Unsolicited Advice: Make sure your campaign plane is ready to go on election call-day

Media is reporting that the Liberal Party was caught unaware by the Conservative's surprise election call. After a quick search for a jet resource, the party has now leased a thirty year old Boeing, from Inuit Airlines.


They also report that the plane won't be ready to fly by Sunday, the day of the election call. It won't be ready until the middle of the week.

Daniel Lauzon, a spokesman for the Liberal Party, confirmed that its jet, rented from Montreal-based Air Inuit, won’t be ready until Wednesday. Mr. Dion will meanwhile travel with journalists by bus to campaign events in central Ontario and Quebec.

Unacceptable. You need to have your plane on the tarmac, and jet off somewhere on the first day of a campaign. Why?

Both Harper and Layton went from Quebec to the West..today. Both parties will have fresh footage of local rallies in Vancouver and Calgary for nightly local news election coverage out west. By that time, Dion's dated Ottawa presser will be a foot-note.

Knowing their media brethren are jetting across Canada on a daily basis, in a modern jet with seat-back entertainment consoles..how friendly do you think the Liberal bus-ensconced media feel?

People are starting to think of the Liberals as broke and unorganized..why start an election with a move that will reinforce that?

The plane had to be ready, if not for anything other than optics..evidenced from the current, less than flattering, media coverage.

So..at election call time..always have a plane ready, and take your leader from coast to coast on the first day.


.

What's in a name?

I'm no political scientist or media guru, but as I see it, this whole Mulroney-Schreiber Inquiry can go two ways in the press.

1. It gets called, "The Mulroney Inquiry"

2. It gets called, "The Schreiber Inquiry"

If I was a Conservative or Liberal spinner, I'd be out there hustling and thinking up some way to brand this thing with my preferred choice...right now.


--

Gun crime, and what to do about it. (It's not a ban)

Banning guns does not reduce gun crime.

The reason? Well..does mayor Miller have a handgun? Does the reader? Do I? Not likely. That's because we are not criminals or in gangs, and have no reason to have Glocks on us at all times.

Criminals will continue to get guns, regardless of there being a ban or not...that's because they are c-r-i-m-i-n-a-l-s, and need guns! A ban will have no effect, and will only waste valuable resources in taking guns away from legitimate target shooters and collectors.

It is the guns that make their way into the hands of Toronto's criminal gun dealers that are the problem, not those in the hands of responsible owners.

These smuggled guns make their way into Toronto on the province's 400 series highways, and that is where the gun problem should be addressed. You can go from Cornwall to Toronto and see no OPP cars...not one. At most you will see two in the same trip, that's all. Same for from Buffalo to Toronto. That is not acceptable.

There has to be more money from the government of Ontario for policing of the 400 series highways. Only this can help stop the stream of guns entering Toronto. And as a side benefit, more officers on the roads can only make things safer for everybody.

This cannot be laid entirely at McGuinty's door, all sides do need to do something. The feds arming border guards is a good step. An armed guard is more likely to search individuals he believes may pose a danger, but the federal government could also increase the training of guards, and the resources available to them.

Mayor Miller needs to address his own fiscal shortcomings and provide more money to the Toronto Police force. Toronto's social safety net is admirable, but it comes at the expense of the policing budget. Miller has to face facts and find more money for policing in the community.

There is a sensible way to address the problem of criminals with guns in Toronto, but a call to ban handguns is a red herring.


--

The Birth of the Community Surgery Centre©

CP - John Tory said he's sticking to his guns but welcomed the opposing viewpoint – and the interest his position has generated. ``I think people recognize I'm prepared to take a stand on an issue,'' Tory said. ``I don't apologize for the fact I say I would explore and embrace (private knee surgeries) because I think we have to think outside the box.''

What Tory said here takes real cahones.

I'm not that interested in Ontario provincial politics, but I believe there is an entire segment of Ontario's middle class that wouldn't mind spending a little extra money to have a procedure done more quickly at a Community Surgery Centre© (aka a pay-for-care hospital).

What if Tory start talking about how the entrance of private facilities would free up public hospital space so they could focus on more of the vital surgeries? Or what if he pointed out that Community Surgery Centres© would create more spaces for doctors? Our schools would be able to train and graduate more surgeons, and we'd be able to accept more foreign physicians. There really do seem to be some advantages in pairing Community Surgery Centres© with the public health care system.

And what would happen if Tory's Tory party suggested this surgery alternative possibility as part of his platform? I think a number of middle class Liberal voters might actually go for it, and vote Blue. And the left end of Liberal support would cry out in horror, and run to vote for the one-public-health-care-system-come-hell-or-high water NDP, thereby splitting Liberal support.

Would some Tory support move left to the Liberals, definitely, but enough to turn the tables? I don't know. But it might be worth the gamble.

At the very least, if he proffered a limited form of what might, in some circles, be known as two-tier health care, you know everyone in the province would be talking about it during an election campaign. And if they are talking about you, they are more likely to vote for you.

(the author of this post is in no way a supporter of any facility that would operate in contravention of the Canada Health Act©)


--

Election signs or electoral gold mines?

I'm not planning on being a political candidate for any national party. Not yet anyway. But if I do run (or you want to) here's a great way to gain attention and votes.

In any federal election, when you drive through a business district, you inevitably see signs for: this, that, or the other candidate. In some shops you'll see signs for three or more local candidates.

A store that will put your sign in the window is a valuable asset. But they also hold a hidden treasure you can use to your benefit...their inventory or services.

As a local candidate for federal office, I would assign a member of my campaign team to enter into free advertising arrangements with local stores. And rather than hand out a boring old one page folded photographed brochure, I would spend a little bit more and develop high quality glossy handouts that included rebate and discount coupons for these local merchants.

It could include:

Factual information on yourself, your ideas, your convictions..not to mention some great pictures of you connecting with constituents.
A coupon for 2 for 1 meals a local eaterie.
Discounts for family haircuts.
1/2 off your next Oil Change.
10% off your purchase at a clothing store.
Free vacuum with any car wash.
A map indicating the establishments that have provided discounts....no end of possibilities.

This way you are providing information on you, and your party's platform in a professional package, and that good aura will rub off on you. At the same time you are providing proof positive of your commitment to serve the community. You've already delivered money saving discounts constituents just by running, imagine what you could do if you were elected!

This section sponsored by: Openness and Transparency.

Here's the caveat. I'm not sure this practice would be in line with Canada's election laws. If someone is more familiar with the Election Act than I, please enlighten me.

At the same time, you are not accepting donations from these merchants. You are merely allowing them to offer great discounts to the individuals that receive your campaign literature. And recipients do not have to promise to vote for you to use the coupon, they are available for use by anyone.

If this thoughtful act reflects positively on you that is fantastic marketing, last I check fantastic marketing is not mentioned in the Elections Act.


--