Gerry Ritz stays as Ag Minister, confounding the best efforts of the thou-shalt-not-utter-inappropriate-comments media.
Stephen Taylor is liveblogging today’s cabinet shuffle, thread open for your comments.
Gerry Ritz stays as Ag Minister, confounding the best efforts of the thou-shalt-not-utter-inappropriate-comments media.
Stephen Taylor is liveblogging today’s cabinet shuffle, thread open for your comments.
Only 2 cabinet appointees from Saskatchewan. Just what does one have to do to get special recognition? Overwhelming support does not work, I guess next we try the squeaky wheel approach. Places like Saskatchewan an Alberta should have got over representation in cabinet, instead we get the freaking shaft as Quebec and Ontario get over weighted instead.
As startling and ominous as appointing several affirmative action bimbos to positions for which they have categorically no familiarity and/or proficiency, the most economically detrimental appointment is Comrade Prentice, perhaps the most leftists minister of Harper’s cabinet. As minister of the Environment he is now in position to obliterate our economy with his socialistic obstructions to the free market place. This is the American- detesting leftists who, as industry minister, intervene in the free market place by stopping the sale of a Canadian company. Now the quasi socialist Prentice will no doubt endeavor to de-industrialize our economy back to the middle ages.
Rather than continue his plunge to the far-left by appointing, to this extraordinarily gigantic cabinet for meticulously political reasons, first time elected naïve and possibly incompetent bimbos, the prime minister should have accepted the counsel of small-c conservatives. A genuine conservative would have expedited all the essential steps to assure that ONLY fiscal, social and judicial conservatives are appointed.
Unfortunately small-c fiscal, social and/or judicial conservatives are under represented in Harper’s cabinet, or this parliament. Principled Conservative Party members who unlike the PM, repudiate exchanging their conservative ideology for their aspiration, must instantaneously demand a leadership convention.
–machiavelli
The story from North Battleford on election day goes like this: CTV had their big unit parked outside Ritz’s constituency office all day waiting for the big “gotcha” story figuring that the voters would turf Ritz. He let them freeze out in the cold until 9:30 in the evening… well after the election had been called in his favor. Sorry, no gotcha story here! Nice to see Gerry back in the Ag department.
how is Danny Whine for Wine Williams making out?
is his nose flat from pressing on the window from the outside looking in?
Most cabinet ministers are irritating egomaniac nobodies whose silence is bought with a few extra bucks and a limo. Their most important function is trying to defend or expand their department’s budget at the Cabinet meetings. The real movers and shakers are found elsewhere as is very accurately portrayed in the British TV series “Yes Minister”.
Ah yes …. despite a valiant effort by the media to portray Ritz as an unfeeling monster, the only thing monstrous was his margin of victory.
15,621 votes! 9,049 more than his closest rival and 5,254 more than all his opponents combined!
Either the voters of Battlefords-Lloydminster are incredibly naive or the media was attempting to manufacture a controversy. We know the latter to be true.
It is indeed gratifying when media attempts to crucify a candidate fail so miserably.
From the grotesquely misnamed Edmund Burke @ 11:53: “Unfortunately small-c fiscal, social and/or judicial conservatives are under represented in Harper’s cabinet, or this parliament. Principled Conservative Party members who unlike the PM, repudiate exchanging their conservative ideology for their aspiration, must instantaneously demand a leadership convention.”
Heh. Go ahead and shriek for it. Just get used to another century or so in futile opposition if the party was so idiotic as to listen to you. Fortunately, most of the CPC leadership has a lot more political smarts than you do. How many times does it have to be drummed into you lot? Canada is a country governed from the centre. Any party failing to heed that is summarily tossed out of office. Oh, and a note on Jim Prentice; he’s far more than just Environment Minister. He also continues as Chair of the Cabinet Operations Committee, as well as a seat on Priorities and Planning, arguably the two most important committees in the federal government.
As for this piece of crud, “…first time elected naïve and possibly incompetent bimbos…”, now you’re sounding like the US Democrats at their worst vilifying Sarah Palin. Naturally, you’ve not troubled yourself to look at the experience any of them have prior to entering federal politics.
I have no complaints with Harper’s selections but I would have liked to see Abloncy do a bit better. Gary Lunn deserved the demotion.
