Credit where credit's due

TOM HANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS

'And if my esteemed colleague would just check his Blackberry...' Ok, so Transportation Minister Lawrence Cannon is seen responding to a Bloc Quebecois question in the House of Commons Monday. But maybe he was already feeling slighted.

Industry Minister Jim Prentice might want to sign up to get Transport Canada's news releases. If he had been on the department’s distribution list, he might have avoided the gaffe he made Monday in the House of Commons.

Prentice was touting his government's work to help the manufacturing sector and singled out the "Minister of the Environment" for his work on a "stringent North American fuel standard and dealing with infrastructure issues."

Of course both fuel standards and infrastructure issues are the responsibility of Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon, who has publicized his work on both files in news releases from his department. In particular, a Jan. 17 release noted Cannon's intent to regulate the fuel consumption of new cars and light trucks, beginning with the 2011 model year.

Prentice's comments during Question Period prompted a mock shrug of confusion from Environment Minister John Baird. And as soon as Prentice sat down in his seat after his response, Cannon was leaning over and talking, no doubt to set the record straight.