Winnipeg Free Press

Prime Minister Stephen Harper apparently has a new director of communications.

Sandra Buckler, the woman the press gallery seems to despise on masse, who was responsible in part for the chill between the PMO and the press gallery, announced she was leaving last week.

Speculation has been running rampant on parliament hill (it has been about the only active thing in this place this week) as to who her replacement will be.

Late this afternoon we’re told Kory Tenycke is stepping up to the plate. He of Conservative Research Group fame.

Now the speculation is turning to what the next showdown between the PMO and the PG will be. I’m not betting a soon-to-be-worthless Canadian penny on a warm front coming in. . .

Every seat in Alberta is held by the Conservatives and all but one of them won their seat with more than 50 per cent of the vote.

But it’s not stopping the leaders of Canada’s opposition parties from schlepping out to Calgary for the opening of the Stampede.

The Prime Minister stopped there as expected Friday (thankfully sans the vest he made famous a few years ago in a photo that never needs to see the light of day again but you can find here if you are so inclined) but he was joined by Stephane Dion, Jack Layton and Elizabeth May. All of them seemed to want to sell their climate change plans. In oil country.
I’m wondering if I missed the invite to the political gathering of lost causes?

A French language rights group from Quebec is steamed about a poster the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. used to promote a Canada Day party at the embassy.

The party was supposed to focus on Quebec City’s 400^th anniversary and the poster had a picture of Samuel de Champlain holding a plate of poutine.

That is offensive the group says because it’s junk food. According to the group using poutine is an attack on Quebec culture and would be akin to a poster promoting the rest of Canada using a hot dog. Apparently the offence is so egregious to Imperatif Francais, its spokesman, Jean-Paul Perreault, wants Prime Minister Stephen Harper to apologize and Ambassador Michael Wilson to resign.

Now aside from the fact that a hot dog is about as AMERICAN as apple pie so using it to promote the rest of Canada is just ridiculous, can we say OVER REACTION.

I mean my goodness. Poutine may be a junk food but it’s a delicacy associated exclusively with Quebec and something almost every Canadian would immediately recognize as coming from Quebec. And I know if I was living in Washington, where I know from experience poutine isn’t exactly on any menus, I’d hightail it to the embassy if there was a promise of poutine on the menu.

I am pretty sure if the Washington Embassy was hosting a party in Manitoba’s honour and promoted it with a poster of Louis Riel enjoying a Slurpee or some Old Dutch Salt and Vinegar chips, I would laugh.

Not to mention, even if you are upset about the use of poutine rather than say maple syrup, an apology from the Prime Minister and the resignation of the ambassador is a little much. As soon as it got the complaint, the embassy pulled the poster and redrew the image sans poutine.

That should have been the end of it.

I could list several potential images which would have been offensive to Quebeckers but I’m not really in the habit of promoting stereotypes so I won’t. Poutine however isn’t a stereotype. It’s delicious. Imperatif Francais should apologize to the rest of Canada for wasting government time with frivolous complaints.

I was actually quite moved by the military parade and pomp this morning when Walter Natynczyk was sworn in as the Chief of the Defence Staff.

It was one of those moments in my career when I was reminded why I wanted to be a journalist in the first place - because you often get to witness the day’s big events in person. And watching the change of command for our military certainly is one of the privileges I will remember getting to cover.

I remember standing there thinking that it’s too bad all Canadians couldn’t be there to witness the ceremony.

It is of course my job to bring the ceremony to the people who can’t be there, to tell them the story so they know what happened as best as possible. The paper will carry a full story in Thursday’s edition. But here are some of the highlights and more memorable moments and quotations.

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General Rick Hillier, retiring after 35 years, went out with the same humour and character he showed throughout his 3.5 year reign as the military’s top dog.

His speech opening:

“I’ve resolved to cut my 52 minute speech down. I know General Walt Natynczyk likes to speak and likes to speak a lot. So you may have to endure him for a little bit today.”

In his thanks to his wife, Joyce, he called her the romantic in the family pointing out that the morning he was set to announce his retirement from the military, he left the house and realized he had forgotten something so he called her and asked her if she knew what day it was.

Her response:

“The first day of the rest of our lives.”

