Two of Stephen Harper’s cabinet ministers who were written off initially after making rookie mistakes are emerging as potential stars – and at the same time showing up the guys.
Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose and Labour Minister Lisa Raitt have both successfully guided potentially explosive files of late.
Ms. Ambrose stick-handled the massive $33-billion shipbuilding contract process and received kudos for the outcome. Last week, the Conservative government awarded two shipyards –in Halifax and Vancouver – the contracts to build combat and non-combat vessels.
The process by which the contracts were awarded was applauded by the opposition parties – and even lobbyists – for being fair and without political taint. Ms. Ambrose has been given credit for the way in which it was structured and for not allowing it to veer off-track by keeping politicians and political influence at arms-length.
In a time when Canadians are cynical about politics, Ms. Ambrose proved that the best bid can win. And she says the process will be used a model for future contracts.
As a rookie minister, Ms. Ambrose served for a year in the Environment post before she was shuffled out for making what was considered a number of missteps. But she seems to have redeemed herself after several years, capping it off with this win last week.
Lisa Raitt, meanwhile, had suffered from rookie-itis after stumbling in the Natural Resources portfolio. She was appointed to the post after winning here Toronto-area riding of Halton in the 2008 election. But after attracting controversy for making comments critical of her colleagues that were caught on tape, she was shuffled to Labour last year.
Usually considered a lesser portfolio (Ms. Ambrose had also served there as part of her purgatory), Ms. Raitt has actually made the most of it and a name for herself. Although union workers and the NDP would disagree, she has successfully avoided major labour unrest in the country by either ordering (the postal workers) or threatening to order workers back to work (Air Canada flight attendants, for example).
She is hands-on in her dealings with both sides and disciplined and consistent in her message – just as Ms. Ambrose was with the shipbuilding contract.
Mr. Harper has no senior women ministers – the Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Industry portfolios are all occupied by men. Perhaps he should reconsider.
Where Ottawa stands on Gadhafi’s demise
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is refusing to back down from his view that Canada is more concerned with the plight of Libyans than how Moammar Gadhafi died.
The Libyan dictator’s demise last week has provoked controversy. He was captured alive but later killed by a bullet to his head. There is concern among some human-rights activists with how it happened and some – including The Globe’s editorial board – have argued that Colonel Gadhafi should have been put on trial.
But in the Commons on Friday, Mr. Baird was asked by Liberal MP John McKay “whether the minister is equally concerned about this revenge killing, as it will perpetuate a cycle of violence.”
Replied Mr. Baird: “My first thoughts are with the Libyan people, not with their former dictator.”
Appearing CTV’s Question Period Sunday, Mr. Baird was asked whether he felt he had made a mistake “in apparently writing off any concerns about the speculation having with Gadhafi being assassinated?”
Again, Mr. Baird repeated that the Canadian government’s “primary thoughts” are “with the Libyan people who have been brutally brutalized for the past 42 years.”
He added, too, that he cares “about the more than 7,000 freedom fighters who’ve been killed trying to secure freedom for the people of Libya.”
Canada, he says, will concentrate on helping the Libyans move “towards democracy, more freedom, and that will be the focus of our efforts.”
