NICHOLSON IS NEW FACE OF LAW AND ORDER

Likely To Be More Moderate Than Outgoing Toews

OTTAWA - Stephen Harper has opted to put a new -- and perhaps less
stern--face on his government's law-and-order agenda by replacing
hard-line Vic Toews with respected Government House Leader Rob Nicholson.

Political strategists say the promotion confirms the Prime Minister's
growing confidence in Mr. Nicholson. It also puts the law-and-order
portfolio in the hands of an MP from Ontario, where gun crime and
violence remain a concern, especially in urban parts of the province.

As House Leader, Mr. Nicholson helped shepherd the government's agenda
through the minority Parliament, and he was the point man on the
controversial same-sex marriage motion that was ultimately defeated.
He is also viewed as a good communicator who can defend the
government's agenda on TV, and he hails from the moderate Progressive
Conservative side of the party -- unlike Mr. Toews.

"This was a shrewd move," said one Liberal insider, on condition of
anonymity. "He's pretty smooth and Harper has relied on him to sell
things. He's not as partisan [as Mr. Toews] and might be willing to
compromise."

Mr. Nicholson, 54, is no stranger to the Department of Justice. As an
MP in the two term Brian Mulroney-led Progressive Conservative
government, he was the parliamentary secretary for the minister of
justice between 1989 and 1993. He was also a junior minister in the
short-lived Kim Campbell regime, until his defeat in 1993.

He re-entered federal politics once the PC and Alliance parties
merged, and backed Mr. Harper for the leadership of the new party. He
was elected in the riding of Niagara Falls in 2004.

Mr. Harper said he was forced to make the change at Justice due to
other moves in his Cabinet. "When you make one or two changes, by
necessity you must make others. There are a certain minimum number of
changes you have to make if you start making any at all."

The Prime Minister moved Mr. Toews to President of the Treasury Board
to fill in for John Baird, who went to the troubled and politically
charged Environment portfolio. Given Mr. Baird's departure, Mr. Harper
said he tapped Mr. Toews for the Treasury Board job because he's an
economic conservative with political experience and a knack for
dealing with details. (The Treasury Board is in charge of the
government's financial management. The department must approve
spending initiatives from government departments.)

Others, however, had a different take on the Justice switch. An Ottawa
insider with ties to the Conservative government said Mr. Toews was
seen as "too polarizing" a figure as Minister of Justice, and that led
to problems getting bills through the House.

Only two justice bills were passed before the Christmas break -- one
of them heavily amended by the Opposition -- and nine other Justice
bills await Parliamentary approval.

"Toews got demoted. There is no doubt about it," said David Docherty,
a political analyst at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont.
"The Treasury Board is an important position, but Justice is seen as
one of the most senior and high-profile positions in Cabinet."

Mr. Docherty said Mr. Toews suffered missteps as Canada's top
lawmaker. He openly mused about how 10-year-olds could face jail time,
and angered the legal community -- including the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court -- over plans to give police a greater say in how judges
are selected.

Mr. Nicholson, a lawyer, may be able to mend fences with stakeholders
in the legal and law-enforcement community, given his experience as
House Leader. "There is a notion of reaching out," Mr. Docherty said.

Parker MacCarthy, president of the Canadian Bar Association, said his
group welcomed Mr. Nicholson's appointment. "It is good to see a fresh
face," Mr. MacCarthy said, noting the CAB and the former justice
minister had their differences.

"Mr. Toews certainly tackled his part of the portfolio with a lot of
vigour."

Mr. MacCarthy added he expects the Conservatives to continue its
pursuit of an aggressive law-and-order agenda. But the CAB expects Mr.
Nicholson, as Minister, to exhibit a different style.

"He seems to work on a consensus approach, so maybe the government
feels to move the agenda forward they need a different approach."