Senior Liberal strategists are now referring to the Ignatieff OLO (Opposition Leader's Office) as “Parliament High” because of the legions of inexperienced young people who populate it.
They even have a uniform. Says one veteran Liberal: “Why is it everybody in the Leader's office, guys or girls, wears blue jeans, pointy shoes and tight button-up shirts with loud colours? … It's pack mentality.” And this would be amusing, except that the kids at Parliament High let down Michael Ignatieff during part of his tour in Nova Scotia this week.
This does not exactly bode well for a smoothly-run national election campaign tour.
“It's no one's fault. It's not the 24-year-olds' fault who have never been told how do their job. Someone who is managing them has to make sure they understand what they're doing,” says the veteran Liberal.
What bothered him was that Ignatieff handlers mixed up their times, taking him from a big community garden party so he could attend a much smaller meeting.
“He left 200 voters to go to a meeting with … municipal leaders and he got there 20 minutes early,” said the observer. “They pulled him out by mistake. And half the people didn't get to touch him, they wanted to shake his hand. He had no choice in the matter.”
Ignatieff spokeswoman Jill Fairbrother , who is not on the tour, said that her boss spent 40 minutes at the party. He also met with the municipal leaders. But, she says, “there is some misinformation coming from somewhere” as the week-long swing through the Maritimes has been successful. Friday, a PEI farmer named a calf after Mr. Ignatieff's wife, Zsuzsanna Zsohar.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, his wife Zsuzsanna Zsohar and his three PEI MPs, Shawn Murphy, Wayne Easter and Lawrence MacAulay pose with farmer Randall Affleck, second front the far right, in Prince Edward Island this week.
The HOAG strategy
Harper chief of staff Guy Giorno was famous at Queen's Park for his “Hell of a guy” (HOAG) strategy in which he would schedule events to try to portray former premier Mike Harris as an ordinary, good guy. For example, he would have the premier fish with his son. The heartwarming picture would then end up in newspapers across the province.
That, according to a former Harris official, was part of the HOAG strategy. “HOAG is pulling the wool over everybody's eyes and it's one of Giorno's favourite ways of communicating,” he said.
Now Mr. Giorno is taking his strategy across the country. With whispers of a possible fall election, watch for HOAG pictures with Stephen Harper – more of Mr. Harper with a drill, playing handyman, or an “impromptu” walk with his kids.
It's been 25 years
Two former Brian Mulroney cabinet ministers – Jean Charest , now Quebec Premier, and Michael Wilson , the Canadian Ambassador to the United States – are the co-hosts of a big bash next month to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the election of the Mulroney government. It is not clear yet if Mr. Harper, who told his caucus not to speak to Mr. Mulroney during the Schreiber inquiry, will appear.
His press secretary Dimitri Soudas said, “We issue advisories for all [the Prime Minister's] public events the day before.” It seems, however, the ban has been lifted for this event so that caucus members can attend without facing sanction.
Hot and Not
Hot: Dan Brock and Jim Pimblett . Two former Parliament Hill veterans have landed senior roles in the Ignatieff OLO. Mr. Brock, 44, who helped recruit Mr. Ignatieff from Harvard to Canadian politics is the new principal secretary. Mr. Pimblett, meanwhile, former prime minister Paul Martin 's executive assistant, is the new director of legislative affairs. As well, Mr. Pimblett is helping organize Mr. Ignatieff's China tour, which takes place early next month. Visiting the country was suggested to Mr. Ignatieff by Jean Chrétien , an old hand in Asia, who has many contacts in China. So it's odd that a Martin guy and not a Chrétien guy is doing the trip.
Not: The bipartisan special committee studying employment-insurance reform – the one that Mr. Ignatieff negotiated with Mr. Harper to avoid an election – is going nowhere.
