'Boring' Canada getting little election coverage in foreign media

By Archie McLean
Canwest News Service

Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers a speech to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce during the first week of the campaign. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

EDMONTON - Sometimes, outsiders offer a fresh and insightful take on a country's domestic affairs.

One of the most influential books on American politics - the aptly named Democracy in America - was written more than 150 years ago by a young Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville.

More recently, Britain's venerable Economist magazine helped cement Paul Martin's reputation for indecision when it hung him with the "Mr. Dithers" moniker.

So, what is the rest of the world saying about our federal election so far?

The short answer is: not much. The BBC has only one short article on its website. The Washington Post has run only short briefs and the Times of London has nothing on its website. Israel's Haaretz newspaper wrote a piece about Canadian Jewish groups asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper not to hold the vote on the first day of the Sukkot festival.

Much of the news coverage in the foreign press has come through Associated Press and Reuters wire copy. At least one British columnist has noticed the tepid international coverage.

"The lack of interest abroad in Canada's national politics is striking - probably partly a perennial stereotype of Canada as peaceful (read: boring) country, partly because the last eight years have required a heightened focus on the big bag of crazy that the institutional politics of Canada's southern neighbour has
become," writes Heather McRobie in Britain's leftish newspaper, the Guardian.

McRobie goes on to scold Harper and his government's record.

"For a prime minister with a powerless minority government, he's managed to do an almost impressive amount of damage since coming to power two years ago, damage that - particularly on environmental issues - has an impact far beyond Canada."

She advocates abandoning any notions that Canada is an international "good guy."

The Wall Street Journal's famously conservative editorial page has a different take.

"One candidate believes in low taxes, gun rights and a strong national defence. The other has a dog named Kyoto and promises to levy a new carbon tax on industry. Any guess who is favored to win the Canadian federal election set for October 14?"

The American online magazine Slate published an article by former Stephane Dion speech writer, Christopher Flavelle, with the headline 'What's the matter with Canada?: How the world's nicest country turned mean.'

The Economist quotes Machiavelli and predicts another Conservative minority government.

The dearth of good foreign reporting in Canada is partly the result of shrinking news budgets. Last year, the Washington Post closed its Canadian bureau, a belt-tightening measure that followed similar moves by the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Wall Street Journal.

Still, the New York Times has run several articles about the election, most recently under the headline 'Online, a Puffin Stars in a Political Attack in Canada.

The article begins: "American election campaigns have a reputation for dirty tactics and negative campaigning. But in the current Canadian federal election, which began just over a week ago, one party started its campaign by immediately dropping dirt of a virtual variety."

The Times does point out the bright side to the brevity of our campaigns.

"Canadians voters weary of attack ads do have one advantage over their American counterparts: the Canadian election campaign lasts only 38 days."

What the world is saying:

"`A Prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.' Stephen Harper, Canada's Conservative prime minister, is poised to test this bit of Machiavellian political theory. Having championed legislation last year to fix election dates at four-year intervals, thus curtailing the ability of future governments to call a vote when victory seemed most assured, Mr. Harper is now about to ignore his own law and announce a general election within days. With no overarching issue preoccupying voters still awakening from their summer slumber and with four byelections set for September, which a general election would pre-empt, Mr. Harper presumably has strong reasons for wanting to face the electorate a year before the set date of October 19th 2009. But what are they?"
     - The Economist magazine, Sept. 4, 2008

"If you care about the American election because you're scared of Sarah Palin's skepticism toward global warming, you should worry about Harper's unwillingness to continue his predecessor's work against climate change. If you hated George Bush because of his government's corrosion of civil liberties at home and abroad, the fact that Harper has been a thorough Bush apologist is a worrying indicator of how a full-fledged Conservative government
would encroach on the rights of Canadians."
     - Heather McRobie in The Guardian, Sept. 10, 2008

 ". . . Beneath the calm exterior, Canada's political system is in turmoil. Since 2004, a succession of unstable minority governments has led to a constant campaign frenzy, brutalizing Canada's once-broad political consensus and producing a series of policies at odds with the country's socially liberal, fiscally
conservative identity. Canada is quietly becoming a political basket case, and this latest election may make things even worse."
     - Christopher Flavelle in Slate magazine, Sept. 12, 2008

"Mr. Harper has restored the country's international prestige by demonstrating political courage on Afghanistan. The Liberals had sent Canadian troops there in 2001 but began agitating for withdrawal when things got difficult. Mr. Harper has refused to cut and run, and he has chastised those NATO partners in Europe who have shrunk from the fight. He has also boosted defence spending so Canadian troops are properly armed."
     - Wall Street Journal editorial, Sept. 13, 2008

"The notaleader.ca website had a few other odd features. Among them was a homepage illustration depicting Mr. Ignatieff holding a machine gun, and a fictional dog blog ostensibly written by Mr. Dion's family pet, Kyoto. (The dog is so named because Mr. Dion, as environment minister in a previous government, was involved in the talks that led to the international climate change protocol of the same name.)"
     - Ian Austen in the New York Times, Sept. 14, 2008