turnout will be infinitesimal in the dead of winter (a fact that is hard to argue with) while Jim Travers also of the Toronto Star writes a column in this week's Hill Times arguing that a winter election is not in the nation's best interest.  His logic? 

I find both of these lines of logic ridiculous.

Reversing the trends on voter turnout will not be solved by a different season.  Counteracting the lack of trust Canadians have in the political process is also not going to be helped by avoiding the sponsorship issue.

You won't hear this website say this much, but Paul Martin is right to stand firm on the winter election call (if indeed he does stand firm, for once in his life).  Public interest and confidence will be solved by one trend, and one trend only.

Straight shooting by our public representatives.  And that means come hell or high water, Martin has to make the election call within 30 days of Gomery's report a reality.  Period.

And you know what?  Let the journalists and candidates brave the cold...we are a northern, arctic country for Christ's sake!

We shouldn't underestimate the power of an image...can you imagine the sentiment that could be generated across the nation by paramedics frantically trying to thaw out a Liberal MP who has been frozen in complete block of solid ice?

Political magic.

September 9, 2005 - The Vancouver Sun has an interesting editorial this morning, detailing about how ineffective this past session of parliament truly was.  More specifically, the Sun derides the limited amount of time we have before January's expected election call by stating:

"In more normal circumstances, the final few pages of a drama like this would usefully be reserved by the government for making amends with the critics, in part by keeping some of the promises it has made.  Even by the extreme standards of what passes for normal in Ottawa, these next few months won't qualify."

It is hard to argue with logic like this.  The House of Commons was far too mired in the politics of opportunism and survival to allow any significant piece of legislation to have shot of becoming law.

How ironic this current state of affairs is, particularly after studying Paul Martin for many years, both as a political commentator and as a party insider.  For a man who has been consumed for so long with implementing sweeping change, and leaving a lasting legacy on this country, Martin's biggest accomplishment thus far has been to slow parliament and the work of law makers to an excruciating crawl.

Herein lies the crux of the problem with politicians these days - they are so concerned with winning that they aren't prepared to lead.  Leadership involves risk, and it takes courage to be unafraid of losing a grip on power. 

But what these self-serving, glad-handing, baby-kissing phonies forget is that this is the game of life...this is the game of risk...and that is how history is made.

Why can't someone say "I made a mistake"?  Why can't someone speak from the heart without the spin of political backroom strategists involved?  Why can't a politician look in your eyes, and shoot the shit with a voter rather than delivering the usual "Hi, how are you?" bullshit?

The perfect example of what TDH is referring to?  Well, how about this exchange with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney surveying the Gulf Coast yesterday:

September 7, 2005 - Here is a question...why is it that the firings/dismissals/resignations of government staffers are generally internal matters (unless of course, your name is Ihor, and your meetings with constituents take place on gynaecology row).

Now here is a better question...why has the mass exodus of political staff [formerly] working for Stephen Harper managed to consistently hit the national news? (Here, here and now here).

Check this out from the last above -linked story:

"Some of Harper's officials noted that Prime Minister Paul Martin's office has seen more than 30 people leave since the June 28, 2004 federal election."

No shit! So what does that tell you, boys & girls?

Well, leave it to trusty old Peter McKay to set everyone's mind at ease:

"We have made some changes ... upwards of five or six people who had left for various reasons and this is not a wholesale change or major shakeup.  This is part of a planned reorganization as I'm told and these changes are nothing to be alarmed about."

Hmmm...is this as planned as Belinda Stronach's departure to the Liberal cabinet, Peter?  Or maybe it's as expected as when the Liberals caught the Tories with their pants down and ensured passage of the most recent federal budget?

Harper's ship looks about as solid as Sean Penn's...without, of course, the accompanying entourage to speak of.

Although with the way the Conservatives are taking on water these days, maybe someone should hand Harper one of those red plastic beer cups.

September 6, 2005 - TDH's week off means that we aren't going to comment on New Orleans now...other than to say that Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown's admission on CNN that he had no idea about the tens of thousands of convention centre refugees until 4 days after the disaster is going to bite Bush squarely in the ass.

Oh, and by the way, he described security in the city as "pretty darn good" in the same interview. <GAG>

Now, to accentuate one of the reasons we love this country so damn much, here is this story.

Does this website like what that ignorant referee did?  Well, that's a stupid question.

But the response that garnered so much outrage, both locally and nationally...well, you wouldn't find that in many places.

With France banning religious head gear for all students, and the United States which often places its sports solely in the realm of Christian values, it is heartening to see that this dispute constitutes a potential human rights violation in Canada.

And to our friend B.C. Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani, whom we haven't spoken to since his involvement in partisan politics, here is a little friendly communications advice:

Sometimes the politically cautious response is not the right one.  Your association would have looked that much better with an unequivocal condemnation of the referee's actions.

Describing the incident as a "misinterpretation" just doesn't cut it.