John Fraser – Sheila Copps https://sheilacopps.ca Tue, 14 Nov 2023 02:44:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://sheilacopps.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/home-150x150.jpg John Fraser – Sheila Copps https://sheilacopps.ca 32 32 Middle Eastern politics always play a global role https://sheilacopps.ca/middle-eastern-politics-always-play-a-global-role/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://sheilacopps.ca/?p=1460 New Democrats are not the first Canadian politicians splintering on the Israel-Palestine issue.

By Sheila Copps
First published in The Hill Times on October 13, 2023.

OTTAWA—In politics, timing is everything. Members of the New Democratic Party are finding that out as they meet in Hamilton, Ont., this weekend for their first in-person national convention in five years.

One hot-button resolution presented for consideration was a motion by the “Socialist Caucus” calling on the party to “strengthen its defence of Palestinian human rights by actively campaigning for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the Israeli State until Israel ends its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.”

According to party officials, that resolution did not make the cut allocated to those deemed a priority in a party ranking system. However, given the nature of unfolding events in Gaza and Israel, it is expected that someone will table an emergency resolution crafted for convention support.

The convention happens to be in the riding of newly-elected Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama who was already in hot water before her election to the provincial legislature because of anti-Jewish comments.

In a 2021 video, Jama spouted conspiracy theories about the local police, claiming they were protecting Naziism and Jews. She accused successive Israeli leaders of funding the killing of people locally and globally.

On the eve of the March 16, 2023, byelection to replace outgoing NDP leader Andrea Horwath as MPP in Queen’s Park, Jama’s video was widely circulated, prompting new leader Marit Stiles to distance her party from the comments.

“We’ve all ended up at rallies and stuff, where maybe she didn’t use the right choice of words.”

Last week, Stiles was again apologizing for Jama, but resisting calls for the Hamilton Centre MPP’s expulsion from caucus. Jama also apologized for a tweet she sent out immediately following the horrific Hamas attack on innocent Jewish civilians in their homes or attending a music festival.

In the tweet, Jama called for “an end to all occupation of Palestinian land,” claiming the attacks were prompted by “violence and retaliation rooted in settler colonialism that has taken the lives of far too many innocent people.”

She failed to mention the more than 1,000 Jews killed in the attacks, and the taking of more than 150 hostages by Hamas.

Stiles immediately distanced herself from Jama’s viewpoint, saying it didn’t align with party policy. It did, however, align with multiple statements Jama made before she ran for political office.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and interim Liberal Leader John Fraser have both called for Jama’s ejection from the NDP provincial caucus, a demand that Stiles has rebuffed. She said Jama’s statement stemmed from a “personal impact … as someone with Palestinian family members.”

Stiles may withstand calls for Jama’s ouster, but with the national convention taking place in Jama’s Hamilton riding this weekend, the controversy shines a bright light into crevices of the party that remain divided.

Middle Eastern politics always plays a global role. New Democrats are not the first Canadian politicians splintering on the issue.

The beginning of the end of Annamie Paul as the short-lived leader of the federal Green Party was largely predicated on internal struggles over Israeli-Palestinian politics.

She lost a caucus member to the Liberals because of internal party differences on the Middle East.

The NDP has long been seen on one side of the issue, with multiple resolutions supporting the Palestinians. Under normal circumstances, a resolution to strengthen support for Palestine could be a giant convention yawn, not unexpected but not too newsworthy, either.

But the timing of this convention, on the heels of horrific massacre of hundreds of innocent civilians by a group of terrorists, means whatever happens will make international headlines.

With barbaric images of beheaded children, and brutalized elderly victims, Hamas has managed to forfeit any semblance of a legitimate political movement.

Instead, it has reinforced its reputation as a terrorist organization that has no intention of supporting the existence of the state of Israel.

Multiple observers have focused on the toxic leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Paradoxically, the events of the past week may result in his ouster as the obvious breach of vaunted Israeli security efforts is still unexplained.

How could Hamas carry out such a well-financed and orchestrated attack without anyone in Israeli intelligence getting wind of what was being planned?

It is a security faux pas equivalent to the horrific wakeup call sent to the world on Sept. 11, 2001, with the downing of the twin towers in New York.

No finger-pointing can explain away the utter atrocities that were visited upon innocent civilians while they went about enjoying their normal daily lives.

Supporting Hamas in this disaster would be a huge mistake for Jama and the New Democrats.

