UPDATE
Stephen Taylor is breaking that Wajid Khan will cross to the Conservatives tomorrow.
I am now reporting that Wajid Khan will join the Conservative ranks tomorrow as a backbench MP. Doing so protects Khan from cynicism of the press and opposition of making such a political move for career advancement, or for monetary considerations. Khan joins the Tories without taking a position in either cabinet or as a Parliamentary secretary.
This move has been a long time coming and I expected to report on this just after the Liberal leadership convention as such a move would have been wise political strategy to deflate the post-convention bounce in the polls that would benefit the Liberal party.
Khan is expected to make a formal announcement tomorrow and will likely describe that he is switching parties because of the “values” that the Prime Minister represents.
h/t Eugene in the comments.
Cabinet shuffle Details here… open thread.
Looks like Ambrose took the bullet for the team. The MSM definitely painted her as a lame duck minister and nothing she could do would change that (in their eyes). Forget the fact that she had to address 13 years of inaction and Lieberal broken promises in less than a year.
More importantly,over at AGWN,delicious headline..”lib insiders badmouthing Belinda!!”Oh it is a Happy New Year!
This is a much more suitable portfolio for Ambrose, as she could probably rock the house with both hands tied behind her back, given her intergovernmental affairs experience. Did anyone see the photos of her reading the oath? She looked so happy.
It’s too bad there wasn’t any room for Diane Ablonczy, though — again.
Lets hope that the next E-Minister can stand up to the GW mass hysteria without feeling compelled to ratchet-up the Kyotoesque insanity!
My money is on the insanity!
Harper’shuffle accompanied his statements of renewed focus on the economy, democratic reform and……..drumroll………………the envirnonment. With a fresh helping of references to “climate change”.
Agree or disagree with the last point, Harper may have neutralized the issue politically. Dion can’t be happy someone else is playing with his ball.
Maybe Toews took a hit for the Wheat Board bonus cock-up?
Ambrose was moved off of the Environment because she was close to incompetent. She bungled facts, looked awful in avoiding committee questions, etc. She was appointed to the post because Harper didn’t think much of the environment; now he realizes it might be an election issue and he needs a heavy hitter with more proven competence.
Other choices also reflect the election considerations directed a lot of the changes, like dumping the controversial Vic “let’s jail pre-teens” Toews from justice. He was a lightening rod that would have worked against increasing seats so he’s off to softer grounds.
Ted
Mitch, I think you’re way off on this. Harper is very obviously playing catch-up on the environment, having been caught with his proverbial pants down. He is forced now to pretend that he sees climate change as a huge issue. He will have to come out with something that makes the previously tabled Clean Air Act look laughably inadequate. But he’s not governing by polls, make no mistake.
Does anyone else think that if it were “Ronald” instead of “Rona”, the post-shuffle cabinet would look different by at least one member?
so much for the smaller Cabinet. Good grief.
Why would the justice minister get hit for something the wheat board did? It’s under strahl’s jurisdiction.
And David, I agree. There was no need to increase the cabinet by five. Hill, I can understand, Kenney, I can sort of understand, the other three, nuh uh.
Crabgrass,
well that would be the Liberal spin.
Funny how literally doing nothing under the Libs, recieved no media attention – apparantly a few hollow statements and hypocritcal finger waving at the Americans was sufficient,
while enacting the most comprehensive (no its not perfect) environment legislation in Canadian history,
recieves the full scorn of the media and environmentalists.
Toews was only controversial to the lefty criminal lovers in the Libs and NDP.
That one was a bit of a surprise. Ambrose was in over her head. Granted, the media was unrelenting in trying to take her down and many years of talk only on the file.
enough
How does one become a believable Minister Against the Boogeyman? Or competent for that matter? Do you tell people, ‘yes, we’re actively fighting the boogeyman with this, this, and this,’, or do you tell people ‘there’s no such thing as a boogeyman’ and then get attacked by the believers?
Sorry, since there are no witches to hunt, I am making no progress on the Witch Hunt Accord. In fact, I think the WHA is based on lies/deception/junk science/political manipulation, so our gov’t won’t follow WHA targets, even though the previous government ratified the Witch Hunt Accord.
“She’s a witch! Burn her!”
“No don’t burn her, that’ll create global warming!”
Stupid shrieking enviro-fascists.
