Day Forty-Two: Sorta Blogging The Debate
Here is what I saw and heard:
- Paikin is one of the best moderators of a debate ever on Canadian TV. Clear and punchy.
- Nice tie choices. Harper has funky blue squares. Gilles Duceppe's matches his hair. Harper also has been trained to raise his eyebrows. He wants my vote and his eyebrows tell me that.
- 8:18 pm. The cross-candidate chatter is good. Layton is a little stilted at the outset but does have a decent go at Harper on the CPC funding. Martin makes mention of the Charter already and wants to strengthen it my taking away the Federal govenment's right under the constitution to use the notwithstanding clause. Harper says property rights need to go into it.
- 8:22 pm. Paikin asks Martin about people wanting to punish Liberals. Martin says "it was a disgraceful period" - pretty blunt. He is doing ok on the need to make people pay for their wrongs. Smoother than usual. This format is much better.
- 8:25 pm. Duceppe has said Option Canada about 137 times already. He is making good points though his eyebrows can't give me a vote for him. Why not? Why can't I vote for the Bloc here? Martin makes a very smooth rebuttal with the phrase "drive by smears".
- 8:31 pm. Duceppe is very good on the question of proportional representation. Martin has said "important", "really" and "err" a bit too much. His and NDP's reference to having women in Parliament are a bit odd. Harper says low voter turn-out is not due to proportional representation but encourages all Canadians to vote. Duceppe is says Martin is a "living democratic deficit" - not bad.
- 8:35 pm. I think Harper just said guns are coming over the border with the US. He is clearly not following the bloggers that support him. Layton has a very good answer on the two prong approach being tough on crime and being tougher on the roots of crime. Harper rebuts well the claim that Liberals want a higher level of enforcement against crime and admits he supports the existing handgun ban. Paikin pushes Harper well on the cost of his proposals on law enforcement and Harper responds well.
- 8:43 pm. Health care. Duceppe says it is a provincial jurisdiction, Ottawa's role is to fund: "health card, not credit card." Martin - zzz. Harper: "I support the Canada Health Act...the only system I ever used." Good. Layton says Martin and Harper can't be trusted, guarantees not worth paper written on.
- 8:49 pm. Social values and the notwithstanding clause. Layton: access to public health care is one. Harper: swingers club was not a Charter decision (quite right) and this is a loophole the Feds can close alone; danger that the courts will always be supreme (just as if Parliament was); supports balance between courts and Parliament. [I don't know what that might mean.] Martin: goes after Harper's values and past statements on Canada. Duceppe: dangerous to lock in values, "there is something called evolution in life" (Alberta's rural right choak on their tea biscuits as one).
- 8:51 pm. Martin's rebuttal is pretty good on the value judgement of Harper saying stuff to the US right. He is clearly doing better than I expected. Duceppe again levels the distinction between Harper and Martin making it difficult for Martin's jabs at Harper to leave any sting.
- 8:53 - 9:00 pm. Martin is on at Harper on redistribution through services, tax cuts, poverty...and then is cut off by Paikin. Layton says you can tell that is election time because of Martin's passion. Good line. Duceppe says the Tories and the Liberals are the same again, that only the NDP supported changing the unemployment insurance rules. Harper says tax cuts cover redistribution of wealth. Martin: Tory GST helps most wealthy, Liberal cuts help poor. Paikin decides to do "another go around" and asks Harper why he is stopping the income tax cuts. Harper says the Liberal helps people in top two levels. Martin rebuts by saying this is non-sense. "Beyond belief" what Tories are suggesting. Layton then goes after Harper on taxes, too, saying there will be less in their pocket and squeezes in "shell game". Paikin: are you not raising income taxes on the lowest earners. Harper: people will pay lower taxes. Martin: his tax cuts are regressive. Good sustained beating of Harper due in large part to this question being one that Harper had to lead on.
- 9:01 pm. Now on the economy. Paikin's first question is about agriculture. Very good. Martin: we protected supply management. "The wheat board is very very important." Not very. Very very. [Martin mentions Wayne Easter and the CASE program. I've been called "big fella" by Wayne Easter.] The order of this set of statements also does not favour Harper who comes last and Martin starts. Harper says another income support program of 500 million annually will be added - another big money program Tory announcement? Harper says dual marketing options is what they want.
