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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HALIFAX 000034 
 
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TAGS: PGOV PINR EFIS PREL ENRG CA
SUBJECT: ATLANTIC CANADA:  REACTIONS TO THE NEW HARPER CABINET 
 
 
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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