Mitch, I wouldn’t suggest that the Liberals have done anything particularly meaningful thus far, to be honest. But I do think Dion making it a priority together with recent attention paid to the issue (due in part to the majority of Canadians not having yet experienced much in the way of winter this time around, and the Ellesmere island ice story) have in fact forced Harper’s hand. I feel badly for Ambrose – she was put in a tough spot, and compounded it by not quite doing her homework on a couple of occasions.
related but off-topic: I’m afraid I’m going mudboarding this weekend at Lake Placid. I would cancel the trip to the slopes altogether, but friends (and their kids) are there already, anticipating the weekend getaway.
I would disagree that the Clean Air Act received the full scorn of the media, but it certainly did from environmentalists. The media for the most part attacks whomever is in power. I understand that I may see a smattering of dissent having suggested that here.
” The media for the most part attacks whomever is in power . ” Bwahahahahahahaha !!!! Please tell me you typed that with a straight face .
“The media for the most part attacks whomever is in power.”
Yep, and I’m a scantily clad black woman on a hip-hop video.
Not unrelated, I hear there’s lovely ocean front property for sale in Saskatchewan.
crabgrass – Dion only made the environment a ‘hot item’ because it’s a ‘hot air’ item that one can use to incite people emotionally, grab their votes and yet, in actual action, achieve nothing. That’s what the Liberals did with Kyoto.
They signed a corrupt accord, an accord that had nothing to do with the environment but was instead, a blatant money transference scheme. Instead of using our tax dollars to actually reduce pollution and emissions, the Liberals were going to transfer this money to ‘developing nations’ who are exempt from Kyoto obligations. So much for the environment. That’s the Liberal record.
Dion grabbed it – and remember, he was the Liberal Environment Minister for Kyoto – just as a vote-catcher. He’s not interested in the environment. Or anything else for that matter. He has only one agenda. Winning. Power. For the Liberals.
As for the warm weather in central-east Canada, we’ve had this before. I recall a warm January about ten years ago; even warmer than now. We ‘paid’ for it with heavy February snow. And you are ignoring the current heavy snow in the prairies and BC.
Environmentalists, the kind who scorned the Clean Air Act, are by and large, pretty ignorant urbanites who’ve taken on The Environment as their new utopian/apocalpytic fetish. This type includes the MSM.
“lightening”
Teddy, I bet Rona could spell lightning…
Re Toews and the Wheat Board … Bill Toews is a CWB director and Vic Toews was Minister of Justice!
Poor Ambrose, the media really crucified her. (I’m not trying to make a religious reference it’s just the best way to describe it.) I think she is very smart and was doing the best she could in the circumstances… but she wasn’t tough enough to handle the barrage of criticism from the opposition, the MSM and lobby groups. It was a mistake to give her the environment post in the first place, her strength is Intergovernmental Affairs.
That said, I’m not suggesting Ambrose isn’t tough at all (she’s a woman in politics and a cabinet minister, you don’t get that high up without having thick skin) but she never had a good comeback in the House of Commons (granted I could barely hear her over the heckling), or a counter attack in front of the reporters. She took all that criticism and didn’t fight back. The way they attacked her was vicious and sexist. It was painful to watch. If only the media paid the same attention to liberal “hairdresser” comments as they did to Peter Mackay’s “dog”. For whatever reason the MSM decided they hate her and after that she didn’t have a chance.
Anyway, I hope Rona Ambrose is very happy as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.
I like Baird in Environment. It doesn’t matter what the Tories do on the environment because it will be declared inadequate by the Liberals and no emissions data will be available by election time to support either side. That means the file will become nothing but smearjobs and nobody does a drive-by smear like JB. We shouldn’t have to wait too long to see another Dion temper tantrum.
Dion’s press conference (paraphrasing, but unbelievable):
Dion attacks Harper viciously,
Media asks Dion about Harper’s statements about 13 years of inaction
Dion: Harper shouldn’t politicise the issue, and Harper’s mean spirirted.
I may have heard some chuckles on that one from the press.
Another question of Dion on the Liberal record:
“we’ll deliver”, something about they delivered on the economy back in ’93?????
Another question on the same point,
Dion then talks about why we’re so low – he’s making excuses:
“we’ve had a strong economy and an oil boom” suggesting its understandeable.
Uhhhm, why does Dion want this to be a primary issue again, aside from blind Liberal arrogance that is?
Thanks for your input, ET – From some of your past comments I’m familiar with your take on Kyoto.
I disagree with you on Dion. I guess one of us is wrong.
I’m not ignoring the heavy snow in the prairies and BC. I have no idea how you draw that conclusion. Heavy snow isn’t usually associated with very cold temperatures anyway – the colder the air, the lesser its ability to carry moisture.
The MSM no doubt includes some environmentalists, but environmentalists certainly do not wholly include the MSM.
