"On your mark ... get set ... go!" The Harper government's patronage race is on!

"All aboard the Stephen Harper gravy train!" 

The Gargoyle - Tories unleash torrent of patronage

Glen McGregor
Tuesday, July 7, 2015

At least two failed Conservative candidates number among those receiving government jobs.

On June 18 and 19, cabinet approved the long list of appointees to bodies such as the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the National Capital Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

It also made 40 judicial appointments, elevating some sitting judges and adding new names to the bench at various levels of courts. Among them was Winnipeg lawyer Regan Thatcher, the son of former Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Colin Thatcher, who was convicted of killing his wife in 1983.

Gary Meschinshnick, the president of the conservative Saskatchewan Party, was named to the Queen’s Bench in the province.

Denise Ghanam, who ran and lost for the federal Tories against New Democrat Joe Comartin in 2008, was named to the Windsor, Ontario port authority.

Troy DeSouza, a Victoria lawyer who thrice ran unsuccessfully for the Conservatives, in 2006, 2008 and 2011, was named a part-time member of the Military Police Complaints Commission.

A former colleague of Finance Minister Joe Oliver, investment banker Michael Mackasey, was named chairman of the Canada Development Investment Corporation.

Former British Columbia cabinet minister, Olga Ilich, a member of the B.C. Liberal Party, was named chair of the Canadian Tourism Commission.

The blizzard of appointments will, no doubt, have some recalling the preamble to the 1984 election campaign, when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau approved a similar orgy of patronage of mostly Liberal supporters.

Left to pick up the mess after Trudeau resigned, Prime Minister John Turner claimed during the televised leaders debate that he had no option when he sat at the cabinet table when the appointments rubber stamped.

Brian Mulroney shot back, “You had an option, sir. You could have said, ‘I am not going to do it. This is wrong for Canada, ‘” scoring a decisive blow in the debate.

The list of recent appointments include five new members added to the National Capital Commission board shortly before a key meeting on the contentious memorial to the Victims of Communism, planned for a space near the Supreme Court of Canada.

Cabinet also made eight appointments to the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory Panel, an obscure body that rules on the amount of money the federal government pays municipal governments in place of property taxes for government buildings.

The appointments made by cabinet on June 18 and 19:

• Appointment of JOHANNE BÉLISLE of Montréal, Quebec, to be Commissioner of Patents, to hold office during pleasure for a term of five years; and appointment of JOHANNE BÉLISLE to be Registrar of Trade-marks, to hold office during pleasure for a term of five years, effective September 8, 2015.

• Appointment of DAVID KRITTERDLIK of Whale Cove, Nunavut, to be a member of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of four years.

• Appointment of MICHAEL NEYELLE of Deline, Northwest Territories, to be chairperson of the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, for a term of five years.

• Appointment of LEONARD KENNY of Deline, Northwest Territories, to be a member of the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, for a term of five years.

• Appointment of JEFF WALKER of Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, to be a member of the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, for a term of five years.

• Appointment of Janet E. King of Ottawa, Ontario, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, to hold office during pleasure for a term of five years.

• Appointment of JEAN-ROBERT BERNIER of Ottawa, Ontario, to be a member of the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of TODD J. MCCARTHY of Whitby, Ontario, to be a director of the Board of Management of the Canada Revenue Agency, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of PAUL ROBERT YOUNG of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to be a member of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory Panel to hold office during good behaviour for a term of three years.

• Appointment of NORMAN MAY, Q.C., of Toronto, Ontario, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to hold office during good behaviour for a term of five years.

• Appointment of MARIE-LINDA LORD of Dieppe, New Brunswick, to be a member of Telefilm Canada to hold office during pleasure for a term of five years.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE YVES de MONTIGNY, to be a Judge of the Federal Court of Appeal, and a member ex officio of the Federal Court.

