Like most Canadians it seems, on Monday I posted a note on my Facebook page mentioning that I was saddened by Jack Layton’s death while highlighting the courageous battle he fought against a disease that has had an impact on just about every person and family I know. Over the past few days I have been startled at how Mr. Layton is often being positioned in both social and traditional media as a man who was a future “savior” of our country. I get it when people overreact in their comments following someone’s untimely death but Jack Layton was NOT the “chosen one” nor would he have been the savior of our country. He was a good politician who worked hard and who ended up in the right place at the right time in Canadian political history. The NDP’s newfound status in parliament has a lot more to do with the mess that is the Liberal Party at this point in history and the fact that the NDP became this election’s “flavour of the month” for Quebec voters than anything else. The NDP gained 66 in the last election, 58 of them in Quebec…hardly a national movement. They became the latest benefactors in Quebec’s habit of voting “en masse” for one party or another in federal elections. It used to be the Liberals, and then it was the Conservatives, then the Bloc Quebecois…now it is the NDP. Who knows, by the next election maybe Quebecers will have gone Green.
Rest in Peace Mr. Layton and may your family and friends find some solace in the fact that you are no longer suffering from the awful disease that is cancer!
A few more political thoughts:
· Weird times in Canadian politics. Only one of the federal parties has an actual leader. The Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois all have interim leaders. In a related note, does anyone else find it strange that the interim Liberal leader has more experience as a member of the NDP than the interim leader of the NDP?
· I wish there was a “training school” where we could send municipal politicians after the first year of their term. Two courses I’d like to see offered at such a school would be: “Introduction to the 21st century 101” and “Removing that fence post from my posterior 101”. Does anyone else have suggestions?
· I think that any political advisor, strategist, party rep that appears on Sunday morning television shows should be yanked immediately off-stage by a crotchety old guy with a hook just like in the old cartoons if they do nothing but repeat the same “talking points” as opposed to answering the questions they are asked.
A few random thoughts:
· Does Much Music even show music videos anymore? Frankly, I don’t want to “keep up with the Kardashians”. As for Jersey Shore, the predecessor to that show was on CBC in Canada years ago was much better. It was called Bob & Doug McKenzie…less boobs, more beer and bacon!
· I really hope that Sidney Crosby is ok and can return to play at the start of the NHL season. I don’t care if you hate the Penguins, guys as talented as him are important to the league. By the way, did I mention that he scored “The Goal”!
· Tried to tell someone that I was surprised that she looked younger in pictures from 10 years ago because in my mind’s eye she had not aged over the years. Note to all the guys who read this blog, there is no out on that one. No matter how I tried to explain, it came across has her looking older…inside voice-outside voice! Luckily the person in question tuned me out years ago!
· Finally…I wish there was a way of getting accurate crowd counts for events that do not have a gate and/or paid entrance in my community. I’ll admit that I’m a bit jaded from my past as an organizer of events where tickets were sold and accurate counts were kept. For that reason I get annoyed when I see “out of whack” estimates of how many people attend the “Summer Concert Series”, the “Kayak Challenge” and other events in Timmins. These are good events that should continue. To attempt and add to their credence and feasibility with inflated attendance numbers is an old trick that should not be necessary.
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