Potential for Abuse,’ Policy‘Weaknesses,’ Has House Harassment Remark from Onempspilledintothehouselastweek
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Lobbying Climbers Party Central HOH Legislation Hill Life & People Foreign Policy The end of Ali Abdullahlah Saleh p. 11 TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR, NO. 1492 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2017 $5.00 Why isn’t Canada’s got Spin Docs on Morneau strategygy p. 2266 anyone ttoo reredirectdire telling ffundingundin #MeToo awawaya PBO should frfromom When will Parliament stories on ffossiloss reciprocate commitment take CRA to the Hill? fufuelse court p. 18 p. 19 pp.. 112 to veterans? p. 2 News Ethics probes News Sexual harassment News Conservatives Ethics czar Conservatives have working House harassment ‘brand problem’ ‘diligently’ to among female complete Trudeau policy has ‘weaknesses,’ voters, pin hopes investigation, on Scheer, star promises to report ‘potential for abuse,’ women MPs to ‘in the near future’ reverse trend BY ABBAS RANA say MPs, after Bezan- BY PETER MAZEREEUW thics Commissioner Mary Dawson, he Conservatives continue to trail Ewho started investigating last January Tbadly among women and have Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s stay at Romanado controversy what one pollster is calling a “gender the Aga Khan’s private island in the Ba- issue,” despite pulling nearly even with hamas, is “working diligently” to complete the federal Liberals among male voters the report and make it public in the “near MPs urged careful use or a re-examination of the in polls over the last few months. future,” says a spokeswoman for the Con- Weekly polls from Nanos Research fl ict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. House of Commons’ relatively new and lightly-tested show a double-digit advantage for the “The commissioner is working Liberals over the second place Conser- diligently towards making her report harassment policy, after a kerfuffl e over a lewd vatives, nearly every week since the public in the near future,” said Alison 2015 election. As of Dec. 1, the Liberals Zinni, communications and media remark from one MP spilled into the House last week. were up 16 percentage points on the adviser to ethics and confl ict of interest Conservatives among female voters, 42.2 to 26.2 per cent, while trailing Continued on page 24 BY PETER MAZEREEUW, by just two and half points among ABBAS RANA & men, 35.3 to 37.8, according to Nanos LAURA RYCKEWAERT Research. Nanos News Offi cers of Parliament Ps are split over Research chair Mwhether the House’s Nik Nanos sexual harassment policy called the Offi cers of Parliament could be misused for Liberal advan- political gains, with some tage over the appointment process dismissing the idea and Conservatives others warning of the among women should be similar risks in play. a “default phe- to Supreme Court “We’re living in a po- nomenon” in litical environment, and so history, though justices appointments, any kind of process could his polls show be subject to abuse,” said the gap has say opposition NDP MP Murray Rankin closed at times (Victoria, B.C.). before, with justice critics “We have to be very the two parties careful. If you start using pulling even BY ABBAS RANA it [for partisan reasons] (and the NDP as a political issue, it will surpassing Andrew Scheer. The Hill Times fi le photograph he government should use the same backfi re both for the vic- both) among Tprocess it uses to appoint Supreme tim and everybody,” said women at times Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 Court justices to appoint offi cers of Conservative MP Deepak in the spring and summer of 2015. Parliament because it involves all fed- Obhrai (Calgary Forest He isn’t the only pollster to track eral political parties and stakeholders Lawn, Alta.). that trend. Greg Lyle, the founder of at the federal and provincial levels, and None of the MPs Innovative Research Group, has also legal stakeholders. interviewed by The Hill studied the electoral preferences of “These are important players in Times suggested a sexual Canadian men and women. The cause our democracy,” said NDP MP Murray harassment policy was of the prolonged polling gap isn’t Rankin (Victoria, B.C.), his party’s A controversial apology by Conservative MP James Bezan in the House of not needed on the Hill, clearcut, but Mr. Lyle pointed at the justice critic in an interview with Commons last week for an off-colour joke made towards Liberal MP Sherry or that the recent sexual Conservatives to explain it, noting that The Hill Times. “These people wield Romanado last May prompted MPs to refl ect on the House of Commons’ sexual harassment controversy the Liberals are polling roughly evenly harassment policy, and the intersection