Mario Silva

The final humiliation: a cash bar

MPs from all parties donned purple recently as a way to raise awareness over the wave of gay teen suicides that have been happening in North America. Below, Liberal MPs Mario Silva (left) and Rob Oliphant.

(Left to right) MPs Navdeep Bains, Mark Holland, Martha Hall Findlay, Mario Silva, Gerard Kennedy and former MP Omar Alghabra.

Four Liberals (Dhalla, Wrzesnewskyj, Silva and Wilfert) get advisory roles for various regions of the world, four new critic portfolios are created and various spots in the shadow cabinet are distributed as follows:

And what the tour guides hear

Ontario Liberal MP Mark Holland recently tied the knot in Ottawa with Cindy Fournier.

Part of Toronto Pride was its Gala & Awards ceremony where politicians hobnobbed with who’s who of the gay community.

There’s been much  drama over this year’s announcement of the Conservative government funding Toronto Pride. But just who was at this mega gay parade? Men in leather jockstraps, drag queens and  porn stars, naturally. But also pro-Israel groups, anti-Israel groups, gay Anglicans—and the Canadian Armed Forces doing recruitment. Several on-duty police forces wore festive gear. While politicians from the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, the Liberals and the NDP were out in full force. And Rick Mercer.

The Mark has taken lately to publishing short essays by MPs who have ideas about things. The latest is Mario Silva on literacy. Previously there was Garry Breitkreuz on the gun registry and Jim Maloway on air travel.

Event marks the 40th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada

The Canada Israel Committee and the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee held a special Israeli wine meets Canadian cheese reception on the Hill. Here is Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv with Conservative James Lunney, Chair of the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Committee.