Dion the Rebel

At a certain level of detachment, a leader is a vehicle for the type of policies that you want enacted. And I believe Michael Ignatieff will be a good vehicle for the aspirations of Canadian Liberals.

For the last two years, I have supported Stephane Dion as leader of the party because I believe he is a man of integrity and great intelligence. A great Canadian who has devoted himself to the country and the party. As a consequence, he has suffered many attacks. He led the party in the aftermath of the sponsorship scandal and was villified by Harpers political machine.

Michael Ignatieff will eventually face the same type of attacks. In my small way, I will help to defend Ignatieff and promote the party. And I hope that he is able to rise above the personal smears in a way that Stephane Dion ultimately was unable to do.





Dion worked effectively under both Jean Chretien and Paul Martin as a highly competent minister. They gave him difficult tasks (the Clarity Act, the Montreal Climate Change Summit) which he accomplished with impressive skill. And for that also the party and Canada owes Stephane Dion our deep respect and gratitude.

The linked video is not one that I would have featured when he was leader, but what the heck.
h/t Garth Turner

We love you, Stephane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIBtKRmjM8

Conservative Manipulation of the Media

The rumours and misinformation circulated freely by Canadian newsmedia this week is worrisome.

Ottlibs thoughtful post yesterday on conservative media bias and comments by readers might make you wonder what the news should sound like.

What are the alternatives?

Here is an example. (It starts with a 15 second commercial for RealNews by Danny Glover)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI9vtBYOsqE



I don't know much about RealNews.

But it makes you wonder whether the Internet might ultimately provide the answer (or corrective) to media concentration and its abuse by wealthy conservatives.

The Conservative use of its base as a instrument to attempt to sway talk-radio and flood message boards with party doctrine also needs to be addressed.

Cool Down Period?

The media are claiming that the prorogation is a "cool down" period.

Well think again. Brace yourself for the attack ads.

Is there anyone who seriously thinks that if Harper gets to the other side of this he will suddenly be chastened and act responsibly? Really?

When/if the coalition is off the table, Harper will destroy the opposition.

Parliamentary Democracy thwarted

The power of the Prime Ministers office over the elected House of Commons has been reinforced today. And the airy ideals of the former Reform party (which resides now in the present Conservative party) for greater democracy have been voided and revealed as empty rhetoric.

The precedent set today is also a strong argument against minority parliaments and any reform to the electoral system that would favor minority parliaments. It is a commitment to more elections and their abuse. Good thing if you are a political junkie I guess, but bad for everyone else.

Will the coalition hold? The Conservatives would like to think not.

I do not blame the Governor-General. She should not have been put in this position.

Do you want a Prime Minister who is willing to say anything, generate any crisis to retain power?

Harper's Destructive Path to Power

This is no joke. We are in an international economic crisis.

But the Canadian government is caught up in the worst political crisis since the 1995 referendum.

And who is at the center of it? Stephen Harper.

Albertans are talking about separation. And Harper is stoking the separatist fires here in Quebec by suggesting that elected representatives of Quebec are not legitimate.

Harper is wielding the Conservative party like a weapon against the constitution and parliamentary democracy. And he will stop at nothing to get complete power.

Harper is likely the most divisive politician in Canadian history at a time when we need to be drawing various factions in the country together to meet the economic crisis

To resolve this crisis, Harper must be removed. That is the minimum condition.