While Harper has found his groove and Dion has lost his mojo, as noted in the recent Maclean’s issue, the Green Party has made a surprise appearance in the media. Elizabeth May has emerged as a leader capable of connecting with questions and speaking passionately for the need to fight climate change. Since the recent inclusion of May in the national television debates, the Green Party’s profile has significantly increased. Poll after poll shows public support for the Green Party of Canada rising steadily to between ten and 12 per cent nationally and up to 15 per cent here in BC.

This rise of the environment as an election issue is due to a number of factors, including greater public interest in environmental issues, such as climate change and the appearance of green politics at the federal level. The Green Party, which is grounded in pro-environment policies, has grown into an established political party in Canada. Especially consider the Green Party if you’re concerned with issues of ecology, conservation and environment, as well as ideas from the feminist and peace movements. In addition to democratic and ecological issues, green politics is concerned with civil liberties, social justice and nonviolence. The Green Party offers practical solutions: down-to-earth policies in addressing environmental issues with less emphasis upon economic implications compared to the other major national political parties.

The Green Party’s economic platform includes a carbon tax very similar to the Liberal “Green Shift” plan, although it is explained more articulately by May than Dion. This involves instituting a full range of “polluter pays” taxes, including a carbon tax designed to reduce the use of fossil fuels by making them more expensive to produce and burn. The Green Party claims that these taxes will be largely revenue neutral. The revenues generated will be offset by reduced taxes on personal income, payrolls and on green products and technologies. The new taxes will also be non-regressive, so the carbon tax will include a rebate program for low-income Canadians living in rural areas and other groups disproportionately affected.

A few other highlights of the Green platform include:
- A disciplined schedule to gradually pay off debt
- Reestablishing a federal minimum wage of $10 an hour under the Canada Labour Code
- Reverse the Conservative GST cut by raising it back to 6 per cent
- Improving Canada’s rail system
- Forgive 50 per cent of a student’s government student loan when they complete a degree or certificate program
- A withdrawal from NAFTA and a renegotiation of the world’s largest trading partnership
- Beginning the process of withdrawing Canadian NATO Forces from Afghanistan no later than February 2009.

Almost one year ago a reporter wrote in The Gazette that the Liberals “used to be one of the best political brands in the country, a name so synonymous with success it has been dubbed Canada’s Natural Governing Party.” However, since Jean Chrétien resigned from office the Liberals have not been doing very well. They have slowly lost their status as the Natural Governing Party of Canada and, according to the polls, have become a distant second to the Conservative Party. Surprisingly, this presents one of the reasons given for voting Liberal: keeping the Canadian system from becoming dominated by a single party.

The foundation of Liberals current campaign is known as the Green Shift. The purpose of this plan is to stimulate the economy while having a positive effect on the environment, accomplished by moving taxation away from the consumer and onto the polluting corporations. The tax will cost carbon-producing industries $50 for every ton of carbon dioxide they produce. The Liberals claim that this will be a revenue-neutral tax, made so by cutting personal and corporate taxes by billions of dollars per year.

How will this boost the Canadian economy? According to the plan, the switch to green technology will create jobs. Manufacturing will be needed to create the technologically advanced products that will lower businesses’ carbon footprint. Highly skilled Canadian workers will make these products.

Whatever the opposition may want you to believe, this is not the only plan that the Liberals have for Canada. They intend to increase the funding for the arts. In fact, on Sept. 20, Stéphane Dion promised that if he were elected to government, he would give $530 million dollars to bolster arts and culture in Canada.

The majority of the Liberals’ plan was kept under wraps through the first part of the campaign, but has now been revealed and is online. The tag-line of the plan is “Richer, Fairer, Greener.”

Their intent is no longer to win. They have encouraged plans like ABC (Anything But Conservatives) and other such desperate pleas to be heard by the Canadian people. It would seem that the Canadian people have not forgotten the sponsorship scandal.

