My E-Mail to CBC Radio's The House

Peter MacKay is trying his best to hide Harper's charge to snuggle up to the United States. Unfortunately for him, he's just not very smart. Here's what I wrote to CBC's show The House on the subject:

Peter MacKay let slip something very telling today in your interview with him about a shift to foreign aid focus to the Americas. When asked if Canada was not just mirroring U.S. policy, MacKay sought to reassure Canadians that Canada would have leverage to help deal with human rights and democracy issues in Cuba and Venezuela.

Mentioning Venezuela specifically when there are many other South and Central American nations in far worse shape reveals that Canada's New Government is buying into the Hugo Chavez as Bogey-man narrative being pushed by the Bush Administration and the U.S. news media. This doesn't leave me with a lot of hope that Canada will be a positive force in our own part of the world.

Labels: CBC, PEI Politics

Green: Third Party in a Two Party System

Sure the Guardian could have mentioned them, that's fine. But there's just no longer a need for a green party in Canada, concern for the environment has become one of, if not the top issue on the majority of people's minds, and mainstream politicians and parties are not going to have to have good environmental policies if they want to be elected. It's like any other good idea, it starts out on the fringes but eventually it becomes accepted by more and more people and it enters the popular consciousness. At this poiint the need for a protest party disappears — especially in a rep-by-pop electoral system like we have here.

Of course it doesn't help that those attracted to the political fringes often bring a lot of baggage with them, like being completely and utterly [redacted]. You can't go a day without hearing about climate change and people's concerns for the environment in the news, so I'd say we're into that phase now.

During the last federal election I remember someone saying taht David Suzuki should run for the Green party. I replied that he'd do a heck of a lot more good running for the Liberal party, and becoming the minister of the environment when they actually form a government.

Labels: Elections, Environment, PEI Politics

The Also-rans Debate

CBC radio ran a segment this morning where they had PEI Green Party leader Sharon Labchuk on along with Dean Constable, leader of the New Democratic Party of PEI. The premise was to give the longshot parties some airtime where they're not dodging crossfire from the two main parties acting outraged about one unwise big spending plan while talking up their own equally illl-thought out big project.

Now, I'm writing this as someone with a Dean Constable sign in my window, but I have to say he came off miles better than Labchuk did. He realized he had nothing to gain from taking swipes at her or her party, and instead talked in his usual way, straightforwardly addressing what he thinks government should be doing better to improve lfe for islanders.

Unfortunately this wasn't the sensational radio that CBC probably wanted, so they let Labchuk have the majority of the air time. What she proceeded to give us was a series of petty swipes at the NDP and those who've support the NDP now and have in the past - insulting and belittling the voters most people think would be the first to turn to her party.

Meanwhile, the PC party ca ntout successes in wind energy and initiatives in reforming the farming industry to claim taht they're the real deal if one wants to be conscious of the environment - no need to throw away your vote. I still believe that there would be no problem at all for an intelligent, well-spoken environmental expert to run as a candidate for a major party, and become the obvious choice to be minister of the environment in a ruling government and actually do some good - rather than following the road of uncompromising (supposedly) ideology down the dark path into the political fringe. Our environment deserves better support tha nthat.

Labchuk even dismissed the role the NDP has had nationally as the conscience of the ruling party. She can turn herr health card over to me, and I'll put it on display up on this blog if she wishes to stick to her guns on that statement.

This election is doing very little besides piss me off repeatedly.

Labels: CBC, Elections, Green Party, NDP, PEI Politics