Cabinet

SOL Day 9: More money and photogenic turds

The Sir Robert Bond Papers (Free subscription) | 07/05/2007

So much for this feud between Dan Williams and Steve Harper. When there's a provincial election election campaign underway and a federal one coming, the Connies and their provincial cousins can find all sorts of wqays to help each other out. 1. Both Canada's New Government (CNG) and Newfoundland and Labrador's Dan Government (NLDG) invest $250,000 to help hike interest in an international trail along...

Entitled to his Entitlements

CalgaryGrit (Free subscription) | 07/03/2007

When the government announces something on the Friday before the Canada Day long weekend, it's usually a sign that they hope people won't pay a lot of attention to it : OTTAWA -- The Harper government has given a longtime Ottawa Conservative a plum patronage spot at the Royal Canadian Mint -- once at the centre of Tory wrath over a prominent Liberal who had a patronage job there. Transport Minister...

Whatchu Talkin About?

CalgaryGrit (Free subscription) | 06/27/2007

Macleans had some fun with google site search to find out what topics got the most play on Stephen Harper's website over the past year. For those keeping track, the environment narrowly edged out crime, taxes, accountability, health care, child care, and, in a bit of a surprise, "dancing with the stars". So, I figured I'd run my site through the machine and see what I've been blogging about. -Not only...

And the Winner is...

CalgaryGrit (Free subscription) | 06/16/2007

The Hill Times has published their annual "hillies", "best of", "Peter MacKay is hot awards", or whatever other name you want to call them. Here are some of the highlights from this year: Sexiest Male 1. Peter MacKay 2. Maxime Bernier 3. Scott Brison Sexiest Female 1. Ruby Dhalla 2. Rona Ambrose 3. Helena Guergis Best Dressed Male 1. Scott Brison 2. Maxime Bernier 3. Rahim Jaffer Best Dressed Female...

Our principles don't apply to us #649: senate leadership (Cerberus)

Progressive Bloggers (Free subscription) | 06/15/2007

Stephen Harper committed his first - and one of his biggest - flip flop aboutfaces on his very first day on the job by appointing an unelected senator despite promising never to do so and appointing this unelected senator to his cabinet even though he would be unaccountable to the House of Commons and our elected representatives despite running a campaign all about accountability.The Prime Minister's...

Don't blame me!

The Sir Robert Bond Papers (Free subscription) | 06/13/2007

I didn't vote for 'em. In fact, Bond Papers raised some fairly consistent questions about the Harperites and some of the claims on their own political effectiveness made by one of the cabinet ministers soon to be efforded. Now Dr. Bondolo may have been wrong about how short some people's memories were, but the Equalization forecast and how other provinces viewed the offshore deals ? Bang on ! Oddly...

Scott"beer and popcorn " Reid wants October election

Dr Roy's Thoughts (Free subscription) | 06/05/2007

Scott believes the Tory ads are working and is afraid of HM PM Stephen Harper: If timing is everything in politics, then October 2007 is the right time for Stéphane Dion to do everything possible to force Stephen Harper into a general election. If that sounds risky, consider the alternative. The Conservative Prime Minister clears his cabinet of chronic mistake machines like Defence Minister Gordon...

• What's this, I agree with Scott Reid? (A BCer in Toronto) - Progressive Bloggers
• Scott Reid Wants the Fall for Dion - The Phantom Observer
• See the 4 articles on the same subject

On pressure points

Accidental Deliberations (Free subscription) | 06/02/2007

The news that Con Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg encouraged opposition criticism in order to push for change in his own department's summer jobs policy has received some attention already . But it's worth noting what Solberg's action - as well as the success it achieved - says about the way the Cons' government is run. After all, there's no indication that the program would ever have been changed...

Monte Solberg: whistleblower (Impolitical)

Progressive Bloggers (Free subscription) | 06/02/2007

Fascinating. In order to get changes made to the significantly flawed student summer jobs program, run out of his own Ministry, the Minister had to secretly egg on the opposition to keep the problems in the news: "Cabinet minister stoked criticism of jobs program." The neutering of the Harper cabinet is confirmed. Not that we didn't really have a clue.Monte, my friend, you have just earned the significant...

Harper the warrior king. Channeling Dick Cheney (The Galloping Beaver)

Progressive Bloggers (Free subscription) | 06/02/2007

What Tim said. Steve Harper has done it again. Prime Minister Stephen Harper appeared to have had enough of Dion's line of questioning about the competence of O'Connor, who had served previously as a general in Canada's military. "The minister of National Defence is a veteran of the Canadian Forces," Harper said. "He has served this country courageously in uniform for 32 years and when the leader of...

Cabinet minister stoked criticism of jobs program

Globe and Mail (Free subscription) | 06/02/2007

Tory infighting highlights Solberg's plight

The Return of Mr. Angry

Bow. James Bow. (Free subscription) | 06/01/2007

Seems like the summer break can't come soon enough to the gathering of children up in Parliament Hill. Actually, I should amend that. I’ve seen children, I’ve watched them play. They are far, far better behaved, and I shouldn't...

Presenting the downside

Accidental Deliberations (Free subscription) | 03/26/2007

Susan Riley has a solid overview of some of the seeming problems facing the Cons which haven't received their share of media attention amidst the refrain that a Harper majority is in the works: All this draws attention from glaring confusion in Tory ranks on the environment. First, the prime minister and John Baird insist that Canada won't participate in an international carbon market -- an initiative...

Canada's New Justice Minister and Attorney-General, Rob Nicholson

Wise Law Blog (Free subscription) | 02/04/2007

The Hon. Robert Douglas Nicholson has been appointed Canada's new Attorney General and Minister of Justice by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Nicholson, a 54 year old lawyer, was first elected to Parliament in 1984 in his hometown of Niagara Falls. He has previously held several cabinet posts, including his most recent stint as Conservative House Leader. Blogger Cathiefromcanada comments on the Nicholson...