A Word of Christmas Cheer

Granted, we do not want to gloat or make good at another's misfortune, but a rumour reported in a tiny news article in the Calgary Sun a few days ago suggested that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be re-shuffling a few of his cabinet minisiters, starting with Minister of the Environment, Rona Ambrose. Ambrose's performance has been less than even lacklustre and given the prominence that Liberal leader Stephane Dion is expected to place on the portfolio in the coming election, her presence in the ministry could no longer be tolerated. It is suggested that Harper will move from Jim Prentice, our very own MP for Calgary Centre North, head of the operations committee and Minister for Native Affairs, to the Environment. Harper is then expected to place another minister in Prentice's former position, with Ambrose being relegated to a more junior position.

I stand not by my country . . .

My country right or wrong - a mantra for a bygone era of unbridled nationalism. We at Wenzel have been much more partial to "I stand not by my country but by the fate of the whole world." Always uncomfortable at expressions of nationalist jingoism (whether hockey-related or not), we have traditionally viewed ourselves as nominally Canadian (excepting Bassano del Grappa) but more or less global citizens. Recent stresses in the environmental movement have only brought this more out into the open. Having said that however, even we are not immune to the shame that the CBC's Heather Mallick speaks of in regards to Rona Ambrose's antics at the Nairobi climate change conference. In our own conversations with British author George Monbiot he seems to agree with France's Nelly Olin, that the international community wants to believe that the Canadian government is out of snyc with Canadians.

For more coverage of the conference wrap up, check out the BBC.