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The sex party and the scandal
Canada does not have any royals or dynasties whose shenanigans generate scandals, writes Gurmukh Singh.
In fact, there is very little by way of scandal. Canadians don't have tabloids like the Sun of London. You never find any gossip except some juicy bits about blonde Belinda Stronach's friendship with fellow Conservative MP Peter MacKay.
Not that scandals don't happen. They have happened in the past and they do now. In fact, Canada is the midst of one of its worst scandals in its history.
The so-called sponsorship scandal, under which millions of dollars were misappropriated by the ruling Liberal party and its favourites in the name of promoting national unity in Quebec after the defeat of the separatists in the 1995 referendum, is threatening to bring down the minority government of Prime Minister Paul Martin.
These federal funds were allocated to run advertising and events sponsorship programme on national unity in French-speaking Quebec. But much of the money went to the favourites of the Quebec unit of the ruling Liberal Party. In return, Liberal leaders in Quebec got kickbacks.
When Jean Chretien left as PM in Dec 2003 and Paul Martin took over, he stopped the programme and ordered an inquiry into irregularities by Justice John Gomery.
The revelations before the inquiry panel that have eroded the credibility of the Liberal Party and its minority government.
The Prime Minister's apology to Canadians, with a promise to clean up the mess and hold elections within 30 days after the final inquiry report is submitted in December, may not to buy him much time as the Opposition is likely to bring forward a no-trust motion and topple his government.
Canadians may be just days away from another general election within a year. This campaign is going to be interesting.
Meanwhile, the campaign for the May 17 provincial elections in beautiful British Columbia is getting spicier by the day.
If they had the Marijuana Party in the last election, this time around they have the Sex Party of British Columbia in fray.
The Sex Party's agenda sounds extremely radical even for sexually liberated Canadian society, where same-sex marriages are allowed in seven out of the 13 provinces and territories, and where a large number of couples live in common-law relationship.
Addressing a gathering at the Vancouver Art Gallery in the heart of the city the other day, Sex Party leader John Ince said his party wanted a "sex-positive" society. To the applause of his supporters, he said his party favoured an open debate on the taboo subject.
He promised the establishment of school education programmes, which encouraged sexuality. In his manifesto, John Ince promised to make it legal for women to "practise sex work" in their homes. Referring to the serial killings of prostitutes in Vancouver, he said his proposals will help make sex workers safe.
However, Vancouver School Board found his proposals on school sex programmes "out of line". The Sex Party's proposal to raise funds at a peep show was also rejected by authorities. And Canada Post refused to carry its brochure featuring erotic art.
The Sex Party is the third episode in the unfolding political drama in this province which has the highest concentration of Indians in North America.
The first episode was the birth of the world's first Green Party which is the third largest party on Friday.
Then was born the Marijuana Party. It contested many seats and polled "significant" votes in the May 2001 elections - which unseated Indo-Canadian premier Ujjal Dosanjh.
On Wednesday, 5,000 Marijuana Party activists kicked off their campaign amid inhaling of marijuana and loud music. Interestingly, the founder of this party, Marc Emery, says he was impired by ganja-smoking sadhus in India during his visit there in the early 1990s to launch his party.
