Did Trudeau’s Canada Post promise help him win the election?

— 10.26.2015 05:07 PM

As of today, the community mailbox insanity is on hold, thanks to Trudeau’s election victory. 

And, two years ago, I thought it would sink the Harper Conservatives. Here’s what I wrote back then.  Was I right?

The minister responsible issued a terse statement, but gave no interviews. Ditto the prime minister. Some hardy Conservatives, however, offered up a few talking points in support of their ritual mass political suicide. These are listed below. 

One, two-thirds of Canadians don’t get home delivery anymore. Why should that last one-third? We think everyone deserves to pay more and get less! 

 Two, the postal service can’t afford to provide postal services anymore. And those many years where we were reporting that we were doing well? Er, never mind. Now we’re doing poorly. 

 Three, no one will care, no one will notice. And your disabled, 90-year-old grandma, who can barely get to the front door, let alone a “community mailbox” several blocks away? Well, she needs the exercise. 

 If the Harper folks had sent me a letter, I would have sent one back. This is what I would’ve said: “Don’t trust the Evil Empire.” And, P.S. 

“You’ve just lost the next election.”


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The punk rocker who came in from the cold

— 10.26.2015 01:58 PM

Over on Facebook, Mark Marissen posted that he had been the subject of a U.S. diplomatic cable, published by Wikileaks. Cool, thought I. So I went to their searchable web site – and who knew they had a searchable web site? – and there I was.  [Historians please note: I quit after Ignatieff dumped all of my friends.  Canadians then went on to dump him – Ed.]

What is most amazing isn’t that I was named in a “top secret” missive. What is amazing is that grown-ups are actually paid to write this crap, and that they get to stamp “top secret” on it.

The world is crazy.

Screen Shot 2015-10-26 at 2.50.27 PM (1)


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Highly-scientific poll on Conservative Party leadership race (updated)

— 10.26.2015 07:11 AM

The Conservative Party’s leadership race is underway, whether official or not.

Because I am a student of politics, and because I am unselfishly devoted to my readers and the greater good, I have helpfully put together a Conservative Party leadership poll, below.  It is accurate 19 times out twiddley, which is about how accurate most of the real polling agencies are, these days.

Personally, I do not see the Conservative Party dead, at all.  They remain a threat, and smart Liberals won’t forget that.  In 2015, the CPC dropped just 50,000 votes from their 2011 total – which represents less than one percentage point.  They have representation in every region except the Atlantic, and they will likely have effective performers in the House of Commons.

The current anonymous sniping in the morning papers (social conservatives vs. progressive conservatives, West vs. East, everyone vs. Jenni Byrne, blah blah blah) isn’t something that should worry them.  In fact, as one wag put it, Conservatives should be worried if the sniping wasn’t happening.  You only ever learn how to win by first losing.

Thus, this here poll.  Whether you are a Conservative or not, you should pretend – however briefly – that you are, and you are a delegate to their convention.  Which of the folks below – listed alphabetically, and with the home province and most-recent portfolio indicated – do you think can win against the Trudeau Government™? (Mea culpa: I forgot Maxime Bernier – I see from today’s Hill Times that John Reynolds wants him. I’ve now added him. My sincere apologies to the Beauce chapter of the Hells Angels for my lack of diligence. Oh, and I also forgot Tony Clement. There’s a message, there. Those who have explicitly and clearly said no thanks – Messrs. Wall and Charest – are being taken at their word.)

Vote now, vote often! Politicos do, whenever they can get away with it!

[polldaddy poll=9145831]

UPDATE: Baird has issued a press release to explicitly rule out running! I guess we should consider him only a “maybe.” Or, not. Took him off.


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Well-behaved women seldom make history

— 10.23.2015 06:24 AM

This tweet, about the possible candidacies of Rempel and Raitt:

Elicited sexism, some subtle, some not. Example here. Disappointing.

I do, however, expect more of this sort of thing. Even from people who should know better.


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A wonderful moment on a very sad day

— 10.22.2015 01:05 PM

Man, I wish we could see more of this kind of thing.  We’d be better for it.


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