Besides the news that Elizabeth May would be joining the leaders’ debate, the big news yesterday was Stephen Harper’s announcement that Canada’s current military mission in Afghanistan would not be extended past the 2011 deadline established by Parliament. It is important to note that this does not mean a complete military withdrawal from Afghanistan at that point, but that the Canadian mission will change dramatically at that point.
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Predictive Stockmarkets Favouring Conservatives Over Liberals
A quick glance at the two major predictive stock markets have Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada leading by a considerable amount. The 2008 UBC Election Stock Market and the Intrade Prediction Market both place a Conservative plurality (meaning, either a minority or majority) at 80% or greater.
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Urban-rural split likely back on the table
The Conservatives’ high-profile promise yesterday to cut the tax on diesel fuels likely won’t have much impact on the average Canadian family, but it’s big news if you’re a heavy user of diesel fuel. Truckers, farmers and fishers will likely benefit. It also sets up a nice contrast with the Liberals’ Green Shift, which would increase taxes on fuels. However, what I think is interesting is that it sets up a rural-urban policy showdown. Two of those three groups (and probably many truckers, too) are primarily rural.
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Focus on B.C.: Richmond Part I
One of Harper’s first stops in this national campaign was on Lulu Island, home of the city (and electoral district) of Richmond, which in my opinion is one of the most interesting and dynamic ridings in B.C..
This is for several reasons. First, the city is home to several distinctive communities that play a role in shaping local politics. In 2001, 57% of the riding’s population were new Canadians, and 44% identified themselves as Chinese. Together with visiting a local Chinese family, it’s no wonder that the media interpreted Harper’s high-profile visit to Richmond as an attempt to appeal to urban ethnic communities.
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Puffingate 2008 and notaleader.ca
I’m not that young nor the hippest cat on the block, but this latest example of bowing before middle-aged squareness is a bit much.
Dion’s weakness is that he is perceived as weak and indecisive; in other words, not a leader. So how best to exploit that? With an entire website mocking him! Thus, a puffin defecates (to use the aghast term of national media writers) on his shoulder; you can play as Dion in a game of "Street Debater" against "The Russian Bear"; or generate Liberal policy in a slot machine. I was already laughing when the preview page came onscreen, asking, "Do you think it’s easy to load websites?" And be sure to visit the blog that Dion’s dog, Kyoto, generously maintains on the site:
Pick Your Party on CTV.ca
Straight from the horse’s mouth! – CTV.ca has a fun yet substantive way to determine which party is right for you. Pick your Party (located on the right side of the site about halfway down) amalgamates party leader quotes on various topics and asks respondents to choose which particular quote best suits their own position.
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