ATLANTIC CANADA: REACTIONS TO THE NEW HARPER CABINET

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HALIFAX 000034

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR WHA/CAN AND INR/B

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR EFIS PREL ENRG CA
SUBJECT: ATLANTIC CANADA: REACTIONS TO THE NEW HARPER CABINET


HALIFAX 00000034 001.2 OF 002


Sensitive but unclassified. Protect accordingly.


1. SUMMARY: Prime Minister Harper's decision on who will be
representing Atlantic Canada in his cabinet has generally
received a positive reaction here. There have been many
accolades for the three MPs the Prime Minister selected: Nova
Scotia's Peter MacKay (Foreign Affairs),Greg Thompson of New
Brunswick (Veterans Affairs) and Loyola Hearn of
Newfoundland-Labrador (Fisheries and Oceans). Negative comments
center on the small number of representatives from the region
and the perception that the new Prime Minister may have
overlooked the interests of the province of Prince Edward
Island. END SUMMARY

Peter MacKay - The New Regional "Super Minister"


2. By far the most significant appointment for the Atlantic
region was Nova Scotia MP Peter MacKay to the senior post of
Foreign Affairs Minister. Columnists, election-watchers, fellow
Conservative politicians and even Liberal opponents were
unanimous in their assessment that MacKay was a good choice as
the Prime Minister's lead man for the important portfolio.
Described as an able performer, approachable, intelligent and
highly competent, MacKay's lofty position in the Harper cabinet
has also given him the additional title of "super minister" for
the four provinces. This elevated status, as one Nova Scotia
columnist commented, makes up for the fact that the province had
two ministers in the former Liberal cabinet, but in lesser
portfolios. As for predictions on how MacKay would fare in his
high profile job, pundits see Liberal Opposition leader Bill
Graham as a potential threat to the new minister. Since Graham
served as Foreign Affairs minister himself, some see him giving
the newly minted minister a hard time when the two of them first
square off in the House of Commons.


3. MacKay's additional duties as the Minister responsible for
the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the body that
coordinates business development in the region, has puts him
under scrutiny with the regional business community. So far
business leaders have reacted positively to MacKay,
characterizing him as progressive, open to the needs of small
business, and most importantly, as an avid defender of the
agency itself which has come under criticism for its perceived
ineffectiveness. The PM's decision to also name MacKay as
Prince Edward Island 's representative in the cabinet means a
very heavy workload for the minister. While the merits of that
particular decision is a hot topic here (see para 6),overall,
there is a very positive reaction to MacKay's ascension to such
a high position in the cabinet and most predict a bright future
for the young minister.

Greg Thompson - The Veterans' New Friend in Ottawa


4. New Brunswick's Greg Thompson's appointment as the new
Minister of Veterans Affairs is also being well received.
Thompson already has an established reputation as a keen
constituency-minded MP, a positive image bolstered by his tough
opposition to a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in
Maine and his pledge to help compensate soldiers affected in the
1960s by the use of defoliants including Agent Orange at a
Canadian Forces training area in the province. The latter issue
has grabbed the most public attention, as veterans and
political-watchers are anxious to see how long it takes the new
minister to fulfill his promise to get compensation for the
former soldiers. Thompson has indeed made the issue a top
priority, relegating others to the backburner for now. Included
are those of direct U.S. interest such as the LNG issue and his
long-standing pledge to help ensure the new border crossing at
Calais-St. Stephen moves along. In summing up his appointment,
observers say that while the new minister has a solid reputation
he will have to move fast on the compensation issue or risk
damage to his reputation as the province's newest champion in
Ottawa.

Loyola Hearn - No Honeymoon for a Popular Minister


5. Newfoundland-Labrador cabinet rep, Fisheries and Oceans
Minister Loyola Hearn has had little time to enjoy the honeymoon
phase of his cabinet appointment. There is already intense
pressure on the new minister to begin addressing long-standing
issues, chief among them, his pledge to push for custodial
management of the nose and tail of the Grand Banks, one of the
most lucrative fishing areas just outside Canada's 200-mile
limit. Up to this point Hearn has said he is studying the
Department's files on this issue. However, people like
Newfoundland-Labrador premier Danny Williams want to see Hearn
and the Prime Minister take quick action on the issue. The
premier also has a long list of other items waiting to discuss
with Hearn, such as allocation of fish quotas, access issues,

HALIFAX 00000034 002.2 OF 002


retirement packages for fishermen and the province's
long-standing priority: co-management of the fishing industry.
While all this appears to be a staggering workload, the
perception is that the new minister has the strength and the
legislative experience to see him through what could be a rocky
start to his ministerial career.

General Reaction To the Harper Cabinet Appointments


6. Like their counterparts across the country, Atlantic
Canadians had some definite opinions on how PM Harper structured
his cabinet, including the surprising news that the PM would
appoint former Liberal MP David Emerson to the cabinet.
However, the PM's other controversial move that got more play
here was his decision to appoint the un-elected Michael Fortier
to represent the city of Montreal's interests in the cabinet.
Both the Emerson and Fortier appointments were seen here as
definite missteps by the new PM and moves which would ultimately
adversely affect his credibility. Prince Edward Island Liberals
were particularly harsh in their reaction to the Fortier
appointment, saying that the PM's argument that Montreal
deserved representation was ironic given that the Island
province was in a similar situation. With no Conservative MPs
to draw from, the prevailing opinion is that the PM should have
been equally creative in devising a way to see that he met the
needs of the province. Equally upsetting to the critics was the
PM's appointment of MacKay to handle the province's interests.
While they avoided criticism of MacKay's personal abilities to
do the job, the Liberals, joined by some Island commentators,
contend the now already busy minister will have little time to
focus on the province. (Comment: While there is a certain
logic to this argument, the reality faced by the PM is that
there are probably single blocks in Montreal that have a larger
population than PEI. End Comment)


7. Another bone of contention throughout the region was the
size of the Atlantic contingent in the cabinet, the smallest in
recent memory. The region got three ministers and one
parliamentary secretary, Rob Moore of New Brunswick who will be
going to the Justice portfolio. Critics were quick to condemn
the PM for picking such a small number of reps, with some seeing
it as punishment for the region sticking with the Liberals in
the January 23 election. (The region only elected 9
Conservatives in the 32 ridings.) Conservative party
representatives have been quick to counter that the Liberals had
the same ratio of cabinet ministers to elected MPs, but that has
not gone very far in assuaging the critics.

Comment:


8. In looking at the regional reaction to the cabinet selection
process, the general sentiment is that the three chosen to sit
at the cabinet table are all very capable, MacKay in particular.
What criticism there is lies, not with his regional selections,
but with the Prime Minister's other, more controversial
appointments that are inciting almost daily backlashes. For now
local commentators are giving their new ministers from the
region a positive reception, with the usual proviso that they
will wait until they see them in action before passing final
judgment. END COMMENT
HILL