Dalton Prorogues..

The Ontario government is also taking the Olympics off…. Hopefully everyone kept their signs…

An Evening to Remember

It was an incredible event.  How often do you get to see the Prime Minister interview the two greatest hockey players ever?  Our table was prime (so was the rib), and we were able to shake hands with the three as they left the Q&A.  I think Harper would have went on all night if they would have let him.  Kelly Chase, Jim Hopson and Brad Wall also spoke and were terrific additions to program.  A wonderful night,  and a great fundraiser, certainly a night to remember.

Accelerator

If your accelerator is stuck and you are speeding up, hit the brakes, if it keeps accelerating put the car in NEUTRAL.  Didn’t anybody take driver training?

While Toyota should be held mostly responsible for this problem, those who have had accidents share some responsibility.  They should know how to properly operate the vehicle.

The report for the crash of Continental Flight 3407 from Newark to Buffalo blamed the pilots for crashing a flyable plane.  The plane stalling was a recoverable event, much like a stuck accelerator, and an attentive operator should be able to handle the vehicle in such a situation.

Of course, people aren’t perfect and mistakes are made.  It is an unimaginable  tragedy when a family perishes from an out of control car crash, or when lives are lost when a plane crashes.  Toyota needs to fix the problem and put extra safety features in.   But drivers also need to make sure they are properly trained; not just to drive, but also in how to operate a vehicle.

Mr. Traffic (Kenny Morse) had this to say after the well known Lexus crash that killed four:

“Knowing what to do in the unlikely case of a gas pedal sticking might save your life,” he says. “First of all, this happens rarely, but if you keep your wits about you and do not panic, it can make all the difference……”

“Knowing what to do in a potential emergency is what makes a driver a driver,” Morse says. “Anyone can step on the gas and go straight, but do you know how to avoid a collision, or something like this?”

I guess the point is I have to defend Toyota here a little bit.  While it is not cool to make cars that have sticky accelerators, the operators should also understand how to handle a manageable situation like this.

Saskatoon-Humbolt In Play?

He’s back, and he has a new tool to get his message out, so he will not be mischaracterized by the media.  Yes, Saskatoon-Humbolt voters will get a chance to vote for the beloved Jim Pankiw in the next federal election.  He once served this riding in parliament for two terms, and undoubtably still has some support.

He held a press conference today to announce his decision.  He then slammed the media and then promoted his website as a more powerful tool for his message (he sounded like he just discovered the interweb).  Asking if there were any questions after his announcement, the media wondered why they were invited if they are useless and distort his positions.

Jim answered, “To rub it in your face!”

They also asked him if he was drunk.  I’m not sure he actually denied it.

Obviously he hasn’t looked into public relations during his hiatus.

Mr. Pankiw is often labelled as a racist, and it’s hard to argue he’s not.  He promotes an extreme libertarianism, and (supposedly) absolute egalitarianism.  To hear him ramble, he may even promote anarchy, it is hard to really discern sometimes.

The major problem in his quest for equality is he only focuses on “race based privileges” as his target.  As a former resident, who was served by Pankiw in parliament, his literature was always a cringing read, even when he had valid points.  It’s one thing to fight for equality, but he is curiously obsessed with natives in his analysis.

Interestingly he will be running against Brad Trost, who is the current conservative MP for the riding.  Trost is from the far right social conservative side of the party.  While Trost is less radical and more credible than Pankiw, their target base occupy similar spaces.

Trost won the Humbolt riding from Pankiw in 2004 (after Pankiw was shed by the newly formed Conservative party) when he ran as an independent.  Pankiw came in fourth (20%) but only lost to Trost (26.3%) by 2363 votes.

The subsequent two elections Trost has held a commanding lead in the riding, with no other conservative challenger he captured 49.1% and 53.8% of the vote.  (Jim ran against Gerry Ritz in 2006 in Battlefords-Lloyminster.  He came in third with over 14% of the vote)

The NDP have consistently captured over 9000 votes (25-30%) in this riding, and the last time  Pankiw and Trost squared off (and split the vote) NDP candidate Nettie Wiebe lost by only 417 votes.  If Pankiw can mount a serious erosion of Trosts base, and if there is any corresponding anti-conservative sentiment, the NDP may be able to steal this one, and get back into the province.

That’s a big IF.  The caveat to that hypothesis is that Trost is no longer an unknown rookie like he was in 2004 when he went up against the more established Pankiw.  Trost’s (and the Conservative) base will be far more difficult to erode or split this time around.

It is unlikely Pankiw will gain much support, but an election is a long time, and other national factors may change sentiment enough to make this an interesting riding next time out.  One thing for sure, drunk or sober, Jim Pankiw in the mix could make it entertaining, in a car crash voyeuristic sort of way.

Update: Here is the video of the press conference…It really is something.