One would like this election to be a fair honest fight for what is best for Canada... so good luck David, Robin, Denise...

But, the mud is out already... as predicted, so a word to the wise, "he who throws mud loses ground". And remember, the public will only listen to it for about 3 days... the campaign is going to be at least 6 weeks. Sooner or later an agenda that is about voters will be what takes the day.

I don't know much about Robin Baird. I have heard he is one of the more moderate Tories (which seems to be typical of them, run moderates in ridings they have no living hell in hope of winning, while run extremists in safe ridings). I also liked David Mulroney's ideas and believe from what I know, he is the best choice, although I admit my bias is towards the Liberals of course. Dennis Savoie may be a decent person, but I don't agree with the NDP ideology, so I would never vote for them no matter who they ran.

I don't believe that Mulroney gave this lucrative deal up last time he ran, why now? What has changed besides Mulroney's riding of choice?

This is the riding to watch with the Libs pulling out all the stops to try and keep this seat.

I agree that this will be a tough riding for the Liberals to hold, but if they do lose it, it will be to the NDP not the Conservatives. The only ridings on the Island the Conservatives can win are Vancouver Island North, Nanaimo-Alberni, and Saanich-Gulf Islands and even of those three, I wouldn't surprised if the Conservatives lost one or possibly even all three.

The conservatives have launched with a claim of "organized crime"... the libs countered with "prove it". Last time the CPC went with "pornography" and they were dead from that point on. So, I think that means the CPC is bascially out for the reasonable swing voter unless the CPC can rebrand in 6 weeks or less. The public really does fear hysteria. Harper shot the CPC campaign right in the foot before the first step.

Today I received a call from a pollster who identified themselves as TeleMatrix. I have never heard of them but I can assume that this firm is being used by the Conservatives as the 3 minute survey had 4 questions. 2 of which were obviously slanted at the Liberals. The call was from an unknown number and the lady on the line sounded older.

1 of the 4 asked whether or not my opinion about the upcoming election has changed based on the Gomery Report.

2 of the 4 asked how would I rank my support for tax cuts. I was asked to list my support for tax cuts from income taxes, gas taxes or GST tax.
(The Conservatives have floated the idea that they would cut the GST)

The other two questions asked where I was leaning on the 4 main parties - Green, NDP, Liberal, Conservative and the last question dealt with candidates from the 4 parties - Burgis, Orr, Lunn and the Green candidate (Andrew Stewart??? I can't remember)

Just more intrigue as we head into the election.

It was probably an internal poll being conducted by Gary Lunn to
1. See how great danger he was of losing his seat as his seat is not as safe as some would like to think

2. To see the effect of a certain message and if the poll numbers were positive, he would use that message if not, he would use a different message. Often different messages are tested on voters to see, which ones work the best, which is something all parties do.

Lunn's team usually does polling to test for safe questions/messaging. Now that the CPC may have sunk most of the Gomery affect with the "organized crime" gaff, the CPC may have to move more quickly to real issues that are of direct interest to voters.

For example, the CPC has been floating the 2% cut to the GST for sometime. The headline will have a temporary attention hit. However, the economics of that platform means higher taxes elsewhere (or a debate to justify why the more directed Liberal tax cuts are not better). Accordingly, the CPC are walking into a hornet’s nest on that one; they backed off last election because every conservative economist called them on it then. If they go that way now, there are a lot of conservatives on record who have flatly disagreed with the approach and that could be very embarrassing. Let’s wait and see on this one.

Round one goes to the Liberals… but there is two months to go.

Talk about an old boys club! I always heard those rumours growing up in Victoria, but was never able to put a face on them!

Thanks Sean, most insightful,
only problem about this, the replies appear to be nothing but "old boy fed liberal" responses, seeing absolutely nothing wrong with the actions of corruption in Ottawa, but appearing to not only defend the actions of a few, but trying to portray a picture that doesn't nor ever existed!

just where does hypocrisy begin?

Saseenos,

I hear your pain; the right wants the current Liberals to be corrupt. In fact, three election cycles ago and a half decade ago, Chretien's government was.

Unfortunately, the CPC's current election platform is the third go around on the same scandal. But in the hear and now, Chretien is gone (hopefully to further political disgrace); his government is gone, and the bad actors are long gone. The Liberal party itself changed the government itself since the right could not do it. The political right is more than 5-10 years too late in their campaign to remove AdScam corruption from government.

If the CPC continues to go into hysterics against an exonerated man the public will see nothing but Reform hyperventilating. ... go figure what the election results will be.

PM PM is the man who: cleaned up government, brought the lowest unemployment in years, 8,9 years of balanced budgets. At this point in Canadian history when PM PM says, he will do 'x', 'y', or 'z' the country will believe the guy. If he says he will address aboriginal issues, the country is going to believe. If he says he will address healthcare, the country will believe. In contrast, if Stephen Harper says PM PM is linked to "organized crime", the public will call Stephen Harper a wingnut.

Themz just the facts… and the CPC/Harper simply does not understand the facts he is dealing with. The country needs a credible center-right party, but under Stephen Harper we still do not have one.