When Gordon Hogg first ran for Member of Parliament I took a stroll to Laura's Coffee Shop to watch the proceedings. There was Justin Trudeau, beaming in the limelight and basking in the adoration of selfie-taking teenagers and their swooning Mothers. Gordon looked like the proverbial wall flower forgotten on the dance floor, smiling courageously in the face of being totally ignored. Well, it worked out well for him in the long run. He got elected hanging on the shirt tail of Justin and now sits on the back bench and, according to his own words, "toes the line" and does what he is told. Not my idea of an MP but there you have it.
Months later, I heard Andrew Scheer was coming to town to support Kerry Lynn Findley, our local official representing the Conservative Party whom nobody really knows and who is not very connected to the Community although she insists she used to visit here as a child and went swimming at the Pier. Off I trotted to the Pink Palace on King George and watched a seasoned Politician in action.
Mr. Scheer has been in politics since he left High School and it shows. The beaming smile, sincerity oozing out of every pore, and lots of uplifting words. Saying nothing! Ms. Finley behind him, copying the swooning Mothers of Gordon's rally. No teenagers in sight.
Last night I went to see the infamous Maxime Bernier speaking to a small crowd at Hazelmere Golf Club. He came alone, having just finished supporting a candidate in Nanaimo, no entourage in sight. No one swooned, no one took selfies but everybody listened. He does not pull punches and he most certainly does not "toe the line". It was like deja vue. Like watching Preston Manning in his heyday. It felt like being back in Reform Party days when we dreamed of a better world, a better class of politicians and a better future for our children. It felt good!
This People's Party of Canada is another dream although whether or not it will become a reality is up to us. Oh well, here we go again and better luck this time.
When you listen to a Politician and you actually remember in the morning what he said the night before - you are one step ahead. 
