Moving John Baird to Foreign Affairs means, more than anything, that Mr. Harper sees that department as a pain in the posterior. Mr. Baird is a fixer. Wherever there is trouble in government, he goes in to root out the deadwood and turn the department around to the government’s way of thinking. He did this for Mike Harris when he was part of the Ontario Tory government in the 1990s and he has done it since 2006 for Mr. Harper. Does his appointment signal a foreign policy shift for Canada? Probably not. Rather, it likely means that troublesome diplomats and bureaucrats who have obstructed the government’s initiatives for the past five years will soon find themselves in charge of federal office supplies north of the Arctic Circle.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Steyn on Diplomatic Reportage
Now that Wikileaks has leaked all the shocking surprise stuff (the Saudis are duplicitous snakes! Berlusconi has an eye for the ladies! the Pope is Catholic!) they’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel. The other day I myself turned up in their latest hold-the-foot-of-page-37 stunning revelation. In a cable to the State Department from the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, some diplomat named Jacobson explains Canada’s free speech battles. ---- Even if (unlike yours truly) you’ve no interest in the subject of the cable, it’s a fascinating glimpse of the level of expertise you get from America’s lavishly remunerated foreign service. Almost every single fact in that paragraph is wrong... Read it all here. |
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Noni Anthony: RIP
Those who came through ITC and who recall Frank Petrie's shop will certainly recall Noni Anthony.
ANTHONY, M. Anona "Noni" Peacefully, at home on Friday, May 6, 2011. Beloved wife, dearest friend and soul mate of Jack Anthony. Dear sister of Patricia Hillman, Wayne Luciano and the late Andy and Carl. Cherished aunt of several nieces and nephews. Noni will be fondly remembered by Suzanne Luciano. Friends may pay respects at Kelly Funeral Home, 2313 Carling Avenue (west of Carlingwood) Sunday from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral Monday to St. Anthonys Church for Mass of Christian Funeral at 11:30 a.m. Private interment. In Memoriam donations to Canadian Cancer Society or the Alzheimer Society appreciated. www.kellyfh.ca
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Annual International Trade Luncheon -- June 15
The 2011 Annual International Trade Luncheon will be held at the National Arts Centre's Rooftop Terrace Tent in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, from 11:30 to 14:00. Come early to network with colleagues before the seating for the lunch begins at 12:15 p.m.
This year’s event will feature a 3-course plated lunch, fantastic panoramic views of Parliament Hill and the great company of friends – old and new. You are invited to this annual celebration of our organization. Also, the first recipient of the Ken Sunquist Award for Service Excellence in International Trade will be announced at the Luncheon.
Tickets are $40 – cash or cheque (only) – and must be purchased in advance. A cash bar will be available. The last day to buy tickets is Wednesday, June 8, 2011. Tickets are non-refundable. Please note that we will not be able to set aside tickets for payment at the door on the day of the event; all tickets must be purchased no later than June 8.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
It has come to this -- meta-activism
Excerpt from an analysis of discourse on gender in the WHO's Midterm Review. There will be rules for making rules.
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"Overall there is the same reflection of gender issues in the MTR [midterm review], with 10 out of 27 speeches making one or more reference to gender. In total, sixteen references were included in the speeches, of which nine referred to differential or specific health needs/outcomes of women and/or men. There was one reference to gender equality, and two references to women’s rights, suggesting that senior manager speeches are not focusing on gender equality as a rights issue, but on differential health outcomes as a “technical” issue. WHO could set as an intermediate target that at least 50 % of senior manager speeches include at least one reference to gender issues."
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