Most of all I am happy to see Newfoundland do so well and get the exact Cabinet recognition they have both deserved and earned. Well done, Williams, you clown.
Agree with you about Ablonczy, BCer. Very smart, very capable. Somehow there just never seems to be room for her. Good to see Blackburn demoted. Should have demoted Guergis (even CTV noted that she was ‘high maintenance’). Nice to see Ambrose getting promoted. Always thought she got a raw deal getting handed Environment first time out. That’s a hellish ministry, and Ambrose having a useless DM when she started just made it worse. Gary didn’t do too badly at NRCan but got badly set up by ministry staff over a national energy strategy very early on. The Keen affair was messy, but under the circumstances there was no choice but to dismiss her. You can’t go around publicly defying cabinet and ministerial directives and pretend to be a federal public servant.
My question is: Why does it take even more cabinet ministers to do the jobs that the previous government had? I thought conservatives were supposed to be for smaller governments. Each of those seven extra cabinet seats comes with all the associated bureaucracy and overhead.
Heh. I was also very pleased to see Gerry Ritz put back in cabinet.
Did not see Maxime. Was hoping he would be back as well.
Very good question,Texas Canuck. Even though I am conservative,I sure as hell didn’t vote for MORE gubbermint! Let me guess. They will explain this as necessary so that they can study whether smaller government will actually work,or be good!?!?
“Denis Lebel to economic development for Quebec. Lebel will be the cash man for Quebec and this will help him electorally.”
Why do we need a special cabinet minister whose only responsibility is to hand out money to Quebec? Did they not just choose a separatist majority?
Hey, Quebec is one of our biggest money grabbers in spite of the fact they elect Bloc MP’s. That province gets more in equalization than any other in the country. Their shameless. They play us like fiddles and get away with it. Can anyone recall any PM of any stripe who did not patronize Quebec?
Oops, that should read “they’re” shameless.
Bernier? Not a chance. Leaving classified NATO documents lying around is a sin without an expiry date. Opening his yap to the press about government policy with respect to Afghanistan and suggesting that the Afghan governor of Khandahar needed to be removed was also enough to merit dumping. If the allegation was false, Bernier needed to be dumped, and if it was true, Bernier needed to be dumped because mouthing off in public was the one sure way to guarantee that the Karzai regime would support their man.
Daniel, can I then assume that you also see the Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification as redundant?
Yup! Seven more cabinet mouths to feed is eight or nine too many. I’m with Texas Cannuck on this one. Smaller is better. If the goal is to get more MP’s more cabinet experience, then I guess it works on that level but I think it is a waste of $$$$
Daniel, at least that’s a defensible position. If you’re serious about it, what you might do is look through the rest of the ministries and suggest redundancies or overlaps. One thing to watch out for; there might seem to be a lot of overlaps between ministries and ministers or secretaries of state. That’s deliberate. Ministers are on the road a lot. So, the lesser portfolios are the ones who have to remain in Ottawa to answer questions in their absence.
Daniel – the Bloc is not about separation; that’s just its superficial rhetoric. The Bloc has no intention of promoting separation. The Bloc MPs receive substantial federal salaries, pensions and benefits which far outweigh anything they’d receive as Separate. Ineed their very existence as a political party depends on the income from the vote – the federal vote of 1.95 per vote – only because they are campaigning as a ‘national or federal party’.
I strongly oppose the very existence of the Bloc. A political party confined to one set of the electorate has no business making decisions for the whole electorate. It’s as simple as that.
The Bloc, which long ago moved out of any agenda of separation, has become the Default Party of Quebec. That is, it is viewed by Quebecers are more relevant because it is confined to Quebec, than the genuine federal parties. Quebecers vote for it, not to support separation, which the majority don’t want, but simply because it is the Local Party. The other parties are ‘Canadian’ parties. The Bloc is the Quebec Party.
What should be done? It’s too late to outlaw it; it should never, ever, have been allowed in the House.
Now, I suggest taht we ignore it and Quebec. Increase the number of seats that are legitimately due to the higher populations of the West and focus money and attention on these areas. The choice is up to Quebec. Does it want to be part of a federation or not? If not, then fine, stick to your Bloc and we’ll ignore it and its votes and issues. Do you want to be part of the federation? Yes? Then, vote for a federal party, and work in the House to strengthen the federation.
