Don Martin: The stunning fall of the once-promising Marco Mendicino
Don Martin: The stunning fall of the once-promising Marco Mendicino
He was a nice guy, that Marco Mendicino.
The public safety minister is a bright and articulate former federal prosecutor who was determined and perhaps destined to be a rising star in the Justin Trudeau cabinet.
During my days as host of CTV’s Power Play, he asked me for advice on how to improve his excessively partisan appearances on the show’s MP panels. My suggestion was simple: More friendly Marco, less scripted PMO.
Recent antics underline what is becoming a stunning fall from grace for Mendicino as he stumbles and bumbles badly from issue to hot-button issue after just 18 months on the job.
Two-year-old revelations from Canada’s spy agency surfaced Monday which found that respected Conservative MP Michael Chong and his family in Hong Kong had endured Chinese state intimidation after his vote to condemn that country’s atrocious human rights record.
After noting he was never informed of the threats until Monday and quoting a directive ordering CSIS to immediately alert the public safety minister to matters of interest, Chong asked the obvious question Tuesday: When was the minister made aware of this threat to his family?
It was a plea for information from someone with a great deal of personal skin in the answer.
But tone-deaf Mendicino ducked, donned his empty empathy mask to declare "solidarity" with Chong and delivered a patronizing vow to "work with him and all parliamentarians to make sure that he and all parliamentarians get the support they need."
Whatever that means.
This refusal to answer the what-they-knew and when-they-knew-it question was repeated more than a dozen times Tuesday with Conservative, Bloc Quebecois and NDP MPs lining up as one to demand a clear response while, tellingly, the cheerleading Liberal MPs surrounding Mendicino mostly sat on their hands.
Then came Wednesday. Suddenly the entire Chong script changed.
After days of ignoring specific questions, the prime minister and Mendicino emerged to declare they learned about it on Monday.
If the head of CSIS doesn’t think alerting the threatened MP, the prime minister, his chief of staff or the minister responsible that an MP is facing Chinese retaliation for a vote in the House of Commons, well, it’s time for a new CSIS leadership.
Conversely, if the public safety minister wouldn’t reveal his ignorance about the threat until this week, which was the ONLY question he was asked by Conservatives on Tuesday, well, perhaps it’s time for change there, too.
This ministerial dodge wasn’t the usual bovine-enhanced fertilizer that’s spread with gusto around farmer fields and in the Commons every spring.
MPs usually unite across party lines when one of their own colleagues is under siege, particularly on a family issue and especially when it’s a threat from a foreign superpower.
When the voting rights of parliamentarians face an attempted string-pulling from hostile forces beyond the precinct, MPs have the unfiltered right to get the truth without the usual political fudgery.
But Mendicino was all about fudging all week.
Under siege for the third straight day, he refused to reveal if other MPS are under the same threat or confirm whether the allegation had been relayed beyond CSIS, even though agency officials and a former director said it would be standard operating procedure to alert the responsible ministries.
Mendicino’s poor handling of this incendiary issue was just another hit on the soundtrack of his very bad year.
The new ban will only prohibit weapons manufactured in the future or those not even invented yet -- a jaw-dropping retreat for a minister who said banishing all these guns was essential to public safety just last year.
A two-year-old promise to set up a foreign agent registry in Canada, similar to what exists in the U.S. and other countries, has been spun off by Mendicino for pointless consultations without an end date.
His planned changes to allow crucial humanitarian assistance to flow into Afghanistan, where groups are holding back aid out of fear they’ll run afoul of Canada’s anti-terrorism laws, are moving forward in glacial slow-motion.
And lest we forget the notorious fib when he insisted police forces advised the government to invoke the Emergencies Act against the Ottawa convoy protest, a statement police deny.
There are many other missteps going back to the botched Afghanistan withdrawal when he was immigration minister, but space limits the list.
It’s obviously too late to advise him on ways to avoid becoming an ego-inflated cabinet supernova. He’s already there and starting to go dark.
Sadly, Marco Mendicino’s once-bright future as a credible cabinet influencer has been hobbled by his so-many missteps.
A New Democrat MP is trying to convince his colleagues to change the rules that govern the House of Commons in a series of ways he says would instill 'democratic controls' on the prime minister's 'unfettered' powers.
