Inside Politics

Emails shed light on politics of RCMP report release

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:20:06 -0500

Newly-released documents obtained under Access to Information shed more light on the role played by the office of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews in how the RCMP communicates with reporters and the public.

Unofficial Liberal leadership candidate turns to political ad veteran

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:36:58 -0500

The Liberal Party of Canada has its first unofficial leadership contestant.

David Bertschi is first out of the gate with a website, ads and a national call-out for volunteers.

In a weekend email to parliamentary reporters, Matt Hopkins, acting director of communications for Bertschi's Exploratory Committee, urged journalists to check out Bertschi's Facebook page to view "two teaser ads in both official languages in preparation for the release of his full leadership ads in the coming weeks."

The ads are memorable. So memorable that many political junkies will recall a similar ad from former Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty. Both videos were produced by renowned Canadian-American political filmmaker Lucas Baiano, who also produced ads for two other former U.S. presidential hopefuls, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

Read more and view the clips, after the jump....

Public business through private members bills

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:57:40 -0500

This week the face of the government's crime prevention agenda belonged to a backbench MP few people know. There are some times when it's advantageous to use a private members' bill instead.

The (ATIP) waiting is the hardest part

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:10:03 -0500

I've just sent off another complaint to the Information Commissioner. I know most of you have grown wearing of hearing journalists complain about what we perceive as obstacles to obtaining government reports and documents, however I think this particular case deserves some attention.

In the fall of 2010 my colleague Greg Weston and I worked on a series about the cost of rehabilitating buildings in the parliamentary precinct. On Oct. 28, 2010 I sent the Department of Public Works a request for a draft document mentioned by former Auditor General Sheila Fraser in section 3.41 of her spring report on parliamentary buildings.

Rick Aubé from the Public Works ATIP office sent me a letter of acknowledgement on Nov. 3. I didn't hear back from him until December 13, 2010, when (even after he had breached the 30-day deadline) he wrote, "Public Works and Government Services Canada has determined that your request is for a large number of records or necessitates a search through a large number of records and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with its operations."

Now, I'm not sure why asking for a specific draft report would necessitate going through such a rigamarole - but wait, there's more...

... and an update - after the jump.

RCMP fleet details too secret for Toews are only a click away

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:36:44 -0500

This week Public Safety Minister Vic Toews claimed that "for security reasons and to maintain the integrity of police operations" he could not fully answer a question from NDP MP Sylvain Chicoine about the RCMP's fleet of aircraft.

Toews was among many ministers who, on Monday, provided answers to hundreds of outstanding questions from last year. Chicoine had asked Toews for a tally of how many aircraft are in the RCMP fleet, how often they fly, what they cost and how they are used, as well as a breakdown of their make, model and age.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the RCMP taking to the air. And as someone who has written about the Mounties' planes, I found Toews' response a little curious.

"Mr. Speaker, the RCMP owns 12 fixed-wing aircraft of various makes and models, ranging from 3 to 26 years of age, for surveillance. Aircraft are deployed for use across the country, as and when required. Requests from outside police forces may be considered based on operational availability," Toews said in his answer tabled in the House of Commons.

"For security reasons and to maintain the integrity of police operations, the RCMP cannot further identify these resources or release additional details as to their usage without jeopardizing ongoing police operations and investigational techniques, as well as the safety of RCMP personnel and the public," Toews said.

Last September, I checked in with the RCMP for an update on the force's fleet. I was told the Mounties have 32 planes and 10 choppers. The fleet is used for surveillance, air support, patrols, getting around remote areas, searches, transporting supplies and personnel as well as executive travel.

The makes and models of the aircraft can all be found with the click of a mouse on the RCMP Air Services web page, where the force proudly describes its fleet of 3 Cessna Caravans, 2 De Havilland Twin Otters, 2 Eurocopter EC 120Bs, 8 Eurocopter AS 350B3s, 15 Pilatus PC-12s, 10 Cessnas and let's not forget former Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli's Italian vanity jet, the Piaggio Avanti P180.

Now if the Mounties don't mind sharing information about the fleet, I'm not sure why Toews does, especially when speaking on behalf of the RCMP.

Liberal hopeful in Toronto-Danforth tries colourful approach

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:08:46 -0500

A Toronto man is asking Conservatives, New Democrats and members of any other party in existence to support his bid for the Liberal Party nomination for the upcoming by-election in the riding of Toronto-Danforth.

In his unconventional online pitch, Grant Gordon has written specific messages to people of all political stripes.

Hit the jump for more...

The prankster behind the snow shovelling tax credit hoax

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:46:29 -0500

He denied it at first, but I asked one more time.

