Happy Solstice

To all Libloggers and CPC spies: Happy Solstice! Enjoy the shortest day of the year; the sun will be back in power tomorrow as it enters Capricorn at 7.22PM EST tonight. Here is a good CBC backgrounder on the Winter Solstice. Enjoy!

Another Reason To Love My Liberal Family

Wine. And not just any wine. A lovely bottle of 2003 Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé. This special treat was delivered chez moi by one of my Liberal breathren for the simple reason that he accidentally upended a glass of not nearly so nice wine over my head at the Ken Dryden party during the Convention. Awwww! Merci, Laurent!

CPC: All Wrong About Quebec

As was Ignatieff, but I digress.

As the CPC plummets to only a dozen percentage points in this province, Quebecers have to wonder if all the grief has been for naught. The last six weeks of the leadership race were marred by idiotic discussions and disputes about Quebec nationhood. No blame, but we all know where this originated.

So, the CPC, having trouble with an original thought of their own, decideds that NATION is the key to winning hearts and minds of Quebecers - of a certain background anyway. Lo and behold, Steve steals Iggy's fire and snags the nation thing right out from under him. It's passed in the House. The CPC follows this ass-kissing excerise with a money-dropping tour of CPC ministers in Quebec. The CPC emphasises their commitment by having ministers speak even more French in the house than even 101 would mandate in Quebec.

And WHERE has this gotten them? The numbers speak for themselves.

Defending Duceppe?

J'aurais jamais cru....

It's not usually my thing to defend Bloquistes, but upon reading letters to the editor in the English Canadian media, I feel compelled to say something. It appears that some people would like to ascribe treasonous motives to M. Duceppe for his threat to topple the government over the Afghanistan mission. I can't help but wonder if he would be vilified if he were a federalist. What is so bad about asking for a clarification of the Canadian Forces' mission? Surely we would all like to know exactly what are troops are doing there and M. Duceppe is perfectly justified in belabouring the point during QP.

I'm not too sure what's going on here, but when the NDP questions the mission, it's regarded as naivete, but when the Bloc asks questions that most Quebecers regardless of language would like to have answered, he is abandoning our troops and disappointing our allies. I can't speak for others, but I find this double-standard very disturbing.

SWC funding slash and M. Dion's Plan

The Star reports today that M. Dion intends to stick to his plan to hand-pick (if necessary) 33% women to run in the next election, which could come as soon as early spring. While I have never been convinced that pure quota systems are best to address any type of underrepresentation, it's certainly a positive step forward and a promise kept. Of the Quebec ridings where someone could be hand-picked, Compton-Stanstead comes to mind, should Mr. Price not choose to run ;)

There are many reasons why quotas can be counter-productive; hybrid methods of recruitment are more sustainable and therefore preferable. In any case, ANY type of plan to increase women's representation is at risk due to the funding cuts to Status of Women Canada. Projects funded through SWC such as Equal Voice, among other NFPs aimed at increasing women's representation at all levels of government, will suffer from the ideological funding cuts to women's organisations. Obviously, the CPC would have more women in the house than in the House, but it's very disturbing that NFPs working to empower women will be on the frontlines of the cuts.

How will this immediately affect any gender parity plan? Campaigning is hard work, whether it is a 'safe', 'winnable' or 'poteau' riding. Candidates must be ready and armed with a lot of critical information. Equal Voice provides an invaluable on-line campaign school for women, which it had intended to expand with increased funding from SWC. Other organisations use similar funding to host 'live' campaign schools. What will happen to these multi-partisan projects?

Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, but it seems that these cuts, coupled with the scrapping of Mr. Dryden's national child care plan, have the sole purpose of limiting the way women can find expression in public life. Shameful.

MacKinnon Stepping Down

The Globe has reported that the National Director of the Liberal Party, Steve MacKinnon, is stepping down after three years. Who's next in line?

Highlights Convention 2006 - Montreal

I have a bunch of pictures and videos that I'll get around to posting, but after a few days to reflect upon it, here are some of the highlights of the Convention, in no particular order.

1. Welcoming Liberals from across the country to Montreal. It was great seeing everyone - regardless of affiliation - having such a great time here. The warm weather the first couple of days was a bonus.

2. Hearing Howard Dean address the crowd in good French on Wednesday night - a very nice touch.

3. The Team Dryden rallies before registration and before Ken's speech. What positive energy and excitement!

4. Ken's speech. Words can't describe it.

5. Jean Chretien addressing the crowd of Liberals on Saturday afternoon. That man knows how gto get a crowd of Liberals going like no other. Electrifying.

Liberals: Two Words.....

ELECTION READINESS

Let's get working on re-building th Big Red Machine.

Liberal Dream Team Hits the Ground Running

The first QP under our new leader is underway. Liberals wasted no time in going after the CPC on re-opening the SSM issue and cuts to the Status of Women. Fellow Liberals: we are in good hands.

Disappointed by the Dion-bashing

I find it appalling the way some Libloggers and others are deadset on excoriating our new leader. While he may not have been the first or second choice for some this type of behaviour is more harmful to the party than they realise. Stephane Dion saved this country a decade ago. He intellectually shredded the separatists - he is capable of doing the same with Harper in both languages.