don't shoot the pianist » Canadian politics

January 27, 1980

theProject — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:00:00 +0000

It was thirty years ago today, in the midst of the American embassy hostage crisis, that six American diplomats were successfully exfiltrated from Iran. In would become known as the “Canadian caper”, the escapees had been sheltered at the official residences of Canadian ambassador Kenneth Taylor and immigration officer John Sheardown.

Rumours, rumours

theProject — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

There’s an amusing story in the Toronto Star from yesterday suggesting that three Liberals are considering crossing the floor to join the governing Conservatives. As speculation goes, one of them may be Brampton—Springdale MP Ruby Dhalla, bringing the number of Dhalla-joins-Tories rumours to about forty-seven over the last five years.

Prorogued

theProject — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0000

There’s lots to write about, but one thing in particular is irritating me to no end: the notion that in order to avoid a confidence vote, Harper has shut down the Canadian government for the next fifty-two days. The claim is being made mostly by backers of the coalition, including a certain party that still, despite its claims of relevancy, hasn’t won any seats in Parliament:

Jack and Gilles go up the Hill…

theProject — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:00:45 +0000

I can’t take credit for that pun, but I’ve unabashedly stolen it anyway.

The big news out of Ottawa—and it seems like there’s another item every five minutes all of the sudden—is that all three opposition parties are in talks to form a coalition and force Harper’s Conservatives out of power. The talks involve political giants of yesteryear such as former prime minister Jean Chrétien and former NDP leader Ed Broadbent, and with today comes word that the NDP and Bloc Québécois were in coalition talks “a long time ago”.

The debate

theProject — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:02:00 +0000

Every federal leaders’ debate, much ado is made about “knockout punches”—the critical one-liner or moment that leaves an opponent not scrambling for words, but completely defeated. Brian Mulroney’s famous “You had a choice” attack on John Turner in the 1984 debate is invoked as an example of a debate which had a massive effect on public opinion.

Green Party myths

theProject — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:30:10 +0000

After a few days of public wrangling that included threats of a lawsuit, the Green Party yesterday won its fight with the consortium of Canadian broadcast networks that produce the federal party leaders’ debates. Green leader Elizabeth May will be participating.

The significance of Richmond

theProject — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:00:08 +0000

The main story on the Canadian federal election on the CBC yesterday featured a large picture of Conservative leader Stephen Harper visiting a family’s home in Richmond. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Already, British Columbia looks to be a major battleground for all three federalist parties—Harper and NDP leader Jack Layton both spent yesterday in the Vancouver area—and Richmond is a shining example.