Not So Vite!

The U.S. election is tragedy and although the Canadian election is not farce, it certainly has its humorous aspects when seen from the outside. Yesterday, I mentioned the Sunshine Coast Green Party candidate who only two years ago was the Sunshine Coast Liberal Party candidate, but who migrated parties as a result of alleged election finance improprieties. Today, I find that the Sunshine Coast NDP (most left party) candidate was, fairly recently, the Sunshine Coast Marijuana Party candidate (even farther than 'most left', I guess). Not so much of a problem there, but this candidate’s recent association with a company selling coca plants does threaten to interfere with the proper level of campaign seriousness, so he has dropped out leaving the NDP temporarily candidate-less with three weeks of campaigning yet to go. I suppose by next week, it will turn out that the Conservative Party’s candidate is a secret cross dresser or perhaps just a former member of the Canadian Natural Law Party which planned to introduce Yogic Flying as an integral part of government when last it was heard from. I am forced to conclude that party allegiance here is much more arbitrary than in the U.S. I mean, is there anything that will finally and completely separate Joe Lieberman from the Democratic Party other than the death of one or the other?

Additionally, it turns out that at the B.C. provincial level, Premier Campbell (a member of the Liberal Party who, nevertheless, seems very much like a business-oriented Republican to me) gave senior government managers very sizable salary increases (double digits!)—which he announced on a Friday afternoon during the Olympics—and then cancelled the fall session of the provincial Legislative Assembly on the grounds that there was nothing for the MLA’s to do. He thought it would be better if they spent their time in their home ridings talking to their constituents. Better than messing with him, anyway. A bunch of them had been planning to talk quite publicly with him about these pay raises as well as the Premier’s decision to fly to the Beijing Olympics in a private jet with a developer who does business with the province, as well as a few other things. The Legislative Assembly has been in session only 47 days this year, I am told. Oh, if only Bush could so easily get rid of the Congress, although he has found ways of having them around without their being much of a problem. ‘They have questions? Tell them no, okay?’ This is government that could be the basis of a TV show, I think. At the very least, it certainly gives Ms. Palin a run for her money in the category, ‘You Did What?’ And the possibility of yogic flying or even national levitation is certainly an inspiring thought.