Election Notebook

Crime, sniping on the Plateau and
stopping Harper via Facebook

by PATRICK LEJTENYI

• If you look hard enough, there are some things—not many, but some—that make this election at least passably interesting. Take, for instance, Stephen Harper’s pledge to get tough, really, really tough, on youth crime. First, there was a TV ad where he’s “discussing” the issue in his stiff, beady-eyed manner with a group of barely visible grey-hairs, saying the hammer’s coming down. Then, last Monday, he promised to overhaul the Young Offenders Act, saying teens as young as 14 could be sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, among other measures. Maximum Steve also would overturn the ban on publishing young offenders’ names. But he sucks up again to the softhearted in Quebec, saying the new rules would only apply to those 16 and older here.

The new regulations won’t cut down on crime, of course, but, as he looks south to draw inspiration from Republican electoral tactics and apes them with vigour, it’ll likely be a vote-getter designed to allay suburbanites’ fears of the grimy, violent cesspool that is, um, Toronto.

• Once upon a time—specifically, from 1921 to 1990—the Laurier riding (in its various names and permutations), encompassing much of the Plateau, was a solid Liberal red. When Jean-Claude Malépart, the sitting MP, died in office, a by-election ushered in the career of a fiery ex-communist named Gilles Duceppe. Eighteen years and five elections later, the Bloc Québécois leader is said to be tiring of the job and eyeing a seat in Quebec City’s National Assembly (which he of course denies). Into the fray steps Sébastien Caron, the Liberal candidate and likely his main rival. A 35-year-old lawyer with Heenan Blaikie, the prestigious firm boasting Pierre Trudeau, Jean Chrétien, Pierre-Marc Johnson and current Conservative candidate for Westmount-Ville-Marie Guy Dufort among its employees past and present, Caron just opened his campaign office at Mont-Royal and St-Laurent, says Duceppe is well past his best-by date and voters know it.

“He’s tired, out-dated and intends to resign the leadership,” he tells EN. “Why would anybody vote for someone who doesn’t want to represent the people of Laurier-Sainte-Marie? Duceppe is a man of the past.” He says he wants to push for the environment, the economy and culture, something “Duceppe can’t do anything about. There’s a question of raising the relevance of the Bloc.” Fighting words indeed. Will Duceppe respond? Check next week!

• Staying in the riding, perennial Green candidate Dylan Perceval-Maxwell, proprietor of Je l’Ai hemp shop on Duluth, is celebrating the re-opening of the store with a party on Saturday, Sept. 27, and drawing daggers against the NDP at the same time. Bad blood has been brewing between the two parties ever since Jack Layton opposed Green leader Elizabeth May’s participation in the leaders’ debates, no doubt out of fear that she’ll hog the environment limelight—something Layton has never been entirely comfortable with, emphasizing jobs and working Canadians and blah blah blah. “Jack Layton is unfortunately putting personal power ahead of the good of the country,” says the fifth-time Laurier candidate. He sounds like he personally admires Stéphane Dion, even though he probably doesn’t represent the views of the majority of Liberal party members, saying, “It’s rare to have politicians like May and Dion who have higher goals than self-interest.” He still manages to refer to the Liberal leader as “a bookish guy with no charisma,” though. The launch party kicks off at 159 Duluth E. at 5 p.m.

• Seems people are getting so rattled about the prospect of a Harper majority that drastic steps are being prepared. The “Anti-Harper Vote Swap” is an online community that allows voters to—well, here’s what they say: “In a completely legal fashion, it allows voters in different ridings to swap votes to best ensure the Conservatives don’t win. Let’s say your preferred candidate has no chance to win your riding. You can swap that vote out with someone else in the group who will vote for your party in a riding where it has chances to win, while you’ll vote for the party that has the best chance to stop the Conservatives in your own riding.” The idea is to allow third (and fourth and fifth) parties to flourish, block a Harper majority and promote electoral reform. Find it on Facebook.