Cabinet winners might be losers

Trouble is, Cannon didn't want the job. For one thing, Tory insiders say the senior Quebec minister hates flying. And he prefers to stay close to home - where he can preside over the distribution of goodies to his province - for political reasons too.

In fact, insiders say Cannon lobbied to be given the Industry portfolio, with added responsibility for Quebec regional development. And he wanted to retain his title as political minister for Quebec to boot.

But however much Cannon fancies himself a parish pump politician, he apparently didn't prime the pump fast enough to satisfy Harper.

The prime minister is said to have been unhappy with his former transport minister's inability to swiftly disperse billions in infrastructure largesse.

Still, given the dearth of Quebec talent in his Conservative caucus, Harper needed to find an important job for his senior Quebec minister. With the top economic posts going to Ontarians, the prestigious Foreign Affairs slot was apparently the only option left no matter how little Cannon may have coveted it.

Thanks to his unwanted promotion, Cannon will now spend more time flitting around the globe than stoking his home political fires. And that leaves some insiders wondering if he'll be a good fit for his new post.

"There's no pork in Foreign Affairs," notes one senior Tory.

"He's a man of the county. He wants roads paved and sewers and bridges (built). You can't do that from Berlin."

What's more, Cannon may find himself relegated to the sidelines on the world stage as Harper and his finance minister, Jim Flaherty, spearhead Canada's response to the international economic crisis.

But Cannon's not the only apparent winner from Thursday's shuffle who may ultimately find he's been given a booby prize.

The Ontario triumvirate put in charge of helping the country weather the global economic tsunami - Flaherty, Industry Minister Tony Clement and Transport Minister John Baird - could yet wish they'd been assigned to obscure posts with little influence and no public profile.

Conservative strategists say there's no surprise Harper has turned to the three Ontarians given that Ontario is the province hardest hit by the flagging economy. However, some Tories detect the influence of Harper's new chief of staff, Guy Giorno, who worked with the trio in former Ontario premier Mike Harris' government.

The three also appear to be part of a larger pattern of Harper attempting to inoculate himself from criticism he faced during the election.

Dismissive of Ontario's economic woes?

Put Ontarians in charge of the key economic portfolios.

Weak on the environment?

Put valued work horse and Albertan Jim Prentice in charge of regulating greenhouse gas emissions without devastating the resource engine that's been driving Canada's economy.

That seemed like a demotion to some Tories, who wondered if Prentice was being punished for harbouring leadership aspirations. But insiders said Harper is signalling that he wants to play offence on the environmental file, after spending two years on defence.

Women don't like Harper?

Appoint 11 women to cabinet, including vaulting three newcomers - Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea - straight into the senior ranks.

Underperformers Helena Guergis and Bev Oda stay put rather than muddy the female-friendly message.

Diane Ablonczy, minister of state for small business, also stayed put. But in that case, Harper's refusal to promote Ablonczy while leapfrogging newcomers was widely seen by Tories as a deliberate snub. Harper, insiders say, simply does not like former leadership rival Ablonczy, no matter how bright and capable she is.

Gary Lunn's demotion from natural resources minister to a junior minister of state was also clearly a snub.

Some Conservatives suspect Harper simply decided Lunn is a lightweight. And he may also blame Lunn for bungling last year's shut down of the Chalk River nuclear reactor, although Harper himself played a lead role in that affair, which ended in the firing of nuclear safety watchdog Linda Keen.