Watch for that ‘verbal blip’ of calling Harper ‘mean-spirited’. I think we’re going to hear that quite a bit now. Ignatieff used it and Dion is using it. I think it’s an ad hominem, false as ad hominems are, in place of ‘hidden agenda’.
The ‘hidden agenda’ sneer is getting rather thin at the moment, because Harper’s agenda isn’t hidden but clear. So, they are going for ‘mean-spirited’ which is as fog-ridden, unfeasible and evasive of proof as ‘hidden agenda’. But it sounds mean and nasty.
The reason Dion wants the environment as a prime issue is because it is: fog-ridden, unfeasible and evasive of proof. And emotional, for it’s easy to use to appeal to both the utopians and paranoid apocalyptic types alike. Nothing gets votes like that type of emotionalism. And you don’t have to actually do anything; you can always blame lack of results on ‘good things’, like a ‘booming economy’.
Harper’s statements of the Liberal 13 years of inaction are not ‘politicizing’. They are a statement of fact. And how fascinating. Dion is thereby showing us that he’s not interested in facts. He’s only interested in The Spin that can be put on things.
Dion The Spinner of cobwebs, Fogs the Mind.
So what are the odds that the Conservatives will adopt the Kyoto Accord? Don’t be surprised if they do, otherwise they may not win the next election.
ET, one might accuse you of Liberal Use of Caps.
Iberia, they said during the last election that it was unworkable and STILL won. What would be so different this time.
Go back to sleep now.
“So what are the odds that the Conservatives will adopt the Kyoto Accord? Don’t be surprised if they do, otherwise they may not win the next election.”
Close to zero. Conservatives will make reference to proceeding towards our Kyoto target. That will be good enough for anybody who would even think of voting for them.
The real question everyone should be asking is that if the Liberals win the election will they live up to the full commitment of the Kyoto Accord which involves buying billions of dollars worth of foreign credits to cover our shortfall or will they use the excuse that Harper’s time in power prevented them from reaching our target and renege. Harper would be the dumbest person on the planet if he doesn’t ask Dion something along that line in the debates.
“What would be so different this time.”
It’s a big issue this time.
It’s a big issue this time.
And it wasn’t during the election that was only one year ago.
Please………
What does the Calgary Sun know that SDA doesn’t. It has a poll- Do you think the federal election this month will produce a majority or minority government. I wonder if they left out a couple of words, –think if a–and was held.
There has to be at least 30 days for an election. When did January get 35 days. The poll re John Baird seems to have disappeared.
Iberia – I would be very disappointed if the Conservatives adopted the Kyoto Accord. After all, it has nothing to do with the environment; it’s a money laundering scheme, taking from the developed countries to the ‘developing’ countries.
Nothing to do with the environment. If you want to help other countries, you can do it by loans or other means. Not by graft and extortion.
If you are serious about the environment then, you most certainly don’t adopt Kyoto, for it actually harms the env’t. It doesn’t stop pollution. And it doesn’t stop carbon emissions. In fact, globally, it increases both. Why do you support Kyoto?
Stephen Taylor is breaking that Wajid Khan will cross to the Conservatives tomorrow. No cabinet or parliamentary secretary position offered. He usually comes up right, so we’ll see tomorrow.
http://www.stephentaylor.ca/archives/000764.html
Billions? If only it were billions. Think TRILLIONS funneled overseas to countries, many of which, coincidentally, seem to hate the West.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if Mr. Khan does cross the floor, will that not mean that all of Canada’s Muslim members of parliament will be in the Conservative Party?
ET:
You aren’t making any sense. The “Conservatives” don’t adopt or refuse to adopt “Kyoto”. Canada has already signed onto it. The Conservatives
The Conservatives have done a great Chretien-dance around the issue of Kyoto protocol and targets:
– saying the targets are extremely expensive to achieve without saying unachievable
– saying the targets are unfair to Canada without rejecting the principles of the Kyoto accord
– saying that reaching the targets would put at us a competitive disadvantage to the US and China and India etc without saying they will formally withdraw from Kyoto
No wonder the position was too much for Ambrose to handle!
What do you get when you mix a economically conservative policy wonk with a political-to-the-bone tactician bent on power?
Jean Harper lives! A veritable frankenreformaservativeral!
Ted
Cerberus
p.s. And for those focusing on global warming, the Ministry of the Environment deals with a heck of a lot more. Ambrose was fumbling the whole file not just this one. This one was just more out there in the public eye.
Ted said, “Jean Harper lives! A veritable frankenreformaservativeral!”
ROTFLMAO!
Vitruvius,
Omar Alghabra is still a Liberal. But since he’s my MP, I won’t mind if he crosses too.