• Appointment of the MARIE-JOSÉE HOGUE, to be a Puisne Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Montréal or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE ROBIN B. CAMP, to be a Judge of the Federal Court, and a member ex officio of the Federal Court of Appeal.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Employment and Social Development of VICTOR BRUNETTE of Gatineau, Quebec, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the National Capital Commission, to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, in the place of Richard Paul Jennings.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Employment and Social Development of BRIAN COBURN of Ottawa, Ontario, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the National Capital Commission, to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, in the place of Jacquelin Holzman.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Employment and Social Development of LISA MACDONALD of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the National Capital Commission, to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, in the place of Jason Michael Sordi, effective July 1, 2015.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Employment and Social Development of BASIL STEWART of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the National Capital Commission, to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years.

• Appointment of JUDE PIERRE SAMSON of Montréal, Quebec, to be a full-time member of the Social Security Tribunal for the Income Security Section, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of two years, effective August 10, 2015.

• Appointment of JAIME LYNNE MELLOTT of Pender Island, British Columbia, to be a full-time member of the Social Security Tribunal for the Income Security Section, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of two years, effective July 6, 2015.

• Appointment of TERESA JANINA MAZIARZ of Heidelberg, Ontario, to be a part-time member of the Social Security Tribunal for the Income Security Section, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of two years.

• Appointment of MARGARET GAILY of Vancouver, British Columbia, to be a part-time member of the Social Security Tribunal for the Income Security Section, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of two years.

• Appointment of JATINDER BHULLAR of Mississauga, Ontario, to be a part-time member of the Social Security Tribunal for the Income Security Section, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of two years.

• Appointment of URIEL ROSENTHAL of Rotterdam, Netherlands, to be a Governor of the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of SHAINOOR KHOJA of Vancouver, British Columbia, to be a Canadian Governor of the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans of KRISTA L. BORYSKAVICH of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of MICHAEL MACKASEY of Mississauga, Ontario, to be the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Canada Development Investment Corporation, to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, effective July 1, 2015.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Finance of SANDRA ROSCH of Toronto, Ontario, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Canada Development Investment Corporation to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, in the place of Mary Beth Montcalm, effective July 1, 2015.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Finance of JENNIFER REYNOLDS of Toronto, Ontario, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Canada Development Investment Corporation to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, in the place of John Hillyard, effective July 1, 2015.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Finance of WILLIAM C. ROSS of Toronto, Ontario, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Royal Canadian Mint to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, effective July 1, 2015.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Employment and Social Development of CAROL LOUGHREY, O.C., of Fredericton, New Brunswick, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the National Capital Commission, to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years, in the place of Eric D. MacKenzie, effective July 1, 2015.

• Appointment of SUZANNE ALARY of Montréal, Quebec, to be a full-time member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Montréal Regional Office), to hold office during good behaviour for a term of three years, effective September 8, 2015.

• Approval of the appointment by the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada of DOMINIQUE BOUCHARD of Saguenay, Quebec, to be a director of the Board of Directors of The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc., to hold office during pleasure for a term of four years.

• Appointment of PEGGY WAROLIN of Témiscaming, Quebec, to be a part-time member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission to hold office during good behaviour for a term of three years.

• Appointment of ALEX G. PANNU of North Vancouver, British Columbia, to be a part-time member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to hold office during good behaviour for a term of five years.

• Appointment of MICHAEL DENHAM of Montréal, Quebec, to be President of the Business Development Bank of Canada to hold office during good behaviour for a term of five years, effective August 10, 2015.

• Appointment of CHRISTIAN LEUPRECHT of Kingston, Ontario, to be a member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of OLGA ILICH of Richmond, British Columbia, to be Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Tourism Commission, to hold office during pleasure for a term of five years.

• Appointment of LYNDA BROWN of North Vancouver, British Columbia, to be a director of the board of directors of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years, in the place of John Weissenberger.

• Appointment of PREM P. SINGHMAR of Sherwood Park, Alberta, to be a director of the board of directors of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of DARLENE BERNARD, O.P.E.I., of Lennox Island First Nation, Prince Edward Island, to be a member of the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of ANN MARIE MCDONALD, to be a Judge of the Federal Court, and a member ex officio of the Federal Court of Appeal, effective September 1, 2015.

