— Musings —12.17.2014 09:05 AM
Political 2014 in review
Sun News has asked me and Lala what we think are the best, worst, etc. political moments in 2014. The quickie list below ris my first stab at it.
What’s yours? Comments are open!
BEST MOVE – Parties coming together post-shooting
WORST MOVE – Politicizing sexual harassment on Hill
MOST SURPRISING – Liberal wins in PQ and Ontario
MOST IMPROVED – Harper – he ain’t dead yet
MOST DISAPPOINTING – Trudeau open nominations
NEWSMAKER – Trudeau – nobody makes news like he does, for good or bad
Loneliest MP – Dean Del Mastro, despite a number of high profile conservatives coming together to raise funds for his legal defence, Deano is all in the corner by himself
Political newsmaker was not Trudeau IMO it was the shootings on Parliament Hill in which ALL politicians were players. That Trudeau should trump that honour is just wrong, for good or bad.
If you were looking for individual politicos as Newmaker of the Year, I’m afraid that Harper standing up to Putin was a big one – even Liberals liked that.
They asked me for newsmaker, which I took to mean a person
harper standing up to Putin was simply grandstanding..nothing more nothing less because there is nothing harper can do to Putin. That would be my comment if it was Trudeau who said thatt
If you actually believe that Harper stood up to Putin, I have a bridge to sell you.
And it comes especially with tolls designed to piss off a bunch of whiners.
It’s still more than any other leader did at the schmooze feast.
It played VERY well to Canadians.
It played VERY well to his BASE. – fixed
That was a major event, for certain. Not as widely reported, he apparently also went on to say, to paraphrase: “I have nothing to discuss with you because you would just lie to me.”
Anyone who has studied Harper will understand that he is not one to be either impressed or intimidated by power and position.
Not sure either of us reads this guy accurately: you, perhaps being a rightie you see him the way the Conservative MP’s are forced to describe him – as some kind of firm, decisive wonder man.
I, a leftie, see his predilection for avoiding responsibility, wrapping himself in security, lacking in empathy – as the evidence of a foolish narcissist of little character. (But big shots with big money his puppet masters)
Definitely see him differently from lefties. However, just to address the last bit about big money and power…
The top dogs in the previous Liberal regime had deep ties to Bay Street and those wielding financial power in this country, far, far beyond anything one could even remotely compare to PM Harper. No revisionism here, that’s just the facts of it. Any suggestion to the contrary is ignorant nonsense.
No facts cited therefore no facts.
Seriously Al you need to look up the word fact in the dictionary
Not when there are plenty of closets nearby.
or trivia like a Constitution, either.
I think the worst move was the criticism by Harper and MacKay of C.J. McLachlin.e
For most disappointing I would go with the Fair Elections Act or Jason Kenney’s constant muslim-baiting. They both extend the middle finger to long-held principles that go to the heart of what makes Canada great.
MOST IMPROVED – the Liberal Party’s chances of forming the next government
MOST DISAPPOINTING – Harper – he ain’t dead yet
BEST MOVE – Parliament applauding the heroism of Vickers and the stoic manner with which he accepted it.
WORST MOVE – Not acknowledging the US Senate Report on torture that found Bush officials guilty and most likely, Canada complicit. Maher Arar deserves better and so does the nation. Parliament must decide on whether to acknowledge these actions as war crimes.
MOST SURPRISING – Jim Prentice killing off the Wild Rose
MOST IMPROVED – Rob Ford because through his illness, he seems to have learned some humility.
MOST DISAPPOINTING – Trudeau—-He’s acclaiming candidates and isn’t offering insight into how he intends to deal with the conservative generated debt and deficits
NEWSMAKER – Rob Ford – nobody makes news like he does, for good or bad and not even Trudeau would have been covered by Stewart, Kimmel, Fallon, Letterman or the NY Times.
I don’t think Rob Ford made news; he made cause for ridicule.
I don’t think Letterman, Kimmel et al “covered” Ford; they are comics not reporters. Ford was the joke fodder for the moment.
Sure, I’ll play:
Best move- Michael Chong trying to take some steps toward mor democratic and open House of Commons;
Worst move- Making Calandra spokesman for the PM;
Most surprise- Sellinger hanging in there;
Most improved-MP Craig Scott’s intelligent contributions to House of Commons debates
Most disappointing- Lib whip Foote biting her tongue when undercut by her leader’s photo op stunt on the harassment thing;
Newsmaker- Malala Yousafszai
good ones!
