Martin Launches National Weekly Radio Address

The mail servers over at the Liberal Party of Canada must be smoking with all the activity of the past week and my inbox is filling up fast. Cutting through the wake of their fall newsletter comes the news that Paul Martin wants to be more presidential than prime ministerial and speak to the masses on the radio each week.

All of 28 stations across our vast land will pick up his ever-so thunderous tones and, unlike in the US where the White House feeds the networks and affiliates air the address at their discretion under no obligation, Martin's addresses are paid for.

In the release I received, "Given that there may be occasion to speak to political matters, the Prime Minister has instructed that the cost of these broadcasts be borne by the Liberal Party of Canada."

This, friends, is what is known as "pre-writ" spending. It's a common practice among all parties who have such luxurious resources. It'll be interesting to hear how the addresses are packaged from the Prime Minister of Canada and not from the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. And just how much "political content" will they contain?

The average listener is about to be sprayed with a weekly dose of partisan rhetoric and propaganda from our top government representative and, while they have the choice to turn the knob, they'll still hear about it from other media who, undoubtedly, have already inked the weekly broadcasts as mandatory coverage on the political beat.

It's slithery, I agree, but clever and technically above board. Where the microscopes come out, however, is during election time when those broadcast costs must be included in the campaign spending under the Canada Elections Act, should they choose to continue the broadcast schedule.

Of the 28 radio stations contracted to run the addresses, only 2 are News/Talk: VOCM in St. John's and CFRB in Toronto. The remainder are decidedly skewed Adult Female in the Soft/Light/EZ-Rock mould with a few Country stations thrown in. CJMJ (Majic 100) and CIMF (French) are the Ottawa sources.

I guess they don't want to talk to "angry white guys" or renegade classic rockers.

PM the PM hits AM and FM for the first time tomorrow, barking on softwood lumber. Dithers' diatribes will last approximately two minutes, though they'll seem much longer.

A Double Edged Sword

I see in the news this week that a Sikh man is considering taking VIA Rail to the Human Rights Commission for not allowing him to board a train wearing his ceremonial dagger.

I can relate. I remember one time, at Ottawa International airport, security refused to let me board with my ceremonial nail clippers. In fact, the same thing happened to my wife, on her recent trip to Arizona, when she had to surrender her ceremonial travel sewing kit.

If all one has to do to justify boarding a carrier with a weapon is to declare the item "ceremonial", we'll soon witness the flourishing of thousands of ceremonial AK-47's.

Yesterday's Ottawa Citizen editorial on the matter, in my view, was the perfect take. I recommend its reading.

In Other News........

Ottawa City Council narrowly and technically voted down a ban on cosmetic pesticide use in the city this week. Understanding the sensitivity of the issue here in Ottawa, the debate has to continue at this level of heat before people truly understand all the facts and, considering the interest and the input council has received from the public on this one, Baseline Ward Councillor Rick Chiarelli level-headedly proposed the issue be put to referendum on the next ballot a year from now. Of course, level-headedness has yet to prevail with this clowncil and Chiarelli's motion was voted down 16-4 with one councillor suggesting that the public is not up to the challenge of deciding the issue. They may have a point. Look at the council we have: Less level-headed, more anvil-headed.

FYI.....

I got my autumn Liberal newsletter this week. It says the government is in the mindset to get things done. So, I scrolled down to see what all the excrement, whoops, excitement was about and I found a notice on the Aboriginal People's Commission Of The Liberal Party Of Canada. I thought, "this should be interesting" and I clicked the link to learn of a couple of appointments, that the APC met in Montreal last month and that "Many issues were addressed and updates were given, including one provided by the Honorable Andy Scott who talked about the plans for the upcoming historical meeting of the First Ministers on Aboriginal Affairs. This meeting is scheduled for late November in British Columbia." So, by the looks of things, life seems to be good for our aboriginal friends. Just thought you should know.

Harper Aide Returns Bra: Snaps Out Of It

Cross My Heart, it's a true story. A Newfoundland band's "lucky bra" went missing a few weeks ago during a provincial PC convention in St. John's which Stephen Harper attended. The band performed the night before at the same club where Harper's address to the delegates was delivered during a luncheon.
Ya gotta love the Newfoundlanders for their spirit. Not only is the band called Eight Track Favourites (I love 'em already - note unheard), but they've even named their lucky bra. Check out the story.. I'm not here long. I just have to say I'm glad the bra was returned because it shows the difference between the Conservatives and the Liberals, who feel they always have to support their boobs!