Not to be missed!
I just came across this little gem on the CTV website quoting Harper communications director Kory Teneycke, regarding whether or not Elizabeth May should now be allowed to participate in any televised leaders’ debates:
"Our view is there should only be one Liberal candidate in the leaders’ debate."
Sweet.
Related discussion going on at ChuckerCanuk’s.
But unlike ‘Southern Ontarioan’, I don’t want Lizzie being forced to share her time with Dion if she ends up being allowed to participate.
I want to hear Stephane speak uninterrupted and without a media translation of Dion-speak into English.
* * * *
Update: And who knew that CTV was biased against the Liberals???
September 1st, 2008 at 8:59 am
I don’t think that some Liberal cast-off, suddenly painting himself “Green”, is somehow a ticket to even Liz showing up at the debates. She isn’t even elected herself and if they really want to push the issue, then her Green MP should be the one speaking at the podium, not her.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:07 am
public opinion overwhelmingly indicates that canadians would like May included in the debates.
these kind of smart-assed conservative quips do little to help your cause outside of the conservative rank and file.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:28 am
Of what point are the debates any way.
Duceppe is of no use to most of Canada so why are we debating him. Only the three leaders of the national parties should be included in the debates.
I haven’t heard too much public opinion to include May in anything.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:46 am
surprise surprise but I agree with Jeff on this. I would like to see all party leaders who can satisfy the minimum requirements for running candidates and thus qualify as parties be included in televised debates. That might include the Leninist Marxists but so be it. The national broadcaster should ensure that there are debates, the private broadcasters can do as they wish - Harper/Dion one on one.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:14 am
That’s right WCTeddi, the CBC should be hosting many more debates than they do. The debates are not an advertising stream, they are crucial to the country and it’s a crass farce that media moguls are allowed to determine who will get the face time.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:14 am
Thanks for weighing in here. New poll up.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:17 am
I doubt Stephen Harper is particularly afraid of debating foot in her mouth ellie may. I would like to see actual deabte instead of mud being thrown by ellie may and her boyfriend dion. Will she agree not to say anything nasty about dion at a debate? Has dion got her muzzled when it comes to grit incompetence on the environment?
September 1st, 2008 at 10:40 am
I think it might not be a bad thing to allow the greens in the debate, maybee it will water the left down even more, and then some in Quebec. They won’t be stealing from centerists or right leaning voters.
Who knows though, I could be completely wrong.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:02 am
Let Dizzy Lizzy debate, of the few homeless, panhandlers, skin heads, hippies and sock and sandles, most don’t bother voting anyway.
And yes, if the left is watered down to three main parties not including the Marxist and Marihuana parties (I won’t even include the soon to be defunct BQ)then the extremely vocal minority leftist moonbats of Canada are in for a very rude awakening on Oct 15 AM.
The silent majority CENTRIST Canadians are going to get their majority again but this time it won’t be with the Liberal party of Canada: They have moved to LEFT field lalaland.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:10 am
Johanne, I always suspected almost all the MP’s frequent these blogs. Do you have any proof about this? Do you know any that frequent your blog? If you would rather not say to respect their privacy, that’s fine.
Just curious.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:11 am
[...] the flimsy rationale of the Tories on this issue more than satisfied the apes here and here, but then we’ve long since given up being surprised at such things. Whether the “Broadcast [...]
September 1st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
When will Dion/Cherniak be demanding May to state her position on abortion?
Followed your link to Chuckercanuk. Looks like that commenter Joe Green forgot to get his meds prescription refilled.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:31 pm
“public opinion overwhemlingly indicates that Canadians would like May included in the debates”
prove it Jeffy.
Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t a party need to be ELECTED first to be granted a spot in a debate? Since May’s boy-toy wasn’t elected I would think this still doesn’t qualify May for a spot in the debates.
I also do believe that because Dion/May have a proven, and much publicized deal on running(or not) running candidates to help the other…..that’s another reason for nixing the Green’s out of the debate.
I’ve be voting a solid NO!
September 1st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Jeff, you continually go around posting that 64% of Canadian’s do not support the Conservative’s.
Every poll that comes out has the greens in either single digits or low teens.
So where exactly are you getting this overwhelmingly public opinion?
September 1st, 2008 at 12:42 pm
…When will Dion/Cherniak be demanding May to state her position on abortion?
Darn good question, Paul!