• Appointment of ANNALISA S. RASAIAH, of the City of Sault Ste Marie, in the Province of Ontario, to be a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario, and a Judge ex officio of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, effective July 7, 2015.

• Appointment of BABAK BARIN, of the City of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Montréal or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective July 10, 2015.

• Appointment of BARBARA M. YOUNG, of the City of Kelowna, in the Province of British Columbia, to be a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

• Appointment of BERNARD TREMBLAY, of the City of Lac-Beauport in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Québec, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Québec or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective June 30, 2015.

• Appointment of CHANTAL CHATELAIN, of the City of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Montréal or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective June 30, 2015.

• Appointment of CLAUDE VILLENEUVE, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the districts of Saint-François and Bedford, in the Province of Quebec, with residence at Cowansville or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

• Appointment of DANYE DAIGLE of the City of Victoriaville in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Trois-Rivières, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Trois-Rivières or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

• Appointment of E. SUSAN ELLIOTT, to be a Judge of the Federal Court, and a member ex officio of the Federal Court of Appeal.

• Appointment of ELIZABETH C. SHEARD, of the City of Hamilton, in the Province of Ontario, to be a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario, and a Judge ex officio of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

• Appointment of FLORENCE LUCAS, of the City of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Montréal or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

• Appointment of GARY MESCHISHNICK, to be a Judge of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan.

• Appointment of GUY R. SMITH, of the City of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, to be a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada.

• Appointment of J. SCOTT MCLEOD, to be a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario, a member of the Family Court and a Judge ex officio of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

• Appointment of JOHN W. HOPKINS, of the City of Rocky Mountain House, in the Province of Alberta, to be a Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, and a member ex officio of the Court of Appeal of Alberta.

• Appointment of OLIVIA BUTTI of Edmonton, Alberta, to be a member of the National Seniors Council, to hold office during pleasure for a term of two years.

• Appointment of PAMELA L. HEBNER, of the City of Guelph, in the Province of Ontario, to be a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario, and a Judge ex officio of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

• Appointment of PATRICIA SPADAFORA of Oakville, Ontario, to be a member of the National Seniors Council, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of PAUL BYCHOK, to be a Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice, Judge of the Court of Appeal of Nunavut, Judge of the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories, and Judge of the Court of Appeal of Yukon, during his tenure of office as a Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice.

• Appointment of PIERRE E. ROGER, of the City of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, to be a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario, and a Judge ex officio of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

• Appointment of REGAN THATCHER, of the City of Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, to be a Judge of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Manitoba (Family Division).

• Appointment of RICHARD A. NEUFELD, of the City of Calgary, in the Province of Alberta, to be a Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, and a member ex officio of the Court of Appeal of Alberta.

• Appointment of ROBERT M. GREGAN, of the City of Amherst, in the Province of Nova Scotia, to be a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division), and a Judge ex officio of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, effective June 19, 2015.

• Appointment of SILVANA CONTE, of the City of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Montréal, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Montréal or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective July 5, 2015.

• Appointment of SUZANNE GAGNÉ, of the City of Québec in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Québec, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Québec or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

• Appointment of SYLVAIN PROVENCHER, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the districts of Saint-François and Bedford, in the Province of Quebec, with residence at Cowansville or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

• Appointment of SYLVIE E. ROUSSEL, to be a Judge of the Federal Court, and a member ex officio of the Federal Court of Appeal, effective June 20, 2015.

