Roundup: Barton vs Alexander

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One of the great failings of our politics is the way that everything has devolved into talking points – and usually, they’re utterly moronic talking points that have little to do with the questions being posed to whichever MP is speaking, and sometimes those talking points are complete non sequiturs to the topic at hand. And it’s not just Conservative MPs who ape them either – the NDP are some of the worst at it, ever since the 2011 communications lockdown started, and there are fewer sights more painful than watching their young rookie MPs being sent into an interview armed only with two or three talking points and nothing more. And then there’s Chris Alexander – Oxford educated, former diplomat, and the most petulant communicator that the 41st parliament produced. With the topic of Syrian refugees top of mind, Alexander went on Power & Politics last night, and tried to spin, deflect, and otherwise obfuscate the topic at hand. And praise be, Rosemary Barton was having none of it, repeatedly calling Alexander on his evasions and when he tried to blame the show for not tackling the subject before then, well, she let him have it. And thank the gods, because it’s about time we see the hosts get tough with MPs rather than pussyfoot around them in the hopes that tough questions don’t offend them into boycotts. (BuzzFeed offers a recap here). I’ve argued before that Barton not only deserves to be the permanent host of the show once the election is over, but given her performance last night, I think she deserves a gods damned Canadian Screen Award.

The full segment:

I’ll also say that the whole affair reminded me of this (faux) Jeremy Paxman interview from The Thick of It, and it fills me with hope that Barton is becoming Canada’s Paxman.

On the campaign:

Good reads:

  • Kevin Page says the Liberal plan to run deficits makes the most sense given the weak economic climate, but trust remains the issue.
  • While calling on First Nations people to vote in this election, AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde notes he hasn’t voted in any federal election.
  • Government lawyers can’t produce any documents related to Harper’s decision not to appoint any more senators.
  • 25 of the Orders-in-Council made by the Harper government are not publicly available, which may mean they’re security related, but we have no way of knowing.
  • Conservative Senator Raynell Andreychuk is critical of her own government’s policy of visas for Mexican visitors to Canada.
  • Loopholes in our elections laws mean that candidates can get reimbursements for election expenses without providing receipts.
  • Mike Moffatt digs into those Q2 GDP figures that gave us the technical recession data.
  • Chantal Hébert notes the hollowness of NDP promises to date.
  • Susan Delacourt writes about the ghosts haunting this election campaign.

Odds and ends:

NDP candidate Emilie Taman is going to Federal Court about her being fired for deciding to run for office, apparently forgetting the whole point of the Public Prosecution Service was to depoliticise Crown prosecutions.

Here’s a look at which leader has answered the most questions.

Stock photo fun, where the Conservatives tout their mining tax credit with photos of Colombian salt miners.

2 thoughts on “Roundup: Barton vs Alexander”

  1. “given her performance last night, I think she deserves a gods damned Canadian Screen Award for that performance…”

    She’ll probably get fired or some kind of hatchet job will be done. Remember… don’t piss off the dictator.

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