+
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
     
     
      yy
      oe
     
     
      itics
      by
      Jim-Beaux
      Lieyeah
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Noev.21-
      Mental
     
     
      note...
      do
      not
      have
     
     
      editor
      wake
      me
      on
     
     
      Sunday
      morning
      for
     
     
      copy
      again.
      This
      is
     
     
      my
      slant
      on
      Cana-
     
     
      dian
      politics...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Awhile
      back,
      I
     
     
      talked
      about
      these
     
     
      by-elections
      as
      a
     
     
      good
      way
      of
      meas-
     
     
      uring
      how
      the
     
     
      Liberals
      are
      doing.
     
     
      As
      predicted,
      they
     
     
      won
      3
      out
      of
      4
      seats
     
     
      on
      Nov.
      15th.
      The
     
     
      one
      they
      lost,
      in
      the
     
     
      riding
      of
     
     
      Saskatoon-
     
     
      Rosetown-Biggar,
     
     
      they
      got
      crushed
      in
     
     
      getting
      only
      16%
      of
     
     
      the
      popular
      vote.
     
     
      This
      indicator
      just
     
     
      serves
      to
      point
      out
     
     
      that
      although
      the
     
     
      Liberals
      are
      riding
     
     
      high
      in
      popularity
     
     
      polls,
      they
      are
      still
     
     
      hated
      in
      Western
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canada.
      The
      Liber-
     
     
      als
      managed
      to
      get
      a
     
     
      star
      candidate,
     
     
      Henry
      Dayday
     
     
      (popular
      former
     
     
      mayor
      of
     
     
      Saskatoon)
      to
      run
     
     
      but
      when
      they
      said
     
     
      no
      to
      Western
     
     
      leaders
      looking
      for
     
     
      farm
      aid,
      they
      sent
     
     
      Dayday
      up
      the
      river
     
     
      without
      a
      hope
      of
     
     
      seeing
      the
      daylight
     
     
      of
      the
      political
     
     
      trough,
      known
      as
     
     
      Ottawa.
      That
      riding
     
     
      went
      to
      Dennis
     
     
      Gruending,
      of
      the
     
     
      NDP,
      and
      helped
     
     
      serve
      notice
      that
      the
     
     
      NDP
      are
      still
      a
     
     
      political
      force,
      in
     
     
      relatively
      socialist
     
     
      Saskatchewan.
      This
     
     
      is
      no
      new
      phenom-
     
     
      enon
      here
      as
      Prairie
     
     
      populism
      has
      al-
     
     
      ways
      been
      success-
     
     
      ful
      here.
      A
      few
     
     
      other
      things
      came
     
     
      out
      of
      these
      by-
     
     
      elections
      which
      are
     
     
      worth
      noting...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Judy
      Sgro
      managed
     
     
      to
      take
      the
      former
     
     
      trade
      Minister
     
     
      Sergio
      Marchi’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      seat
      with
      74%
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      vote
      in
      the
      York
     
     
      riding
      of
      Toronto.
     
     
      What
      is
      interesting
     
     
      here
      is
      that
      Sgrio
      is
     
     
      a
      Paul
      Martin
     
     
      support.
      She
      won
      a
     
     
      tough
      nomination
     
     
      process
      (which
      is
     
     
      usually
      more
      diffi-
     
     
      cult
      than
      the
      elec-
     
     
      tion
      itself
      in
      Red
     
     
      Toronto)
      using
     
     
      Martin
      organizers.
     
     
      This
      will
      certainly
     
     
      put
      her
      on
      the
     
     
      fringes
      of
      her
      party
     
     
      as
      Jean
      Chretien
     
     
      does
      not
      reward
      the
     
     
      feats
      of
      his
      rivals.
     
