The number of ministers, 39, is significant since it equals both Brian Mulroney’s and Paul Martin’s Cabinets as the largest in Canadian history. It will be of anecdotal interest if this Prime Minister, or perhaps the next one, names a Ministry that begins in size with the number four.
In addition to ministers, if you include Parliamentary secretaries (28) and House of Commons committee chairs (23), 90 Conservative MPs—or more than 50 per cent—have additional responsibilities which come with additional salaries.
While picking on politicians’ salaries is often done without care, does Canada really need a minister of Transport, a minister of state (Transport) and a Parliamentary secretary to the minister of Transport?
In any case, being a minister is one thing while being a minister with actual influence—maybe even some power—is quite another.
With the general consensus being that full Cabinet meets infrequently, it is at Cabinet committees where the policy rubber hits the proverbial road. There are seven main committees along with one Subcommittee on the Strategic and Operating Review. Examining their composition uncovers those in Cabinet closest to where the strategic direction and decisions of the federal government are made.
Conservative MP Laurie Hawn deserves a special mention here as the only non-minister member of a Cabinet committee.
The two committees of greatest consequence are Priorities and Planning, chaired by Prime Minister Stephen Harper; and, Operations, chaired by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. Both committees have 13 members, with four ministers—Senate Government Leader Marjory LeBreton, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore, Transport Minister Denis Lebel and the aforementioned Kenney – on both. Others of note on the powerful Priorities and Planning Cabinet Committee include Defence Minister Peter MacKay, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Treasury Board President Tony Clement and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
The performance of these top-tier members since being sworn-in last year has been a blend of good and bad.
From a positive point of view, Kenney continues to cement the relationship between the Conservative Party and Canada’s various cultural communities. Baird has brought his normal enthusiasm and deft political skills to DFAIT, while Flaherty continues to manage the money and is on pace to soon pass Michael Wilson as the second longest serving Finance minister (after Paul Martin) of the last 60 years.
On the flip side, however, MacKay has been embroiled in too many controversies to count, most notably, of course, is the mathematical mix-up in the F-35 cost calculations. Toews hasn’t fared much better, with the introduction of the government’s internet surveillance bill causing a great deal of controversy which culminated in a very personal Twitter-based attack and the satirical “Don’t Toews Me Bro” campaign.
Other noteworthy storylines include: Labour Minister Lisa Raitt, who has done a fine job—at least from the government’s perspective—navigating delicate labour issues such as the recent CP Rail strike; International Trade Minister Ed Fast, who is quietly going about his business trying to expand Canada’s international trade markets; and, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, the rookie Parliamentarian who has handled the natural resources file with skill.
International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda and Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino are also noteworthy but for all the wrong reasons. Oda, because she regularly generates some sort of scandal; you have to wonder what it would take to get her dumped from Cabinet. Fantino, on the other hand—who is the only “associate” minister—has been underwhelming in his role, especially with regards to the procurement of fighter jets.
One last minister of state worth mentioning is Maxime Bernier. After his resignation from Foreign Affairs, he spent three years as a government backbencher touring the country pushing policy and making national headlines. Now, back in Cabinet responsible for Small Business and Tourism, he doesn’t have the freedom to freelance and, as a consequence, is rarely heard from.
In contrast, Conservative MP Michael Chong—who was also once a minister—is now not constrained by Cabinet solidarity and can advance issues of importance, like he has done on parliamentary reform, with relative autonomy.
So given the few ministers actually inside the inner circle of government—and if you ignore the ego-boosting perks like a car and a driver—one has to wonder whether being in Cabinet in such a centralized environment is still as alluring as it once was and is still made out to be.
Original Article
Source: hill times
Author: EVAN SOTIROPOULOS
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