Canada's Election 2008

pinoideae · October 2008

Canadian federal election, 2008
308 seats in the 40th Canadian ParliamentOctober 14, 2008 LeaderStephen Harper Stéphane Dion Gilles DuceppePartyConservative Liberal Bloc QuébécoisLeader since200420061997Leader's seatCalgary Southwest Saint-Laurent-Cartierville Laurier-Sainte-MarieLast election124 (127 at dissolution)103 (95 at dissolution)51 (48 at dissolution) LeaderJack Layton Elizabeth MayPartyNew Democrat GreenLeader since20032006Leader's seatToronto-Danforthrunning in Central NovaLast election29 (30 at dissolution)0 (1 at dissolution)

Bank economists predict: 'worse than a recession'

Updated Mon. Oct. 6 2008 9:47 PM ET

The Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Economists from Canada's Big Five banks expect little or no growth in the near future, warning Monday that the domestic economy's current gloom will deepen into something worse than a recession.

The word "recession" wouldn't describe the deep structural problems affecting everything from the U.S. housing sector to the Canadian oil industry, said Bank of Nova Scotia chief economist Warren Jestin.

"You have to invent a new word to describe what we're in now," he said after the banks presented their perspectives at the Economic Club.

"It's being driven through the financial markets into the real economy. All of those things suggest that it's entirely different than what you might expect from a typical recession."

In their most recent economics forecast, Scotiabank economists predict recessions for both the U.S. and Canada, economic slides that will require central bankers in both countries to cut interest rates by at least a full percentage point.

All agree that a slide in commodity prices bodes ill for the Canadian economy, which is heavily dependent on the production and export of oil and gas, metals and minerals.

Drops in oil and metals prices have hit the already teetering Toronto Stock Exchange hard. On Monday it took an agonizing 1,200-point fall before recovering somewhat to sit around 700 points in the red as oil dropped to trade around the US$90 mark.

And Bank of Montreal economist Doug Porter said prices will continue to take a beating over the next year, dragging Western Canada's formerly booming economy in particular down with them.

"You're going to be seeing Western Canada come back down to the rest of us with a thud, especially if commodity prices keep doing what they've done in the last three months," he said.

"It's almost as if the markets are pricing in a much harder landing for commodity prices. I think that's reasonable if you don't get some thawing in the credit markets relatively soon."

Porter said the direction of Canada's economy depends on whether the financial-sector troubles in the United States start to settle down.

"At this point, if this kind of volatility keeps up, I think we're looking at a much more serious downturn than the mild recession that most of us are talking about," he said.

"Over the next month, that's what bears watching."

The cautious outlook was echoed by Don Drummond of TD Bank, who said the Canadian economy won't see any growth until late 2009.

Drummond told the Economic Club audience that even at that point there will be only a gradual recovery.

"I think the credit system is going to be mucked up for quite some time, even if it improves somewhat," he said.

Jestin remained on the more optimistic side of the loonie's direction, predicting that it will hold above the 90-cent threshold as it weathers the financial downturn.

"I still think the fundamentals on the Canadian currency -- those that initially drove it through parity and kept it quite strong by recent history-- are largely intact," he said, pointing out that Canada's trade numbers still look favourable compared to many other developed countries.

Craig Wright, chief economist at RBC Financial Group, held a more pessimistic view on the dollar, predicting it would slide "just under" 90 cents by the end of next year. The loonie was down 1.78 cents to 90.68 cents US Monday morning.

"For Canada, exports are going to be a continued challenge by weakness in the U.S., but we're still relatively bullish on the Canadian economy," he said.

Porter told the audience that it's tough to provide an accurate outlook on the economy given the unpredictability of capital markets.

"Trying to do a economic forecast in this kind of turmoil is a bit like trying to put a value on your house while the kitchen is on fire," he said.

"You just don't know how long the fire is going to go on for, or how much damage it's going to do."

****************************************************************************************************************

How about it, would anyone like to discuss Canada's Election 2008/ Not much time left to vote, October 14, 2008.

pinoideae · October 2008

Canada's financial system 'not immune' to turmoil: Flaherty

The latest poll results from Canadian Press-Harris/Decima indicated another drop in support for the Conservatives over concerns about the economy ahead of the Oct. 14 election. Harris/Decima president Bruce Anderson said Harper risks being perceived as "too measured in his reaction."

Germany joined Ireland and Greece on Sunday in guaranteeing all private bank accounts as governments across Europe scrambled to save failing banks.

In a statement issued Monday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Canada's financial system has handled the persistent global market turmoil "very well," but is "not immune to the ongoing turmoil in global credit markets."

"The government of Canada stands ready to take whatever actions may be necessary to protect the stability of the Canadian financial sector," he said, but did not elaborate on what those actions might entail.

Earlier in the day, Harper responded to news that world markets plummeted again as government bank bailouts in the U.S. and Europe failed to calm fears of a global financial crisis.

Harper said he remains "optimistic" about the economy, but acknowledged the ripples of the global crisis could reach Canada's shores.

"Look, we're not an island. We can't pretend, and we're not pretending, that we will escape effects of world developments," he said at a campaign announcement in Ottawa about child-care benefit improvements.

Harper said he is watching developments around the world very closely for any possible rebound effects on Canada. The Conservatives have a Plan B to assist the Canadian banking system if the crisis spreads here, he said, but insisted Canada remains in a better situation than other countries.

But Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe said Harper was trying to "escape his responsibilities" by triggering an election.

"One of the reasons for holding this election prematurely was to avoid facing a difficult economic situation," Duceppe told reporters during a campaign stop in Magog, Que.

"And now, the economy has caught up with him much earlier than he thought."

Minor improvements to child benefit

At the campaign stop at Ottawa's Gymboree Play & Music centre, Harper pledged small upgrades of the universal child-care benefit.

"We're only making promises that we know we can keep," Harper stressed.

Harper said a Conservative government would index the $100 monthly child care benefit to inflation, adding several dollars a month and returning about $50 million per year to parents on top of the $2.4 billion under the current system.

"This will ensure that the value of the benefit does not erode over time," he said.

The taxable benefit introduced by the Tories is available to families for each child under the age of six and replaced the Liberals' five-year national $5-billion child care plan.

Sole-support, single-income parents will also get the child-care benefit tax free, a measure that would save families another $50 million, Harper said.

"We're not pretending that the government of Canada is paying all child-care expenses," Harper said.

"What we're saying is we're prepared to give help to families that we know the taxpayers can afford and that we'll assist with child-care costs."

But Layton mocked the measure, saying it added up to a pittance more for working families.

"This is Stephen Harper's $2.67-a-month day," he told supporters in B.C.

War of words between Duceppe, Harper

Harper also continued his war of words with Duceppe on Monday in attempts to win the key battleground of Quebec.

Duceppe delivered a scathing criticism of Harper in a speech in Montreal on Sunday, where he slammed Harper's economic and foreign policy and called him a "cheater" for giving a speech in 2003 that contained passages lifted directly from an address given earlier that year by Australia's then-prime minister, John Howard.

Harper dismissed Duceppe's comment, saying it was too late to paint him as the "devil incarnate" after Duceppe supported the Tories on a regular basis during their first two years in office.

"This type of personal attack does not really represent true character of the Quebec nation," Harper added, saying Quebecers would see through the comment.

Duceppe rejected suggestions that the back-and-forth jabs could affect how the two work together once the election is over.

"An election campaign is a struggle," he said. "When the time comes to decide, to take decisions on the basis of citizens, we'll all have to take those interests into account."

With files from the Canadian Press

BMac · October 2008

I don't like Harper either, never have. The speech bothers me a lot although like you said it was the speech writer that plaigerized. Still, what kind of people is he surrounded by? Having said that, none of them is without faults.

I can't warm up to Dion and I like Jack Layton as a person. So who to vote for? I'm with Danny Williams: Anyone But Conservatives.

lisa39 · October 2008

I have to say, I've been very impressed with Elizabeth May. I happened to be watching Newsworld when she unveiled her Party's platform and she was terrific. The Green Party is not a one-trick pony in terms of just being about the environment. They have sound economic policies and programs for education, childcare, healthcare and other issues that affect me. I also love the fact that she fought for the right to be included in the debate - and won!

BMac · October 2008

Elizabeth May is very well spoken. The other person who impressed me in the debate was Gilles Duceppe, surprisingly. He was very well spoken, intelligent and held his own. I wasn't expecting to like him.

Beesie · October 2008

I don't want Harper to have a majority either. I'd like another minority government, whether it's Harper or Dion. With a minority, they are forced to work together and no one party has too much control. But, if it is a minority, I sure don't want Layton to have the balance of power. Of all the leaders, he's the one I dislike the most. I just don't think he has a clue.

pinoideae · October 2008

1. Blackburn's flights of fancy

Conservatives came to Ottawa promising to be transparent and accountable with our tax dollars. But in 2006 Minister of Labour Jean Pierre Blackburn racked up almost $150,000 in flights on privately hired jets that don't appear in his pro-active disclosure of travel expenses. For five trips, Blackburn was the only passenger on the flight, using the planes like his personal taxi to ferry him between Ottawa and his home in Alma, Quebec. Incredibly, Blackburn once rented a helicopter to fly him across the Port of Sept Iles -- a trip of less than 30 minutes by car.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $150,000

2. Loose Cannon

Conservatives claim that they use the government's fleet of Challenger aircraft less than the high-flying Liberals did. Now we know why. Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon has made regular use of a secret fleet of government executive jets and not disclosing his trips as requited by cabinet rules. The NDP uncovered his use of the planes, including six trips aboard a sleek Citation C-550 executive jet. The Department of National Defense estimates the use of such planes at $9,000 an hour. If it's appropriate, why are they hiding it?

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $9,000 an hour

3. Harper's Clairvoyant Coiffeur

When he was a Reform Party MP, Harper bolted from the party after Preston Manning insisted on a party-paid clothing allowance. So it's all the more surprising that as Prime Minister, Harper travels with a taxpayer-funded image advisor. The advisor doesn't just make with the Dippidy-Do for Harper, she also reportedly talks with the angels. Harper has refused to explain how much he spends on the services of his image advisor and sooth-sayer.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: Reply hazy, try again.

