Liberal deputy leader Michael Ignatieff has put his foot in it, so to speak, by musing about the humble puffin and its habits.

Earlier this week during a Liberal caucus retreat in St. John's, MPs and the media were treated to a whale-watching trip with party leader, Stephane Dion. The whales remained elusive, but the crowd spotted several of the colourful seabirds on the rocks.

Ignatieff later told reporters the puffin was a "noble bird," leading reporters to ask why.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion spent much of this week's caucus retreat in St. John's, Newfoundland criticizing the Conservatives. But more than once, the Liberal leader's English abilities gave him trouble.

He referred to Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams's slogan, "Anybody But Conservatives," as "Everybody But Conservatives." And at one point he used the phrase: "Anybody But the Liberals" by mistake.

Liberal MPs spent ample time criticizing Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, saying he can't be trusted.

But the Young Liberals of Newfoundland had a more direct message. For $20, Liberals could purchase an apron depicting a trussed Stephen Harper turning on a spit with an apple in his mouth with Stephane Dion and a pig in a chef's hat looking on.

Federal Liberals were openly wooing members of the media at their national caucus retreat Tuesday in an attempt to demonstrate how different they are from the governing Conservatives.

Reporters were told there would be "no pepper spray" and were guaranteed access to Leader Stephane Dion and his MPs as they gathered in St. John's, Newfoundland.

One senior Dion staffer told reporters there would be no RCMP presence at the meeting.

It was a half-joking reference to a Conservative caucus retreat earlier this summer in Charlottetown. There, RCMP shooed media from the lobby of the Delta hotel where Tory MPs were meeting. Hotel management agreed with the action.

By contrast, reporters in Newfoundland today accompanied Dion on a whale-watching trip and were also scheduled to have a dinner with the leader.

Let's go biking. Easy enough to say. But when your biking partner is President George W. Bush, it's a safe bet that Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day was grinning from ear to ear at the opportunity.

The two suited up in helmets and shorts and careered around the Montebello resort, where the three North American leaders have gathered, at a sizzling pace.

It took the U.S. Secret Service some doing to keep up in their golf carts, boats and helicopters.

CBC reporter Susan Bonner was walking on the lawn back to the media centre with her RCMP escort when President Bush took a corner a bit fast and veered towards her momentarily.

"Watch out ma'am" said the president as he raced off.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon created quite a stir as the three North American leaders gathered at Montebello, Que., for their annual high-level get-together. Arriving at the resort, he went straight for hotel staffers, shaking hands and kissing every woman on each cheek.

One of the cleaning staff positively swooned after Calderon's embrace. She was grinning and fanning her face afterwards to cool off.

U.S. President George W. Bush also had time for the hotel workers. After flying in by helicopter, Bush rushed right up to the staff, greeting them with gusto and joking about getting a good meal.

Reporters, on the other hand, didn't quite receive the same effusive greetings.

It seems law enforcement agencies are doing all they can to ensure protesters at the upcoming North American Leaders' Summit in Montebello, Que., stay as far from the official action as possible.

They have had built a new, three-metre-high metal fence starting at the edge of town. Every twenty metres or so, there is a security camera looking down on passers-by.

All that security could lead protesters to think their message won't be heard. But that won't be the case.

Earlier today, a spokesperson for the prime minister told a roomful of journalists that U.S. President George W. Bush, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Prime Minister Stephen Harper will have their own front row seat on the going-ons from the other side of the fence.

She said summit organizers will provide an audio and video feed of the protesters to those who are participating in the official conference in compliance with a court decision that protesters have a right to be both "seen and heard."

The shuffling is done. But the prime minister isn't finished cutting the deck.

Today some senior staff to the recently shuffled cabinet ministers learned they are out of a job. Among them: Michele Austin is gone as chief of staff to Maxime Bernier, the new foreign affairs minister.

Her replacement is Aaron Gairdner who had been chief of staff to former defence minister Gordon O'Connor and who also happens to be married to Stacey Gairdner, executive assistant to Stephen Harper's wife, Laureen.

Austin had been one of the first political staff from the old Reform party to back Harper when he returned to Ottawa, eventually to become the leader of the new Conservative party. But she was also known as one of the few chiefs of staff to resist PMO interventions.

She was offered the job of being O'Connor's chief of staff over at revenue, a pretty drowsy department. She declined.

Also out is Denis Jolette as chief of staff to Josée Verner, now the new heritage minister. And Laurie Throness as chief of staff to Chuck Strahl, now the new Indian affairs minister.

Insiders say the PM is determined to exert more control inside these key departments, a job that begins by putting some longtime senior staff on the outside.

There was an added attraction this afternoon for the tourists strolling through the beautiful gardens at Rideau Hall .

The roses mixed it up with the daisies and fought for air with the satellite trucks and the reporters waiting to catch a glimpse of cabinet ministers as they arrived for the swearing-in ceremony.

But wait. Look at those cars arriving.

Chuck Strahl was in a black Honda hybrid. So was Jim Prentice. Peter MacKay was in an E-85 Chevrolet Impala, the same energy-efficient, ethanol-fuelled car used by Bev Oda and Gerry Ritz. Maxime Bernier arrived in a Toyota Camry hybrid, Josée Verner in a Ford 500. Gordon O'Connor was in a Nissan Altima.

As for Canada's newest minted secretary of state, Diane Ablonczy, well, the drivers waiting to pick up their new bosses said she would probably hitch a ride with Kevin Lynch, Clerk of the Privy Council who arrived in another Camry hybrid.

Safe to say, ministers hear the energy conservation message loud and clear. When it came to the prime minister, however, he arrived and left in his Cadillac even though he lives just across the street from the Governor General.

Cabinet speculation is the topic of the day in Ottawa. Will the shuffle come Tuesday? Probably. Will it take place in the morning or the afternoon? And, of course, who is going to which portfolio?

What we do know is that cabinet ministers are today filing through 24 Sussex Drive, the prime minister's residence, to discuss their individual fates.

Our crew has seen Diane Finley, the current minister of citizenship and immigration, drive up. So, too, have Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Peter Van Loan, the government leader in the House of Commons.

On his way in, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon actually rolled down his window to tell us he likes being in government. Presumably he is hoping to stay around. Stockwell Day just smiled.

The guessing game is on but until the new cabinet appointments are made only the prime minister and his inner circle know who will be doing what and how extensive this change will be.

Ask any of them and they will tell you the same thing — this year's Conservative caucus retreat in Charlottetown has been an unabashed love-in for MPs.

One after another, they emerged from strategy sessions to tell reporters caucus solidarity is at an all-time high and the Conservative family has never been more unified.

But there's another subject most were reluctant to talk about: soon they may need a new family photo. That's because a cabinet shuffle is almost certainly in the works.

In fact, sources tell us that ministers have been told not to travel during the week of August 13th because that is when they are expected to learn their fate.