Khar wrote:
I don’t mind if it makes the news, my problem is when it makes the news as the main thing happening on these campaign tours.
As you said, this is minor news – it shouldn’t be taking center stage, when at the same time we’re watching two leaders basically state platforms they are going to possibly run for very shortly. It’s absurd when a short article about riding an ATV monopolizes public attention when an analysis of what is being said during the press conferences must be dug for, in my opinion. Harper certainly didn’t help, as you said, but the media seems more focused on the Automaton vs. Human debate than they are on the potential issues at hand.
Well, let's be honest, the media treats Canadians like we; a)do not care about politics, or b)are too stupid to understand things like policy.
That's why this ATV thing got so much attention. It's something that's easy for the 'great unwashed' to understand/relate to.
Khar wrote:
I would agree on the other point. While the article talks about investment of billions slowly moving in the right direction, I think the fact that it’s moving so slowly is a problem since it’s not being urged forward at all. We’ve had some of this stuff promised for four years now, and it really should have moved a lot more into the north than it already has. While I'm happy we're getting attention to our North and the sovereignty issues up front, I really don't feel like it's enough. The worst bit is that I don’t think we’d see a real change if we switched over to Liberals on this either, since as you mentioned, they are in the same boat when it would come to getting stuff moving in the North. I’d like to see a lot more movement of stuff in the North, and while I do have a bud or two up there who mention they see more military now, I really feel like it hasn’t been happening fast enough. I feel part of that comes from the lack of attention given to the North when we don't have a leader up there or something planned in the North. When another issue comes up, it seems that the North, in the view of quite a few folks, slides off the radar a bit, even if they do consider it an important issue when it's on center stage, whereas other debates, like the long census form and gun registry, hold the interest of more folks (probably because it more directly effects people?). Plus, I have a feeling it also helps avoid the inevitable announcement of price tags, which tends to set people off many plans.
No, I don't see the Liberals spending money up there any faster either, for the same reason Harper hasn't - it doesn't get votes the way cutting the GST by 1% does. If defence spending/sovereignty announcements got the kind of political play that his GST cut did, then he'd be doing it all the time. Instead, he's doing exactly what Chretien/Martin did, very slowly increase defence spending, and then, it's mostly targeted towards things that will win us points with our allies, not things we need to fulfill his 'Canada First' policy.
After all, if he was concerned about 'Canada First' as he espouses so often, wouldn't he have fast-tracked items like the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Vessels? Instead, cash has been dumped on items, which while needed, help more in overseas missions (C-17, C-130J, CH-47, Leopard 2 tanks, F-35 fighters, etc.) than items that we need to patrol our coasts (like new destroyers, Aurora patrol planes, icebreakers, etc).
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