4. Oda and the Mysterious Re-appearing Cheques

The Conservatives were elected on a promise to end pork-barrel politics. But in November 2006, Heritage Minister Bev Oda was forced to cancel a $250 a plate political fundraiser after it was learned that it was being organized by Charlotte Bell -- the head of regulatory affairs for CanWest media - who was passing the hat among the very same media companies that Oda regulates as minister. The back-pedaling Conservatives hastly announced that the cheques from donors would be returned. But only months ago, Oda's riding association declared them in their official fundraising report to Elections Canada for 2006.

. Un-Conventional Fundraising

The Conservatives failed to report over $530,000 in donations to their party from their 2005 Convention, including a donation by Stephen Harper that was above the legal donation limit - in violation of the Elections Act. Only when the scandal was made public did the Conservatives admit wrong-doing and quietly repaid the funds. When the Conservatives tried to change the law to make what they had done legal, the NDP stopped them.

6. Driving Miss Lazy

Heritage Minister Bev Oda racked-up almost $6,000 in limousine expenses over four days in Halifax in 2006 to attend the Juno Awards. It's been reported that Oda had arrived a couple of days before the awards ceremony, during which time she had an assortment of limos escorting her around - or on standby. Oda refused a minivan which was rented for her, opting for a limo instead. Embarrassed by even her own excess, Oda was forced to pay some of the cost.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $5,475

7. Verner's limousine lifestyle

In March 2006, Minister of International Cooperation Josee Verner paid over $4,000 for 124 hours of work by an "occasional chauffeur". Worse still, her $32 an hour driver wasn't listed in her proactive travel disclosure and had to be revealed through a formal Access to Information request.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $4,092

8. Khan-ed?

The Conservative government paid to have a Mississauga Liberal MP, Wajid Khan, go on a "fact-finding" trip to the middle east as Stephen Harper's advisor. Soon after the trip, Khan changed his allegiance to the Conservative Party. Harper refused to release any information about his advisor's report or the cost of the junket that wooed Khan to cross the floor. The price of trip was disclosed using access to information.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $37,837

9. Finley smokes ‘em ‘cause she got ‘em

In February 2007, the Conservative government unveiled a new tax break - worth about $500,000 - for tobacco processors in Southwestern Ontario. But of the province's 650 tobacco farmers, only one company is actually eligible for the tax break -- Simcoe Leaf Tobacco Co. Ltd. Hardly incidental, Simcoe Leaf operates in one constituency -- that of Immigration Minister Diane Finley.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $500,000

10. Fortier's zero degree of separation

Before he entered politics, Michael Fortier -- the appointed senator and unelected Minister of Public Works -- was an investment banker for Credit Suisse. Among his clients was the Montreal-based CGI Group Inc., for which Fortier helped raise $330 million when it went public in 2004. Last year CGI posed revenues of $3.6 billion. Fast-forward to April 2007 when TPG Technology Consulting Ltd of Ottawa alleged Minister Fortier altered a $400 million contract in favour of CGI, effectively shutting out TPG even though they submitted the cheapest bid.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: up to $400 million

11. Un-democratic Reform

In March 2007, The Conservative government began a public consultation process on "the challenges facing Canada's electoral system and democratic institutions." But the Conservatives aren't interested in hearing from working people on how to improve our democracy. Instead, The Conservatives have contracted-out our democracy to a private think-tank for almost a $1 million contract. The Frontier Centre for Public Policy's website includes links such stirring defences of the status quo as "Why I'm a Recovering Electoral Reformer," "The Unintended Consequences of Electoral Reform" and "Canada Should Keep `First Past the Post' Voting System."

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $900,000

12. Flaherty's money pit

A few years ago, land developer Mario Cortellucci unsuccessfully sued the Ontario government for nixing his plan to bury Toronto's garbage in the abandoned Adams Mine in northern Ontario. Court documents listed Cortellucci as the mine's owner. But wait! Today, a Pennsylvania investor named Vito Gallo is saying he owns the mine so he can sue for $355 million under a section of NAFTA that allows US investors to sue governments in Canada for loss of investment. Even though Gallo has never been listed publicly as the owner of the mine, the Harper government has allowed the case proceeded to a NAFTA arbitration panel. Why would they do that? It might be because of the $200,000 that Cortellucci and other Adams Mine investors donated to the federal and provincial Conservative parties over the last decade, including over $50,000 to the two provincial leadership bids of Jim Flaherty, Stephen Harper's Minister of Finance.

Cost to ordinary taxpayers: $355 million

crazy4carrots · October 2008

Hi Everyone:

Regardless of our personal choice of leader, I think we can be proud (and grateful) that each of our party leaders can be admired for being both smart and accomplished. Unlike some of our southern neighbours, I'm not looking for a P.M. (President/VP) who's just like me........

May the best wo/man win! Cheers, Linda

BMac · October 2008

Pam, that's interesting about the Greens being made up of failed Tories. So why did Harper say that he didn't want Elizabeth May in the debate because that would be like giving the Liberals two people in the debate? Interesting.

