01.14.2019 09:13 AM

This cabinet shuffle is a joke

A Canadian being sentenced to death by China is more important. But this is astonishing.

16 Comments

  1. Ian says:

    Agree about Wilson-Raybould, but going to Treasury Board from Indigenous Services is not a demotion for most observers.

    • Warren says:

      If your idea of fun is saying “no” all day, sure.

    • Ian,

      Funny, I was thinking the same thing as our host yesterday morning about Philpott.

      I was under the impression that no minister of the crown has ever earned as much confidence and consideration from First Nations as this minister. (And that includes Chrétien.)

      • Ian says:

        I would not disagree with that, and I don’t disagree with Warren’s take that TB is not much fun. But it is central and therefore powerful.

        By contrast, most ministers in the past 40 years or so have been happy to get out of INAC before they are damaged….as long as they don’t get Veterans, another profoundly dysfunctional department.

        Getting R-W out of Justice suggests to me that a horrific bodge-job on the energy file is coming soon, likely at the expense of the First Nations consultations process that looked so easy to them until they tried it.

        • Ian,

          In my book, First Nations should be enshrined in the constitution as the fourth order of government. I would support a limited veto power to the extent that any project would have to reflect their demands and interests as nations. How you grease the wheel in their favour without grinding things to an absolute halt is beyond my pay grade. But mere consultations is hardly the appropriate remedy. It is beyond disrespectful and makes a sham of the stakeholder process.

          • Ian says:

            It is horribly unclear. The requirement to consult meaningfully ends up being a very vague requirement when you try to translate into the language of negotiation. Do FNs have a veto? Or do corporations/government simply have to keep them well informed and ‘listen to their concerns’? If you accommodate half of the concerns raised, was it meaningful?

            That said, it is just shocking how bad so many resource companies are at doing it. The vagueness is a known problem that doesn’t go away by doing the bare minimum.

  2. Dork in East York says:

    I was hoping sharp Toronto MP Arif Virani could have squeezed in. Damn regional balance.

    Warren, are you picking up frustration from some ambitious/veteran Parliamentary Secretaries who have yet to crack the cabinet? I’m hearing more than a few.

    • Warren says:

      You have no idea

      • Des says:

        I’ve heard there’s a possibility of more defections. I wonder if that would be the case in the new parliamentary session. Any rumblings or rumours? I believe they return to the HoC the week after next.

        • Matt says:

          There have been rumors of more defections for months. While no specific names were given, there are/were some higher profile Liberals considering jumping.

          Heard at the time those wanting to go were told if they did, “the party had dirt on them” that would be released.

      • Pedant says:

        But how is that any different from any other government? There are ALWAYS Parliamentary Secretaries that feel they have been unjustly overlooked. This is nothing new.

  3. Dork,

    That is a perennial condition afflicting all governments, regardless of political stripe. Whiners come in all genders…

  4. Jack says:

    Jody Wilson-Raybould’s move from Justice to VA is a massive fuckup and nothing but a demotion.

    Justin Trudeau continues the one tradition he has honestly perfected since becoming PM and that is completely fucking over his MP’s no matter their compotence and loyalty.

    He is honestly so goddamn good at jilting his own caucus with stupid ass role decisions and he’s even worse at explaining them afterwards. No coherent logic and no political strategy whatsoever.

    If anything is going to bring his leadership down, its the disaffected members in his caucus: a steadily growing group.

    • Matt says:

      Team Trudeau is now in damage control trying to claim she was offered Indigenous Affairs and turned it down.

      She was NOT offered that portfolio. They are not telling the truth.

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