Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 3, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A12 Canada / world Winnipeg free press saturday july 3, 2004 minority Rule elevates opposition by Tim Naumetz o Ottawa ? the governments minority status in the House of commons Means opposition Par ties will be Able to re open the parliamentary inquiry into the sponsorship scandal says the conservative my who chaired the Public accounts committee in the last parliament. Edmonton my John Williams and nip maps said yesterday the minority government situation under which opposition maps could have a majority on parliamentary committees May also dramatically alter other political and Law making aspects of the commons. The changes could include election of opposition maps As committee chairs and Opportunity to reopen sponsorship scandal inquiry Dure and practice says Only that com Mittee membership generally reflects the proportions of the various recognized parties in the Martins director of communications Mario Lague said the government is preoccupied with other concerns including the formation of a new Cabinet and has not yet seized the Issue of committee makeup. Under the standing orders committee chairs Are now elected by secret ballot. However Liberal majorities Over the last decade ensured All committee chairs except Public accounts were Liberal maps. Under the standing orders the Public accounts committee must be chaired by an opposition my. ? can West news service wider scrutiny of government legislation. Williams who chaired the inquiry into the sponsorship affair recalled the ran Cor that characterized the final meet Ings of the Public accounts committee As the Liberal majority Cut Short the inquiry when prime minister Paul mar tin geared up for the election. Williams noted the committee has still not released a report to the commons after two months of hearings into Audi Tor general Sheila Fraser a report that $100 million that the government spent on a Federal sponsorship Campaign in Quebec went to commissions and fees to Liberal Friendly advertising firms. There was never a formal report of any kind on the sponsorship scandal said Williams adding the Public accounts committee also has to Complete reviews of other reports Fraser tabled last february. The opposition parties presented an informal minority report blasting the government Over the affair but the com Mittee has so far released Only a sum Mary of evidence prepared by the Library of parliament. There is no question that it was Cut off in mid Stream and therefore the committee has to decide what its going to do about it said Williams. Nova Scotia nip my Peter Stoffer a member of the commons fisheries com by Robert Fife Ottawa ? . President George w. Bush telephoned prime minister Paul Martin yesterday to congratulate him on the Liberal leaders election Victory and to discuss nato training of iraqi Secu Rity forces. White House spokesman Scott Mcclel Lan said Bush raised the Issue of iraqi training and the need for nato to pro vide Security support when elections take place in Afghanistan later this year. ? they talked about the importance of moving Forward on implementing what nato agreed to in the Summit particularly when it comes to the training of Security forces and additional Secu Rity for helping Afghanistan move for Ward on elections he told reporters in Washington. Martins communication director Mario Lague was unable to substantiate the details of the conversations involving nato other than to say the two leaders had a Short and upbeat conversation. ? Bush called a Little before 8 . And it was like a Short and Sweet Call. I was told around five minutes Lague said. Nato leaders at an Istanbul Summit this week agreed to a vaguely worded communique on training iraqi Security forces but member states Are split Over exactly what role Bush called the Alliance will play. Canada was a Little before represented by 8 . And it foreign affairs minister Bill Gra was like a Ham. Short and senior nato Sweet Call. I commanders head to Iraq next week was told to prepare for the around five training of iraqi Security forces minutes despite the object ? Mario Lague tons of French president Jacques Chirac to nato forces within Iraq the alliances supreme commander . Gen. James Jones and Admiral Gre gory Johnson commander of joint Force command Naples would Lead the delegation. Washington and Paris were also try ing to resolve How to dispatch nato forces to Afghanistan ahead of elections planned for september. France has objected to using natos rapid response Force to police the elections. At the nato Summit afghan presi Dent Hamid Karzai pleaded with the leaders of the Alliance to live up to their commitment to boost troop numbers by at least 3,500 in Afghanistan ahead of its first democratic election. The new troops would join the 6,500 nato troops ? including 2,000 canadians ? already on the ground there but the commitment Falls Short of the 