I, too, like Jack Layton. He seems to be forthright and honest (or he could just be bamboozling me). If the Libs had either Rae or Ignatieff as leader I would probably vote for them. As it is I can't make up my mind although there's no way I'll vote for Harper.

kily · October 2008

Hi everyone. Our Health Issues are placed in the back burner these days. I wrote a letter to the health minister a while back indicating I was not happy with the UI rules that apply to Breast Cancer patients. I asked her why we qualified for only 15 weeks of UI benefits when a mother after giving birth to a child was able to stay home for a year. This I find so unfair as I almost lost my house when I was on my journey. I think we should all sign a petition and send it to Parliament demanding change.

lisa39 · October 2008

I'm with you Kily! Great idea. It is so unfair. I agree with you too, Barbara. If Ignatieff or Rae were Liberal leader, Harper would be in serious trouble. They're both great speakers and have those leadership qualities that most people look for when they're casting a ballot. I think Dion is a very smart guy and would not steer the country wrong the way the Conservatives have. Dion just lacks the charisma and public-speaking skills that I look for in a leader.

kily · October 2008

Hi pam2622, Unfortunately my employer went under a short while after I left. Was there for 16 years but had no benefits. At the time, I not only became ill and could not work but my husband was laid off after 20 years of service. No Pkg. and No benefits. We are now finding our way back very slowly but this is why the UI laws have got to be reivewed so it will not happen to other women going through this. We do not need the extra stress. Going on this journey is stressful enough.

BMac · October 2008

Kily, I too am sorry to hear what you've gone through. I know when my (estranged...just had to get that in there) sister had BC she didn't have disability at work. She had to go on EI (UIC at that time) and when she asked what happened after that was told welfare. She worked as long as she was able to and saved the EI for later. It sure doesn't seem fair.

Lisa, I agree with you about Dion. I'm trying to get my head around him. I think he is sincere and I'm really struggling with whether to vote for him. I live in Oakville and I don't think the NDP have a hope of getting in here so it may be the Libs for me.

pinoideae · October 2008

Predicting Breast Cancer Patient Outcome: New Genes Identified

ScienceDaily (Apr. 29, 2008) - Not a day goes by without a new story about the environment. Although we often consider the environment on a global scale, cells in our body also have to contend with environmental factors. New studies from a team of researchers from the Research Institute of the MUHC and McGill University show that the environment surrounding breast cancer cells plays a crucial role in determining whether tumor cells grow and migrate or whether they fade away. Their study is the first to identify the genes behind this environmental control and correlate them with patient outcome. Their findings are published in this week's issue of Nature Medicine.

"A tumour can not exist on its own. It has to be supported and nourished by the cell types around it, the microenvironment," says senior author Dr Morag Park, Director of the molecular oncology group at the Research institute if the MUHC. "When we began this study there was little known about the importance of this microenvironment on cancer initiation and progression. We now know that this environment is pivotal; different patients have distinct tumour microenvironments at a gene level. Our findings show that the gene profile of these distinct microenvironments can be used to determine clinical outcome -- who will fare well and who will not."

Dr Park, a professor of oncology, biochemistry, and medicine at McGill University, and her team analyzed tissue from 53 breast cancer patients. They used a unique technique, laser capture microdissection (LCM), to separate tumour cells from microenvironment tissue. They compared the gene expression between the microenvironment tissue and controls using micro-array analysis. From thousands of genes they identified 163, which correlated with patient outcome. A good outcome was defined as having no tumour metastasis and tumour migration and non-responsiveness to therapy was considered poor outcome.

From the original 163 genes, the team further identified a panel of 26 specific genes that could be used to accurately predict clinical outcome. This 26 gene-profile, called the stromal derived prognostic predictor (SDPP), was used to predict outcome from a second set of beast cancer patients.

"We were able to show that the SDPP effectively predicts outcome in a second group of patients," says Dr Park, "This panel accurately forecasted patient status, suggesting that this may be a promising diagnostic tool.

"Our next steps are to develop this 26-gene predictor into a functional test. We are currently working on this and we anticipate a product for clinical trials within a year," adds Park.

"This work takes tremendous dedication and collaboration from a number of people including pathologists, surgeons, oncologists as well as researchers. I would like to thank the outstanding work done by G. Finak from the laboratory of Dr M. Hallett of McGill's Computer Science Department, the breast surgeons of the MUHC, including Dr S. Meterissian, and by the Department of Pathology at McGill, where Dr A. Omeroglu works."

This research was funded by from the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, Genome Canada-Genome Quebec, Quebec Valorisation-Recherche Quebec, Fonds de la Recherche en Sante du Quebec, Canadian Institutes for Health Research Team Grant, and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant.

mumito · October 2008

I feel the same about Dion but do not want Harper to get in again so I will vote liberal anyway. A minority gov is safer anyway.

BMac · October 2008

Did anyone see/read about the CTV interview with Dion? He didn't understand the question and asked several times to restart the interview. CTV, which originally allowed the re-do's, then chose to air the several failed attempts. Harper lambasted Dion for it.

In watching the interview and reading an article about it in the Star I think it was wrong of CTV to air the missteps. The question asked of Mr. Dion was convuluted and difficult to understand, involving several tenses. It was unclear what the interviewer was asking and Mr. Dion's attempts to clarify the question were met with more of the same.

The airing of this was meant to cast Dion in a bad light and Mr. Harper jumped all over it. I thought it was all in bad taste and this has now caused me to make a decision. I am voting for Dion (although I have reservations about his poor English skills) because I don't want Harper to get in and the Libs have the best chance of beating him in my riding.

lisa39 · October 2008

Yes, I think Harper's decision to embarass Mr. Dion's troubles with understanding the interviewer have backfired. I saw a newsconference yesterday where Harper was asked a pretty tough question by a French reporter. He said something like - "the quebec media was very generous to you, Mr. Prime Minister when you were learning French and made many errors, so why can't you extend the same consideration to Mr. Dion as he attempts to improve his English?" Harper spluttered some unsatisfactory answer - but it was clear he was caught with egg on his face.