I think the rather loud Mr Baird will definately give the media more talking points as he embarrases the Libs on their enviro record in question period.this will probably take some of the initiative away from Steffi [who missed the vote]
Iberia – don’t dither. You know perfectly well that ‘adoption’ means ‘put into practice’, regardless of what the Liberals signed. I certainly hope the CPC doesn’t put Kyoto ‘into practice’ – which means funnelling millions of dollars over to ‘developing countries’ who will set up polluting and emitting factories. That means that the overall global pollution and emissions will increase.
Again, why do you support Kyoto?
Ted, Rona did more on the file in 10 months than the Liberals did in 13 years.
Far more than DIon, who’s Green Plan is worth than a farce. Dion did name his dog Kyoto, so that should get him some CBC brownie points.
Your boy DIon is a dud. And I don’t say that because he lied/skated his way around his French citizenship. He’s just another ivory tower academic with out any real life experience who just knows since he is smarter than us that he can tell us what to do.
“Dudley Dion” I like that one.
The Environment File IS Kyoto. The rest is fluffy stuff.
Ted,Conservatives have said the targets are unattainable,as has Dion.(page 299 Wells book right side up).
They have said the Kyoto accord was unfair to Canada,mainly because Chretiens biggest worry was topping the Americans on targets.They have also said that buying credits from say,China,does nothing to improve our ghg emmissions here.
They have also said because the Liberals signed onto the accord they are bound by it,but make no qualms about pointing out how useless it is.
If the Kyoto accord had the worlds biggest polluters and biggest growing producers put on it,then it would deserve more credence.
Baird can take the heat and flame the opposition at the same time. Since Dion has foolishly chosen the environment as his number one issue. Given the Liberals and Dion’s abject and horrible failure, the Conservatives need a tough guy to hammer that home. The Liberals have no crediblity on the issue.
The argument has to shift from ambiguous climate change to the untold Kyoto story, in order to position Dion as the new corrupt leader representing the same old corrupt party. At the same time the Conservatives must offer a real, workable solution.
French citizen Dion is being marginalized and all he has left is vacuous emotional sound bites to grasp at like, “mean-spirited.” Facts, experience and results are not on his side. Neither is the English language. Likeability is something that doesn’t come natural either, you can see him squirm as he attempts to put it on.
The latest poll has the Conservatives at 34% and the Libs at 31%. It’s being called a dead heat. Yet the poll prior had the Libs at 35% and the Conservatives at 32% and of course, it was said the Liberals were leading. Yes, there is a built in bs bias.
ET:
I don’t support support the Kyoto Accord. I agree with you that it’s just an elaborate money laundering scheme. I just think that Harper is going to pull a Chretien.
Crabgrass, the winter-like conditions that they are experiencing in BC are not “normal” for BC in January either however how can we say what is “normal” based on 30 or even 100 years of climatic data? Those time frames are but a miniscule portion of a blip in the life of the earth! No human can tell what is “normal” for the earth – we will forever lack the experience. We had the coldest November on record in the prairies this year but just because something is record-breaking doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happened before. We don’t know but I’m willing to bet that it has happened before and that it will happen again because the earth is so old that there has to have been many times where these kinds of conditions occurred. What I’m saying is that when people say “on record” I’d like to add the fact that “the record” is really very very small.
BAird is partisan and more than willing to bring up the Liberal record. Rona is not one for that type of hand to hand combat. Intergovernmental makes more sense, more academic, more arcane and more suited to her experience and personality.
Environment is just to partisan now….baird will suit up and do battle with whatever platform they put forward. Just hope he keeps it toned down a little or he will come across badly. Dont rise to the bait Mr Baird.
Yes the meme of mean spirited is the replacement for scarey….he isnt scarey anymore, or angry, people know him….so he is mean…just like Mike Harris etc etc
Hard to make that stick to someone who is calm, the next stop will be cold and unfeeling.
The peak of the last ice age advance was about 18,000 years ago.
Since then there have probably been 15,000 years/times when a new record has been set for warming.
Its a good thing too, because when the warming stops, the ice advance starts.
Just think of Toronto under 3 miles of ice . . . kinda pretty isn’t it 🙂
That’s something about Stephen Taylor scooping MSM about Khan! I want to see Warren Kinsella eat his words.
CBC, ‘air farce’ did that this past w/e…’Harper is cold and unfeeling’
Kinsella is good for a laugh right now( wonder when he’ll guest on air farts?)…’left-leaning’ cabinet…??? and Harper isn’t who we (cons)think he is…desperate!
No Warren…that would be the Libs who are surprised…