1. Avoiding the abortion debate. Keith Martin, a Liberal MP and medical doctor, may just have found an "out" for Stephen Harper and his maternal health initiative for this summer's G8 - let another country focus on providing safe abortions.
First some background: The Prime Minister's signature initiative for the summit appears to be in jeopardy after Hillary Clinton's assertion last week that any such project must include access to abortion. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband later added his voice to that of the U.S. Secretary of State.
The Harper government has vowed that it will not reopen the abortion debate through this initiative. But with the criticisms of the British and the Americans, the initiative is in grave jeopardy if not dead already.
There may be a way to salvage it, however.
In a recent article in The Mark, Dr. Martin finds a way for Mr. Harper to "square" his opposition to abortion "while implementing an effective plan to reduce maternal and childhood mortality."
Dr. Martin, who has worked in Africa and on this issue for previous G8 summits, says the Prime Minister should propose that each member country concentrate on one aspect of the initiative. For example, he writes, that Canada "could be the lead nation on training healthcare workers and micronutrients, another country could focus on providing medications, another on access to family planning and safe abortions etc."
"In this way a, a comprehensive plan that focuses on enabling the world's poorest to access basic primary care services can be implemented, with the G8 countries dividing responsibilities and target resources."
Interesting advice the Tories might want to consider given that Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said on CTV's Question Period yesterday that the government - regardless of the U.S. and British positions - is pushing ahead with the initiative. What he didn't say was how the government would find a solution amid the entrenched positions from key allies.
A meeting of G8 development ministers later this month in Halifax, led by Canada's Bev Oda, will consider the initiative in advance of this summer's summit.
Take the Martin article with you - or take Dr. Martin.
2. Adding to the Helena Guergis controversy. The spotlight is shining even brighter today on the minister of state for the status of women. While the House of Commons isn't sitting for the Easter break, the focus is on another house - Ms. Guergis's home in the tony Lindenlea area of Ottawa.
The Ottawa Citizen reported on the weekend that Ms. Guergis paid $880,000 for the two-storey home in late November. She registered a mortgage for the entire amount and it is not clear if she purchased the home with no down payment or whether there were other accommodations from the bank.
The minister, who is married to former Edmonton Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer, was dealing with a Bank of Nova Scotia branch in Edmonton. Not surprisingly, this deal was the subject of much discussion over the weekend.
On Question Period yesterday, CTV Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife said more questions need to be answered about this deal. "The issue here is was Ms. Guergis given special treatment? We don't know that, but we're going to have to ask these questions now that the story is out."
And now that this latest story is out - it follows reports of Ms. Guergis's outburst in the Charlottetown airport in February and staff members writing fawning letters about her to local newspapers - the Prime Minister and his office will no doubt be considering their options for her.
Tory strategist Tim Powers told Question Period that Ms. Guergis should take some time to "reflect and see where she goes from here."
But as Mr. Fife pointed out, a minister deciding to leave cabinet is a rare occurrence.
"In this town nobody voluntarily resigns," Mr. Fife said. "They've got a limo, and a staff, and they love this sort of stuff. She's not going to give it up."