Monday, February 06, 2006

...Same as the Old Boss

First of all, let's put aside the fact that he appointed David Emerson to Cabinet.

Secondly, let's put aside the fact that Harper will appoint a Senator, and put him into Cabinet.

So what about the Cabinet itself?

1. I'm disappointed that James Moore got overlooked in BC. Moore is, without a doubt, a rising star in the Conservative Party and it's shameful that he got passed over for people like Emerson and Gary Lunn (and Stockwell, but...whatever...he had to be in).

2. Speaking of which, Public Safety sounds like a good choice for Stock. High Profile, but he's unlikely to say anything too embarrassing there.

3. While my Cabinet predictions were a bit off, I did manage the nail the four Albertans in Cabinet, including the Ablonczy snub. I actually like having Monte Solberg in immigration - after watching the conflict of interest that was Joe Volpe, having an Immigration Minister from Medicine Hat, with no leadership ambitions, is a very good thing imho.

An Albertan (Ambrose) Environment Minister is also interesting...especially with Harper promising to ditch Kyoto.

I was glad to see Jim Prentice become the second Calgarian in Cabinet, ahead of Ablonczy or Kenney. As for Kenney getting passed over - I guess he's saving himself for a majority.

4. Vic Toews stays in Justice? Ugg. This was probably Harper's biggest mistake and the one which will cause him the most grief in the long run.

5. Unlike some, I don't have a problem with Flaherty in Finance. The Tories have under two months to dish out a budget so getting someone with budget experience is a good thing. This government has a lifespan of two budgets, maybe three at most, so a learning curve just isn't an option. Ditto for Clement and Baird.

6. Peter over Stock in Foreign Affairs is a good call. I would have put MacKay in Justice but Harper didn't have a lot of good candidates for Foreign Affairs. Also, it's a good spot to put a moderate with leadership ambitions (keeps him out of the country, but it's still prestigious).

7. I like having a smaller Cabinet. It had grown pretty bloated in recent years.

8. Loyola Hearn in Fisheries? GASP! What a shocker!

posted by calgarygrit at 4:42 p.m.

30 Comments:

  • The most amazing thing has happened today. We have Conservatives and Liberals agreeing on the same things!! No one likes floor crossings and it gives us something to talk about.

    And we thought the blogging would be stale for awhile. Go Conservatives Go.

    By Blogger Fighting for Democracy, at 4:42 p.m.  

  • Guess Who Just Said This

    "fundamentally......Let me make this quite clear............I'm serving the people that elected me..........quite clear"

    Nope, not Paul Martin Jr.

    Yep. David Emerson.

    Also this.........I only ran cause Paul Martin asked me to....if Paul Martin was PM I's still be Liberal....

    WHAT!!!

    The What Do I Know Grit

    By Blogger James Curran, at 5:01 p.m.  

  • "Unlike some, I don't have a problem with Flaherty in Finance."

    Unlike some, you're not from Ontario!

    OK, I don't really know that, if you are from Ontario, I take it back. Agree on your other points though, sending the leadership rival out of the country is such a classic political tactic.

    By Blogger Declan, at 5:05 p.m.  

  • 1) Why do you consider McKay a 'moderate'? He's as socially conservative as reformers. Just because he was a PC does not make him a red tory. Ask Elsie Wayne about that. Why do you think she backed his leadership bid? In fact, he is a true Mulroneyite and would be happy to flow the pork, grit style, all over the place.

    2) Don't go dissin' the Hat. Check out the problems that Brooks, AB has had with immigration from Somalia. Monte's riding is not exactly free from immigration issues.

    3) I agree with your Baird, Flaherty, and Clement observations. Experience needed. No time for rookies. Just look at how Carol Skelton was shaking when she took the oath. Is she really ready for the job?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:09 p.m.  

