jdobbin Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home Mr. Lynch's departure has been rumoured for months, with many speculating that he could replace Michael Wilson as Canada's ambassador to Washington - although friends said yesterday he will not become an ambassador, and plans to leave government.According to several Conservatives and government officials, there was something of a power struggle between Mr. Lynch and Mr. Harper's top political aide, chief of staff Guy Giorno, since Mr. Giorno arrived last summer. One source who knows both well, however, insisted that has been "overplayed" and that Mr. Giorno appreciated Mr. Lynch's role in managing the first storm of last year's financial meltdown. There has been talk for quite some time about how the PCO and PMO have clashed. Even Conservatives have mentioned the struggle. It is hard not to think that Lynch was not a casualty of that fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scribblet Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 I don't think it's a big issue, who cares, people come and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 I don't think it's a big issue, who cares, people come and go. Yeah... it's nothing. All is good in the house of Harper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/homeThere has been talk for quite some time about how the PCO and PMO have clashed. Even Conservatives have mentioned the struggle. It is hard not to think that Lynch was not a casualty of that fight. This thread title is misleading. Lynch was the head of the PCO and hence was the highest bureaucrat. In one view, he was the bureaucracy's ambassador to the politicians or in another view, he was the chief civil servant under his political masters.He wasn't Harper's top aide. In any case, he is being replaced by another civil servant so I wouldn't read too much into this. Three years at the job under a minority government is enough for anyone but a masochist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted May 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 This thread title is misleading. Lynch was the head of the PCO and hence was the highest bureaucrat. In one view, he was the bureaucracy's ambassador to the politicians or in another view, he was the chief civil servant under his political masters.He wasn't Harper's top aide. This title comes from the Globe and Mail. You can take it up with them. The head of the PCO is the top aide to the PM from the civil service. In any case, he is being replaced by another civil servant so I wouldn't read too much into this. Three years at the job under a minority government is enough for anyone but a masochist. I wouldn't read too little in it either. The PMO has been pushing everyone's buttons and as has been mentioned on Powerplay and other political panels, there is friction between the PCO and PMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scribblet Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 There might be, but not as much as you wish it to be. Lynch will be sworn in as a member of the Privy Council before his retirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Dancer Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 This title comes from the Globe and Mail. You can take it up with them. Someone smarter must have... Workaholic out, 'mechanic' in at Privy Council Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted May 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 There might be, but not as much as you wish it to be.Lynch will be sworn in as a member of the Privy Council before his retirement. I think the message is loud and clear for the civil servants. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/st...html?id=1575778 Normally, the PM should have rolled out the announcement himself at the podium his office occasionally sets up in the foyer of the House of Commons, where he could have thanked Lynch, welcomed Wouters and declared his faith in the public service. It is no secret that Giorno and Lynch were barely on speaking terms, and it is very difficult to run this country if the PMO on the second floor of the Langevin Block isn't talking to the PCO on the third.Instead, by Harper's absence, the announcement had the air of a palace coup, of a power struggle lost by Lynch to Giorno, who in barely 10 months in Ottawa has managed to offend and alienate the entire political class. In the talking points the PMO sent around to Tory spinners yesterday, there was an odd closing paragraph: "Upon his retirement, Mr. Lynch will have served as Clerk for three years, four months. Since 1979, the average length of service for a Clerk has been three years, four months." That's interesting. Was this detail added in anticipation of questions about Lynch being pushed out before his normal tenure was up? The battle between the PCO and PMO continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 The battle between the PCO and PMO continues.What battle?Dobbin, I think you have this all wrong. The PCO (vastly increased in size under Trudeau) is the central gosplan of the federal civil service. The PCO reports to the PM. People in the PCO are highly conscious of who their political masters are. Harper is cautious, if anything, and that suits most civil servants well. Obama said: Humbled by the -- humbled by the fact that the presidency is extraordinarily powerful but we are just part of a much broader tapestry of American life. And there are a lot of different power centers, and so I can't just press a button and suddenly have the bankers do exactly what I want, or turn on a switch and suddenly Congress falls