Resisting the pull of cynicism since 1969.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Gaffe-o-rama in Edmonton-Strathcona

I attended an all-candidates' forum for my riding of Edmonton-Strathcona tonight, and was truly shocked to learn from the Liberal candidate that proportional representation is apparently already in place in Ontario and British Columbia. It was a Liberal government that implemented it in those places, too, we were told. Funny, I had thought it was a Liberal government that had refused to implement the will of 58% of the province after the B.C. referendum, but I suppose I must be misinformed. I have to wonder what will happen to all my Fair Vote Canada colleagues in those provinces now, since they turn out to have been fighting to implement something that already exists. Thanks to Mr. Andy Hladyshevsky for setting us all straight on that important point.

At least the Liberal had a leg up on the Conservative, though--incumbent Rahim Jaffer--who didn't even bother showing up. You'd think Rahim Jaffer would know by now that if he doesn't show up to something, the jokes will fly, but apparently he hasn't gotten that message yet.

And a good time was had by all.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I guess everyone knows who isn't going to incumbent during the next election.

Idealistic Pragmatist said...

Mark,

You're right--"implemented" was my paraphrase. The exact quote (which I wrote down immediately following the statement because I was so dumbfounded) was "look where we have proportional representation--in B.C. and Ontario."

JG said...

Um, while PR also failed in PEI, Pat Binns has never been anything other than a Progressive Conservative premier.