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“In just eight days, Canadians must make a decision that was never going to be easy and is now downright vexing,” writes James Travers in today’s Toronto Star. Travers’ opening comment in his Star essay comes on the heels of the release of today’s EKOS Resarch poll, which shows the Conservatives still with a narrow lead, with 31.4 per cent support of decided voters, while Prime Minister Paul Martin’s Liberals are at 29 per cent.
The NDP has picked up some strength, with 20.5 per cent, while the Bloc Québécois is at 14.2 per cent. The Green party has 4.3 per cent.
Although the latest EKOS and Ipsos-Reid polls still show the Tories marginally ahead, the polls don’t fully account for the latest wave of Grit attack ads, the Liberal bid to yoke Stephen Harper to Brian Mulroney and depict Harper and Ralph Klein as kissing cousins on undermining the Canada Health Act, or the bizarre Tory press release on Paul Martin as favouring child porn — and the refusal of Harper to apologize for it.
Yesterday’s SES-CPAC tracking poll, titled ‘Tories slide on first night of new ad’, shows the Grits with a decided-voter preference of 34 per cent, the Tories at 29 per cent, and the NDP at 22 per cent. This would seem to confirm the latest Liberal internal polling, showing the Liberals once again in front, heading towards election day.
The Knives Come Out For Belinda Stronach
 Belinda Stronach |
Star Tory candidate, and recent Conservative Party leadership hopeful, Belinda Stronach, is getting a rough ride from constituents in her home riding of Newmarket-Aurora, on the way to what is presumed to be an assured electoral victory come June 28th.
Opponents of the 38-year-old former Magna International CEO questioned Stronach’s credentials and blamed Magna for cutting jobs and wages. Another opponent referred to anti-abortion statements made by Conservative candidates that jar with Ms. Stronach’s own pro-choice position, and demanded an answer to the question: “How can we believe what you say when we’re getting so many different views?”
Harper’s Agenda Weakens Canada
In their lead editorial today, the Toronto Star asks, “What would Canada look like today if Stephen Harper’s Conservatives had their way?” Their answer: radically different.
Although the Star suggests “few will object to Harper’s promise to deliver better health care, lower taxes, a stronger economy, accountability, and restored integrity to government … voters may want to consider the rest of the Tories’ sweeping programme for change. Because come June 29, we may wake up to a very different country in the making.”
- Weakening Parliament: From appointing only elected senators — who would thwart the will of the House of Commons — to the implementation of ‘direct democracy’ referenda, which would almost inevitably lead to decision-making gridlock.
- Weakening the Supreme Court. Applying an American-style litmus test to the appointment process.
- Weakening civil rights. The Tories are prepared to overrule the Supreme Court and Canada’s cherished Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to the point of infringing on freedom of thought … overruling the Charter is a slippery slope that would legitimize attempts to strip away other rights.
The Star quotes Toronto Mayor David Miller as saying that the Conservative programme is a “recipe for Canada as a country to fail.” Although Miller was making specific reference to the Tories’ indifference to cities, his criticism applies to so much more, they say.
Michael Moore Turns Up Heat On Tories and Grits
 Documentarian Michael Moore |
In an article published in today’s Globe and Mail, American documentarian (and contrarian) Michael Moore puts in his two cents about the federal election campaign.
Visiting Canada for an advance screening of his new film, Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore said he has spent a lot time trying to persuade Americans that Canadians are smart and his country should be more Canada-like. Electing Conservatives — whose leader, Stephen Harper, once advocated joining U.S. President George W. Bush’s war in Iraq — would spoil his argument, he said.
“You’re going to make me look really bad,” he said, to hoots of laughter. “I really need you to make sure that Mr. Harper does not take over the prime ministership. Why would you want to be like us?”
“[Ronald] Reagan and Mulroney start to look good when you think about Bush and Harper,” Mr. Moore said during a political t�te-�-t�te with Mr. Mulroney’s son Ben for CTV’s E-Talk Daily. “Because now, now, let’s jump ahead 20 years, all right, to the ‘Conservatives’ that we have now. These people; they’re off the grid …”
For insight into Stephen Harper’s policies, as well as important 2004 federal election news events, click on VanRamblings’ full Decision Canada coverage.
