In this Week In Canadian Politics, we have a couple of new developments, but I am sad to say Steven Harper is still Prime Minister and the Conservatives are still trying to run things. Emphasis on trying. So let’s get ready to talk about the State’s requirement for Passports, staking your government on childcare, controlling the message, something fishy in New Brunswick, and an update on the Leadership Race of the Liberal Party.
This Week in Canadian Politics is a summary of postings at Maple Leaf Politics.
Passport Requirement or Not?
Starting in 2007, anyone entering the United States by aircraft will need to present either a passport or a special ID card regardless of the coutry that they are coming from. By 2008, any person entering the country on foot, car, boat, train, donkey, etc. will need to have a passport or special ID. To say the least, this has made many communities along the Canadian-U.S. border a bit nervous becasue it could have serious impacts to the local economies. Americans will be less likely to visit sites like Niagara Falls or the upcoming 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Canadians will be less likely to cross the border to buy goods or visit.
At the recent Cancun Summit, Prime Minister Harper tried to get President Bush to reconsider the issue. Bush couldn’t have said “NO” much louder.
“I don’t think there’s any prospect of Congress changing that law between now and the deadlines.”
Harper came back to Ottawa and tried to put on the front that they would try and push the issue. Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay meet with Secretary of State Rice and brought up the issue, but was quickly rejected. It seemed that there was going to be anything that Canada could say or do to change Washington’s mind. On Tuesday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day stated that if Canadians wanted to cross the border in 2008, they should prepare themselves for getting passports.
However, Mr. Day quickly reversed himself saying that he was still in discussions with Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff and that they were discussing a possible “slow lane” for people that only had a driver’s license and a birth certificate. Huh?
Either there is a passport requirement or there isn’t? Plain and simple. I think Day spent too much time with Chertoff and he got stupid. Well, if you know anything about Day, he got dumber. It is almost coming apparent that Harper has no way to change the Bush Adminstration or the Republican Congress’s minds on this issue. He does want to look like a wimp to Canadians, so he has put this into a “we’re working on it” position. The problem is that January 1, 2007 if approaching fast for air travellers and if things are not decided on here soon, there will be an impact. Oddly, I think Harper is hoping for a Democrat victory in November and a delay put in place then.
Trust me, there will be more on this in the coming days and months.
Harper Boldly Stakes His Government On Childcare
Well for anyone that wanted to see a “No Confidence” Vote on the new Tory-minority government, you may have gotten your chance. Steven Harper may be welcoming a fight that could lead to a vote over his government. His $1,200 per child payment plan will be included in his upcoming budget. The Oppostion parties favor direct support to the childcare industry, almost a universal childcare system, not a check to the parent system. If the opposition parties don’t want it and vote down the budget to prevent it, then it will be a “No Confidence” vote for Harper’s government, forcing an election.
“It’ll be in the budget so I hope the Opposition considers the alternatives very carefully.”
Harper was speaking at a community centre filled with parents and rambunctious toddlers, one of whom honked Harper’s nose during a photo opportunity.
Are the kids trying to tell Harper something? This is going to be amazing if this happens. Oddly, I have felt that this whole child care was going to be a thorn in Harper’s side, he may have just turned it into a dagger. This seems to be a huge gamble for Harper, he must think that the Liberals, being without a leader, will blink. This may come down to who has the bigger set of balls.
Message Control is Hard
Steven Harper’s government has been accused (and rightfully so) of trying to control what information gets out to the public. The National Press corps is so upset right now with Harper that Ottawa is literally heating up from the rage.
This week, Harper practically threatened members of his own party with severe punishment if they talk outside of the Talking Points they are given.
Harper’s chief of staff, Ian Brodie, has given colleagues in ministers’ offices stark warnings about varying sanctions for cabinet members who either embarrass or contradict the government in public, sources say.
The worst of those penalties – being dumped from cabinet, shuffled to another portfolio, or barred from official trips – have not been imposed yet.
But the lesser punishment of public embarrassment has been swiftly levelled on at least two cabinet ministers and one B.C. MP.
All have been forced to publicly swallow their words in pride-pummeling mea culpas within hours of causing unwanted headlines.
“It’s constant,” one government official said of the pressure on ministers.
“The message comes from the top: if you (mess) up you will publicly and embarrassingly retract – no ‘ifs,’ ‘ands’ or ‘buts.’
