Joe Who?

Joe Clark - who’s Calgary Centre riding just voted heavily in favour of merging with the Canadian Alliance - was quoted today saying that merging the two parties will hand a certain victory to Paul Martin’s liberals in the next federal election.

Joe - first of all, I love ya’ man. Well, not when you were Prime Minister - but certainly in later years. I think you did a hell of a job as a Tory leader. Seriously though - are you suggesting tha the alternative - keeping the parties separate - will do anything but?

This merger is really the only way to go, and it may be the only opportunity to kick maniacs like Larry Spencer out of the party.

Are east coast ferries more important than west coast ferries?

According to a story on CBC Newsworld’s web site, the Canada Industrial Relations Board has just declared ferries that run from Port-aux-Basques, NF to North Sydney, NS an essential service.

(That sound you just heard - the distant one in your head - is BC Ferries’ union leaders collectively grabbing at straws.)

This now means that ferry workers can’t strike. Give that BC Ferries is currently in negotiations for a new contract, this is BIG news on the west coast (although I hvae yet to hear anybody talk about it.)

What impact the newly privatized nature of the BC service has, I’m not sure.

I’ve always proposed a simple solution to the problem of public transportation utilities and strikes - one that would apply to buses, subways, ferries and just about any other scheduled operation: when contracts are negotiated, the Union needs to agree to a holiday service level (say, 50% of normal service.) Any strike would be required to maintain this holiday service level at a minimum, thus avoiding the wholesale shutdown of critical services such as the TTC or the entire Translink service. Basically, the idea is that the worst case scenario is Christmas Day service.

I’m sure somebody will point out to me why this is unworkable for some obscure legal reason: phooey - it’s just a matter of political will.

If 10 years of experience is new, than I’m new to this internet stuff

Here’s what I don’t get: how can anybody in this country see Paul Martin as a new political force when he’s been a part - not just a small one either, but a big one - of the Liberal administration since 1988 (in opposition and government). For God’s sake, the guy was Minister of Finance from 1993 to 2002!

I mean - I’m a Liberal, but I’m also a pragmatist.

I also live in B.C., and don’t believe for a minute that Paul Martin is going to follow through with any real change that will indicate that Ottawa is paying more attention to the west.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe. I still say the guy is old news, and I’m amazed that the public is biting.

If only Mr. Martin could be this spontaneous

Just had the pleasure of listening to CBC’s The Current with Anna-Maria Tremonte; for my money, one of the best programs on the air.

Anna-Maria was interviewing Jean Chretien on this, the opening day of the Liberal leadership convention. It was a wide ranging interview with no specific topic, and Chretien was in fine form.

My favourite moment was when Anna-Maria asked him if he was going to remain Prime Minister until February, to which Mr. Chretien replied (after a moment’s pause for consideration):

“Possibly….Why you losing your time; I’m not going to slip on a banana peel like that.”

Eliza Dushku still rocks

“There’s no fire at 84 Hastings”
- Tru Calling

So it’s not set in Vancouver, but apparently it sort of is.

Bad show; not enough leather on Eliza Dushku.

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