1. Toast of the town. He’s tweeted it already, but for those few who aren’t following him Tony Clement celebrated his 50th birthday Tuesday night at a trendy restaurant not far from Parliament Hill.
It was the third round of festivities for the Industry Minister, who actually turned 50 a couple of weeks ago when he was in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum.
Wearing a Foo Fighters t-shirt with a jacket over it, Mr. Clement told The Globe and Mail about a birthday dinner his wife organized for about 36 couples. Before sitting down to eat, all of them were required to fill out a long-form census of 40 questions about the Industry Minister. Given the controversy caused this summer over the government’s decision to scrap the mandatory long-form, all the guests had a good laugh.
Last week, Mr. Clement was embroiled in another controversy when he announced policy over Twitter. At the request of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Industry Minister responded to a reporter’s tweet and said the CRTC must go back to the “drawing board” and rethink its decision on usage-based Internet billing.
The virtual ministerial scrum worked and word spread quickly of the Conservative government’s ultimatum to the telecommunication regulator. It’s that kind of social-media savvy that’s earned Mr. Clement kudos as a powerful online presence on Parliament Hill.
The gang, meanwhile, was all there to help him celebrate Tuesday night. Cabinet colleagues including Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt, Treasury Board President Stockwell Day, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan attended, as did rookie minister for seniors Julian Fantino and Marjory LeBreton, the Government Leader in the Senate. Liberal MP Bonnie Crombie crossed party lines to toast Mr. Clement, while House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken kept a watchful eye on the night’s proceedings. Even Nigel Wright, the Prime Minister’s new chief of staff, was spotted among the crowd.
2. Dancing against violence. The Harper Tories are funding a cultural event. More than that, they are spending $317,000 to help out an Atlantic Ballet Theatre Company production.
Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose is behind the project. By all accounts the ballet, Ghosts of Violence, is an extremely novel and powerful piece.
It was inspired, according to a recent press release, by “the lives of Canadian women who have been killed at the hands of an intimate partner.” It makes its world premiere in Ottawa next week at the National Arts Centre on Feb. 15.
“It’s a really groundbreaking way to communicate this issue,” Ms. Ambrose told The Globe. Although she has not yet seen it – she will be attending Tuesday’s performance – she said she was told about it and encouraged to support it by Carolyn Stewart Olsen, a New Brunswick native who served as a senior aide to Stephen Harper and is now a Conservative senator.
“I know people who have seen it and there isn’t a dry eye in the crowd, apparently,” Ms. Ambrose said.
The ballet – which got money not only from Status of Women but also the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Canada Council of Arts – is touring in 50 different cities after the Ottawa premiere.
While Status of Women usually supports projects such as delivering services to women, helping aid women’s shelters and women in refugee communities, it hasn’t yet helped fund a ballet.
“This was something very novel, different,” Ms. Ambrose said. “At first I thought, well what is this about and how is a ballet going to help violence against women? Lo and behold it has been incredibly well received and it is a new, fresh, innovative way to deliver this message about violence against women.”
