Where’s the mayor?
This afternoon Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined Premier Ed Stelmach, federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice and Mayor Dave… what?… what’s that? Bronconnier wasn’t at the Calgary ring road funding announcement? But it’s the Calgary ring road. All three levels of government are putting up the cash for it. Where the heck is the mayor? Deputy mayor? Or an alderman of any kind? I don’t see any of these folks in the ‘platform party’ photos.
Maybe we sent this sleepy/bored Roads worker instead to represent the City instead.
BTW, is this really one of the best photos you have of the event? Aside from the City worker it looks like the two speakers are about to fall asleep too. Maybe Bronco knew this and decided he had better things to do than nod off in a SE Calgary hanger.
Okay, everybody look like you’re working for the camera!
When I saw this image flash across my screen last night while watching CBC’s The National (had to hear what the At Issue panel had to say) I damn near laughed myself off the couch.
Forget about the budget for a second, why the need for this lame-o photo op? Did someone in the Conservative communications nerve centre actually think this would be viewed in any manner other than as crass political posturing? Did they actually think even one single Canadian would believe that after proroguing Parliament for two months the Conservatives in the room did no work what-so-ever until the very morning of the budget announcement, when they suddenly convened in front of the cameras, took off their jackets and finally got to work. (Some Canadians might believe they finally got to work congratulating themselves, but that’s about as far as I can imagine anyone going.)
The image is a laugher because it works SO hard at turning over the big Harper stereotype that he is a lone wolf, muzzling MPs rather than working with them. The thing that really made me chuckle after the initial shock was Peter Mansbridge revealing that before the ministers came in the room the government press people handed out a seating chart saying who each of these people are and where they were sitting!
That’s right. They’ve been in the shadows for so long the press might not even know who they are. (I wonder where that stereotype comes from…)
At least they are out of the shadows now – hopefully to actually get down to work. Rather than just for a photo op that makes them look like they are working.
(photo h/t AGRDT)
PS – Maybe Harper should go play with a football like Stanfield or play street hockey like Dion. Somehow I feel those photo ops gone wrong were almost less embarassing.
Can a hollow throne support our weight?
My quick impression of the throne speech (the text of which can be found here):
I agree whole heartedly with the words used. I, nay, we want politicians and the community to work together, not just to solve this “struggling economy”, but also in general. We elect a group to represent us and solve these kinds of issues.
But there is something hollow about the language used. The speech presents the idea of working together as if it is a new thing – a tool that has not been available to us in the past months or years. Has this not been an option previously? Has it not been a potential solution to “uncertainty” all this time? Why was this tool not used before?
It gets me thinking about the stereotypical Stephen Harper left-leaning politicians and comedians alike love to put forward and abuse – the secretive Harper that holds few press conferences and ‘muzzles’ his MPs. Doesn’t the language in the throne speech fly in the face of what has come before? Who is this speech aimed at? The writer? It all just seems… false, somehow.
Whether you agree or disagree with the Coalition between the Liberals and the NDP, with the support of the Bloq, it is hard to argue this is the kind of cooperation the throne speech calls for.
“Our Government approached the dialogue in a spirit of open and non-partisan cooperation.” Why the change of heart from the government? Time will tell if this is really the dawn of a new era in Parliament, or just another political empty promise that we’ve become so used to over 142 years.
A simple marketing tip: you can’t just say you are some thing, that won’t fool anyone. To get your customers to believe you, you have to actually be that. Do this and you’ll save a lot of heartache and money in the long run.
Obama has nothing better to do than listen intently to my opinions
First I thought it was odd enough that Lululemon Athletica started following me on Twitter (I don’t follow them). But then this email arrived:
Hi, -dj.
Barack Obama (BarackObama) is now following your updates on Twitter.
Check out Barack Obama’s profile here:
http://twitter.com/BarackObama
Best,
Uh…. thanks? I guess Obama wants to hear my thoughts about how cold it is in Calgary or how we should just lock up Ignatieff and Harper in a room and let them fight club it out to create the next budget.
I think my brilliant ideas for saving America and solving the “global financial crisis” might get lost in his 154,000 + followings.
BTW isn’t it odd that Obama is following 154k people while only 149k are following him? Looks like he really is listening to the public. (Maybe more than they are listening to him? That can’t be bad can it?)
One Crisis(es) After Another
I thought this was too good to pass up, so I’ll paraphrase Stephane Dion and Scott Reid from this past week. Maybe you’ll get an ironic giggle out of it like I do.
This past week Mr. Harper turned an economic crisis into a political crisis. He then re branded that crisis by turning it into a national unity crisis, before instigating a constitutional crisis to get out of the whole mess.
All that in just one week when he could have just worked with the other MPs to solve the first crisis.
You know, I don’t think I’d like to be Prime Minister if these are the only options put before me.
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