Political ads get down and dirty

Look out Canada: the next month is going to be dirty. It seems that the run-up to the election is going to be punctuated by attack ads and negative campaigning.

I thought the Conservative Party was the only one that would stoop to negative advertising — until yesterday. After months of enduring the Conservatives’ insidious claims that Michael Ignatieff is a traitor to his country, the Liberal Party has obviously decided that it will not take the high road.

Both the Conservatives and Liberals have new ads ready to hit TV screens over the next 36 days.

The one I watched says Stephen Harper has gone too far. A woman’s voice catalogues Harper’s errors over the years while newspaper clippings zigzag across the screen highlighting various parliamentary scandals.

Abuse, conceit and contempt for Canadians is the thread of the ad. In my opinion it may well be the theme of the next month.

Keep Reading

We can do better than lazy Trump/Musk gay memes

OPINION: There are plenty of ways to troll the president and his right-hand man without resorting to casual homophobia

How Trump’s gender executive order hints at reproductive rights fight

ANALYSIS: The focus on a person “at conception” forecasts more federal attacks on reproductive rights to come

Trans issues didn’t doom the Democrats

OPINION: The Republicans won ending on a giant anti-trans note, but Democrats ultimately failed to communicate on class

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?