A dose of realism from Dion

A student at the University of Victoria asked Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion how his policy on Arctic sovereignty differs from that of the Conservatives. Dion replied that a military presence in the Arctic is good but he would not elevate the issue to that of a key central policy the way Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has done.

      "If we make it a military issue first, (using the) mentality of the 19th century instead of the mentality of the 21st century, well, we cannot win," he joked. "Because we cannot win against the Americans, we cannot win against the Russians and we are too civilized to shoot the Danes."

- Les Whittington

Liberal campaign takes flight

It's finally wheels up for the Liberals. Stéphane Dion took off in his refurbished Boeing 737 from Hamilton to St. John, NB, at 8:15 tonite.

Les Whittington

This plan's just six words long

The Liberals' Green Shift environmental plan has often been criticized as too complicated to sell to the public.

So party leader Stephane Dion says he wants to simplify the basic concept, which is to raise taxes sharply on polluting activities and transfer the money - $15 billion annually when it's up and running in a few years - back to Canadians in the form of lower personal and corporate income taxes.

"It's very simple: I will give you the Liberal plan in six words," Dion now says.

"Cut Income Taxes. Shift To Pollution.

"Six words."

The Liberal leader then takes aim at the complex, often-criticized plan to reduce greenhouse gases put out by the Conservatives.

"Now, I challenge Stephen Harper to give us his climate change plan in six words," Dion says.

Pause. "Okay, okay, 10 words."

Pause. "Thirty words?"

"No, no, I will help him," the Liberal says.

"In two words: No plan."

- Richard Brennan

Dion not hip, but not tragic either

Rob Baker, lead guitarist for the Tragically Hip, added a cool note to the arrival in Napanee, Ont., of Liberal leader Stéphane Dion.

Someone couldn't resist asking if Baker thought the notoriously stiff Dion was cool enough to earn the support of the rock crowd.

Baker, with his long hair and Trudeau T-shirt, said "no," the leader wasn't hip.

But "I don't care whether the leader's hip," he told reporters outside a Liberal campaign event.

"I don't care whether the leader's a snappy talker or snappy dresser. I care whether they have content and something to back it up."

Of Dion, Baker said, "I think he's a man of integrity and honesty and intelligence."

Baker said the Conservatives have shown they have no respect for culture.

Earlier, Dion introduced Baker to the Liberal crowd. Referring to the Hip song, "Ahead by a Century," Dion asked, "Don't you think it's the issue of the campaign?"

The Liberal leader says his Green Shift environmental plan will provide a long-term way for Canadians to fight climate change and build a modern, energy-efficient economy.

 

It can only get better...

It's a painful campaign already for Liberal leader Stephane Dion.  His first event on the second day is an early morning dental appointment in Montreal to repair a cracked tooth he suffered on Saturday.

- Les Whittington

The swag factor

Rival Liberal leadership camps will stop at almost nothing in their efforts to woo supporters from one another – free food, free drinks, buttons, t-shirts and other campaign paraphernalia.

The Ken Dryden campaign, for example, distributed mock hockey cards of the ex-Canadiens great along with home-baked cookies.

But the Michael Ignatieff campaign set the bar with gold-wrapped chocolate bars embossed with the candidate's name.

High-flying endorsment

Michael Ignatieff scored an endorsement that was almost out of this world just as first-ballot voting was about to begin.

Marc Garneau, Canada's first astronaut, pledged his support for Ignatieff, calling him the "candidate of renewal" and the one "best positioned" to beat Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

A space shuttle rocketed Garneau into orbit in October, 1984 and into fame as the first Canadian to ever fly in space. He went on to fly twice more in space. Unfortunately Garneau didn't have much luck in his more earthly exploits into politics -- he ran unsuccessfully in Quebec's Vaudreuil-Soulanges riding in the January election.

But he's been active in the Liberal Party and took part in Thursday night's tribute to former Prime Minister Paul Martin at the leadership convention here.

Bob Rae collected his own high-profile endorsement today from former cabinet minister and Fredericton MP Andy Scott. Scott held several cabinet posts when Liberals held power, most recently serving as the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Bobbing for buttons

The Conservatives seem to have developed a small cottage industry in the distribution of anti-Rae material at this convention. The buttons just keep on surfacing:

"Go for Bob. Go for Broke!" says one.

"Call me Bob. Let's not talk about my past," says another.

And the one everyone wants as a souvenir? A button showing a photo of Rae and comedian Rick Mercer, leaping naked from a dock in that now-famous episode from CBC's Mercer Report. The Tories have emblazoned this logo on the button: "Is this the tush of a prime minister?"

Of course this does beg the question: What does constitute a prime ministerial behind?

On second thought, perhaps it's best not to think about that too much.

By the numbers

Liberal Party president Steve MacKinnon announced 5,627 delegates and substitute or alternate delegates registered for the convention.

"makes this the largest delegated convention of this kind in the country," he said. "This is a great story."

That number includes 748 ex-officio delegates – MPs, Senators, defeated candidates, riding association officials and other party officials – who hold some sway, presumably, with others in the party.

There are also 2,985 other participants, including: media and other observers, such as Conservative, Bloc Québecois and New Democratic party observers.

MacKinnon announced registrations are now closed, but a few exceptions were made for a group of about two dozen late arrivals who got stuck on Hwy.20 en route to the convention, where there was an accident.

MacKinnon would not release the numbers of delegates that each leadership camp managed to successfully get to the convention.

First ballot results are expected to be released after 11:30 p.m.

Wishful thinking?

Sandra Buckler registered as an observer to the Liberal convention in Montreal and was given a pass marked "opposition party."

In fact, Buckler is director of communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. You know, the folks who sit in the government benches in the House of Commons.

She's here at the Liberal convention to offer the Conservative view of how things unfold as Liberals pick their leader - and to no doubt stir the pot a bit. Joining her is Dimitris Soudas, Harper's press secretary. He was sporting a button that said "Bob Rae - Harper's choice."

According to Soudas, a few of Rae's Liberals foes have taken to wearing similar buttons as well.