Campaign criss-cross

At the Fredericton airport, two visions - well, two planes anyway - crossed paths.

Just as Conservative leader Stephen Harper's plane arrived on the tarmac for a small airport rally, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion's was taxiing down a runway to take off.

If the war of numbers is anything, both leaders got out crowds of about 100 here today.

Harper's earlier rally saw about 600 boisterous supporters turn out in P.E.I.

Message Management

When the Conservative leader's tour arrived in Cornwall on a drizzly, dreary Monday morning, a bright and cheery message greeted reporters in the media filing room: 

"Dear Canadian media, please enjoy your stay on PEI."

Coffee and donuts were provided -- A nice touch.

When we returned after Stephen Harper's speech, however, a senior Conservative official had scrawled underneath:

"In a time of global economic uncertainty, only one party and one leader can protect our families and economy."

Which prompted a member of the media entourage to draw an arrow to the first message, and counter-scrawl: "This is an unpaid advertisement not sanctioned by the Conservative party."

It's going to be a long, 21-hour day.

Tittering in Saint-Tite

Many chuckles about the first destination on Conservative leader Stephen Harper's tour today, with the Michel Rivard arts cuts parody having made such an impact in Quebec and on the Youtube campaign.

Cruising in search of votes in la Mauricie region of central Quebec, Harper travels to a brunch today in this small town.

"Did you say tits?" asks a priggish, overbearing government arts panel member in the video.

Television reporters practiced variations of a sign-off from here. Conservative campaign staff wisecracked back: "Huh? Did you say tits?"

Please Do Not Ignore

At a Vancouver rally, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper was interrupted about one minute after he began speaking by a loud, intermittent beeping sound that resembled a high-tech fire alarm.

"That is something we really should try and stop, whatever that noise is," he quipped.

The annoying sound wouldn't go away.

Moments later, just as Harper said “especially in times like these, in times…,” an official-sounding voice came over the hotel intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a stage one alarm and is currently being investigated." The crowd laughed. “There we have the explanation,” said Harper.

Harper ploughed on with his speech. “Especially in times like these, when we have alarms going off around the world, of global economic uncertainty, we need a national government with prudent leadership, with thought-through policies that understands working families and puts them first.”

The crowd of 600 lapped it up.

Harper then moved to invoke his children to push his economic message that lately amounts to don't-anybody-panic-we've-got-it-under-control.

"When my son, Ben, was a toddler he came home from day care one day. And he said "Daddy, do you know what my teacher says you should do when something bad happens?"

"I said 'what'?"

"He said, 'Stop, breathe, think."

"Friends, that's pretty good advice for this election."

The high-pitched alarm kept ringing, but it did not deter Harper or his supporters.

In a very warm ballroom, they cheered the applause lines, and booed mention of the Liberals.

About 15 minutes into the speech, the alarm stopped its piercing intrusion.

Harper carried on with the stump speech.

All was well.

Apparently.

Update: As Harper spoke inside, outside the Star's Petti Fong reports that police blocked the entrance.

About 12 demonstrators were protesting the Conservatives' opposition to the Insite safe injection site in the downtown East side.  They blew air horns and made such a racket that they could be heard during the pauses in Harper's speech.

A firefighter said later someone inside the hotel had pulled a a fire alarm...it was indeed a false alarm.

-Tonda MacCharles

Tories want some Quebecers outside

LAVAL - For just the second time in this campaign, a Conservative party rally and speech by leader Stephen Harper was disrupted by protesters who made it past security screening and got inside a pep rally.

What appeared to be three demonstrators stood up just as Harper began to speak, and unfurled banners that read "Stop Global Warming." Once again members of the security detail pounced, ripping the banners out of their hands and quickly hustling them out the door.

Party supporters leapt to their feet and began cheering "Harper, Harper" to drown out and distract from the ouster of the interlopers.

It's an unusual sight. Only once before, in Rockland, Ontario, did a single protester get past the party's gatekeepers at the door.

Here in Laval, outside the rally, there were other protesters, members of FRAPU, a group that advocates for affordable social housing. On the weekend, 5,000 protesters from many groups, women's advocates and labour unions included, protested against Harper.

The Conservatives, who just a few short weeks ago looked as if they might increase their 10 seats in Quebec, now are in a hard-fought battle with the Bloc Québécois, which has recovered in the polls.

Harper made an impassioned pitch for support here, saying Quebeckers should vote Conservative to be "at the table" and not just in outside "in the corridors," as BQ leader Gilles Duceppe wants, said Harper.

