I don’t wade into politics too often in this space, hey, read the editorials on this page, that’s what they’re for, but there’s enough fodder this week to muse about......
.....first of all those annoying anti-Ignatieff ads on TV.
The federal Conservatives say they don’t want an election, actually all the parties say they don’t want an election because the polls say Canadians don’t want an election.
And, for once, the polls are right and all parties are wise to heed them.
However it’s a minority government and strange things – like budgets that paint the opposition parties into a corner where they can’t win if they support it and maintain the status quo or reject it and force an election – can happen.
Gee, we didn’t want an election folks but the damn opposition parties made us do it.
Sooooo it’s best we spend tons of money, that the other parties don’t have, on tacky TV ads that are out-of-context and mean-spirited at best and dishonest and nasty at worst, now rather than later. Just in case, you understand, wink, wink.
These American-style attack ads that appear to be the new political standard and will likely set a nasty tone for a campaign that nobody wants, heavy sigh, will likely shore up support for those already likely to vote for the Tories – you know, Ignatieff evil, Harper must save the day once again.
But to those of us sitting on the fence waiting for someone, anyone, please, to show some leadership and a vision worth following it’s yet another bitter disappointment. Gee Mr. PM is there anything you did or said recently that might be worth throwing in an ad, instead of focusing on something Iggy might have said last millennium?....
......and speaking of lost causes, maybe the recall campaigns can call it a day too?
Now that Ida Chong, once perceived as the easiest recall target by the Fight-HST campaign, has survived maybe it’s time to call off the dogs.
And it wasn’t even close.
The recall canvassers in Chong’s Victoria-area riding gathered 8,818 signatures, which sounds fairly impressive actually, but they needed almost double that, 15,368, by last Friday.
End of story. Or it should be but there are more campaigns planned, including here against MLA Eric Foster.
Gee, maybe some people thought the resignations of Premier Gordon Campbell and Opposition Leader Carole James was enough collateral damage from the anti-HST movement, whaddya think?
Not to mention we’re apparently having an expensive referendum on the HST so people will have their say on this political fiasco anyway, right?
What’s the point of picking off a few more unpopular MLAs to force even more expensive byelections? Spite? To keep ourselves in the news and our political aspirations front and centre?
Hey, we’re getting new leaders and maybe even an early election call by whoever wins so why don’t we solve our political problems the old-fashioned way. You know, I think they call them elections. Although later rather than sooner would be nice, and while you’re at it forget the referendum with the foregone-conclusion result. Unless somehow, and for the first time in history, people vote in favour of a tax.
Forget about it. Just chop a percentage point off the HST, make it more user-friendly, vote on it in the House and carry on like the last 12 months have been a bad dream and everybody’s happy, sort of....
.....so with any kind of luck the only election in 2011 around these parts will be the municipal vote in November. You know, the important one that actually affects our daily lives around here and features people we know and hopefully can depend on. Stay tuned and stay informed and we’ll all be just fine.....
