Riding Associations Remain Virtual Financial Black Holes

OTTAWA - Riding associations for federal political parties are sitting on nearly $30-million of taxpayer-subsidized cash, with little obligation to account publicly for how the money is spent.

Annual financial reports filed recently with Elections Canada indicate that Conservative electoral district associations are by far the wealthiest, with combined surpluses of $18.3 million in 2012.

Tony Clement’s $3 suitcase

This week, Treasury Board President Tony Clement promised that he wouldn’t fold “like a $3 suitcase” in the federal government’s ongoing dispute with striking diplomats at Canadian missions around the world. The last time you could buy luggage for that price was probably well before Mr. Clement was born. Still, he got the sentiment across.

Since April, the 1,350 members of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) have been disrupting operations, including student and tourist VISA applications and ministerial travel. The impact has been significant, with the National Post reporting that visa issuance fell 25% in June, and by 65% in high-demand capitals such as Beijing and Delhi.

Enemies of the state: The (almost) Complete List

Like many of you, I was shocked to hear that a member of the Prime Minister’s Office had sent an email asking staff in other ministers’ offices to compile lists of “enemy stakeholders.”

This did not sound like the discreet, professional Prime Minister’s Office with which I think we are all familiar. Just the risk of such an email coming to light made it impossible to believe any member of the current PMO was involved. On top of which: enemies lists? Not on this prime minister’s watch. I distinctly remember the prime minister on election night promising “to govern for all Canadians.” Say what you will about Stephen Harper, but he’s a man of his word.

Jason Kenney to maintain hold on ethnic file despite move to jobs portfolio

OTTAWA —  If you thought the Minister for Curry in a Hurry was going to give up his ethnic outreach role — think again.

Jason Kenney, Canada‘s new Minister of Employment and Social Development, will hang on to the multiculturalism file, Postmedia News has learned.

Little accountability for millions spent by federal party riding associations

OTTAWA - Riding associations for federal political parties are sitting on nearly $30-million of taxpayer-subsidized cash, with little obligation to account publicly for how the money is spent.

Annual financial reports filed recently with Elections Canada indicate that Conservative electoral district associations are by far the wealthiest, with combined surpluses of $18.3 million in 2012.

As of last week, the richest of all was the Conservative association in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Calgary Southwest riding, which had amassed a war chest of more than $330,000 — the largest of any riding association, Conservative or otherwise, in the country's 308 constituencies.

Steven Fletcher blindsided by dump from Harper cabinet

Steven Fletcher didn't see it coming.

Up until Monday morning he was the minister of state for transport in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet and then suddenly, he was out. In an interview Wednesday, Fletcher said he was caught by surprise when he was dumped during Harper's major shuffle that saw eight new MPs appointed and a long list of portfolios change hands.

Rob Ford's Nelson Mandela Day and other historical ironies

It came as something of a surprise to hear that Mayor Rob Ford had declared July 18, 2013 'Nelson Mandela Day' in Toronto. But then again perhaps our dear mayor is in fact a fan of South Africa's elder statesman. Few people aren't these days, and to question him or is legacy is the closest thing one can get to secular blasphemy. It is a remarkable irony of history that many of those who, at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle, denounced him as a communist and a terrorist will soon remember him with heartfelt speeches.

Canadian conservatives and the history of Canadian pro-apartheid activism

PM could set Poilievre ‘loose’ on reforming Senate, but opposition critics say he’s ‘worst choice’ as Canada’s new democratic reform minister

With Conservative attack-dog Pierre Poilievre now leading the government’s democratic reform agenda, opposition MPs say they are concerned about the fate of elections reforms needed to prevent another round of robocalls in the 2015 election.

“Canadians should be concerned that an MP who has openly criticized and attacked Elections Canada is now in charge of the elections reform bill,” said Liberal MP and democratic reform critic Stéphane Dion (Saint Laurent-Cartier, Que.).

Documents show city of Toronto knew it was on the hook for $200M provincial loan repayment

The City of Toronto’s claim a $200-million provincial loan never had to be repaid is dead wrong, according to documents obtained by the Star.

Last month, the Ontario government said the long-standing loan would be forgiven to blunt the impact of phasing out a different compensation fund.

But Mayor Rob Ford and city manager Joe Pennachetti complained that wouldn’t save any money because the loan payments stopped years ago and Toronto never expected to pay it off.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sentenced to 5 years in prison

KIROV, RUSSIA—Alexei Navalny, one of the Russian opposition's leading figures, was convicted of embezzlement Thursday and sentenced to five years in prison.

Navalny and his supporters claimed the case was politically driven to try to shut down the vehement Kremlin critic and intimidate his supporters.

Navalny was found guilty of heading a group that embezzled 16 million rubles' ($500,000) worth of timber from state-owned company Kirovles in 2009 while he worked as an unpaid adviser to the provincial governor in Kirov, about 760 kilometres east of Moscow.