Georges Laraque Named Deputy Leader

Former Montreal Canadiens enforcer, Georges Laraque, has been named deputy leader of the the Green Party of Canada. He will be the second deputy leader, alongside Adriane Carr, to represent the Green Party.

The Quebec native, who spent time with the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, in addition to the Canadiens in the NHL is now trying his hand at politics. The move is a result of the Green Party trying to gain influence in the province of Quebec. Using Laraque's fan favourite celebrity he acquired during his time in Montreal, the Green Party hopes he will help gain more followers and garner more support for the party.

For more information on Laraque's NHL career, from: NHL.com

For more information on Laraque's political endeavors, from: CBC.ca

Is that Harper I see in the distance?

Our elusive Prime Minister will finally be showing his face next week, as he meets with Conservative MPs and Senators at the Conservative Summer National Caucus meeting. As stated previously, we have barely heard from the Prime Minister, who is said to be spending time with his family at his official summer retreat, despite all the hype about the G20, the F-35s, and the long form census.

Perhaps we will learn next week just why the PM has made the decision to scrap the long form census, however it is more likely that we will just hear more about "the threat of jail time" being inappropriate. We might even hear a response to NDP Leader Jack Layton's request for a meeting. Or a response to MP Helena Guergis request for a meeting!? Doubtful, to say the least.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Leader, Michael Ignatieff continues to tour Ontario on the Liberal Express.

Other than that, a brief programming note: I am off to the cottage this weekend in beautiful (but insanely busy) Turkey Point, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Erie. I most likely won't be posting, but I will likely still be tweeting. In the event that something major comes up over the weekend and I do hear about it, I will try to post, though don't count on it because we only have dial up at the cottage, and that is a scary thought.

Jack Layton's Press Conference - Live blog

The CBC's Kady O'Malley will be live blogging today's NDP press conference. You can view it on CBC Politics or below:



Note that the above live blog is the property of the CBC and Kady O'Malley.

Silence

Hmmmm... not a whole lot going on. It seems for once, that I have nothing to say really. The Liberal Express continues, the Prime Minister is still missing, the Liberals are holding a press conference on festival funding, and the NDP are holding a press conference. Not just any NDP either, but Jack Layton himself.

It is unlikely that anything too exciting will come out of it, after all this is the summer session, but I will be following both press conferences nonetheless.

Where is the PM?

He hasn't been heard from in weeks! In fact, we have barely seen our elusive Prime Minister since the census scandal broke, or since the G20 for that matter. This of course raises not only the question of where he is, but also why he is being so silent.

Is it that he doesn't want to face questions about the G20 protests? Or perhaps he is avoiding the F-35 questions? Or the census questions?

Since the G20 protests, he has basically left the Toronto Police Service and Ontario Government to fend for themselves. Well that's not really fair; I guess Conservative MPs, presumably on orders from PMO, did prevent the Public Safety committee from launching a public inquiry into G20 security. Don't get me wrong, I fully support the Toronto Police Service. I think they did a fantastic job securing the largest city in Canada during some of the worst protests I have ever seen in this country. But it is possible, and even likely that some officers made mistakes, poor choices, and may have even abused their power. A public inquiry seems like the logical next step. Perhaps the PM thinks he is protecting his government, the Ontario government, and the police by preventing a public inquiry, but really all he is doing is hurting our democratic roots.

And what about the F-35s? Well we know that the government did not use the appropriate bidding process before awarding the contract to an American company. Opposition MPs were on them for it for a while, but staying out of the light seems to have worked on this front because we aren't hearing much about it anymore.

Then again, that is probably because everyone is focused on the census scandal. This is another issue that the PM has been oddly silent on. While his ministers have been rigorously defending the decision to scrap the mandatory long form census, the PM himself hasn't uttered a word about it. Why is he leaving his ministers to take the blame for it? Perhaps he realizes that this could haunt him in an election and is therefore trying to distance himself from it? Two things are certain; opposition MPs aren't backing down on the census, and neither is the Government. Who will win? Seemingly the Government, as it is within their power to make this change, but only time will tell for sure.

And now, the last question. Where is the Prime Minister? We know where the Leader of the Opposition is, as he travels across the country meeting Canadians. But where is the Prime Minister? He could be at his official country retreat, a cottage on Meech Lake, relaxing and soaking up the sun. Or perhaps he is relaxing in his official residence, 24 Sussex Drive. Or of course he could be working away in his office in Langevin.

