View larger image Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Jim Prentice speaks with CTV's Question Period.
View larger image Environment Minister Rona Ambrose gives a press conference at an auto-recycling yard in Kitchener, Ont. last week. (CP / Nathan Denette)
Prentice dodges cabinet shuffle question
CTV.ca News Staff
The minister of Indian Affairs is saying little about whether he'll take over the environment portfolio in an expected cabinet shuffle as the Conservative government prepares for a possible spring election.
Jim Prentice appeared on CTV's Question Period on Sunday, but refused to discuss the possibility he will be chosen to replace embattled Rona Ambrose as environment minister.
"As you know there are rumours on every street corner in Ottawa, that's part of the charm of the place."
Rumours of a cabinet shuffle have been fueled in part by reports that MPs have been ordered to stay within a plane ride of Ottawa during the first week of January, in case they are called to return before Parliament reconvenes at the end of the month.
However, when asked Thursday about his plans for Prentice, Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn't deny he was planning to give him Ambrose's job. Instead, Harper said he wasn't prepared to speak to the issue yet.
He did tell reporters: "You guys all want to speculate. Go ahead and speculate. You didn't get it from me."
Ambrose has come under heavy fire, dealing with controversial issues such as the government's decision to back away from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and the embattled Clean Air Act.
With Stephane Dion newly elected as the leader of the Liberal Party -- partly on the strength of his environmental agenda -- pressure is building on the Harper Conservatives to improve their image on the environment.
Sources told the Toronto Star the arrival of a new environment minister would coincide with a revamp of the Tories' green plan, which was widely panned when it was unveiled this fall.
In addition to Prentice, other possible successors include Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn, or longtime MP Diane Ablonczy, according to Star sources.
Another rumour has the position going to a senior Quebec minister, perhaps Industry Minister Maxime Bernier. The environment is an important issue to Quebecers.
In recent polls, the Tories have slipped to third place in Quebec behind the Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois.
Kyoto, on which the Tories have given confusing signals, is very popular in Quebec.
Harper told reporters: "In the short term, people say, 'well, just implement the Kyoto target. Cut energy used by a third in the next five years.' There's no way you can do that without devastating the Canadian economy."
When Canada signed the protocol in 1997, ratifying it in 2007, it promised to cut emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels by the year 2012. So far, emissions have increased by 27 per cent above 1990 levels.
The Tories have come under fire for their approach to the climate change fire, but even the leader of Canada's Green Party said Ambrose isn't the problem.
"I'm torn on this," said Elizabeth May. "I actually believe she's performed admirably under the instructions give to her by her boss, which is to confuse the Canadian public, avoid doing anything on the environment while pretending she's doing (something)."
However, with only a 14 per cent female Conservative caucus, the party can't afford to boot the bilingual Ambrose off the front benches. Some speculate the Edmonton MP could take on the post of intergovernmental affairs as her next gig.
With a report from CTV's Rosemary Thompson
Canadians will see a new change in the federal cabinet early next month. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to shuffle his cabinet in the new year.

It is speculated that Indian affairs minister Jim Prentice will be replacing Environmental Minister Rona Ambrose. Peter Van Loan, who is Intergovernmental Affairs minister, is expected to replace Prentice as Indian affairs minister. Ambrose is also expected to replace Van Loan as Intergovernmental Affairs minister.

Ambrose struggled to sell the Clean Air Act and Tory insiders said it did not meet heightened expectations.

The PM promises to have a fresh focus on the environment in the expected spring 2007 federal election. When asked about his plans for Prentice he said he wasn't prepared to speak on the issue yet.

"The impression I got was that she didn't do her homework. But I have to offset that by saying it doesn't matter if you've done your homework if someone switches the books first thing the next morning," said a senior government source. "At the last minute, they gave her new stuff or didn't give her information. It's not entirely her fault by any means." 

Prentice denied rumors saying that Ambrose will be replaced.

"You guys all want to speculate. Go ahead and speculate. You didn't get it from me," he said. "As you know there are rumours on every street corner in Ottawa, that's part of the charm of the place."