September 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pm
“…When will Dion/Cherniak be demanding May to state her position on abortion?
Darn good question, Paul!”
That might help Harper WHEN they put him on the spot about the abortion question.
Yes! Let her in!!!
September 1st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
BTW, I am staunchly pro-life, and I am not putting her down for her views which I share by any means. However, they have performed a witchhunt on Harper b/c of his beliefs, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone with the same or similar beliefs enter the equation.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
There’s two ways to look at this: Every time May opens her yap, everyone can see how nuts she is. Her demeanor, everything points to that. Canadians with functioning brains would clearly see that.
On the other hand, she has openly endorsed another candidate for PM, Dion, thereby saying she has no chance in hell of becoming PM. She would be there supporting him. They have tag-teams in wrestling, but not in political debates. She won’t criticize Dion, she has the hots for him. She does not need to be there.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I would like to see Lizzy in A debate, perhaps with all the other fringe parties.
And Lizzy has already made her views on abortion know, she’s prolife.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
That might help Harper WHEN they put him on the spot about the abortion question.
Yes! Let her in!!!
Good point. And I already voted on my own poll. Too bad.
However, they have performed a witchhunt on Harper b/c of his beliefs, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone with the same or similar beliefs enter the equation.
I agree. She got slammed for her pro-life views already, and has learned to keep her mouth shut but I’m sure we can dredge that up again.
However, I do feel conflicted because I hate that being pro-life is made out to be so verboten in this country.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:31 pm
“However, I do feel conflicted because I hate that being pro-life is made out to be so verboten in this country.’
I think that’s more what the Liberal’s want people to think than what is in fact reality. There will always be conflicting points of view from either side.
What the Liberal’s try to infer is that those who are pro-life are in some way unfit for government office. Which is a total pile of b.s. when you realize how many Liberal MP’s voted in favor of Epps bill, Something like 25 of them.
Where was the Toronto Star?CBC headline stating over one quarter of Liberal MP’s oppose abortion?
September 1st, 2008 at 3:33 pm
If Lizzie wants to participate, can she show she has anything to offer other than a vendetta over the merging of the PC and CA parties?
September 1st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
“They have tag-teams in wrestling, but not in political debates.”
Well put, Soccermom.
Re: Mr. Harper’s position on abortion, I distinctly remember him answering a question about it, either during the 2004 or the 2006 election campaign.
He said that he was personally opposed to it, but that it was a matter for a free vote (a matter of conscience), and that his government would NOT be bringing forth any legislation on abortion.
Personally, I don’t think it should become an issue in a coming election. The reason Dion brought it up is simply to distract people from his own failed policy proposal - the GST2 (Green Shift), as some commenters cleverly refer to it.
As Wilson said, if May is to be part of a debate, let her debate with leaders of other fringe parties. She’s already a darling of some talk shows, so she certainly gets plenty of media exposure. And with her non-stop chatter, she has been able to state her position often enough.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Why should Lizzy be allowed to contribute to the nonsense we call debate? As it is there is way to much caterwauling and name calling. If we could structure an intelligent discussion of the issues facing Canada then I would have no problem with Lizzy’s participation.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:03 pm
we’ll find out soon enough. Looks like the lemming emerged from his hole, saw his shadow and that means…….Dion claims(as per the G&M website) that Harper told him there WILL be an election this fall.
Great….let’s get rolling and shut the Liberals down once and for all!!
So, if Flaherty loses this time could he replace Tory and replace Dalton?
September 1st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Babylonian Says:
Johanne, I always suspected almost all the MP’s frequent these blogs. Do you have any proof about this? Do you know any that frequent your blog? If you would rather not say to respect their privacy, that’s fine…
Actually, I have no way of knowing exactly who reads my blog, but I have statistical counters that tell me roughly where the hits are coming from.
Lots of hits from various federal areas including the House of Commons, GTIS (Government Telecommunications and Informatics Service), and many others.
Also many hits from provincial sites and major cities.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:27 pm
…and of course, Red Tory.
September 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I wonder … is it possible that PM Harper played all the opposition leaders like fiddles, as Paul Wells said?
M. Dion came out of 24 Sussex sputtering and almost blowing smoke out his ears. M. Duceppe and Mr. Layton also came out bragging that the election was on, sure thing.
