And so it starts...

The Liberal convention is now officially under way, it seems, with leader Michael Ignatieff roaming the halls, making himself available to partisans and reporters. His first remarks at a press scrum were directed at Prime Minister Stephen Harper, to wish him a happy birthday.

Presumably Dimitri Soudas, from the PMO, who was lurking at the edge of the scrum, will let his boss know that the Liberal leader sent warm regards.

Ignatieff also said he'd understand if Vancouverites are more preoccupied with the Canucks and the playoffs tonight than they are with Liberals meeting in town.

One Canuck, however, may be marginally interested that Ignatieff's in town. Canucks forward Kyle Wellwood told the Vancouver Province recently that his favourite author is, yes, Michael Ignatieff. 

Liberal Swag

Here's the little bits of merchandise that Liberals are getting in their bags when they register at the Vancouver convention.  There's a pen, some hand sanitizer (in deference to the flu pandemic, presumably) and a Liberal stain-remover pen.  It's not clear where the stain remover is supposed to be used -- on the party debt, maybe? On memories of past leadership divisions? On memories of the past three years?

Launch problems

A plane full of Liberals and journalists is reportedly delayed getting in to Vancouver for convention registration this morning because a bird collided with the engine of the plane as it was taking off from Toronto.

Liberal officials are reporting that everyone is okay, but a bit shaken up. Bird collisions with aircraft are serious -- it was the cause behind the emergency landing of the U.S. Airways jet in the Hudson River in January, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority recently reported that bird strikes with aircraft have doubled in the past decade.

The Prime Minister's Special Day

It is Stephen Harper's 50th birthday today; a big day.

As anyone watching the news has seen, the Prime Minister was greeted this morning with the sight of 50 pink flamingoes on the front lawn of 24 Sussex Drive. 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090430/Pink_flamingo_090430/20090430?hub=Canada

 He seemed to take the display in good stride, according to Alex Panetta of Canadian Press.   The Prime Minister  gamely waded on to the lawn, indulgently listened to staffers singing Happy Birthday, and then he crouched  down to examine the flamingoes with his daughter, Rachel, at his side before dismissing the media gang.

I'm wondering, though, if  Harper really found this whole thing all that special. After all, standing there among all those unspeaking lawn ornaments, it must have felt an awful lot like a cabinet meeting.

A few things that have changed while I was away.

1.  Liberal leadership: http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/626105

2. Quebecers' political views: http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200904/28/01-851271-le-plc-plus-populaire-que-le-bloc.php

 3. PMO communications.  http://www.ottawacitizen.com/story_print.html?id=1453784&sponsor=

2. The U.S. president. http://www.whitehouse.gov/

5. The economy. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/dai-quo/index-eng.htm

Before the convention starts....

A couple of signs that the Liberal convention is a little less (or more) than a love-in:

1. First, the newly released report by Carolyn Bennett's change commission, found here:

http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/docs/change-commission-report.pdf

Bennett, a physician, former cabinet minister and long-time champion of more democracy in the Liberal party, has overseen a report that demands big improvements in the way the party is run -- including a call for the party to have a lot more input into election-campaign platforms. Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives have been very good at this...  Conventions have been seen as places for partisans to let off ideological steam while cooler heads get on with the business of governing and building election platforms, often at odds with party wishes.

2. And then there's this development today, in which a candidate for the national executive, Fabrice Rivault, is pulling out of the  race, pleading that about-to-be-acclaimed party president, Alf Apps, is showing favouritism in the contest.

In his press release of today, Rivault says:

"It is distressing that our future President chose to take side publically in this particular democratic competition, while he abstained from doing so in the other races."

...

 Rivault says he couldn't run for a position that would have required he and Apps to work together supportively.

Apps does indeed appear at this website -- http://www.brigittegarceau.ca/reactions_en.html -- with an endorsement for Brigitte Garceau,  in the post Rivault had sought.

"The paralysis that would have resulted with Mr. Apps being unable to collaborate with one of his Vice-Presidents is a situation we certainly would prefer to avoid. In this perspective, it is thus my duty to place the greater interests of the Party ahead of my own aspirations, as beneficial as they would have been for the future of our organization." 

The press release ends with a warning:  "...we will be keeping an eye on Mr. Apps ....If he fails to accomplish what Liberal members expect of him, it should be very clear to him today who will be questioning his Presidency at the next Biennial Convention."

Now. Where was I?

Well, how about that? It seems these red shoes work. I clicked them three times, and here I am blogging again, after roughly 250 days away. It's nice to be back. Have I missed much?

For those who are curious, I was at the University of Toronto -- Massey College specifically -- on a Canadian Journalism Fellowship. This is a remarkable, wonderful opportunity for "mid-career journalists," as we're called, to audit classes and enjoy all that U of T and Massey has to offer. I met some great people, some who will be friends for life, and actually learned some things too.  Through a class called "Material Culture," a fascinating mix of anthropology, art, sociology, etc., I developed an interest in consumerism and politics which I hope to keep pursuing, here on this blog and elsewhere.  That's a work in progress.

But more immediately, I'm turning my attention this week to the looming Liberal convention. I haven't missed one since 1984, so I'm glad I'm back in time to see this one, even if it is Seinfeldian. Who doesn't love Seinfeld, anyway? I'm headed to Vancouver later today, so for the next six days or so, expect multiple postings on all things Liberal.

Past readers of this blog will also be noticing a few tweaks to this one too -- the product of some thinking and observation about this new digital journalistic age while I was away.  First thing you'll notice is a couple of new, regular features. On Mondays, I'll deal with reader email and questions. Every Friday, at week's end, I'm going to assemble something called "five things" -- rough collections of loosely related things worth reading, seeing, thinking about... Both of these features will get better with input from readers, so keep those cards and letters coming.