Matt Gurney: Relax, everyone. John Baird isn’t going to scream at Hillary Clinton | Full Comment | National Post

By Matt Gurney - from the National Post

After (and even during) the cabinet shuffle, media talking heads began to muse about whether John Baird was suited to the job of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Obviously, it’s a high profile job, especially since these are trying times for Canadian diplomacy. We are fighting two wars, face the risk of global protectionism due to the economic trouble the world is facing, we must assert sovereignty over the Arctic and defend our oil sands from international criticism, while avoiding any fruitless, costly global warming treaties. But none of the concern about Baird’s ability to do the job right is focused on the fact that it’s a difficult job. People mainly seem worried that Baird just isn’t that nice a guy and might not be the best choice to represent Canada on the world stage.

How absurd.

Yes, over the last few years, Baird has been the attack dog of Stephen Harper in the House. But that was a job that needed filling. The last House was fractious, to say the least. The Tories needed a warrior who was able to become outraged on command and not seem ridiculous while doing it. There’s an argument to be made that having a guy like Baird permanently on Defcon 2 didn’t exactly help make the House a more pleasant place to work, and it’s a fair one, but every party in the House shares some responsibility for the tenor of the debate. That’s not to absolve the Tories of their stunts, of course, but simply to say that in the context of a hyper-partisan minority parliament, a partisan hothead was required and Baird filled the role well.

But that doesn’t mean that’s the only role he’s capable of filling. Indeed, another important — if unofficial — task for John Baird has been to be Laureen Harper’s companion at society events all over Ottawa. When the Prime Minister is unable to attend an event (or simply indulges his introversion and chooses not to), his wife often steps up and wines, dines and schmoozes with Ottawa’s elite. She’s so good at the personal side of politics that U.S. diplomatic documents leaked by WikiLeaks even referred to her as the Prime Minister’s secret weapon. And often at her side at those social charmfests? Why, it’s John Baird!

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Matt Gurney: Relax, everyone. John Baird isn’t going to scream at Hillary Clinton | Full Comment | National Post

Raymond J. de Souza: Jason Kenney and John Baird are the Tories’ dynamic duo | Full Comment | National Post

By Father Raymond J. De Souza - from the National Post

It was mostly old, a few bits new, rather boring, and Tory blue. Prime Minister Stephen Harper had his new cabinet sworn in, and continuity was the theme. With few changes in major portfolios, it was rather dull, but Mr. Harper is successful in part because he offers as little drama as possible. Stable government was the campaign slogan. Stability was what Canadians got.

There was one major vacancy — foreign affairs — and one senior minister who had to move, John Baird, his talents no longer needed as house leader in a majority parliament. The two were matched up, and for the most part the other key players were left in place — Finance, Justice, Public Safety and Defence left unchanged.

Behind the scenes there was an important move, with Jason Kenney taking over as chairman of the cabinet operations committee. As the architect of the Tory majority, Kenney retained the same ministry but was rewarded with the powerful chairmanship. Cabinet government is something of a misnomer since the bloated cabinets of the Mulroney era; all key decisions are taken at the two principal cabinet committees, priorities and operations. The prime minister chairs the priorities committee. Kenney chairs operations.

One of the few spontaneous moments of the swearing-in was the hooting and hollering that greeted the entrance of the prime minister, a bit of partisan enthusiasm for the long-sought-after majority, albeit out of place in Rideau Hall. Understandably for the partisans, as it has been a long road back from 1993, the last time the last time conservatives were in a majority government position.

In several ways, Baird and Kenney symbolize that road back. Both in their early forties, they are young men who have been engaged in politics for a long time; I have known both of them since the early 1990s, so my presence at Rideau Hall on Wednesday had a rather personal dimension to it.

In 1993, during the summertime premiership of Kim Campbell, Baird worked on the staff of Perrin Beatty, then foreign minister. Eighteen years later, the minister’s chair is his. Back then he had recently graduated from Queen’s University, where his final year politics paper was about the provincial Progressive Conservative Party, entitled, “I have fallen, and I can’t get up.” Two years later, he was part of the Mike Harris team that swept to government in Ontario, going from third place to first. He served at Queen’s Park until running in the 2006 federal election. He knows something about working over the long haul.

In 1993, Kenney was at the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, an activist group belonging to the general Western rebellion that produced the Reform Party. Four years later, he was elected as Reform MP, and 10 years later led the outreach the brought the successor Conservative Party to majority status.

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Raymond J. de Souza: Jason Kenney and John Baird are the Tories’ dynamic duo | Full Comment | National Post