Roundup: Lamenting the regional ministries

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Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay told his local paper that he’s not too concerned that the minister in charge of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency isn’t from the region, but that he’s a Central Canadian, but hey, he’s gotten results so it’s all good. And then people went insane because how dare the government not have a regional development minister from the region, ignoring that the policy of this government has been to eschew the tradition of regional ministers writ large, and that all regional development agencies all report to the same minister – the industry minister – rather than spreading it around to a number of ministers of state (and bloating the size of cabinet while you’re at it). And then from there comes the perennial outrage that we have regional representation at the cabinet level, which ignores that cabinet positions are not actually something that requires subject matter expertise, but that it’s a political position that is largely based on managerial competence, which is fine, particularly under a system of Responsible Government that the legislature can hold them to account for the performance of their duties. After all, they have the civil service to do the subject-matter expertise part for them, and it’s the job of ministers to make decisions that they can then be held to account for. But a few of the exchanges were at least worth noting.

https://twitter.com/mikepmoffatt/status/790304049916698624

https://twitter.com/mikepmoffatt/status/790320546814824449

https://twitter.com/mikepmoffatt/status/790323018631348225

https://twitter.com/mikepmoffatt/status/790323328108130304

Most of those were all well and good, but this one from Candice Bergen caught my eye, because it actually highlights something that has largely been ignored.

While it may be a little overwrought, the point about centralizing power in the PMO is actually quite astute, and fits the pattern of centralization that Trudeau has been entirely underreported. Within the Liberal Party itself, Trudeau has convinced the party to abolish its regional powerbases and centralize it all within his own office under the guise of “modernization” and “being more responsive.” Once could very well argue that eliminating regional minister has a similar effect. That said, one could also argue that the purpose of regional minister was about pork-barrelling and doing the partisan work of securing votes from those very same regions for the government’s benefit, so their loss wouldn’t be too deeply felt in a move to make a system built to be more responsive to evidence than political consideration. Regardless, the propensity of this prime minister to consolidate power should not be underestimated, and this is something we should absolutely be keeping an eye on.

Good reads:

  • The EU has set their deadline for Belgium to sign onto CETA as today.
  • Bill Morneau says that young people should be prepared for more “job churn” – essentially, more short-term precarious employment.
  • The sale of diplomatic residences has largely been stopped, and hey, it turns out that selling properties and renting has been costing us more anyway.
  • Despite all of the concerns about non-existent extradition treaty negotiations with China, we’re already sending dozens back every years.
  • The RCMP are investigating the financial dealings of a BC First Nation, while the Conservatives and Liberal fight over First Nations financial transparency.
  • Former MP and now public advocate Peter Stoffer thinks that veterans are being able to be prescribed too much marijuana.
  • Here is your periodic look at what’s on the roster for e-petitions.
  • Kevin O’Leary says he likes Maxime Bernier, Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole so far in the Conservative race, but he won’t make his own decision until December.
  • Andrew Scheer is currently the top-spending leadership candidate.
  • Steven Blaney is now officially in the leadership race, because it really need a Stephen Harper fangirl candidate.
  • Maxime Bernier says that he would allow an abortion debate. Freedom!
  • Kady O’Malley looks at the current pearl-clutching over fundraising and offers some potential solutions (despite it being a zero-sum game nobody can actually win).

Odds and ends:

Senator Jacques Demers suffered a health setback over the weekend.

The Conservatives have chosen their nominee in Stephen Harper’s old riding.