2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018 | THE HILL TIMES

The event is held in appreciation of do- premier in September 2014, but before that nors who contribute $1,500 or more annu- was the senior executive vice-president ally, or $750 if you’re under the age of 35. and vice-chairman of CIBC. During his remarks, Mr. Trudeau also Prior to his death in the crash that suggested the Conservative Party was still killed three others, he was an adviser at Heard on the Hill ’s party, and separately the private-equity fi rm Warburg Pincus added must reject the popu- and spent fi ve months as a global fellow list and nationalist movements sweeping at the Wilson Center’s Institute in by Shruti Shekar other countries. His wife, Sophie Grégoire Washington, D.C. Trudeau, and Liberal Party president Su- zanne Cowan introduced him. Journalists were given access to Liberal Ryerson University Party fundraisers in April 2017 after nega- Luck is on the Hill as tive media coverage about so-called “cash- creates centre to for-access” fundraisers, which saw donors protect whistleblowers shell out upwards of $1,000 in exchange for MPs celebrate Irish Day closed-door access to cabinet ministers. Ryerson University’s Centre for Free It seems nothing has changed since Expression created a new initiative that journalists called out the party for the new will aim to protect whistleblowers and Liberal MP restricted access, as media attending the create a safe space for future whistle- James Maloney War Museum event were still only al- blowers. turned Centre lowed to cover the remarks and had to stay David Hutton, one of the members of Block green on within a cordoned-off area, accompanied the CFE Whistleblowing Initiative steer- June 12, hosting by an escort. ing committee, said in a phone interview the fi rst ever that the initiative was founded in March Irish Day on the and helps whistleblowers that are “putting Hill. Photograph All-party Aviation themselves at risk to protect others.” courtesy of James Caucus lifts of “Our goal is to help them,” he said Maloney’s offi ce According to the centre’s website, the

iberal MP James Maloney hosted the Senator Terry Mercer, Indigenous Services Lfi rst Irish Day on the Hill on June 12 Minister Jane Philpott, and Liberal MP and it was a pretty huge hit. Brenda Shanahan. Mr. Maloney, who is the chair of the Cana- “We also had a strong representation da-Ireland Friendship Group, said he came up from the [Irish-Canadian] community with the idea of hosting an event on the Hill from Ottawa and people from Toronto,” Mr. a couple of years ago, but time seemed right Maloney said. “There were also so many given he is looking to introduce his motion to local sports and cultural organizations, declare March as Irish Heritage Month. and the Irish Chamber of Commerce all Showing off some style at the new Aviation Caucus were, from left, incoming Canadian Federal Pilots That motion, M-139, has been on the no- participating.” Association national chair Mark Laurence, outgoing national chair Greg McConnell, Conservative MP tice paper since May 30, 2017 and, if moved , Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr, Conservative MP Jim Eglinski, Conservative MP , forward, it would “recognize the important Conservative MP , Conservative MP , Conservative MP , Liberal MP contributions that Irish-Canadians have Trudeau pumps up top , and Conservative MP Tony Clement. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia made to building Canada, and to Canadian donors ahead of 2019 society in general.” In the aftermath of former pre- initiative will “enable Canadians to live and “In conjunction with mier Jim Prentice’s death in a small plane work with integrity and to combat miscon- that, I’ve also been crash in October 2016, MPs from several duct that may threaten the well-being of working with the Irish parties have created the Aviation Caucus to our communities and our democracy.” community in Toronto look into aircraft safety regulations. There is limited whistleblower protec- for a while and I wanted Conservative MP Jim Eglinski and tion in Canada, and Ontario is the only to celebrate Irish heri- Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr are the co-chairs province with laws that pay people to come tage on the Hill,” he said of the group that is planning to study the forward about violations to securities laws, in a phone interview the shortage of qualifi ed pilots in September according to a June 2017 Yahoo Finance day after the event. after the House comes back from the sum- article. Those rules include offering protec- The party was or- mer break. tion and rewards based on the degree of ganized with the help During the fi rst meeting on June 13, the the information that is leaked. of Jim Kelly, the Irish Transportation Safety Board was invited “Ontario [has] actually the best whistle- ambassador to Canada, to discuss why Mr. Prentice’s plane went blower law in Canada because it prohibits and his family. MPs and down, according to a press release about retaliation, it lets you go confi dential and Senators of all stripes group’s formation. it does have the prospect of a reward,” attended the shindig TSB offi cials told MPs that because the Stephen Kohn, a Washington, D.C.-based that was hosted in Cen- small aircraft did not have a black box, a attorney, said to Yahoo. tre Block. fl ight data recording device, they were not The CFE initiative aims to improve Mr. Maloney said able to reach many conclusions about the those laws not only in Ontario but also he “deliberately” held cause of the crash. TSB offi cials also noted across Canada. Improved laws would pro- the event outside of the that the type of plane that Mr. Prentice was vide protection and “encourage adoption month of March so it Reporters were blocked off at a Laurier Club event last summer, pictured, in does not go through planned inspec- of effective organizational whistleblower wasn’t considered St. and nothing has really changed in a year to allow for more access. This tions, and the operator had also never been protection policy and procedures in both Patrick’s Day part two. year, Prime Minister encouraged donors to grow the club inspected by Transport Canada. public and private sectors.” “I’m going to con- in a push before for the 2019 election. The Hill Times fi le photograph Conservative MP Todd Doherty said the Mr. Hutton said that the centre is also tinue to do that going agency’s fi ndings were “scary stuff,” and working on an advice program that would forward, the reason being the point of the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encour- should concern all Canadian travellers, ac- offer “practical help,” like connecting evening is not to have another St. Patrick’s aged Laurier Club members to speak to cording to the release. individuals who choose to become whistle- Day, but the point of the evening is to friends and neighbours about the Liberal The group plans to develop policies relat- blowers with lawyers. celebrate the great contributions the Irish Party and its accomplishments in an effort ed to recreational fl ying, commercial fl ights, “They may need legal representation community has made over generations in to motivate the party’s highest donors and issues in the industry so that it is safer. and depending on what the issue is… there Canada,” he said. “It’s not about green beer to become fundraisers ahead of the 2019 The Canadian Federal Pilots Association are lawyers willing to help on a pro-bono and everything else that is associated with election. has long encouraged MPs to engage on the basis,” he said, adding the advice program St. Patrick’s Day.” “We know this is a big summer, this is aviation fi le and its representatives were at is still being fi nalized. Mr. Maloney said the party was topped a summer in which we’ll be working hard the meeting. Others on the steering committee in- off with Guinness beer, and oysters were and also recharging our batteries for that Mr. Prentice was a Conservative MP clude lawyer Peter Jacobson, Anna Myers, fl own in from Ireland, specifi cally from great last sprint over the next less than 500 from 2004 to 2010 and held several port- executive director of the Whistleblowing Galway and County Waterford. days until the next election,” he told party folios in former prime minister Stephen Internal Network, James Turk, director for He noted that NDP MP faithful at the annual Laurier Club Sum- Harper’s cabinet, including minister of the Centre for Free Expression, and lawyer and Conservative MP both mer Reception and Garden Party, held June Indian affairs and northern development, Sandy Boucher. spoke at the event. 18 at the Canadian War Museum. “And I industry, and environment. —With fi les from Emily Haws Spotted at the event were Conservative know that all of you will be super active on He left federal politics in 2010 and was [email protected] MPs , John Barlow, Liberal the ground across the country as well.” elected Alberta’s Progressive Conservative @shruti_shekar