Enlightened Savage Strikes Again!

I continue to be impressed by the postings of The Enlightened Savage. The April 4 posting on the Agnishotri expulsion from the Alberta Legislature gives a full, frank and even "enlightening" review on what happened in toto...not just the shallow selected fact analysis of the MSM or most other bloggers I have read on the subject.

Give it a read...it is worth it. I especially like the parallels he draws between this Alberta Liberal' s approach to the same type of innuendo smears that have been done on Dion by Harper in the federal scene. Harper is obvioulsy a master of stepping upto but not over the line. It would be interesting to see his butt booted out of Parliament for a day or so for such offensive allegations but he cleverly contains them within the "rules." Never mistake clever for wisdom.

Interesting that the Democratic Deficit in Alberta is being addressed by the Stelmach government in some significant ways. The recent agreement to open up the Standing Policy Committees for all party participation is a reform that is long overdue. Stelmach and Hancock have to be given the credit for this initiative.

The civility in Question Period and the amazing increase in the number of questions being dealt with are other more subtle but also very important reforms. Hell you can take school kids to view Question Period now and not be afraid that they might actually model the behaviour of the politicians.

Perhaps it is taking the Alberta Liberals some time to adjust to some good governance.

Canada 2020 Conference a Hit

My Business Partner, Satya Das, just returned from participating in the Canada 2020 Conference on “Who Should Do What in a Progressive Canada.” All accounts were very positive about the event with presentations by Slamon Rushdie, Wired magazine's Chris Anderson and Tim Flannery author of "The Weathermarker's" and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.

A wider range of topics and all presenters and presentation videos are on the Canada 2020 website thanks to the event coverage of CPAC. You can view the presentations on line if you miss them on the CPAC broadcasts.

Progressives will want to watch the presentations and keep in touch with the Canada 2020 site for more events and updates. For example the book, co-published by Canada 2020 and Crossing Boundaries, entitled “Progressive Governance for Canadians” is worth the download and a read for Progressives and how we need to engage governance changes in Canada. It really frames the need for citizen re-engagement into our democracy and the power it would have once it happens.

I Am Home

Paris was terrific. Can't tell you about the business dealing due to confidentiality agreements. Suffice to say I am pleased.

I had most of Tuesday to myself. Having gone on a Hemingway Pilgrimage to the Left Bank haunts of him and Picasso and the Paris School in earlier days for dinner (the name will come to me...I have been up for 27 hours). Then off to the Rosebud Bar, another famous Hemingway haunt, just around the corner for after dinner drinks.

Then I decided to adventure the next day and to strike off one of my list of "things to do before you die." I spend the day finding it and the afternoon hanging around in the famous Parisian bookstore Shakespeare and Co. (is bookstore masculine or feminine in French?) That visit was a delight for a book guy like me.

As the wheels touched down the shuffle on my iPod played Simon and Garfunkel's Homeward Bound. More found poetry. I find it often. It pops up quite regularly when you keep your eyes peeled for it.

Off to catch up on some sleep in my own bed and off to work tomorrow. I will be back blogging regularly starting tomorrow. I promise.

Paris in Spring Time

I am off to Paris today on business - the real one like in France - not the plastic one like in Hilton. Gone until Thursday. My postings will be more sporadic than usual this week but I will no doubt have something to say while I am away.

Polls Show Canadians Prefer None of the Above for Prime Minister

The polls continue to point in every direction as to the wisdom of a spring election. The policy issues are not making any difference in poll results because the polls are not asking about them. They are focused on the "beauty contest" aspects of the leaders only.

Leadership is a driving value for citizens today but there is so much more on our minds these days that will also have a significant influence how we will actually vote when an actual election is called and it all becomes serious and meaningful. These beauty contest polls are mere media fodder and mostly serve as PR for polling firms. Much ado about nothing when it come to the real world concern of citizens.

So for the "entertainment value" lets look at some of the more interesting findings of recent polls. An SES poll showed Harper’s Budget actually can best be described as having a lukewarm impact in Quebec. It showed only 27% seeing him more favourably, 33.5% not changing their minds and 36.6% thinking less of him.

Charest was not the benefactor of the Harper Budget largess either in Quebec. Only 20.9 improved their opinion of him, 38% were the same and 37.8% say him in a less favourable light. No big confidence booster the for the Charest leadership. The Quebec election results showed the consequences of these numbers in spades.

This poll is important because it focuses on something that is really framing the one of the dominant value drivers for elections right now. It is the quality and character of leadership as well as trust and respect. The overwhelming policy issue is the environment (except for Quebec where health care still runs #1) but leadership is also very important.

SES deserves serious consideration because it was the only pollster who called the 2006 election results accurately. The rest of the polling industry embarrassed themselves with just how far out of touch they were with the voter reality on election day. Could this be happening again given the wide range of results emerging from the various polling firms?

Ipsos Reid yesterday concluded no bounce for Harper out of the Budget last week and commented “…the numbers should stand as a warning to all major parties that an election is not in any of their interests.”

Angus Reid, on the other hand, a day earlier claims Harper’s Cons have a 17 point lead and the Dion Liberals “plummet to 22% nationally.” Harper apparently has a 49% post budget approval rating in Quebec. Given the cash he promises to pour in there what do you expect? Will he sustain these numbers is the question.

This poll is being touted as another proof Harper should go to the electorate now. His approval ratings reflect a tepid support for his leadership also found in the SES poll.

The real interesting number in the Angus Reid poll is the fact that a full 43% say they are Not Sure or that Neither Dion or Harper is the right guy. Couple that with 64% saying the country is on the Wrong Track or Not Sure you have a recipe for volatility and change. The volatility is everywhere too from a high of 71% in BC to a low of 54% in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Leadership, character, respect and trustworthiness are key considerations. Given an earlier Ipsos Reid poll showed about 65% of Canadians still feel they don’t know what Harper stands for as a person and you can see why he wants to wait and not be facing the country any time soon. Dion is in no better shape in earning the trust and confidence of Canadians yet.

Campaigns matter and it is not time for Harper to go yet. So it looks like the Cons will settle for calling Dion names in another round of attack ads instead. Proving once again they are good at political tactics but deplorable at good governance.