Maybe some NDP and labour types will be upset at the sight of Bro. Haggard running in Vancouver East, the NDP's keystone riding in Greater Vancouver. Not me. I am just so relieved that it isn't Steve Hopkins (aka Mister Shirley Chan).

Dave Haggard is now the candidate as the other person who had filed nomination papers Lea Johnson has withdrawn his papers to allow this more dynamic candidate to take on the task of unseating Libby - while Libby has served the riding well and will probably be re-elected having a government member helps obtain additional funding - something that can always to used in a riding that has been held by the NDP for most of it's history.

politics101, ... or is it patronage202? ... you seem to be blithely assuming that Government and Liberal are one and the same. Granted, after 1993 the Liberals enjoyed an electoral lock on Ontario, but as of 2004 that lock had been successfully picked by both Tories and New Democrats.

Going into the last election the presumptive range was Liberal Minority to Liberal Majority. This time the possible top end is Liberal Minority, ... and the other end is a non-Liberal administration, or failing that, a Liberal minority government that is so highly constrained that excess spending in government ridings is simply not on.

I have to add this point. With all of the Sponsorship and Gomery material dogging the Liberal Party I am very surprised that you would put forward this old fashioned, Maritimes-style, "get on the government gravy train" type of argument. If you're going to transplant some Maritime traditions to BC, I too want a bottle of unexcised rum. Can you get me a decent brand, one of the imports like Mount Gay?