Ottawa

Week Three

This is the week that was. Week One was recounted here. Week Two was recounted here.

The NDP tabled its election platform. The leaders debated in primetime. And agreed to build a bridge to Verdun. Muguette Paille’s vote loomed large.

Michael Ignatieff went shopping for a tub and called for an uprising.

Stephen Harper said it would be easy to cut $11-billion from the federal budget and claimed Canada for the Conservatives. He and Helena Guergis continued to disagree. Ethnically attired extras were invited to pose with the Prime Minister, while student votes in Guelph were challenged and then redeemed.

Canadian Press obtained the first draft of the Auditor General’s report on the G8-related spending in Tony Clement’s riding. The Conservatives leaked a second draft. John Baird lauded the symbolism of publicly funded toilets. Jack Layton asked for the final report to be released and everyone agreed, except the Auditor General, who decided it had to wait until Parliament returns.

The judges reviewing detainee documents decided nothing could be disclosed until Parliament reconvened. Rick Mercer talked about satire. Bob Rae talked about the Liberal-NDP accord in Ontario. Canadians explained what they would find acceptable from the next Parliament. The Conservatives misappropriated the Auditor General’s words. There was still more drama in little Vaughan. And I spent a day with Stephane Dion.

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Mr. Harper promised to uphold supply management.

Mr. Ignatieff promised a Canada Service Corps.

Mr. Ignatieff continued to lead the race to be prime minister of Facebook.

Mark D. Jarvis explained how to fix Parliament. Johannes Wheeldon considered the lessons of prison debates. Alison Loat posed three questions for the party leaders. Mike Moffatt questioned post-dated promises. Adam Chapnik made a case for the per-vote subsidy. Frances Woolley ruminated on vote-swapping and pondered crime reduction. And, for all those readers who have long wondered about the sound of my voice, I talked about our parliamentary democracy on The Agenda.

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