Newfoundlander

There are also article out there like this one that commend Harper's French. Anyways the people that elected Harper are not the same people who will elect his successor. Also candidates like Scheer and Bernier will make knowing French an issue.

The article mentions he is much more comfortable in French than Dion was in English. Dion does not communicate great in English but I personally wouldn't consider it awful. The criticism seems to be that Harper is speaking the wrong kind of French, because it's Ottawa French. As for saying his is the worst of any long serving PM since Pearson, he's really the only non-Quebecker of the bunch. Windsor-born Martin, who never really served long-term, had a Francophone father and lived in and represented Montreal. Chretien, Mulroney and Trudeau Sr. were all Quebeckers. (It never really dawned on me before that Harper was pretty much the first Anglophone PM in almost 40 years when he was elected)

I don't speak French so I don't know how good someone's is but I never heard anybody say his French was appallingly bad. He seemed quite able to communicate in French.

I don't think I am, people know it's needed to be electable. I'd say the people who likely wouldn't care about French are those that wouldn't support someone like Raitt who is seen as a Red Tory.

Her French will be the biggest hurdle for her campaign, if she can't improve it, or learn it, quickly she may not even make it too convention. Erin O'Toole also makes her candidacy tougher, I think many people would be happy to support either one of them. While O'Toole says his French is not great at the moment he had been fluent. If his French is strong and hers is not I think people will chose O'Toole over Leitch.

Hmmmm... we better be careful in Newfoundland and Labrador then because we have our own culture here.

Why should I hate other cultures exactly? Actually the better question is why should I care enough about other cultures to let it bother me?

Thank god for the "elite" and the media if they can help prevent a north of the border Trump.

Does supporting a carbon tax make someone too liberal? As opposed to the "conservative" solution of more regulations and bigger government.

I was just thinking the same thing.

So how would transgender people fit into this? Would being opposed to gender neutral washrooms or opposed to allowing transgender people to use whichever washroom they prefer be grounds for not being allowed in this country?

Okay, so which Canadian values should they be screened for?

So what else should they be screened for?

So current screening protocols are not enough?

He's written numerous letters recently on different political issues.

Erin O'Toole is now expected to enter the leadership race.

The federal government basically mandates the provinces to offer certain standards and provides funding but each province is responsible for providing it and now fund like 75% of health costs (depending on the province). At one time the federal government covered about 50% of health care costs.

Seeing neither really have that option available to them I doubt that they will.

Well she is young and blonde...

How is Rempel an "airhead?"

Lisa Raitt's career is arguably more impressive than Bernier's.

Yeah because leaving sensitive foreign affairs documents at an ex-girlfriends house, who was connected with the Hell's Angels, was just a little mistake.

While she actually worked with universities as opposed to the private sector, Rempel had a fairly successful - and short - career. Prior to entering politics she won an award for her work as a managing director with the University of Calgary. http://www.financialpost.com/executive/women/wxn/detail.html?id=217

Michelle Rempel is considered by some to be too young to enter the race. For some reason though Andrew Scheer - who is 9 months older - is a possible leading candidate. Unlike Rempel, he has no cabinet experience and seeing he's been an MP since he was like 25 he doesn't have much experience outside of politics. I think Rempel is an impressive politician who could add some excitement to the race. She'll also be the same age that Joe Clark was when he won the leadership of the PC Party.

Trudeau is an amazing speaker. But being an amazing speaker doesn't make someone prime minister material.