Monday morning, the Public Service Alliance of Canada announced it had reached a 'tentative' agreement with the federal government for the 120,000 picketing Treasury Board workers who, since April 19, had been engaged in one of the largest strikes in Canadian history. Here's a rundown of the developments from Parliament Hill as they happened.
The House committee studying foreign election interference heard from top 2019 and 2021 Liberal and Conservative campaign directors on Tuesday, with party officials from both camps speaking about the need for politicians to come together to address any "legislative gaps" ahead of the next vote.
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
Special rapporteur David Johnston didn't recommend public inquiry knowing it was a pathetically insufficient response for a foreign democratic assault of this magnitude, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
To frame a few new illustrations on pages tucked inside a passport as proof of a Liberal plot to purge the Canadian historical record seems like a severe stretch, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is a bright former federal prosecutor, who was destined to be a star in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. But in an opinion column on CTVNews.ca, Don Martin argues Mendicino has taken a stunning fall from grace, stumbling badly on important issues just 18 months into the job.
It's the most peculiar of elections with the frontrunner and her main opponent being the same person, writes columnist Don Martin. 'In the looming Alberta showdown, it's Premier Danielle Smith versus her mouth.'
Two billion carbon-absorbing trees to be planted by 2030 was the eye-catching Trudeau government promise from four years ago. But according to a new environment commissioner’s report, a mind-reeling list of failures makes it 'unlikely that the program will meet its objectives.'
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
A former Ontario cabinet minister is suing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and unidentified employees who he alleges leaked classified information with the intent of harming his reputation.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
Nine people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.
Bangladesh should not bear the burden of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees alone while UN agencies are facing challenges to feed them, a United Nations official said Monday.
The NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force on Monday said that 25 of its troops were injured in the clashes with ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo who were trying to take over the offices of one of the municipalities where ethnic Albanian mayors took up their posts last week.
Police fired tear gas and demonstrators burned cars Monday near the home of Senegal's main opposition leader, as tensions rise in the capital days before a court verdict is expected on charges against the politician.
Malaysia's maritime agency said Monday it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War II on a Chinese-registered vessel and was investigating if the barge carrier was involved in the looting of two British warship wrecks in the South China Sea.
U.S. President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Monday he is starting to review the mandate for CBC and its French-language service Radio-Canada, including ways the government can bolster funding to the public broadcaster so it is less reliant on advertising dollars.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
Three national health organizations want Canada's premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking during settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies, years after provinces sued to recoup health-care costs.
Artificial intelligence means everyone can now be a computer programmer as all they need to do is speak to the computer, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday, hailing the end of the 'digital divide.'
North Korea on Monday notified neighbouring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang's first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
China plans to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, in what would be another advance in what's increasingly seen as a new space race pitting the Asian autocracy against the United States and its democratic allies.
Quebec actor Michel Cote, who captivated audiences with his roles in the theatre piece 'Broue' and films such as 'Cruising Bar' and C.R.A.Z.Y.,' has died at 72.
George Maharis, a stage-trained actor with rough-hewn good looks who became an icon to American youth in the 1960s as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit television series 'Route 66,' has died.
Turkiye's lira hit fresh record lows against the dollar on Monday, though stocks rallied, after President Tayyip Erdogan secured victory in Sunday's presidential election, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.
Canada's main stock index ticked upwards Monday, with broad-based gains led by battery metals and energy stock as U.S. markets were closed for a long weekend south of the border.
The reviews are starting to come in as details emerge about the debt ceiling agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Animated movies are often a child’s first exposure to media and film. And the representation of people of color in media influences how they feel about race as they mature, a study by the non-profit Common Sense has found.
From actions in their local communities to mass demonstrations, here's how Canadians from all walks of life are inspiring others to take part in helping the environment.
Authors discuss their new book, 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies,' which aims to demystify the process of delivering honest apologies.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
The Philadelphia 76ers went all-in with their NBA championship pursuit on Monday, selecting veteran Nick Nurse as their new coach to try to win the franchise's first title since 1983.
Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.
Formula One champion Max Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory at the Monaco Grand gave the Red Bull driver his fourth victory of the season and a record 39th overall for the team as he extended his championship lead to 39 points over teammate Sergio Perez on Sunday.
A Tennessee company is refusing demands from U.S. regulators to recall millions of vehicles due to airbag inflators that can explode and shoot shrapnel into drivers. While cases are rare, there has been at least one death in Canada, where officials lack the authority to demand a similarly sweeping recall.