“So stick to the party line, or you’ll go out there and tell the whole world that you’re a dumb (jerk) who screwed up.”
Industry Minister Maxime Bernier became the latest victim this week. Bernier told a radio interviewer that Canada could lose its legal battle against the U.S., and that taxpayers shouldn’t be left covering loan guarantees for the softwood industry.
At the urging of the Prime Minister’s Office, he issued a press release to declare that his remarks on lumber did not reflect the views of either his government or even his own department.
“Mr. Bernier clarified his position,” was all Harper said about his minister’s comments.
Harper even put the military on notice, they they will only discuss what the PM’s Office tells them to talk about.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has forbidden Canada’s top military brass from speaking publicly for fear of detracting attention from his government’s top priorities.
A top military officer said the Prime Minister’s Office recently told Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier his speaking engagements had to be approved and his speeches would be vetted by Harper’s staff.
Hillier was told to advise his top generals, admirals and commodores that the order applies to them.
I see this blowing up in Harper’s face. Eventually people are going to talk. My God, can’t Harper just look south of the border and see what happens to a government that tries to control everything. They got away with it, because the US Press was weakened when they started out. The Canadian Press, on the other hand, is already so pissed at Harper that they are already on the offesive. They were already paying attention to what happen down south.
New Brunswick Politics Get Sleazy
This goes out to one of my fellow Canadian bloggers, jbalazs, who wrote about this development in New Brunswick.
Up until recently, New Brunswick had a Conservative-minority government. There were 27 Conservatives, 26 Liberals, 2 independents. One of the independents voted with the Liberals on almost everything. The other independent, Tanker Malley, was the Speaker of the House. Now the Speaker of the House could only vote if there was a tie. Well, when you have a 27 to 27 split house, you get a lot of tie votes. This, of course, put a lot of power into the hands of the Tanker.
From jbalazs’s diary –
In a nutshell, back in January, old Tanker decided that he was passed over for a Cabinet position after years of being a “loyal” Conservative back bencher. So, he goes to Lord and demands some things, Lord says no, Tanker becomes an Independent and suddenly the Conservatives have a minority government. The Liberals get high and start planning a spring election because there is no way the Lord budget will pass.
Fast forward a bit. There is no Speaker. At the last minute, the Conservative member who was expected to get that job just drops out and (miraculously!) Mr. Malley becomes the Speaker! Hello! Huge pay raise, a government car, a job for “Judy”, the works.
Then, last week, Mr. Malley decides he is going to join the Conservative caucus again. What’s really funny is that he stated he was “crossing the floor”. Well, guess what Mr. Speaker, you are supposed to be neutral, there is no floor for you to cross! Is it starting to smell fishy yet???
Now it gets even more interesting, because the Conservatives are still bending the rules to get their way. Go read the whole story here.
Liberal Race Update
The Leadership race is almost set. Currently I am giving the early lead to Gerard Kennedy, the former minister of education in Ontario. I am basing this on some weekend polls that have been giving a huge lead already and his recent endorsement from some young Liberal MPs.
A group of about a dozen young Liberal MPs acting as a bloc is poised to support former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy’s bid to become leader of the federal Liberal Party.
The group’s support would be a boost for Mr. Kennedy, 45, who has never been a member of the federal Liberal caucus and is not well known outside Ontario. The Kennedy campaign team is emphasizing generational change and the support of young MPs would underline that and show he has early momentum.
“Individually, our voices can only get us so far,” said Ajax-Pickering MP Mark Holland, 31, explaining why the MPs decided to throw their support as a bloc. “If there’s a number of us that are of a like mind and are looking for similar sorts of things, then there’s a lot power if we work together.”
It is still early in the race and things could change especially now that former NDP Premier of Ontario Bob Rae is in the race. I still, though, would say that Kennedy is a good bet still.
Other Interesting Links
So what have we learned this week, besides Conservative regardless of Country are sleaze merchants? Okay, maybe that is all we learned. Well that is all for this week. I am working on a drug decrimialisation piece for those of you that have requested one. Hopefully, will have it out this weekend. Talk to everyone next week.
Scientists Tell Harper To Do Something About Global Warming
Harper Versus Harper: Committee Chairs
Does Harper’s Ethics Law Violate the Charter?
Tories Wus Out Over Throne Speech