His response:

“Well yes. But it’s also garbage day.”

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Natynczyk has spent much of the time since he was announced as the new Chief of the Defence Staff, fielding questions about what will make him different from Hillier. Today he told the crowd the answer is easy - Hillier is from Newfoundland, and cheers for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Natynczyk said.

“I am from Manitoba and I support the Ottawa Senators and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.”

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Entry to the ceremony was restricted to invited guests, soldiers, and the media. But it didn’t stop a handful of everyday people from turning out to witness the change over. About a dozen people, some sporting folding lawn chairs, hung out at the fence outside the Canada Reception Centre at Uplands military base near the Ottawa airport. There was even a group of young children, who screamed in delight when the Snowbirds flew overhead, and were even seen marching in time to the music of the military band. No military recruiter was spotted signing the youngsters up.

************

By the numbers:

1: Hours ceremony was supposed to last.

2: Hours ceremony actually lasted.

9: Number of soldiers who succumbed to the heat, standing at attention on a bare tarmac, in full dress uniform, under a blazing sun with no shade and no relief.

4: Number of SkyHawks – the Canadian army’s parachute team – who were dropped from a C-H146 helicopter and parachuted down towards the ceremony in their trademark Canadian flag parachutes, emitting red smoke and toting both a Canadian flag and a Canadian Forces Ensign, the latter of which is the distinguishing flag of the Chief of the Defence Staff.

9: Snowbirds who did a fly pass during the ceremony.

4: branches of the military represented including the army, airforce, navy and special forces.

15: Number of families present of soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan.

1: number of tanks which carried Gen. Rick Hillier into retirement.

Eight gazillion: number of times the tune of “Maple Leaf Forever” has run through my head since it was played several times at the ceremony this morning.

3: Number of words to the lyrics of Maple Leaf Forever I actually know.

I had the pleasure of attending my first ever press gallery garden party at the Prime Minister’s residence Thursday night.

I sheepishly admit I missed the annual spring flings thrown by Liberal Leader Stephane Dion at Stornoway, and Speaker Peter Milliken at his compound. I hate those small-talky events and found other things to do on both occasions.

But I wasn’t going to miss my chance to hobnob with Harper and see 24 Sussex for the first time. So off I went with my wardrobe-malfunctioning-dress held together by a safety pin hoping to prevent myself from becoming latest Manitoba reporter fodder for Frank Magazine.

I had been warned it wasn’t your typical elitist political champagne and caviar type event. But still I was pleasantly surprised. Harper and his wife, Laureen, have got to be commended for knowing how to throw a party. They invited not only press gallery members but their families as well. So the place was teeming with happy kids. There were pony rides and a petting zoo and bouncy castles set up in the front yard, clowns and balloon animals and popcorn and cotton candy in the back.
Instead of crudités and colourful cocktails there were hamburgers and hot dogs, milkshakes and French fries and onion rings, and beer and wine was a flowing. They even had those little donuts which I realized I’d forgotten to sample until after I left, darn it all.
It was relaxed and happy as MPs and PMO staffers mingled with their arch enemies in the press gallery despite so-so muggy Ottawa weather and bugs which were a biting.
And most impressive of all perhaps was that Harper himself stood in the middle of the lawn for the entire party in a one-man receiving line, posing for photographs with the media he loves to hate. Although my date did comment that the line-up for the hamburgers was longer (and moving far faster) than the line up to meet the Prime Minister. . .

I am always of the belief that politicians can change their minds about something, much as the rest of us are allowed to do so. Someone who might not think, say a new stadium for Winnipeg, is a good idea right of the hop, can be convinced of the need for one over time.

But Vic Toews sudden change of heart on the stadium seems a little fishy to me. What suddenly tipped the scales? Last fall, Toews said Winnipeg could basically choose between dirty water and a new stadium. There wasn’t money, said Toews, to improve water treatment and sewer systems, and build a new stadium.

But now, when all of a sudden there is a proposal for a new stadium in Point Douglas instead of at Polo Park, Toews is suddenly onside?

Did I miss the news releases where the governments had suddenly fixed all of the dirty water issues in Manitoba? Or is it that building a stadium in Point Douglas is going to have the spinoff effect of magically repairing aging water treatment plants and sewer pipes?