- 9:06 pm. Next government likely a minority. What two things would gain NDP support? Layton: hmmm...dee...dumm...dumm. Harper: goes after Layton on something! WT
F-heck!! Blind-sided him. How rad. Martin: child care #1 thing, #2 education. We cannot allow them to graduate greatly in debt. Duceppe: Bloc looks at each proposal not a blind, stupid attitude based on the colour of where the proposal comes from. #1 is fiscal imbalance. Paikin: Harper says there is NDP common ground, you agree? No, hard to see. Vote for the NDP. Nice hand gestures, Jack. Harper: says lot of respect for Ed Broadbent on ethics. What is this? Hammer and hug the dippers? Paikin almost forgot Martin was in the debate after he wanted to move on but went back to him for a statement ending with "...then nothing will stop us." zzzzzz. - 9:15 pm. Reworking equalization. Duceppe starts and stutters and says fiscal imbalance a lot. Martin says no common definition among provinces but "I wanna deal with the issues" ...and he set up a parallel panel to do so. Whoot! [First mention of municipalities 75 minutes into the debate.] Harper: all provinces but Alberta struggling with cost of services and cost of living has not been raised. Need a comprehensive long term agreement and equalization should be part of that (what are the other parts?) Kinda zzzz. Layton: admits Maritimers have moved to find work. Rocket science discourse is clearly breaking out. Give municipalities 5% of gas tax now.
- 9:19 pm. Municipal infrastructure. Paikin: how will tax cuts help? Harper: other policies will deal with that, CPC support gas tax transfers and will fulfill the committments, "things have to be done", rewards to people who use it. Duceppe: Bloc thought of it first. [Hoo-ray.] But provinces should be sole decision maker in relation to municipalities. Layton: vote NDP. Martin to Harper: please provide the transfers to each province they plan to make. Harper: fiscal imbalance is difficult. zzz.
- 9:26 pm. National unity. Paikin: why ok to revisit soverignty when not ok to revisit the same sex marriage (good question). Duceppe: collective rights different. Kinda fuzzy and it could be me. Martin: I am a Quebecer (and he's also a farmer, too). The debate is different today..."Canada's ability is going to totally depend on" our ability to come together - interesting skaterboy use of "totally". Harper: want to respond positively on the demands of the provinces, including international demands. Layton: born and raised in Quebec. He is a Quebecker too. He is not a farmer, however. Harper does not share the values. NDP is most in tune with Quebec values. Paikin: is Quebec divisible? Duceppe, we came in together so the answer is no. Layton: time for all of us to pull together to make Quebeckers excited about Canada. All is not lost. [Jack's getting a bit physical here] Martin: Quebeckers built Canada - why would you want to not participate? Duceppe: Quebec is different, not better. It means having your own country. Martin: zaps back with glowing eyes. Harper gets in after a good burst from SuperPaul-like object. Harper: Mr. Martin tries to have a personal debate but refused to have a debate with Mr. Duceppe..blah and then cut off.
- 9:35 pm. Martin: Harper does not share values of Quebeckers. Layton: Marting = old path. zzz. Duceppe: Quebeckers know...zzz...zzzzzz. Martin recognizes Acadian nation and First Nations. Why can't he say Quebec is a nation. Harper: [His mellow tones sound like he is selling decaff or oatmeal.] Don't confuse national unity with support for Canada. Huh? Martin: I have no problem with making the reference in the way we are talking about [...yet does not say it.]
- 9:39 pm. Paikin calls a second round! Duceppe calls Martin's bluff on not saying "nation" of Quebec. Harper: Quebec can define itself and we will work with Quebec - what does he mean? Martin: move on. I am not happy and I apologize but I have dealt with it. "I have no problem..." "The fact of the matter is..." Paikin: "that's our time, I'm afraid..."
- 8:42 - 8:48 pm. Working in the House. Harper: we will govern for the benefits of Canadians as a whole. Duceppe: Bloc has organized common front. Layton: best answer? Results for working people. Martin: Canada doing well and Martin is aware of where Canada is on a map. Next mandate is about what kind of country we are going to build. There is not a country in the world that can come close to us. Harper: zzz. Paikin: Mr. Duceppe do you care which of these two men is the next PM. Duceppe: no we will not have a blind stupid attitude. Layton: we are that third alternative. I am very disappointed with Mr Harper's "lame" excuse [more sk8R boy lexicon flying around!] Harper: we offer the alternative of defeating this government. Martin: I believe the role of the national govenrment is to create great national [...somethings...missed it.] Martin: promise made, promise kept. We keep our promises.