"Are you the prankster who sent me a media release from Health Canada?"

Dougald Lamont replied that yes, it was him.

I received the email from the bogus media-relation@hc-sc.gc.ca email address early this afternoon, entitled "Harper Government Announces New Fitness Tax Credits for Seniors Shovelling Snow."

In a clever parody of a government of Canada announcement, it attributed the following comment to Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq: "By instituting a Seniors Fitness Tax Credit for Shovelling Snow, seniors on fixed incomes will not have to pay anyone to shovel their walks, they will be rewarded - even posthumously - for doing it themselves."

More, including the full text of the hoax e-mail, after the jump:

Liberal mad men target legal beagles over C-10

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:42:06 -0500

The Liberals want members of Canada's legal community to join the fight against bill C-10, the government's omnibus crime legislation. The party is running ads in a number of law publications, including Lawyers WeeklyTimes, Canadian Lawyer, Law Times, Le Journal du Barreau du Quebec, National Magazine and University Affairs.

The ad features a Canadian flag behind prison bars and an open letter from the Liberal party's interim leader Bob Rae asking readers, "If you don't oppose the omnibus crime bill, who will?"

Read more and see the ad after the jump...

His name is Robert Paulson. No, it's Bob

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:40:29 -0500

It was getting really annoying.

I mean, it was nice that so many people responded to my piece about the new RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, but many of the online comments simply read, "His name is Robert Paulson."

In one case someone turned on the caps lock and typed out, "HIS NAME IS ROBERT PAULSON" several times. I also received tweets and emails telling me, "His name is Robert Paulson."

Now I know for a fact the new RCMP commissioner goes by Bob, not Robert, so I could not understand all these accusations that I had mistakenly abbreviated his name.

Curious, and growing suspicious that I one the wrong side of an inside joke, I turned to my google machine and typed in "His name is Robert Paulson". I got 156,000 results.

More, after the jump....

Liberal renewal: looking for an outside fix?

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:59:38 -0500

While the NDP leadership race heats up, scant attention has been paid to the Liberal Party and its renewal activities.

Having changed its constitution in June in order to give it more time to select a leader, the party is heading towards a January policy convention where members will help shape a future platform, choose a new president and officers, as well as improve the party's structure and governance.

Liberals have been invited to go online and vote on the issues they want considered at the convention. The most popular resolutions will make it through.

So far, the two top resolutions have nothing to do with policy or party renewal.

More, after the jump:

Massachusetts and the Sacred Cod

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:53:23 -0500

Republican State Rep. Dan Winslow wants this fish (look up) to swim the other way.

The 1.5-metre pine carving of a cod, Massachusetts' official state fish, hangs over the public gallery at the back of the Chamber of the House of Representatives. Dubbed the "Sacred Cod," the fish serves to remind those present of the historic importance of fishing to the state's economy.

And it matters which way the fish is facing.

Find out why, after the jump...

A thumb verde

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:06:23 -0500

If you've got a green thumb, Canada's embassy in Italy wants to hear from you. Hit the jump to see how you could win a contract worth $500,000 to $1,000,000.

SCOC vacancies: Harper's process

Tue, 17 May 2011 11:36:30 -0500

Supreme Court of Canada Justices Louise Charron and Ian Binnie surprised many in the country's legal community last Friday when they announced their retirements.

It's not often two judges leave at the same time. Charron, 60, is also nowhere near the court's mandatory retirement age of 75.

While many observers of the top court have spoken fondly about the contributions and personal style of Charron and Binnie, others have wondered how Prime Minister Stephen Harper will select their replacements.

More, after the jump:

Ignatieff interview: Wheels on the bus

Sun, 01 May 2011 11:45:31 -0500

All things considered, the suite at the back of Michael Ignatieff's Liberal bus is pretty cosy.

I sat on the squishy green couch to interview the Liberal leader this afternoon on our bumpy drive from Paris to Stoney Creek, Ontario.

While his wife Zsuzsanna Zsohar read quietly in the corner, I asked Ignatieff about frustrated voters who think Canada needs electoral reform or some kind of unification of parties on the political left.

Hear the interview and read a partial transcript, after the jump:

RCMP reform a forgotten issue in 2011 campaign

Sun, 01 May 2011 11:27:45 -0500

It's certainly not one of the highest-profile topics of this campaign, but more than 30,000 employees of the RCMP and other Canadians care deeply about following through with at least some of the recommendations in the 2007 David Brown report on structural and cultural change at Canada's national police force.

I took a look at how the different platforms address the issue ... after the jump.