Is Stephen Harper really a control freak who won't let his ministers speak? Who's ahead in the Liberal leadership race? Will Jack Layton still be the kingmaker in the new Parliament? What will the Bloc try to squeeze out of the Conservative government in exchange for support in the minority House?
Today, globeandmail.com introduced a new regularly-scheduled weekly discussion about federal politics. The Hill _ Live will feature Globe columnists and Ottawa bureau reporters taking your questions for an hour every Wednesday about the latest developments, ongoing trends or anything in between.
Our guest today was Globe national affairs columnist Jeffrey Simpson who was on-line earlier to discuss the Harper government's first
Throne Speech
and what to expect when serious business begins in the House.
Mr. Simpson also took questions on non-Ottawa political subjects such as Alberta Premier Ralph Klein's decision to step down earlier than he had intended after losing key support within his party. Mr. Simpson wrote today
The Klein era is over. Let the race begin
The questions and answers are at the bottom of this article.
Mr. Simpson has won all three of Canada's leading literary prizes — the Governor-General's award for non-fiction book writing, the National Magazine Award for political writing, and the National Newspaper Award for column writing (twice). He has also won the Hyman Solomon Award for excellence in public policy journalism. In January 2000, he became an Officer of the Order of Canada.
He joined The Globe and Mail in 1974. His career with the newspaper began at City Hall in Toronto and with coverage of Quebec politics. In 1977, he became a member of the paper's Ottawa bureau, and eighteen months later he was named The Globe and Mail's Ottawa bureau chief. From 1981-1983, Mr. Simpson served as The Globe's European correspondent based in London, England. He began writing his national affairs column in January, 1984.
Mr. Simpson has published six books — Discipline of Power (1980); Spoils of Power (1988); Faultlines, Struggling for a Canadian Vision (1993); The Anxious Years (1996) and Star-Spangled Canadians (2000). His most recent book, The Friendly Dictatorship: Reflections on Canadian Democracy (2001), was nominated for the Donner Prize as the best book on public policy.
Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question/comment. Comments/questions may be edited for length or clarity. We will not publish questions/comments that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions/comments that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.
Jim Sheppard, Executive Editor, globeandmail.com: Welcome, Jeffrey. Thanks for opening our new series of Wednesday discussions "The Hill _ Live" with your special insight into all things political. The Harper government's Throne Speech yesterday was widely described as lacking in surprises while it focused on the much-touted "five priorities." What's your analysis of the chances of Parliament actually approving these five items?
Jeffrey Simpson: Jim: We have a minority Parliament, but we also have an electorate that does not want an early election. So between these two forces, there will necessarily be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing among the parties. The GST cut will happen because it will be a centerpiece of the budget, and the opposition parties are not going to defeat the government's first budget. And a GST cut, although poor economics, is good politics. The "tough on crime" package might have to be amended in places because the three opposition parties won't like mandatory minimum sentences. The day-care promise — money directly to people rather than to child care spaces — that too will be unpopular with the opposition parties. The Accountability Act will sail through, because none of the opposition parties will want to be seen as opposing "cleaning up politics."
David Ashton, Cloverdale, B.C.: In the next year, will there be one clear partner for the Conservative party in helping them retain the confidence of the House? Or is it really going to be dependent on each issue? Do you project the Bloc will support the Conservatives on daycare? A second question: Bill Graham says the Liberals are willing to defeat the government if the need arises. Do you think they are telling the truth or do you suspect they are simply putting on a brave face?
