HARPER PLAYS IT SAFE
Cabinet shuffle elevates loyalists
Just months before the next election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has opted for political safety as he remakes his cabinet in the wake of John Baird’s abrupt resignation.
On Monday, he shuffled three ministers he can trust to closely follow the party line in major portfolios: Rob Nicholson to Foreign Affairs, Jason Kenney to Defence and Pierre Poilievre to Employment.
“The changes to the Ministry announced today will help ensure that key portfolios continue to have the strong leadership required to advance Canadian priorities,” said Mr. Harper in a written statement.
The appointment of Mr. Nicholson, a cautious veteran who sticks to his speaking points, is reflective of Mr. Harper’s strategy to maintain some personal control of the foreign affairs file, abandoned by Mr. Baird last week, at a time of increased international uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the sure-footed Mr. Kenney takes on Mr. Nicholson’s job in Defence, a key portfolio at a time of conflict in Iraq.
He also keeps responsibility for Multiculturalism, a nod to his political success on behalf of the Conservatives in recent years in forging strong relations between the party and voters from ethnic communities.
Whereas Mr. Nicholson adopts a persona that is deliberately dull, Mr. Kenney has much more confidence to speak his mind in public.
He has long been seen as one of Mr. Harper’s most trusted ministers: bringing in reforms to the immigration system when he headed that portfolio, and last year, spearheading controversial changes to the temporary foreign workers program.
The PMO said that in his new job at Defence, Mr. Kenney will “defend our values, interests and sovereignty at home and around the world.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Poilievre has considerably expanded his influence in cabinet: keeping his job as Democratic Reform minister, becoming Employment minister, and assuming responsibility for the National Capital Commission — which makes him the Conservatives’ new powerhouse in the Ottawa area.
NDP leader Tom Mulcair was critical of all three appointments — Mr. Poilievre for his “abrasive” behaviour previously as Democratic Reform minister, Mr. Kenney for the “debris field” he left as employment minister, and Mr. Nicholson for, among other things, his refusal to stand up to the prime minister, and his inability to speak French.
“I don’t know how Mr. Harper is going to be able to rationalize these appointments,” said Mr. Mulcair. “If you look at the fact that it’s all men and it’s all the same cast of characters from the Conservative benches, it’s not a very encouraging or a positive sign.”
Liberal MP Scott Brison said the shuffle showed no shift in policy direction or “tone.” “This is a prime minister who calls all the shots,” said Mr. Brison.
The promotion of Mr. Poilievre to a more senior portfolio, he said, sends a “signal.”
“The more partisan you are, the higher you are likely to go.”
Mr. Poilievre first came to public attention as the prime minister’s parliamentary secretary. In the House of Commons, it was his job to hurl highly partisan barbs back at the opposition parties when they were asking questions.
As Democratic Reform minister last year, he drew the ire of the opposition in his handling of the Fair Elections Act.
Mr. Nicholson is not politically glamorous, nor does he deliver memorable quotes to the media or in the House of Commons. Rather, with steadfast discipline, he has always been the standard-bearer for Mr. Harper’s message — first in the early years of the Conservative government as it proposed controversial law-and-order legislation, and more recently, as Defence minister, when the Tories announced a military mission in the skies over Iraq. Now, Mr. Nicholson is responsible for shepherding and advocating Canadian international policy in areas Mr. Harper holds close to his heart — criticism of Russian military aggression in Ukraine, and support for Israel. Mr. Harper’s office said Monday that Mr. Nicholson will “continue” to “ensure that Canada’s foreign policy reflects true Canadian values and advances Canada’s national interests.”
But Mr. Mulcair suggested the new Foreign Affairs minister will merely be a mouthpiece for Mr. Harper. “John Baird was able to stand up to Stephen Harper. But we saw that even he had to throw in the towel last week.’’