- 8:49 pm. Last question to Jack. Layton: we need to talk about positive alternatives and Jack is talking to the camera again. I think he did this last debate and in the one in 2004. It's like watching an out of body experience. He leaves the room and Paikin and the others and talks about people sperading their wings. [Shakes head...I'm back.] Harper: he appears to be able to do everything for anyone and making sure there is a policy for each of us. I hope my policy is nice. Martin: Tory plan is a dollar a day. Could you have medicare on a dollar a day? No. It would be criminal to throw money at the problem. Duceppe: [makes a Bugs Bunny sound..I know that is unkind but it is simply true.] Federal scandal not Liberal scandal. Many Tories involved. Wow. Layton: saddened to hear...zzz
- 9:54. Closing statements. Martin first: Good speaking and standing side by side, faith stronger together is the Canadian way, fairness and generosity. It is like poetry. Poetry I would not like to find in a book I paid money for. Then Harper: He is plain. He is straight forward. He wants to protect the Canadian way of life and make us stronger, move forward. The best is yet to come. [Hold me tight.] Layton: Thank you for watching. [It is like he is in my house again.] Here and now. 14 days. Change. Put working families first. Duceppe: Option Canada is a Federal scandal. Apparently the Council for Canadian Unity was full of Tories. Who knew?
It's over...all I have are bloody stumps left for fingers. I need a sweet sherry.
Comments
'nee - January 9, 2006 9:48 PM
Layton's reply felt weak. Harper had me going "huh?" Martin gave Harper what for, goddamnit. Magic word: "values".
'nee - January 9, 2006 9:49 PM
(8:43)
ALan - January 9, 2006 9:50 PM
This space is for rent, 'nee. You go.
'nee - January 9, 2006 9:56 PM
Ok... :)
BTW: What the hell happened to Layton, did he get a lobotomy or something? He's better than before, but still... weak. Duceppe is doing really well.
8:53 - We (insert party here) love your children more than the other guys. Kiss kiss.
Kelly - January 9, 2006 10:05 PM
I love what Duceppe just said, something to the effect of "Martin campaigns like an NDP, but acts like a Tory when in office... what dif?" Nice Burn Gilles. Too bad he's Bloc. Shout out to Wayne Easter from PEI from the PM just now.
Alan - January 9, 2006 10:08 PM
Hey Kelly.
Gordo - January 9, 2006 10:39 PM
My in-laws are very, very active in the NFU (Easter is a past-president). They'd like to know what happened to the Easter they used to know. I had a hard time believing that the goofball farmer I met in my sister-in-law's kitchen was suddenly Solicitor General of Canada.
Gordo - January 9, 2006 10:40 PM
Your clock is an hour off, Alan. :-)
Alan - January 9, 2006 10:44 PM
My server is in Atlantic Canada and demands my respect. I promise to work with my server.
Gordo - January 9, 2006 11:10 PM
Ahh ... Harper's eyebrows seemed to run out of steam before the debate did. Well, mostly. I thought I was staring at a couple of dead caterpillars, during the last segment then they twitched. Once.
marcia - January 9, 2006 11:27 PM
thanks al for the synopsis...i had to tune out after forty minutes as i was getting a horrible headache and felt like i had serious deja vu from the last debate and the ones from the prior election...often felt like that they weren't answering the questions...
anyway, no election pool this year?
Alan - January 9, 2006 11:41 PM
I forgot! Oh. My. Lord.
Jay Currie - January 10, 2006 3:35 AM
Quare: Does anyone <i>need</i> sweet sherry? Port certainly, and after that edifying experience four fingers of a decent scotch; but dear Lord, sweet sherry?
Alan - January 10, 2006 8:03 AM
Good sherry is most underrated. Four fingers of scotch would be a hammer to the skull for most but a double oloroso on a snowy late afternoon is the very thing when tea will not do.
John - January 10, 2006 1:03 PM
Nice work, Alan. I missed the last hour, but from what I saw, I've never seen Harper look so good; his delivery was much smoother than Martin, who at times seemed to struggle getting his sentences out. And I agree...nothing like a glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream before dinner!