     
      This
      form
      of
     
     
      Realpolitik
      has
      its
     
     
      consequences
     
     
      though.
      Take
      Hu-
     
     
      man
      Resources
     
     
      Minister
      Jane
     
     
      Stewart.
      This
     
     
      former
      pothead
     
     
      comes
      from
      a
     
     
      Liberal
      family
      that
     
     
      is
      close
      to
      Chretien
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (see
      Bob
      Nixon.
     
     
      former
      Ontario
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Attorney
      General,
     
     
      Chretien
      appointed
     
     
      to
      kill
      the
      billion
     
     
      dollar
      helicopter
     
     
      deal
      Mulroney
      was
     
     
      pushing
      for
      and
     
     
      who
      also
      happens
      to
     
     
      be
      related
      to
     
     
      Stewart).
      As
      head
      of
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      largest
     
     
      portfolios
      in
      cabi-
     
     
      net,
      she
      has
      an
     
     
      inordinate
      amount
     
     
      of
      money
      at
      her
     
     
      disposal
      (transla-
     
     
      tion-
      ministerial
     
     
      slush
      fund).
      It
      came
     
     
      out/was
      leaked
      last
     
     
      week,
      that
      she
      had
     
     
      used
      some
      money
     
     
      for
      job
      creation
      in
     
     
      her
      riding
      of
     
     
      Brantford.
      Yeah,
     
     
      so??
      Well
      when
      you
     
     
      are
      being
      groomed
     
     
      by
      Chretien
      to
     
     
      potentially
      take
      over
     
     
      his
      crown
      or
      at
      least
     
     
      give
      Paul
      Martin
      a
     
     
      run
      for
      his
      consider-
     
     
      able
      moneys,
      then
     
     
      there
      is
      something
     
     
      deeper
      going
      on.
     
     
      And
      that
      is
      your
     
     
      standard
      smear
     
     
      campaign
      which
     
     
      both
      opposition
      and
     
     
      Liberals
      will
      be
     
     
      looking
      at
      if
      Stewart
     
     
      throws
      her
      hat
      into
     
     
      the
      leadership
      ring
     
     
      (when
      it
      becomes
     
     
      open).
      Ahhh..
      the
     
     
      pleasures
      of
      back
     
     
      stabbing
      politics.
     
     
      But
      this
      is
      what
      you
     
     
      get
      when
      the
      oppo-
     
     
      sition
      is
      divided
      and
     
     
      the
      only
      real
      chal-
     
     
      lenges
      from
      the
     
     
      governing
      party
      is
     
     
      not
      too
      explode
     
     
      from
      within.
     
     
      The
      other
      interest-
     
     
      ing
      story
      to
      come
     
     
      out
      of
      this
      is
     
     
      renowned
      Human
     
     
      Rights
      activist
     
     
      Irwin
      Cotler.
      He
     
     
      got
      elected
      in
      the
     
     
      Montreal
      riding
      of
     
     
      Town
      of
      Mount
     
     
      Royal
      with
      an
     
     
      astounding
      92%
      of
     
     
      vote,
      What...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ...
      prices
      and.
     
     
      FreHanet
      aR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      esting
      is
      that
      he
     
     
      comes
      into
      a
      party
     
     
      that
      is
      starting
      to
     
     
      turn
      to
      the
      left
      after
     
     
      successfully
      battling
     
     
      the
      deficit.
      They
      are
     
     
      looking
      for
      a
      more
     
     
      humane
      face
      in
      the
     
     
      government
      but
     
     
      whether
      or
      not
      they
     
     
      will
      take
      to
      this
     
     
      activist
      is
      a
      different
     
     
      story.
      He
      seems
      to
     
     
      believe
      that
      it
      is
     
     
      time
      for
      him
      to
      try
     
     
      to
      change
      things
     
     
      from
      within.
      What
     
     
      he’
      ll
      probably
      find
     
     
      is
      a
      fat
      ringworm
     
     
      inside
      of
      the
      rotten
     
     
      apple
      known
      as
      the
     
     
      Liberal
      Party.
      Good
     
     
      luck
      to
      ya...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      have
      written
     
     
      before
      how
      incom-
     
     
      ing
      governments
     
     
      like
      to
      cook
      the
     
     
      books
      to
      make
      the
     
     
      situation
      they
      are
     
     
      walking
      into
      look
      a
     
     
      lot
      worse
      than
      it
      is.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      week
      we
      got
     
