Roundup: A refresher on the GG

With a minority government likely in the offing – possibly Conservative, possibly Liberal – we’re seeing a spate of new articles about post-electoral scenarios and the role of the Governor General. While some of them get it more or less right, (my own offering a couple of weeks ago here), into the middle of this, Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch sticks his nose in and starts making trouble of his usual sort – deliberately misconstruing the system to his own ends. And then, unfortunately, As It Happens picked it up and ran with it without someone credible to counter it. Fortunately, Philippe Lagassé was already ahead of that game earlier yesterday morning, followed by a smackdown of Conacher later in the evening. I’ll leave you to it.

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653914291637198848

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653914770098290690

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653915706283659264

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653915926199410688

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653916331650252800

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653916666636713984

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653917027585916928

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653919426622943232

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653919762775437313

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/653920023229132800

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/654124638788653056

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/654124746611683328

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/654124846054404096

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/654124979273908224

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/654125100501872641

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/654125513863098368

On the campaign:

Good reads:

  • Voter turnout in advanced polls was 3.6 million – 71 per cent more than in 2011. (Mind you, there was an extra day in there). Nicely done, Canada.
  • Conservatives are now claiming that Trudeau is in favour of mandatory brothels, weed stores and drug injection sites. No, seriously.
  • Jennifer Robson take a critical look at the Conservative platform, and how it compares to the other two main parties’.
  • Kathleen Wynne said her provincial pension plan could be dropped if Trudeau is elected and starts to reform CPP.
  • Colby Cosh writes about Harper’s narrative that the election is no longer about him, when clearly it is.
  • Stephen Gordon makes the case for optimism about the TPP.
  • Over at Loonie Politics, I wonder if the hype over the TPP isn’t overblown – and distracting from the real trade issue.

Odds and ends:

The NDP accuse the Liberals of spreading a rumour that Nycole Turmel is terminally ill, but the Liberals vehemently deny it.

Here’s an update on the mission in Iraq.