Elly Alboim

Elly Alboim reviews what we might’ve learned and projects forward.

I feel your pain, Canada. Fortunately we’re here to help. Maclean’s and CPAC had a lunch event in Ottawa on Thursday to peer into the coffee grounds left behind by Campaign 2011. And CPAC, being the public-minded people they are, have archived the whole event on their website. It’s right here. Onstage at the Château Laurier were, in the first segment, Andrew Coyne, John Geddes, Aaron Wherry and me. After a break, Andrew and I chatted with IRPP president Graham Fox; Le Devoir reporter Hélène Buzzetti; and Elly Alboim, who’s had key roles at the CBC and in Paul Martin’s kitchen cabinet. Enjoy.

CBC does its best to hide such things online, but if you go to the podcast of yesterday’s episode of Politics and scroll to about three-quarters of the way through, you’ll find arguably the most intelligent discussion of politics broadcast on Canadian television in the last decade—Rick Anderson, Elly Alboim and Susan Bonner talking about the new Conservative ads and the nature of political advertising. An engaging, civil debate with only slight prodding from the host.