Martin uses the Commons touch; PM juggles, jests fielding questions In hurry-up mode to leave his stamp
Toronto Star - Susan Delacourt
February 4, 2004
OTTAWA Prime Minister Paul Martin, proclaiming that Canada is finally "going forward," has taken charge of a raucous, pre-election Parliament.
Martin, who has pitched himself as a champion of meaningful Commons debate, was the man at the centre of that cut and thrust yesterday as he made his debut in question period.
Now that he's in the line of fire, the new Conservative party, the New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois are promising to rattle Martin's bid to put a bold, new face on Liberals' 10-year-old rule.
And while Martin talks about the future, the opposition is homing in on his past as the former head of Canada Steamship Lines. At issue is why the government first reported that CSL and its subsidiaries received only $137,000 in government business over the last 10 years, but last week corrected that estimate with new figures totalling $161 million.
Martin has radically remapped the Liberal government benches, and yesterday laid out his vision for a country of ambitions fulfilled and activist government.
"We are moving neither right nor left, but in the direction Canadians demand- forward," Martin said. "This government does 'get it.' Our goal is the success of Canadians in every region of Canada."
At centre stage and behind the scenes yesterday, Martin was in hurry-up mode to put his stamp on the Parliament over which he now presides. Today, he's due to unveil an "action plan" to shake up the work of the Commons to make the institution and MPs more relevant.
The memory of Jean Chrétien is not totally gone. In fact, Martin telephoned his predecessor and old rival on Monday night, to tell him of his plan to name a bill after him. The Jean Chrétien Pledge to Africa Act will help get low-cost, anti-HIV and AIDS drugs to African nations. Chrétien had made African aid one of his legacy projects for his last year in office.
The two men reportedly had an amiable, five-minute chat- one of only a handful they have had in years.
While Chrétien deflected most questions with non-answers or non-sequiturs, Martin appeared anxious to charm or refute his accusers during question period. At the first question about CSL, he attempted a half-joking, "I was otherwise occupied"- a reference to his long, Liberal leadership campaign. It wasn't until the third volley of CSL-related innuendo that he offered to call in the auditor-general to investigate if wrongdoing had occurred. Chrétien's practice was to avoid opening himself up to any more questions than necessary.
CSL Group Inc. is the holding company for the shipping empire that Martin built up around Canada Steamship Lines. The company was put into a blind trust when he became finance minister in 1993 and ownership was transferred to his sons during the Liberal leadership campaign last year.
Chrétien's old cabinet has receded to the wings in Martin's new parliamentary stage. Former transport minister David Collenette occupies the seat Martin held at the far end of the chamber when he was in backbench exile. Ex-ministers such as Stephane Dion, Jane Stewart, John Manley and Maurizio Bevilacqua all lurk at the far end of the chamber.
Former government house leader Don Boudria rose to ask a question to cabinet yesterday- a turnabout in roles whose symbolic significance wasn't lost on anyone. One of Boudria's jobs during the Chrétien tenure was to assign Liberal backbenchers with friendly questions to ask the government.
It has been 20 months since Martin was on his feet in the Commons answering questions. His last retort to the opposition took place May 30, 2002, when he was finance minister- the eve of his momentous declaration that he was "reviewing his options" about remaining in Chrétien's cabinet.
Martin's answer that day 20 months ago dealt with opposition allegations about scandal as well, in this case, government advertising contracts in Quebec. That will be the subject of what is expected to be an explosive report next week from the auditor-general.
It is no secret that Martin loathes the whole discussion about government scandal, preferring to keep as much distance from it as he possibly can. It was also no secret yesterday that he and his team were agitated by the tone and substance of the opposition's attack on him along these same lines.
Martin was reportedly far more satisfied with the type of debate he had yesterday in the Commons with NDP House Leader Bill Blaikie. The veteran MP praised the Prime Minister for actually staying in the chamber as the clock ticked past noon, an uncommon occurrence.
But Blaikie went on to poke some holes in Martin's agenda, questioning his true commitment to everything from parliamentary reform to helping developing nations.
Martin, who has long described Blaikie as one of his favourite opposition questioners, responded with some flattery of his own : "I think we would all agree that the honourable member is one of the great parliamentary performers, so it requires absolutely no sacrifice to sit here and to listen to him."
He then replied to Blaikie's questions with some questions of his own- a trademark Martin device in conversation or debate. Martin asked Blaikie for his reaction to the new "Canada Corps," announced in vague fashion yesterday, which would provide for young Canadians to work abroad on international-aid projects. And unable to resist a partisan, personal shot, Martin also referred to NDP Leader Jack Layton as a mere "ghostly voice" in Parliament because he does not have a seat in the Commons.
When Martin returned to his office for lunch and to prepare for question period, he asked his aides: "Did you see the exchange with Blaikie? That's what parliamentary debate is supposed to be about. I liked that."
Over-all, Martin was reportedly treating yesterday's debut partly as he did budget day when he was finance minister- with all the attendant last-minute fussing over his speech and psyching himself for a day of public performance. In other ways, though, Martin was treating yesterday as just another day on the job.
A little after 10, Martin made his way to the Commons to listen to interim Conservative leader Grant Hill make a speech that rivalled the 54-minute throne speech in length. Martin sat in his chair directly facing Hill, sometimes fidgeting, sometimes looking annoyed at what Hill was saying, sometimes slumping in his chair with a far-off gaze in his eyes.
As Hill's speech was slowly winding down, the gallery seats for prime ministerial guests slowly started to fill up. Sheila Martin arrived with sons Paul and David Martin, two of the owners of CSL.
Also in the prime minister's gallery were two students from Fenside Public School in Toronto, creators of "Flat Mark," a paper doll that became a mascot of sorts in the PMO over the past weeks. Martin's attempt to single out the students drew a polite rebuke from the Commons Speaker Peter Milliken, who reminded the Prime Minister that it's the Speaker's job to draw attention to visitors in the gallery.