in line. And so what you do is to make your best arguments, listen hard to what other people have to say, and coax folks in the right direction. This metaphor has been used before, but the ship of state is an ocean liner, it's not a speed boat. LinkI think Obama borrowed the metaphor from Harper (who probably borrowed it from someone else). I don't think Harper has any problem with this state of affairs and so I don't think he has any major problem with the PCO. ----- As to the National Post's reference to Harper's absence, in bureaucratic circles, the grand fanfare is often reserved for the idiots everyone is happy to see gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 What battle? The battle that even Tories are saying is happening anonymously according to the At Issue panel and Powerplay. Or did you miss all those stories? Dobbin, I think you have this all wrong. The PCO (vastly increased in size under Trudeau) is the central gosplan of the federal civil service. The PCO reports to the PM. People in the PCO are highly conscious of who their political masters are. August, I think you have all this all wrong. The PMO wants the PCO to report to them and undermine the direct unfiltered contact the PM is supposed to have. Harper is cautious, if anything, and that suits most civil servants well. His PMO is incautious and caused the caucus to be inflamed by its ham handedness. I think if you ignore the backroom machinations and how they affect government responsiveness, you do yourself a disservice. There is a battle going on between the PCO and PMO. Too many people know about it and are commenting on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 The battle that even Tories are saying is happening anonymously according to the At Issue panel and Powerplay. Or did you miss all those stories?At Issue/Powerplay?Powerplay, I don't know. "At Issue", I have seen a few times. IMV, Hebert and Coyne were good before they became famous - or rather, CBC famous. Now, Hebert is better in French than English. Coyne should write in French in Quebec, as Lysiane Gagnon does in English. In short, the CBC (our) money is good but too easy for Coyne and Hebert. August, I think you have all this all wrong. The PMO wants the PCO to report to them and undermine the direct unfiltered contact the PM is supposed to have.The PCO should report to the PMO. That's how Trudeau designed it. (BTW, St-Laurent hired a 30 year old Pierre Trudeau to work in the Privy Council in 1949.) His PMO is incautious and caused the caucus to be inflamed by its ham handedness.I think if you ignore the backroom machinations and how they affect government responsiveness, you do yourself a disservice. There is a battle going on between the PCO and PMO. Too many people know about it and are commenting on it. On the contrary.Battle between the PCO and PMO? First, what's new? Second, you miss the underlying story. Stephen Harper is a cautious, boring WASP. IOW, he's a typical Ottawa bureaucrat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 At Issue/Powerplay? CTV's replacement for Mike Duffy's show. You can see some of the previous episodes where some of their guests talk about about how many unnamed Conservatives talked to them about the fight going on. Powerplay, I don't know. "At Issue", I have seen a few times. IMV, Hebert and Coyne were good before they became famous - or rather, CBC famous. Now, Hebert is better in French than English. Coyne should write in French in Quebec, as Lysiane Gagnon does in English.In short, the CBC (our) money is good but too easy for Coyne and Hebert. All of the reporters you have mentioned have talked about the real friction between the PCO and PMO. The PCO should report to the PMO. That's how Trudeau designed it. (BTW, St-Laurent hired a 30 year old Pierre Trudeau to work in the Privy Council in 1949.) Someone like Lynch needs to be able to report directly to the PM. By all accounts Lynch was able to do that but he was stymied by a lack of cooperation from the PMO who seemed to believe that with the departure of Chan that all top people in that office were Liberals. On the contrary.Battle between the PCO and PMO? First, what's new? Second, you miss the underlying story. Stephen Harper is a cautious, boring WASP. IOW, he's a typical Ottawa bureaucrat. Harper is a sociopath in that he picks battles that nothing to do with governing. He can't help himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Harper is a sociopath in that he picks battles that nothing to do with governing. He can't help himself.To you Dobbin, Harper may be a sociopath. To many other people, he's just some obviously smart guy politely waiting in line at Tim Horton's.Ignatieff, OTOH, is a sophisticate who has various opinions on various worldly issues - all portrayed in democratic terms. His aide brings him his coffee. So, who is the sociopath? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 To you Dobbin, Harper may be a sociopath. To many other people, he's just some obviously smart guy politely waiting in line at Tim Horton's. The smart guy has spilled coffee on himself through his own behaviour. That can't be ignored. Ignatieff, OTOH, is a sophisticate who has various opinions on various worldly issues - all portrayed in democratic terms. His aide brings him his coffee.So, who is the sociopath? I'm sure Ignatieff is capable of many silly and stupid things but I don't think he has shown the single bloodymindedness to act against his own best interests and the country's? He is his own worst enemy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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