PING!
Posted on 02/06/2006 9:29:09 AM PST by GMMAC
Harper is sworn in as prime minister © Canadian Press 2006
Canadian Press via National Post
Monday, February 06, 2006
OTTAWA -- Stephen Harper, who was dismissed less than two years ago as unelectable, has been sworn in as the country's 22nd prime minister.
Harper, clutching his personal Bible, was sworn in Monday by Alex Himelfarb, clerk of the Privy Council, as his wife Laureen and their two young childen, Ben and Rachel, watched proudly.
Harper arrived at Rideau Hall less than an hour after Paul Martin resigned, marking the end of a troubled two-year tenure that saw the scandal-plagued Liberals humbled by a resurgent Conservative party.
The biggest surprise was the presence of former Liberal industry minister David Emerson, who crossed the floor to join the Tory cabinet as minister of international trade.
Another shock was the appointment of Michael Fortier, a key party organizer in Quebec, as public works minister, because Fortier is not an MP.
Other top cabinet ministers include: Jim Flaherty at finance, Peter MacKay at foreign affairs, Vic Toews at justice, Gordon O'Connor at defence, Tony Clement at health, Maxime Bernier at industry, John Baird at Treasury Board and Rob Nicholson as House leader and democratic reform minister.
The 27-member cabinet, which includes six women, is much leaner than the 39 positions the Liberals had, and drops the post of deputy prime minister.
The new cabinet ministers arrived in cars and taxis -- an apparent effort to show that they're closer to the people than the Liberals, who used limousines.
Emerson's defection was the best kept secret of a tightly guarded cabinet list. He was recruited by Martin to run in the 2004 election in Vancouver and he won that seat again in the Jan. 23 election.
His appointment gives the Conservatives a badly needed presence in one of the country's three biggest cities where they failed to win a single seat in the Jan. 23 election.
The choice of Fortier, a former president of the now-defunct Progressive Conservative party, is an attempt to build support in Quebec Harper boasted in a news release that his new smaller cabinet is "designed for work, not for show."
"The 26 ministers are equal members of the team, ensuring equal voices from all regions of Canada," he said in the release.
"The structure is designed to promote accountable, efficient and effective government -- more focus and purpose; less process and cost." Cabinet choices have to reflect regions, gender, ethnicity and other political concerns.
Harper reafirmed his commitment to focus on five key priorities:
-- Clean up government with the Federal Accountability Act.
-- Lower taxes starting with cut to the GST.
-- Strengthen the justice system.
-- Support child-care choices.
-- Establish medical wait-time guarantees.
"Our mission is clear," Harper said in his release. "We will restore faith and trust in our public institutions as we keep Canada strong and united." Three high-profile MPs who were touted for cabinet spots were notably absent: Diane Ablonczy, Jason Kenney and James Moore.
Nicholson, who represents Niagara Falls, Ont., is the only minister with previouse experience in a federal cabinet, having served in Brian Mulroney's cabinet.
Flaherty, a former Ontario finance minister, was a longtime lawyer with a practice on Toronto's Bay Street, giving him the kind of connections that should help reassure the barons of Canada's financial capital.
MacKay's assignment to the foreign affairs portfolio follows something of a tradition in Canadian politics that has seen party leaders giving the post to their formal rivals for the leadership. Jean Chretien was given the job after he lost the Liberal leadership to John Turner in 1984. Joe Clark was made minister of foreign affairs by Brian Mulroney.
Marjory LeBreton's appointment as leader of the government in the Senate is sure to be popular among Conservatives. LeBreton has served every Conservative leader since John Diefenbaker.
LeBreton had a distant relationship with Harper for years. His move toward the political centre coincided with Harper's reaching out to more moderate conservatives such as LeBreton.
Harper asked her to join him during the recent election campaign, where she served as a cool, experienced adviser to the new prime minister.
PING!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Buh-bye 2 billion buck gun registry !
Buh-bye kyoto BS treaty!
If any person in Canada needs prayer support, it is Prime Minister Stephen Harper, because he has one helluva mess to clean up, and you can bet the LIEberals will be looking for subtle, below-the-radar tricks to try and trip him up. The only thing worse than a Liberal in power, is a Liberal OUT of power.
God Bless Canada, and Good Luck! :)
Congratulations to our Canadian friends. May God bless Stephen Harper.
Ain't it a great day to be a Conservative Canada -- there I said it out loud!
Pauvre Michael Moore, c'est domage, le boohoo, le boohoo...
Yes - he needs prayer and grassroots support. You think your leftie media rakes Bush through the muck? The CBC (Canadian Bullsh!t Corporation) is going to do everything in their power to destroy the Conservative Party.
How did Rove pull this off?
Does it make anyone wonder to see a Conservative government with a "Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics" or a Minister for "Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians"?
You mean gale force, freezing air;) Fresh, brisk, and just what we need!
Smell the roses bump!
Stephen Harper, pictured here in January 2006, was sworn in as Canada's 22nd prime minister in a ceremony at Rideau Hall, two weeks after his Conservative Party swept to power in a general election(AFP/File/Patrick Doyle)
Conservative Sworn in As Canadian PM
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Way to go, Canada!!!
Keep this up, and I will take back all the bad things that I have been thinking about you :-)
May I be the first to say, "Harper's Fault!" :)
>>two weeks after his Conservative Party swept to power
Note that, just like Canadian election campaigns are much shorter than in the US, it only took two weeks for
him to take office. Compare with the US where it's about 2 and a half months for a new pres. to take office after election. (New Senators and Congressmen sworn in a couple
weeks before _that_, but that's still a good 2 months
after the election)
It's a big ol' pity party now, isn't it? ; )
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