Jack Layton on TVO

Just finished watching the NDP leader sit down with Steve Paikin, a large part of the interview focused on Jack Layton's visit to the oil sands in Alberta. As the pundits in their "politcal chess" like analysis have spun it, it was a good move for him to head to the oil sands just after the call of the election. Outside the chess moves, the oil sands is the elephant in the room, we can't be serious about reducing our carbon emissions without severely reducing what is going on up there in Northern Alberta. One of the main reasons the Harper government did not sign the Kyoto agreement is because it would bankrupt us if we implemented it. We would be paying out the nose to all those environmentally friendly old European countries that have used up most of their stored energy. Mr Layton contends we are subsidizing the destruction of the environment in Alberta. This election will be fought on a cornucopia of issues, already the narrative is appearing, Stephen Harper likes the image of a leader, Stephane Dion is trying to explain his green shift. But the issue of the oil sands that Mr Layton appears to be out in front of is the (to use another gaming cliche) big silent domino in the room its effect hits most other issues even if the other leaders don't want to deal with it. And to deal with it would be more then just pulling a few teeth, it would be changing a lot of what we have become comfortable and normal with. But good leaders have the ability to make us change, lets see if Jack can convince us over the next 35 days.