For many people their distrust has expanded to all parties that might gain a majority in Parliament. The push towards the Liberals in this election does not seem to be because people particularly like their policies but because they are afraid of a Conservative majority. Perhaps things will change when the Liberals actually present Canada with a comprehensive plan on how they intend to change things.

Do you sympathize with the proletariat? Do you pay your union dues faithfully? Do you understand the burdens that your plumber and electrician face? If so, the New Democratic Party is for you. As the champions of the underdog, the NDP has a long history of campaigning for social justice and an end to practices that benefit the rich while slowing the advancement of the poor. Though one of Canada’s major parties, the NDP has never formed the government. However, various provincial wings of the party have held a number of premierships. In this election there is a chance that, for the first time, the NDP will gain the rank of official opposition.

That said, Canadians can thank the NDP for some significant policies, such as the national healthcare system that we enjoy. Traditionally, the NDP has been a bastion of policies and people that look to benefit the working class and young families. The NDP has also looked to the environmental movement as a natural ally, though this is changing due to the advancement of the Green Party and the increasing conflict between support for the governmental creation of jobs and environmental protectionism.

At the same time, the NDP’s environmental policies and rapport are still strong. NDP leader Jack Layton promises to “make big polluters pay” through significant “cap-and-trade” systems which would limit the amount of new carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. Perhaps the biggest plank of the NDP platform for the environment is the expansion of public transit, which would kill two birds with one stone: it would create high-wage jobs for public sector workers and, at the same time, reduce the environmental burden of commuting. Though not as sophisticated as the Liberal or the Green Party’s plans for the environment, Jack Layton still advocates for major action to avert man-made global warming, something the Conservative Party seems resistant to do.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the NDP’s platform is their economic policy, which attempts to stimulate creation of high-paying jobs for Canadian workers. Most importantly, they plan to limit trade negotiations significantly and actively pursue raises in corporate taxes to fund the vast social programs that they would pursue. Layton’s rationale behind this move is that companies that don’t have to cover the health and welfare expenses of their employees’ dependents will be able to spend more time developing contacts and making money. Layton has strong sympathies with the downtrodden and by pursuing higher tax revenue he hopes to expand services significantly. If you sympathize with Robin Hood, Jack Layton is the candidate for you.

On the war in the Middle East, the NDP is hoping to bring home the troops from Afghanistan before 2011. In other areas of foreign policy, the NDP supports increased immigration as well as increasing Canada’s aid budget to at least 0.7 per cent of GDP. Jack Layton has also claimed in the past that he would expand Canada’s peacekeeping role under the banner of the UN (Canada currently has about 60 peacekeepers serving under the UN, which is down from several thousand over the past 20 years). New funding for these ideas would come from the increased tax revenue given by a rise in the GST, increased corporate earnings and increased economic growth.

It is certainly possible that Canada’s third national party could gain a significant role in parliament this time around, with the Liberals and the NDP in an increasingly close race for second place. While unlikely to form the government, the NDP is a potent force in some areas of the country and may well become the official opposition party.

The world of Canadian politics can be murky. Here are features that separate the Conservative Party of Canada from the other major parties:

In theory, at least, the Conservatives adhere to conservative principles understood in the modern sense. (Every major party in Canada would now be considered classical liberals). What are conservative principles? One of the most consistent has been a belief that individuals know their own interests best, and that the best thing that governments can do is stay out of peoples’ lives. This generally means that conservatives support smaller governments: less taxation, less social programs, and less government interference and regulation in society and in the economy. This is for two reasons: conservatives tend to distrust governments and bureaucracies, arguing that they tend to become larger and larger, and government agencies aren’t very good at micromanaging people’s lives.

Conservatives do, however, support strong government in some areas, mostly for the police and the military. There is a general skepticism about human nature; they tend to view human nature as fallen, although not necessarily in the religious sense. Thus, for a conservative, the government’s main job is to protect people’s ability to live safely and without fear. For this reason, on issues like crime, conservatives tend to focus upon protecting citizens from criminals and holding individuals responsible for their actions.

