The following are word maps which provide an interesting graphical view of the election 2008 policy platforms for each of the four largest national parties. The abundance of blank space in the Conservative platform word map is in fact indicative of the nature of their policy offering.
Attached to this post for posterity's sake, and for future research, are the platform documents themselves. Only the Liberal Party has, so far, taken their platform document off-line.
If I were to editorialize I'd say the Conservative Party ought to have been first to withdraw theirs, as compared to the other parties' efforts, it's devoid of detail and includes a speciously worded section on "costing the plan" (page 43) which all will soon recognize as having been a larger fantasy even than Harper's dreams of a majority government.
Jane Taber's article in Saturday's Globe and Mail mischaracterizes Emerson's attack on democracy and his background:
Mr. Emerson is well respected in political Ottawa and considered a solid performer, although he had that controversial blip when he crossed the floor from the Liberals to join the Harper cabinet in 2006. But he is not a career politician and has a wealth of experience in the business world, as the former CEO of lumber giant Canfor. A new U.S. president, a new role for Emerson? (Oct. 17 2008, The Globe and Mail)
My response was published in today's Globe and Mail:
Not to be taken lightly
October 20, 2008
Vancouver -- Jane Taber refers to David Emerson's (and by extension Stephen Harper's) disrespect for representative democracy by changing parties as a "controversial blip," trivializing what was no less than an all-out attack on both our style of government and the nature of our democracy itself (A New U.S. President, A New Role For Emerson? - Oct. 18).
The Canadian tradition of responsible government holds that cabinet ministers should be elected. Those elected got there under the banner of a party promising to deliver on a vision, or something more mundane, but they promise nevertheless to deliver. And as cabinet fealty is mandated, it really does matter that candidates both believe in and swear to uphold the promises and platform they campaign on.
Mr. Emerson did neither.
None of the last parliament's four floor-crossers--David Emerson (Liberal > Conservative), Wajid Khan (Liberal > Conservative), Garth Turner (Conservative > Independent > Liberal), Blair Wilson (Liberal > Independent > Green)--returned to parliament. Realising that he would become a lightning rod for unwanted attention during the campaign, Emerson opted not to run. The other three were soundly defeated in Election '08.