BMac · October 2008

Yes, I saw that too. It's dirty politics and I don't like it. I hope it backfires with a lot of voters.

pinoideae · October 2008

I believe Mr. Dion's English skills are just fine.

Tory attacks on Dion 'personal,' Chrétien says

Les Whittington
Ottawa Bureau

Jean Chrétien says the attack that Stephen Harper launched against Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion over his interview foul-up reminds him of the dirty tactics he encountered when battling the separatists in Quebec in the 1990s.

The former prime minister, who joined the Liberal election campaign in a rally last night in Brampton, said he picked Dion as a minister in the 1990s because the former professor was tough enough to put up with the tactics of the separatists in the unity fight in Quebec.

These were the "meanest, the dirtiest and the most personal attacks," Chrétien said, adding "and that happened not later than last night, again."

On a day when the CTV interview controversy hung over the campaign, Dion said Harper's personal attack on him over the incident shows the Conservative leader has "no class." He said Harper seized on the chance to attack him to distract voters from the Conservatives' lack of action to protect Canadians from the emerging economic calamity.

"History will keep in mind that six days before the election, the first time that Stephen Harper gave an unplanned press conference, it was not about our mortgages, it was not about our pensions, our savings, our jobs.

"It was to not miss an opportunity to come with a low-blow attack against his main opponent," Dion said on the floor of an auto parts factory in Brantford.

"This man has no class and he has no plan."

Earlier yesterday, explaining his reaction during part of the interview on Thursday with CTV Halifax, Dion said he was confused about whether the interviewer was asking him what he would do about the economy now or what he would have done had he been prime minister some time ago.

By last night, addressing more than a thousand Liberals at a Brampton school, Dion had incorporated the incident into his speech as a joke.

Paraphrasing the CTV interview question, he told the crowd it takes some doing to answer this question: "You're prime minister today, what will you do yesterday?"

On Thursday, Harper sparked intense controversy when he held a special news conference to slam Dion for the botched interview segment, saying a leader only gets one chance to make things clear when running a $1.5 trillion-dollar economy.

Liberals around Dion complained immediately that Harper was being unfair, pointing out that the Liberal leader has a slight hearing disorder and was doing the interview in his second language.

Even Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe came to Dion's defence yesterday, suggesting that Harper was being a hypocrite on language capability.

In a radio interview in Quebec, Duceppe said that, even though many English-speaking politicians can't speak French, francophones are expected to perform perfectly in English.

"I think there should be the same criteria for both," Duceppe commented.

"I think the interview speaks for itself, and Canadians can watch it," said Harper yesterday as he, too, campaigned in Brantford.

Asked why he doesn't extend the same indulgence to Dion's English that Quebeckers have extended to him in learning French, Harper said that wasn't the point.

"The problem isn't the question," Harper told reporters.

"The problem was the answer, the answer of Mr. Dion," Harper continued. "As I've said several times in this election, he has no plan for the economy except for a tax on carbon. He says he needs 30 days after the election to develop a plan."

NDP Leader Jack Layton showed some sympathy for Dion's problems in the CTV clip.

"People are tired; it's a long campaign," he said. "We've all had trouble with questions from time to time.

"I suppose if I was someone who could honestly say I've never had trouble with a question, I might be able to make some kind of remark about it."

Dion said that, when it comes to talking about action on the economy, he - not Harper - has been the leader who has been able to provide answers as the financial markets have plummeted during the election campaign.

"The one who was unable to answer this question for days, if not for weeks, is Stephen Harper," Dion said. "(He) was unable because he was saying there is no problem. And Canadians are not worried. It's only a problem in the stock market - no more. It's what he (Harper) said."

Dion told CBC that, in many taped interviews, there are false starts by the journalist or the interviewee. He said he doesn't understand why CTV decided to air the outtake a few days before an election.

The head of CTV News defended the network's decision to broadcast the interview in its entirety, saying that its news value outweighed an understanding that the disputed portions would not be aired.

Robert Hurst said producers and other executives in Toronto and Halifax held an editorial review immediately after the Liberal leader finished the interview Thursday afternoon to determine how to handle the matter.

Hurst insisted that even though Halifax anchor Steve Murphy had said he "indicated that it would not be" aired, the network decided to show the interview in its entirety.

"We had an intensive review process and we decided we had a responsibility to show Maritimers exactly what went on here," he said in an interview from Toronto.

"It was our decision that this was a potentially important story and we wanted to put it out there completely."

The eruption of comment and criticism over the network's use of the botched interview segment is raising questions about language and tolerance in Canada's multicultural society.

"Canadians are judged on the quality of their ideas, not on the quality of their English or whether their hearing is perfect," said Bob Rae, who is running for the Liberals in Toronto Centre. "Do Canadians really want a man like Mr. Harper to represent them?"

With files from Richard Brennan, Tonda MacCharles, Andrew Chung and The Canadian Press

pinoideae · October 2008

I have to say Canada lost a great leader when Mr. Chretien retired.

