NewsAlert (FedElxn-NewsAlert)
Source: The Canadian Press
Mar 25, 2011 14:21
OTTAWA – The federal Conservative government has been defeated on a confidence vote in Parliament, setting the stage for a May election.
(The Canadian Press)
INDEX: NATIONAL POLITICS
[And note this: WTL: According to the BBC, this is the first time in Commonwealth history that a government has been held in contempt. #CndPoli ]
…but I am absolutely astounded that Stephen Harper is not in the House of Commons to participate in the debate that will see the end of his government.
I mean, I know the confidence motion is all about contempt, but I didn’t expect Harper to personally provide evidence of same.
Amazing, depressing, take your pick.
UPDATE: And neither he nor Layton are there for the final Peter Milliken speech. What a disgrace.
Did The Current this morning with my buddy Jim Armour. The results will show up here eventually.
My point: tough ads about an opponent’s public record are fair and fine. But going after someone’s family – as the Conservatives did last week with Michael Ignatieff – is disgraceful.
Listen in!
“If Ipsos’ Thursday night bombshell is to be believed, 1984 is happening all over again.
Ipsos has long been regarded as the gold standard in the Canadian polling industry. My political consulting firm uses them and so do plenty of others, including past Liberal and Tory governments. So the numbers found in its latest survey of public opinion can’t be dismissed. Instead, nervous Grits could perhaps regard the numbers as they would, say, the words carved on the federal Liberal Party’s tombstone.
Conservatives, up to 43%. Liberals, down to 24%. NDP, unchanged at 16%.
And if you just look at voting preferences of those absolutely certain to trek to polling stations, according to Ipsos, the Cons go up to 45%, and the Grits slide to 23%.”
Look, I’m sorry, but pushing for an election now is just plain dumb.
Unless you’re a Conservative, of course.
So I leave Dwight Duncan’s terrific speech at the Toronto Board of Trade – wherein he pointed out that even part of Hudak’s tax plan will result in the closing of many hospitals and the firing of many nurses, and God knows what else – and I wave down a cab. The driver has a reggae magazine on the seat. We start talking reggae, and I tell him how I go to Jamaica every year, and that the soundtrack of my life is dub, and Burning Spear, Desmond Dekker, Junior Murvin, Prince Buster, Toots, Marley and (of course) King Tubby. He says he loves Canada, and has always felt welcome at home here.
Anyway. Was a great Toronto moment, and it inspired me to share some Burning Spear with you. Respect!
Yesterday, I spoke at Marketing magazine’s conference on marketing to so-called “ethnic” communities. I was critical of the Young Richard Nixon (ie. Jason Kenney), but I also grudgingly gave him credit – he and his party have made major inroads into minority communities in the past few years. When you consider that they were the main Canadian political repository of xenophobia, nativism and flat-out racism for many years before that, that’s impressive. It’s also one of the reasons they are nipping at Liberal heels in tight urban races, or moving ahead.
Here’s the deck I used to illustrate my points. Feel free to staple, spindle and mutilate.
The nomination meeting, which sees West Carleton businessman and former Ontario Landowners’ Association president Jack MacLaren challenging veteran Tory MPP Norm Sterling, was set to take place at Scared Heart High School in Stittsville. However, the meeting has been changed to Scotiabank Place, 1000 Palladium Dr., due to the large number of registered voters in Carleton-Mississippi-Mills.”
Uh-huh. The reason they changed Tory Rosedalians changed the venue, of course, is to try and stymie the freedom-loving knuckle-draggers in the Landowners Association. Shame, Mr. Speaker! Shame!
Will it work? Stay tuned!
It’s back! (Because, yes, Virginia, I now accept that a Spring election seems rather likely – and, in fact, I’m off to the Royal York shortly to speechify about same.)
As such, I am resuscitating the Kinsella Clear Canadian Campaign Coverage (I love alliterations, so shoot me) logo and concept. Every day during the writ, I’ll hand out brickbats and bouquets for the best and worst moves. I’ll be doing likewise in my Sun column and on Sun TV, too.
Watch for this logo – and accept no substitutes!
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