Sheila Copps is a former Jean Chrétien-era cabinet minister and a former deputy prime minister. Follow her on Twitter at @Sheila_Copps.

]]>
Greg Fergus will need to be a gentle giant, but not too gentle https://sheilacopps.ca/greg-fergus-will-need-to-be-a-gentle-giant-but-not-too-gentle/ Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://sheilacopps.ca/?p=1462 The new Speaker has a reputation across party lines as a sunny, friendly force. But that positivity must be tempered by a strong arm during Question Period.

By Sheila Copps
First published in The Hill Times on October 9, 2023.

OTTAWA—There is a reason people love politics.

The adrenalin of the fight, the rollercoaster ups and downs make it a show worth watching.

The majority of Canadians don’t spend every waking moment focused on Question Period. They live their lives, struggle with family and financial issues, and focus on Ottawa when casting a ballot every four years or so.

For political junkies like me, we watch politics because we love the thrust and parry. Last week was a sight to behold.

The country went from the abyss to the mountaintop in a single vote. The House of Commons morphed from a forum that applauds war criminals to a place that elected the country’s first Black speaker.

Concurrently, Manitoba voted for massive change by choosing the first ever First Nations leader to head up its legislature.

The elections of Greg Fergus on the Hill and Wab Kinew in Winnipeg are reasons to celebrate this fragile construct called democracy.

Members of Parliament were shouting with joy on the choice of Fergus, and some wiped tears from their eyes on witnessing the election of the first Black Canadian House Speaker.

The same optimism met Kinew’s landslide victory, some likening it to the “orange crush” of 2011 which saw then-federal NDP leader Jack Layton come ever so close to forming government. The reaction of Indigenous leaders last week was compelling. This is what real reconciliation looks like.

Manitoba voters overwhelmingly rejected a government that sadly ran an election campaign ad on not exhuming the bodies of two murdered Indigenous women believed to be buried in a landfill.

Does anyone think that would have been a campaign poster if those women had been white? The outgoing government launched a blatant attempt at racial wedge-politics that failed miserably.

That is why elections matter and why—as Canadians—we can be proud of the choices made at the ballot box last week.

Of course, some pundits can even find a negative twist on those votes.

“Why not sooner?” said some, while others fear the Speaker’s election was just tokenism. Those were some of the brickbats sent his way within moments of Fergus being ceremoniously dragged into the job.

The Quebec MP quickly showed us why he is not a token choice.

With wit and depth, Fergus got to work, warning MPs to treat him like a new car and avoid denting him on the first day.

All and sundry rose to pledge fealty and gentleness, promising they would do their best to make the House of Commons a more civil place.

That might not last too long. I give it two weeks. And that because during one of those weeks the House will not be sitting.

The debates ahead will make the House of Commons a place worth watching, where speeches are measured by the depth of ideas, not the talons of tongues.

Fergus may follow the Peter Milliken school of speakership. Milliken, the longest serving speaker who was elected in successive Liberal and Conservative government terms, understood that some heckling can stand the House in good stead.

It is a bit like the valve on a pressure cooker. Letting out a little steam is the only way to avoid a major explosion.

Most importantly, Fergus needs to treat all Members of Parliament, and political parties, equally.

The last House Speaker not chosen by secret ballot was John Bosley, who served in the chair for the first two years of prime minister Brian Mulroney’s majority government.

The opposition felt Bosley’s rulings were too one-sided (present company included), and a raucous parliamentary period prompted changes to the standing orders—or House rules—which resulted in the election of speakers by secret ballot.

The first speaker so chosen was Progressive Conservative John Fraser. The British Columbian MP was so popular that he was re-elected and served almost eight years.

He combined a wry sense of humour with taut control over decorum in the House.

Fraser and Milliken garnered the respect of all members. That is the challenge facing Fergus.

A lifelong Liberal, who served as a political assistant and party organizer before being elected, he will have to leave his partisan hat at the door.

His sunny personality will be a help there as Fergus has a reputation across party lines for being a positive, friendly force.

That positivity must be tempered by a strong arm in the oversight of Question Period.

Fergus will need to be a gentle giant, but not too gentle.

Sheila Copps is a former Jean Chrétien-era cabinet minister and a former deputy prime minister. Follow her on Twitter at @Sheila_Copps.