I know in the Manitoba legislature there used to be a running joke among reporters that it was hard to distinguish one old bald white guy from the next.

I eventually figured them all out but I do have to admit I once asked for one MLA for a scrum and when i started asked questions I figured out pretty quickly I had asked for the wrong one! I had to fudge things pretty darn quickly or let on that I had mixed him up with his colleague.

I also know that among the political stereotypes out there, is a belief that youth are less inclined to be conservative.

Well it’s pretty clear the current federal Conservative party is bucking that trend from within. Twenty of its 127 MPs haven’t yet celebrated their 40^th birthdays, and three more aren’t even 30 yet. The under-40 club Tories includes four cabinet ministers, one secretary of state and seven parliamentary secretaries. (Two of them are from Manitoba, Steven Fletcher who is 36 and Rod Bruinooge who is 35). It means more than one in six Tory MPs is Under the Hill.

The other parties combined have just 12 Under 40s, with five each for the Liberals and Bloc and two for the NDP. The NDP will have just one under 40 within a few weeks as Brian Masse turns 40 next month.

The Tories under 40 group will however change dramatically next year when seven of them celebrate the big 4-0. Perhaps there will be a giant party on the hill to mark the occasion?

One of the biggest frustrations in a reporter’s life is not having as much space as you want or need to tell a story.

On Monday I had a great interview with Lt. Gen. Walter Natynczyk, who in just over two weeks will become the number one soldier in Canada.

Here are some of the things the general said which didn’t make it into the paper but which I think are interesting and worthy of getting on the record.

Lt. Gen Walter Natynczyk On:

His first priority:

The first priority is to make sure I fully understand our missions. I need to get refreshed very quickly on our mission in Afghanistan and our naval mission right now . . .in the Arabian gulf and off the horn of Africa. Understanding those missions, working on the great efforts of Gen. Hillier to make sure we are continuing on the path of success on all of these missions. It’s operations first. I need to travel to the north to Canada’s arctic to make sure we are on the right path in terms of exercising our sovereignty in the arctic. I need to get across to British Columbia with commanders we have on the joint task force Pacific and joint task force games to make sure we are on the right path for ensuring the success of the Olympics.

Why we are in Afghanistan:

This is a country from which terrorism was exported . . .to North America. I think Canadians are understanding just how important it is for these areas of the world that are ungoverned and the risks that occur if terrorism can be exported from these ungoverned areas. And the idea that the defence of Canada happens here in Canada but it also occurs literally 10,000 km away. That if we do not provide the kinds of security, the kinds of governance, the kinds of economic renewal there that provides hope for people for a different future outcome that indeed terrorism will continue to be exported here in North America.

We have to put that context out there. We put people at risk around the world. Afghanistan is absolutely a huge risk for our men and women. And we grieve with the families on the loss of each and every one of our soldiers who die in the line of duty and indeed at any time. But what we are into is the security of Canada and indeed Canada with all its other international partners, to ensure we are not at risk in the future.

His hometown:

Winnipeg is my comfort zone. It’s my roots.

His favourite Winnipeg treat:

I’m not sure I’m supposed to put a plug in for a restaurant but I really like perogies.

His hard to pronounce last name:

Back when (I met my wife) she tried to introduce me to her students. “Kids, I’d like you t say hi to Lt. Natynczyk.” You can only imagine 25 kids trying to say Natynczyk, so after a couple of tries she said “okay, Welcome Lt. Walt.”

(For the record, it’s pronounced Na-TIN-Chick)

How he wants the rank and file to view him:

I hope across the board that not only do they think I am a soldier but I try to make this team, I mentioned the term family work together. Everybody has a significant role to play in how we do our business. If everything works out well and if the tone is positive, then we achieve the objectives we want to achieve and at the same time the attitudes and the feelings are quite positive.

Canada’s military reputation:

There is a shine on the Canadian Forces. Perhaps the operations we have had in Afghanistan, what we are doing in the arctic, what we did in the ice storm, what we did in the Manitoba floods, people are understanding why Canada has a military.

It was a big day on Parliament Hill yesterday and I didn’t get a chance to post this then. But there are several things which I wanted to write but couldn’t make it into the paper itself, so here then is my take on what was good and bad yesterday.