Seeing as we haven't heard from him in so long, I'm inclined to believe that he is taking it easy somewhere, watching his government swaying dangerously close to an election.

Live stream

After my slight ordeal with CPAC, I contacted Information Services at Parliament in Ottawa, and based on what they told me, it is my understanding that I can post their stream here. Remember that this is not the official broadcast, and it cannot be used for commercial purposes. This is for informational purposes only. See ParlVu for more information.

Today is the day!

Today is the Great Canadian Census Debate, to use a name coined by a role model of mine, Kady O'Malley. The Industry committee will meet today to debate and hear from a long list of witnesses. I obviously won't be there, because I am not nearly that lucky. However, Kady O'Malley of the CBC will be liveblogging it, and CPAC will be carrying it live.

View Kady's live blog here, or on CBC Poltics.



View the live stream here or on CPAC [link removed].

Live stream removed for copyright reasons. Real Canadian Politics is working on achieving authorization from CPAC to broadcast the live stream. Until then please use the link above to view the stream on the CPAC website.
UPDATE: CPAC has informed me that I am permitted to link to their home page only, not to their watch now page, which is why I have removed the link above. They have also informed me that I do not have authorization to embed the live stream on Real Canadian Politics. I will be contacting the appropriate authority in Parliament to obtain permission to embed the video. To view the live stream I recommend you visit ParlVu, Parliament's live stream service, to watch the live stream.

Just a reminder, I do not claim to own either of the above streams. I am simply using them for informational purposes. If you are having trouble viewing either of the above stream I recommend that you visit their respective websites.

Real Canadian Politics is not affiliated with CBC or CPAC.

Proud to call him my Leader

I had a really enjoyable time meeting Michael Ignatieff today! The Conservatives like to say that he is an arrogant man, and while I didn't buy into that rumour before, I was still amazed by just how nice a guy he really is. Sure, the man is smart, but he is just a regular guy, like you and I. He talks, he smiles, he frowns, he laughs, he breathes. He even has a sense of humour.

I was so thoroughly impressed by this man, that I found myself soaking up every word he said, as if he were speaking to me personally. And for some of it, he was! He took the time to move though out the crowd and meet every person that was there. He even spoke to the protestors that were chanting, "Iggy, go home!" He responded by telling them, "I am home!"

While I didn't have an extended discussion with him like so many others did, I did shake his

hand. Twice to be exact. And both times he looked me straight in the eyes and spoke to me. He told me it was so nice to meet me, how happy we was to be there, and thanked me for coming out to see him. His handshake was firm, his eye contact unwavering, and his words were friendly.

He spoke to a variety of people, including a candidate for our Regional Council, a family with a baby, local business people, an elderly lady (who enthusiastically informed him that she would be voting Liberal), and even a young man just out of high school, too young to vote but extremely interested in politics, and passionately devoted to the Liberal Party.

When I saw Michael speaking to this young man, sincerely interested in the conversation, I realized something. I realized this tour is about more than vote; it's about meeting Canadians. From what I could tell, Michael was extremely impressed with this young man, and this young man was equally impressed with Michael.

Watching Michael interact with all these people, I realized that he is a different kind of Leader. He is a Leader that cares about all Canadians, he is a Leader that listens to everyones concerns, he is a Leader that has a lot to offer Canadians, he is a Leader meant to lead. A Leader to be the next Prime Minister of Canada.

Liveblogging the Liberal Express in Cambridge

Crossing my fingers!

To many people, the world of politics is boring all the time. But to the group of people that thoroughly enjoy politics, it is exciting and intense most of the time. So when a day comes a long when not a lot is supposed to happen, we take a deep breath and consider finally getting something done that doesn’t consider politics. For a career journalist, this may mean working on a piece regarding something other than politics. For a blogger who happens to have a job outside of journalism, this means getting some real work done. You know, work that actually pays.

Well today is one of those days. Not a whole lot is going on in Canadian politics. Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is holding a press conference on new sanctions against Iran, but that really is all there is as far as scheduled events. In my riding it is a little more exciting as the Liberal Express finally makes it to Cambridge, but in terms of nationwide impact, little is happening. I will of course be live blogging the event (which is only supposed to a whistle stop) starting at 1:15pm ET. I will attempt to setup a “Cover-it-Live” liveblog, but if that doesn’t work I will of course be using Twitter.

