New Democrats gather at luxury resort

NDP Leader Jack Layton has gathered his MPs to plot policy and election strategy for a possible spring vote.

The theme of their caucus? "To make life more affordable for hard-working Canadians," the party claims.

The site of their conference? Chateau Montebello, a posh, high-priced resort east of Ottawa that has played host to world leaders, most recently an August meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexico President Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

"With economic uncertainty emerging as a predominant concern amongst ordinary Canadians, the NDP is re-doubling its efforts to make life more affordable for today’s families,” Layton said in a statement.

Given that affordability is the theme of the meeting, the choice of venue has raised a few eyebrows. Montebello boasts that it is "an exceptional resort famed for its rugged luxury.

"Here, in a stunning red cedar log château, you'll experience rustic elegance and a warm welcome," the resort's website says.

When they're not tied up in meetings, NDP MPs can partake in cross-country skiing, dogsledding, snowmobiling and relax at the resort's new spa that offers "inspiring treatments such as Maple Body Scrub or a Natural Rice Body Polish."

If the party was worried by appearances, a Holiday Inn might have been a more appropriate choice.

Pallister bowing out

Conservative MP Brian Pallister is stepping down from politics. The Manitoba politician has announced on his website that he won't be running in the next election.

BRIANPALLISTER.COM

Manitoba MP and one-time Conservative leadership candidate Brian Pallister announces he won't run again on his website.

Pallister (Portage-Lisgar) currently serves as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of International Trade and to the Minister of International Cooperation. He served in the Manitoba Legislature and the provincial cabinet before being elected to the House of Commons in 2000. He ran to lead the Progressive Conservatives in 1998.

But it seems the long political career is drawing to a close.

"I will not be contesting the next federal election whenever that occurs," Pallister wrote on his web site today.

In his message, he thanks supporters for their backing and says he's fought to strengthen Canada.

"Together we have had many successes. There is now a stronger fiscal framework in our province and our country. Budgets are being balanced, infrastructure is being rebuilt, the justice system is being strengthened, and support for Agriculture is a higher priority. We deserve some credit for this," he writes.

"More needs to be done and the conservative party is the right one to do it," he says.

See his full announcement here.

Dates to Remember

This is a significant week for political anniversaries, especially those surrounding former and current prime ministers.

The Liberals made a big deal of one of them in Toronto this week, marking 50 years since former prime minister Lester Pearson received the Nobel Peace Prize. Bob Rae, the foreign affairs critic, organized the occasion, telling the crowd he had to do it, because he was pretty sure Conservatives wouldn't do anything to draw attention to past Liberal glories.

That's not the only Liberal anniversary this week, however. It was four years ago tomorrow that Paul Martin was sworn in as prime minister and Jean Chretien stepped down. Chretien, in case anyone missed it, chose to mark that occasion with yet another swipe at Martin at the Pearson conference.

Conservatives, meanwhile, can also call Dec. 13 a date with destiny. Tomorrow is also the 28th anniversary of the fall of Joe Clark's short-lived minority government in Dec. 29 -- an event that would culminate in Clark eventually stepping down and Brian Mulroney stepping up to take his job. Perhaps Mulroney might want to note that when he appears to deliver his blockbuster testimony at the Commons ethics committee tomorrow?

Coincidentally, the man who put forward the motion to defeat the Clark government was none other than a man named Bob Rae, then a New Democrat member of Parliament. Wonder what Rae would say if someone told him back then that he'd end up as a Liberal 28 years later, organizing a conference to honour Pearson?

Fossils all around

Liberal leader Stephane Dion is blogging from the U.N. climate-change talks in Bali, Indonesia. So far, Dion has chronicled his arrival at the talks, a speech he made to local-government leaders and a meeting he held with Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the Climate Change Secretariat. In his most recent entry, Dion also boasts that while Canada was praised as a hero when these talks were held in Montreal, the Conservative government is receiving so-called "Fossil of the Day" awards from the Climate Action Network.

One wee problem with that boast - Dion himself has received a fossil award or two in the past, including one at the 2004 conference.

Nuclear Debate

MPs ventured into uncharted territory this week as they debated new legislation that would allow the Chalk River nuclear reactor to re-start and resume production of medical isotopes.

The emergency legislation was introduced Tuesday evening and the MPs moved into committee of the whole, essentially transforming the House of Commons into a large committee room to hear witnesses.

It was a rare event, deputy speaker Bill Blaikie told politicians, and he asked for their patience as Commons' staff worked out the kinks of accommodating the witnesses.

"We are doing something that has not been done for a very long time," Blaikie said.

In fact, he said having witnesses on the Commons floor had not been done since World War 2.

"We have some some logistical problems with microphones so I would beg the House's indulgence as we try to do this procedure that we have no experience at," he said.

To recognize that the committee of the whole is a less formal proceeding, Blaikie stepped down from the Speaker's chair and presided over the evening debate from the clerk's desk. And the large gold mace, which represents the authority conferred by the Queen on the Commons to meet and decide laws, was removed from the clerk's table and placed in a box.