15,000 the United nations says is needed to protect afghans from terrorists insurgents warlords and heroin producers. ? can West news service Mittee said the appointment of opposition majorities on commons committees would also Lead to Fuller debate of government legislation. If or. Martin wants to be held True to his word that he wants to give commit tees More clout then Why not have opposition chairs he said. But there does not appear to be a Rule that guarantees the governments minor Ity status in the commons will be reflected in the makeup of committees. House standing orders do not specify that committees must reflect the make up of party numbers in the House while the authoritative guide to parliamentary convention House of commons proce Pearson a oops important lesson for liberals Martin needs to stay on his toes senator by Norma Greenaway Ottawa the Paul Martin liberals would be Wise to revisit a giant oops moment in the minority government of Lester Pearson As they prepare to gov Ern without a majority says Liberal sen Ator David Smith a Veteran of the Era. The scene was a half empty House of commons on feb. 19, 1968. The minority government was asleep at the switch and allowed a final vote to be held on then finance minister Mitchell Sharps budget Resolution when it did to have enough members present to pull off a Victory. With 48 liberals absent the govern ment was Defeated 84 to 82. The liberals panicked because they were in the Early stages of a leadership contest to replace Pearson and could not fathom being forced to the polls Early. The prime minister went on National reals sputtering Effort. Television pleading with canadians to Smith believes the Martin govern see the vote As an Accident and a Hazard ments future will Likely will turn out of minority government that did not More like Pearson a experience than Joe constitute a defeat of the government. Clarks whose tory minority govern behind the scenes Allan Maceachen ment fell in the commons on a budget the wily Liberal House Leader had Craft vote in december 1979. De a motion to the effect that the defeat a stubborn Clark who had said head not really constituted a vote of non planned to Rule As though he had Confidence in the majority immediately announced he Robert Stanfield the progressive con would visit the governor general and Asker native Leader at the time played the him to dissolve parliament for a statesman and gave Pearson time to election. Rally his forces for a feb. 28 vote. The Smith says Martins situation is a lot liberals won 138-119, largely because better than Clarks and he suspects the the credit stes a Quebec nationalist newest Liberal government will last two party figured they would get wiped out or three years. Clark was easier toil an election were held. Defeat because All three opposition Par the rest is history so to speak. Pierre ties ? the liberals the nip and the Trudeau was elected to the Liberal Lead credit stes ? were to the left of the pro Reship and then went on to win the coun Gressie conservatives he said. Try in june on a wave of Trudeau mania. In Martins Case he argues the 99 still the Maceachen motion stands conservatives led by Stephen Harper out As groundbreaking because it meant Are alone on the right whereas the 135?a government Defeated on a Money Bill seat Strong liberals have 73 maps on the was no longer presumed to have lost the left including 19 nip and 54 bloc. Confidence of the House. Smith acknowledged the liberals will Smith an operative during the Pear have to be on their toes to ensure Theyson minority governments of 1956 and Don to get caught by Surprise. The jobs 1963, says the events of february 1968 of House Leader and party whip the peo provide a Good lesson for Martins team ple responsible for counting Heads Andas they prepare to navigate minority making sure maps show up for votes Are government. More important for All parties in minor Smith a lawyer and former Toronto Ity government situations. My was seen As the brains behind Jean but chances Are slim the opposition Chr Tien a wildly successful Ontario will be Able to unite around an Issue to campaigns in his last three Federal elec bring Down the government he said. Tons during which the former prime besides Smith says both the govern minister chalked up solid majorities. Ment and the opposition should be War although Smith was initially squeezed about forcing an Early election. Out of the action in the most recent Campaign the Martin team turned to him in the final weeks to help Salvage the lib can West news service hearing impaired try 1-800-361-8071. Canadian destinations the fuel surcharge is now included on All our fares. Fares indicated Are one Way valid at time of printing and apply to new bookings Only. Edmonton Montr Al Ottawa Toronto and Vancouver tickets must be purchased by july 10, 2004. Travel must be completed by september 21, 2004. Advance Purchase May apply. 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