By ‘federation’ I don’t mean a centralist govt that sees all parts of Canada as identical. I mean a federation that acknowledges that regions, populations, economies are different, and governance must become more decentralized and regional.
Once again, Harper betrays the smaller government, small c conservative voter. It’s a shame to see him turn his back on his own principles.
I really, really there was an alternative I could vote for.
Et
Are you saying that Quebecers will vote BQ(default) regardless of the issues; therefore, they can be ignored?
As a Conservative, if I knew that 65% of the vote will go to the BQ and not the Liberals, then perhaps Quebec can be ignored; but, as long as Liberals and Conservatives think they can win those votes, the pandering will continue.
Because of the BQ, the Conservatives can govern like a majority, so they could focus policy as you suggest. It would defiantly make us happy out here. I suspect this would open the door for the Liberals in Quebec, because they could argue that the BQ are not getting the $$. My analysis is the BQ win Quebec as long as the Conservatives continue to pander, and the Conservatives hold government; but, if the Conservatives ignore the whiners, then BQ votes “could” move to the Liberals, rejuvenating the party and forming a majority Liberal government.
Very risky strategy, but very appealing at the same time.
Political Strategy 101 says that the PM enlarge the Cabinet, to keep as many in his caucus happy after an election.
This allows the new Ministers to show off in their ridings and gives a taste of power to the people in the riding.
It also allows political newcomers to strut their stuff and allows the PM to evaluate these people and helps in picking the next and stronger cabinet.
And lastly it allows the PM to cut the size of the Cabinet just before the next election to show voters that he is absolutely serious about making govt smaller.
If lucky, he wins the next election and the process starts all over again.
Pretty funny, eh?
Machiavelli would approve.
From a BC perspective, disappointing. Considering the large increase in support for the CPC from BC, the lack of recognition is somewhat surprising. Again, another fisheries minister from the east, this time PEI……this is how federal governments lose support from BC. With all due respect to Moore, Strahl and Lunn, we could have done better.
Keith Martin went from a landslide win in the previous election, to a recount win over Tony DeSouza. That alone shows the increased support for the CPC…..instead we get the Ontario solution……again……..
Yup. I thought Ritz’s return to the very same portfolio was a big loud raspberry in the general direction of the politically correct establishment. Well done, Harper!
TC: Why does it take even more cabinet ministers to do the jobs that the previous government had? I thought conservatives were supposed to be for smaller governments.
==============
Perhaps there’s a heavy agenda ahead. Making hay while the sun shines (Liberals in disarray) is the order of the day, if you ask me.
Agree with Louise plus I think the PM will try to slowly move out of the spotlight or at least share it with the ministers he has chosen.
ever notice when the MSM especially CBCpravda mention how the lieberals got hammered, they always mention that the conservatives went down to two seats under Kim Campbell. strictly speaking of course it was the progressive conservatives, not the present conservatives. what they always always always fail to mention in their lieberal mind is that the Reform party under Preston Manning took 52 seats and was second in popular vote. ,the official opposition
run by Judas Bouchard took 54 seats and was actually a splinter group as well. the totals of the three still would have surpassed the lieberanos. they was no cry for proportional representation from the owlish pussycat craggy oliver on CTV(tass) or from CBCpravda in that election. oh yes, the old progressive conservatives were still third in popular vote.
ET
There is a solution.
Parliament needs to redefine what official party status is. Currently all a party needs to do is win 12 seats, which would put a Bloc PEI or Bloc NFLD out in the cold. So heres the way to do it.
Harper has parliament vote to change the rules so that in order to be declared an “official” party (without affecting a parties registration with EC) that party must actively campaign in more than one province, but at the same time make no mention of any particular party.
Why is this important?
If a party is not recognized by the House as an official party (read caucus) they do not get face time during QP, and more importantly they don’t get all the other perk$ that come with official party $tatu$.
Heck I’d even go so far as to use this definition and rewrite the EC act to disqualify any such party from recieving the annual stipend, or better yet elimnate the stipend from EC altogether for all parties.
Diane Ablonczy is a formidable woman who richly deserves a promotion. It’s becoming a little disheartening to see her passed over for a senior position time and time again.
I have suggested previously that since Ablonzy and PMSH have worked together for so long is it possible she is more of an insider in the PMO without a cabinet position and perhaps it is her choice. I could be wrong. An one with inside info?
