As you probably read, some political news emerged over the weekend. First, the word on the street is that the next federal election will be October 14:
The prime minister will declare that, after having met with all three opposition leaders over the last few days, he no longer has the confidence of Parliament, the sources said. As per tradition, it will then be up to Jean to decide whether to dissolve Parliament and set the election date.
I must register to vote here in Victoria.
In other news, the Green Party, in a rather backhanded fashion, acquired its first Member of Parliament. MP for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country Blair Wilson got bounced from the Liberals last year:
Green party Leader Elizabeth May introduced Wilson at a news conference Saturday morning in Ottawa, just a week after he approached the party.
“It felt like coming home,” Wilson said Saturday.
I know very little about him, but I’ve heard some fairly unflattering things about Blair Wilson. Regardless, I’m hopeful that this means that the Greens will get a voice in the TV debates in the upcoming election. They were denied by the broadcasters in the past because they’d never had a sitting MP.
I observed to somebody over the weekend that, in the event that the Green Party leader gets to participate in the debate, it’d be a bit of a pity. Elizabeth May strikes me as kind of a nerd. But, then, looking at our current crop of party leaders, they’re a pretty nerdy bunch.
In sharp contrast, that American election just gets more and more fascinating. It’s the best reality TV I’ve seen in years.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
More and more fascinating? Really?
More and more depressing, surely.
I agree–the American election (complete with hurricane)is the best “reality” show going…Quite fascinating to watch the production that it is–the sheer scale of it blows me away! Even if it makes our upcoming election look a little (a lot) paltry, I am glad to be watching the US election from afar.
I took up watching the conventions on CNN as a transition from the Olympics to hockey season…and I must admit, I am beginning to feel like I am living with Anderson Cooper.
I wanna know what happens with all the New Media and Arts funding cuts that Harper’s government just announced (ie. Telefilms full $14.5M New Media fund was cut). I assume they had plans to announce replacement programs, but if they go into election mode…do we have to wait for a new government for something to happen? Frustrating….
“Peace, order, and good government” is a pretty nerdy creed for a country, so it’s no surprise that we have generally nerdy political leaders some of the time. Jack Layton seems like the least geeky of the bunch — he always strikes me like the friendly manager of a successful bar in the bohemian part of town.
We’ve had plenty of nerds before too: Mike Pearson, Robert Stanfield, Joe Clark, Mike “Let’s Boogie” Harcourt, Bob Rae, and Preston Manning come to mind recently.
But the ones who make a national impression are less nerdy: Sir John A., Dief, PET, Mulroney, Chretien, Levesque, Bouchard, Klein. Most of those guys would eat us nerds (and the current crop of leaders) for breakfast.
Jack Layton strikes me like a used car salesman. And I’d take a geek over a creep like Chretien any day.
I certainly did not realize that. Learnt something new proper now! Thanks for that.