Bernard Gauthier

I’ll be honest: as a political junkie and a fan of political theatre, I was all set for tonight. I tuned in for the pre-event shows, watched the clock closely while I ate dinner and settled down for a historic display of political communication right at 7 p.m. To call what followed anti-climactic would be generous.

Prime Minister Harper made a fairly good show of it. He was on time, the television picture was well lit and, but for a forced smile and a lack of make-up, he looked the part. The let-down here, of course, was the content. After days of speculation about meeting with the Governor General and proroguing Parliament, he mentioned not a word about either. Not a peep while so many Canadians were watching, waiting for something really dramatic. After a nice introduction on the history of Parliamentary democracy in Canada, Harper went back to the same messages he and his colleagues have gone to all week — though in a more subdued tone. Strange, though, that minutes later, the news media were able to announce a meeting between the PM and the GG for 9:30 the next morning. So why keep it a secret?

Then came Dion. The man who would be PM managed to deliver the tapes late and managed production values that were more on the level of YouTube than national television. The shot was strange (too tight, too much head room), the backdrop cluttered (what exactly was that hunk of wood on the shelf) and the lighting and colour were way off. Even the focus seemed to be a tad off. The words were nicely written, though, with some reassurance and emphasis on values with which Canadians can likely identify: jobs, security, collaboration and consensus. Still, maybe I’m too visual but I had a hard time paying attention to words as I wondered about just what went wrong with the production and delivery.

Third in line was Gilles Duceppe. He delivered on time and on target. Whether you like his message or not (I’m a staunch federalist for the record), this man can do prepared statements in front of a room of reporters like few can on the Hill. He was passionate, articulate and clear. His harkening back to a media conference a few short years ago when Stephen Harper sat beside him to announce a deal that could replace the Martin Liberals was very strategic. I was particularly impressed that Duceppe alone looked up after his prepared statement, smiled and took questions from reporters. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?

Finally came Jack Layton who also shone tonight. His speech was tightly focused on ordinary people, jobs, retirement savings and mortgages (which is what most of us are really losing sleep over). For connecting and resonating with the audience, Layton gets full marks. He delivered live (no worries about delivering tapes late) and did so in both languages — how Prime Ministerial is that? He also, for my money, gets the sound bite of the night. Pointing to the closed doors of the House behind him, Layton likened proroguing Parliament to locking those doors to keep MPs out. Nice touch and nicely delivered.

I’m not sure much was accomplished tonight, frankly. The two speakers who most needed to deliver fell short, each in their own way. Duceppe and Layton made the most of their airtime. I suspect the PM and Dion will have plenty more to say on the matter in the hours and days to come. The seriousness of the issues at hand demands that they get it right.