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FEARR VS.VS. PMO WHATW IS CHANGENGE DEBATE UPDATE GATEKEEPER GOVERNMENTG Warren KinsellaKinsella Profile of Jeremy GOODG AT? How the parties are positioning. P. 6 waits forr a WWestJetestJet Hunt. P. 1 9 DonaldD Savoie flight. P. 1 2 wwill tell us P. 2 TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR, NO. 1291 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSWEEKLY MONDAY, JULY 6, 2015 $4.00 NEWS NOMINATIONS POLLING & POLLSTERS NDP Conservative Senator, NDP whittles away at the Conservatives’ voting coalition satirical play, legal case, BY ÉRIC GRENIER strong emphasis on new Canadians. It its place, the New Democrats may be united the fastest growing parts of the constructing one that could prove to be media comments all The voting coalition that propelled country, leading many to argue that the as potent. the Conservatives to a majority vic- 21st century would be one dominated The latest polls put the Conservatives tory in 2011 was a formidable one. by the Conservative Party. at about 29 per cent support, down more cited in Crosbie rejection It combined the party’s traditional That may still happen, but recent than 10 points since 2011 and, with small stronghold of the West with voters in polls have suggested that this Con- BY ABBAS RANA rural and suburban Ontario, with a servative coalition is falling apart. In Continued on page 10 A number of factors may have contributed to the Conservative Party blocking Ches Crosbie’s nomina- NEWS SENATE tion in Avalon, from a local Senator’s ambition to a satirical theatre performance to legal work with residential school survivors to a Hill Times article, sources said last week. Senate rises, its future uncertain Mr. Crosbie, a prominent St. John’s lawyer and son of John Crosbie, former lieutenant governor of New- foundland and Labrador and a former Cabinet minis- Continued on page 16 NEWS NOMINATIONS DeLorey and Ryan seeking Conservative nomination in coveted Central Nova riding BY ABBAS RANA A senior Conservative Party offi cial and a retired high school principal are competing for the chance to replace Justice Minister Peter MacKay as the Conservative candi- date in the coveted Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova. Gone till November? Senate Speaker Leo Housakos bids the Red Chamber adieu last week after it rose for the summer. Its powerful Fred DeLorey, the Conservative Party’s director of internal economy committee will continue to meet over the summer, though, to examine the recommendations in Auditor General political operations who is now on a leave of absence, Michael Ferguson’s report. The Hill Times photo by Jake Wright and Jim Ryan, a recently retired school principal who is the brother-in-law of Maureen Murphy, chief of staff Continued on page 22 Senate Internal Economy Committee Senate’s rise a ‘lost to decide over summer months which opportunity’ to pass AG recommendations to implement more PMBs, say MPs NEWS THIRD-PARTY ADVERTISING BY ABBAS RANA Senate spokesperson Nancy Durn- BY RACHEL AIELLO ing told The Hill Times the auditor Debate over third-party The powerful Senate Internal general’s recommendations were After sitting past its schedule exclusive- Economy Committee will hold meet- referred to the subcommittees of the ly to pass the controversial union fi nancial ads continues, with ings over the summer to examine in Committee on Internal Economy, with transparency legislation, Bill C-377, a host detail the recommendations from the meetings expected over the summer. of other contentious private member’s bills Conservatives critical of auditor general’s report, choosing which ones to implement and how. Continued on page 7 Continued on page 4 union-backed groups BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT ELECTION 2015 STAFFERS The Conservative government has criticized third- party advertising in the pre-writ period and caused Staffers hit campaign trail to fi ght for parties, jobs the shutdown of HarperPAC, suggesting new regula- tions could be introduced, but former Harper strate- BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT marathon-like experience that many said Chad Rogers, a partner at Crest- gist Tom Flanagan says it’s noteworthy no similar say is also valuable and irreplaceable. view Strategy and former Conservative criticism has been leveled against other right-leaning The majority of staff on Parliament “I don’t think you work in a partisan campaign staffer who’s also worked on groups already advertising. Hill, in both MP offi ces and ministerial role for a government as an ordinary job; provincial and municipal campaigns. “Trouble is you can’t shut down the left-leaning ones, will soon be hitting the campaign you’re clearly a believer in the cause and “There is no glory in campaigning— groups without shutting down the groups that might be trail in one form or another to fi ght for you’re clearly committed to the cause, so there is glory in winning, and there