PM's Appointments & What Harper Said

What Harper said Anonalogue, Feb. 7, 06

[....] Here's what Harper actually said during the election when asked point blank, edited only for length:

Colleen Belisle: Hello, my name is Colleen Belisle and I have a question for Stephen Harper regarding the accountability issue. In the past 18 months, I have noticed a number of MPs crossing the floor after the election. This makes me wonder why I should, as a voter, go and vote when my MP can change parties after the election. Mr. Harper, are there any policies that you plan to enforce after the election regarding this issue? Thank you.

Stephen Harper: My short answer is no. (notice how Stephen Harper is a straight shooter - Anon.) And I understand the voters' frustration. You can imagine I feel that frustration as much as anyone. I was the victim of a number of the particular incidents that the voter is referring to, that Colleen's referring to, but the difficulty, Peter – I know that many members of Parliament have put forward various proposals that would restrict the right of MPs to cross the floor, force elections, or whatever. I haven't seen one yet that convinces me that it would create anything other than a situation where party leaders have even more power over the individual members of Parliament...But that all said, I haven't seen one yet that I'm convinced creates a bigger problem than it's actually trying to fix.

Peter Mansbridge: Do you think [. . . . check the site -- much info here ]

For what it's worth here's a list of Senators who have run for MP after resigning as a Senator:

"Very few Canadian Senators have ever resigned their seat to run for a position in the Canadian House of Commons, but six have done so successfully:

Name Party Senate Commons

Joseph Edouard Cauchon Con 1867 1872
Peter Mitchell Lib-Con 1867 1872
Archibald Woodbury McLelan Lib-Con 1869 1881
John Carling Liberal-Conservative 1891 1892
William Templeman Liberal 1897 1906
Robert René de Cotret PC 1979 1984 [. . . . ]

There is more. Anonalogue seems to have an inside track in that he knows history ..... Do you suppose he spent more time learning history than on classes in victimology, guilt, "I feel your pain" and learning to smile and ask, "How much money do you say the UN wants for ..... ? (insert name of a country over which the UN cries crocodile tears ... after the UN's lack of action that might actually address the problem of another outrage in some basket case country) ........ How insensitive of me to even say it, I suppose, but then, I'm just noting the obvious about the UN and its success rate in the Third World. Why does the West not form a group of democracies and work for greater success? The UN is just propping up their own failures, along with the membership enjoying the perquisites that go with being employed by or representing the UN in NY, Paris, Geneva ...........

Does Anonalogue sound like someone who would be attending Stephen Lewis' UN Grand Guilt Gabfest at UNB this week or might he know too much history to fall for all that guilt that is bound to swirl? I wish he would write on this and on the UN in Canada, one of my pet peeves.



Prime Minister Stephen Harper: appointments

Central Canada, it seems to me that the centre of mainstream media haven't been presenting lovingly rendered fawning news on Canada's new PM and family as I have noted in the past over Liberal Prime Minister(s) ... the media being too busy with negative commentary on the new Cabinet. News of Liberals and Paul Martin still are featured on CBC, which seems to be behind the news ... obviously into reruns.

As for the uproar, fed--or instigated?--by the mainstream media, over Min. Emerson owing money to the Liberal riding association (EDA?) I don't remember such mainstream media vitriol over the defections of Belinda Stronach, Keith Martin or Scott Brison, who also would owe their Conservative constituencies money, if the same standard were applied to Liberals as to Conservatives. Instead their defections were blogger fodder ... or have I missed the same arguments applied to all four?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- information and photos

Jay Hill, Member of Parliament for Prince-George – Peace River, has been appointed Chief Government Whip

Rahim Jaffer, Member of Parliament for Edmonton–Strathcona, as National Caucus Chair

Senator, the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate

The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella was a senior public servant serving as Associate Under-Secretary of State of Canada when he was summoned to the Senate of Canada on September 12, 1990.

Since his appointment to the Senate, Dr. Kinsella has served as Opposition Whip, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and most recently as the elected Leader of the Opposition. He also has been a member of Senate Standing Committees, including Human Rights; Social Affairs, Science and Technology; and National Finance.

Prior to his appointment as a Senator, Dr. Kinsella served as Chairperson of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission for 22 years, beginning in 1967 and is well-known nationally and internationally as a human rights advocate and academic.

Dr. Kinsella earned several university degrees, including doctorates in philosophy, theology and psychology. He has had a successful career as an academic, psychologist and labour arbitrator, with three books, several monographs and more than 50 articles published in the fields of psychology and human rights.

In 1984, he was made a Knight of the Order of Malta.

Dr. Kinsella was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1939. He is married to Ann.

The Ministry Feb. 06 -- It looks like a great team.

Prime Minister announces Parliamentary Secretaries

(In order of date first elected to the House of Commons)

James Abbott
Kooteney – Columbia (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women

Diane Ablonczy
Calgary – Nose Hill (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Jason Kenney
Calgary Southeast (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Multiculturalism

Deepak Obhrai
Calgary East (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

David Anderson
Cypress Hills – Grasslands (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary (for the Canadian Wheat Board) to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board

Betty Hinton
Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

James Moore
Port Moody – Westwood – Port Coquitlam (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services

Lynne Yelich
Blackstrap (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources
and Social Development

Colin Carrie
Oshawa (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry

Steven Fletcher
Charleswood – St. James – Assiniboia (Manitoba)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Helena Guergis
Simcoe – Grey (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver – Whistler Olympics

Russ Hiebert
South Surrey – White Rock – Cloverdale (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Brian Jean
Fort McMurray – Athabasca (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Randy Kamp
Pitt Meadows – Maple Ridge – Mission (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

Ed Komarnicki
Souris – Moose Mountain (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Tom Lukiwski
Regina – Lumsden – Lake Centre (Saskatchewan)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

Dave MacKenzie
Oxford (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Ted Menzies
Macleod (Alberta)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages

Rob Moore
Fundy Royal (New Brunswick)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Pierre Poilievre
Nepean – Carleton (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board

Peter Van Loan
York – Simcoe (Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Mark Warawa
Langley (British Columbia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment

Sylvie Boucher
Beauport – Limoilou (Quebec)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister

Rod Bruinooge
Winnipeg South (Manitoba)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians

Jacques Gourde
Lotbinère – Chutes-de-la-Chaudière (Quebec)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board

Christian Paradis
Mégantic – L’Érable (Quebec)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources