Day 18 so far: Bear Pride debates and dumping Steve

While we prepare for tonight’s debate, can I just point out how unappealing the set is this year?

It was pointed out to me that it was obviously designed with Bear Pride in mind. I find the logic unassailable.

Meanwhile, a grassroots appeal to women is sprouting up online. It’s Over Steve!! features women “breaking up” with Stephen Harper.


The YouTube channel is here; it encourages women across the country to get out and vote, as well as giving them the opportunity to post their own “break-up” videos. Very cute.

Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin continues to prove that she’s all klass: she implied that Speaker Milliken made his most noted ruling motivated by partisan considerations and self-interest. Seriously.

Speaking of the Senate, the NDP has decided to campaign hard… against senators. They’re trying to name and shame senators who are campaigning and going as far as launching a “spot a senator” campaign. Really guys? Somewhere down the road, you’re going to have private member’s bills that you want passed. Senators have long memories and don’t take kindly to being insulted. Perhaps this should figure into your political calculus. Just saying.

And the CBC’s Reality Check team takes a look at the NDP’s promise to keep the corporate tax rate below US levels. This is all well and good, but it doesn’t take into account the American practice of registering head offices in jurisdictions that offer very low tax rates.

Dale Smith is a freelance journalist in the Parliamentary Press Gallery and author of The Unbroken Machine: Canada's Democracy in Action.

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