I have started a new webpoll on which tough question you would like to ask of Mike on his campus tour. My tough question would be "when, during your 30 years abroad, did you become an expert on Canadian Patriotism?" I know his handlers have their "Great Russian" on a pretty tight leash, so it may be difficult for a normal citizen to get in and ask a question, but it is worth a shot. I suppose I could have added the question "how do you plan to make an ass of yourself during the Olympics?" but the poll has already started.
Tonight I will be attending a townhall meeting with Senator Nancy Greene, the Minister of Sport Gary Lunn, and my own MP John Weston. I am excited. It is good to know that our government ministers are hard at work doing their jobs.
Any idea when Harper will ever hold a town hall and permit ordinary Canadians to ask him unscripted questions?
ReplyDeleteIn fact, when is the last time any Canadian PM or opposition leader has done this? Any idea?
Kudos for Iggy for being open to the tough questions you want to ask.
Come on, how do you like living in Boston doesn't have any votes yet?
ReplyDeleteThe Prime Minister is not afraid to take tough questions from Mansbridge. If he takes questions from a professional Liberal lobbyist on national television, I think he could handle normal people.
ReplyDeleteWhat, you mean Gary Lunn is not on holiday. Two elected conservative MPs and a Senator, not on holiday. Haven't they read the papers and watched tv.
ReplyDelete"The Prime Minister is not afraid to take tough questions from Mansbridge. If he takes questions from a professional Liberal lobbyist on national television, I think he could handle normal people."
ReplyDeleteSo how come he never has? Afraid of ordinary Canadians?
He rarely gives interviews with the media - Canadian media at least, unlike several rightwing US media pundits, I don't think any Canadian journalist has been invited to a private dinner with our own Prime Minister, but I digress - and when he does, they hardly ask hardball questions. They have been well trained by Harper to know that any hard questions or follow-up on soft answers means no more interviews for that news organization. So they play relatively nice.
It is pretty funny hearing a conservative claim that the media = ordinary Canadians though. Thanks for the laugh.
My question(s) to Iffy
ReplyDeleteDo you know the number of years of political experience the last 10 Prime Ministers had before becoming PM?
Never having been in government, in cabinet or even in opposition for more than 3 years, never having won the election of your party,
having only lived in Canada 5 of your adult years,
what in hell makes you think you are even remotely qualified to run our country?
The coalition agreement you signed does not expire until June 30, 2011, if you fail to win the next general election will you immediately retire or will like Dion agree to reform the coalition to keep your job?
ReplyDelete"Mr Ignatieff, you have said you are not opposed to prorogation, but insisted that there are certain conditions that you would consider reasonable. Would you consider it reasonable to prorogue parliament if the the opposition parties made a deal with the Bloc in return for support of a coalition to oust a sitting government?"
ReplyDeleteIgg...er, Mr. Ignatief, are you aware that before you returned to Canada the Liberal Party of Canada produced a series of negative ads, one of which said that Stephen Harper would station soldiers with guns on the streets of our cities?
ReplyDeleteNeilD
My question must have been lost in the comments so I'll ask again in a different way.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone aware of Stephen Harper ever holding an unscripted town hall like Ignatieff is doing that was open to the public?
I'm sorry Ted if I did not get to your comment fast enough for your liking, but it was not rejected. I was working on something else. I'll try to be faster next time.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the answer to your question, but I do know that tonight my government Ministers are taking questions from regular citizens.
ReplyDeleteConservative notions of accountability and governance are so liquid and always changing and confusing.
ReplyDeleteHere's what the PMO said earlier last year:
"Mr. Teneycke said that in Canada’s Parliamentary system the 45-minute daily Question Period is the primary way in which ministers answer questions about their files. ”Ministers are available in Question Period to answer questions of the elected opposition, that is the system that we have, that is the primary way by which cabinet ministers in a Parliamentary democracy are held accountable,” said Mr. Teneycke. “If media have additional questions from time to time the primary way by which ministers are held to account is via an elected opposition through the House of Commons.”
That was then, of course, before the accountability questions demanded they be too accountable to Canadians, I suppose.
Harper though? Why would he ever deign to mingle with us lowly ordinary Canadians. That's for leaders not named Harper.
When did you decide to sell your soul in order to become Prime Minister? Do you really think it's worth it?
ReplyDeleteIggy is not doing town halls - he is preaching to the choir with his Unabashed University Tour 2010!!
ReplyDeleteJust how is this a tough audience Ted.
Yah know Ted,
ReplyDeleteIffy is not holding a town meetings,
he is the main event at universities,
and the kids are likely given credits just for showing up.
At least that is how it appears by the looks on their faces.
Now, if Iffy were to talk to TAXPAYERS outside of Toronto,
that's a different story.
Question to Iffy
ReplyDeleteDo you agree with you MP, John McCallum
that Canadian soldiers may hav committed war crimes?
yes, he said that, on CBC, with video
If you equate the Parliamentary Press Gallery as Ordinary Canadians, then you probably figure that Rae and Dosangh have never had a socialist moment.
ReplyDeleteThe PPG has without question a self-admitted leftist bias and an unbecoming hatred for any party that is not Liberal. It's no surprise that PMSH does his interviews with smaller news agencies, at which time his questions are not scripted.
Having CBC interviews is about as hostile as a PM should have to put up with. Facing foaming at the mouth, hate filled air-heads is not exactly the stuff of state-craft.