A Harper-era cabinet minister dropped by Nipawin as part of a tour to see the home of his political hero.
John Baird, who spent most of his time in cabinet as foreign affairs minister, chatted to Conservative members at a fundraiser at Gieni’s Fine Dining June 3, along with local MP Randy Hoback.
“Richard [Fromm] in my [Ottawa] office was at one time John’s riding president,” Hoback said, “so they had been friends for a couple of years. He’s always wanted to come out and see Diefenbaker’s house, so we managed to combine him coming out and visiting us and a tour of Diefenbaker’s house in Prince Albert.”
Baird said he’s always been a huge John Diefenbaker fan. The former Prime Minister used to hold Hoback’s seat.
“My grandparents were involved in politics and when I was 10 years old, my grandmother took me to Diefenbaker’s wake, when he was lying in state on Parliament Hill and ever since then, I’ve been a Diefenbaker fan.”
Hoback said Baird, who represented Ottawa West—Nepean, has been talking about making the visit for the last seven years.
Baird said while he was in cabinet, he managed to get the new foreign affairs building named after Diefenbaker and helped establish the Diefenbaker Freedom Award.
Baird, who left Parliament in March 2015, now works for the law firm of Bennett Jones in Toronto. He also sits on various corporate boards. He said life is different out of government.
“It’s a much different pace. When you’re an MP and a minister, you’re going 24/7. It’s like your entire life is like a treadmill, whereas it’s much less hectic since I’ve left government.”
As for his thoughts on how his successors in foreign affairs are doing?
“You know what? I think Mr. [Stéphane] Dion struggled, but I think Chrystia Freeland has got off to a pretty good start,” he said. “Obviously I’m a Conservative and I want to see the Conservatives do well – I’m very excited about Andrew Scheer’s election – but I want to see my country succeed, so I think of Chrystia and wish her well.”
Baird said he enjoyed his first time in Nipawin.
“You’re really in the other Saskatchewan because you think of Saskatchewan as desolate prairies, whereas obviously in Nipawin you see the gateway to the North, where you all of a sudden see great forests, rolling hills, the green, the lakes. It’s a beautiful part of the country.”
The former cabinet minister told local Conservative members that the party is united, the new leader is strong and there’s money in the bank to fight the next election.
