School’s out for… No Good Reason Whatsoever

Lately, the big political news in Canada has been Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s third prorogation of parliament in as many years. The opposition parties were quick to accuse him of using the move to delay inquiry into the Afghan detainee abuse scandal, while various Canadian pundits have spent the last week putting in their two cents regarding the issue. Those who read into the situation will find many opinions; very few of them are in favour of the Prime Minister, and many of them call his use of prorogation abusive, using his response to last year’s coalition dispute as evidence. For those who need a refresher, The Globe and Mail’s Rex Murphy paints an excellent picture of the effect of that catastrophe on the make-up of Canadian Parliament in this piece.

Personally, I am of the opinion that the leaders of all four major parties are clowns, and that we ought to consider starting over again. Perhaps if we try really hard, we might be able to elect some people who work for more than just sound bites and care about the future of our country beyond the next four years. Since that’s unlikely to happen, I console myself with the writings of comedian Rick Mercer and musician Matthew Good. Together, they pretty much sum up my thoughts on the matter. It is funny though, that while the Liberal Party’s website sports several videos and press releases commenting on the closure of Parliament, the Conservative Party’s site is just the opposite. There isn’t a comment to be found on the matter. Perhaps it’s better that Harper just keep his mouth shut on the issue. He’s already got everything exactly the way that he wants it.

Politics are No Place for Children

With the Canadian Federal Election less than a week away, I figure it’s important to bring a refreshing view to the campaigns of our various candidates. This video was aired on the Rick Mercer Report a couple weeks ago, and is worth a watch:

Speaking of Elections, the latest Lispop projections (As of October 8th) are giving Stephan Harper’s Conservatives 138/308 seats in the House, which is roughly 45% – A Solid Minority Government, which is great for hippies like me.

To switch elections for just a moment, Rolling Stone Magazine published two excellent articles this month regarding John McCain, and Sarah Palin. Keep in mind that they’re a tad biased, and a definite example of the much rumoured “Liberal Media,” but fantastic reading nonetheless. Biting, entertaining, and unapologetically honest, these are articles that traditional news outlets would be afraid to run.

Cheers,

Jon