Smile, you're on candidate's camera
Published Monday September 8th, 2008
OTTAWA - He was in a rush to go to the polls, but after visiting with the governor general Sunday to call a general election, it seemed to television viewers as though Prime Minister Stephen Harper had all the time in the world.
Harper ambled toward the lights and cameras of the media machine outside Rideau Hall in an unnaturally leisurely pace after meeting with the Governor General. He was actually biding his time to ensure he didn't move out of the lens of a pool cameraman that was backing up to captures Harper's every step.
At one point Harper was overheard at one point telling the cameraman "pick it up a bit?"
On with the race!
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Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is acknowledging the election envy many Canadians are enduring when they look at the spirited presidential race in the United States, but she's urging voters not to ignore Canadian news channels in favour of the Atlanta-based Cable News Network.
Sure, the fight between Barack Obama and John McCain to lead the world's biggest superpower is important, says May.
But Canada's election is important, too, she argued while launching her first-ever national campaign in Guelph, Ont.
"This is happening in Canada, this is happening now," she told supporters.
"I beg you, do not sleep through this election," she urged of voters.
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Everybody wants to look prime ministerial, right?
What better way to do that than to have the perfect props behind you as the cameras click and whir and the eyes of a television nation are trained on you.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's handlers were quickly shuffling Canadian flags behind their man, using the red Maple Leaf to surround him in a spirit of patriotism.
The fluttering emblems were moved from one side to another, first on the left as Harper appeared at Rideau Hall to greet the governor general, and then to the right when he officially announced the election was underway.
Stéphane Dion might have been trying to address the majority of Canadians who've told pollsters he's not prime ministerial by standing in front of the impressive and imposing wooden doors that lead to the House of Commons.
NDP Leader Jack Layton, in keeping with his Barack Obama-styled campaign, stood with the Library of Parliament and the Ottawa River behind him.
Except for the variances in architecture, it was almost a carbon copy of the backdrop used by Barack Obama when he launched his candidacy for president of the United States outside the Illinois state capital building.
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Much has been made in media and Conservative circles of Liberal difficulties in securing a jet for their campaign tour.
The Liberals lost a bidding war to the New Democrats after Air Canada told parties it had only two Airbus A-310s available - and the Conservative party had locked up theirs many months ago by paying a lofty six-figure holding fee.
Liberal and New Democrat operatives had been in sporadic negotiations with Air Canada for the remaining Airbus A-319. But each time a threatened election window passed, Air Canada boosted the price when negotiations began anew.
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Itineraries for the federal party leaders today, Monday, Sept. 8 (all times local):
Stephen Harper, Conservative party, Vancouver (no further details)
Stéphane Dion, Liberal party, Montreal (no further details)
Jack Layton, New Democratic Party, Fort Smith, N.W.T., Vancouver (no further details)
Gilles Duceppe, Bloc Quebecois, Not yet available
Elizabeth May, Green party, Anti-poverty speech, donation of food to local soup kitchen, Ottawa; Overnight in Nova Scotia.
The Liberals finally gave up on Air Canada and leased an aging Boeing 737 from Air Inuit - at a saving a source suggests is close to $1 million.
The Liberal bargain may not look so good if maintenance becomes an issue during the 37-day campaign. The Boeing is three decades old, and is the only jet-powered aircraft in Air Inuit's fleet.
The Liberals insisted Sunday the jet is ready to go in Toronto, although it won't be needed by Dion until mid-week.
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There must be an election campaign going on.
As part of a media charm offensive launched by the Conservatives over the summer, the PMO "list" that was at the centre of so much angst between reporters and the prime minister's office over the past two years has suddenly disappeared.
Since the 2006 election, officials in the PMO had insisted that reporters go on a list that they would use to decide who got to ask questions of Stephen Harper during news conference.
Worried that favoured media would be cherry-picked to ask questions, many news outlets balked and boycotted the list.
Now that Stephen Harper is running for office again, suddenly the list is gone.
Perhaps only the election results will determine whether the list makes a return engagement later this year.
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Ah, family values.
The competition is on in the 2008 federal election campaign.
Not just to see who is the best person to lead the country, but to determine who is more dedicated to their family.
Political watchers were scratching their heads Sunday, trying to figure out what Conservative Leader Stephen Harper meant when he said of Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, "I presume he is a family man."
Questions arose after the Tories launched a series of television ads portraying Harper as a hockey dad who dotes on his kids during the hours when he's not running the country.
Harper responded that he wanted to let Canadians know he wouldn't be prime minister today were it not for his family.
For the record, Dion is married and has a daughter - and a dog.
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Itineraries for the federal party leaders on Monday, Sept. 8 (all times local):
Stephen Harper, Conservative party, Vancouver (no further details)
Stéphane Dion, Liberal party, Montreal (no further details)
Jack Layton, New Democratic Party, Fort Smith, N.W.T., Vancouver (no further details)
Gilles Duceppe, Bloc Quebecois, Not yet available
Elizabeth May, Green party, Anti-poverty speech, donation of food to local soup kitchen, Ottawa; Overnight in Nova Scotia.
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