What if? … Mr. Harper comes out with a statement saying OK, there are no guarantees the government won’t fall when the timing is propitious for the opposition, so I’ll take my chances and continue to govern, passing whatever legislation the opposition allows us to pass. After all, they all did say that Parliament was working fine, that most of our legislation was getting through … and I’ve been saying all along I want to govern until Oct. 09.
Keep in mind, though, my crystal ball has not been too accurate in predicting my lottery wins
September 1st, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Interesting take, Gabby. I was wondering the same thing. But then, that would give Dion a chance to time things on his schedule, like say after the party gets its next installment from Elections Canada…
September 1st, 2008 at 7:10 pm
” … that would give Dion a chance to time things on his schedule …”
True, but unlike some wines and cheeses, Dion doesn’t seem to improve with age.
September 1st, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Wow, I see Jeff Davidson is shopping himself around. What happened, Jeffie, get run off from SDA? If you want to refute my “opinion” at the start of the day, why not state your piece instead of ad-hominems? I’m all ears, that’s what blogs are for. By the way Jeffie, who said I was a Conservative?
As for that Chucker-link, WOW again! I am just gob-smacked with what’s posted there. Should be an interesting election, should it actually accur.
September 1st, 2008 at 7:57 pm
public opinion overwhelmingly indicates that canadians would like May included in the debates.
I’d love to see where this little gem of a quote comes from.
I have less respect for May, rather than more now. Do I count?
September 1st, 2008 at 8:04 pm
However, I do feel conflicted because I hate that being pro-life is made out to be so verboten in this country.
I don’t think it is. We debate this over and over in this country, and the vast majority of Canadians believes in abortion on demand. All major parties (including the CPC) basically agree on this, whether for political reasons or not.
September 1st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
…and of course, Red Tory.
He gets a bit lonely on his high horse, and deigns to visit the more conservative blogs.
September 1st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
M. Dion came out of 24 Sussex sputtering and almost blowing smoke out his ears.
That’s because he wanted cheese doodles for a snack, and Harper claimed that they were completely out of them.
September 1st, 2008 at 8:24 pm
“That’s because he wanted cheese doodles for a snack …”
Umm, somehow Dion doesn’t strike me as the cheese doodles type. ‘Crudités’ maybe (raw veggies, probably organically grown, and cut to specified matchstick length).
September 1st, 2008 at 8:47 pm
He gets a bit lonely on his high horse, and deigns to visit the more conservative blogs.
He’s not really all that bad, ya know.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Game on !!! Can’t wait for the debates..and what the main issues will be. A Golden quote from Peter Donolo on CTV Nat.News tonite on what the priorities should be..and how Dion is mistaken on the environment being top concern.. Peter: ” It’s like he (Dion) showed up for a hockey game,in baseball gear”..kinda says it all,don’t it kids!!!!
OT here,but did any of you parents here see the segment on cbc tonite about the lineup of new books for upcoming school curiculum in Ont? Not sure if it was just TO specific,but it was pretty unsettling.The series of books,written by Jane Springer bear the titles:
Sex for Guys
Pornography
Climate Change
Genocide
Being Muslim
Dependance on Oil
Crisis in Africa
Empire!
They interviewed the authour,and her publisher(didn’t catch the name),but the pub.said that ‘her own kids look up to authours like Naomi Klein,and MICHAEL MOORE !!!! Some of the kids interviewed said ‘they liked that the authour stated an opinion,and weren’t neutral’
There you have it…kids being told what to think by the leftards,being shoved down there throats in the new,open,inclusive,school system.Yet,earlier in News,they had segment on Que.schools being ‘forced’ to not be Catholic only…and parents removing their kids.Scary times people..be vigilant.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Oops,just noticed I spelled author wrong,twice! Take a read of headline column in G&M..re:Cons.close to MAJORITY.they actually have a half decent photo of PMSH as well.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:36 am
Thanks for all that, Sammy.
I just noticed the poll. Very encouraging!
Great quote by Donolo!! Thanks for that. I’ll have to file that one away for future reference.
Re: Ont public education - It has long been a hotbed for pushing environmentalism and promoting ‘tolerance’ which is to say that it doesn’t tolerate any dissenting views.
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:17 pm
He’s not really all that bad, ya know.
Yeah, I know. He turns a good phrase, but can’t see that the current LPC is irredeemable.
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Moebius, I take it all back about RT not being that bad. I never thought he’d take a shot at Duff. That’s unforgivable.