Conservatives also tend to be more socially conservative than the members of other political philosophies. While change is not seen as something threatening, conservatives tend to avoid rushing into swift changes and usually see more value in the traditional perspective.

In light of these principles of modern conservatism, these are some of the policies being put forward by the Conservative Party in this campaign:

A promise to make any further crime bills a matter of confidence
In the last two and a half years, the other parties have often opposed the Conservatives’ efforts to get tough on crime (one example being tougher laws to crack down on impaired driving). If all crime bills become a matter of confidence, other parties wouldn’t be able to vote against them without triggering another election. Although specifics have yet to be mentioned, the Prime Minister has stated his determination to crack down on youth crime.

Reduced taxes for seniors
The Conservatives have promised to lower taxes for seniors, boosting from $12,627 to $17,673 the amount of income that a senior can earn tax-free, hopefully helping seniors make ends meet.

Tax benefits for families taking care of disabled family members
The Conservatives have promised income tax splitting for families where one spouse is unable to work to take care of a disabled family member (income tax splitting reduces the amount of income tax that a couple pays), as well as making it easier for a disabled person to access the Registered Disability Savings Program.

Help for first-time homebuyers
The Conservatives have promised an annual $200 million program to help first time homebuyers afford to purchase homes. It offers a tax credit of $5,000 to first time homebuyers to help with the closing costs on a new home. This should help make life a little bit more affordable for young, hard-working families.

The Fort Langley Community Hall was buzzing with the sounds of friends this past Thursday night, Sept. 24. The Magician, aka Nathan Moes, hosted musical talents Jordan Klassen, and the duo of Fine Mist to celebrate the release of his new release: Who Will Cut Your Grass When I’m Gone?

After an inspiringly beautiful performance by Jordan K, and a Degrassi-esque dance party initiated by Fine Mist, The Magician took to the stage and stole the show with his vulnerable charm. He mesmerized his audience with his simple lyrics (including many dah dahs and bah bahs) and playful changes in progression. Playing the entirety of his album, Nathan Moes paused between songs to offer a magician’s thoughts, and provided a little background information for his songs. In his third song “NJ V NJM”, The Magician called for an “early 60’s” type sound that required audience participation, for a richer “Dah dah dah dah” affect, something which we all eagerly agreed to.

With a sound that might bring Jim Guthrie to mind, Nathan seems to capture light-heartedness in his music, a quality that is not only inviting, but also energizing. Lyrics like, “If I was a whale in the sea/And you had feelings for me,” or “I have friends who are easy to love/And I hope that I can be the same” leave listeners wanting more. Reminiscent of a warm summer day, The Magician swings you back and forth on his harmonic swing, lets you swim in his distant melodies, and eases you with his lyrical breeze. This listener gives The Magician a 10.5 out of…10.5 (buy the cd!).

Fleet Foxes, Sub-Pop Records’ latest band to explode onto the music scene played the Vancouver date of their tour on Sept. 16 at Richard’s on Richards. Already boasting devoted fan following and critically acclaimed album, this Seattle-based band delivered.

The show had been sold out for weeks prior, and the boys turned in a memorable performance proving they are worth their buzz. Josh Tillman, Fleet Foxes’ drummer, opened the show with songs from his solo side project, “J. Tillman.” Tillman’s calm-yet-strong voice cut through the chatter at the bar to lay the foundation for the full band’s terrific performance: Fleet Foxes’ is one of a few bands that actually sound better live.

Highlighted by Robin Pecknold’s rolling vocals that make everyone in the vicinity put down their drinks and pay attention to the stage, Fleet Foxes’ beautiful harmonies remind you of what the Beach Boys might sound like if they grew up in a log cabin instead of Southern California. The boys demonstrated that they are a terribly talented group of men, and worth the 9.0 rating their self-titled debut garnered from musical tastemaker Pitchfork.

