Cabinet shuffle

A contingent of us from the Star bureau are here at Rideau Hall for the so-callled mini-shuffle.

UPDATE: 7, 11:58 a.m. The irrepressible Senator Fortier did manage to say a few words to the media, but he spoke only of what a nice day it was and his vague plans for lunch. Paradis, new to cabinet, didn't buck the gag order much, saying only he'd "work hard." Moore said he "had a lot of work to do." I don't think anything uttered here today will be making it into Columbo's Canadian Quotations.

UPDATE: 6, 11:31 a.m. The PMO spokesperson, Dimitri Soudas, is just explaining to reporters why neither the Prime Minister or ministers are talking to reporters after this swearing-in. It has something to do with the fact that it's only a small shuffle.

UPDATE: 5, 11:20 a.m. And here's the official announcement, just handed to us: Emerson confirmed as Foreign Affairs minister. Fortier is now Minister of International Trade. Christian Paradis is Minister of Public Works. James Moore is secretary of state for the Pacific Gateway, the Olympics and Official Languages. The press release calls these "small but important changes."

UPDATE: 4, 11:10 I've just been reminded that this is the 15th anniversary of Kim Campbell taking office as Canada's first woman prime minister. And now, 15 years later, women are, uh, actually, nowhere to be found at this shuffle.

UPDATE: 3, 10:59 a.m. And now the Prime Minister has arrived. No sign of his wife, Laureen, and only a couple of communications folks. More evidence of a very low-key shuffle.

UPDATE 2, 10:53 And now Senator Michael Fortier, the unelected minister of public works, has rolled up to Rideau Hall, wife and children in tow. This is looking like a reprise of that first shuffle in February 2006, with Emerson and Fortier in starring roles.

The only thing to report so far is the arrival of James Moore, the B.C. MP who is finally getting a spot in cabinet it seems. Word is that he'll be a junior minister with responsibility for the Vancouver Olympics and the Pacific Gateway.

1. 

   We also have a protester here carrying a sign protesting David Emerson as a "hypocrite, coward and fraud."

   Emerson, who attracted a lot of attention at Harper's first cabinet swearing-in because of his floor crossing, is due to be confirmed today as foreign affairs minister.

Comments

[Nick Wright]

Mr. Emerson seems like a down-to-earth (i.e., non-ideological), capable minister, so it is a huge relief to see someone who is at least actually interested in government take the Foreign Affairs portfolio (it is a measure of the Harper government that such a comment even needs to be made . . . which leads to my next point.

A lot of commentators have expressed sympathy for Mr. Harper over the sheer lack of experienced ministerial talent he has to choose from. The question is: Why is there such a lack?

Given Stephen Harper's long-expressed anti-government views, which seem largely to be shared by the Reform/Alliance majority of his caucus, it would be no surprise to me if those capable of and actually interested in governing do not feel attracted to running for his party, and in fact may feel repelled--as Ms Dellacourt points out, women in particular probably don't feel very magnetized.

What career politicians want to enter a government where they will be muzzled in public (or limited to a rigid script from the PMO), are likely to be upstaged by the PM on important announcements from their departments, and are denied the ability to answer questions on their portfolios in the House of Commons?

[Nick Wright]

On another but related tack: Maybe now, with former PC Party conservative Peter MacKay at Defense and former Liberal David Emerson at Foreign Affairs, there will be a concerted foreign policy effort to change Canada's course in Afghanistan--from a visibly pro-U.S. antiterrorism, client state approach to a more NATO-style approach of actually supporting the Karzai government in finding an Afghan solution to Afghanistan's problems. Mr. Emerson has shown himself pragmatic enough to face the fact that our current Afghanistan strategy is ineffective, if not counterproductive.

[Sandi]

McKay/Emerson - can't change policy - Harper calls the shots. He says jump and they'll say how high.

Nothing has changed.

[Nick Wright]

Ouch! Ms Delacourt, I apologise for misspelling your name.

[DB]

Was Fortier's appearance with his young daughter an attempt to paint a family-friendly cabinet, the opposite of Bernier's va-va-va-voom swearing in? (BTW, anyone else think Fortier looks like Col. Klink?)