Links to news stories about the Conservative health care announcement in Winnipeg as well as links and information about the primary documents sent by the Conservatives, Liberals, and NDP to reporters covering the campaigns. [Read the full post at my new federal election blog at CTV's Web site]
The Health Care Debate
WINNIPEG – Conservative Leader Stephen Harper unveiled another plank in his party's election platform. His government would work to immediately implement a Patient Wait Times Guarantee. He said his plan to cut wait times would “preserve the principles of the Canada Health Act and the . . . [Read the full post at my new federal election blog at CTV's Web site ]
Mr. Happy's Flying Circus
This is the first time I've travelled on a national campaign and I was happy to be introduced by my media colleagues to a grand old campaign tradition yesterday — the naming of the campaign plane. During the 2004 election, the Harper campaign plane was dubbed …. [Read the rest of this post at my new blog at CTV's Web site.]
Day Two: Itineraries
Here's where your party leaders are for day two of this eight-week campaign. I'm with the Harper campaign and we're waking up in Quebec City, do a quick series of photos with Quebec City-area Conservative candidates and then jet away to Halifax for a dinner-hour event. Then it's back on the jet and a flight to Pearson in Toronto. Harper will spend the night in Vaughan, just north of Canada's biggest city.
NDP leader Jack Layton is hangin' in Ontario. He'll be doing events in Toronto, Hamilton, and Oshawa and spend the night in Toronto.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe unveils his party's platform in Montreal.
And the Prime Minister spends the day in Montreal with a variety of campaign events.
Lots of new posts over at that new blog
Another reminder that, for the duration of the current general election in Canada, I’m going to be doing most of my blogging at CTV’s blog site. Today I posted on a Hill and Knowlton “Election Predictor” tool; on Gurmant Grewal’s status within the CPC; on Stephen Harper in an Ottawa-area riding; as well as speeches and press releases from the three main English-language campaigns.
And they're off
Prime Minister Paul Martin goes to Rideau Hall this morning to ask the Governor General to call a general election. Everyone thinks January 23 is a lock but only Martin knows for sure. Martin holds a campaign event in Ottawa early in the evening and then he heads to Montreal by bus where he will spend the night.
Stephen Harper will have something to say about Martin's Rideau Hall visit then he will do a campaign event in Ottawa, kicking off the campaign of Ottawa-West Nepean candidate John Baird. Harper takes his campaign to Quebec City where he will overnight.
NDP Leader Jack Layton starts the day in Ottawa and then heads to his own nomination meeting this meeting in Toronto.
Boudria on Conservative prospects in a riding that's been Liberal since before I was born
The riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell — Ontario's most easternmost riding stretching from Ottawa's east end along the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence [ profile | 2004 Results ]– has voted in a Liberal MP since 1962. The current MP, Don Boudria (left), is retiring. Boudria was first elected in 1984.
That said, the Conservatives believe they have a decent shot at taking this riding.
Here's Boudria, today outside the House of Commons after his last Question Period, on that prospect:
“There's an independent conservative, by the name of Alain Lalonde. He's a former mayor who ran against me last time and did reasonably well all things considered. He lost the nomination when the religious right made a takeover of the entire riding association executive including the nomination and they chose someone else to espouse their views.”
The Conservative Party candidate is Pierre Lemieux .
The Liberals are running Rene Berthiaume and Boudria said he'd help.
Here's how it looks on the order paper
The Liberal government is certain to fall tonight. Here’s what’s on the House of Commons Order Paper:
Opposition Motion — Deferred recorded division
November 24, 2005 — Deferred recorded division on the motion of Mr. Harper (Calgary Southwest), seconded by Mr. Layton (Toronto—Danforth), — That this House has lost confidence in the Government.
I will be in the House Press Gallery and will be blogging from BlackBerry.
What is this election all about?
[This post is also mirrored at my CTV blog.]
On Canada AM this morning, Seamus O'Regan asked strategists from the three major English-language parties what this election is all about.
Steve McKinnon, National Director, Liberal Party of Canada: “I think right now we have a virtuous cycle of surplus budgets, lower taxes and investments in social programs. Change what about Canada? Canada is a country that works.”
Tim Powers, Conservative Party strategist: “What about the vice? The Gomery sponsorship inquiry. The missing $40-million. There's lots of vice. The change is to a government that's accountable, a government you can trust, and a government that doesn't have 12 years of a tarnished image.”
Jamey Heath, NDP Communications Director: “In the last campaign, a million more people voted for the NDP and we got results in this Parliament. We delivered for people in a new budget and that is a new addition to this campaign. It's not just a question of Liberals or Tories”
You can watch McKinnon, Powers and Heath on Canada AM this morning. The link to the video is on this page — look for a heading called Video on the right-hand side of the page and then click on “Canada AM: Political panel discusses the situation in Ottawa.” You’ll need Windows Media Player to view it.
Moving the blog to a new neighbourhood
CTV is going to soon have some blogs up and running in time for the Canadian general election. I’ll be running one there and there will be a community blog. I may double-post — mirror whatever is posted over there, over here — but I encourage you to head over to my CTV blog. RSS feeds are available there as well.
The CTV blogs are still in development so if something goes wonky while you’re there, let me know. All the feedback helps.