  • Let me make it clear, I was giddy when Brison, Martin and Belinda crossed, being as there is set tradition for people leaving their elected party and sitting on the other side (most times trading opposition to power, remember Jack Horner?). I see nothing wrong with it as it is part of the political game.
    I do find it terrible optics and perhaps a bigger slag at Emerson's and Harper's characters, when Emerson had just won his seat under the Liberal banner; that Harper dennigrated the floor-crossers from his party and spoke of doing things better. Perhaps he did do it one better, in that in Emerson he grabbed a choice voice for Vancouver. But if he thinks this will sink in the headlines like his opening day toss-out of SSM during the election, he'll be sorely mistaken. Many Tory supporters who left the PC party did so because Mulroney did 'business as usual', operating under the guidelines so skillfully used by Trudeau. That he also appointed a senator on his first day -- who cares about the caveat 'Will run for MP' -- when he stood up and said he believes in an elected senate (which requires no constitutional change)?
    Harper is politically wise but ethically stupid. His whole mantra during the last eight months has been that the Liberals lost the moral authority to govern -- even when a majority of Canadians said no, let them govern... He better hope Jack Layton wants to play ball, because if there was an election called this spring, I've heard more than a few tory supporters who are disgusted with Day One of Harper's folly.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:10 p.m.  

  • Flaherty is a lawyer, not a businessman. Finance should have gone to a person with experience beyond hiding deficits with one-time highway sales. I can see the headlines now - Trans Canada Highway sold to pay for GST cut.

    By Blogger Jason Cherniak, at 5:33 p.m.  

  • Maybe you'd be happier with a crook like Liberal Greg Sorbara in Finance?

    By Blogger Michael Fox, at 5:42 p.m.  

  • Most Liberal supporters should be quite happy as it took attention away that the current Liberal interim leader Bill Graham had sex with a 15yr old boy. Also the current leading Liberal leadership candidate is Belinda Stronach based upon the news coverage lately on TV and newsprint. Seems like all-star material running the Liberals.

    By Blogger Fighting for Democracy, at 5:47 p.m.  

  • Yes... Stock Day harmless as minister responsible for the corrections centre. The National Post of March 29, 2000 may not concur, death penalty endorsement and all...

    RED DEER, ALTA. - Stockwell Day, the Alberta Treasurer, launched his campaign for the Canadian Alliance leadership last night with a sharp attack on Canada's justice system for allowing sex-killer Paul Bernardo to continue his appeals for freedom.

    In a speech to more than 1,200 boisterous hometown supporters, the outspoken Alberta politician said he believes Bernardo should be denied further appeals so families of his victims can live in peace. He later told reporters he believes the majority of Canadians would support the death penalty for Bernardo, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the slayings of teenagers Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy.

    "We need a rational and fair appeals process for every citizen ... but I am sorry, ladies and gentlemen, when somebody has been videotaped committing atrocities ... and they continue to be able to appeal and haunt and terrify and break the hearts of the families who lost their daughters at the hands of that horror, I'm sorry, I think the appeals should end at some point," he said to cheers.

    Asked whether Bernardo should be executed, Mr. Day said: "I have said that, in certain cases, I would support capital punishment where it is beyond a shadow of a doubt, and we have DNA proof and that type of thing and, yes, this would be a case ... where most Canadians would agree that it should apply."

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:06 p.m.  

  • Bart - you may want to have your readers do their own legwork, but I can't help but thinking that all this hullabaloo is smoke.

    This is the real story I think

    By Blogger A. Carlton Sallet, at 6:07 p.m.  

  • Carol Skelton is a Saskatchewan farmwife that can't believe she's a member of the Governor-in-Council. Adds diversity to the Cabinet though...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:08 p.m.  

  • "I guess he's saving himself for a majority."

    HAHAHAHAHA!

    By Blogger daveberta, at 6:13 p.m.  

  • Actually CG, I think the biggest mistake was former defence lobbyist Gordon O'Connor in National Defence. Kind of takes the wind out of his lobbying reform sales.

    By Blogger Jeff, at 6:18 p.m.  

  • Speaking of which, Public Safety sounds like a good choice for Stock. High Profile, but he's unlikely to say anything too embarrassing there.

    I'm willing to bet he'll manage anyway.

    By Blogger WJM, at 6:19 p.m.  

  • Kind of takes the wind out of his lobbying reform sales.

    Typo? Or Freudian?

