The Conservatives have just announced that if re-elected they will make available to first-time home buyers a tax break to defray the costs of purchasing a home. The tax break is for costs like legal fees, land title transfers, and home inspection costs. Is this responsible? Is this a conservative policy?
Of course the Tories need the large, urban middle class to support them. The electoral logic is clear. But isn’t this too cynical by half?

More on B.C. races: Shane Edwards also has a great ongoing series on the local campaigns in Surrey (on Fleetwood - Port Kells, Surrey North, and Newton - North Delta).
Surrey's politics at the national, provincial, and municipal levels are

First: Elizabeth May deserves congratulations for gaining entry to the leaders' debate. I'm not so sure that she should be so happy over this, however. Many people think that May has a good speaking style. This may be true in some contexts, but I'm not sure if she will perform well in a debate with four other party leaders. Harper, Dion, Layton, and Duceppe all have significant experience in Parliament and the first three have already participated in televised debates. May has no similar experience. "Elizabeth May," argues Kevin Libin, "talks faster than an auctioneer on a caffeine buzz." And we've already seen that her tendency to talk quickly can get her into trouble. As Harold Jansen observed, it may be Harper who benefits from May's inclusion in the debate, as he is left to look prime ministerial as the other four leaders natter away.

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Rick Bell has written a glowing political obituary for Monte Solberg, one of the three senior cabinet ministers that won't be running for re-election.
First elected in 1993 as a Reform Party MP, Solberg was probably the most entertaining MP in the House throughout the 1990s. He was certainly one of the most effective oppostion critics I've ever seen (the other being Diane Ablonczy, although the two of them employ radically different styles). While complaining about tax increases, Solberg once asked Paul Martin in Question Period:

I can't help but find the hew and cry about Elizabeth May's exclusion from the leaders' debates amusing. For example, over 1500 comments have been posted on the original story on the CBC website, which is more than I've ever seen on any other story.