Fantino is out. And there will be a great gnashing of teeth and rending of garments by veterans throughout the land芒鈧� not.
More likely, the sounds you芒鈧劉ll hear from veterans will be those of cheering and general merry-making.
Suffice it to say, with his old portfolio fat with instructions for how to reduce services, pensions, and anything else that could benefit those who put their lives on the line for our country 芒鈧�� and as tactlessly as possible 芒鈧�� Julian Fantino was not the most popular of Veterans Affairs Ministers Canada has ever seen.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has put Fantino on ice 芒鈧�� almost literally.
The misfired cannon Harper aimed first at federal gun control legislation, then at Canada芒鈧劉s veterans, is now pointed at the Arctic, where he will bring his bull-in-a-china-shop expertise to bear on the delicate diplomacy needed to preserve Canada芒鈧劉s sovereignty in the North.
In our new, globally warmed climate, practically every country with so much as a square foot of property within a ballistic missile芒鈧劉s throw of the Arctic Circle is slavering over natural resources which, when they seemed impossible to extract anyway, were readily ceded to us by practically everyone. Our Arctic lands were originally a (useless) gift from Norway, whose explorers were the first to plant flags there.
Even lovable and cuddly Denmark, who helped Canada with the scientific research that underpins our sovereignty claim to the United Nations, is now using that same research package as the basis for its own claim.
Yes, Mr. Harper, that芒鈧劉s where we need Julian Fantino芒鈧劉s kid-gloves approach to dealing with people who have views differing from those of the Conservative government.
Fantino will also be in charge of information technology security and 芒鈧�� this one cracks me up 芒鈧�� foreign intelligence. Fantino has clearly demonstrated that there are few people more foreign to intelligence than he is.
Forgive me if I sound a bit cynical, but I think Fantino芒鈧劉s demotion from Veterans Affairs Minister to Associate Minister of Defence is even more cynical than I am.
Harper is preparing for a federal election that will inevitably take place this year 芒鈧�� and perhaps sooner than many folks might be expecting.
Remember Mike Duffy? He芒鈧劉s the nationally recognized journalist-turned-senator who blew the lid off Senate finance improprieties芒鈧� by apparently getting directly involved.
Former Senator Duffy芒鈧劉s trial starts this April, and everything about his situation suggests that there will be plenty of embarrassment to fill the plates of a number of prominent Conservatives, right up to the Prime Minister芒鈧劉s Office.
With the trial expected to run through the summer, and interminable testimony quite likely implicating the prime minister Himself, Mr. Harper might want to dodge the dirt by calling an early election.
Forget the 芒鈧揻ixed election date芒鈧� legislation that opens the polls in the fall. Last time out, Harper called his election a full year ahead of his own 芒鈧揻ixed芒鈧� schedule. What芒鈧劉s a few months this time?
Expect an early Throne Speech to be passed easily, followed by a quick budget that Harper芒鈧劉s majority government could easily pass 芒鈧�� but won芒鈧劉t, because Opposition screaming will 芒鈧揻orce芒鈧� Harper to take it directly to the people of Canada in a late-March/early-April general election.
As for Mr. Fantino, he should tread lightly on Canada芒鈧劉s thinning Arctic ice. As an albeit junior defence minister, he is now in charge of people who are still carrying their guns.