Skye Skjelset, guitarist and the only non-harmonizer in the band, said, “Of course we’re happy that people are listening to our music and coming out to shows, and we’re thrilled to do things like play Sasquatch and play on Letterman – I grew up watching bands I love play on that show – but we’d still be doing the same thing and playing the same music even if all of this wasn’t happening.”

On the band’s recent increase in coverage and attention, Skjelset insisted he wasn’t just giving your typical ‘we don’t care that we’re popular’ band remark, but genuinely believes it, along with the rest of his band mates.

In addition to Pecknold, Tillman and Skjelset, bassist Christian Wargo and pianoman Casey Wescott round out the rest of Fleet Foxes. Together they form a band that isn’t merely marginal talent breaking at the right time. Fleet Foxes’ brilliant performance, along with a humourous yet humble stage presence, confirmed that they are more than just a blog band: they are instead five scruffy young musicians that love to play good music.

Buschman, a third year business major, is in charge of keeping the TWUSA office running smoothly, as well as “increasing lines of communication between TWUSA and the student body.” One of the ways TWUSA is doing this is through updating their website at twusa.ca.

Only three weeks into his TWU career, Weir has jumped right into the director of communications position, a spot recently left vacant with the resignation of Zach Bulick. To facilitate his job of communicating TWUSA events to the student body, he is planning to build a couple of huge calendars to be placed in high traffic areas on campus that will target both residents and commuters.

“We’re trying to include everyone,” he said.

As the freshman representative, Tedrow, who is double majoring in psychology and art, is looking forward to “starting the freshman class off to a good four years.” He works closely with a team of about half a dozen other freshmen to talk about concerns of the first year class, as well as brainstorming event ideas.

He says the events being planned will be “focused on people getting to know each other, to promote class unity – but not the cheesy kind.”

O’Reilly sees his task as the business representative as being a liaison between students and faculty, as well as acting as a voice to TWUSA for clubs in the business department. He is hoping to set up an endowment fund that will help the Student Business Association to become self-sustained.

O’Reilly has observed that since the business department is in Northwest that business students tend to be more isolated from campus. Consequently, another of his goals is to “help business students integrate with the rest of the university.”

Though their visions differ, all the new members look forward to a successful year.

Even the television phenomenon The OC got in on the action, featuring an indie-heavy soundtrack before eventually going the lengths of having indie bands guest star on episodes, including Rooney, The Killers, Modest Mouse, Death Cab, and the Walkmen. You no longer had to read through zines and hip magazines like Spin and Anthem to learn about new bands with a pleasing sound – you could just tune in to The OC every week and buy the soundtracks to be the hip kid in your group of friends that knew of all the latest bands that weren’t Top 40.

It was clear that what was hip wasn’t Top 40 or singer-songwriter stuff, though I recognize Jack Johnson is still very popular. What was hip was indie, and if you didn’t listen to indie, you weren’t hip. Sure it was still acceptable to rock out to your parents’ music, or Black Flag or buy a Coldplay album, just as long as that wasn’t all you did. The indie-craze grew to the likes of The OC, and other television shows and movies got in on the action, like Grey’s Anatomy, Smallville, One Tree Hill and Garden State. As this happened, indie ceased to be indie – it had now gone mainstream. Zach Braff even won a Grammy for Best Soundtrack, and helped make The Shins a household name.

Music aficionados grew frustrated that now most of their classmates’ iTunes featured some Flaming Lips and Postal Service on it. The search for something different, something like what indie use to be, something your mom or the music director on your parents’ favourite television show had never heard of commenced.

This shift has occurred over the last three to four years, and indie has been pushed out as the preferred music for tastemakers everywhere. Indie bands started making a shift themselves toward electronic, as acts like Bloc Party, Death From Above 1979, and Metric enjoyed success thanks to mixing genres and doing something different than what other bands were doing.

