No publicly ruffled feathers

On the
eve of their caucus meeting to consult on the topic of the interim leader,
NDP MPs seem to agree that Nycole Turmel is a good choice, and we’re not seeing any ruffled feathers with the deputy leaders. Well, at least not in
public, or maybe they learned that lesson from the Liberals.

In
light of Layton’s latest illness, The
Canadian Press looks at the difference between Canadian and American approaches to information about the health of their leaders. Canadian
politicians take a need-to-know approach, while the Americans make the president’s
medical exams public.

Sometimes queen jokes are too easy. In this case, John Baird ordered two very well-known

paintings at the Department of Foreign Affairs be taken down in order to be
replaced by a photograph of the Queen.

The
Assembly of First Nations is seeking clarification after reports say that the
federal government is about to cut off negotiations on certain land claims.

Here’s
an update on the case of Hendrick Tepper, the New Brunswick farmer who is languishing
in a Beirut prison (an issue that, curiously, only Liberals brought up in question period during the spring). Some of the details of his case are disturbing, particularly that the government sent him on a sponsored trade mission knowing that he was
on an Interpol list (for allegedly forging documents in a country that he never
visited).

Here are
a number of interesting federal Conservative connections – as well as some to
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford – for certain “secret” contracts related to the HST in
BC. Right now, I’m sure the NDP is lamenting that there’s not an impending question period to bring this up.

And here
are a number of problems raised by Harper’s attempt to create the Prime
Minister’s Awards for Volunteerism, not the least of which is that it lends a particular
political connotation to those who receive the awards. This latest bout of
Harper’s presidential envy shows why it’s best to have the Sovereign remain the
fount of honour.