TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR, NO. 1399 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENTNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2017 $5.00 Climbers: Heard Has Getting more on anyone ready for the seen the a Trump PMO Hill Conservative White hires Derek Party lately? House Laura Ryckewaert, p. 24 Abma, p. 2 Warren Kinsella, p. 3 pp. 20-23 NEWS LIBERAL CAUCUS NEWS CABINET Parliamentary secretary shuffl e coming, insiders predict big changes Trudeau willing to BY RACHEL AIELLO shakeup last week, and insiders say the changes coming could impact a Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is majority of the positions. make tough decisions preparing to shuffl e his parliamen- tary secretaries, following a cabinet Continued on page 7 to achieve his agenda, NEWS U.S. PRESIDENT INAUGURATION For Canada, Trump inauguration but Dion treated about making contacts, being ‘good neighbour’ ‘disrespectfully,’ say BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT Canadians will be among those in attendance at offi cial and Washington, D.C. is bracing unoffi cial inauguration weekend Dion supporters for an estimated one million events, and surrounding meet- people to be in town for U.S. ings and marches. president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, and Continued on page 16 NEWS COMMISSIONERS PMO ‘so far behind on appointments,’ rigorous new hiring process, lack of qualifi ed people cited for extensions of lobbying, ethics commissioners BY DEREK ABMA government are cited as possible reasons why the commissioners A packed government agenda, of lobbying and ethics have once a dearth of qualifi ed candidates, again been given six-month ex- and a bogging down in process tensions on an interim basis. due to the new merit-based ap- proach to senior appointments by Continued on page 6 NEWS KELLIE LEITCH Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 Some opponents to Leitch’s divisive Here he comes: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured at last week’s swearing-in ceremony, booted former Foreign leadership campaign still praise her Affairs minister Stéphane Dion out of his cabinet last week. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright BY DEREK ABMA those opposed to her in the lead- BY ABBAS RANA siders say the prime minister treated Times last week who requested ership race—say she remains a former federal party leader Stéphane anonymity. At the time of the Despite running a Conserva- respected member of the party. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Dion “disrespectfully” by giving him interview, Mr. Dion, the 21-year tive leadership campaign labelled Yet, one Conservative insider injected new energy and strength into the boot from cabinet and offering veteran of the Liberal caucus, by some intra-party opponents as who asked not to be identifi ed said his government when he shuffl ed his him a diplomatic appointment. who was fi rst elected in 1996, was “irresponsible populism,” Trump- Mr. Leitch (Simcoe-Grey, Ont.) has cabinet last week in an effort to deal “He has not been treated re- still considering his future plans. like, and negative, other caucus with upcoming U.S. president Donald spectfully,” a friend of Mr. Dion’s colleagues of Kellie Leitch—even Continued on page 4 Trump’s administration, but some in- said in an interview with The Hill Continued on page 18 2 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2017 FEATURE BUZZ CP reporter Bruce Cheadle’s ON THE retirement shindig, Jan. 11 HEARD HILL The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright BY DEREK ABMA O’Leary’s image used for Former Ottawa NDP MP Paul Dewar, Canadian Press get-rich-quick off ers Reporter Bruce Cheadle, and Randall Palmer, senior Mr. Dewar, Mr. Cheadle, and Mr. Palmer at the communications adviser at Innovation, Science and Métropolitain Brasserie last Wednesday night. Economic Development Canada. the most unpopular and visible taxes in Canada. Rick Peterson, the Vancouver business- man running for the Conservative leader- ship, last week suggested increasing the GST from fi ve per cent to nine per cent. His campaign team noted in a press release that seven per cent was CP reporter Mike Blanchfi eld, PMO communications Canadian Press’ Stephanie Levitz. its original level adviser Mark Kennedy, and The Hill Times’ columnist before the previ- Les Whittington. ous Conservative government, under Stephen Harper, reduced it by one Kevin O’Leary’s image have been used without percentage point authorization by groups selling get-rich-quick in 2006 and then plans. Photograph by Valerie Caviness, courtesy of by another point Kevin O’Leary in 2008. It was, of course, the Progressive Con- hile the Conservative Party doesn’t servative govern- Conservative leadership Wknow yet whether it’ll be able to use ment under Brian candidate Rick Peterson CBC