Inside Politics

Orders of the Day - Nunavut or bust! PM's northern tour hits Cambridge Bay

by Kady O'Malley Posted: August 22, 2012 7:48 AM Last Updated: August 22, 2012 9:07 AM
Today's leg of the annual prime ministerial northern tour will kick off with an announcement at the Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve before spending much of the rest of the day in transit to his next destination: Cambridge Bay.

Upon arriving in Nunavut this evening, the PM will take part in a series of photo ops -- including one with the Martin Bergmann, an Arctic research vessel named in honour of the late director of the Polar Continental Shelf Program, who was killed in an air crash in Resolute Bay, as well as an appearance with representatives from Google Earth at Nunavut Arctic College.

He'll round out the day by attending a community feast with the ministers accompanying him on this week's journey, as well as Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak.
 
Back on the Hill, Liberal consumer affairs critic Geoff Regan appears to be preparing to break from his party's stated summer-long plan to "focus on youth" with a press conference on "excessive cell phone contract cancellation fees," to which he will, predictably, be calling on the government to put an end, while simultaneously making himself available to "respond to the issues of the day."  

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, meanwhile, is in Leeds for a roundtable on national parks, with "regional mayors and local business and community leaders" scheduled to be in attendance. The discussion will be followed by an "indoor picnic" and "short remarks." 

Meanwhile, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney will take the main stage at the Canadian Auto Workers' Constitutional and Collective Bargaining Convention in Toronto. Given the Conservative Party's frequent condemnations of the New Democratic Party for ostensibly serving as political catspaw to shadowy "Big Union Bosses," it will be interesting to see what, if any, reaction Carney's appearance will elicit from the usual talking point-reciting suspects. 

Finally, to mark the one year anniversary of the death of former NDP Leader Jack Layton, memorial events will be held across Canada, including a "celebration of life" in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. 

(We'll also be holding a special Wednesday live chat to discuss Layton's legacy, and the challenges facing the NDP when the House returns this fall, so be sure to stop by!) 


On the ministerial circuit:

  • Out and about in the Maritimes today: Revenue Minister Gail Shea drops by a Charlottetown farm with new support for "agricultural innovation" while Public Safety Minister Vic Toews speaks to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, which is holding its annual conference in Membertou. Elsewhere in Nova Scotia, local MP Scott Armstrong delivers federal funding to Great Village-based Instrument-Concepts-Sensor Software Inc. 
  • Back in Ontario, Conservative MP Gord Brown makes an appearance at the CORK International Regatta in Kingston
  • Industry Minister Christian Paradis continues his western tour with a visit to Calgary tech company Evans Consoles, during which he will unveil funding for two "innovative digital techology adoption projects" and hand out a "Canadian Innovation Leader certificate," presumably to the company hosting the event. 
  • Also on the Alberta good news hustings today: Wild Rose MP Blake Richards, who will "make an announcement" at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre. 
  • Minister of State for Seniors Alice Wong convenes "key stakeholders" from Kelowna to take part in the next instalment of her ongoing cross-country consultations.

For up to the minute dispatches from the precinct and beyond, keep your eye on the Parliament Hill Ticker below -- or, alternatively, bookmark it and check back throughout the day. 

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Tags: blackberry jungle, orders of the day