Oh, the political intrigue in the province this week!
I’m going to get to that in a minute but first, dear readers, we must discuss the toy company Mattel and their inexplicable remodel of the Ken doll. They have introduced several new Ken dolls this month, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Barbie has had many different looks, hair colours and skin tones over the years. Mattel took on Barbie’s boyfriend this year and there will be more body types, different skin tones and different hairstyles.
But here is where we run into difficulty, for one of the hairstyles is a man bun. Yes, Barbie’s boyfriend has a man bun. I just … A man bun. Oh clean cut, square jawed, preppy Ken-of-my-childhood, where have you gone? You have gone out and got a man bun, that’s where you’ve gone and now Ken, we are friends off. I expect Barbie will be dumping you shortly.
And on that note of horror, let’s turn to politics. The legislature is now sitting, and dissolving, as we speak. But prior to that the three parties embroiled in the current political mess spent much time squabbling, and accusing back and forth on a number of issues, not the least of which was, who will be speaker. The BC Liberals scratch their head in amazement that the NDP/Green coalition would even think the Liberals would provide a speaker after the government is defeated. The NDP/Greens can’t understand why they won’t.
NDP leader John Horgan took a tour of the heartland (Cranbrook included), an area he pretty much ignored during the campaign. He paid for that ignoring too. He did make great gains in urban areas, which was his concentration, but he lost some pretty safe NDP seats, including Columbia River-Revelstoke, in the Interior. Many BC Liberals pointed out that his trip to Cranbrook and other rural areas was pretty rich, and suggested Mr. Horgan may already be campaigning.
Meanwhile, the BC Liberals tabled a throne speech full of goodies and largesse, that suggested nothing so much as Green/NDP policy, including increases to social services. The Opposition was quick to point out that was pretty rich, considering those issues have all but been ignored during the 16 previous years of BC Liberal governing. Christy Clark also had a sudden change of mind on political donations, now saying they will put a limit on all union and corporate donations. Until that actually happens though, the BC Liberals continued to fatten their war chest with donations, just in case another election is called.
However, good old Angus Reid is here to tell you that British Columbians are not looking forward to an election any time soon.
Seventy-one per cent of British Columbians do not want another election right away. That’s what the latest Angus Reid Poll says. And Angus usually knows what he’s talking about.
Angus also found that 62 per cent of British Columbians would rather Christy Clark step down than continue any procedural shenanigans to prolong her stay in power.
Angus Reid refers to what Clark has been up to as “ragging the puck,” a quintessentially Canadian term for the political gamesmanship that has been occurring.
That’s good information, Angus, but I have a question, have you polled anyone about man buns recently? Or, do you perhaps wear a man bun, Angus?
Angus Reid has not polled anyone on the man bun, to answer my own question, but luckily the good folks at West Coast Shaving (obviously not a polling company as renowned as Angus Reid, but it’s information we need) have.
Anyhoo, the folks at West Coast Shaving report that 58 per cent of women would not date a man with a man bun. 27.4 per cent of women actively hate them, and a further 35.5 per cent dislike them.
So, it appears that British Columbians want an election about as much as women like the man bun.
Ken, the ball’s in your court.