CPC cabinet shuffle: Observing the status quo

The biggest talk of Stephen Harper's cabinet shuffle should be the removal of Rona Anders, er, Abrose as Environment Minister and the appointment of John Baird. I'm glad our environmental responsibilities are in the hands of the man who cut $1 billion from women's groups, adult literacy programs, and museums.

If the most disadvantaged in Canada are going to further be marginalized by Baird and his CPC ideology, then what can we expect him to do about the environment? My guess, nothing.

So then, what is the purpose of appointing one conservadroid like Baird in replacement of the hapless Ambrose? Baird will be able to justify non-action on the environment more perhaps more persuasively and eloquently at home, and abroad, than Ambrose ever could. And so the status quo is observed.

It also does not help that the Prime Minister does not believe in science, claiming that the "so-called" green house gasses are having "perceived" effects on our planet.

What does it matter if Baird, or Ambrose, or Prentice is in charge of the Environment portfolio when the party and it's leader is ignorant to modern science?

Dion has the answer,

Shifting Ambrose out of the environment portfolio has been seen by observers as a move to curb the battering the government has taken over its proposed Clean Air Act and its insistence that it cannot meet the Kyoto accord targets of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

"The prime minister gives the direction," Dion said, adding Harper's environmental policy has been "an embarrassment to Canada."

"Therefore, the minister of the environment wasn't able to succeed."

Harper acknowledged Thursday following the cabinet shuffle that "Canadians expect a lot more" from the government on the issue of climate change and clean air.

I know my expectations for the "so-called" conservative government have not risen due to Baird's appointment as Environment Minister. If anything, it made me suspicious of the conservative agenda behind the move.

While many Blogging Tories have sarcastically gasped at the fact that Harper is being criticized for appointing the the highly partisan John Baird to such an important cross-party position in the government (since we all care about the environment... or at least we should), I have to agree with Dion's position.

"It's too important to be partisan," Dion said of the climate change issue, which was a key component of his platform in the recent Liberal leadership race.

Secondly (just to touch on a Western issue), appointing Quebec Conservative MP Christian Paradis as secretary of state for agriculture is immensely disappointing for the West. I suppose Harper is no different than Chretien or Martin when it comes to alienating the west and favouring Quebec.

What does Christian Paradis know about agriculture in Quebec? Furthermore, what connection does he have to the CWB? Does he even know any wheat farmers? Or any farmers at all for that matter?

Bottom line, it doesn't matter to Harper. What matters is spinning his theoconservative agenda on the environment (enter Baird) and putting a Quebecker in an agricultural position to hopefully stifle any life left in the CWB (enter Paradis). Not only will Paradis contribute nothing positive to the CWB discussion, but it doubles up as a vote-grab appointment for onlooking Quebec voters. One more conservative Quebecker out of the back-benches and into a position of power in the government - the better his chances of increase a CPC turnout in the next election.

Like everything Harper does, and even the two prime ministers before him, vote-grabbing is key to their policy direction and cabinet appointments. I thought we had a man in charge who would "Stand Up" for Canada? Guess we were all wrong.