Tomorrow should be a much more interesting day as the Industry committee meets to discuss the long form census.

In terms of Leaders, Harper is unheard from, Ignatieff is in Guelph, Cambridge, and Kitchener today, and Layton is in Winnipeg.

As long as the day is as slow as the schedule is, I might actually get some work done. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Liberal Express Q&A was a good time

Well I just got home from listening to Michael Ignatieff in Brantford, and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed. I saw regular people get up to the microphone and ask him questions, and I saw him give truthful answers. What really impressed me was how he was much attention he gave to everyone. No matter the age, gender, race, political affiliation, or financial status, Michael answered everyones question.

From the opening speech, to the questions, to the closing remarks, Michael spoke very clear, and engaged the audience by mentioning many different aspects of life under the Conservative party, and what life could be like with a future Liberal government.

I will be seeing him again tomorrow in my hometown of Cambridge when he stops at the Cambridge Centre mall to meet people. Hopefully this time I will have a live blog set up with Cover it Live, but if not, Twitter works.

Reporting live

Thats right guys, im reporting live from the Liberal Express stop in Brantford! I was hoping to set up a live blog through Cover it Live, but due to time constraints I will have to settle for Twitter. So follow me on Twitter for updates. Sorry for the horrible punctuation but I'm doing this from my phone, and I am quite new at this reporting from the field thing.

The Rookie Perspective: He Is the Leader

Michael Ignatieff rolled into Shawinigan, Quebec today which is home to former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. The two had a meeting together discussing Chretien's proposed thoughts on an Liberal-NDP coalition. This was more of a public relations move by the Liberals in order to soften the blow made by Chretien's ideas. As always Ignatieff's bus was not alone on the tour as the media convoy was with him every step of the way. Asking questions to both men, one interesting Q & A came up.

Jean Chretien was asked if he thought Michael Ignatieff was the best person to lead the Liberal Party. He responded with a rather dull cliche answer...even for cliche answers. Chretien's response was simply:

"He is the Leader. The leader is always the best guy for the job,"

That statement is quite subjective at the very best and on paper it works. Although in the real world there are so many variables to consider. Is he cool under fire? Is he confident? Does he communicate effectively? Well yes he is a top notch politician for the Liberals. Leaders despite many good characteristics can still fail to rise to moment and make the appropriate decisions. The only way to tell is to trust them into the spotlight and hope they do not get burned by the intense heat constantly surrounding them.  Perhaps what makes this a good theory and not a proven science is that choosing a leader, at any level, is very much just an educated guess banking on possible potential of the individual.

The Liberals before the last election, based on a vote thought Stephane Dion was the right man to lead them in a party that lacked leadership qualities, he beat Ignatieff on the fourth ballot with 54.7% of the vote. He was thought to be the best leader by the majority of the party. He went on to lose the election and Ignatieff took over. Sure that maybe politics, but unless current PM, Stephen Harper is unbeatable surely someone else could have been, "the best guy for the job." Perhaps it was Ignatieff himself, for he was deputy leader at the time.

With Ignatieff winning the support of the Liberal party this time around surely they believe in him. He may be the best person to lead the Liberal Party at this given time. Does that mean he is the best person to lead Canada? He will make his case that he is, but win, lose, or draw we never do find out if the best possible choice was made or if we missed out on a better alternative (in his own party or in another party). All we can do is hope that whoever is elected in the next election is a leader and also the best man for the job.

CTV's Craig Oliver was asked about Mr. Chretien's comments on Ignatieff as he responded with,

"It really didn't sound so sincere." 


Perhaps, the former PM is a wise man. He might not of sounded all that sincere because, whether it be to lead the Liberal Party or Canada, he, like the rest of Canada simply doesn't know.

With an election looming, Ignatieff is at least learning from the last election, and is trying to appeal to voters and raise his popularity with his bus tour of Canada. Only time will tell, if he was truly the definition of a leader that Jean Chretien had in mind. He will either lead the Liberal Party to a win or more than likely flame out like many "leaders" have before him only to be replaced with someone else who is apparently the new best guy for the job.

UPDATED: Slow day?

Well I don't want to say it is going to be a slow day today, because I've said that before and was clearly proven wrong. From my vantage point however, it certainly seems like not a lot will be going on.

