Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 27, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free november 2000 a11 the sausage factory by Paul Samyn in not about to enter the election night Whoso Nawin guessing game there Are plenty of pollsters and Pool sters providing that kind of speculation but i will predict this one with absolute certainty at a couple of seconds after 8 when the Canadian networks begin their election cover age programs in this the first words youre going to hear Are these Good in Peter is and Thall be before local returning offi cers have had tote Opportunity to count my your vote or any other Manitoban tvs talking Heads will have told us that the game is the Winner has been your vote want a Factor in the wheres the election night fun in that its an inevitable byproduct of Geog a population and the East lowest manner in which our country was settled that the balance of electoral Power 178 of the 301 seats in the House of commons lies in Ontario and que and that the Winner of any Federal elec Tion will be decided in those two but Why particularly in Light of the Way the networks absolutely mangled cover age of the still tangled american presidential election Are broadcast news outlets in such a hurry to Tell us who won the news business is of nobody likes to get scooped by the other and quite in the grand scheme of a sense of Competition does keep All Media types on their scrambling to do the most efficient Job possible of uncovering whats but somewhere along the Way election Day coverage evolved into a different Ani being right became less important than being the in their dizzy Rush to be first to declare a Winner in the presidential gave the Al important Florida result to democratic candidate Al then took it and then gave it to Republican hopeful George and then took it Back it was ego driven motivated by a blinding need to be first and supported by exit polling data that was destined to crumble under the weight of its own enormous margin of what the networks did want just Sloppy it was also because the premature exclamation of a Winner in Florida almost certainly affected the Way people voted in other parts of the United its highly unlikely that a debacle of Dan athenian proportions will occur tonight on our our political process is not encumbered by the ridiculous Electora College system employed by the and Cana Dian networks dont rely on specious exit polling data when they make their election night but that Doest mean they wont jump the at very it absolutely Doest mean they wont want and to what really most folks who watch election coverage tonight Are going to do so on a single so it wont make one Whit of Dif Ference to them whether one Channel declares a Winner a few seconds earlier than the the Only ones Wholl be watching All three net works coverage simultaneously will be those who work for one of the three and perhaps a few professionally Lazy people whose Job it is to watch a whole lot of television and then write about the vast majority of canadians dont care who declares a Winner first As a matter of they wont even know who makes the what View ers want is for the networks election coverage to be if you happen to live in one of the outposts West of perhaps the Courtesy of delaying the inevitable declaration Long enough to allow us to have a few moments of fun with the Wacky notion that our votes actually issues Many problems important to canadians either or barely mentioned in this Campaign there has been talk of health tax whether Man walked with Bank Loans to hotels in Quebec and Catherine at the same Many issues important to canadians Are either being ignored or Given cursory treat ment by the men and woman who want to be prime organizations have tried to grab attention for their babies the Sierra club held an eco olympics for candidates poverty organizations profiled each Riding to show there Are poor people everywhere to no whats worrying advocates for the slighted groups such As those representing the poor ii students and the is that there is a billion plus surplus to be and no ones talking run Cabout sending a Little of it their if Money int being promised to help Andam prove uni timeshare they wonde6 what happens when theres an and spending gets already reduced Bud i aboriginal issues ii Toje my piste Between Federal fish is and native lobster or until the election came 4iajn4 then Burnt and atme aboriginal simply issues Are Complex not easily bottled or make for a Good sound bite like health care and tax cuts said Larry Wucher Vic president of the aboriginal Council of even the controversy surrounding the Sage eng treatment Centre was manipulated by politicians into a question of irresponsible Liberal government while the Issue of child suicides and sol vent abuse on reserves have been Wucherer said he was disappointed the Only discussion of aboriginal issues briefly and late in the on the alliances pledge to end their tax exempt status and that would be nearly impossible with obligations of treaties and Case we could make a if we got involved and we could make these issues come for Ward but our history Hast taken us 1 education theres been talk of the brain but Little discussion of How to create those brains to begin funding of universities and col Leges is a provincial but they rely on Money transferred from the Federal government to do with vocal concern Over health care stealing the students and educators have watched Lessly As tuition costs have skyrocketed and aging campuses a poll done for the Canadian fed ration of students found 76 of cent of canadians believe the Oedert Figov Ern ment should increase funding for higher while students groups and those who work Tion want agreements that bring dedicated education spending Andra better system of student t Hast garnered much w in frustrated it Hast become a major Michael National chairman of the this election seems to be dominated by health we feel education has been pretty much ignored by most of the major less than 10 per cent of students cast ballots in arid students seem to simply accept that theres not a lot of meat on most of the rear ties education at debate at the University of a few questions about tuition and Access were asked Jim Stu and then were replaced by More global such As linking Trade with human Agricula foreign policy and the timing of the an education coalition gave the nip a the liberals and tories a d and the Canadian Alliance an f on their education l environment it aint easy being Green had reason to Hope when one of App Leader