Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Our coasting Chrétien - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- The face of the Canadian government changed Tuesday. Jean Chrétien facing a couple of scandal ridden, incompetent ministers, shuffled his cabinet, as well to fill holes, namely that notable departure of Brian Tobin -- Monday’s story. Previous to Tuesday, I’m talking about last Thursday/Friday, the story that dominated the national press was the potential scandal engulfing the then Public Works and Government Services minister Alfonso Gagliano. Seems he tried to muscle a government job for a pal. Patronage, as another scribbler once said, is the glue that holds the Liberal Party of Canada together. Chrétien, facing the music, decides to hand a patronage appointment to the portly and sleazy Gagliano, tapping him Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark.
And Gagliano was bumped off the news radar by the bombshell exit of Brian Tobin. Tobin exiting the federal scene for “personal reasons”, was a front runner for the Liberal leadership who probably faced the music too, that he couldn’t become PM. It takes a hell of a lot more substance than style to become PM. The ex-Rat Packer who raised hell in the John Turner and Jean Chrétien shadow cabinet’s, who embodied populist politics at its worst gave political watchers much to think about. Tobin made no secret of his ambitions to succeed Jean Chrétien, so a possible reason for his leaving politics could be that he realised he couldn’t win. Like a fellow Newfoundlander, in another time John Crosbie, Tobin could not speak French. Sad, because both could have been decent prime ministers. Perhaps Jean Chrétien refused Tobin a substantial promotion. Or perhaps Chrétien will stick around to win a fourth mandate, and there was no reason for Tobin to stay in a cabinet that must have resented him so.
Tobin was a Liberal MP in opposition, well into the Grits’ 1993 formation of government. He fled federal politics when the Liberal leadership in his home Newfoundland opened up, becoming premier. When things seemed to be going against him, he returned to federal politics in the fall of 2000, at Chrétien’s urging and prior to the election in November. Without a seat in the Commons, he was tapped Industry minister, to much resentment in the Liberal caucus. Now just over one year later, he’s left again. I never liked Brian Tobin. He espoused destructive ideas like Meech Lake and Charlottetown, and he was the epitome of the sleazy, ambitious politician that most disdain. Tobin thrived on popularity rather than achievement, misunderstanding the moniker given him, “Captain Canada.” Allan Rock, formerly at Health and another Liberal leadership hopeful, takes over the Industry post vacated by Tobin; whilst Anne McLellan (another leadership possibility) a boob at Justice becomes Health Minster. Look for her to square off against her home (Alberta) Premier over healthcare.
This cabinet shuffle could be interpreted in many ways. Is Chrétien on his way out? No. He’ll be around for another year or so, but these changes could be seen as Chrétien paving the way for personal semi-retirement.
Prior to dashing off to accept Time Canada’s Newsmaker of the Year prize, John Manley was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister given unprecedented powers by the boss himself. Like Don Mazankowski to Brian Mulroney, Manley will assume files from the PMO that previous deputies Sheila Copps and Herb Gray never got to lay their hands on. Chrétien said at the press conference yesterday afternoon that he’d like to take a breather from the top job, and Manley a Chrétien loyalist, is in the catbird seat when it comes time for the old man to leave politics.
The Canadian Ministry is 40 members large. Of the 40 that were ministers last week, 17 remain in the jobs they had. David Collenette remains at Transport, as does Shelia Copps in Heritage and Jane Stewart in Human Resources Development. Stalwarts Anne McLellan (Health), Ralph Goodale (Leader of the Government in the Commons), Don Boudria (Public Works and Government Services) and Martin Cauchon (Justice) stay in cabinet but get new posts. David Anderson, BC’s senior cabinet minister gets a slight demotion. While keeping the Environment ministry, he loses the title of political minister for British Columbia, as former Fisheries minister Herb Dhaliwal takes the political ministry and Natural Resources. The role of Political Minister of a province has no entrenched position, except being a sort of adviser to the PM on patronage issues that arise in the so said province. Aspiring Liberals will note that Dhaliwal’s ass is the one to kiss when looking for largesse in this part of the country.
Elinor Caplan, a most negative of politicians, got a well-deserved demotion. Though, I’d have enjoyed her getting the boot from cabinet althogether, losing the Citizenship and Immigration portfolio and getting the thankless National Revenue one is enough. Those losing cabinet seats and deservedly so were Gagliano, though his fall got softened by a plum sinecure as a diplomat. Ditto the ghastly Hedy Fry who lost her junior post as Multiculturalism and Women’s minister for absurd statements on crosses burning in Prince George and condoning the nonsense of an anti-American right in the middle of the American revival post-September 11th. Not to mention badly handling the Durban affair where Canada’s position on racism was muddied by one Dr. Fry.
Maria Minna, who undistinguished herself as International Cooperation minister, by attending fund-raisers for the Tamil terrorist cell, and by her own little patronage scheme gone awry, got the boot More recently, Minna voted in a municipal by-election, in a municipality she did not live in. She voted where she lived too, which Ontarian officials have said is a criminal offence. If I had to give Jean Chrétien some credit, and I’ll admit it pains me to do so, his sacking of Minna and Fry was a good political movement.
It’s also interesting to see who he brought into cabinet. Ten new faces join cabinet, including rising stars Maurizio Bevilacqua, John McCallum and Stephen Owen (Owen of the Vancouver Quadra riding). Bevliacqua has paid his dues on the Liberal backbench, also chairing the House’s powerful finance committee. He has called for the future consideration of a monetary union with the States, a united currency he’s in favour of. McCallum and Owen, along with Brian Tobin’s return, were the newly attracted stars Jean Chrétien tried to exploit in the November 2000 election. McCallum, a possible finance minister comes from solid economics stock, serving as a Bay Street biggie previous to political life, as chief economist at the Royal Bank. And Owen comes from strict ‘Establishment’ stock in Vancouver, who’s distinguished his career by holding down some noteworthy jobs like that of Ombudsman and Deputy Attorney General in this province. These three are three to watch, and I’m sure will be part of future cabinets, in senior positions.
One cabinet minister, Ron Duhamel (formerly of Veterans Affairs), who’s been ill of late, has been kicked up to the Senate, leaving the PM with the calling of at least four by-elections within the next year. Herb Gray, a 39-year veteran of the House and a loyal Liberal, most recently serving as Jean Chrétien’s Deputy Prime Minister will retire with the gift of ‘Right Honourable’, a truly lofty honour in this country, as very few attain this title. Namely former PM’s and Chief Justices get the ‘Right Honourable’ distinction, and Gray joins very few truly distingushed politicos like former Tory leader Robert Stanfield, Ellen Fairclough (the first female cabinet minister in Canadian history), Martial Asselin, Jack Pickersgill, and Don Mazankowski. Gray becomes Chair of the Canadian Section of the International Joint Commission, after nearly 40 years as the Member of Parliament for Windsor West. He won 13 consecutive elections, and I’ll personally miss his Christmas cards every year.
The big loser has to be Paul Martin. With Tobin’s departure, he seemed poised to succeed when Chrétien retires. However the rising John Manley and the possiblity of Chrétien staying on to win a fourth mandate, has got to spell some unease in the Finance Minister’s leadership campaign.
Jean Chrétien has made a number of changes and he’s set to govern for a number of years to come. His prescient quote of the day: “As long as I’m the Prime Minister, I’m the Prime Minister.” And without a vision, except that of political self-preservation in the name of power, he’s made his job easier that he can take a sort of semi-retirement as da boss. Such is the state of Canadian democracy.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .