Federal Election 2019 Reflections
"This column is dedicated to the proposition that Canada (and indeed the world) is in a crisis situation and that fundamental social change is required to remedy this situation." - The First Column, Lambda November 2, 1971 This blog is inspired by my column of the same name in the Laurentian University Newspaper, Lambda, from 1971-1973. The title refers to the concept of subverting the system from within. To read key excerpts from those columns read the first few posts in this blog.
Posted by rww at 11:57 2 comments
Labels: 2019 federal election, Andrew Scheer, Bloc Québécois, Conservative Party, elections, Elizabeth May, Green Party, Jagmeet Singh, Justin Trudeau, Liberal Party, New Democratic Party, People’s Party
As an almost unilingual anglophone I will not be making predictions on the French debate, but I am posting my English debate predictions now, so as not to be influenced by the media coverage of the French debate.
This has the makings of one of the country’s most historical events. It may very well be the turning point in this election that leads to real change rather than the normal superficial changes we usually see in federal elections.
Those of us who say that Jack Layton and the NDP can win this election do not say so frivolously. We know the debate will make the difference and we know that Jack needs to win the debate.
So what are my predictions.
Stephen Harper will be more of Stephen Harper, He will come across as a stronger more intense Stephen Harper. His core supporters will be delighted and see him as the winner. Those who have always opposed him will have their views reconfirmed. But most importantly, Harper’s soft support from traditional Progressive Conservative Party voters, who want to vote Conservative but have doubts about Harper and the new Conservative Party, will be placed in jeopardy.
Stéphane Dion will surprise many and come across better than expected. He will not do a terrible job in the debate, only a poor one. The Liberals Green Shift was a gutsy move but his retreat to the wimpy”we are in the middle” position will hurt him.
Gilles Duceppe will not be playing to his core Quebec francophone audience and that will show.
Elizabeth May will be a disappointment. The debate will give viewers a chance to see beyond her party’s Green label. All her efforts to get into the debate may come back to haunt her as she has to deal with the more experienced debaters.
Jack Layton will continue what he has been doing throughout the campaign and will show he has the leadership capability to be Prime Minister and that the NDP has the polices that ordinary working Canadians and their families need.
Posted by rww at 06:57 1 comments
Labels: 2008 federal election, Bloc Québécois, Conservative Party, debate, Elizabeth May, Gilles Duceppe, Green Party, Jack Layton, Liberal Party, NDP, New Democratic Party, Stéphane Dion, Stephen Harper
“I'd rather have no Green seats and Stephen Harper lose, than a full caucus that stares across the floor at Stephen Harper as prime minister, because his policies are too dangerous.”
--Elizabeth May
Posted by rww at 07:05 13 comments
Labels: 2008 federal election, Elizabeth May, Green Party, NDP, New Democratic Party, Stephen Harper
Not being a Newfie myself, I might not use the same colourful language as Danny Williams or Loyola Hearn, but I have to say that I share their sentiments when it comes to Paul Watson. By his actions the man appears to be everything that they say he is.
Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society continue to spread lies about the Canadian seal hunt as a propaganda technique to raise money. The seal hunt has never been an environmental issue as the seals being hunted have never been an endangered species. While originally there may have been valid concerns about the humaneness of the hunt, the protesters won their battle years ago when the regulations and practices of the hunt were changed. It is time for them to move on to fight real environmental issues. However, because of the cash cow it provides the seal hunt protesters continue to use images of white coat seals in their fund raising campaigns even though they have not been hunted since 1987.
The last straw for Newfoundlanders, and all Canadians, came when Paul Watson expressed total disregard for the lives of Canadians who risk their lives in a dangerous occupation to provide for their families, and claimed that the deaths of seals was a greater tragedy than the deaths of Canadians. This was an act that caused Green Party Leader Elizabeth May to disassociate herself from Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Paul Watson, as the ring leader, should have been arrested along with the officers of The Farley Mowat, He is just as responsible as they are for placing the lives of Canadian at risk.
The Fifth Column supports Canadian sealers and condemns Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Society for their misrepresentation of the seal hunt and their total disregard for the lives of Canadians.
BACKGROUND:
CBC: Author Farley Mowat bails out anti-sealing protesters
CBC: Williams assails anti-sealing activist Watson as 'terrorist'
CBC: 2 crew members arrested as anti-sealing vessel seized
CBC: The Atlantic seal hunt – FAQs
Posted by rww at 08:47 7 comments
Labels: Danny Williams, deaths, Elizabeth May, environment, Loyola Hearn, Newfoundland and Labrador, Paul Watson, propaganda, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, seal hunt, The Farley Mowat (ship)
A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a larger-than-life public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships but can be found in some democracies as well.I have been in the government and opposition lobbies of the House of Commons a few times, all prior to the Harper government, and while I do recall seeing portraits and photographs of politicians, including the party leaders of the time as well as former Prime Ministers, they were all of a more formal or historical nature and did not dominate the walls. It was certainly nothing like the description provided by Elizabeth May, which strike me as being campaign type photos.
A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship except that it is specifically built around political leaders. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of non-political leaders.
What may have been the most fascinating part of the afternoon was my time in the Government Lobby. Behind the curtains that run along the last row of benches on both sides of the House, are doors to long skinny living room areas. One is called the Opposition Lobby; the other the Government Lobby. In my pre-Green Party leader life, I have spent a lot of time in both. The Government Lobby was a frequent work space when I was Senior Policy Advisor to the federal Minister of Environment back in the mid-1980s. And I frequented both lobbies when I was with Sierra Club of Canada from 1987-2006. It did not strike me until I walked into the Government Lobby to await my turn as Speaker that I had not been in there since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister.This is, of course, “Canada’s New Government” led by the new Conservative Party without a past.
It used to have some paintings on the wall. Past prime ministers, certainly a formal portrait of the Queen. Landscapes. I know there was the occasional photo of current Prime Ministers, but when I walked in this time, I felt chilled to the bone. Every available wall space had a large colour photo of Stephen Harper. Stephen Harper at Alert. Stephen Harper in fire fighter gear. Stephen Harper at his desk. Stephen Harper meeting the Dalai Lama. Even the photo of the Queen showed her in the company of Stephen Harper. None were great photos. None were more than enlarged snapshots in colour. They didn’t feel like art.