Sierra · October 2008

No Mr. Harper for me

and Mr. Dion needs to clean

up his communication in the English Language

IMO>>>

Listened to J Layton

on CBC today

Sierra

BMac · October 2008

So it's all over except the crying. Everyone made gains except for Dion (and Elizabeth May). I guess that was to be expected and now the Liberals will have to find a new leader.

I emailed CTV on Saturday and complained to them about airing the interveiw even though they initially told Mr. Dion they wouldn't. Needless to say, I haven't received a reply!

I agree Sierra that Dion needs to improve his English. I do find him difficult to understand at times. I know communicating in a second language must be very difficult (I can't speak French) but I would think with all his exposure to the English language he would be able to improve his clarity and pronunciation.

pinoideae · October 2008

I wonder what French speaking Canadians think about Mr. Harper's French. I can speak and understand some French, but I am not fluent. Mr. Harper appears comfortable with the French language as he speaks it.

Eminent Canadians on 'what next' for Canada?

Globe and Mail Update

October 15, 2008 at 10:30 AM EDT

Hi, I'm Natasha Hassan, Comment Editor of The Globe and Mail, and I have the pleasure of hosting today's globeSalon.

globeSalon is an esteemed group of commentators who gather at globeandmail.com for a "virtual salon" whenever major news developments or significant issues arise.

In the last instalment, globeSalon tackled the contentious issue of China hosting the Olympic Games.

Today, we will grapple with the challenges facing a post-election Canada and try to answer the question many of our readers are no doubt asking themselves: "Now what?"

We will have a full house of Salonistas, with 20 contributors joining in the discussion from points near and far.

We have political scientist Clifford Orwin; Nobel laureate John Polanyi; Halifax lawyer and former Trudeau adviser Brian Flemming; political adviser John Duffy; Christian broadcaster Lorna Dueck; founding editor of The Tyee, David Beers; business leader Gwyn Morgan; economist Jim Stanford; former academic, ambassador and publisher Norman Spector; pollster and author Michael Adams (who is on the road in Edmonton); and, from Quebec, author William Johnson and commentators Joseph Facal and Lysiane Gagnon.

Of course, Globe columnist Margaret Wente can't resist joining in as well as her columnist colleague Marcus Gee.

Further afield but no less engaged, we have historian Margaret MacMillan in Oxford; philosopher Mark Kingwell from a conference in New York; author Camilla Gibb in Indonesia; author and commentator Irshad Manji in Prague; and political scientist Antonia Maioni via her iPhone from the road.

There are about two dozen "Salonistas" and you can read full the lineup and see their biographies and pictures here.

Editor's Note: In keeping with the nature of this discussion, we will be fully moderating reader comments to ensure the highest level of debate. We will be strictly enforcing our written guidelines on comments. Please "Join the Conversation" but please do so in the spirit we hope to create for the GlobeSalon.

Let's kick off the discussion -- which will continue throughout the day, so check back regularly -- with political adviser John Duffy's take on another minority Conservative government for Canadians.

John Duffy: Give the man his due. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's election call was a gamble, to be sure. But those reckoning that he has come up seriously short are misreading the game. The choice Harper faced wasn't between carrying on indefinitely and shooting the moon for a majority. His option in August was to strike immediately or wait for a gathering economic storm to break simultaneously with the defeat of his government in the House. The financial storm's first lightening bolts nearly shipwrecked Harper mid-campaign; imagine if they'd hit before the writ came down.

With his bulked up minority and the Liberals further weakened -- at least until their leadership issue gets resolved -- Harper will now control the House with relative ease. Sure, he'll have legislative trouble in the committee rooms and the Senate Chamber, but smooth going in the principal arenas of political and policy action.

He'll need all the stability he can get. Harper faces four serious policy headaches, two of which are migraines in the making. The economic slowdown, commodities bust included, brings forward a day of fiscal and structural reckoning that will seriously challenge Harper's hands-off approach. The equalization system, already buckling, will likely break over the next two budget cycles, especially as they coincide with a manufacturing-led recession. Health care, which has been quiet as the provinces digested their substantial gains from the Martin government, has been due to emerge from hibernation. Hard fiscal times in the provinces will make that awakening a hungry, growly one.

Lastly, the massive schmozzle of overlapping provincial and federal climate change initiatives will have to be resolved against the looming deadline of next year's watershed Copenhagen conference. This will be the one where the U.S., likely under an Obama administration, finally shows to play, making it harder than ever to sweep the issue aside.

Taken together, these major dossiers will force the political action away from the Commons floor, and onto the federal-provincial table. The tactics by which Harper dominated the last Parliament won't deliver the goods among first ministers. We'll see how well Harper adapts to the demands of collaborative federalism in a high-stress environment.

Natasha Hassan: Globe columnist Margaret Wente responds...

Margaret Wente: For most Canadians, this was the Groundhog Day movie election -- basically the same results, so why did they put us through this? That explains the record low voter turnout -- that, and the fact that neither Harper nor Dion inspires enthusiasm, to put it mildly. Voters have been widely disgusted by the game-playing in Parliament. What they want to see for the next couple of years is constructive co-operation, especially as we head into hard times. I am not sure they will get it. Whoever succeeds Dion will have to prove his chops in Opposition. Duceppe will continue to try extracting payola for Quebec. And Layton will keep lobbying for ruinous economic interventions.

