The thing about politicians is, if you don’t put them back in their place every once in a while, they start to think they’re important. As Canadians, it’s our solemn duty to vote, pay taxes and make fun of politicians.
Without further ado, here’s my look at last week in politics.
The Prime Minister’s Office officially dismissed reports that Stephen Harper and Russian President Vladimir Putin would faceoff in at least two exhibition hockey games. Good move, Mr. PM. The ex-KGB Putin is not just muscular; he’s ripped. He could probably still make the NHL as an enforcer. There aren’t enough sweater vests in Canada to cushion those punches.
So Linda Bruce is seeking the PC nomination in Airdrie and Truper McBride is seeking the same in Banff-Cochrane. Does this mean the CRP is attempting to take over the PCs? Perhaps they should announce on CBC their desire to be MLAs who support FSCDIS as well as PChIP. Call in the acronym police; my head hurts.
Missing the point
Earlier this winter, Premier Alison Redford announced plans to have (sort of) fixed election dates. Her idea of fixed election dates is allowing herself to choose one from of 92 days every four years. So I guess that problem is fixed.
Now her campaign manager for the upcoming provincial election takes a different stand on democratic reform. She goes on Facebook and rips the prime minister for appointing one of Alberta’s elected senators-in-waiting. It’s not that Betty Unger isn’t qualified, in her mind, but that she was elected seven years ago. Of course, she ignores that fact that it was her party who postponed the last senator-in-waiting elections for fear of losing to a Wildrose candidate.
The campaign manager has since deleted her Facebook post. So I guess that problem is fixed, too.
Maclean’s magazine has been publishing a series called 99 Stupid Things the Government Spends Your Money On. As expected, it’s full of corporate welfare and botched social engineering schemes. However, my favourite is one that has been recurring for years.
“The Royal Canadian Mint spent $7.3 million to make 486 million new pennies, at a cost of roughly 1.5 cents each.”
Last week, the Province released a 10-point plan for education. Well, sort of.
The Province actually issued a press release stating it had created a 10-point plan for education. It also released a backgrounder, a document that typically gives concrete details on how a certain objective will be met. This backgrounder, however, was a little short on substance.
For instance, one of the 10 points listed in the press release was “Co-ordinating building playgrounds and new schools.”
How will this be done? Let’s go to the backgrounder, shall we? According to the backgrounder, “Developing a better process for building playgrounds at the same time as new schools will mean that children can be active sooner.”
Speaking for reporters across Alberta, uh, thanks, I guess.
How about this, government, explain to me why playgrounds aren’t built at the same time as schools now? Explain to me why the Province seems to take an interest in kids’ physical activity when it’s politically convenient, then expect communities to pay for playgrounds? Explain to me how building playgrounds at schools is in any way a new idea? No? Didn’t think so.
These are just a few of the millions of reasons why government, and the people working for them, need a wake up call. Remember, it’s not what the politicians does to you, it’s what you do to the politician.