     
      two
      tastes
      of
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      the
      transparen-
     
     
      cies
      of
      these
      actions
     
     
      must
      be
      wearing
     
     
      thin
      on
      voters
      by
     
     
      now.
      In
      Manitoba,
     
     
      the
      NDP
      came
      in,
     
     
      had
      a
      look
      at
      the
     
     
      books,
      and
      voila
      a
     
     
      $417
      million
      deficit
     
     
      for
      the
      year
      was
     
     
      produced.
      The
     
     
      outgoing
      Tory
     
     
      Finance
      Minister
     
     
      Eric
      Stefanson
      had
     
     
      the
      gall
      to
      say
      that
     
     
      the
      province
      was
      on
     
     
      track
      for
      a
      balanced
     
     
      budget
      with
      the
      help
     
     
      of
      some
      rainy
      day
     
     
      funds
      they
      had
      set
     
     
      up
      while
      in
      power.
     
     
      Frankly,
      I
      think
     
     
      setting
      up
      these
     
     
      funds
      is
      prudent.
     
     
      Manitoba
      has
      been
     
     
      ravaged
      by
      the
     
     
      decline
      in
      farm
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      out
      certainly
      has
     
     
      created
      this
      situa-
     
     
      tion.
      But
      digging
      a
     
     
      little
      deeper
      one
      can
     
     
      sense
      that
      they
      are
     
     
      creating
      this
      be-
     
     
      cause
      they
      know
     
     
      that
      they
      will
      have
     
     
      problems
      paying
      for
     
     
      their
      election
      prom-
     
     
      ises.
      So
      rather
      than
     
     
      say
      there
      is
      no
     
     
      money,
      they
      cook
     
     
      the
      books
      which
     
     
      takes
      the
      focus
      off
     
     
      them
      and
      then
      when
     
     
      they
      cannot
      deliver
     
     
      on
      their
      promises
     
     
      they
      shrug
      their
     
     
      shoulders
      and
      point
     
     
      to
      the
      fiscal
      mess
     
     
      they
      inherited.
     
     
      Another
      deeper
     
     
      reason
      for
      doing
     
     
      this
      can
      be
      seen
      in
     
     
      New
      Brunswick,
     
     
      where
      Tory
      Premier
     
     
      Bernard
      Lord
     
     
      managed
      to
      create
      a
     
     
      $227
      million
      deficit
     
     
      where
      an
      18.5
     
     
      million
      dollar
     
     
      surplus
      existed
     
     
      before.
      He
      is
      using
     
     
      this
      as
      a
      pretext
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      review
      all
      700
     
     
      government
      pro-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      grams
      there.
      While
     
     
      this
      is
      probably
      a
     
     
      good
      thing
      on
      the
     
     
      surface,
      here
      is
      the
     
     
      reality
      of
      it:
      the
     
     
      Tories
      have
      been
     
     
      shut
      out
      of
      power
      in
     
     
      New
      Brunswick
      for
     
     
      a
      long
      time.
      Liber-
     
     
      als
      inhabit
      all
      kinds
     
     
      of
      plum
      government
     
     
      positions.
      What
     
     
      better
      way
      to
      re-
     
     
      ward
      your
      loyal
     
     
      supporters
      than
     
     
      using
      a
      program
     
     
      review
      to
      turf
      out
     
     
      these
      Grits
      and
     
     
      install
      your
      own
     
     
      loyalists?
      Now
     
     
      whether
      or
      not
      this
     
     
      happens
      I’1l
      have
      to
     
     
      hold
      my
      breath
      in
     
     
      my
      damaged
      lungs.
     
     
      Translation:
     
     
      shouldn’t
      be
      long
     
     
      before
      we
      see
      this....
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      Smo
      le
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4
      4s.
     
     
      \
      ‘vaieumakes
      Cotler
      inter-'-"at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~~
      “have
      been
      giving
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      aa
      ee
      :
     
     
      arate
      Me
      ERE
      A
     
     
      GONZO
      OUT