The press in general is sickening in this country. It has condoned Harper’s dishonourable crap ranging from Omnibus bills to pass without discussion, to his continuing oiliness in putting the entire country in a boom or bust situation. The journalists in this country
have a lot to answer for. Yes, there are some good ones, almost heroic. My god, unbelievably, the G&M understands there is something monstrous gone wrong and is actually endorsing carbon taxes.Dion must be sobbing quietly somewhere. The problem with Harper is diagnosable medically, an ideology that has become a demon believing in apartness, using our dark sides as allies, denying Canada’s inherent empathy in the most dishonourable way. Is there no courage within the journalistic milieu? In other countries they sacrifice to end wrong-doing. Here, they worry about deadlines and the odd gotcha, while being unable to see the tragedy that will be written about in years to come.
I like your list overall, but a couple of other considerations:
Most Disappointing:
1) Olivia Chow – Not much of an explanation needed.
2)Alternately, NDP fortunes: the party has tried really hard to lay out policy, have an effective leader with an improved demeanour, and be the strongest opposition Harper has faced. Still, they’re losing MP’s, party stalwarts are heading for the door, and the polls are making the NDP increasingly marginalized in the federal race.
Most improved: Kathleen Wynne -Coming from an OLP leadership win in 2013, she secured an unexpected majority through guile and good political instinct. Now she’s duking it out with Harper while colluding with Couillard to make Central Canada even more of a focus for the 2015 federal scene. While she comes off as a genuine, pleasant, good-natured technocrat, you shouldn’t bet against her in a fight. See her latest move in Sudbury for another small example.
Most Disappointing: a tie between Canada’s performance at COP 20 in Lima and our refusal to accept more than a few hundred Syrian refugees.
Liberal miracle wins in Québec and Ontario
Don`t forget Christie Clark`s Liberal win in B.C. either.
People of BC lost that election in 2013.
Most disappointing:
Canada entering an Intergovernmental Agreement with the US to require the CRA and Canadian financial institutions to assist the IRS in enforcing US tax laws in Canada.
NEWSMAKER- Rob Ford. At least outside of Canada. (and possibly within Canada too).
Today’s announcement is the result of talks facilitated and hosted by THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA.
Game, set, match to Harper for 2014! While Trudeau was legalizing pot, jumping in front of a sexual harassment scandal train, Harper was quietly doing what leaders do – using the best of their abilities and their resources at hand i.e. Canada’s diplomatic reputation, to move the world along to a better place. Exactly that which everyone complains he is neglecting.
Most disappointing- Andrew Scheer for not enforcing the rules of order in the HoC
Warren,
BEST MOVE — Time marching on, with Harper’s Best Before Date expired long ago;
WORST MOVE — Robo Calls, the gift that keeps on giving;
MOST SURPRISING — Conservative quick-sand otherwise known as the CF-35 folly;
MOST IMPROVED — Joe Oliver since landing in Finance;
MOST DISAPPOINTING — NDP political footprint in English Canada;
NEWSMAKER — Mike Duffy with his Conservative lump of coal that will continue burning in 2015;
MOST OVERRATED — Pierre Karl Peladeau;
MOST UNDERRATED — Justin Trudeau.
Best move: None. A year-long war of attrition indicates a serious deficit of élan, esprit de corps, and general brilliance.
Worst move: Mario Beaulieu leader of the Bloc Quebecois ranting “Nous vaincrons!” the battle cry of the FLQ revolutionary cells. You know it’s bad when even Gilles Duceppe walks out.
Most surprising: “Trudeau cuts Liberal senators loose in push for a non-partisan Red Chamber.”
Most improved: the generations below the Grey Beards e.g. Jesse Brown taking on the CBC. After all, politics is more than just parties.
Most disappointing: Olivia Chow. Has any one squandered that much political capital in recent memory?
Newsmaker: Vickers. He symbolizes that Canadians may seem like a sleepy lot with quant traditions but inevitably rise to the occasion when needful with grace, courage, and a unique sang-froid.
Most disappointing: Stephen Harper sends Canada to war in Iraq with no debate.
I would have agreed that Harper’s not done yet.
Then I spoke to some Tories the past few days.
Harper’s done.