Now that we know he's a whore . . .

The House that Jack Sold Out

Let's count the ways that Jack Layton is selling out.

1. Jack is willing to support the government on a budget deal.

   But Jack told us that he'd only support the government if they held a referendum on proportional representation. We have an election coming up within the next 8 months, so now is a prime time to make a referendum deal.

2. Jack is willing to overlook corruption for $4.6 billlion.

But Jack said that wanted to "restore integrity and accountability in government." Now he's decided to support a corrupt government. It works out to about "250 million per NDP MP. Nineteen sponsorship programs, one for each soul." Good work improving accountability, Jack!. I'm now a lot less cynical that politicans will address corruption as soon as they find it.

3. Jack wants to "create opportunities and jobs."

   However, Jack's spending deal will cost Canadians about 340,000 jobs. Though, to be fair, he did save some jobs. Those being jobs for Liberal MPs, Liberal bureacrats, and advertising executives. Though, I always thought that the NDP was more into saving low-end jobs, not high-end jobs.

4. Jack thinks this deal will greatly improve social programs.

   However, Paul Wells shows us that Jack has found very little money; on the order of about $15 million for this budget (who cares about future years if there's going to be an election in January on Martin's timetable). Put another way, Alberta gets only $1.5 million a year, or about $0.5 million for tuition and EI training. To put that into perspective, even if all of it went to reducing tuition (which it won't), we'd see about a 0.2% decrease in the tuition iincrease for next year. It's really not much money and certainly not enough to have any major impact. Jack seems to feel that corruption can be supported for miniscule budgetary changes.

5. Jack thinks he's done something for Canadians.

   Clearly Jack doesn't know math, because even with his support, Paul Martin is only at 151 votes when he needs 154 votes (and yes, Paul doesn't know math either, but then Paul knows very little indeed; I expect better from Jack). So, Jack is promising to try to prop up the government for nothing. Meanwhile, Paul Martin can keep using his executive authority to cover-up the scandal.

I used to respect Jack and he had my vote at one time. But at this point, Jack is racing to the bottom with Paul Martin for who is most likely to lead the party that gets my vote. Unless Layton moves figurative mountains very soon, the federal NDP has likely lost my vote until it turfs Layton.

We were first!

I would just like to note that the Globe and Mail is now making the same prediction that Rachel and I made over a week ago.

More election videos, deconstructed

Over the past several months, I've been posted in the UK as Points of Information's foreign correspondent. The work is adequate, as long as I remember not to mix up the words "pants" and "trousers".

So, while election fever is just ramping up in Canada, it's already in full swing here, with the upcoming May 5th General Election. Election adverts are everywhere. Paul Wells deconstructed one of Labour's early broadcasts of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, where the two politicos were just a little too chummy. Now, other political parties are getting into the spirit of election ads.

I watched the most recent ad in a movie theatre. That was a bizzare place to watch a political ad. Here we are, sitting down with our popcorn, ready to watch Miss Congeniality 2, when Tony Blair's gigantic mug appears on-screen. Ick. Talk about spoiling the moment. It is apparently an attack ad produced by the Conservative Party.

Election Date Prediction

I hope to return to posting regularly in a few days, but I just wanted to lay down my prediction for when the election will be. Rachel and I discussed this question last week (April 11, I think) and we've concluded that Harper's strategy will be to let his MPs go home for the vacation. When they return in early May, the Conservatives will claim that their constituents have lost confidence in the government and so on May 19, the first opposition day after getting back, the Conservatives will orchestrate the fall of the government with the election likely falling on June 27, 2005, 364 days after the last election.

Breaking News -- Parliament To Be Dissolved, General Election May 5th

Well, it's breaking news in the UK, that is. Gotcha!

One general theme in this year's election campaign is the political infighting between Prime Minister Blair and Chancellor (Finance Minister) Gordon Brown (with comments that the two camps have "declared all-out war" on each other). Gee, where have we heard that one before?

Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Brown. The leap from Finance to the PMO is not always smooth. Just ask our guy in Ottawa...