Century Club

It has come to my attention that my most recent post was actually the 100th posting on this blog since the late summer 2009. Yes, the champagne was flowing here at A Guy Watching Politics.

I had started the blog in 2009 when the prospects of an election seemed high. Mr. Ignatieff (see history books, under Liberal leaders) had announced that he would no longer support the Conservative government. The purpose of the blog was to promote a dialogue on the issues as we headed into the pending election.

While the subsequent Liberal downward spiral in the polls and a decision by Mr. Layton to continue to support the government took an election off of the table a few months later, I decided to keep writing. I wanted to continue the dialogue and use this blog to - in my own way - promote greater engagement on the issues facing Canada.

So, with a 100 posts and an election under my belt I want to say thanks to those of you (both of you?) who have read my posts, provided your comments and encouraged me to do more. My instincts tell me that the next four years in Parliament will provide a lot of food for thought, so let's keep the conversation going.

A Guy Watching Politics

Comments! We have comments (...and the cheque is in the mail)

The Habs played (and lost) their home opener tonight. This sporting event has, sadly, occupied my attention this evening so there will not be much of a post tonight.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that we have our first posts on this blog. This may be small to many of you mega-bloggers out there, but for a fledgling blogger like me it is certainly welcome. Thanks!

Now, about those cheques...

Is this an issue we should care about? I am not sure I care so much about the cheques and photos. For me, it is the hypocrisy. Had this been the fall of 2005, we would have had these cheques featuring heavily in the "Stand Up for Canada" ads.

Yes, every government rallies against such things. And yes, once a party gets in their views seems to change. That's the game, right?

This mentality is reflected in recent discussions on Kevin Page. Following on last night's post, the same Conservatives who called for an independent Parliamentary Budget Officer are now essentially cutting the office off. There is so much evidence about how perspective changes once you are on the inside - so much so that we should not be surprised.

These are not, on their own, issues which sway large numbers of voters. But they are issues which we should note and consider as we look at the parties and the options they present to us.