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Wednesday » November 5 » 2003
A Tory, two Liberals toiling for NDPer
Gillian Cosgrove        
National Post
Friday, October 31, 2003
Why on Earth would the most powerful Tory campaign manager in Canada join two former communications chiefs to Liberal prime ministers in stickhandling the campaign of a doctrinaire socialist to become mayor of Canada's largest city, and thus to advance the cause of NDP überboss Jack Layton against their own parties? Beats me.
Nonetheless, the tax-and-spend socialist, David Miller, damned by the editorial board of the Toronto Star for "twisting facts ... doctoring photographs ... and distortions," is stage-managed by none other than John Laschinger, the mastermind of Tory victories coast to coast. With "Lasch" are Peter Donolo, former communications chief to Jean Chrétien, and the firm of Pat "Chuckles" Gossage, who was Pierre Trudeau's media guru. "Neutron Jack" Layton, the leader of the socialist feds, calls shots offstage. Weird mix, that: a Tory, two Liberals toiling -- or is it trolling -- for an NDPer. For how much we wonder?
On the right, "The Cable Guy," John Tory, the ex-Rogers executive and long- time backroom Tory, is directed by Liberal Warren Kinsella, who played Chrétien's pitbull to Donolo's Mr. Nice Guy, affable Bob Richardson, yet another Liberal strategist, and Stephen LeDrew, the equally affable outgoing president of the federal Liberals. Thus, we have a true blue Conservative run by three pukka Liberals!
It gets even weirder in the very mushy centre-left. There, former mayor Barbara Hall, another socialist and the fading early favourite, has a brain trust led by Tory Jaime Watt, who ran the recent losing Ontario campaign of Premier Ernie Eves and is a passionate unite-the-right ideologue who cut his teeth under Premier Mike Harris. Mr. Watt's partner in his lobbying firm is none other than the aforesaid Mr. Kinsella. At Mr. Watt's side: Gordon Ashworth, key Liberal powerbroker and former aide to Ontario's then-premier David Peterson, and Robin Sears, former aide to socialist premier Bob Rae and now a Bay Street recruiter. Behind them is Peterson himself. All three parties have roles here; Ms. Hall clearly believes in equal opportunities for all flacks.
BILL DAVIS AND BULL FROM BRAMPTON
Bonhomie reigned at the venerable Toronto Club on Tuesday as the political elite of unite the right paid tribute to Bill Davis, the former Tory premier of Ontario, for his 23 years of public service.
The intimate dinner for 50 celebrated the awarding of an honorary degree to Mr. Davis by Ryerson University ("He has more honorary doctorates of law than billable hours," his lawyer son, Neil, joked.) But it was also an occasion for congratulations to those who have played pivotal roles in the historic betrothal of the Canadian Alliance and federal Tory parties.
Certainly many of the A-team players were there: Belinda Stronach, Magna's matchmaker who persuaded Alliance leader Stephen Harper and Tory counterpart Peter MacKay to talk turkey; Mr. Davis, himself one of the go-betweens in the merger talks; and Mike Harris, who may well take a shot at the leadership of the new Conservative Party of Canada. Halfway through the dinner, Brian Mulroney, the former PM, whose invisible hand orchestrated much of the deal-making, dropped by to press the flesh and offer words of encouragement. The mood was upbeat, even euphoric.
Mr. Davis, 74, who still boasts his hometown of Brampton, Ont., is the "centre of the universe," was in prime form, bringing down the house with a tale about how he once got caught in an elevator with Playboy centrefold Shannon Tweed from Newfoundland -- and had no clue who she was.
Bob Rae said on a recent visit to South Africa, he visited a vineyard near Stellenbosch and asked about the bulls grazing nearby. He was told they were Brampton bulls. "I had listened to a lot of Brampton bull as leader of the opposition," he recalled as he presented Mr. Davis with a bottle of Brampton Cabernet Sauvignon.
The guests included: Frank Stronach, chairman of Magna International; former Ontario health minister Tony Clement, who may also seek the unite-the-right leadership, and his successor Liberal George Smitherman; former education minister Bette Stephenson, former tiny perfect mayor of Toronto, David Crombie; Jack Cockwell, CEO of Brascan; David Lindsay, CEO of Ontario Superbuild; Ron Joyce, founder of Tim Hortons, John Craig Eaton, chancellor of Ryerson; Claude Lamoureux, president of Ryerson, and Claire Westcott, political warhorse and confidant of Bill Davis.
SORRY IVAN
Last week, on the basis of information gleaned from usually reliable sources, we reported that Ivan Fecan, the urbane CEO of Bell Globemedia and big-time Jean Chrétien fundraiser, was a brain behind the farewell gala for the PM at the mid-November Liberal leadership convention. We goofed. It turns out that Mr. Fecan, who chaired the Confederation Dinner three years ago calling the PM "notre premiere etoile," is not involved. Our misunderstanding was due to the fact Mr. Fecan's wife, the beautiful and brainy TV producer Sandra Faire, is organizing the Dec. 9 fundraising dinner at $7,000 a table for Paul Martin who will receive a tumultuous Bay Street welcome. Are Ivan and Sandra a Grit power couple or what?
gcosgrove@roger.com
© Copyright 2003 National Post
Copyright © 2003 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.