Alexa Mcdonough first photo Ops was in front of the toxic tar Ponds in Nova but since its As if the subject got sucked into those stinking never to be heard from Jean Chretien visited a company that makes fuel but rather than talk about alternative forms of ener he waxed poetic about funding cutting Edge in encouraged candidates Are actually talking about the Environ Elizabeth executive director of the Sierra the progressive conserva Tives have the strongest Environ mental platform Ive Ever seen out of those but May says she thinks the environmental issues get buried by the the environment is completely More by the news Media than by the candidates them she the Green party is running 111 candidates in this making it the fourth largest National what in seeing is old political parties really dropping the Ball on this says Green party Candi Date Mikel who is run Ning in Winnipeg we give the environment the respect it deserves and have the environment represented throughout our plat the other parties will pay the Price for their failure to met these the danger is the big parties Are going to lose i poverty and homeless Ness for the first people who Are homeless can vote in this but no Leader is Rushing out to lure this new group of constituents with promises of the issues of poverty and homelessness have not been heard in this although Alexa Mcdonough made a Brief mention of affordable housing late last its says David head of Winnipeg har i dont know what the reasons i dont understand Only maybe we should Call it a health but if you dont honestly and morally embrace this its going to Cost you theres the if you dont address its going to Cost you its the right thing to Tom with the inner City housing said affordable housing Hast been at the there focussing on health care and character he there Hast been a broader discussion of a Range of issues out he said in Core housing is a big especially in Light of the rash of arsons the City was hit with last the Issue is a priority and it int an Issue about Money any theres a billion Simms its More about and political l infrastructure even the bumpy highways under the tires of Campaign buses have not persuaded party leaders to spend much time talking about Canadas crumbling references to improving sewer and water systems and Community airports appear in the Fine print of party but with no Dollar figures i think this Federal election has been a very disappointing the politicians seem to be to the Point of mass Over health said Chris president of the Manitoba heavy construction we enjoy the Quality of life that we have because we to enjoyed Good infrastructure that has allowed our Economy to be in the 2000 Federal the liberals committed billion Over six years for an infrastructure program that gives priority to environmental but the federation of Canadian municipalities estimates it would Cost billion to bring Basic municipal infrastructure up to that not counting another Bil lion to repair National Wayne president of the association of Manitoba municipal said trucking companies Are bypassing Manitoba to take routes through the the Liberal infrastructure plat form not discuss while the Alliance platform mentions without specific commit the tories Promise to set up a National Highway policy in partner so Jap with the but the nip platform focuses More on improving Public the wee ahead Odds on tip Sheet touts political favourites the Nastiest election in recent memory has turned you off poli As a service to our faithful the free press offers the Fol lowing betting As they say in vote vote often and play to i Churchill Bev Desjarlais knocked off aboriginal icon Elijah Harper last time when he at least lived in the she should have an easier time beat ing the aboriginal icon who parachuted Back from Ottawa for this take Desjarlais to win a close if you want to take a Chance on How about even Money that he files his Campaign i dauphins an River inky Mark fired off about gun control in 1997 and snatched this Riding from the its a new Century and Mark is still taking pot shots at the a strategy that will win him the hearts of local inky in a i Brando Souris this one is so its off the tory Rick Boro Tsik tries to hold off the Alliance challenger Gary but heres an inside tip apparently Liberal Candi Date Dick Scott was telling fellow grits he thinks the Alliance May take the i Portage Lisgar Back when Brian Pallister was running for the Federal tory he was a Long As an Alliance Pallis Ter is the front runner to take Over the seat he failed to win in 1997 a if you Are looking for a Side try Odds that Felix Holtmann gets any Money from the lawsuit he hit the Alliance with after losing the Nomina Tion because of what he believes were unfair Rule i Provencher another tight one As Liberal David i Tody tries to hold off Vic Toews of the about the Only thing that could make this race More exciting is if there were chads to if i Tody wins the smart Money has him voting against his own government before i Selkirk Interlake in the tories and nip All have a shot at former mountie Howard Hilstrom looks but in this three Way play the Box Quinella and Hope for the i Boniface the water cooler Casino is refusing to take any bets on this one As Liberal Ron Duhamel is More secure than Canada savings i Winnipeg Transcona there is a greater Chance that new Democrat Bill Blaikie will finally shave off his scruffy Beard than lose this i Winnipeg North Centre there will be no tears or two tier health care in Judy wasyscilialeis1 Campaign office the nip health critic will win easily and pay off handsomely to the party i Winnipeg Centre this one could be nip Pat Martin should win but Liberal Kevin Lamoureux is putting up a Good take Martin in a were also giving Good Odds that if will continue his desperate bid to return to i Winnipeg South Centre when Lloyd Axworthy was this was a sure thing for the but with Anita Neville wearing the grit colours this time a tory upset from David Newman is its Neville by a i Winnipeg South Liberal Reg Alcock will win easily if youve got some spare try Odds that Alcock will be rewarded with a Cabinet which is better Odds than the grits winning another i James Assiniboia Liberal John Harvard is a Favourite to win the seat for the liberals for the fourth straight the water cooler Casino is offering Odds that tory Curtis Moore will be Back doing the weather on television before they sweep up the confetti in Harvard Campaign Winnipeg Paul theres always talk the nip could Knock off Liberal Rey but the ubiquitous Canadas first filipino remains the ;