Despite Blaikie's initial concerns, the four hours of testimony went relatively smoothly and at the end of the night, Commons' proceedings resumed and the legislation was passed -- but not before the mace was returned to its place of honor. The House of Commons cannot meet without it.

Hold please....

Former prime minister Jean Chrétien, speaking in Toronto today at a conference to honour one of his predecessors, Lester Pearson, gave a vivid illustration of how the present can intrude on the past. He was just warming up with some anecdotes of his time with Pearson in the 1960s, when suddenly a phone rang.

"Hey," Chrétien cried, realizing the ring was coming from his own pocket. He pulled out the device, squinted at it and said: "Looks like Bob Rae." Rae, in the audience, just laughed.

Chrétien couldn't manage to turn the phone off, however, and had to hand it off to someone back stage.

Um, sorry about that

Former Prime Minister Paul Martin has expressed his personal "sorrow" to David Oliver, the one-time Liberal candidate he dumped during the last election amidst bribery claims.

It has since been revealed that those accusations - levelled by Oliver's NDP rival Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson and encouraged by the NDP party brass - were not true.

The federal New Democrats have since issued their own public apology - and paid a "substantial" financial settlement - to settle a lawsuit filed by Oliver, who ran in Abbotsford, B.C.

However, Oliver has said he wanted to hear a similar apology from Martin and the federal Liberal party for being quick to dump him without checking themselves the truth of the NDP claims.

Martin removed Oliver as the party's flag-bearer when the allegations were first levelled in the final weeks before the Jan. 23, 2006 vote.

"I have zero tolerance for that kind of thing, I acted, and that person is no longer a candidate for the Liberal party," Martin said at the time.

But on Monday, Martin called Oliver to say he was pleased that the NDP had admitted its fault in the political dust-up. "He also express(ed) his sorrow that Mr. Oliver had suffered as a result of those allegations," a source said.

No public statement was issued.

Godspeed to Godfrey

John Godfrey's announcement that's quitting politics sparked warm words of praise from Toronto Mayor David Miller - and a slap at the federal New Democrats.

Godfrey is leaving Parliament Hill next July to join the Toronto French school.

Miller hailed Godfrey, the Liberal MP for Don Valley West, as an elected official who "acts and succeeds on principle - not for narrow partisan advantage."

"Mr. Godfrey was interested in achievements, not in taking credit for them," Miller said in a statement posted on the City of Toronto website.

Because of that, Miller argues that Godfrey never got proper credit for his "extraordinary accomplishments" as minister of for cities and communities under former Prime Minister Paul Martin.

Soon after being named to the post, Godfrey built a strong partnership that gave the coalition of big city mayors direct input into the development of federal policies, topics like childcare, housing, public safety and infrastructure funding.

"John's leadership created a template for nation-building that recognizes Canada's cities must be partners in intergovernmental decision-making if our country is to achieve its full potential," Miller said.

But Miller complains that Jack Layton's decision to side with the opposition parties to topple the minority Liberals, resulting in the election that brought the Conservatives to power, has set back Toronto's interests.

The city was just "days away" from signing a new agreement to establish a permanent framework for co-operation between City Hall, Queen's Park and Ottawa "when the New Democratic Party brought down the Liberal government.

"Such an agreement will inevitably become reality because it is the right and responsible thing to do. It will stand as yet another of Mr. Godfrey's legacies," Miller says.

Seat belts fastened

Some people may have wondered, given his tough year, how Liberal leader Stephane Dion avoided any knives in the back this weekend when he plunged in among a couple of hundred riding presidents meeting in Montreal.

Well, it could be the choice of venue: the Liberals chose to hold their weekend sessions at the International Civil Aviation Organization headquarters, which meant that all attendees had to go through an airport-style security check.

Apparently an exception was allowed on Sunday, however, when a big cake was rolled out to mark Dion's first anniversary as Liberal leader. A knife was produced to cut the cake -- and it didn't have to be withdrawn first from between the leader's shoulder blades. 

Russian premier comes bearing honours

Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov will visit Parliament Hill Thursday as part of a longer visit to Canada.

His day starts with a Senate chamber where he will be met by Senate Speaker Noël Kinsella. During his visit he will present Senator Marcel Prud'homme, of La Salle, Que., with the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation. The award is presented to Russian residents as well as foreign citizens "who have made significant contributions to strengthening peace and mutual understanding." Prud'homme is the founding Chairman of Canada Russia Interparliamentary Group. It is the highest award given by the Russian government to a non-citizen. Only one other Canadian has received this Order - former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

Zubkov will also present Leslie Forrest, a Canadian veteran, with a commemorative medal to honour his role in the dangerous convoys that delivered vital wartime supplies to Russia. Forrest was just 15 when he sailed on the S.S. Empire Selwyn. On Thursday, he will be presented with the medal "the victory in the Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945." The medal is awarded to "citizens of foreign states who made significant contribution to the Russian battle," according to a news release from the Senate. The medal has been awarded to Canadian veterans who sailed on the ships that delivered supplies through the Barents Sea to the Russian port of Murmansk. More than 300 Canadian veterans have already received this medal.