Join me next weekend in Guelph!!

Elizabeth May
We are down to the last two weeks until September 8th and the three by-elections in GuelphWe are down to the last two weeks until September 8th and the three by-elections in Guelph, Westmount-Ville Marie and Saint-Lambert (with Don Valley West on September 22). The notion that Stephen Harper might violate his own "enshrined in law" commitment to fixed election dates and end his own Government before the House resumes on September 15th is, of course, possible. Any general election call before September 8th would melt away the four by-elections (The first three, as noted, above September 8th, and Don Valley West on September 22). If anyone else had started such a zany rumour, it would be laughed out of circulation by political pundits, but since Mr. Harper started this speculation himself by threatening to do so, it just might happen...It boggles the mind that a Prime Minister would call four by-elections, launch the spending of tens of thousands of dollars by the political parties involved and tens of thousands more in tax payers’ dollars to start up and run the elections and cancel them mere weeks later. Still, where Stephen Harper is concerned, there is no point in keeping speculation within the realm of what a sensible or responsible Prime Minister would do. (We have too many examples of about-faces, broken promises and contempt of the law to be completely shocked...Harper’s actions always remind me of Mark Twain’s great line: "Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction is obliged to stick to the possibilities.") So, as far as I know, we are still heading to the polls in four by-elections in September. And my plan is still to be campaigning in Guelph and Montreal for the time remaining. I will be in Guelph this weekend. Our Guelph candidate, Mike Nagy, is within striking distance of winning the riding! We are looking forward to a full hundred keen volunteers to stump the sidewalks, canvass the malls and put up more signs... Please join us there!!!