Hi Mary Anne I appreciate your comments regarding Brian Tobin and will have to accept them at face value as I have had no dealings with him and know only what I see in occasional media headlines. What concerns me here is the timing. I find it odd that Chretien would conduct a Cabinet shuffle less than a week before it is expected he would dissolve Parliament and call a Federal Election. I find it odder still that he would place someone who has not been elected into the Cabinet even though there is apparently no constitutional obstacle to doing that. If in fact there is to be an election called, why the rush to cannonball Tobin in. One might wonder also how Finance Minister Paul Martin is taking the news that Tobin has ambitions to replace Chretien. Martin has long been touted as the one who would replace Chretien. Had Brian Tobin gone through the normal routine of nomination, campaigning and election I would have no problem with his being given the post of Industry Minister and Minister responsible for Statistics Canada. I have concerns however with this exchange taking place before the release to the public of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census. I am concerned also that any behind the scenes preparation of a Bill to allow access to Historic Census that John Manley might have been working on will now go down the drain. All in all, it is my opinion that both the likelihood of an impending election, and the news of Brian Tobin being brought into the Cabinet and made Industry Minister without being elected, have come at a very poor time for our campaign. Happy Hunting. Gordon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Anne Bohaker" <ariana@hfx.eastlink.ca> To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L-request@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, 14 October, 2000 7:14 PM Subject: Re: [CCC] Brian Tobin our new Industry Minister?? <snip> Hi Jacquie, I also saw this on the news and am very, very hopeful. Mr. Tobin is well thought of here in the Maritimes as being a politician who not only listens to public opinion but acts on behalf of the people regardless of what might be politically approved. We fondly remember him as "The Tobinator", our hero in The Great Turbot War :) :) :) Mary Anne Halifax ----------------- FindersKeepers Specializing in Nova Scotia Books, History & Genealogy in or out of print. Email: finderskeepers@hfx.eastlink.ca URL: COMING SOON!