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May, 2004 Archives

May 31, 2004 - An "anything but the Liberals" mentality is leading to some strange bedfellows and integrated behind-the-scenes strategies between the three opposition parties. (click here to continue)

May 29th, 2004 - A hypocritical letter from Stephane Dion, a man who is tripping over his own positions within a party that has forgotten what it stands for. (click here to continue)

May 28, 2004 - Anyone who has taken the time to read the book Homelessness: The Making and Unmaking of a Crisis by Jack Layton would understand that his controversial comments from Wednesday evening came from a point of view grounded in sincere concern rather than political posturing.  Unfortunately for Mr. Layton, his delivery left much to be desired. (click here to continue)

May 27, 2004 - At a time where, as Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer commented yesterday, the NDP in British Columbia are making a significant ideological pitch "to recapture the support it lost to the Greens in 2001" (and succeeding in pulling ahead of the Liberals in province-wide popularity), the flirtations going on between the BC and Alberta governments is a risky proposition for Premier Gordon Campbell. (click here to continue)

May 26, 2004 - The campaign is not even a week old, and the chinks in the Liberal armour are starting to infiltrate the public consciousness. (click here to continue)

May 25, 2004 - The election is under way, and for the first time in a decade, the Canadian media isn't overtly propping up one party over another.  (click here to continue)

May 21, 2004 - The war of quotes between http://www.stephenharpersaid.ca and http://www.teammartinsaid.ca has raised the ire of many media commentators who believe that the tactics employed by both websites and their corresponding ad campaigns are underhanded.  What these pundits fail to realize, however, is that one's history within the public sphere is the bread and butter of any politician - voting records, attendance in the House of Commons, time spent in the community, and quotes - making any claim of dirty politics absolutely ridiculous. (click here to continue)

May 20, 2004 - Former would-be Iraqi kingpin and American ally Ahmad Chalabi had his home raided by American troops to crush what looked to be a military coup in process.  Based on the types of individuals private military contractors are hiring for their operations in Iraq, however, it is clear that for the US and the UK, the end (whatever that represents) justifies the means, no matter how evil the path getting there may be. (click here to continue)

May 19, 2004 - Like Peter McKay last summer, or Paul Martin on a daily basis, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has given further weight to the argument that fear of blatant, public displays of hypocrisy has entirely disappeared from the landscape of Canadian politics. (click here to continue)

May 18, 2004 - With the shocking announcement that Sonia Ghandi will not become India's next Prime Minister, questions arise regarding the supremacy between governments and stock exchanges, and whether this reluctant politician had previously ever considered winning the election. (click here to continue)

May 17, 2004 - From the Montreal Gazette this morning:

"In Montreal last week, Martin gave a major foreign-policy address before a big crowd of nearly 1,000 people. When Martin and the head table walked in the room, there was virtually no applause. The prime minister walks into a room and nothing happens. It wasn't like that when Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, or even Jean Chretien walked into a hotel ballroom in this town."

Ouch.  It is obvious that despite the continuous swarming of Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister himself over the past few months, Paul Martin has failed to enamour Quebec, the province that will determine what kind of government sits victorious come the morning of June 29th. (click here to continue)

May 14, 2004 - A fascinating press conference by Paul Martin this morning reveals some of what he is, and so much more of what he isn't. (click here to continue)

May 13, 2004 - The federal Liberals are fracturing, nowhere more blatantly than on the wacky left coast (Welcome to Beautiful British Columbia), and the birthday of a woman that provides much of the glue that holds the Vancouver Agreement together. (click here to continue)

May 12, 2004 - The difference between "an Irish rock star" and a politician delivering the same message is stark, proving that once again, above all else, sincerity sells. (click here to continue)

May 11, 2004 - On the verge of the election, separate tactical errors by Jack Layton and Stephen Harper could have negative impacts on their party's fortunes. (click here to continue)

May 10, 2004 - The Liberals have chosen two electoral issues upon which to attack the opposition.  However, if Paul Martin does not have a leg to stand on with regards to health care:

"We know the public administration principle of the CHA already provides flexibility on private delivery."
                   - Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew, April 20, 2004, Speech to the
                     2004 Health Policy Summit

"If some provinces want to experiment with the private delivery option, my view is that...we should be examining these efforts."
                   - Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew, April 27, 2004, Testimony to
                     the 2004 Standing Committee on Health

or the war in Iraq:

"To force compliance to the will of the international community is, regrettably, often necessary to threaten the use of armed force or...to employ armed force to compel compliance to preserve international peace and security."
                    - Defence Minister David Pratt, Jan. 29th, 2003, House of Commons

then what is this election about? (click here to continue)

May 7, 2004 - “This party and this country are fortunate to have at their helm a political leader with such deep convictions, who is so extremely dedicated, and who possesses the unique ability to seize the moment.”
                - taken directly from literature distributed to Liberal candidates
                  for the "Team Martin" election campaign

Paul Martin and the Liberals are now starting to dredge up the words of Stephen Harper from his previous incarnations for fodder in their attacks upon the Conservative Party leader.  Fair game, without doubt...that is, of course, assuming that they live by their own set of criteria. (click here to continue)

May 6, 2004 - The disintegration of White House solidarity wouldn't be quite as compelling if it wasn't unfolding before the eyes of the entire world. (click here to continue)

May 5, 2004 - Now that the Liberals have resorted to playground threats to counteract opposition attacks, one must wonder whether they also pass notes asking "Do you like me? Check YES □ NO □" across the floor of the House of Commons. (click here to continue)

May 4, 2004 - The report that has shocked the world, and a musical tribute to Point Grey Gordon. (click here to continue)