It took a month, but the conspiracy to keep Maxime Bernier, leader of the People's Party of Canada, off the platform at the Canadian Leaders' Debates has been not just exposed but defeated. "Mad Max" will join the leaders of the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Greens in the two "official" debates, in English on October 7th an in French on October 10th.The Right Honourable David Johnston, formerly the Governor-General of Canuckistan and now chairman of the "independent" Leaders' Debates Commission announced the hyuge climb-down today, saying that he is now persuaded that, given "new evidence", the Commission is persuaded that the PPC does in fact have a "reasonable chance" at winning multiple seats in the federal election to be held on October 21st. Mr Johnston said his decision was based in part on the party's membership count, its strong media presence and recent polling numbers.
What other "new evidence" did the Commission see? For one thing, an online petition signed by tens of 1000s of people, including some of Walt's agents, who believe that the interests of fairness, if nothing else, demanded the inclusion of the leader of a party with a nearly-full slate of candidates, tens of 1000s of members, and the support of hundreds of 1000s "from coast to coast to coast", as Canucks like to say. The Commission simply could no longer pretend (like the CBC) that the People's Party no longer exists.
The Leaders' Debates will be much more interesting, now that some dissent from the prevailing liberal orthodoxy will be heard. I'll make the popcorn.
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