Headed over to Willowdale today for a BBQ and campaign rally for Martha Hall-Findlay. It was standing room only, and lots of excitement with, as Martha said, only two sleeps until election day.
Besides a packed room full of Liberals from Willowdale and across Ontario all coming in this weekend to held send Martha to parliament there were also a lot of federal and provincial Liberals out to lend their support, including Kathleen Wynne, Mark Holland, Ken Dryden and Carolyn Bennett.
I think Dr. Bennett probably had the best line of the day, calling Martha a “Steve-stopper.” Dryden also had some good thoughts as always, about the need to keep pushing hard even though we’re nearly at the finish.
Martha had a great speech, and also told us something I didn’t know. Apparently the Conservative candidate in Willowdale, Maureen Harquail, is Jim Flaherty’s cousin. Yes, the same Jim Flaherty 
that has been going around telling everyone how much Ontario sucks. Apparently a reporter asked her if she ever wishes her cousin would just shut the heck up already. Consulting her CPC-issued hymm book, she was unable to find an appropriate scripted answer, and stammered something about standing-up for Willowdale in Ottawa.
Anyway, lots of spirit in Willowdale and nothing at all being taken for granted. It will be a big push Monday to get out the vote, should be a fun day. I’m looking forward to seeing Martha on the Liberal bench in the House of Commons. And then campaigning again, hopefully very soon.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Spirits are high in Willowdale
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24 comments:
Jeff, you can see Flaherty's cousin squirming on CPAC. It was pretty awful.
Martha's in. Lucky us.
While I appreciate that everyone's all excited about Hall-Findlay, what, exactly, would she do for Willowdale? I see nothing on her website explaining how she'd be anything other than just another Liberal. Which tends to leave non-partisans like me in the riding without any clear reason to vote for her.
Of course, in this she's the same as everyone else.
I think Dr. Bennett probably had the best line of the day, calling Martha a “Steve-stopper.”
Her eyes always seem to light up at the prospect of dealing with Stephen Harper. She seems excited and energised by the challenge. We need more of that approach in Parliament.
At the end of the day, it all depends on how she votes, no matter what she says against Harper Cons policies.
If she is just going to mouth platitudes and sit on her hands, not show up for votes, well we just elected another "seat warmer."
I'd be surprised to find out if Jan can even tell the difference between a platitude and a insightful, credible assertion.
Keep trying, Jan. The NDP appreciates your help, I'm sure.
I find myself underwhelmed by Martha.
Her speaking style is ineffective in English, and abysmal in French. She is not a quick witt or good at the cut and thrust repartee that Question Period demands. She is running in a "jewish" riding but she has a history of criticizing Israel. Willowdale has a huge Chinese and South Asian population, but she repeatedly says that gender issues trump multiculturalism when it comes to political represntation.
Remmove the ovaries and her career would be over by now. She will win because Harquail is even worse, but the margin of victory will be drastically reduced. I predict a Belinda-style flame-out in short order after her election.
Her speaking style is ineffective in English, and abysmal in French.
Oops...you over-reached there, Liberal-basher. Hall-Findlay's French is impressive....far, far better than Stephen Harper's.
I suspect the shills will be out in full force today and tomorrow. How dreary.
Sorry, her French is very hard on the ear. What is worse, I have not heard her string more than two sentences together in French at a times - shades of Kim Campbell's imploding Russian!
If only "Liberal-bashers" were unimpressed by Martha, she would be leader of our Party now.
adhr, did you find someone to vote for? I notice you had a post on your blog asking who was worth voting for, as you thought all candidates looked bad.
I don't live in Willowdale, so I don't know what the issues specific to that riding are. Martha seems geared up to stop Harper, which has to be good for Toronto and Ontario generally, because Harper has written these off and Flaherty is more interested in attacking Ontario than working with Ontario. Harper seems determined to single Ontario out for less representation in the HOC (by rewriting the seat rules) and for less support from Ottawa.
Name me one Conservative MP that works for their constituents in Ottawa. You can't when you take orders and abide by the wishes of your leader only. It's impossible to only take orders and work for your constuents at the same time.
How many Ontario Conservative MP's have stood up for Ontario? NONE.
Sorry, her French is very hard on the ear. What is worse, I have not heard her string more than two sentences together in French at a times - shades of Kim Campbell's imploding Russian!
Sorry, you don't know what you're talking about. You're just transparently propagandising.
You overshot, shill. If you're really a Liberal, why would care at this stage about Hall-Findlay's French in relation to the election in Willowdale? It just doesn't make sense.
Name me one Conservative MP that works for their constituents in Ottawa.
It's actually a little silly to wonder what your federal MP will do specifically for your riding, since most government services are delivered by the province and by the municipality.
I think is just the tired "what's in fer me?" complaint that people think is meaningful political discussion. And that's assuming it's not just anti-Liberal shilling...
ch,
I did not. I'm leaning towards Canadian Action, as much as a protest vote as anything. I've always liked some of the CAP's policies, although they've gone weirdly conspiracy-theorist about the World Trade Center attacks. And anti-free trade, which is equally silly.
At the end of the day, Willowdale is a Liberal stronghold and has been for years. What will be interesting to see, though, is whether that will survive Peterson's retirement. I see a lot of Harquail signs around.
ruralsandi,
Are there any Liberal MPs who work for their constituents? Garth Turner, sure, but he's not running in Willowdale. Who else? And, to the point, can I count on Hall-Findlay to do so? I'm with janfromthebruce on this one. If Hall-Findlay is just going to sit on her hands like, as far as I can see, the rest of her party, then she doesn't get my vote.
