Sunday afternoon was a busy TV time for many Canadians. The Conservative party was announcing the results of its leadership convention, and the Canucks hockey team was playing its first game in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Even if you aren’t into hockey, the Canucks winning the first round of the playoffs is good news. They proved, by defeating the St. Louis Blues, that the underdog can beat the champions. Too bad they’re the only Canadian team left, after all, hockey is supposed to be the Canadian sport. I’m sad the Canadiens are out.
The Conservative convention went into overtime, Canucks/Vegas game didn’t and the Canucks lost. Neither event was over-exciting.
READ MORE: Some good among the gloom
The Conservative leadership is important to all Canadians because a democratic government works best when every party has a strong and competent leader. Canada is a country of many cultures and creeds, but we have common interests. A “good” leader will put those common interests before those of his/her buddies. My heart hoped Leslyn Lewis would win, if only because she wouldn’t be another middle-aged white man leading the party. My head knew that wouldn’t happen. So here we are with Erin O’Toole. Some say he is a protegee of Stephen Harper. If that’s so he may not have many new ideas. He only has a month to ready himself for taking on the Trudeau Liberals.
The unfortunate malfunctioning of a letter-opening machine which resulted in a six-hour delay in counting the ballots may or may not be an omen for Mr. O’Toole, but it will be interesting to see if President Trump pounces on it as an argument against mail-in voting.
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Chrystia Freeland may be Canada’s first female finance minister, but BC has had three, Carole Taylor, Elizabeth Cull and now Carole James.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian and book author.
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