Collenette nearing the end of his political road?

David Collenette’s four years spent behind the transport minister’s desk make him the longest-serving person in the post in nearly 50 years, but that may soon change.

Rumors are swirling around Parliament Hill that he’s about to accept an appointment as high commissioner to Britain, but before he goes Collenette is ramping up for one final run at authoring a national transportation policy.

“I’m looking for money,” he tells everyone he meets.

And he’s looking at everything from regulatory and tax regimes to safety and environmental standards to the competitive implications of a massive highway program announced in the U.S. It may be left to someone else to ensure the ‘I’s get dotted and the "T"s get crossed, but they’ll at least be working off the Collenette blueprint.

In past years his regular attempts to squeeze highway cash from his cabinet colleagues have chronically run into spending restraints or other causes with greater public appeal.