Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff started off his day to a front-page story on the Toronto Star proclaiming that there had been “unofficial talks” for him to take a position at the University of Toronto, to replace Janice Gross Stein at the Monk School of Global Affairs there. Not true, Ignatieff immediately refuted, reminding everyone that he was on this six-week bus tour in order to become Prime Minister, and that he has no plan b. The question then becomes why this story was out there, and was it the product of mischief?
On the Liberal Express, Ignatieff said that he’d like to fund a programme to help provide Canadians with placements overseas in order to help “internationalise” them. He also says that he’s reaching out to Red Tories, Green and NDP voters in the “big red tent,” which the NDP didn’t take too kindly to at all.
Scott Brison was recently in Windsor, and talked about how a Liberal government could help the region’s economic recovery through innovation and better utilising the area’s resources and marketplace – something the current government isn’t doing.
Well isn’t this interesting? While the Canadian Medical Association Journal added their voice of condemnation to the long-form census issue, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada also stated that they want the long-form reinstated. But I’m forced to wonder – what does Charles McVety and his cadre of Christian nationalists say? I’m sure that may be a more revealing answer. Incidentally, Tony Clement came out to say that he’s willing to testify before a committee that Statistics Canada offered the “voluntary survey” as an alternative, but on Power & Politics last night, The Canadian Press’ Jennifer Ditchburn let it be known that this was a cabinet decision that bullied StatsCan into coming up with an alternative, and for Clement to be weaving a fiction that this came from StatsCan is really a hard stretch. And really beyond the pale.
The Liberals say they’re going to put a hold on the $65 billion sole-source fighter jet contract, and it looks like they’ll try to recall the relevant committee over this issue as well.
Rona Ambrose spoke out again about “honour killings,” and did little to clarify just what the government is trying to say about it other than “murder is murder.” Right – so why are you making an issue out of this right now? Are you trying to change the channel from the census story?
It looks like Fox News North Sun TV has been denied a Category 1 license, which is no surprise considering that the CRTC is doing away with the designation next year anyway. The question now becomes whether or not cabinet will take it upon themselves to override the CBC (a power that Brian Mulroney gave them, and Mulroney’s former spokesperson is one of the big shots at Quebecor).
Up today – the Liberal Express is off to Orillia, Muskoka and Barrie. Saturday it’s off to Brampton, and then Sunday it’s off to Saskatchewan for a stop.
Why you can trust Xtra