The Industry committee will be meeting to discuss the controversial long form census, but the powers that be have deemed it "in camera." Which means no media coverage. I am assuming the Kady O'Malley of the CBC will be making the trip to the Hill just in case of the unlikely event that they change their minds. I will be following her closely and if the "in camera" status changes, I will be sure to post it here.

Apart from that, the Liberal Express is in Quebec still, and is actually holding an interactive townhall. However, due to the fact that is in Montreal, it will probably be french which means little or no coverage from me as I regrettably am not fluent in our other official language.

UPDATE: The committee meeting today was a very short, in camera meeting. Committee members aren't saying who is invited, however it is fairly safe to assume that Industry Minister Tony Clement and the former chief statistician will be invited. Also, a short correction notice: Kady O'Malley of the CBC is off today, so therefore wasn't able to bring us updates. Karina Roman filled in luckily.

Helena requests face to face with PM

MP Helena Guergis has requested a meeting with the Prime Minister, issuing this statement:

Statement from the Hon. Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P., MBA

Simcoe-Grey

July 22, 2010

I am relieved with the outcome, as I knew that I had done nothing wrong. I continue to work hard for those who have elected me as their representative in Ottawa.

I will continue to work with the Ethics Commission who is in the midst of their own enquiry, and I am looking forward to a resolution on that end as well.

I think it is time for a face to face meeting between the PM and I. He can raise his concerns, whatever they are, and I can answer. I have never been afforded this opportunity.

Hon. Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P., MBA

Simcoe-Grey

If Guergis is indeed telling the truth when she says she doesn't know what the acusations are then she deserves this meeting without a doubt. Even if all of this is cleared up, it is highly likely that her political career is over. In this case, Harper may have acted too quickly and too strictly, and this may come back to haunt his as well as Guergis in the next election. Innocent until proven guilty Harper, not guilty if you're suspicious.

Libs behind Cons in poll

According to the latest EKOS poll, the Conservatives are ahead of the Liberals by 7 percentage points. The poll suggests that 32.4% of Canadians would vote for the Conservative Party while 25.5% of Canadians would vote for the Liberal Party. The Conservatives were ahead in every region of the country except Quebec according to the poll. The poll was conducted from July 14 to 20. This poll isn't looking very promising for the goals of the Liberal Express. Perhaps by the next poll we will see a bit of an improvement on the Liberal part as a result of the Express visiting a little more of the country.

On the census front, the Liberals have begun slamming the Government for its decisions, with Ignatieff claiming that the government wants to "fly blind." Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale is accusing the Conservatives of throwing Statistics Canada into chaos, with the Chief Statistician resigning over the census scandal.

Yesterday I informed you that the RCMP had cleared MP Helena Guergis, stating that the issues forwarded to them by the PMO contained no substance. Well CBC is also reporting that her husband, former MP Rahim Jaffer has also been cleared as the RCMP found no evidence of any wrongdoing by either of them. The Ethics commissioner is still investigating, but if that report is anything like this RCMP report, PMO is going to have a lot of explaining to do. And some apologizing. According to a statement from PMO, their decision to remove Guergis from caucus still stands, and they do not regret it.

WOW

WOW! What started out as a very slow day has turned into by far the most exciting day of the past few weeks! Emotions are all over the place for people tonight; even professional journalists can't keep it together.

First off, the RCMP has announced that all issues forwarded to them regarding Helena Guergis are unfounded. They have cleared the MP, and said no further action will be taken. This is good for Guergis, not so good for PM Harper. While this must provide some satisfaction for Guergis, this is one scandal that will follow her for the rest of her political life. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens in the next election.

Next, more census controversy as the Chief Statistician at StatCan was forced to cancel his town hall meeting explaining the agency's opinion on the decision to scrap the long form census, after Industry Minister Tony Clement issued a statement reminding everyone that Statistics Canada is not an independent organization, but is in fact an agency of the Government, and therefore has the same opinion as the Government. Several hours later, the Chief Statistician resigned in protest with the Government still unwavering in its decision. This marks the end of another great public servant.

This proved too much for some journalists. One journalist in particular, Andrew Coyne, National Editor of Maclean Magazine finally blew up on the Conservatives. I recommend visiting his Twitter page and reading his last few posts, as they are quite astounding. Mr. Coyne is one of my most inspirational role models in the journalism world, and he usually presents himself with the upmost professionalism. I do hope that he is ok, and I can't help but feel a little sympathetic towards him as in my opinion, he is mostly right.

