I guess it’s good to get a cold/flu over with now before a possible election. Ugh. The last two days have been horrible. At least I have the ability to work remotely, so I was able to accomplish a few things and keep my work to-do list from becoming unbearable… but basically I’ve been bed-ridden over the last two days…
In Federal news, Dion has drawn the line in the sand. It will remain to be seen whether Afghanistan’s mission becomes a confidence motion (should it be coincidence that the government determines the next week’s orders of business on Thursdays?)…
In Provincial news, the word is that Stelmach’s dropping the writ on Monday. That doesn’t surprise me, since I got a call from the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta on Tuesday evening, asking me to give my support. I won’t be writing much on the provincial front, since I concentrate most of my non-work energy on Federal politics, but some good perspectives on it would include Daveberta (former ALP Communications Coordinator), Enlightened Savage (always well reasoned and attempts to stay relatively neutral), and Ken Chapman (PC member and pundit - oft quoted in paper media).
31.Jan.08 
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-32 celsius. -48 with wind chill. brrr.
My trip to work this morning was… interesting. I decided to take the 50-cent premium express bus this morning, since that way I wouldn’t have to rely on the C-trains (the express goes directly downtown). The bus didn’t come.
So, I took my usual bus, to Brentwood. Now, Brentwood station is one station away from the end-of-line, so often when the C-trains are running late, I’ll take the Northbound train to Dalhousie, and sit there happily as it reverses direction and takes me downtown….
When I got to Brentwood, it was PACKED. And, with diminished Southbound trains, people had the same idea I have. So, the first Northbound was filled, and I stuck around at the station waiting for the next (which was about 10-15 minutes later). I took it, sat down, and expected to enjoy the ride.
When it got to Dalhousie, it then suffered mechanical failures, and was unable to take us back. Of course, with the number of people waiting at Dalhousie, plus a packed train having to relocate to the only other train there, it was pretty much impossible for me to get onto a train. So, I decided to take the 37 bus back to Brentwood, and would then make the decision whether to come into work (if the trains were then working and available), or take my bus home and work remotely (by now it was about 8:30, and I catch my bus shortly after 7:00).
When I got to Brentwood, there were very few people at the station, so I decided to wait. About 5 minutes later, a Southbound train arrived and there was room to get in. I took it downtown, and missed the #3 (which I take from downtown to work) by about 30 seconds. After waiting for 10 minutes outside in the cold, another bus showed up, and I finally made it to work… at 10 to 10:00.
Wheee
For the record, this is one politician who does take public transit, and is normally a very good way for me to travel to work. Today, however, was a comedy of errors.
28.Jan.08 Uncategorized Read more Comments (2)
At 11:00am EST (9:00 here), parliament is back in session for the first time in 2008. There has been all sort of speculation as to what these next few months are going to hold. Between the Manley Report, the firing of Linda Keen, and the Budget, there’s going to be plenty of firepower over the next few weeks.
Just a reminder. Parliament is only in session for the next three weeks, then there’s a one-week break, three weeks, and then Easter holidays. The Budget is expected to come in the second set of those weeks.
I’ll be watching very closely to see how it all unfolds…
27.Jan.08 Uncategorized Read more Comments (0)
Of course, the first news of yesterday was the Bank of Canada’s farewell rate adjustments for outgoing governor David Dodge. In tandem with the U.S. Federal Reserve, they dropped rates to work on the ’soft landing’ of this part of the business cycle.
Then came the Manley Report, which has the possibility of collapsing the government. I have yet to read it in full, but from the random news reports I’ve been reading, it flies in the face of the Liberals wish to end combat by 2009 strict. It wouldn’t surprise me if Harper makes it a confidence issue in the House - it’s a triple play for the governing Tories.
One, it was a Liberal (a former deputy PM at that) who headed the panel that recommended it, which is good firepower for the Liberals abstaining or voting against. Second, a vote against can be portrayed as a vote against Harpers help package, which is tied to the budget being passed. Third, a vote for it goes against what the grits have been spitting out policy-wise for a week, and paints Dion as an even bigger wobbler.
Two years of tory rule as of today. It remains to be seen how much longer this minority parliament will remain the status quo…
23.Jan.08 Uncategorized Read more Comments (0)