of politics and sexual harassment. Continued on page 22 The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia, The Hill Times fi le photograph Continued on page 25 Continued on page 27 2 MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2017 | THE HILL TIMES There’s also current Conservative MP Mark Strahl, who represents Chilliwack- Hope, B.C., the same riding his father, former Separated at birth, eh? Reform Party-turned-Democratic Repre- sentative-turned Canadian Alliance-turned Heard on the Hill Conservative MP Chuck Strahl represented in the House from 2004 to 2011, although the by Shruti Shekar riding was called Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon. Is it David vs. Goliath…or Sgro and Sgro, possibility is it Gerard Comeau vs. New Brunswick? But can he act? If Hollywood’s The “free-the-beer” case has reached the ever looking for actor Harvey Kei- of fi rst mother-daughter Supreme Court of Canada, but that’s no tel’s double, Conservative MP Harold reason not to take in a few brews, right? Albrecht is their guy. The Hill Times The night before the fi rst day in court, Co- photograph by Andrew Meade and meau litigators headed to Play Food & Wine courtesy of Wikimedia Commons duo in the same riding in the ByWard Market in downtown Ottawa to connect and mingle. The event was hosted York West as a result of the 2013 electoral by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, boundary redistribution. with the support of the Canadian Vintners and the press gallery in the National Press Judy Sgro’s offi ce confi rmed that if Association, which showcased some of the Building for the estimated 350 members of Deanna is elected then it will be the fi rst alcohol that is at stake. the gallery on the Hill. mother-daughter duo for the area. Let’s backtrack a bit fi rst: back in 2012 Ge- “It has been a privilege to work at the “There have been plenty of father-son duos rard Comeau, a retiree from New Brunswick, gallery, there is never a dull moment,” Ms. in Canadian politics,” Deanna Sgro said in a crossed the border to Quebec and decided to Kingston said. “I wish to sincerely thank July 27 press release. “I think this says some- buy alcohol to bring back to his province. every one of you as well as my co-workers thing rather nice about how far women have That was a problem. Mr. Comeau didn’t and will miss you all.” come in politics, and the work we continue know there were laws against the inter- Her last day at the gallery will be Dec. 15. to do to ensure equality and to inspire young provincial trade of alcohol. So when he girls to know that any role is open to them.” tried crossing the border with 14 cases If Deanna Sgro wins the Ontario provincial There are other duos. of beer, two bottles of whisky, and one election, she will represent the riding of Humber New Democrat MP Daniel Blaikie cur- bottle of liquor, RCMP stopped him at the ‘Sorry regular Canadians,’ River-Black Creek, Ont., which her mother Judy rently represents the riding of Elmwood- New Brunswick-Quebec border, slapping Sgro represents federally. According to Deanna, Transcona, Man., which his father Bill him with a $292.50 fi ne for violating the only MPs can play hockey it would make for the fi rst mother-daughter duo Blaikie represented from 1979 to 2008. New Brunswick Liquor Control Act. on the Parliament rink in a riding in Canadian political history. The Hill Former Liberal MP Joe Jordan, currently The act limits the amount of alco- a senior associate at Bluesky Strategy Group, Times fi le photograph and Deanna Sgro’s Twitter hol that can be brought over the border to It looks like the anonymous House of represented the riding of Leeds-Grenville, Ont. about 18 cans or bottles of beer, or one Commons Twitter user has revealed several his just in: Deanna Sgro will be running in from 1997 to 2004. His father, Jim Jordan, rep- bottle of either wine or any spirit. MPs might play hockey on the newly the Ontario provincial race for the riding resented the same riding from 1988 to 1997. T Okay, now that we’ve got you up to opened Parliament Hill ice skating rink. of Humber River-Black Creek, Ont., which Liberal MP David McGuinty has speed let’s get back to the party. “#Canada150 skating rink closed to Ca- happens to be the riding her mother, Liberal represented the riding of Ottawa South, Howard Anglin, executive director of nadians for hockey. Just got an email from MP Judy Sgro, represents federally. Ont. since 2004 and his brother Dalton the Canadian Constitution Foundation, one Lib MP @stephanelauzon5 inviting MPs Judy Sgro has represented the rid- McGuinty, former Ontario premier, was the of the interveners in the case, said it will be to play hockey on Dec. 14 at 10am. Sorry ing since 1999, which was renamed from MPP for the same riding from 1990 to 2013.