Canadian Election Debate
Last night I watched the televised election debate at Grinders, a coffee house that's been in my city for years and has always been a hangout for musicians and artists. I have to say that having five parties is far more interesting than two and watching the candidates bicker and rake Stephen Harper over the coals was far more entertaining than Palin and Whatshisface. Of course that means that there's more choice come election day since it's not just an either/or choice like it essentially is in the U.S.
Basically Conservative leader Stephen Harper tried to cover his ass (someone should really tell him that covering your face with your glass when saying 'I will not raise taxes' isn't really going to convince people of your honesty), the leader of the Bloc Quebecois was amusingly snarky and stirred things up. I suppose as the leader of a one-province party that will never end up in power you have a bit more leeway with what you can say at these things. The Liberal leader Stephan Dion made a rather bland impression and the NDP leader Jack Layton made some very good points and was very dynamic if a bit over the top a couple times.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May was the only woman there but she made a good impression and her party's plans and solutions were very practical and not at all like the new age hippy stuff some people seem to think the Green Party consists of. Harper tried to block her from attending, asshole that he is, but in the end May got in a couple good shots at him so it was all good.
It's gotten to the point where I don't care who wins so long as it's not Harper and his Conservatives. He shamelessly sucks up to Bush and the Republicans, he cuts funding to women's groups and groups that help the homeless, he gives a tax break that only benefits his rich buddies, and he advocates looser gun laws and at the same time promoting tougher sentences for youth offenders. Yeah, let's put those kids in jail where they can learn from the real hardened criminals. Smart move Harper.
He's also shown a marked disdain for the arts and has done his best to remove funding for people in that sector. Canadian author Margaret Atwood printed a very interesting article in The Globe and Mail newspaper here: www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080924.wcoarts25/BNStory/politics/home