Politics and the Pen plus the Cabinet Ministers hairdresser

The Writers’ Trust of Canada handed out their annual $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize honouring political writing excellence to James Orbinski for An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action in the Twenty-first Century at the annual Politics and the Pen gala dinner in the Fairmont Château Laurier ballroom. Politics and the Pen is one of Ottawa’s A-list events and brings out top politicians, including Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt and Transport Minister John Baird.

 

A full press! Adam Chambers, aide to Jim Flaherty, with Lynn Meahan (left), press secretary to Labour Minister Rona Ambrose, and Jasmine MacDonnell, press secretary to Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt.

Laureen Harper with former Conservative MP Monte Solberg and designer Justina McCaffrey.

Mrs. Harper and Brent Butt of Corner Gas.

Mrs. Harper with Maclean’s columnist Paul Wells.

Michael Ignatieff and Liberal Senator Joyce Fairbairn.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (left) and political strategist Jaime Watt of Navigator Limited.

Winnipeg Conservative MP Steven Fletcher with Linda McIntosh, the author of his biography What Do You Do If You Don’t Die?

Shaughnessy Cohen Prize winner James Orbinski.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Croation Ambassador Vesela Mrđen Korać.

Alberta and Quebec unite! Tory MPs Ted Menzies (left) and Maxime Bernier.

Menzies with Newfoundland Liberal MP Scott Simms.

Menzies and Harvey Slack of The Canadiana Fund.

Toronto Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy.

Labour Minister Rona Ambrose.

(Left to right) Paul Sparkes, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs CTVglobemedia, Liberal Whip Rodger Cuzner, Greg MacEachern of Summa Strategies and Global National’s Kevin Newman.

Transport Minister John Baird and his hairdresser Stefania Capovilla.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney also goes to Capovilla for the perfect cut.

Conservative House leader Jay Hill and his wife Leah Murray.

Heritage Minister James Moore and Susan Smith of Bluesky Strategies. 

Vancouver Liberal MP Hedy Fry.

 

 NDP leader Jack Layton and his wife Toronto NDP MP Olivia Chow.

Brampton, Ont., Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla.

Tory Senate leader Marjory LeBreton.

Toronto Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay.

Jill Fairbrother, Igantieff’s Director of Communications.

Iggy staffer Mark Sakamoto.

Deirdra McCracken, the glam Director of Communications to Heritage Minister James Moore, looking very Jennifer Aniston.

 

Meahan with TVO’s Steve Paikin of The Agenda.

Paikin and Paul Wells.

David Wilkins, the recent former U.S. ambassador to Canada.

 

James Kusie from the PMO and Stephanie Schramm Kusie from Tory MP Peter Kent’s office.

 

Writer Patricia Pearson.

Zach Churchill, National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.

The meal included grilled jumbo sea scallop napped with morel mushroom vinaigrette.

And roasted shallot and tomato glazed Manitoba bison fillet.

The dessert.