Category: Politics

The Conservatives are Podcasting!

Those with Apple's iTunes  loaded on their machines can now subscribe to 'podcasts' of Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's speeches. This is something new that the Tories were not doing when I went on holiday two weeks ago. So far as I know, the federal Tories are the first major Canadian political party to dabble in podcasts. Neither the federal Liberals nor NDP appear to be offering podcasts at their sites.

Podcasts, as some of you may know, are a relatively new form of distributing audio content on the Web. Producers make an audio recording — the most popular podcasts are like radio shows — and then publish a podcast feed. Listeners subscribe to the feed and then, whenever there is a new 'show' or podcast, it is automatically downloaded and available for listening through iTunes or other podcast software.

ABC, for example, puts a podcast of Nightline on the Web. Those who subscribe to it automatically have Ted Koppel on their hard drives whenever he does a new show.

Those who own Apple iPods get these podcasts dumped right on to those devices, hence the name podcasts, and can take their Ted Koppel podcast/broadcast or Stephen Harper speech wherever they go.

Podcasting is absolutely exploding in popularity, the same way blogs took off a couple of years ago.

So far, the Conservative podcast feed has published just one Stephen Harper speech. (It's the one he gave on the rooftop at the Westin in early July to kick off his BBQ tour). I'm sure if we all cross our fingers there will be more Stephen Harper to listen to before the summer is over 🙂 .

You can subscribe, if you're so inclined, to Conservative party speech podcasts at:

http://www.conservative.ca/EN/1868/

There, the Tories have also helpfully provided more info about podcasting.

So far as I know, the only major media organizations in Canada to employ podcasting are the CBC (they have a pilot project with three radio shows available as podcasts) and The Toronto Star. The Star's music reviewer does a podcast in which he reads bits of his column and then plays some of the songs. The Star also does audio versions, via podcast, of some of its other content.

In the U.S. several major media organizations are trying to reach new audiences with podcasts including the Wall Street Journal, CBS Marketwatch, Slate and National Public Radio.

Apple tracks the top podcasts in the U.S. and, today, CNN's news update podcast was number seven on Apple's chart; Ted Koppel's Nightline was at 17 on Apple's chart.

On a related new media note, the Conservatives are also publishing several RSS feeds (all part of a redesigned Web site) for those who like getting their press releases that way.

PJ Radio

Billy Bryans turned me on to this and now I just can't turn it off. It's called PJ Radio – an Internet-based radio station programmed by, presumably, a guy named PJ out of Toronto. PJ Radio is streamed through Apple's iTunes, the first time I've come across such a feed that wasn't part of the pre-programmed package from Apple.
The sound quality is terrific and PJ's musical moods so far this afternoon are right in step with mine.

Conservative caucus in Borden's day …

“…the Conservative caucus, in Borden’s day, was an especially fractious body representing Protestant Orangemen, a small group of French Canadians with growing nationaliste sympathies, veteran Tory members wedded to the ideas and practices of the Conservatism of Macdonald, and young bloods demanding new approaches to both party policy and organization.”

– Granatstein, Abella, et al, Twentieth Century Canada, Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1983, p. 70

Conservatives call for tax cuts; increased military spending

I start reporting on Canadian federal politics Monday. The reporters in the Parliamentary bureau at CTV National News have to cover all aspects of politics and the government but each has some specific beat responsibilities. Mine include the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) and the Supreme Court. For that reason, you’re likely to see more items here about those two institutions than others. You shouldn’t mistake the frequency of posts for an endorsement of either.
I hope the writings here will reflect what I think the core mission of any reporter on any beat ought to be and that is to bear witness.
So, with that preamble, let’s get to it.

Monte Solberg, (left) the CPC Finance Critic, has published an open letter to Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, setting out his party’s goals for the annual budget process and reminding Minister Goodale about some of the commitments the Liberal government agreed to in order to have the Speech from the Throne adopted.

. . . the Conservative Party of Canada believes that the time is now for a major assault on the key elements I have outlined in this letter—first, significant tax cuts for working Canadians; second, measures that will enhance business incentives to innovate and invest in Canada; and, finally a boost to the spending that you have promised to help bring Canada’s military to a more effective level. And, just as we argued during the last election campaign, we are confident that our finances can afford it.

The Conservatives are worried that the Liberals will increase program spending.
Mr. Solberg references a recent report by Don Drummond, the chief economist of TD Bank.
In that report, Mr. Drummond argues that “the tax burden on individuals must … be reduced.” In Mr. Drummond’s analysis, “we found that Canadian households indeed have cause for concern – their economic well being has not advanced for many years. This adds urgency to the need to bolster Canada’s lackluster productivity growth and serves as notice to Canadian governments to lighten the tax burden.”
Mr. Drummond’s is an influential voice in policy circles in Ottawa. That’s because, first, all chief economists at Canada’s big banks, including Mr. Drummond, are routinely consulted by top Bank of Canada and Ministry of Finance officials. Second, Mr. Drummond had a long career as a Finance Ministry official, rising to Assistant Deputy Minister in charge of the federal budget planning process.