MPs' websites altered to mirror Harper page

Ottawa Citizen Tim Naumetz, The Ottawa Citizen Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office has centralized control over the design and content of websites of Conservative MPs, many of whose Internet sites are now virtual replicas of Mr. Harper's government site. The change may be a bid to avoid potential controversies when MPs with radical views speak their minds, but political opponents say Mr. Harper may also want his caucus to speak with one voice as a possible election looms. "It's effective communications," said Dimitri Soudas, deputy press secretary for Mr. Harper. But the result is that the websites for seven cabinet ministers and at least 18 MPs now reflect a uniformity uncharacteristic of a grassroots Conservative party like Mr. Harper's.

The website for Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes, who last year had to retract a statement suggesting jail might be a solution for errant journalists, today is dominated by the same headlines, press releases and government statements that are predominant in the other centrally designed sites. Once-controversial Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MP Cheryl Gallant also has a one-size-fits-all site. In the uniform sites, the MP has a central panel devoted to constituency news, but the menus for all other articles and Internet links are consistently the same.

The five Conservative priorities from the last election campaign are bannered across the top of the sites, and a photograph of the respective MP is placed in exactly the same spot in the right corner where Mr. Harper's photo appears on his site. The top banner includes a sixth priority -- the environment -- following Mr. Harper's recent turnaround in his approach to climate change and global warming. The offices of several rural MPs were unaware yesterday of the changes and referred calls to party headquarters in Ottawa. "It's not at our end as far as I know. It might be at the Ottawa end," said an administrative assistant to Alberta MP Leon Benoit.

Although new Conservative MP Wajid Khan has his web domain name registered through his Dufferin Mazda dealership in Toronto, with the name of a dealership mechanic as the Internet administrative contact, the site content is the same as the other Conservative sites. Ryan Sparrow, manager of communications for the Conservative party, confirmed the sites are designed and managed by the caucus research bureau, which the party calls the Conservative Resource Group. The bureau has an annual $2.4-million Commons budget. "The Conservative Resource Group works with the MPs' offices on it," said Mr. Sparrow. "We are a resource group and if MPs ask for use of our resources, we're more than willing to help them out." Ipsos Reid pollster John Wright said the system appears to be a sound political move "from a branding perspective and a management perspective."