Guergus innocent: RCMP

I just couldn't wait to post this despite the fact that not a lot of details are known. The RCMP has announced that it has completed its investigation in Helena Guergis, and has found no substance to any of the issues forwarded to them by the PMO.

More details to come.

CBC Story here.

CBC Politics blog here (slightly more detailed)

Chief NumberCruncher to resign?

The head of StatCan, the Chief Statistician of Canada Munir Sheikh has canceled his internal Town Hall meeting with staff, stating that he needs to reflect on his position on the census debate, as well as that of StatCan, fueling suspicion that he may be planning on resigning.

Fear not, the CBC town hall is going on as planned, and is in fact live right now.

We get what we pay for

I just read an amazing blog post written by Alex Himelfarb. It really delivers a different perspective on Canadian politics, and what it means to be a Canadian citizen. While I was reading it, I found myself continuously (and surprisingly) agreeing with the author on all topics. In fact, I thought it was such a good read, I am posting it here. Please note that this was written by Alex Himelfarb, and I take absolutely no credit for it. I am simply posting it here for informational post.

What do the Omar Khadr case, the census controversy and taxes all have in common? All, I think, in one way or another, tell us something about the value of our common citizenship. With citizenship, as with most things, we get what we pay for. It seems today we are being asked to pay less and, no surprise, we are being offered less. Is that what we really want?

Let’s start with the census and the decision on the long form. We are being told that because some of us don’t like the intrusiveness of the long form of the census it is going to be made voluntary. We have seen from the outcry that the information loss is big and worrisome but, no, citizens will not be asked to make this concession on behalf of the public good. Indeed, apart from the universal requirement to obey the law, we Canadians have few explicit citizenship duties or responsibilities. We are asked to make few sacrifices. We have no compulsory service, no compulsory voting, as many other countries do. Certainly, every day, some Canadians are making sacrifices on our behalf, but most of us are required to pay little for the rights and privileges of citizenship. We ask of Canadians pretty much two things – pay your taxes and fill out your census.

How in the world did we get to the point that filling out the long form census is just too much to ask? I frankly cannot remember if I, personally, have ever had to do the long form. I’m old enough that I probably did and I hate forms enough that I may have blocked it from memory – but it simply cannot be too great a price to pay for being a Canadian citizen and helping to help ensure that all citizens share in its benefits. And my guess – the majority of Canadians would agree, even if, like me, they hate the questions.

Which brings me to taxes. How in the world did we get to the point that taxes are only seen as a burden from which to be relieved rather than a responsibility, a duty of citizenship – to safeguard our country and its values, manage the social and environmental commons, ensure that all citizens access to essential services and try as best we can to pass on to future generations a country at least as strong and healthy as the one we inherited? The conventional wisdom here is that talking about taxes is political suicide. Who likes paying taxes? Well, I wonder if a sustained dialogue on taxes and tax mix might not produce some surprises, at least over time. Would Canadians really oppose a “tax on pollution’? Just how low do corporate taxes have to be? And are those of us who benefit most and consume most willing to pay a bit more? After all, we are asked for so little in payment for our citizenship.

The census fiasco will put at risk the most vulnerable and our ability to measure and respond to their needs. Successive tax cuts for just about a decade make it harder to ensure universal access to essential services and address deepening inequality. In other words, the sense of social citizenship that arose in the seventies and eighties is at risk. Of course some Canadians welcome this, celebrate the shift from public to private, from social responsibility to self-reliance. But even those who have the thinnest notion of our common citizenship ought to be worried about the case of Omar Khadr.

Lawrence Martin and Andre Pratte have pretty much said it all. Bottom line: it doesn’t matter for the purposes of this discussion if he is guilty or innocent, a victim deserving of our sympathy or a villain worthy only of our contempt. What matters here is that basic rights, the legal rights of one of our citizens, are being denied. These legal rights are about protecting us and our liberty from the intrusive and coercive power of the state. We are all in trouble here – wherever we sit on the political continuum – if any one of our citizens is denied the right of a fair and just process when their liberty is at stake. When this happens, the value of our common citizenship is diminished. It has been said that the measure of a society is in how it treats its most vulnerable. To this I would add that an equally important but more difficult measure is in how it treats its most despised or reviled. Who knows who’s next?

