From Canada-Israel politics to ... alligator importation? Adventures in ministerial multitasking with Peter Kent

Over the last few days, Minister of State for the Americas Peter Kent has managed to attract a wee bit of political flack for what appears to be a less (or, depending on your perspective, more) than word-for-word interpretation of his prime minister's past statements on Israel. But when it comes to serving the public, this minister has more on his agenda than Mid-East politics -- he also appears to be the first point of contact for a southern Ontario reptile zoo looking for a little help from the federal government. 

Earlier this month, the minister met with Mitch Blass, a lobbyist for Vaughan-based Reptilia, Inc. to discuss "financial institutions, industry, small business and employment and training." 

Blass -- who, in a past political life, was a senior advisor to Tony Clement during his Queen's Park days -- has been registered to lobby on Reptilia's behalf since last July. According to that filing, his client is "seeking assistance" from the government on two matters that may or may not be related: the importation of a White Alligator, and negotiations with the Costa Rican government on "the setting up of a crocodile farm in Costa Rica." 

So, where do financial institutions, small business and employment come into the picture? Well, Reptilia is also looking for financial support for a pilot project that would provide "a curriculum-based education program to Northern communities," which would seem to be a slightly better match with the subject identified in the communications report than the ins and outs of the international alligator trade. Then again, since his portfolio covers the Americas, Costa Rica does fall within his ministerial aegis, which means that crocodile-farm-related negotiations could end up on the diplomatic to-do list the next time he's in San Jose. (If you listen very closely, you might just be able to hear Peter Van Loan breathing a deep sigh of relief.) 

Meanwhile, Blass is also in hot pursuit of the prime minister -- or his signature, at least -- as part of his efforts to bring pandas -- or at least the possibility of future pandas -- to the Toronto Zoo. According to a registration filed last September, Blass hopes to convince the PM to write to the President of China "in order to secure pandas to be put on display at the zoo." As yet, he doesn't seem to have had any direct contact with Langevin -- or if he has, he hasn't yet reported it to the lobby commissioner -- but as a panda fan (does anyone with a functioning awww gland not love pandas, really?), it's hard not to hope he succeeds. Maybe Minister Kent can put in a good word for the Toronto Zoo at the next cabinet meeting -- right after he brings up the less cuddly question of those crocodiles.