• Appointment of the ANNE JACOB, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Longueuil, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Longueuil or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective July 20, 2015.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE BRADLEY W. MILLER, to be a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and a Judge ex officio of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE DARYL E. LABACH, to be a Judge of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE EVA PETRAS, to be a ssociate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec, effective June 30, 2015.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE FREDERICA L. SCHUTZ, to be a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, and a member ex officio of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, effective August 14, 2015; and a Judge of the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories and a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Nunavut.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE JACQUES ROBERT FOURNIER, to be Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec, effective June 30, 2015.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE JANICE LEMAISTRE, to be a Judge of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Manitoba, and a Judge ex officio of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Manitoba.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE JENNIFER ANN PFUETZNER, to be a Judge of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Manitoba, and a Judge ex officio of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Manitoba.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE LAURI ANN FENLON, to be a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia; and a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Yukon during her tenure of office as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE MARGARET MCSORLEY, to be a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario, a member of the Family Court and a Judge ex officio of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, effective July 6, 2015.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE MARIE-JOSÉE BÉDARD, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the Districts of Gatineau, Pontiac and Labelle, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Gatineau or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective June 20, 2015.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE MARY J.L. GLEASON, to be a Judge of the Federal Court of Appeal, and a member ex officio of the Federal Court.

• Appointment of HILARY McCORMACK of Ottawa, Ontario, to be full-time Chairperson of the Military Police Complaints Commission, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of five years, effective October 5, 2015.

• Appointment of TROY DESOUZA of Victoria, British Columbia, who is not an officer or non-commissioned member of the Canadian Forces, nor an employee of the Department of National Defence, to be a part-time member of the Military Police Complaints Commission to hold office during good behaviour for a term of four years.

• Appointment of HÉLÈNE GOSSELIN of Ottawa, Ontario, to be a part-time member of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of four years.

• Appointment of CHANTAL HOMIER-NEHMÉ of Ottawa, Ontario, to be a full-time member of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of five years, effective September 8, 2015.

• Appointment of MARIE-CLAIRE PERRAULT of Ottawa, Ontario, to be a full-time member of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of five years, effective July 13, 2015.

• Appointment of MARK DAVID CHERNIN of Montréal, Quebec, to be a full-time member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Montréal Regional Office), to hold office during good behaviour for a term of three years, effective September 8, 2015.

• Appointment of JOCELYN F. RANCOURT, of the City of Québec, in the Province of Quebec, to be a Puisne Judge of the Superior Court for the district of Québec, in the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Québec or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective June 20, 2015.

• Appointment of KAYE E. DUNLOP, of the City of Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, to be a Judge of Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Bench for Manitoba (Family Division).

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE BRIAN W. ABRAMS, to be a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice in and for the Province of Ontario, and a Judge ex officio of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, effective July 6, 2015.

• Appointment of the HONOURABLE ÉTIENNE PARENT, to be a Puisne Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Province of Quebec, with residence in the territory of Ville de Québec or in the immediate vicinity thereof, effective June 30, 2015.

• Appointment of DEV A. CHANKASINGH of Edmonton, Alberta, to be a part-time member of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board, to hold office during good behaviour for a term of three years.

• Appointment of DEBBIE FISCHER of Toronto, Ontario, to be a member of the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Approval of the appointment by the Minister of Transport of MICHÈLE DESJARDINS of Montréal, Quebec, to be a director of the Board of Directors of the Canada Post Corporation, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of RAFIK SOUCCAR of Ottawa, Ontario, to be a director of the board of directors of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, to hold office during pleasure for a term of three years.

• Appointment of DENISE CLAIR GHANAM of Windsor, Ontario, to be a director of the Windsor Port Authority to hold office for a term of two years, in the place of Al Santing, effective June 27, 2015.

• Appointment of THOMAS ROBERT PORTER of Windsor, Ontario, to be a director of the Windsor Port Authority, to hold office for a term of two years, in the place of Charles S. Pingle, effective July 7, 2015.

• Appointment of ROBERT PAUL SAVAGE of Hamilton, Ontario, to be a director of the Hamilton Port Authority, to hold office for a term of three years, in the place of Lloyd Allen Root.

• Appointment of KATHLEEN MARGARET WATTS of Hamilton, Ontario, to be a director of the Hamilton Port Authority, to hold office for a term of three years, in the place of Daniel R. McKinnon.