down in Florida going on now and our election coming up, I’ve had occasion to check out the Elections Canada website. Elections Canada is the commission that runs all federal elections here, and I was surprised to see that their website is quite lovely and very well organized. It features excellent use of rollovers in the main menu structure, and generally a really clean layout. No sample ballot that I could find though.
My attention turned
to our own Federal general election tonight, as I watched the English language debate between the leaders of the 5 major parties. I was quite disappointed in the whole thing, although frankly I didn’t expect much.
Dan Rather, following all the US debates, was loathe to call them debates at all, suggesting that rather than debate it was really an opportunity for the two leaders to talk about their platform only – the other guy just happened to be in the room. Our debate here was the opposite – it was all acrimonious bickering and no annunciation of coherent platforms. None at all.
Alexa McDonough, leader of the ever-smaller federal NDP, came off the best by far, in my opinion. My own MP, Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc Quebecois, was actually pretty good – except the idea that overwhelms everything else he stands for is diametrically opposed to my view of things. Joe Clark, the once and current leader of the Progressive Conservative party was OK, but it’s clear that although he’s a decent guy, his time has passed.
Which leaves Jean Chretien and Stockwell Day. Chretien, the leader of the Liberal party (and current PM, if you’re not from around here) was basically in an impossible situation. He didn’t meet it very well. Day came off like a motivational speaker – a lying, duplicitous motivational speaker. He and his Canadian Alliance cronies are probably the scariest thing to happen to Canadian politics in years. Which is enough said about him.
One of my favourite things
in the world is to watch election results. I’m an election geek. I caught the bug early, and I’m sure it was enhanced living in Quebec and participating in referendums and elections about the very future of my adoptive home in Canada. Anyhow, the tracking polls were too close to call as recently as last night, which will make for extra fun viewing tonight. I know I’ll have to hold myself in control to keep from throwing things at my teevee – that’s part of the appeal.
And to my cousins down there in the US… VOTE!
This is an interesting
surpise: Peru’s Fujimori Calls New Elections, Will Not Stand As Candidate. I’ve always half-followed Peruvian politics. Which is weird except if you know that I grew up around the block from the Peruvian Embassy house in Ottawa, so at a very young age I developed a mild fascination for Peru and it’s politics.
The election campaign
is getting weirder and weirder. Mostly cause of G W’s seeming embrace of big government. Whether it’s the military, prescription drugs, education, health care (in general), or, I expect, a number of pronouncements to come, Bush keeps suggesting to spend spend spend. Trouble is that it’s cynical as hell, and irresponsible, cause it’s doubtful that he can pay for it – leastwise with a flat tax like Steve Forbes (likely in a Bush cabinet) would love to bring in.
