6 thoughts on “Flaherty Resigns”

1. Joe Oliver is replacing Jim Flaherty as Finance Minister.

   Armed with a master of business administration from Harvard University, the bilingual Montreal native spent years working as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch brokerage before taking the reins as executive director of the Ontario Securities Commission. He then served as chief executive of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada, a lobby group and self-regulating body for the securities industry.

   I think we know who Mr. Oliver will side with on FATCA. It won`t be us.
    

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2. Re: Joe Oliver…..
   Too early to judge.

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3. You are probably right Blaze. However, since that isn’t a change, we know what we’re dealing with eh?

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4. Whenever there is a change at at cabinet level, we assume that there will be change in the way things are done. What sort of change, if any, Oliver will be remains to be seen.
   But will the change be big? I doubt it. I assume that nobody would take a Ministerial position without the PM’s approval. Because the PM typically holds so much sway, I am hoping that Oliver will be at least no worse than Flaherty and hopefully better. I am reminded of Chretien being Trudeau’s Finance Minister. One could easily argue that Chretien, through Paul Martin ran a much tighter ship than Trudeau ever did through Chretien. Trudeau’s finance ministers (including Chretien) may have had different styles, but they all ran deficits. Martin, under Chretien, cleaned up our balance sheet.
   So, we shall see. I am not going to prejudge the guy simply because he has had a career in the securities industry. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the PM.
   My impression is that the PM dislikes Obama intensely over issues that extend beyond FATCA (such as the XL Pipeline). I would guess that MP’s who represent constituents in the energy industry hold Obama in considerable disdain. Harper is from Calgary.

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5. Thomas Mulcair has called Joe Oliver a “hand puppet” of Stephen Harper.

   Joe Oliver is never going to question anything Stephen Harper tells him to say. Stephen Harper likes his hand puppets to be obedient and in Joe Oliver, he’ll get exactly what he wants.

   http://www.lfpress.com/2014/03/19/ndp-leader-thomas-mulcair-blasts-new-finance-minister-joe-oliver-congratulates-london-west-mp-ed-holder
    

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6. Blaze……no big deal. Calling each other names is what politicians do.
   Moreover, to me at least, it just sounds like envy. Mulcair will never have the power the appoint any Minister at the Federal level. So Mulcair what says doesn’t really concern me.
   However, given Justin Trudeau’s apparent ignorance and/or indifference on FATCA, the realistic prospect of him appointing Ministers does scare me.

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