Thoughts (which could become columns) on the first two weeks of the election:

Thoughts (which could become columns) on the first two weeks of the election:

• The coalition issue is one that hasn't completely gone away for the Liberals, and it won't, and it shouldn't. In our parliamentary system, there is nothing legally stopping Michael Ignatieff governing at the head of a formal or ad hoc coalition if the opportunity arises. Why he expects us to take his word when he wouldn't suggest we take any other politician's is beyond me. Especially when he was so equivocal in the months leading up to the election when it came to this matter.
• Iggy says he wants to have a 'fly-off' to decide what Canada's next fighter will be. His platform says the fighters aren't necessarily going to be replaced immediately regardless (shades of Chretien's helicopter cancellation – still waiting for those, twenty years later, thanks to the Liberals). Question is, how can you have a fly-off when there are only 2 fifth-generation fighters in the world, and one of them, the F-22, is not for sale. There is no other contender. As to the numbers being thrown around by the opposition, the numbers from the Department of National Defence are, quite frankly, more credible. The parliamentary budget office priced the planes over 30 years to get it's higher estimate, amongst other matters (the DND numbers are over 20 years – the extra 10 years significantly increase the costs, as these will be the most expensive maintenance-wise – as aircraft get older, the ratio of maintenance hours to operational hours grows), which, along with costing critiques from other sources, leads me to be quite sceptical of the basis for the higher numbers.
• The Green Party has no place in the debates amongst the party leaders. They have no MP’s, and the major raison d'etre of the party seems to be getting Liz May elected. This as she runs in her third different riding in the last three elections. And of course there's her tendency to endorse Liberal party leaders as Prime Minister. When she and her party get serious, and the party ceases to be a one issue noisemaker, we'll talk. It should be said that the Bloc shouldn't be there either – listening to Gilles Duceppe, while occasionally amusing, is a waste of what little space cheapskate networks will devote to the debates in the first place.
• How can Dalton McGuinty, Dwight Duncan, and Leona Dombrowsky look Ontarians in the face and say their government has done a good job. Government spending has exploded, meaning even with increasing revenue in the middle of the last decade Ontario ran massive deficits, and these got worse as the economy tanked in 2008-10. Now we are celebrating a deficit of 'only' $16+ billion dollars, we are a 'have not' province, the 'Sunshine List' is exploding... In terms of fiscal management, the McGuinty government since 2003 has been an unmitigated disaster.
• Saw my first robin this spring. It was frozen solid.
• In a day and age where discrimination is supposed to be illegal, how does Loyalist College get away with having new student housing which is unaccessable for those in wheelchairs? And what about the Picton courthouse? The front door doesn't open wide enough to allow a wheelchair through, and the very heavy door itself has no power assist.
• Toronto Maple Leafs fans are out, after grimly holding on to a slim chance their team might make the playoffs. While there may be some hope for next year, folks, the only good thing about this run is it means the Bruins won't get another top 5 pick courtesy the Phil Kessel trade.
• When I think of the late, great Liz Taylor (who apparently hated being referred to as Liz), I will think of an actress who dominated the scenes she was in. Are there any actresses today who can dominate a screen in that same way?
• Best tv show you've likely never watched: Justified. The boss and I download and watch it. Timothy Oliphant is great as Kentucky-bred US Marshal Raylan Givens. Great supporting cast as well, featuring Nick Searcy as Chief Deputy Art Mullen, and Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder, who grew up with Raylan, but is not as concerned with obedience to the law, so to speak.