Posted: September 17, 2008

HOW JACK LAYTON CAN BECOME PRIME MINISTER by Clyde Sanger
  The Liberals have the votes, the NDP have the leader — they should talk about a coalition.
 

ARCTIC OIL AND GAS RUSH ALARMS SCIENTISTS by Stephen Leahy
  Rather than alleviate global warming, nations rush to exploit region.
 

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE SHOULD BE AN ELECTION ISSUE by Ricardo Acuña
  Canada still dependent on foreign oil, because USA has first dibs on Canadian oil.
 

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF URBAN POVERTY by Stephen Dale
  IDRC international conference brainstorms ways to improve social mobility, quality of life.
 
 

MeanToons
DOCKSIDE ANALYSIS by John Meaney
  Candid comments on an election that hasn't found its feet yet.

www.meantoons.com

Editorial
HO-HUM FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN NEEDS A SHAKEUP by Ish Theilheimer
  Leadership and inspiration needed to ward off a whole lot more of the same.
 

MARION DEWAR, FORMER MAYOR OF OTTAWA by Alex Munter
  Canada has lost an outstanding political leader.
 
 

A SHAMEFUL ANNIVERSARY FOR HARPER by John Baglow
  World observes the first anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
 
 

GLOBAL INTEGRITY EVALUATES DEMOCRACIES from Democracy Watch
  Canada ranks 8th out of 55 nations.

Science matters
THE TEMPERATURE'S RISING — WITH ELECTION FEVER by David Suzuki, with Faisal Moola
  It's vitally important for all Canadians to put the environment at the top of the agenda in this election.
 
 

Keep up with election news and analysis with StraightGoods.ca Election 2008! We'll be posting articles, Hot Headlines, URLs, announcements and much more. You can read them on our Election Section webpage, or set up with our special Election Section Newswire, and have the headlines delivered right to your own website or RSS reader. The Straight Goods Election Section "bigger and better", with every federal election since 2004!

Canadian Politics

BELLWETHER AND SWING RIDINGS by Geoffrey Stevens
  Pundits are always looking for key ridings to predict election outcomes.
 

LIBERAL VOTERS, CANDIDATES SCARCE IN ALBERTA by Gillian Steward
  Party label feels more like a target.
 
 

HARPER RECYCLES 1996 SLOGAN by Bill Tieleman
  BC NDP used "On your side" slogan to attack Liberal government in 1996 provincial election.
 
 

YOUNG WOMEN REDEFINING RIGHTS MOVEMENT by Ginette Petitpas-Taylor
  Analyses of "intersectionality" help feminism become more inclusive.
 

Workplaces
FARM WORKERS REPATRIATED AFTER EXERCISING HUMAN RIGHTS from the Union of Food and Commercial Workers
  Workers sent back to Mexico after union applies to represent them.

Consumers
USA IMPLEMENTS COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN-LABELLING (COOL) from the Consumers' Union
  Consumers' Union calls for more specificity, more complete coverage.

Media files

CANWEST NO LONGER SUING THE TYEE by Monte Paulsen
  Media giant drops libel suit over Mair column.
 
 

PICK OF THE WEEK

ABOUT THAT FIXED ELECTION DATE Remember Harper's $300 million fib. Election campaigns in September are inconvenient, not to mention stressful for those who are fasting for Ramadan. Going to the polls right after Thanksgiving is a nuisance – and, if you're observing Sukkot, disrespectful. If the issue is Prime Minister Harper's leadership style – or even if it isn't – there's something important to remember: this election is contrary to Harper's election promise and his own legislation to set fixed election dates.   www.illegalelection.ca

Hot headlines

FOCUS ON OIL KEEPS US IN DEBT by Thomas L Friedman
  "Drill, baby, drill" makes America stupid.
 
 

ALLIES DECLINE US STRATEGY ON AFGHANISTAN From Reuters
  Nato not to take part in US raids inside Pakistan.

Take action!
SUPPORT COMMUNITY RADIO WORKERS from CUPE
  CUPE 1281 fights firings at CKLN-FM.

Humour
SATURDAY NIGHT GET-TOGETHER from the Internet
  A chance to share a pint.