Ken Boessenkool May Not Pass the Smell Test But What About Guy Giorno?

Glen McGregor writes in the Ottawa Citizen today: Lobbyists trying their luck, Talking Points

Amid controversy over the role of lobbyists in this election, the Conservatives have finally acknowledged that a former top aide to Stephen Harper who later became a high-powered lobbyist is helping run the party's campaign.

Harper's former policy adviser, Ken Boessenkool, was photographed by the Citizen arriving at the Conservative "war room" on Lancaster Road in Ottawa's east end Monday morning. He had an ID pass and lanyard around his neck. Later in the day, the party said Boessenkool was a member of senior campaign staff involved in "overall messaging" work.

This was news because Lobbying Commissioner Karen Shepherd, had cautioned lobbyists that campaigning for parties could constitute a conflict-of-interest.

But if we're going to raise concerns about Boessenkool, why not Guy Giorno, who is running the campaign? Admittedly, he may no longer be a registered lobbyist, but you can be sure still keeps contact with, National Public Relations, the top lobbyist for the Tar Sands, where Giorno once hung his hat.

Lobbyists move in and out of Harper's office, so realizing that they are now running his campaign is not really news.

What else would we expect from the Corporate Party of Canada?

Canada's Corporate Welfare State and Harper's Revolving Door of Lobbyists

The Leaks They are a Leakin'

Kady O'Malley, one of Canada's only real political journalists, has announced that Conservative MP Kelly Block has revealed a leak, assuring the House that she had fired the leaker.

It wasn't just any leak, but a serious breech.

As it turns out, it wasn't just any report that Block's now former staffer had leaked, but the still confidential draft report on the Finance committee's pre-budget consultations.

According to a report tabled in the House earlier today, on November 18, 2010, her then-parliamentary assistant Russell Ullyatt "transmitted" the report to to three lobbyists: Clarke Cross, now a senior consultant at Tactix, who worked for then-Reform MPs Leon Benoit and James Lunney in the early 2000s; Tim Egan, President and Chief Executive Officer at the Canadian Gas Association; and Lynne Hamilton, Vice President for Public Affairs at GCI Group, whose experience, according to her corporate bio, includes "working with Conservative governments federally, provincially and municipally." including several Mike Harris-era ministers and the former premier himself.

Stay tuned as the leak could be a deluge. Bring an umbrella.