Recommended reading
On April 16, 2007, Canadian author Yann Martel launched a rather one-sided pen pal relationship with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Alison Crawford
Every two weeks, the man who penned "Life of Pi" sends Harper a book. Martel started posting poetry and prose to the prime minister after a well-publicized rant against what he perceived as a Conservative government bias against artists.
Over the last two years, Martel has sent 47 topical tomes. On the eve of the last election, Harper received "A Clockwork Orange" and after last summer's cuts to arts funding, Martel sent off "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift.
Today Martel mailed Harper "The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror." The author? Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff.
In his accompanying letter to the prime minister, Martel writes, "I believe you said in an interview not long ago that you hadn't read much of Michael Ignatieff's work. It's obvious that you should, isn't it? After all, you will be facing him every day in the House of Commons this year — he may even take your job — so it would be to your advantage to get to know his mind."
It's unlikely Martel will receive a thank you note for his latest suggested reading. According to Martel's web site, the Prime Minister's Office has only acknowledged the first book with a short and polite note from one of Harper's assistants.
Alison Crawford
About the Authors
- Rosemary Barton started her television career reporting from Quebec City where she covered the ins and outs of Quebec politics. She moved to the CBC Parliamentary Bureau in 2007. She also stood on the side of road awaiting U.S. President Barack Obama's motorcade for hours in the cold. When she finally spotted him, all of Canada heard her shriek, "I saw him!"
- Alison Crawford worked in Fredericton, Calgary and Winnipeg before returning to her hometown to work in the CBC parliamentary bureau. Her beats include the RCMP, justice, public safety and the Liberals. Alison credits her investigative skills as well as a national etiquette column and coverage of a ferret Christmas party, with having prepared her for covering national politics.
- Andrew Davidson is a producer for the CBC politics page in Toronto. He joined CBCNews.ca's national desk in 2006 and was the lead news writer for the website's 2008 federal election coverage.
- Chris Hall is the National Affairs Editor for CBC News. He's been a member of the CBC Parliamentary Bureau since 1998. That adds up to 11 budgets, four elections, three prime ministers and too many confidence votes to count. Chris started his career in print before moving to the CBC in 1992. Since then, he's worked in Toronto, Halifax and St. John's, as well as Ottawa.
- Leslie MacKinnon Leslie's been working in news and current affairs since newsrooms used teletype, televison was shot on film and radio tape was edited with a razor blade. She saw through The Journal's long run on CBC-TV, and since then has worked in Halifax, Toronto and Ottawa in the CBC's various permutations. Right now, she's a TV news reporter in the political bureau, and likes certain parts of Ottawa - the canal, the Hill - a lot.
- Janyce McGregor has been a television producer in the CBC's Parliamentary Bureau since 2001. She started her career working for Studio 2 on TVOntario. In 2005 her then-doctoral student husband persuaded her to follow him to the U.K., where she worked for BBC World Service Radio in London. Janyce is originally a farm girl from southwestern Ontario. Her most important job title is "Norah's Mom."
- Chris Rands has been a member of the Parliamentary bureau since 2001. He started at Toronto's AM Radio giant CFRB before moving to CBC's National Radio News in 1996. Chris has worked in Toronto, Moncton, Sudbury, Regina, Washington and St John's. Every time Chris walks up to the Peace Tower, he wants to throw his hat in the air like Mary Tyler Moore.
Categories
Recent Entries
- First Reading (10/26/09)
- Today's essential political reads:... Continue reading this post
- Ka-Cheque!!!
- The "Welcome to the Cheque Republic" buttons were popular at last weekend's Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner. And now there's a website. Today, the Liberals launched www.chequerepublic.ca. It seems the oversized novelty cheque story has had an entirely unanticipated stimulus effect --... Continue reading this post
- Just a Small Detail
- What a curious omission. Yesterday, CBC contacted the office of Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt to ask about the lobbyist who helped organize a fundraiser on her behalf on Sept. 24. Michael B. McSweeney is vice-president of the Cement Association... Continue reading this post
