Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Signs your boss has more faith in Gordon O'Connor than in you

Does anyone else find it odd that Canada's Minister of intergovernmental affairs hasn't said a single word about the all out war being waged between three Premiers and the federal government? Especially when one is considering suing her government?

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posted by calgarygrit at 2:08 p.m.

20 Comments:

  • Come on, CG, that's not fair.

    Rona has been busy. I mean, she's:

    - travelled once to Winnipeg

    - cancelled a trip to Vancouver

    - travelled once to Brampton, Ontario

    I mean how much travelling do you actually expect the Minister of Inter-provincial Affairs to actually make in addition to these high demands you are making on her time to actually comment about inter-provincial issues.

    She has important stuff to do you know.

    By Blogger Ted Betts, at 2:27 p.m.  

  • Only a sad group like Harper's cabinet make the YMCA Junior Chess Club executive look professional.

    By Blogger Don, at 2:51 p.m.  

  • 1. That is largely in keeping with the amount of say Harper gave to her predecessor.

    2. My understanding is that she is in Harper's inner circle. What people say publicly doesn't matter (it is an indicator of how much Harper thinks his ministers are pros AT HANDLING THE MEDIA/OPPOSITION, not at governance, hence a long leash for Flaherty and Baird) - the real measure of a minister's power is behind the scenes. Lets not buy into the global news soap opera version of politics (the same crap that has made people believe parliament is just question period).

    3. When you elect Paul Martin as Prime Minister, you figure he is going to do a lot about finance. When you elect Trudeau as PM, you figure he is going to do a lot of rights stuff (so justice/constitution). Pearson - foreign affairs. Intergovernmental affairs is Harper's baby.

    4. If I was Rona Ambrose I would lay low for a bit anyway, and only start doing stuff closer to the leadership bid. Of course, her first leadership bid will be aimed not at winning, but at being "the interesting candidate", so she can win the next time around.

    5. Here is a scary thought - Rona Ambrose is probably the best shot at a female Prime Minister in Canada in the near future.

    By Blogger french wedding cat, at 3:58 p.m.  

  • "Intergovernmental affairs is Harper's baby."

    On what basis? And if that is the case, how come he doesn't even want to meet with them?

    Harper is about to meet Bush for the 3rd (4th?) official meeting.

    He has yet to meet with all of the premiers. Not one all-premiers meeting. Rona Ambrose, according to her public records, has one flight to Winnipeg and one flight to Brampton. The strength of most ministries is indeed done behind the scenes, but in this ministry it may be behind the scenes or in front... but it at minimum involves meeting with the provincial governments and there is no indication that she has been or that Harper has been.

    My way or the highway, says Stevie. Unless I change my mind to deal with changing polls. Again.

    By Blogger Ted Betts, at 5:16 p.m.  

  • Without looking it up: who was Intergovernmental Affairs Minister under Martin's first cabinet?

    By Blogger Paul, at 5:41 p.m.  

  • Paul; I cheated - Pettigrew then Robillard. Dion got a lot of profile on the file when he was there but you're right that it's been fairly low key of late.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 6:54 p.m.  

  • Considering Michael Chong was against Harper on the Quebec as a nation resolution, it's a safe bet to say that Harper runs the department himself.

    If Rona isn't in the media and isn't doing anything in her job, I'm not sure how you can spin that as saying she has "power", unless she really is influential around the Cabinet table.

    That said, I do agree that she'll be making a leadership bid at some point in her career.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 6:55 p.m.  

  • hose said

    "Here is a scary thought - Rona Ambrose is probably the best shot at a female Prime Minister in Canada in the near future."

    Rona for PM.

    The conservatives need a new leader ASAP.

    By Blogger JimTan, at 7:05 p.m.  

  • "Paul; I cheated"

    Yeah, me too. And I agree: it hasn't been a particularly high-profile post in quite a while. Just to emphasize: no, I don't find it odd that she hasn't said anything publicly about the current Premiers' bellyaching. And I certainly don't see it as a measure of the faith The Boss has in anyone's abilities.

    By Blogger Paul, at 7:42 p.m.  

  • "Rona for PM."

    Don't you think she will have to rid herself of that super right wing social conservative aid first?

