The fine art of cabinetry
There'll be plenty of time to debate the size and shape of the Harper cabinet, but for now I want to focus on two positions: deputy prime minister, and Finance minister.
In point of fact, there is no such position as deputy PM. It has no place in our system of government, there is no cabinet portfolio attached to it, and if it were up to me, I'd drop it. Or if such meaningless medals must be handed out, make four of them, one for each region. (BC squawks that "we're a region in our own right"? Fine: give the western DPM to a BC'er.)
But giving it to Lawrence Cannon, Harper's Quebec lieutenant, sends all the wrong signals. It will inevitably be interpreted as a slap in the face to Peter MacKay. Plus it implicitly endorses, or seems to, a binational vision of Confederation -- a dangerous precedent which Harper should avoid at all costs.
Four DPMs, then. Or none. But don't invest this dubious position with a spurious significance.
Now to Finance. I see three choices.
The current critic for Finance, Monte Solberg, is hard-working and well-briefed. If the job were awarded on the basis of past performance, he'd be a shoo-in. Unfortunately, as an Albertan he runs afoul of the inevitable regional considerations -- Harper will want to use the plum to expand his base, not to repay old loyalties. Experience in government, of the lack of it, will also weigh against him.
The safe choice would be Jim Flaherty, the former Finance minister of Ontario. With a reputation as a fiscal conservative, he'd be a popular choice with the base, and give the party instant credibility in Ontario. As a veteran of the Harris government, his appointment would play well on Bay Street -- but might also be seen as a red flag in Queen's Park. The NDP would pout as well.
A risky but potentially rewarding choice would be Maxime Bernier, newly elected MP for the Beauce. The son of former Tory MP Gilles Bernier, he's been around the political block more than most rookies. As a legislative adviser to Bernard Landry when the latter was Quebec's minister of finance, moreover, he has some experience in government, to go with his finance and law background. And as a vice president of the free-market Montreal Economic Institute and author of a book arguing the case for a flat tax, he'd send a thrill through the Conservative base. That's no small thing, cementing loyalties for when the going gets tough.
The regional play is obviously important here, as well, and not just in the usual way. Coming from the Beauce, Bernier would play a potentially important role in, as it were, representing Quebec to itself. Quebecers are proud of the Beauce: its entrepreneurial culture reflects the province's image of itself as a rising commercial power. By appointing Bernier, Harper could help to change the subject, from what Ottawa could do for Quebec to what Quebec could do for itself, if only Ottawa would get out of the way - the same "small-government nationalism" the ADQ has tapped into.
So I'm torn. My heart says Solberg. My head says Flaherty. My gut says ... Bernier?
BONUS GIFTPAK: Here's a short-form treatment of Bernier's argument. OMFG: Stephen Taylor has got hold of the entire Tory cabinet! Has there been some sort of leak? Is there, saints preserve us, a mole? Nah, he's just making it up. Looks pretty plausible, though.
In point of fact, there is no such position as deputy PM. It has no place in our system of government, there is no cabinet portfolio attached to it, and if it were up to me, I'd drop it. Or if such meaningless medals must be handed out, make four of them, one for each region. (BC squawks that "we're a region in our own right"? Fine: give the western DPM to a BC'er.)
But giving it to Lawrence Cannon, Harper's Quebec lieutenant, sends all the wrong signals. It will inevitably be interpreted as a slap in the face to Peter MacKay. Plus it implicitly endorses, or seems to, a binational vision of Confederation -- a dangerous precedent which Harper should avoid at all costs.
Four DPMs, then. Or none. But don't invest this dubious position with a spurious significance.
Now to Finance. I see three choices.
The current critic for Finance, Monte Solberg, is hard-working and well-briefed. If the job were awarded on the basis of past performance, he'd be a shoo-in. Unfortunately, as an Albertan he runs afoul of the inevitable regional considerations -- Harper will want to use the plum to expand his base, not to repay old loyalties. Experience in government, of the lack of it, will also weigh against him.
The safe choice would be Jim Flaherty, the former Finance minister of Ontario. With a reputation as a fiscal conservative, he'd be a popular choice with the base, and give the party instant credibility in Ontario. As a veteran of the Harris government, his appointment would play well on Bay Street -- but might also be seen as a red flag in Queen's Park. The NDP would pout as well.
A risky but potentially rewarding choice would be Maxime Bernier, newly elected MP for the Beauce. The son of former Tory MP Gilles Bernier, he's been around the political block more than most rookies. As a legislative adviser to Bernard Landry when the latter was Quebec's minister of finance, moreover, he has some experience in government, to go with his finance and law background. And as a vice president of the free-market Montreal Economic Institute and author of a book arguing the case for a flat tax, he'd send a thrill through the Conservative base. That's no small thing, cementing loyalties for when the going gets tough.
The regional play is obviously important here, as well, and not just in the usual way. Coming from the Beauce, Bernier would play a potentially important role in, as it were, representing Quebec to itself. Quebecers are proud of the Beauce: its entrepreneurial culture reflects the province's image of itself as a rising commercial power. By appointing Bernier, Harper could help to change the subject, from what Ottawa could do for Quebec to what Quebec could do for itself, if only Ottawa would get out of the way - the same "small-government nationalism" the ADQ has tapped into.
So I'm torn. My heart says Solberg. My head says Flaherty. My gut says ... Bernier?
BONUS GIFTPAK: Here's a short-form treatment of Bernier's argument. OMFG: Stephen Taylor has got hold of the entire Tory cabinet! Has there been some sort of leak? Is there, saints preserve us, a mole? Nah, he's just making it up. Looks pretty plausible, though.
1/25/2006
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