When a cabinet minister acquires a nickname, it’s time for oblivion. Bev Orange Juice knows this. Peeping Vic is looking worried. Flyin’ Peter should have left his toy airplanes at home. Tony “Gazebo” Clement wishes everyone but his local constituents would forget how he spent that money. Poor old P.O.S. Kent got an apology from Justin Trudeau, but the name stuck.
Peter Van Loan and lookalike James Moore haven’t received their nicknames yet, but both are working hard to get theirs.
John “Pitbull” Baird and “Gnome of Ottawa” Flaherty will be exceptions to the policy.
Other nickname-bearing cabinet ministers have retreated into self-imposed obscurity, hoping to avoid complete oblivion. We can still see you, Julian, Joe, Gerry and Maxime, but maybe your boss doesn’t.