    By Blogger WJM, at 6:19 p.m.  

  • I agree w/t your assessment of the Emerson appointment or should I say floor crossing. Harper could have easily placed Chuck Strahl on the softwood lumber file? As a former logger, do you really think he couldn't relate to the industry leaders on both sides of the border regardless of his illness.

    This just gives more reasoning to why the Emerson move stinks to high heaven.

    By Blogger scott, at 6:28 p.m.  

  • On the Fortier stuff, I don't have a problem with Senators serving in Cabinet, so I haven't harped on it.

    It is, however, hypocritical of Harper to appoint a Senator on his first day on the job. He can say it's "temporary" all he wants, but all Senate appoints are temporary (since you age out at some point).

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 6:35 p.m.  

  • I wonder what impact Harpers decisions on Fortier and Emerson will have on the federalist cause in Quebec? The conservatives campaigned on being different from the Liberals and pull this crap on the first day. Thanks PM Harper, it took you 20 minutes to sink CPC support in Quebec, and set back the federalist cause.

    Good job solving the democratic deficit.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:40 p.m.  

  • Kind of takes the wind out of his lobbying reform sales.

    Typo? Or Freudian?

    Ah, if only I were that clever. :)

    By Blogger Jeff, at 6:51 p.m.  

  • Yer missing the point with the appointment of Fortier to PWGSC.

    Appoint your bagman to the head of PWGSC... darn, where have I seen this before...?

    By Blogger A Canadian Publius, at 6:54 p.m.  

  • Emerson's website is offline anyone cache what was on it?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:58 p.m.  

  • The appointment of Flaherty at Finance and Baird to Treasury Board is a neo-con's wet dream. Let's not forget that Flaherty distinguished himself during the 2002 Ontario Conservative leadership campaign by proposing to make homelessness illegal. And Baird was one of the nastiest Social Services Ministers Ontario has ever seen. A rabid proponent of workfare, Baird wanted to make drug testing for welfare recipients mandatory and cut off those who refused. Remember his comment, "we want to stop people from shooting their welfare cheque up their arm ..."??? Scott Reid's stupid "beer and popcorn" comment can't hold a candle to Bairds for insensitivity. Just a matter of time until these two show their true colours ...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:00 p.m.  

  • Yeah, don't be so sure about Stock getting hidden at Public Safety. Any efforts to warm relations with the U.S. will have to involve discussion of the border proper, and that's all Stock. Lots of speaking, lots of dealing with American leaders, and lots of opportunity to slip up.

    Will our new Finance minister be increasing allocations to our correctional system to make room for the homeless?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:14 p.m.  

  • Three Harris Ministers in the new Cabinet. Same old, same old. Remember - those bastards were defeated soundly for their arrogance and the fact that many people died thanks to their welfare, environmental and education policies. Rona Ambrose in Environment? A weasel in the henhouse.

    Ethics - Emerson is an asshole and hypocrite.

    Vic Toews? When will party leaders learn that rural Mennonite politicians are eaten alive outside their legislatures? Watch for MAJOR protest on this one.

    I'm in a bad mood.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:28 p.m.  

  • One more dodgy choice today ...... O'Connor at defence. He was a lobbyist for Airbus and his very first task will be to review the Liberal fast-track purchase of the C130J. How can we have a genuine review of defence requirements without the new MND being accused of tilting the results?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:59 p.m.  

  • The odd & uninformed cheap shots agains Gary Lunn strike me as bizarre. He's got far more substance to him than James Moore, even if he doesn't get the media idolatry.

    By Blogger gabriel, at 1:59 a.m.  

  • Mike Harris never lost... and that's something you can't take away.

    By Blogger Michael Fox, at 10:54 a.m.  

  • Hey Toronto Tory:

    No, Mike Harris never lost. Like Mulroney and Bill Davis, he was a rat deserting a sinking ship. Knew he was going to lose and didn't want to be around for the consequences. Kim Campbell and Ernie Eves were punished as much for their own political stupidity and arrogance as for their predecessors' (although, in fairness, I'll give Bill Davis something for integrity).

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:11 p.m.  

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