In spite of Mr. Duffy's excellent arguments, all the parties failed to get what they want. Chances are the electorate will fail to get what they want, too.

Natasha Hassan: John Duffy has drawn another response, this time from William Johnson, the author of A Canadian Myth, Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada:

William Johnson: John is correct that Stephen Harper can expect at least a year of dominance in the Commons, while the Liberal Party of Canada sorts out its leadership and tries to save its desperate financial situation. In that respect, it will be like 2006, only more so.

Clearly, Stéphane Dion has to announce his departure, and soon. His results are so much worse than Paul Martin's in 2006 or even John Turner's in 1988. The Liberals now won 76 seats. That compares to 103 in 2006 and 83 in 1988. It's true that John Turner hit Liberal bottom in 1984 with only 40 seats, and he was given a second chance. But he had been the consensus choice of the convention to suceed Pierre Trudeau. And the party had fallen so low, so many of the brightest Liberal lights were defeated, that there was no pressing throng of would-be successors to push him out. The contrast at present is obvious.

Dion not only largely lost Ontario yesterday (38 seats, compared to 54 in 2006), but he failed to make substantial gains in Quebec: 14 seats yesterday, compared to 13 in 2006. He had lost the Liberal fortress of Outremont in the by-election last year because he refused Justin Trudeau as candidate and appointed an eminent academic unknown to the public. He lost it again to Thomas Mulcair yesterday -- barely -- because he waited into the first week of the election campaign to appoint his candidate.

Mr. Dion served Canada well as a minister. But he carries too much baggage in Quebec ever to restore Liberal fortunes there, and Quebec has always been the essential foundation stone of the Liberal party since Wilfrid Laurier in 1896. So Mr. Dion must do the gracious thing. He is a class act and he will.

Natasha Hassan: Speaking of Quebec, political scientist Antonia Maioni, who is travelling today, sent this from her iPhone:

Antonia Maioni: Where is the federalist voice in Quebec? The results show us the resilience of the BQ brand; the continuing challenges for the Liberal Party despite -- or in this case because of -- a leader from Quebec; and the incompatibility of the Conservative message with a majority of Quebeckers.

Having spent all that political capital romancing Quebec, when Harper will have a lot to explain for to his party faithful elsewhere in canada.

pinoideae · November 2008

Canadian election was 'so meh,' dictionary says

Updated Mon. Nov. 17 2008 8:44 AM ET

The Canadian Press

LONDON -- Are Canadian elections boring?

Well, according to the folks in Britain who put out the Collins English Dictionary, it seems our elections practically define the term.

Publisher HarperCollins used Canada as an example in explaining a new word it's including in the dictionary's 30th anniversary edition.

The word is "meh," a term that grew in popularity after being used in a 2001 episode of "The Simpsons" in which Homer suggests a day trip to his children Bart and Lisa.

Both kids reply `meh' and keep on watching television.

The dictionary defines "meh" as an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring.

Examples given by the dictionary include: "The Canadian election was so meh."

"Meh" was selected by Collins after it asked people to submit words they use in conversation that are not in the dictionary.

Other suggestions included jargonaut, a fan of jargon and frenemy, an enemy disguised as a friend.

Comments are now closed for this story

Nick J Boragina
Meh

this is news?
Wadever....

So meh in Canada
This Top story is 'so meh'!!! Politic is so meh in general, the only difference in the USA they are spending billions more to be less meh. This money could have been put to good use helping the poor in the USA and else where. Simply a shame to waste money trying to be less meh but failing misarably

George
Any reference book that takes a term from the "Simpsons" should not even be considered a competent source.

M. Cameron
Meh is not a word. I don't care how many dictionaries believe it is trendy to add it. It is still not a word.

Pip
So, a company like Collins starts to include an interjection used on a Simpsons show, and people run down the publication. Well, not so long ago, the term Okay was not considered a word, yet today appears in all dictionaries.

Please, stop laying out your prejudices and snobbery for the world to see - and deride; it is so non-u (also not a word, according to some).

Yvonne
Love them or hate them, The Simpson family have helped define our time. This is at least the second dictionary entry attributed to them; "D'oh" made it into the Oxford dictionary a few years ago. Way to go Homer!

JB
It's funny how some people don't accept changes/additions to the english language. If everyone refused to accept changes all the time then wouldn't we all still be speaking Old English, for example?

Hwæt! wē Gār-Dena in geār-dagum,
þeod-cyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

I use "meh" a lot actually.

Kee-lo
"Meh" is a completley cromulant word that embiggins the English language

Jenny
To any one who claims that "meh" isn't a word, I ask, what is your definition of a word? Is it not simply a string of letters that carry a meaning? I'd say "meh" fits into that category, as do words like "presentate" and "ascared". Sure, they're corruptions of the language, but it is still widely understood what someone means when they use these terms.

Homer Simpson
@Kee-lo: +1!

Go Homer Go!!!!
Homer Simpson show is meant as a joke not as a reference to follow and certainly even less of a reason for changing our dictionaries.

So have fun watching it but leave our dictionaries clean of these strange words!!!

