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rfmcdonaldStories like this one make me excited about the potential in Canadian politics for change and debate.
I'm quite pleasantly surprised by the interest and involvement these past few weeks have instilled in many Canadians. Yes, it can be nice to have a dull grey but competent technocratic government making relatively uncontroversial decisions, but isn't it more fun to have a government that's competent and that inspires passion? If the coalition holds together, we may yet get there.
This leaves me curious as to what else is going on elsewhere in the world. The United States has Obama, I know, but have any of my readers personally experienced other bouts of political energy? Post in the comments and, if you like, discuss.
United by their common goal of turfing the federal Conservatives, leaders of the opposition stood side-by-side in Toronto on Saturday, selling their plan for a Liberal-NDP coalition and denouncing Prime Minister Stephen Harper for "refusing the will of the majority."
Speaking before an animated crowd of about 3,000 people, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion shook hands with NDP Leader Jack Layton before promising those gathered that together they will fight "the economic crisis that is coming."
Harper took an economic crisis, added a parliamentary crisis and tried to transform it into a national unity crisis - all because he wanted to keep his job, Dion said.
"Don't you think we should thank the Liberal-NDP coalition, with the support of the Bloc, for having stopped this bad, harmful, nonsense, so-called Conservative economic plan," Dion asked the cheering supporters.
Layton followed by outlining the steps the coalition will take to prop up the country in the midst of mass job losses and ended with a no-holds-barred message.
"I say to you Mr. Harper, your government will be defeated at the first opportunity."
Several blocks north of the rally at Toronto's city hall, upwards of 500 people converged in front of the provincial Parliament buildings, as a 17-year-old speaker - who helped organize the event on Facebook - spoke in support of democracy and keeping Harper in power.
"People take longer to change tooth brushes than the opposition wants to change governments," said Edward Wooley, from Caledonia, Ont., to chuckles before calling on those gathered to act.
"We have eight weeks to put pressure on the three opposition parties and tell them we do not approve of this coup d'etat."
I'm quite pleasantly surprised by the interest and involvement these past few weeks have instilled in many Canadians. Yes, it can be nice to have a dull grey but competent technocratic government making relatively uncontroversial decisions, but isn't it more fun to have a government that's competent and that inspires passion? If the coalition holds together, we may yet get there.
This leaves me curious as to what else is going on elsewhere in the world. The United States has Obama, I know, but have any of my readers personally experienced other bouts of political energy? Post in the comments and, if you like, discuss.