parliamentary bureau chief Rob Russo, iPolitics Kevin O’Leary’s image to sell itself in the Mulroney that has proposed hiking the executive editor Stephen Maher, and The Globe and next election, one or more organizations implemented the GST to nine per cent. Mail’s Bill Curry. aiming to recruit people into get-rich-quick tax in 1991. Photograph courtesy of CP reporter Terry Pedwell and his wife Kasia. schemes are not being shy about using Mr. Mr. Peterson Rick Peterson O’Leary to attract clicks. argued that a nine Pictures of Mr. O’Leary, a potential per cent GST would help give Canada a Conservative leadership candidate, have balanced budget within two years, and appeared recently with advertisements when combined with provincial sales taxes on websites including LinkedIn and the across the country, would still be less than Ottawa Citizen beside headlines such the OECD average sales tax of 19 per cent. as “O’Leary: ‘Quit Your Job TODAY” and Although the sales tax would rise, Mr. “Kevin O’Leary Shocked: Employees Quit Peterson has also proposed eliminating in Just Week.” corporate sales taxes altogether, creating Both these examples are links to the largest infrastructure program ever identical stories, though on different web in the North, and reducing red tape at the platforms, that include quotes purported U.S. border with new bilateral trade agree- Radio-Canada reporter Fannie Olivier, Ms. Levitz, and to be from Mr. O’Leary such as: “Never ments. La Presse Canadienne reporter Mélanie Marquis. CP’s Joanna Smith and Steve Rennie, a writer-editor at before in history do we have an opportu- When you add it all up, Mr. Peterson Fisheries and Oceans Canada. nity that people can easily take advantage said Canadians would earn an extra $5 in of to generate tremendous wealth in such a income for every additional dollar they short time,” as well as: “It’s even dangerous paid in GST under his economic plan. to talk about it, because the powerful elite Well, good luck getting the Conserva- does not want the average person to have tive base to rally around that idea. this much wealth. Because the wealthier the population is, the less power they themselves have. They hate me for sharing Harper helps Tories’ this!” Both websites include videos with cash-raising efforts people who eventually get around to explaining that there’s a secret investment It seems the Liberals aren’t strategy that most people aren’t aware of yet done doing battle with Ste- that can make people millionaires within a phen Harper. Earlier this month, the for- matter of months. CP reporter Bruce Cheadle, described by his mer prime minister sent a letter Below the videos are fi elds for people to colleagues as a ‘grizzled master of the journalistic fi ll out their contact information and create to Conservative supporters craft’ is retiring after nearly 30 years. accounts, eventually being asked to deposit in an effort to raise funds Policy Options Magazine editor Jennifer Ditchburn. funds so these too-good-to-be-true invest- to help oppose the Lib- ment strategies can truly take off. eral government. Nancy Cheung, a spokeswoman for Mr. Harper, who Mr. O’Leary, said in an email: “Unfortu- is a director of nately, a number of sites are trying to take the Conservative advantage of O’Leary’s level of popularity Party’s Fund, cited by using his image without permission to in his letter Prime advertise ‘get rich quick’ methods that he Stephen Harper Minister Justin Trudeau’s does not endorse. Our legal team is work- sent a letter to plan to price carbon, the ing vigorously to have these sites removed.” Conservative multi-billion-dollar defi cits supporters re- that are forecast for the cently, asking for foreseeable future, and the Tory leadership candidate donations to the $2.65-billion the govern- party. The Hill ment has promised to de- proposes GST hike Times photograph veloping countries to help by Andrew Meade them fi ght climate change. So, let’s get this straight. Someone run- Members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery fl ocked to the Métropolitain Brasserie on Jan. 11 to bid ning to be leader of the Conservative Party Continued on page 26 farewell to Mr. Cheadle. of Canada wants to almost double one of THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2017 3 THE WAR ROOM CONSERVATIVE PARTY Conservative Party a shadow of its former self popped up from Harvard to run things. okay. They’ve got MPs, they’ve got money, The Liberal Party isn’t Remember them? The Conservatives mas- they frequently get journalists to point ‘dead,’ and last we sacred all of them, one after another. microphones in their direction. At the time—and for a good long time— But, still. checked, it was running the pundits and prognosticators would opine The Conservative Party seems to be a things again. There’s been that the Conservative Party was unbeatable, shadow of its former self, now.