Need to go Homer

KC
We had an election?

eskiefan
One thing I love about the English language is its flexibility and openness to adopting new words used by the public. That said, I don't think it was nice or wise to use the Canadian election as an example of boring. They could have picked any one of a million examples that would not be disparaging to any country. In fact I thought the latest Canadian election was extremely interesting!

pinoideae · November 2008

Archie McLean, Canwest News Service

Published: Monday, September 15, 2008

EDMONTON - Sometimes, outsiders offer a fresh and insightful take on a country's domestic affairs.

One of the most influential books on American politics - the aptly named Democracy in America - was written more than 150 years ago by a young Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville.

More recently, Britain's venerable Economist magazine helped cement Paul Martin's reputation for indecision when it hung him with the "Mr. Dithers" moniker.

So, what is the rest of the world saying about our federal election so far?The short answer is: not much. The BBC has only one short article on its website. The Washington Post has run only short briefs and the Times of London has nothing on its website. Israel's Haaretz newspaper wrote a piece about Canadian Jewish groups asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper not to hold the vote on the first day of the Sukkot festival.Much of the news coverage in the foreign press has come through Associated Press and Reuters wire copy. At least one British columnist has noticed the tepid international coverage."The lack of interest abroad in Canada's national politics is striking - probably partly a perennial stereotype of Canada as peaceful (read: boring) country, partly because the last eight years have required a heightened focus on the big bag of crazy that the institutional politics of Canada's southern neighbour has become," writes Heather McRobie in Britain's leftish newspaper, the Guardian.McRobie goes on to scold Harper and his government's record."For a prime minister with a powerless minority government, he's managed to do an almost impressive amount of damage since coming to power two years ago, damage that - particularly on environmental issues - has an impact far beyond Canada."She advocates abandoning any notions that Canada is an international "good guy." The Wall Street Journal's famously conservative editorial page has a different take."One candidate believes in low taxes, gun rights and a strong national defence. The other has a dog named Kyoto and promises to levy a new carbon tax on industry. Any guess who is favored to win the Canadian federal election set for October 14?"In advocating a Tory majority, the paper says Harper "has shown little appetite for extreme positions and if anything he has proven to be a steady leader who until recently has worked effectively across party lines. Even the separatist movement in Quebec seems to have lost its mojo during his tenure. That may be why Canadians are likely to ask him to stay on."The American online magazine Slate published an article by former Stephane Dion speech writer, Christopher Flavelle with the headline 'What's the matter with Canada?: How the world's nicest country turned mean.'The Economist quotes Machiavelli and predicts another Conservative minority government.The dearth of good foreign reporting in Canada is partly the result of shrinking news budgets. Last year, the Washington Post closed its Canadian bureau, a belt-tightening measure that followed similar moves by the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Wall Street Journal.Still, the New York Times has run several articles about the election, most recently under the headline "Online, a Puffin Stars in a Political Attack in Canada."The article begins: "American election campaigns have a reputation for dirty tactics and negative campaigning. But in the current Canadian federal election, which began just over a week ago, one party started its campaign by immediately dropping dirt of a virtual variety."The Times does point out the bright side to the brevity of our campaigns."Canadians voters weary of attack ads do have one advantage over their American counterparts: the Canadian election campaign lasts only 38 days." Selective Coverage: "'A Prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.' Stephen Harper, Canada's Conservative prime minister, is poised to test this bit of Machiavellian political theory. Having championed legislation last year to fix election dates at four-year intervals, thus curtailing the ability of future governments to call a vote when victory seemed most assured, Mr. Harper is now about to ignore his own law and announce a general election within days. With no overarching issue preoccupying voters still awakening from their summer slumber and with four byelections set for September, which a general election would pre-empt, Mr. Harper presumably has strong reasons for wanting to face the electorate a year before the set date of October 19th 2009. But what are they?"- The Economist magazine, Sept. 4, 2008"If you care about the American election because you're scared of Sarah Palin's skepticism toward global warming, you should worry about Harper's unwillingness to continue his predecessor's work against climate change. If you hated George Bush because of his government's corrosion of civil liberties at home and abroad, the fact that Harper has been a thorough Bush apologist is a worrying indicator of how a full-fledged Conservative government would encroach on the rights of Canadians."- Heather McRobie in The Guardian, Sept. 10, 2008". . . Beneath the calm exterior, Canada's political system is in turmoil. Since 2004, a succession of unstable minority governments has led to a constant campaign frenzy, brutalizing Canada's once-broad political consensus and producing a series of policies at odds with the country's socially liberal, fiscally conservative identity. Canada is quietly becoming a political basket case, and this latest election may make things even worse."- Christopher Flavelle in Slate magazine, Sept. 12, 2008"Mr. Harper has restored the country's international prestige by demonstrating political courage on Afghanistan. The Liberals had sent Canadian troops there in 2001 but began agitating for withdrawal when things got difficult. Mr. Harper has refused to cut and run, and he has chastised those NATO partners in Europe who have shrunk from the fight. He has also boosted defence spending so Canadian troops are properly armed."- Wall Street Journal editorial, Sept. 13, 2008"The notaleader.ca website had a few other odd features. Among them was a homepage illustration depicting Mr. Ignatieff holding a machine gun, and a fictional dog blog ostensibly written by Mr. Dion's family pet, Kyoto. (The dog is so named because Mr. Dion, as environment minister in a previous government, was involved in the talks that led to the international climate change protocol of the same name.)"- Ian Austen in the New York Times, Sept. 14, 2008

Canada's Election 2008

Comments

Categories