is their party—and, often when it comes of course you’d want to work on an elec- Continued on page 17 down to it, for their jobs—a gruelling, tion—that’s the Super Bowl of politics,” Continued on page 15 2 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, JULY 6, 2015 FEATURE BUZZ THE SPIN DOCTORS By Laura Ryckewaert ON “What do you think of Canada’s efforts to THE get in on the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership? Has HEARD HILL B Y MARK BURGESS this been properly debated by Parliament?” gotiated free trade deals with 38 countries, while the Liberals sadly only negotiated a total of three over 13 years. Political institutions, “At the same time, the NDP has op- CORY HANN posed almost every free trade agreement Canada has signed. This shows just how bureaucracy at risk of Conservative strategist out of touch they are since one in fi ve jobs in Canada and 60 per cent of our GDP are “Trans-Pacifi c Partnership negotiations re- directly linked to exports. becoming irrelevant, main ongoing, and our government wants to “Under the proven leadership of Prime make sure that Canada is part of a TPP agree- Minister Stephen Harper, our Conservative warns Savoie in new book ment. The Prime Minister will only sign an government continues to promote Cana- agreement that is in Canada’s best interests. dian trade interests across all sectors of our “Our Conservative government has economy, while the NDP and Liberals only launched the most ambitious pro-export work to raise taxes on middle class Canadi- Ps have abandoned their roles—from plan in our country’s history. We have ne- ans, killing jobs and opportunities.” Mreviewing legislation and spend- ing to debating the important issues of the day—“other than to represent their constituents by promoting local projects some point, though, we need to see what it in Ottawa and to support their parties in is that we’re actually supporting.’ Parliament,” writes Donald Savoie in his “As for the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership new book. (TPP), these far-reaching negotiations could IAN WAYNE The latest from the Canada Research impact everything from Canada’s agricul- Chair at the Université de Moncton, con- NDP strategist ture sector to the price of drugs to investor– sidered by many as the dean of Canadian state dispute rules. Canadians have a right writers concerned with public administra- “So-called ‘free’ trade deals are like ideo- to know what’s on the table. tion, is due out on Sept. 1 from McGill- logical candy to Stephen Harper’s Conser- “The level of secrecy surrounding the Queen University Press. It’s called What vatives. And every negotiation comes with talks, and remarks from a Conservative MP is Government Good At?: A Canadian its share of self-congratulatory fanfare— declaring supply management ‘an anachro- Answer. alongside baseless attacks on the opposi- nism that must disappear,’ undermine Ste- MPs and Parliament are no longer tion NDP. Conservatives negotiate sweeping phen Harper’s likely hollow reassurances good at what they should be doing, deals in secret and seem to put more effort to farmers. That’s why Tom Mulcair wrote to including holding the government to into PR than they do in negotiating good the prime minister demanding he support account and scrutinizing the more than agreements. farm families and preserve Canada’s valued $250-billion of annual spending, writes “Conservatives can count on Liberals, of supply management system. Prof. Savoie. course, to support any trade deal—sight un- “New Democrats are enthusiastic pro- “MPs and Parliament also have a seen. The Trudeau Liberals enthusiastically ponents of trade deals that help create jobs responsibility for safeguarding the public applauded the Conservative announcement and grow our economy. They have pledged interest, the common good. They are of CETA, despite the fact the deal wasn’t to study any agreement carefully, weighing falling short on this responsibility as close to being fi nal and details were non- the concerns and benefi ts, while keeping well,” he writes. “This, in turn, has wide existent. After failing to hold the Conserva- the focus where it belongs—on what’s in implications for the machinery of govern- Donald Savoie’s new book will be released Sept. tives to account, Liberal trade critic Chrys- the best interests of Canadian families and ment and for assessing what government 1. Image courtesy of McGill-Queen’s University Press tia Freeland was fi nally forced to admit: ‘At communities.” is good at.” Instead, power has shifted to the centre over the past 40 years, at the expense of prime ministerial-centric large organi- table. The government of Canada must also the public service. Infl uence today “belongs zation operating in a politically volatile defend Canadian interests during these ne- to a carefully selected handful of partisan environment.” gotiations—that includes defending supply advisers and senior deputy ministers.” This needs to change, he says.