What is it about May 17?

Today is the anniversary of Belinda Stronach's famous journey across the floor of the House of Commons, from Conservative backbench to Liberal cabinet -- however briefly that ended up lasting.

One year exactly since that explosive event, Stronach was named today as head of the Liberal women's caucus. The former CEO of the Magna auto-parts empire has reportedly jumped enthusiastically into opposition duties -- lots of networking -- and hosted a small party for Liberal women MPs at her chi-chi Ottawa condo on Tuesday night. Two of the leadership contenders were there, Carolyn Bennett and Hedy Fry, as well as stalwarts such as Karen Redman, Anita Neville, Marlene Jennings and Diane Marleau.

The guests were said to be impressed with the food (sushi and veal) and the minimalist but tasteful decoration at the Sussex and Rideau condo. They sealed the warm feeling with a hands-down vote in favour of Stronach as women's caucus chair today.

Peace in our time

Two of the world’s most famous statesmen have inadvertently brought together feuding factions in Ottawa and Queen’s Park.

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton and Nobel peace prize-winning former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres were in Toronto Monday for the inaugural World Leaders’ Forum.

In the audience at the $3,000-a-plate charity fundraiser at the Windsor Arms Hotel were federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and his provincial counterpart Dwight Duncan.

A chance encounter between the two treasurers appears to have sparked a thaw in relations between the country’s two largest governments.

The contentious issue between Ottawa and Queen’s Park is whether the new Conservative administration is fully honouring the $7 billion funding deal last May between Premier Dalton McGuinty and former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin.

Earlier this month, Flaherty sent Duncan a letter suggesting the federal government was short-changing the province on money for converting coal-fired power plants to natural gas, expanding public transit, helping universities and community colleges, and for immigration settlement and job training programs.

The shortfall appears to be $329 million in the first two years of the six-year McGuinty-Martin accord and Duncan says it is not clear about the rest of the deal.

But after what the Ontario treasurer called “a very pleasant chat” Monday night, there is cautious optimism.

“I had the chance to talk to him last night informally and we’ve agreed that we should talk. I’ve offered to go to Ottawa if necessary. We were at the same dinner last night, the Clinton-Peres dinner,” Duncan told reporters.

What’s next, peace in the Middle East?

Time to speak up, Mike

Provincial Speaker of the House Mike Brown seems to be losing control of the Legislature.

On Tuesday during Question Period, Brown, a Liberal MPP who is supposed to be neutral, came under fire from both the Progressive Conservatives and the New Democrats for failing to keep government members in line.

Revved up from their morning caucus meeting, the Grits were swaggering in the House, shouting down PC Leader John Tory and chortling with abandon at the Opposition’s furor toward them.

"You’re irrelevant to them," NDP House Leader Peter Kormos heckled toward Brown.

Tory, for his part, glowered at the Speaker while PC MPP Ted Chudleigh muttered: "Who’s in charge of this House?"

Brown glared at Chudleigh for the jibe, but did little to control his Grit cronies.

He proving to be only marginally more effective than predecessor Alvin Curling and has veteran MPPs and Queen’s Park observers pining for the days of PC speakers Gary Carr and Chris Stockwell, who were never afraid to challenge the governing Tories in the bad old days. Even Tory cabinet ministers would sometimes be ejected from the House for acting up. That never happens with Liberal ministers who behave just as badly.

Nice wheels, but they’re not the minister’s

Parked outside the east doors of the provincial Legislature the other day was a handsome blue Mercedes-Benz ML 500 SUV with a vanity licence plate.

"TAKHAR 2," read the personalized plate, which prompted some eye rolling from keen observers of the parking lot at Queen’s Park.

But Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar says the fancy vehicle has nothing do with him, even though it is often parked in a prime spot outside the Legislature.

"I don’t even own an SUV," said Takhar, who favours domestic cars and trucks.

"There are lots of Takhars around," he said.

Say, doesn't NDP Leader Jack Layton represent a Toronto riding?

The constituents of Toronto-Danforth might be wondering after Layton spent yet another weekend in Vancouver -- his third in a row. In fact, he'll be jetting to the west coast at the end of this week too.

The NDP made big gains in British Columbia in the last federal election. In a sure sign that the next campaign is already quietly underway, Layton has been spending a lot of his spare time to raise the profile of New Democrats in the Lower Mainland.

"We have to be ready when and if an election does come. But we've got a job to do right now as the opposition party," Layton said in an interview.

He's been taking advantage of David Emerson's defection to the Conservatives from the Liberals, a move that still has some in his Vancouver-Kingsway riding steaming.

And Layton says that B.C. residents are also unhappy about the failure of the recent Conservative budget to make substantial investments in the environment.

"We're building for next time and we're also showing that at least somebody in Ottawa cares about what's going on on the other side of the mountains," Layton said.

This past weekend was typical of his busy schedule during his Vancouver visits. On Friday, he attended a tribute to mark NDP MP Libby Davies' 25 years of public life. Davies was first elected MP for Vancouver East in 1997. Prior to that she served five terms on Vancouver city council.