Wednesday » November 5 » 2003
A Tory, two Liberals toiling for NDPer
Gillian Cosgrove        
National Post
Friday, October 31, 2003
Why on Earth would the most powerful Tory campaign manager in Canada join two former communications chiefs to Liberal prime ministers in stickhandling the campaign of a doctrinaire socialist to become mayor of Canada's largest city, and thus to advance the cause of NDP überboss Jack Layton against their own parties? Beats me.
Nonetheless, the tax-and-spend socialist, David Miller, damned by the editorial board of the Toronto Star for "twisting facts ... doctoring photographs ... and distortions," is stage-managed by none other than John Laschinger, the mastermind of Tory victories coast to coast. With "Lasch" are Peter Donolo, former communications chief to Jean Chrétien, and the firm of Pat "Chuckles" Gossage, who was Pierre Trudeau's media guru. "Neutron Jack" Layton, the leader of the socialist feds, calls shots offstage. Weird mix, that: a Tory, two Liberals toiling -- or is it trolling -- for an NDPer. For how much we wonder?
On the right, "The Cable Guy," John Tory, the ex-Rogers executive and long- time backroom Tory, is directed by Liberal Warren Kinsella, who played Chrétien's pitbull to Donolo's Mr. Nice Guy, affable Bob Richardson, yet another Liberal strategist, and Stephen LeDrew, the equally affable outgoing president of the federal Liberals. Thus, we have a true blue Conservative run by three pukka Liberals!
It gets even weirder in the very mushy centre-left. There, former mayor Barbara Hall, another socialist and the fading early favourite, has a brain trust led by Tory Jaime Watt, who ran the recent losing Ontario campaign of Premier Ernie Eves and is a passionate unite-the-right ideologue who cut his teeth under Premier Mike Harris. Mr. Watt's partner in his lobbying firm is none other than the aforesaid Mr. Kinsella. At Mr. Watt's side: Gordon Ashworth, key Liberal powerbroker and former aide to Ontario's then-premier David Peterson, and Robin Sears, former aide to socialist premier Bob Rae and now a Bay Street recruiter. Behind them is Peterson himself. All three parties have roles here; Ms. Hall clearly believes in equal opportunities for all flacks.
BILL DAVIS AND BULL FROM BRAMPTON
Bonhomie reigned at the venerable Toronto Club on Tuesday as the political elite of unite the right paid tribute to Bill Davis, the former Tory premier of Ontario, for his 23 years of public service.
The intimate dinner for 50 celebrated the awarding of an honorary degree to Mr. Davis by Ryerson University ("He has more honorary doctorates of law than billable hours," his lawyer son, Neil, joked.) But it was also an occasion for congratulations to those who have played pivotal roles in the historic betrothal of the Canadian Alliance and federal Tory parties.
Certainly many of the A-team players were there: Belinda Stronach, Magna's matchmaker who persuaded Alliance leader Stephen Harper and Tory counterpart Peter MacKay to talk turkey; Mr. Davis, himself one of the go-betweens in the merger talks; and Mike Harris, who may well take a shot at the leadership of the new Conservative Party of Canada. Halfway through the dinner, Brian Mulroney, the former PM, whose invisible hand orchestrated much of the deal-making, dropped by to press the flesh and offer words of encouragement. The mood was upbeat, even euphoric.
Mr. Davis, 74, who still boasts his hometown of Brampton, Ont., is the "centre of the universe," was in prime form, bringing down the house with a tale about how he once got caught in an elevator with Playboy centrefold Shannon Tweed from Newfoundland -- and had no clue who she was.
Bob Rae said on a recent visit to South Africa, he visited a vineyard near Stellenbosch and asked about the bulls grazing nearby. He was told they were Brampton bulls. "I had listened to a lot of Brampton bull as leader of the opposition," he recalled as he presented Mr. Davis with a bottle of Brampton Cabernet Sauvignon.
The guests included: Frank Stronach, chairman of Magna International; former Ontario health minister Tony Clement, who may also seek the unite-the-right leadership, and his successor Liberal George Smitherman; former education minister Bette Stephenson, former tiny perfect mayor of Toronto, David Crombie; Jack Cockwell, CEO of Brascan; David Lindsay, CEO of Ontario Superbuild; Ron Joyce, founder of Tim Hortons, John Craig Eaton, chancellor of Ryerson; Claude Lamoureux, president of Ryerson, and Claire Westcott, political warhorse and confidant of Bill Davis.
SORRY IVAN
Last week, on the basis of information gleaned from usually reliable sources, we reported that Ivan Fecan, the urbane CEO of Bell Globemedia and big-time Jean Chrétien fundraiser, was a brain behind the farewell gala for the PM at the mid-November Liberal leadership convention. We goofed. It turns out that Mr. Fecan, who chaired the Confederation Dinner three years ago calling the PM "notre premiere etoile," is not involved. Our misunderstanding was due to the fact Mr. Fecan's wife, the beautiful and brainy TV producer Sandra Faire, is organizing the Dec. 9 fundraising dinner at $7,000 a table for Paul Martin who will receive a tumultuous Bay Street welcome. Are Ivan and Sandra a Grit power couple or what?
gcosgrove@roger.com
© Copyright 2003 National Post
Copyright © 2003 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.