HOT

Phil Fontaine. Occasionally he can come across as a grumpy old man but yesterday Mr. Fontaine was the epitome of class and grace as he accepted the apology on behalf of aboriginal Canadians. He was eloquent and combined the right mix of emotion in his speech so that it was neither over the top cheesy nor underwhelmingly politically correct.

Stephen Harper. For a prime minister who killed the Kelowna accord and has never been seen to be entirely up on first nations issues, he finally did what no prime minister before him ever had the courage to do. Stand up in the house and say Canada is sorry for what happened. It’s true that nobody in the House of Commons today is directly responsible for the residential schools saga. And it’s also true that an apology doesn’t correct the wrongs done nor did it mean that aboriginal people suddenly woke up today and their problems had miraculously disappeared. But it is symbolic and important as a signal that Canada understands its history and is determined not to repeat it. Harper’s apology was not maudlin nor did it gloss over what happened. It was to the point, it was direct. I’m not sure what else he could have done or said to make it any better.

Backing Down. The government had been asked for days to allow the aboriginal leaders to speak to the apology while on the floor of the House of Commons. It kept refusing. But before the apology was given, House Leader Peter Van Loan asked for approval to change some procedures to let that happen. And it’s a good thing. If the government gave the apology and then the three other party leaders got to respond, but aboriginal leaders had to be punted outside to the hallway in order to speak, it would have been a horrible blight on the entire event. Phil Fontaine accepting the apology on the floor of the House of Commons made the entire thing even more historic and meaningful.

NOT

Politics. It was not a day to be political. There are 364 other days this year when MPs could whine and moan and complain about each other or cook off on policies and things they don’t agree with. Yesterday was not the day for that. And yet there were some who could not help themselves. Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe loaded his speech with politics. The Tories refused to stand up en masse to applaud his speech when everyone else did. They refused to stand up again when Jack Layton said one of the ways to go forward after this would be to have the government sign on to the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous people. Which in and of itself is a political statement.

Pierre Poilievre. The Tory MP from Ottawa - who is already in hot water with the PMO for freelancing on the issue of transgender surgery – went on a local radio show in Ottawa and said the only way natives are going to solve their problems is if the federal government “engender(s) the values of hard work, independence, and self-reliance.” Kind of takes the wind out of the Tory sails on being able to sell itself as the party that finally apologized when the same day it apologized one of its own MPs expresses sentiments which seem to be somewhat reflective of the kind of thinking that led to residential schools in the first place.

There is a skill in being a politician and being able to not answer a question without the media realizing immediately that you aren’t answering the question.

Today, in a scrum on the Hill, Defence Minister Peter MacKay did not demonstrate that skill.*

Reporter: Why can’t you provide a cost for the war in Afghanistan? The NDP say that they’ve been asking questions and they can’t get a figure, not even on the equipment, the military equipment, how much is being spent.

MacKay: Well, I don’t know why they’re having such a hard time figuring it out. We’ve made numerous attempts to explain the spending over Afghanistan. Clearly we’ve made commitments consistent with the motion that was passed in the House to have more equipment, to protect our soldiers, to help them to do the job, to protect the Afghan people. We’ve had 27 technical briefings. We’ve asked — we’ve answered dozens of questions in the House. We’ve had 19 or 20 committee appearances. The NDP had an opportunity last evening, if they were objecting to the budget implementation, to file some sort of an objection. They did nothing.

Reporter: So can you give us a figure? How much is it costing us, say per month?

MacKay: Well, I’m not going to get into the specifics because we have added, as you know, additional equipment and there are additional procurements happening now in response to the recommendations of the Manley Committee that were endorsed by the House of Commons.

Reporter: They’re saying you don’t have a cost, you don’t have a figure.

Hon. Peter MacKay: Well, we do. Of course we do.

Question: Well what is it?

MacKay: Well, we have all kinds of figures.

Translation: I have absolutely no intention of answering the question. Or, for you more savvy political watchers, the Afghanistan War is entitled to its entitlements.

* In light of recent events on the hill this week, I feel obliged to tell you this is an exact translation of the exchange from a scrum which occurred this morning. The tape of the scrum has not been doctored in any way.