Riders are now 8-2.

Zach gets off to an excellent start. I hope the online media teaches the old school Main Stream Media a thing or two about fairness in political coverage and analysis. Those traits have been sorely lacking where it counts, such as the televised leaders debate in past campaigns.

You can find the official list of registered (and deregistered) parties here on Elections Canada’s website.

==

It’s interesting to see the American media’s take on Canadian politics. All the little details are wrong like “liberals” for “Liberals”, and the parroting of the Harper campaign to frame Dion as a “weak leader”.

–
Hat tip to Jeff - BCer in TO

An election is to be held on Tuesday October 14, 2008. As I mused months ago, we are going to have an election before the one in November in the USA.

Harper’s fixed election date lie is covered here for those who’d like to tell their friends that Harper’s first and last acts as Prime Minister were to break both his word (and in the latter case, the law). Remember he appointed unelected Fortier to cabinet?

“But fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar simply for partisan political advantage.”

He said he was willing to give up a prerogative traditionally enjoyed by sitting prime ministers.

“I read the polls saying if I called an election now we would win a majority. The same polls also say no one wants an election now, and no one does want an unnecessary election. So unless we’re defeated or prevented from governing we want to keep moving forward to make this minority parliament work over the next 3½ years.”

[...]

He added: “A federal campaign is very difficult thing to organize, so this is a useful advantage that we’re willing to give up.”

Because the change would be done through a law passed by Parliament, future governments would be free to change it back.

Heck, even his own government was free to change it back, without even passing a new law!

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If you want to know how the election will go, check out the live blogs of it. Go Rhinos!

- The all important honey bee.

-Keep it real, dawg.

Despite investigations by the RCMP and Elections Canada, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have not been convicted of any crimes, yet. You want successful and ethical politicians. You can’t get more successful than a politician who avoids charges after offering “financial considerations” to an MP, reduces food inspections right before a major food quality scandal, and whose party breaks election campaign finance laws to bilk taxpayers out of close to $1M. It takes a lot of talent and connections to do all that.

==

Last night I watched “Juno” [8/10], a quirky movie about teen pregnancy. It has really quirky music in it as well.

I’m mailing the Conservatives 4 pieces of junk mail to try and keep pace with their recent example, and you should too. It’s free, just tape some junk mail into communication they make you pay for, that they mail to you. Better send it soon today though, the House may not be in session by Monday, unless the Governor General has a spine! She actually could stand up for Canadians, when Harper chooses to ask her to break his fixed date election law.

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Hat tip to comment from LF

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There is a compelling, but long letter I want to share with you, and if you agree with it I hope you’ll fax it in to the GG and email. There isn’t much time.

Her Excellency
the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A1 Transmitted via fax : (613) 998-8760

September 4, 2008

Your Excellency

In the matter of the recent news reports of the Prime Minister of Canada suggesting he will request you dissolve government, due to his lack of confidence. I am attaching an Op-ed I wrote recently,
which I feel reflects the feelings of myself and many Canadians.

Canadians have felt powerless for far too long. We are tired of being at the mercy of the whims of our elected officials. We have hired them to do a job, to represent the people of this nation and
hold our best interests in the highest esteem. I am requesting that you ask the member of the Official Opposition whether he feels he has the confidence of the majority of members of the House and if so, allow him to take over as our Prime Minister. (As is part of our Canadian Convention ) If the recent news reports are correct, it is clear then that the current Prime Minister does not want his job and does not feel he can serve. Therefore it is incumbent on you to represent the people’s best interest. I quote our Queen from this government website;

Parliamentary democracy has fostered tolerance and flexibility - a good balance between individual rights and collective responsibilities. And this is because the constitutional monarchy has always placed the emphasis on people in community - as it were, a national family with the Sovereign as its head.

Queen Elizabeth II
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
October 1987
http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/fr-rf/couronne_crown_canada/4_e.cfm

I submit that it is neither in the best interest of Canadians individual rights nor our collective responsibilities, to be paying for another election at this time. I submit that the House was sitting in the spring and did not lose confidence at that time, they have not resumed the next session and there has not been a motion which was defeated. The Prime Minister’s meetings with the leaders of the other political parties, requesting a statement of confidence outside the House is not productive to good government. This is not a game. A minority government should not request a blank cheque from the opposition leaders. This is not responsible government.

I quote from an article on the government website, in bold is the critical point [bold not shown in this blog post]:

“First, in the United States the head of state and the head of the government are one and the same. The President is both at once. Here, the Queen, ordinarily represented by the Governor General,
is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of the Government. Does that make any real difference? Yes: in Canada, the head of state can, in exceptional circumstances, protect Parliament and the people against a Prime Minister and Ministers who may forget that “minister” means “servant,” and may try to make themselves masters. For example, the head of state could refuse to let a Cabinet dissolve a newly elected House of Commons before it could even meet, or could refuse to let Ministers bludgeon the people into submission by a continuous series of general elections. The American head of state cannot restrain the American head of government because they are the same person.”
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/can_am_gov_print-e.asp

Further I quote the importance of minority government (again from a government website) , surely ensures that only legislation that is in the best interest of Canadians can or will be passed. If
legislation cannot be agreed to by the majority of members of Parliament then I submit to you that it is not the will of the people of Canada.

“A reality of “minority governments” is that their life is often quite short. If the government is defeated in the House of Commons or legislature on a vote of non-confidence, the Crown’s
representative must either dissolve Parliament by calling an election or call on yet another member to attempt to form a government that would enjoy majority support. Far from existing only in political theory, this prerogative power has indeed been exercised in Canada - for example, in Ontario in 1985.”

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/fr-rf/couronne_crown_canada/4_e.cfm

In keeping with Canadian tradition, Convention and attitude desiring good, responsible government I am requesting that you act on behalf of the people of Canada, and assert your authority in this matter, sparing the people both the expense and effort of an unnecessary election.

Yours very respectfully

Catherine Whelan Costen

cc: Media

Catherine Whelan Costen
Website: http://web.mac.com/whelancosten
[...]

The Governor General’s fax number is provided within the letter, or
send email to her at info@gg.ca

Impolitical has more thoughts.