Source : National Post

OTTAWA - Jean Chrétien sent one of his closest aides to political "heaven" yesterday in what the opposition depicted as the start of a flood of patronage before the Prime Minister retires in February.

Mr. Chrétien named his chief of staff, Percy Downe, whose entire professional life has been with the Liberal party, to the Senate.

Mr. Downe, who turns 49 next month, could earn $2.9-million in the Senate if he serves to the mandatory retirement age of 75. Senators earn $114,200 annually.

Mr. Chrétien also awarded a Senate seat to Montreal businessman Paul Massicotte, a Liberal fundraiser who collects $500,000 to $700,000 a year for the party by organizing the leader's annual dinner in the city.

Opposition MPs said the patronage to come will make Canadians more cynical about politics.

"It certainly does look like [Mr. Chrétien's] cronies are going to end up in patronage heaven," said Canadian Alliance MP Grant Hill, who reiterated Alliance demands for an elected Senate. "The Prime Minister, with his enormous power, should not be picking these individuals out of a hat, out of his friends."

Jack Layton, the leader of the NDP, whose party has long advocated abolition of the Senate, called the appointments part of a "year-long orgy" of patronage rewards that began with Mr. Chrétien's retirement announcement last year.

"No wonder Canadians feel the Senate should be abolished; it's hard not to be cynical," Mr. Layton said.

Jim Munson, a PMO spokesman, defended the appoint of the Prime Minister's chief of staff.

"Mr. Downe has worked tirelessly for the Prime Minister and been involved in politics most of his life," Mr. Munson said. "He provides and invaluable service to the Prime Minister."

Mr. Chrétien's closest backroom operative over his 40 years in politics, senior advisor Eddie Goldenberg, succeeds Mr. Downe as chief of staff. With at least three Quebec Senate seats to become vacant before Mr. Chrétien leaves, Mr. Goldenberg is expected to join Mr. Downe in the upper chamber later this year or next January.

Mr. Downe began his career with the Liberals after university graduation, working for the Prince Edward Island wing of the party until joining the staff of then-premier Joe Ghiz in 1986. He worked as chief of staff for Mr. Ghiz until 1993, when he was recruited for Mr. Chrétien's new government in Ottawa.

Mr. Downe worked for Lawrence MacAulay, a P.E.I. Liberal MP, when Mr. MacAulay was veterans affairs minister and when he was labour minister. Mr. Downe was also a senior aide to former fisheries minister Fred Mifflin before joining Mr. Chrétien's staff as appointments director in 1998. He became chief of staff in 2001, when Mr. Chrétien appointed Jean Pelletier chairman of Via Rail.

Mr. Massicotte, 51, said in an interview yesterday that he will continue in his position as chief executive officer for real estate giant Alexis Nihon, but intends to devote all the time he can to Senate work and will reduce his private-sector salary accordingly.

A Manitoba native who moved to Montreal in 1985, Mr. Massicotte acknowledged that his support for the Liberal party likely played a role in his appointment, but he said he was flattered Mr. Chrétien had confidence in his ability to contribute to the nation as a whole.

"Obviously, some people will say it's because I supported them over the years, it's probably accurate," Mr. Massicotte said. "But being somewhat knowledgeable about politics, there are thousands of people who have worked very hard for the party, so I feel very honoured. Why he chose me, you'll have to ask him."

Mr. Downe said he intends to throw himself into his Senate work and focus on issues concerning veterans and the environment.

He dismissed estimates of the money he will earn as a senator, saying there is no guarantee he will remain in the post for the entire period.

"The assumption in that of course is that I'm going to be there until I'm 75, and that the Senate is going to continue in its current incarnation, and neither of those may be true," said Mr. Downe, who also rejected claims that the Senate appointment process contributes to public cynicism.

"Senators are political positions," he said. "It's a political body and under the current rules, this is how senators are selected."

Mr. Chrétien said in an interview in May that he would not be spending the time before he steps down rewarding friends with patronage postings.

"There will be some appointments as we have every year," the Prime Minister said. "There will be nothing that will be packed at the last minute as it was, say, in 1984."

John Turner was harshly criticized when he made a number of appointments on behalf of his predecessor, Pierre Trudeau, in 1984.

Mr. Chrétien was accused of "cronyism at its worst" when he ensured last fall that Canada Post president Andre Ouellet, one of the more prominent Liberals from Quebec of the last quarter-century, would keep his job as head of the country's postal service until well after the Prime Minister retires in 2004.

Mr. Ouellet can earn a maximum of $354,000 annually once the routine 20% public service performance bonus is taken into account.

PATRONAGE WATCH:

Beginning today, the National Post will keep a tally of patronage appointments made by the Prime Minister's Office leading up to Jean Chrétien's departure from office in February.

Mr. Chrétien has said he will not be making a large number of appointments just before he goes.

YESTERDAY'S APPOINTMENTS:

Percy Downe appointed to the Senate for Prince Edward Island;

Paul Massicotte appointed to the Senate as a Quebec representative.

LIBERAL CONNECTIONS:

Mr. Downe is the Prime Minister's chief of staff; Mr. Massicotte is a long-time Liberal fundraiser.

© National Post