Category: Other

Ok, so it’s a slow week in Ottawa. The sun is out, the Byward market patios are in full swing and there’s really not too much Ottawa-based political news to talk about. Cue a fluff story about the Prime Minister for the media to chew on! Yes, Ottawa is talking about the Prime Minister’s long-promoted appearance on the Murdoch Mysteries, a Canadian television production.

A still of the PM’s performance. The video promo (including his performance).

The Prime Minister has also appeared on CTV’s Corner Gas.

Prime Minister Paul Martin also did a guest spot on the show.

Stephen Harper isn’t the first politician (or head of government/state) to appear on a television show as an actor. After a bit of research, I was able to dig up the following examples.

King Abdullah on Star Trek: Voyager. Apparently, the King wasn’t a card-carrying member of the Screen Actor’s Guild so he wasn’t afforded any lines.

President Barack Obama appeared on Mythbusters

Prime Minister Tony Blair did a guest voice for The Simpsons

Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson dances with a cow on a Swedish Kids show. Yeah, I don’t know either…

Then UK Conservative MP and now London mayor Boris Johnson was on Top Gear and did a lap.

Senator John McCain was on 24. He does know what Jack Bauer does to the terrorists, yes?

And way, back when… Richard Nixon, then running for President was on Laugh in.

Do you know of any other examples? How do you rate these performances? Let me know in the comments!

First, an intro of Mr. Fridhandler from his website,

I was first attracted to the Liberal Party in the 1968 election after having seen Pierre Trudeau ride into the local skating rink in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on the back of a convertible.

…

Opportunity knocked after settling in Calgary when I volunteered on local campaigns including those of the late Sheldon Chumir, Liberal MLA for Calgary – Buffalo.

…

I became more involved on the fund raising side, working on the Executive Committee for Leader’s and PM’s dinners and the Alberta Revenue Committee since the early 1990s.

I chaired the 1997 campaign of now Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier in Calgary West (and his various civic campaigns, including 3 mayorality campaigns). I was Alberta co chair of the leadership campaign of Prime Minister Paul Martin as well as 2004 campaign co chair for Alberta. I was also National Vice Chair Revenue and National Chair of the Laurier Club during Prime Minister Martin’s tenure.

In 2005, I was honoured by the Alberta Young Liberals as honorary Young Liberal of the year.

More recently, I have served as Alberta Co Chair of Michael Ignatieff’s leadership campaigns in 2006 and 2008/09 and was recently appointed Alberta Election Readiness Co Chair for the next election.

This bio served as an introduction to Liberal Party faithful for Mr. Fridhandler’s run for National (English) VP of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Daryl’s a lifelong Liberal. And a senior one at that…

So, has Alberta PC leadership contender Gary Mar won a significant convert?

That’s Gary Mar in the centre and Daryl Fridhandler to his right. Both are wearing Tear Mar colours.

From the Globe and Mail,

Stephen Harper’s Conservative government announced they’d pony up $190,000 for Mrs. Dunster’s Donut of New Brunswick. The money, for a cold-storage freezer, is supposed to help the doughnut-maker sell more doughnuts. It is part of a string of small funding announcements the government has been making since Parliament closed shop two weeks ago.

It only takes one member of caucus to bend the minister’s ear to deliver some half-baked dough to his or her riding, but how about some caucus support for the principles of fiscal restraint and staying out the marketplace? The government should not indulge in picking winners and losers. Of course, this donut example is but a small example of a larger problem. Bailouts and corporate welfare have become too common in our system.

This has to stop.

No more pinko donuts from the government bakery.

UPDATE: Some think it would be fair to point out that this is a loan from the government. This is still outside of the market and one not underwritten by any bank.