]]>
Cross-party House friendships of the last century appear to be non-existent today https://sheilacopps.ca/cross-party-house-friendships-of-the-last-century-appear-to-be-non-existent-today/ Wed, 09 Oct 2019 11:00:43 +0000 http://www.sheilacopps.ca/?p=962

Back in ’80s, we didn’t hate each other in the House. But the civility marking those years is gone today.

By Sheila Copps
First published in The Hill Times on September 9, 2019.

OTTAWA—Last week, former prime minister Brian Mulroney celebrated the 35th anniversary of his momentous 1984 victory against the governing Liberals.

With the election of 211 Progressive Conservative members to the 33rd Parliament, it resulted in the biggest majority government in the history of Canada.

His daughter, Caroline Mulroney, now a provincial cabinet minister in Ontario, sent out a touching tweet, reminding the rest of us about this milestone.

‘Today marks the 35th anniversary of my father’s electoral win, which would see him become the 18th prime minister of Canada. Thank you Mom and Dad for your tremendous support and service to our country.”

Mulroney’s tweet reminded me that the day was also a celebration of my first election to Parliament, as a 31-year-old Liberal survivor in a sea of Tories.

Seasoned veteran Herb Gray and I were the only Grits elected in a swathe of millions of voters between Toronto and Windsor.

It was a scary time for the official opposition. Most commentators were predicting our demise. The majority of the caucus had been bludgeoned into silence by the magnitude of the defeat.

Ten newbies had a different idea. But the reality of Parliament was daunting. We had 40 members to cover 26 parliamentary committees.

The Tories were dominant and revelling in their solid victory. At the first children’s Christmas Party post-writ, Santa wore a blue suit. But the unfamiliar colour caused some confused kids to start crying. That was the first and last colour change.

Caroline Mulroney was 10 at the time.

Over the years, we would often see the Mulroney family at many parliamentary functions. Their youngest son, Nicolas, was born on the first anniversary of the Tory win in 1985 and my daughter came along two years later.

After the thrust and parry of Parliament, we would join to celebrate Halloween and Christmas at parliamentary events.

We didn’t hate each other.

The civility marking those years is gone.

People in different parties mistrust each other viscerally. There is little chance that friendships will cross party lines.

Just look at the donnybrook that broke out last week between the New Democrats and the Green Party. The NDP is in trouble and there is no love lost with the Greens, who are fishing in the same pond.

Some is undoubtedly political competition. The New Democrats and the Greens are trying to attract the same voter base. The loss of one is a gain to the other.

But that is not the only change in Parliament in the past 35 years.

When, as new Liberal opposition members, a few of us formed the Rat Pack to organize our attacks on the government, some senior members of our own caucus were aghast.

They believed honourable colleagues should be nice to each other and that Question Period should be non-confrontational. They disapproved of our organized, systematic attack on cabinet ministers, knocking off five in one year.

At the end of the day, colleagues on all sides of the House of Commons were actually friends.

As a new member, I really didn’t understand their perspective. I was concerned with keeping the Liberals from being pulverized by the New Democrats, who had much more experience in opposition.

One attack on then-fisheries minister John Fraser for the so-called Tunagate scandal, illustrated the point. He was such a nice person that no one wanted to see him in political trouble. But the issue was too big to ignore, after the minister overruled inspectors, and approved the sale of StarKist tuna that had been deemed “unfit for human consumption.”

The scandal forced Fraser’s resignation but he eventually returned to prominence as House Speaker.

In that capacity, Fraser welcomed my infant daughter Danelle into the backrooms of Parliament by holding her in his arms while she barfed on his ceremonial garb about two minutes before he was to enter the Chamber.

Even though we clashed in the House, we were still friends.

Similarly, then foreign minister Barbara McDougall commandeered her driver, and towels and fresh water, when my pre-schooler accidentally threw up in the revolving door leading from Centre Block.

Former Reform Party interim leader Deborah Grey used to send me cards on my birthday, and former Reform and Alliance critic Jim Abbott worked successfully to convince colleagues that Parks Canada’s development freeze was good public policy.

Then-Bloc Québécois MP Suzanne Tremblay was so supportive of our House Heritage Committee initiatives that eventually her leader forced her to switch to a less collegial critic’s post.

Those cross-party friendships of the last century appear to be non-existent today.

Sheila Copps is a former Jean Chrétien-era cabinet minister and a former deputy prime minister. Follow her on Twitter at @Sheila_Copps.

]]>