Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, was speaking about a mile from my house today, so I stopped by to listen. His speech was brief, and it was primarily a riding asssociation meeting, so there was lots of loud cheering and clapping.

His main point was a call for change, and an end to government for the privileged few. He announced an immediate planned cut in the GST from 7% to 6%, then a drop to 5% by the end of five years. A CBC News producer I was chatting with told me that Paul Martin's response was that is wasn't a good idea, but it might be economically reasonable.

He also stated that his government would forbid former government members from lobbying for 5 years after leaving government, give the auditor general the power to hold government responsible for their actions, create real whistleblower protection, and create the position of Director of Public Prosecutions.

Harper only spoke for 15 or 20 minutes, but seemed quite personable, and even cracked a few jokes. What amazed me was the logistics of the event, and the number of Conservative party staff involved in the event. The CBC producer called them "bluecoats". And they did have excellent winter jackets. I'd happily volunteer just to get one. Of course after the election, it will either be a jacket you love to wear, or one you want to burn.