(Written for rabble.ca's election coverage.)
Stephen Harper played defence for two hours during last night’s French language debate. Appearing tranquillized himself, he tried to lull viewers into a zen state in which they would not think that cuts to the arts, locking up 14 year olds for long sentences, and dismantling gun control were all that bad.
Gilles Duceppe got off the best lines of the encounter when he charged that under Harper there would be more guns in circulation and more fourteen year olds behind bars in prisons he called universities for crime. Stephane Dion was likable and confident easily exceeding the low expectations that had been set for him. Held back by her relatively poor French, Elizabeth May did manage some effective shots at Harper. Expect more from her tonight in English.
Jack Layton spoke well, but his constant references to the day when he will be prime minister were a little cringe provoking. On the war, he was clear---the NDP is the only party, he said, that favours withdrawing Canadian troops from Afghanistan now. On petroleum, he was vague and disappointing. A viewer from Caraquet, New Brunswick asked whether the time had come to nationalize the petroleum industry. Layton said no, the NDP does not wish to nationalize the industry. Rather, he said, the party wanted action. Pushed from the left in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the NDP favoured the creation of a publicly owned petroleum company. The party took credit for the establishment of Petro-Canada by the Trudeau government. Now the NDP doesn’t give the idea of public ownership in the petroleum sector a glance. It’s a sign of how far the party has moved away from the left. (In case anyone retorts that public ownership is out of favour these days, let me point out that the proportion of global petroleum held by state owned companies is on the rise and now exceeds eighty per cent.)
I expect Harper’s handlers to take him off valium and put him on caffeine for tonight’s encounter.
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7 comments:
You said "It’s a sign of how far the party has moved away from the left."
and now what is your justification for vote splitting on the center-left?
what result type of result would you prefer: 1926, 1963, 1965 & 1972 or where we seem to be headed for:1988
Here is the advice you should give your readers:
Where the NDP have a sitting MP (or ran a close second to a Tory winner in 2006) vote NDP
everywhere else, any non-delusional progressive should vote Liberal
The Layton campaign is meant to be non-threatening. Like a trip down Sesame Street, nothing but smiles. Why talk about nationalizing oil industry? People might get excited. That was Layton's first reference to the war during the campaign, by the way.
Conservatives: 34 (-)
Liberals: 31 (+2)
NDP: 18 (-2)
Greens: 6 (-)
Bloc Quebecois: 11 (-)
Undecided: 15 (-)
It seems that the whole idea of socialism has long gone out the window in the NDP. Even Tommy Douglas wanted to replace capitalism by a Co-operative Commonwealth but Layton simply wants a kinder, greener, capitalism.
Without public ownership opposing corporate tax decreases is not likely to work. Unless you have public competing corporations capital will flow to where it gets the best deal. Layton says he wants action but if it is action that does nothing to socialize production what good is that? The opposition is having a field day with his attack against corporate taxation. While tax rates are not the only factor influencing investment decisions, it is certainly an important one. Layton will have as much or more trouble selling his policy than Dion has with the Green Shift.
>
> Cons : 111 sièges
>
> Lib. 113 sièges
>
> NDP : 30 sièges
>
> Bloc : 54 sièges
>
> Autre : 0
While walking down an Ottawa street one day a Conservative Member of
Parliament is tragically hit by a truck and dies.
His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems
there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts,
you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.'
'No problem, just let me in,' says the man.
'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is
have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose
where to spend eternity.'
'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says MP.
'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down,
down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle
of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in
front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked
with him.
Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him,
shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while
getting rich at the expense of the people.
They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and
champagne.
Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a
good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time
that before he realizes it, it is time to go.
Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator
rises...
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St.
Peter is waiting for him.
'Now it's time to visit heaven.'
So, 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls
moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a
good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St.
Peter returns.
'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now
choose your eternity.'
The MP reflects for a minute, then he answers: 'Well, I would never
have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I
would be better off in hell.'
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down
to hell.
Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren
land covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and
putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above
The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. 'I
don't understand,' stammers the MP. 'Yesterday I was here and there was
a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank
champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland
full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?'
The devil looks at him, smiles and says,
'Yesterday we were campaigning.... Today you voted.'
The French debate was incredible as was the English. Elizabeth May was right on. Fraud is fraud in either language.
Stephene Dion certainly won the French debate, and in the English debate he showed nothing but manners and courtesy. I admire the man.
The Layton attacks on Dion were unappreciated. Duceppe held Harper accountable in Q&A Loved it.
Layton's comments about the sweater were funny but as campaign went on and the comments over and over and over, got very tiring. Layton is power seeking as is Harper. May is genuine and so is Dion. I do not feel Dion had proper support from within his own party. Now with wolves at the door, it is a very sad day.
Could they not give him a week to regroup? The man fought under massive attacks and showed charisma and genuine care for Canada and it's people. Powerful Liberals on the phone and at him constantly, when the man needs a rest and time to think. Shame on them.
Dion's short coming was honesty, and he was not prepared for the nasty attacks.
His English is much better than anyone gives him credit for, but yes he has a strong French accent. So What?
People seem to be lined up waiting for Dion to resign so they can run for the position and unfortunately I have little faith in many politicians.
Vote splitting did not pan out well, but certainly indicated the majority does not want Harper to continue, yet vote splitting won him more ground than he ever had.
Now what I find amazing is the Cadman case. Harper suing Liberals for 3.5 million, claiming tape was altered, but it was not. Dona Cadman would not speak out against Harper, and she ran for the Con's in Surrey BC. Strange bunch of events.
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