The shift has become even more distinct with relation to tastemakers, as now purely electronic bands have become what the new cool is. Of course cool is something that cannot be quantified, which is why you can’t just tell someone to be cool and expect it to happen – it is something that you know when you see it.

This, however, does not change the fact that electronic has now replaced indie as the music of choice for tastemakers and the musically elite. In the last two years, electronic has exploded everywhere, and has even started to go mainstream. Justice, a Parisian duo signed to Ed Banger Records, which just happens to be run by Daft Punk’s former manager, is one of the leaders of the electronic movement that also includes acts like MSTRKRFT, MGMT and Girl Talk. Justice has been featured on the cover of Death+Taxes, one of the definitive music magazines for tastemakers, and sold out their last two shows at the Commodore. Tony X, a popular party DJ in Vancouver, explains “there’s been a definite cross-over in the ‘it’ music, and what started to bubble up in indie with ba
nds like Franz Ferdinand has spun its own movement.”
The electronic craze, however, appears to be going down the same path as indie did before it. Justice’s music has started to be used in Cadillac commercials, Cut Copy’s for Virgin Mobile, and CSS’ for iPod and even Chromeo’s for McDonald’s. Tony X points out, “On any given day you can walk into Urban Outfitters and hear Boys Noize – when that starts happening, the kids who were first listening to it dump it, and look for something else that other people aren’t all listening to.”

There has been an evident shift from the “it” music, and there are exceptions to this, but when it comes to music something can only be cool for so long. Of course Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper and the Rolling Stones are still awesome 20-something years later, but they’re old enough that it’s cool to listen to them because they are not riding their first wave into the music communities’ consciousness. Electronic has succeeded indie as the music of choice for tastemakers everywhere. However, as indie proved before it, as electronic’s commercial appeal grows and becomes more prevalent in pop culture, it runs the risk of becoming too popular, and having the cool kids dump it; when that happens the rest of us will all scramble to catch up with whatever the cool kids are doing, just like it was in elementary school.

And that’s just what she got in what would become the most well-known, most consumed brand in history: Coca-Cola. Queen Vic was fond of the pioneer drink, “Vin Mariani,” from France, but the empire of the infamous beverage industry really began in an Atlanta pharmacy. The soda’s base syrup, called Pemberton’s French Wine Coca, was sold as an elixir. Its original formula contained extracts from the coca plant which had been used by natives of South America to remedy altitude sickness, hunger and fatigue. The oils of the kola nut were also used in the syrup, and thus, by subtracting the “K,” adding a “C” and sticking the name of the nut behind the name of the leaf we have “Coca-Cola.”

No wonder Coca-Cola experienced such initial success: people had to buy it to feed their addiction. Not even the queen of England could withstand the siren’s call of the seductive soda. However, we can’t give cocaine all the credit for making sales. We have to give alcohol a fair shot too as the syrup initially contained wine. But the real boost in sales came when Coca’s inventor, Dr. John S. Pemberton, removed the alcohol in response to the temperance movement of the early 20th century. With local bars shut down, the bubbles started coming up as citizens flocked to the soda fountains as a social substitute.

But what would become of the popular drink if ever prohibition were to end? Robert W. Woodruff answered that question when he took the soda global by establishing the Coca-Cola Export Corporation by 1930. The invasive spread of the company’s bottling plants was furthered by Coke’s promise during World War II to go wherever they had to so that every American serviceman could enjoy their product. President Eisenhower even ordered millions of bottles to be sent to troops in Africa; a refreshing boost for the Allies even if the cocaine element had been long since banished.

“Whenever you hear ‘Have a Coke,’ you hear the voice of America,” gives a good picture of just how popular the product had become. Even today, America is defined by that voice, whether it is perceived as one of prosperity and hope or one of corporate greed and the desire for world dominance. America may not last as a political power, but as far as the prevailing soda pop prince: it’s “Always Coca-Cola.”