Indiana homez – Yes, I’m saying that Quebecers will vote for the Bloc regardless of the issues, because it’s The Quebec Party.
With regard to your view that Quebecers will only vote for the Bloc IF the federal party-in-power panders to them -I see your point but I don’t agree. You have, with this view, merged the Bloc with the federal-party-in-power. So, at the moment, the Bloc=the CPC. And if the Conservatives don’t pander, then, they’ll move from the Bloc to the Liberals.
That hasn’t happened before. What has happened is that the Bloc has become a hard core reality within Quebec. This reality has nothing to do with any agenda of separation but only with its being the local party. This hard core may fluctuate from 34-50 plus seats, but I don’t see it going below that range. Again, the key to the Bloc’s popularity is that it represents Quebec.
Quebecers, for the most part, don’t see themselves as part of Canada; they see Quebec as ‘stuck’ to Canada, but not as part of it. They aren’t interested in governing Canada; they aren’t interested in being a province in Canada. Canada is anglophone-american; Quebec is francophone. The depth of this division is hard to imagine unless you’ve lived there, outside of Montreal, for some years.
rockyt – making govt smaller isn’t about the size of the cabinet, but about reducing the bureaucracy and also, reducing the federal role in provincial affairs.
DanBC – cabinet posts aren’t supposed to be allotted by geographic terrain. The cabinet isn’t a set of sports team, with each province’s members wearing different jerseys.
gimbol – I fully agree with your suggestions but I doubt if it’s going to happen. the Bloc began in 1990, as a coalition of PC (Progressive Conservatives)..NOT the same as Harper’s CPC Conservative Party…and Liberals. They actually became the Official opposition in 1993 (that was Chretien’s era)…and he allowed them to stay on and on and on.
I think he thought them useful to prevent the PCs or Reform from moving into Quebec.
Remember, Chretien’s only interest in anything was how to maintain his own power; he was never interested in the well-being of Canadians.
It’s now 15 years; they have become a ‘de facto’ reality and passing a law, now, would create an uproar in Quebec.
So, my suggestion is to instead, tilt the balance of power away from Quebec and its 75 House seats. Give more seats, as is right, based on population, to the West. If Quebec wants to participate in the federation – fine. But no more pandering.
Et et al:
In one more generation (12 to 16 yrs) new seat distributions to areas west of the Ottawa river will make it possible for a party to run on a anti- quebec or at least a apathetic stance on Quebec and win a majority mandate sans any seats in Quebec. Once that rubicon is crossed quebec’s role and influence in the business of Canada will be greatly diminished to the great benefit of all – including quebec.
ET—Read my post, BC’s vote for the Conservatives was -strong-, much stronger than expected. Not only was it a strong vote of confidence in PMSH, but also a strong rebuke of the Fibs.
Therefore, yes, it is disappointing that PMSH didn’t tip his hat to BC. Instead, Lunn gets a demotion, and, as I said, another unknown easterner as Fisheries Minister….BC, the rump roast of the country. Again.
And, yes, I voted CPC.
I think that PMSH did the right thing in adding people to Jr cabinet posts. What if they get the non-confidence motion and some of his top ministers are defeated. This is very important to cover in the future, I don’t think he is creating bigger government by adding people to posts, these people will gain experience and hopefully look into the bureaucracy and cut some crap out.
I voted for the Conservatives this time around but I now consider Harper an incompetent for everything he has said and done since this election ended and allot before the election.
If Dion wasn’t twice as incompetent he would have won this election .. easily, a door knob could have beat Harper.
Great to see Ritz back in Ag. I cant believe there are some people out there who think he should not be in Ag for comments that were LEAKED from a confidential meeting. Yes they were bad and he apologized…fact is, having Ritz in Cabinet is gonna be great for my wallet, and all the other Western grain farmers out there who want to sell barley in the open market. What i need is an apology from the reds in the beurocracy that are selling my grain for less then the price of the fat chair that they sit on all day…
I wasn’t debating you ET.
I was explaining to people who were wondering about why the conservative ‘smaller govt’ Harper cabinet was expanded from 31 to 38 members.
It’s to find new ‘wood’ for a stronger cabinet going into the next election.
You wanna lay some money that there will be 38 cabinet ministers when the next election comes around? heh.