Martin cries “shame” in his piece because polls say that most of us don’t care about Khadr. I am not prepared to believe that the polls give us anything more than a superficial snapshot on issues of such moral and emotional complexity. I am not ready to concede, as some have, that we have become so fragmented, so atomized, that we prefer such a thin and fragile notion of citizenship. On the other hand, when I put together the pieces I realize that I haven’t set out a very attractive political agenda: “Bring Khadr home.” “Let’s Raise Taxes’” “Give the Carbon Tax a Chance.” “Give Me Back My Long Form Census Questionnaire.” Not the stuff of a political campaign. It’s undoubtedly a tough sell, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a leader fight to enhance the value and meaning of our common citizenship, recognizing that we get what we pay for?

Jay Hill finished?

This just in: Conservative MP and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Jay Hill, has announced that he will not run for re-election. No word on who the Conservatives will appoint to Leader of the Gov. in the House should they win the next election.

Quiet day in politics

As slow as yesterday was, today is likely to be slower. No committee meetings, no press conferences, Liberals in Quebec, and the other leaders are no where to be found. The only remotely interesting thing happening is that StatsCan will be holding a town hall meeting today on the decision to scrap the mandatory long form census. But even that is internal only, meaning no press or public, only StatsCan personnel.

To combat this slow day, and show StatsCan we don't need their town hall meetings, CBC Politics will be hosting an online town hall meeting with a panel of experts. You can start submitting questions at 1 and the actual meeting will start at 2 with the panel of experts answering your questions.

Other than that, I fear that their wont be much to write about today. Enjoy the slow day people.

Industry meeting a success!

The Industry committee meeting today was a success. Yes all three of them! They were in camera unfortunately, meaning we don't know exactly went on. But we do know that the committee will reconvene next Tuesday, one week from today, to discuss the long form census. No word on the witness list yet, but we can probably assume that Industry Minister Tony Clement will be on it.

Government sponsored porn?

This really all comes down to whether you agree with pornographic videos or not. Apparently the current Conservative government does!

According to this artice from The Globe and Mail, Human Resource Development Canada and Heritage Canada, two federal government agencies, are sponsoring internships at a company called Hot G Vibe. The company makes erotic toys, and instructional videos on how to use them. They are in need of "Final Cut Video Editors," and the government is willing to sponsor these positions.

When you think about it, the government frequently sponsors internships at companies, and indeed at some film companies. The only difference in this circumstance is the content of the film.

I myself am against this, as it is a clear example of taxpayer dollars going to a less than reputable, and offensive at best industry. No word from either the PMO or other parties yet.

Industry Committee

The House committee on Industry is currently meeting in Ottawa, however little to no updates on what is happening inside is available, on account of it being "in-camera," meaning closed to media. The meeting was originally called to discuss the closure of the Shell refinery in East Montreal, however it is widely believed that a motion to debate the long form census will take place as well.

According to the latest updates from Kady O'Malley, they will be hearing from witnesses about the Shell refinery until about 2:30 this afternoon. At this time, someone could introduce a motion to debate the long form census. In order to actually debate it however, the committee would need unanimous consent from the members. If you recall, the Conservatives recently prevented the Public Safety committee from debating an inquiry into the G8 and G20 security measures by introducing what the opposition refer to as useless motions. Then, before the opposition could table the motion, a motion to adjourn the committee was introduced and passes, thus ending the meeting.

Let us hope that the Industry meeting goes better than that for the opposition. How, after all, is the opposition to do their job if they can't even debate the policy changes that the government plans to make?

Anyways, Kady O'Malley of the CBC is on the Hill today, just hoping that the meeting returns from "in-camera" sessions. A liveblog has been set up in the hopeful event that it will. I will of course be posting updates as they are made available.

The Rookie Perspective: The Bus Tour's Symbolic Signs

Michael Ignatieff's tour of Canada, despite being in its infancy, has already seen some ironic twists. The leader of the Liberal Party would probably love nothing more than to have a smooth, successful trip as he rolls along in his bus, perhaps trying to imitate a rock star lifestyle, touring the country. Make no mistake about it, if these early signs are any indication, the self anointed, "Future Liberal Government," might have a bumpy road if they manage to win a future election.

