News from our work & clients
Rugby Canada is proud to announce Enterprise Canada as its agency of record for all public relations initiatives in 2012.
Enterprise Canada will be responsible for the comprehensive development and execution of targeted media relations strategies on behalf of the national rugby organization.
“We are pleased to be working with Enterprise Canada to build the brand of Rugby Canada,” said Graham Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Rugby Canada. “Rugby is a fast, exciting sport that people would love if they had more exposure to it. Enterprise Canada is invested in our organization and our game in a way that will help us make more Canadians aware of the great athletes we have playing this great game.” Read More
The NDP has found its new leader, but the election of Thomas Mulcair last month did expose some serious in-fighting as the party attempts to boost its popularity with Canadian voters. Mulcair was clearly leading the pack and for many of the old guard, this was a frightening scenario. Yet, I felt Mulcair was the necessary direction in which the NDP needed to go to become the “government in waiting,” rather than returning to third or fourth place after the next election. So, after seven long grueling months of anticipation and excitement, March 23rd finally came. In a sea of orange clothing and waving candidate signs, I pushed my way past constant solicitation and registered myself for the NDP Leadership Convention. After registering, I found my way to my seat in the south building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and waited for the candidate showcases. This proved to be one of the more exciting moments of a very long weekend. Read More
For weeks now, forces from all directions have been setting up today’s provincial Budget as apocalyptic. World economic news continues to be bleak – pointing to an even bleaker future if action isn’t taken to address mounting debt. The Drummond Commission itemized hundreds of ways the Ontario government could better spend its money. In a minority parliament, this is the only Budget Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals can realistically expect to deliver without the serious threat of triggering an election, so it’s their one chance to dose bitter medicine. (Although the Opposition parties could conceivably defeat the Budget and bring down the government, it’s unlikely to happen this soon, with everyone still in deep arrears from the last campaign. By this time next year, however, Ontario will almost certainly be on the brink of again going to the polls.) And the Liberals themselves have been solemnly prepping Ontarians – especially those on the public payroll – to brace for some heavy blows.
So does today’s Budget live up to the dire predictions?
Well, yes and no.
Certainly, many civil servants will be losing sleep – if not their jobs – over measures outlined in the lengthy Budget papers. In particular, the “Addendum” document, a new wrinkle accompanying the usual Budget verbiage this year, makes for fascinating reading. It sets out no fewer than 103 specific moves, with every ministry chipping in at least a few, to curb costs.
However, many of those initiatives should have “TBD” stamped across them – it’s to be determined exactly what they might mean in terms of day-to-day operations. Indeed, much of this “Report on Expense Management Measures” is a thesaurus of the vague. It abounds with phrases like “rationalizing central support and administration functions,” “pursuing alternative delivery measures,” “internal review to enhance productivity,” “efficiency measures to generate savings and improve outcomes,” and “restructure internally.” Even the Office of the Premier gets into the act, with a nebulous vow to “achieve efficiencies in operating costs.” Read More
Canada had its own SOPA moment this week
Wikipedia didn’t go black, but the government did learn a lesson about the new age of political activism.
On Tuesday, Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, introduced Bill C-30, positioned by Toews and the Government as a Bill to stop child pornography. The public saw it differently.
Within hours the backlash started. But unlike, say, five years ago, the backlash wasn’t limited to political insiders, journalists and irate opposition leaders, the public took to Twitter, Facebook and social media in droves. But it wasn’t until Robert Jensen, an ordinary citizen, created the hashtag #tellviceverything that the firestorm began.
Jensen took to Twitter (@RobertJensen2) and urged his 939 followers to literally, tell Vic Toews everything. From the banal, to the racy, tweets poured in from across Canada all tagged with the hashtag #tellviceverything.
Read the tweets HERE
The effect was immediate. By Thursday the hashtag had gone viral, Toews and the Government were powerless to stop the TMI (too much information) flooding in from around the country.
It was a rare and sincere moment for Canadian activism – not motivated by a powerful public interest group or strategically crafted public relation campaign.
And for those of us in the business of creating these campaigns it was a learning moment with valuable takeaways.
Drummond report offers a smorgasbord of options, some more politically palatable than others
In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the comedic science fiction series penned by late author Douglas Adams, the guidebook referenced in the title has on its cover, in big letters, the words “DON’T PANIC.”
Perhaps similar advice should adorn the report released today by former senior bank economist Don Drummond.
For all the hand-wringing sure to follow — and there will be plenty of angst, given that virtually every one of the 362 recommendations in the report could be perceived as negatively impacting someone’s job — at this point the efficiencies are all purely conceptual. It’s up to Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals to decide which will be implemented, and right now they’re not committing to anything. Read More
I am a third year student from Brock University studying Political Science/Public Administration. I am completing an internship with Enterprise Canada in their Government Relations department. I will be regularly writing blog posts on my experiences dealing with Ontario politics. This is my first post and deals with Premier McGuinty’s speech to the Canadian Club which I attended on January 24th.
Health care and public service salaries were major topics in Dalton McGuinty’s much anticipated speech. After detailing a lengthy list of Liberal Party accomplishments, a somber looking McGuinty explained Ontario is facing many challenges. A primary goal is slashing a massive $16 billion deficit. Read More
Read Jason Lietaer’s take on What CEOs can Learn from Left-Wing Think-Tanks in the Huffington Post.
On Tuesday, as many of us awoke from our calorie-induced slumber and wobbled into work at — let’s be honest, half-speed — there was one group that was working overtime. Corporate CEOs, you ask? Nope. But they were the targets.
Read Jason Lietaer’s take on the Ontario Speaker’s Race in the Huffington Post.
I’m not here to pretend that Klees’ decision was good news for the Ontario PC party. It caused some anger, some frustration and genuine bewilderment. There are those who are calling for his head. But let’s keep it into perspective: an MPP is running for Speaker, with what looks like a difficult road ahead of him to win.
Peter Downs, an award-winning reporter at the St. Catharines Standard, has joined public affairs firm Enterprise Canada’s growing Niagara office.
Peter brings 20 years of journalism experience to Enterprise Canada, including the last 12 years in Niagara.
Read More
We asked. They answered. Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi, NDP MPP Gilles Bisson and PC strategist and Enterprise Canada’s own Jason Lietaer tell us what’s ahead for the next four (or less) years in Ontario politics. Watch a selected clips from the event below.
