Streetfight for the Crown

I've talked a lot about Liberal Leadership lately but I suspect things may quiet down on that front over the next few weeks. So, for the Tories who visit this blog and are sick of reading about those god damn Liberals, I'm going to spend a bit of time talking about the provincial PC leadership race. Given that the winner of this race will become the Premier of one of Canada's most important provinces, there are certainly national ramifications to this race. And, after Ralph Klein, there's certainly a big flask to fill.

So, once a day for the next eight days, I will be putting up mini-profiles of the candidates. I would also like to add to anyone working on a campaign that this blog offers an equal opportunity to all campaigns who would like to anonymously smear a competitor. Jokes, funny slips of the tongue, negative stories...my e-mail box is always open.


Mark Norris

Mark's Platform: Dubbed "the real plan" (so clearly Mark has no hidden agenda). It's already drawn fire on Tory blogs.

In 30 words or less: Lost his seat. Will lose this leadership. Think Tony Clement.

Mark on Emissions: (Given how much everyone is talking about the environment these days, I plan to share the environmental platform for each candidate) Mark takes a very firm stand - "The oilsands and coalbed methane development, parks and public land management, clean energy sources and climate change are important files that require decisions."

Celebrity Endorsement: As pointed out in a Daveberta comments section post a while back, Mark Norris (in the middle on the left) bears an uncanny resemblance to Peter Griffin:















Fun Policy: What I like to dub "Mark Norris' plan to bring Chuck Norris to Calgary" will give tax credits out to encourage movie production in Alberta.

Can he win? Despite spending $100,000 on his campaign, Mark Norris lost his seat last election to relative unknown Mo Elsalhy (who, I might add, is going to Montreal as a Gerard Kennedy delegate). So, given his track record, the short answer is no.

My Take: I know very little about Mark Norris and I'm not very impressed with what I do know. I'd say there are clearly some delusions of grandeur involved here and from the perspective of your average run of the mill PC member, I can't really think of a good reason to vote for Mark. But, then again, this Premier will be elected not by run of the mill PC members but by mass signups of pre-purchased memberships so maybe he stands a chance.