On Saturday, Layton attended a fundraiser for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada and later went to an open house hosted by NDP MP Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster).

But Layton is also keen to deflect any suggestion that his sole focus is on B.C.

"Sometimes we can get a lot in on a weekend," Layton said, citing an earlier weekend that started in Halifax and ended in Vancouver. "We are getting pretty well everywhere in the country."

Back on Campus

Former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan, a confidante of Paul Martin's who was one of the most powerful figures in the Liberal government, is returning to the halls of learning--taking a job as the distinguished scholar in residence at the new Institute for United States Policy Studies at the University of Alberta.

Few people know more about U.S.-Canada relations in the hypersensitive period ushered in by the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. than McLellan, who dealt regularly with Washington as Ottawa's national security minister.

McLellan, a former law professor, will deliver lectures in Edmonton and at the University of Toronto. She will also dig into the issues that are confronting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

It's yet another sign that time is moving quickly in the wake of the Jan. 23rd election and that the Martin era is fast moving into history.

Two-tier Media Relations

Prime Minister Stephen Harper talked about his government's immigrations plans before a big crowd of reporters from the ethnic media in Mississauga this morning. The big turnout was no doubt helped by the fact that they had been invited to the event on Monday -- five days earlier.

The Parliamentary press gallery got official notification of the event at 7 p.m Thursday.

Radio Classics

The federal Liberals have launched a weekly podcast -- Radio Free Liberal -- which will feature panel discussions among a rotating panel of MPs. They're 15 minutes long and Liberals are taking advantage of some broadcast experience in their benches and backrooms to fill out the panels.

New Manitoba MP Tina Keeper, familiar to TV viewers as an RCMP officer on CBC's North of 60, was on last week's panel, as was Newfoundland MP Scott Simms, who was a host on the Weather Network before he ran for office. The week before, it was B.C. Senator Larry Campbell, the former mayor and coroner who served as the inspiration for the TV series, Da Vinci's Inquest.

As for the host, fans of CBC morning radio through the 1980s and early 1990s will be tickled to hear a familiar name: Radio Free Liberal's host is Mick Gzowski, son of the late Peter Gzowski, the radio giant with the gentle voice who presided over the great Morningside panels in the network's glory years. Mick Gzowski, a videographer who worked in Paul Martin's PMO, is now working with the Liberal party's research branch.

To listen to the podcast or subscribe, go to http://www.liberal.ca/radio_e.aspx for more information.

We're Not Making this Up

During the last election campaign, the Liberals concocted a negative ad, alleging that if Conservatives were elected, Canadians would see soldiers. In our streets. With guns. The allegation was so over the top that the ads never made it to air.

Well now, drum roll please, have a look at this notice sent out to a quiet neighbourhood in south Ottawa. It comes from the local city councillor:

I am writing to give you advance notice that

 Army Reserve Force units from the Ottawa area will be conducting joint urban warfare training in the Hunt Club Road area this Saturday. A training exercise involving 50-75 soldiers is taking place in the surrounding woodlands and boarded houses at 1008 to 1016 Hunt Club Road on Saturday, May 13, 2006 

between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Urban patrolling will be conducted in the area surrounding the property, specifically the residential area to the North, the commercial area (South Keys Mall) to the East, and the industrial area to the South-West around Uplands.

I am advised that pyrotechnics will not be used but the exercise will involve firing blank ammunition. The urban patrolling will occur during the morning hours between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. After 12:00 p.m., the urban patrols will be ordered to converge on the buildings

 and set up the outer/inner cordon and then assault (if necessary) the buildings and conduct a search. This cordon and search will be repeated on each house at least 4 times in order for military personnel to become more proficient in their drills and to increase their understanding of their Rules of Engagement. This training also exposes soldiers to the reality of conducting operations in an urban environment - the kind they may encounter if they participate on missions outside Canada. The skills they develop and perfect will help 

ensure their safety and success in future operations.

We did not make this up

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's diplomatic skills are not exactly as sharp as his tongue.

To wit, here is exactly what Harper said, in a transcript provided by his office, in an introduction for Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory at a fundraiser in Toronto on Thursday night, literally minutes after the PM's first one-on-one meeting with Premier Dalton McGuinty in a hotel suite next door:

"John Tory is a man of action.

A leader who says what he means and means what he says.

A Conservative-

Who will keep your taxes low;

Make your streets safe; and

Ensure that Ontario is a leader in Confederation.

Ontario needs John Tory.

Because John Tory is a nation-builder.

Because a strong Canada needs a strong Ontario.

It is my distinct pleasure to introduce a fellow Conservative and a great friend, a man who is honest and accountable, a man with an outstanding record of community and business achievements, and the man who will lead your Ontario Conservative party to victory in the 2007 provincial election.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the next premier of Ontario,

John Tory!"

Can't wait till Harper's first trip to the Middle East...

Oh, and before we forget, taxpayers forked over the tab for the government Challenger jet, RCMP security and other expenses to Harper could attend a provincial political fundraiser.