So, Tim Hudak was heckled at a Peterborough campaign stop, today. Here’s the story:
The Progressive Conservative leader joined local candidate Scott Stewart at a Peterborough Holiday Inn to field questions from a room of about 60 people early Monday morning.
The event was an increasingly rare sight in Canadian politics: an open to the public, up close and personal, unscripted question and answer session. And for Hudak’s opponents, an opportunity.
“Maybe he’s having coffee with the 10 per cent unemployed teachers in the area,” quipped one, when the election campaign event was slightly delayed.
(link)
The article tries to play this up as Hudak’s campaign having a rocky day, but the thing is, I think Hudak deserves a lot of credit, here. I am not a fan of Hudak’s policies or platform, but I have to give credit where it’s due. After going ballistic in the previous federal election, about the Harper campaign tossing out members of the general public from campaign rallies, I am impressed by the fact that Hudak was willing to have an unscripted, undoctored meet-up with the people. I think this was an exceptionally brave step, and one which I think Hudak and his team should be commended.
All the time, we are asking our politicians to be more real, to stay off the scripts and the soundbites. Here, Hudak did that. And while it wasn’t easy for him, the job we’re asking our politicians to do isn’t easy, either. Events like this are critical elements of the job interview of becoming premier, and I wish more high-level candidates would do just that.