    That guy may get traction in Alberta, but no doubt having him as her right hand man will turn off the rest of the country.

    By Blogger Gayle, at 8:17 p.m.  

  • i am confused. why should ambrose have to speak on this issue? just because it is about the federal government, and its relations with provinces? Can't we just hear from Baird on it? You know, someone with something intelligent to say.

    By Blogger kenlister1, at 8:22 p.m.  

  • It's hard to get to a live mic when you're holed up in witness protection along with Mike Chong...
    Let's start a new poll -- who will be the next CON to bolt from caucus? Certainly there are a few who have fallen off the radar and who might as well by Tony Soprano, considering the oxygen-time they get from ze Big Liar er Leader. James Moore? Mills?

    By Blogger burlivespipe, at 11:38 p.m.  

  • gayle

    "That guy may get traction in Alberta, but no doubt having him as her right hand man will turn off the rest of the country."

    That can be done if she wants to win.

    The point is that the conservatives are crippled by harper and his goons. They need to do something different.

    By Blogger JimTan, at 11:41 p.m.  

  • jim - I agree, however I do not think Rona is anything different - as her choice of aide demonstrates.

    By Blogger Gayle, at 12:24 a.m.  

  • gayle

    "jim - I agree, however I do not think Rona is anything different - as her choice of aide demonstrates."

    Relax! Keep an open mind.

    Let's listen with an open mind to the woman when she speaks for herself.

    The CPC is ideologically bankrupt. It's got nothing to lose if it allows the second tier to speak their mind.

    By Blogger JimTan, at 2:35 a.m.  

  • "The CPC is ideologically bankrupt."

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

    Excuse me, Mr. Pot, have you met Ms. Kettle? Allow me to introduce you.

    What a joke. How's the fundraising going?

    By Blogger Candace, at 2:46 a.m.  

  • candaaaace said

    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha."

    I'm glad that you can still laugh. You sound pretty cross of late.

    Actually, I will agree that the LPC was in bad shape. But, Dion has given it a new lease of life with the Green Platform.

    Electoral support is pretty constant at around 30% with strong backing from women, minorities and urban centrs.

    The CPC is however problematic. What does the CPC stand for these days under harper?

    Is it fiscal discipline? Is it personal freedom or personal safety? Is it accountability? Is it nationalism? Is it a western party?

    In contrast to the LPC, the CPC
    support is plummeting. It is now tied against a LPC led by Dion!

    That's why I said that Rona or anyone new should give it a try. The CPC under harper is aleady condemned.

    By Blogger JimTan, at 4:47 a.m.  

  • The Conservatives don't stand for nothing, they stand for marginal changes in the country that will make the provinces slightly more powerful, taxes slightly lower,

    Why is intergovernmental affairs Harper's baby? Because he earned his stripes as the Reform Party hatchetman on Meech, and is the intellectual godfather of the clarity act, arguably the most important legislation of the 90's. Furthermore, he, personally, and not his party, was able to make a decent breakthrough into Quebec - he is not going to leave that to Michael Chong or Rona Ambrose.

    Wait all of this is about Quebec? Yes, it sure is.

    Calgarygrit, you can have limited authority in your cabinet ministry, and yet still matter at the cabinet table. There are many different cabinet committees and, if you have Harper's ear, he may listen to you on issue X or Y. I don't know what happens there, but maybe Rona is influential in general, as opposed to being influential in her department.

    I do know that Jim Prentice, for instance, is relied upon considerably, and not just for the management of his own department (though he has a lot of sway there too). This is because cabinet committees deal with broad issue areas.

    By Blogger french wedding cat, at 12:28 p.m.  

  • why should Rona step in ?

    The 3 premiers invloved are doing a nice job of shooting themselves in their own head without Ottawa assisting.

    Maybe she should just give them more bullets ?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:40 p.m.  

  • fred

    "why should Rona step in ?"

    Last poll, LPC 30% and CPC 29%.

    Of course, it's good for the liberals and NDP. At this rate, Dion will merely walk into the PM office.

    But, we want a strong opposition. Remember what happened after Kim Campbell self-destructed? I hope that this is not an inherited gene among conservatives.

    By Blogger JimTan, at 11:47 p.m.  

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