Uncertain times for Jack Layton's NDP

John Henry dropped almost a whole person in weight while successfully campaigning against incumbent mayor John Gray last fall in the municipal election. He covered a lot of ground over the two to three month campaign period and the hard work paid off with a mayoral victory.

Election campaigns take a lot out of the candidates and their volunteers be it at the municipal, provincial or federal level of politics. In order to be election ready it's best to be healthy because any campaign typically plays out like a marathon.

That's why there's reason to worry for the federal NDP. With an election a very real possibility in the next few weeks the party's leader, Jack Layton, is scheduled for hip surgery to repair a fracture. You may recall Layton is also undergoing treatments for prostate cancer.

Jack Layton

I've watched Layton in action before. As a former municipal politician in the City of Toronto it always amazed me at the amount of energy the guy had. He was the most easily accessible councillor for any reporter and he was everywhere in his riding. If there was a community event happening he could be found there. It was hard keeping up with the guy.

When he jumped to federal politics and became the leader of the NDP he took his enthusiasm and energy to another level and it paid off. Under Layton's leadership the party has made significant gains in the number of federal seats the party's won for the NDP. It could be argued Layton's been one of the best leaders the party's had since Ed Broadbent led the party.

But cancer and hip surgery has a tendency to slow a person down no matter what their energy levels. If the NDP, Liberals and Bloc defeat Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's budget later this month and the Conservative minority falls, will Layton be ready to hit the ground running to fight an election? I'm doubtful.

Layton's people are saying he's going to be back in the House of Commons for the budget on March 22. They're making his hip surgery out to be a minor operation. But when you're going to be forced to campaign across the country the question in my mind is this, will his hip hold out?

I wish him well in his recovery but know if an election does happen it will be the toughest one he's ever fought.

Beware the Party of ME

I am Ian McMillan and the  leader of the Party of ME.

I have been living and reading about the concerns of Canadians and they all point in the same direction -- our financial well being.

Why? It's simple. Every day we as Canadians are being inundated with bills. Thanks to Dalton M Guinty's HST those bills are higher today in Ontario than they were one year ago. Chances are they'll be higher next year. Bottom line, nobody's looking after our best interests.

How does it feel to be out there alone, having NOBODY look after your self interests. Not good, I know because I am you.

I am not a Baby Boomer because I missed that generation by 3 years. I'm a Generation Xer but really, anyone who was born after 1960 is in the same predicament that I am. What does that mean for us? Well there's a lot of us and not a lot of people younger than us who can sustain two things -- our Canada Pension Plan and, if you've got it, a pension plan.

There's also something that's even more important than those two things -- our health care system. Judging by the number of OLDER people, ie, you and me in the next few years there will be an incredible strain on our health care system. Will it survive? Who knows.

What we have to do is simple. Governments of the day, both provincial and federal, have to prepare for tomorrow. That doesn't mean the next election. We all know some party will form the next governments. What the brain thrust of our political system has to come to grips with is the future. It doesn't matter what name of the party is that forms the next governments of the day, it's what their priorities are when they take office. Boom, Bust and Echo by David Foote should be required reading for everyone seeking office whether it's at the municipal, provincial or federal levels.

We as a Canadian society, have gotten older. We need to be taken care of and that doesn't mean voting for the party that promises the biggest tax cuts. The next few years will be tough for everyone and the party that takes power has to focus on taking care of the Boomers while also giving the upcoming generations some hope, some jobs, some money.

Will (in Canada) the Conservatives, Liberals, NDPers, Greens et al. be able to step up to the plate and save the day? It's yet to be seen. But if they fail to step up to the plate and save the day there's only one hope -- the Party of ME.

Giggle if you want but I shit you not, in  the next few years, if the traditional parties fail to step up to the plate, the Party of ME will become very real.

These days people are looking for a party that will offer them hope. The traditional parties are not offering them much of that but the Party of ME will. How do I know this? Because I am the leader of this party and if Canadians get fed up they'll be looking for a Party of  Me. What needs to be done is simple.

Keep it simple stupid.

Easy.