For that matter, for the Dippers and Greens who may be floating around here, can anyone count on Rini Ghosh or Lou Carcasole to work for their constituents?
(And, no, I'm not going to vote for Harquail. Harper doesn't need another voice added to his adoring chorus.)
ti-guy,
Federal MPs are elected to represent their ridings. That's their job. If it shouldn't be their job, then let's do away with ridings altogether. The complaint is a simple one: MPs who don't represent the interests of their ridings aren't doing their jobs.
Federal MPs are elected to represent their ridings. That's their job.
Represent their ridings in terms of issues of national significance and to take care of particular tasks assigned to them by law or convention (which are really limited). If you don't understand that, you really don't understand how government works.
What exactly is going on in Willowdale that is not getting enough national attention? What services provided by the federal government are not being properly managed/delivered? What frustrations are you personally experiencing that a federal MP could do something to help with?
It's not your federal MP that could do all that much to affect local events. You should really understand that.
The complaint is a simple one: MPs who don't represent the interests of their ridings aren't doing their jobs.
I bet you don't even know what the interests of your riding are.
Adhr, it's not that I don't think you don't have a point, I just think formless whining about governance is a waste of time...and is really beyond dreary.
Ti-Guy, do you speak French? Martha's French is bad, but in my first email I mentioned more problems with her than her French. Be that as it may, as I said, she will beat the hapless Harquail, but the margin will be narrower than for Peterson. Pointe a la ligne!
Ti-Guy, do you speak French?
Indeed I do, and about four different varieties of it. I really don't know what you're talking about and if you think these comments are called emails maybe you should be worrying about someone else's language skills.
I know, low blow...but Stephen Harper's abysmal French gets a lot more of a pass than anyone else's, it seems. I can't bear to listen to him speak French. Luckily, since he can't really speak it without a script, I rarely have to.
The other complaints you had about Hall-Findlay were ridiculous.
I'd suggest everyone try writing their MP sometime about an issue of concern and see what kind of response you get back, if any.
My family and I have written our NDP MP a total of 8 times with absolutely no response or acknowledgement. Sadly, we voted for this guy. People who have met him (I haven't) say he is a nice guy, but I consider it absolute arrogance to not acknowledge correspondence from your constituents. Ironically, the Liberal MP we had before him did answer my correspondence, even though I didn't vote for him. Go figure.
Ti-Guy, have a good read: "On the other hand, Israel’s retaliatory actions can be considered disproportionate force, under international law." - http://www.cjpac.ca/statements/read/10/352.
I am sure that will make her very popular - in English or French - with her future constituents.
As for her thoughts on the role of minorities in Canadian politics, google her performance on TVO's The Agenda.
What is really laughable is her continued insistence that her "appointment" in Willowdale was not a product of affirmative action!
ti-guy, why feed the troll. i mean really, "remove her ovaries". and now he wants to wade into the israel-palestine conflict?
"On the other hand, Israel’s retaliatory actions can be considered disproportionate force, under international law."
I've only bothered reading the Winograd Commission's report. You should too.
Done feeding.
ti-guy,
Interesting. You take my point, claim it as your own, and then claim I don't understand how government works. Of course, you then mangle it beyond recognition by claiming that when I say "interests of the riding" I'm somehow talking about an amalgam or overall interest.
Perhaps I was unclear; I will elaborate.
As I said, the complaint is a simple one. MPs, MPPs, councillors, and the whole lot, are all elected in our systems to serve the interests of the people they represent. This doesn't have to mean they provide some direct public services (an odd inference you drew from, apparently, nowhere), although in many cases it will. It also doesn't at all mean that they take a poll and vote whichever way a mathematical majority want them to. (Basic point derived from Rousseau: the general will is not the majority will, and it can be shaped by discussion between representatives and represented.)
It must mean, however, that representatives are available to and in contact with their constituents. After all, how can you claim to represent someone's interests if you spend no time trying to find out what their interests are? There must be openness, responsiveness and dialogue between representatives and constituents. Else the system is a farce (or, possibly, a tragic joke).
I wrote Peterson on a few occasions and received (irrelevant) form letters. This communicated two things to me. First, he didn't care what one of his constituents was interested in. Second, he couldn't even be bothered to effectively pretend he did care. It isn't that hard to craft form letters that at least feign appropriate interest. I see no evidence to suggest Hall-Findlay, or any of the others running, will be much better than Peterson, which gives me little to no reason to vote for them, nor follow whatever nonsense they vote for in Parliament.
Which is why this is hardly dreary nor formless nor whining. Governments in representative democracies only have authority insofar as they are genuinely representative. Otherwise they merely have power -- and not much of that. I'm unclear why you think this unimportant. Perhaps because your "team" is going to win? The ones with the big "L"s on their shirts get to chalk one up in the victory column? If that's your idea, I find it hard to grasp why government is like a game. It seems it should be more important.
I'm starting to think Mike (the Rational Reasons one) has a point when he says we should just stop obeying. That might not fix anything, but at least it would reduce my complicity.
It is not whether you or I read the Winograd report, it is whether Martha's potential future constituents are reading it too. It will be fun to see whether she "adapts" her position once in Parliament.
I like her, and I think she got a raw deal back when she was the candidate for newmarket when belinda was a conservative. When belinda jumped ship to the libs, martha had to move out of the way for her. that had to have sucked.
In any case, the 2 toronto ridings are pretty much a shoe-in. Vancouver and Saskatchewan might be a bit more interesting
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