The tour began with a delay, caused by Ignatieff's bus breaking down, which threw a wrench into his plans. Could this however be a microcosm of things to come? There is little doubt that the plan itself was a great one, as it stood to garner lots of publicity for the Liberal Party, and allowed for its leader to get some exposure by letting Canadians know what his intentions are and what he and his party are all about. On the other hand, with the bus breaking down, that could signify that although the Liberals have many grand plans, execution remains an issue. There has been examples of this that have leaked into parliament recently. After all who could forget the fodder the Liberals provided the media recently in which they defeated their own motion by voting for the wrong side in the House of Commons. This clearly shows a breakdown in communication, execution, organization and a lack of leadership. When it comes to possibly leading Canada, will Ignatieff be as reliable as his bus and breakdown at inopportune times or when all is said and done, will Canada need some repairs from, "Harper's Diesel?"

Whatever the outcome of the next election, it is clear that although many complain about the current administration, their biggest opponent also has a lot they can improve on too. Either way, both parties are far from perfect, and both could stand to improve vastly in order to create the best possible leadership to lead Canadian citizens not only in national affairs, but internationally as well.

The force is weak with these ones

The NDP has responded to PMO Director of Communications Dimitri Soudas' statement about Jedi Knights residing in Canada with the following statement:

REALITY CHECK: Dimitri Soudas uses the Jedi defence

Dimitri Soudas created an instant internet classic with his line of defence on eliminating the Census long form:

"21,000 Canadians registered Jedi knight as a religion in the 2001 census.

Religion is asked every 10 years. We made the 40-page long form voluntary because government should not threaten prosecution or jail time to force Canadians to divulge unnecessary private and personal information. Canadians don't want the government at their doorstep at 10 o'clock at night while they may be doing something in their bedroom, like reading, because government wants to know how many bedrooms they have."

What do 21,000 Jedis have to do with the Long Form Census? Nothing. What does the long form census have to do with government officials showing up at 10 o'clock at night at Canadians' doors? Nothing. What does bedtime reading have to do with an accurate statistical portrait of our country's demographics? Nothing.

But there you have it: the spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Canada talking about Jedis.

The force is weak with these ones.

That last line a clear poke at the intelligence of not just Soudas, but the entire PMO, and seemingly Conservative party. Odd that the NDP are the only ones to have responded, although I suppose the NDP are often the first to respond to the Conservatives. Hard to tell if the Liberals will take the bait and go after the Cons for it, but so far nothing from them.

Its possible we won't hear from them for a few days as Ignatieff takes a much needed rest. The Liberal Express sits idle until Wednesday, when they start Quebec. Good luck.

"We're not the natural governing party"

Just found an amazing article in The Star about the Liberal Express, and what Ignatieff hopes to accomplish with it. I would like to share some particularly good quotes from the Leader himself, completely unscripted and off-the-cuff:

“We’re not the natural governing party, we have to earn it. The Conservatives won’t defeat themselves; we have to defeat them with a compelling alternative,” he says. “The alternative — we have to work for it, we have to earn it. We don’t pull policy out of a little policy shop in Ottawa. You’ve got to get a party engaged in policy. Because policy, it’s about belief, it’s about passion, it’s about conviction.”

“People underestimate my perseverance at their peril . . . I’m still here. And I’ve actually got more enthusiasm for what I’m doing now than ever. I really do.”

Jedi Knights in Canada?

About 21,000 of them to be exact, according to PMO Director of Communication Dimitri Soudas. In an effort to promote the conservative plan to scrap the long form census, PMO has released the following statement:

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21,000 Canadians registered Jedi knight as a religion in the 2001 census.

Religion is asked every 10 years.

We made the 40-page long form voluntary because government should not threaten prosecution or jail time to force Canadians to divulge unnecessary private and personal information.

Canadians don't want the government at their doorstep at 10 o'clock at night while they may be doing something in their bedroom, like reading, because government wants to know how many bedrooms they have.

The Ignatieff Liberals promise to force all Canadians to answer personal and intrusive questions about their private lives under threat of jail, fine, or both.

Dimitri N. Soudas

Director/Directeur

Communications

PMO-CPM

(613) 992-xxxx

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Sure, the threat of jail or fines seems a little extreme, but this is the kind of data that guides social policy for years to come. Without a little incentive people are clearly not going to complete a 40 page census. How do the Conservatives plan to govern the country, if they don’t know what the people need or want? Oh wait, conservative political ideology should cover that, right?