It would appear that John Baird is not being called on as often by the Prime Minister to answer opposition questions in parliamentary question period as he has in past sessions. The Liberal theory is that the Tories are desperate to pass their budget and have silenced Baird to gain favour with the opposition. As per usual, we can thank Jane Taber for advancing this Liberal conspiracy theory which I think is ridiculous and yet another example of poor journalism.
In the past, Baird would often answer questions on behalf of other cabinet ministers. Now the ministers are answering their own questions more often, and I guess somehow that's a bad thing. Jane, do you think it is possible that the Prime Minister is trying to raise the profile of the rest of his team ahead of an election the opposition has been threatening? By giving the rest of the team more face time, he is elevating the profiles of a greater number of his caucus.
I don't see this as punishing John Baird or a sign that the Prime Minister is desperate to please the Liberal Party. David McGuinty thought so, and Taber published his theory in the Globe and Mail. If we are going to have an election, it makes sense for the Prime Minister to spread the ball around and get more of his caucus some TV face time.
That's how I see it.
Jane is a Liberal shrill, if her only source is a Liberal MP(shrill), well....enough said. Liberals making stuff up as per usual.
ReplyDeleteThese stupid drama theories bring so much humour to my day and Giggles', little Liberal squealer is the best one yet.
ReplyDeleteAny good 'manager' will mix it up and create a new environment to excite the troops. That's just a game changing strategy. Unlike the Libs...same old, same,old.
It may as well be 15 years ago, they say the same thing and it's regurgitated by the same people (if they are still there).....
Liberals and their luvin media are a hoot.
ReplyDeleteHarper must muzzle Bernier, Harper muzzled Baird ...
McGuinty thinks Harper wants to keep things cool to get his budget passed.
I wonder what McGuinty thinks Harper is conspiring to do with this,
engineer his own defeat? (that was my first guess):
(in a repeat similar to the Afghan documents)
"It's another brazen attempt to stifle the work of Parliament," said Mulcair. "We're not going to allow it, we're going to stand up and we're ready to go to the limit on this one.
We're not going to back down."
If the government should be found in contempt of Parliament, or if it were determined that it breached the privileges of MPs,
an election could be triggered....''
http://www.canada.com/news/national/Parliamentary+showdown+looms+over+order+agenda/4246627/story.html
I've heard Baird speak in person with the Campus Conservatives. He's actually quite approachable and relaxed in person. People say he's actually one of the more consensus-building politicians around, believe it or not.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition complains when cabinet ministers don't answer questions and then they complain when they do. What's with the tinfoil hats? Taber of course is only too happy to spread Liberal propaganda. The woman is useless as a journalist.
ReplyDeleteThis could be the result of the new Chief of Staff Nigel Wright. He is startig to make his presence known and I suspect he believes it is the cabinet ministers who should be answering for their departments not John Baird who is forced to bluster because he is not involved in the day to day decisions in different ministries. This is a good start.