"The Conservative party wants Quebecers on the inside," Harper added.

Except during its campaign rallies, perhaps.

-Tonda MacCharles

One More Time With Feeling: There he is, finally.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper arrived about 10 minutes after he was introduced. Crowd gave him another big hand, of course. He apologized for being so late. No explanation.
Harper is frequently late for the start of events, but never so conspicuously. His aides deny anything afoot.

Tonda MacCharles

Strange things in Moncton:

Is that a SWAT team? An extraordinary showing of police surveillance officers stood watch as a diverse group of protestors shouted anti-Harper slogans outside a Moncton high school when Conservative leader Stephen Harper arrived.

Officers with long-lens cameras perched on the rooftop and shot pictures of the demonstrators.
It merely seemed to raise the protestors' voices if not their spirits.

They included public service workers, anti-war advocates, artists, Acadian cultural activists, women's groups and widows of victims of Agent Orange.

None were permitted inside as Harper prepared to address a partisan rally of supporters.

“Canada will never be the same if Harper gets a majority,” said Paul Leblanc, an executive of N.B.'s Actra union, there to protest cuts to arts and culture funding.

Inside the show got off to a bumpy false start.

After an enthusiastic pump-up-the-crowd introduction by campaign co-chair Bernard Lord, people cheered as he introduced the “next prime minister of Canada.”

But then, no PM.

The applause died, and so did Lord's stand-up routine.

”I'm sure he'll be here soon,” said Lord, sitting down.

“Premature adulation,” quipped a technical operator.

Tonda MacCharles

Nations, Political Correctness, and Frogs in the Throat

Conservative leader Stephen Harper was asked by a reporter if he was prepared to meet the request of a New Brunswick Acadian mayor to recognize the Acadian nation after formally recognizing that status for the Québécois in a united Canada.

“I don’t intend to make a resolution in the House of Commons, but obviously the Acadian nation…and these other francophone communities exist in our country,” said Harper, who is courting votes in Atlantic Canada, with three visits to New Brunswick in the past two days.

Just before he arrived in Moncton, the heart of the "Acadian nation," Harper said "it is an essential part of our national identity and I think we will continue to work to earn the representation of these communities in a strong government and in a united Canada.”

Moments later, Harper struggled with a dry throat in answering a different question. He paused to take a sip of water.

“I’ve got a – uh, something in my throat anyway,” he said.

The expression in English is a “frog in the throat.” Frog, of course, is a pejorative for francophones in English.

“I can’t be politically incorrect,” Harper blurted to a small partisan audience that burst out laughing.

The audience included some francophone supporters in the West Nova riding held now by Acadian, and Liberal, Robert Thibault.

(Quebec reporters were puzzled by all the laughter in the audience. The expression in French is a “chat dans la gorge,” cat in the throat. The quip, and the political correctness, was lost in translation.)

Tonda MacCharles

First rule of thumb . . . spell the name correctly

The Conservatives could have used a proof reader before they sent out Stephen Harper's Saturday schedule. According to the advisory sent out by campaign headquarters, Harper will be in Moncton, N.B. Saturday afternoon to meet with Daniel "Alain," the party's candidate in the riding of Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe.

Would that be the same Daniel "Allain" - note the two 'l's' named on the election signs around town? We'll go with the spelling on the election signs.

PM blows kisses, PMO kisses off media

Conservative leader Stephen Harper blew a two-handed kiss to about 150 bleary-eyed but enthusiastic supporters as he boarded Sweater Vest Jet for a post-debate tour to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Harper and wife Laureen shook hands with people and several Ottawa-area candidates.

Conservative officials said this morning they thought Harper did well in both debates.

But Harper, expected to give a few remarks, didn't give his morning-after assessment.

He apparently changed his mind and opted not to speak to the crowd. Reporters, who'd been provided a microphone hookup, wondered where was the pep talk.

Certainly, the RCMP were in fighting form, trying to push back reporters, saying PMO official Karine Leroux had ordered the media back behind a rope. "I am instructed to put you back there," barked one burly Mountie as the Toronto Star moved closer to a speaker to hear Harper's expected speech over the roar of plane engines.

As Harper arrived and shook hands for the departure "photo op," Leroux batted away the media microphone three times.

Guess this was, in the words of one-time Harper comms boss, a "visual event" only.

Those odd lyrics of Harper's theme music by Collective Soul blared out: "I'm feelin' better now. Time to celebrate me."

- Tonda MacCharles