Why Monte Solberg Should Be Finance Minister

Lunch – Working lunch with journalist, $16.71
Breakfast – Working breakfast with Chief of Staff, $5.49
Dinner – Working dinner with Chief of Staff, $70.30

Knowing that your total expenses for the year are less than the bottle of wine Joe Volpe ordered with pizza dinner, priceless.

Monte's Expenses

The Media Versus Harper: Cast and Drag Method

Read between the lines on most media reports on PM Harper.

You will start to see tangential references to behaviors that don't seem to dissimilar to what the PM displays on a regular basis. However, wait a couple of days and you will hear soon see a retort from the every quiet PM on the issue at hand.

Listen carefully and you'll hear the line cast being tossed into the water. The media seem to have the patience required for this technique to work properly and surprisingly the PM is responding to almost every hook out there.

Most recently the issue/rumour that General Rick Hillier was being muzzled after some out of scope comments made at some ceremonies. CPAC junkies will remember a couple of days ago Gen. Hillier went on and on almost uncomfortably at times about who had the best job in the country and this and that, and remember when Bill thought that the car parked there was his, etc, etc.

The media picked this up and accused the PM of ordering a full assault on the General's mouth. After a couple of days of silence, the PM came forward in Winnipeg today and stated that, "I keep reading these stories about secret memos that I'm vetting this and that, but I'm not aware of any of them".

Watch out Steve, the media has their ways of making you talk.

Peter MacKay, Always the Last to Know

Poor Pete. When the spotlight turned to him about the upcoming budget and gas tax relief, he thought he had all the answers.

"There are discussions about that right now, and we have a budget coming and we're getting all kinds of submissions ... on what to cut and what not to cut," Mr. MacKay said.

"The truth of the matter is higher gas prices – that's going to be something that we're going to have to get used to." This from his boss, PM Harper hours after Mr. MacKay made the statement.Oopss.

Many are trying to take the Tories to task on this issue. It wasn't so long ago that they were the biggest supporters of cutting the tax on tax, hidden your fill-up fees. Now when pressed on the matter the PM returned to the upcoming cut to the GST as apseudoo relief (that is GST on gas after all). Truth be told, most economists agree that cutting the tax on tax or 1% off the federal tax show similar results. Not a heck of a lot back in our pockets.

Budgets or Belinda, poor Pete seems to be the last in the information food chain, in opposition or cabinet.

Five Priorities and One Threat

Canada's new Prime Minister has begun his show of force to prove he is the true position of power. Much like Tony Soprano picking an imaginary fight with his bodyguard in front of his troops, Mr. Harper has decided to punch the federal liberals square in the nose knowing full well that the chances of receiving a pop back are 10-1.

The threat he has carefully chosen is child care. He claimed in Burnaby today that he would got to the polls to insure that his fourth priority would be realized by Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

It seems that it is the best fight to pick given the situation in the house and the liberal leadership being in flux. He knows that the opposition will cool off once the first cheques start landing in parents hands. It's always harder to take away money once it's gone through the startup process of flowing.

One thing is clear from the statement today from the PM, his five priorities are going to be what he lives and dies (politically) on. He knows that and given the recent polls , Canadians know that and seem to agree.

Fiscally Responsible, Comfortably Numb

Jim Flaherty has made an announcement in Markham this morning stating that the new government will reduce taxes 'overall' for Canadians.

Overall? Does he mean the GST or more? Some of the media are picking up on this point and running a mile with it speculating that not only will the Tories cut the GST, but they will focus on a slice of the personal income tax level off the top.

The Tories need to find all the hidden treasure in the halls of the hill before making too many promises, and hopefully they have found the box of Martin's millions buried under the east block.

This country is in need of a tax break that can be felt in more than just pocket change. Grab the map and keep looking guys!

Minus three?

As King Ralph gets ready for his royal departure, Preston Manning is eyeballing the soon-to-be vacant throne in Canada's wealthiest province.

This is sure to be a situation that PM Harper and his staff are watching and listening to closely. Three Conservative MPs Mills, Rajotte and Merrifield are potentially thinking about running provincially if Mr. Manning is next the leader.

Three to start, four or five to finish?

This is the short list of 'jumpers' eager to get into the new Alberta government. How about all those other Alberta MPs who got passed over by the cabinet seat recently. Are you still out there Diane Abonczy?

Just when you thought the perpetual provincial problem-making premier was on his way out...

Accountability Act Two

Now that all 250 pages of the Federal Accountability Act (FAA) (even the name is too large) has been distributed throughout the house, it will shortly begin the next phase in the life of a bill.

The Senate with a Liberal majority waits, sharpening their teeth, for the first bite at the legislation. Some senators have remarked that they will stall, review and reflect on the bill possibly making some changes.

The area of most concern seems to be the fact that Senators will be placed under the same magnifying glass as their parliamentary pals.

With a Liberal-weighted red chamber (no pun intended) the bill may have some blood drawn. Mr. Fortier and Mr. Baird are about to become the best of friends.

Home Sweet Haiti

Michaelle Jean will be heading home next month. Rideau Hall is in the process of detailing a trip that would see the G-G back on Haitian soil for the first time in a long while.

Ms. Jean will be there to take witness to the inauguration of Rene Preval in Port-au-Prince on May 14.

No one is sure how long she and her family will stay, but you can expect the expense reports will be closely monitored to prevent a repeat of another former CBC-er's spending habits.

Grits Leadership Race and The Great Divide

The divide has always been there, left centre and right.

Just the last couple of years it seems to have been blurred somewhat by the longstanding Liberal government. With the Liberal leadership race picking up (and filling up) the divide begins to open like a spring flower.

With individuals like Mr. Ignatieff, Mr. Rae and social-minded puckstopper Ken Dryden (who will soon toss his goalie mask into the leadership race), the Grits are bound to make the shift start back towards the centre. This will help make clear the priorities of each party by separating Tory and Liberal ideas which seem to have grown very close in the last ten plus years.

No matter which leader they end up with in the end you can be sure of two simple facts. The show will be worth the price of admission and major priority changes with definitely separate the old Martin Libs from the new party.

Surely that will be enough shift to give them another decade in power, right?

New Polls

The latest polls show the Tories maintaining their slim lead lead across the minds of the nation. The slim lead also seems to translate into a larger alignment of feelings of priority in Canadians with the infant government.

Do you think Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are doing a good job so far?

Good job - 36%
Average - 37%
Poor job - 10%
Don’t know - 17%


How do the Conservatives’ priorities compare to your own?

Identical - 9%
Similar - 56%
Different - 20%
Very different - 10%
Don’t know - 5%

- Source: Angus Reid