Interviewed!

Nation, I've got a soft spot for small-town girls who end up transplanted into the Big City - my own mother was one such girl, as is the future Mrs. Savage. It's no surprise, then, that when the lovely Elle Bee of The [Mis]adventure of a Small Town Girl posted an interview meme a few days ago, I jumped on the chance to see what sort of great questions the devoted member of the E.S. Nation might come up with for your truly.

Elle Bee, you certainly didn't let me down. :)

This is supposed to be interactive, so if you'd like to participate with some questions conceived in the mind of the Enlightened Savage, Lord and Ruler of All Albertan Political Bloggers, just follow the rules below:

1. If you want to participate, leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” (And your e-mail address, please.)
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions

Here we go!

1. How did you get interested in politics? What made you decide to get vocal about it?

I developed an interest from an early age. Politics, of all levels, were freely discussed around the dinner table at our home. While my parents had their own views, though, they always made sure to make allowances for the validity of the opposing viewpoint. As I grew up, I decided that I wanted to be involved in some way, to help make my community a better place for the people who came after me (not that it was bad when I was young- far from it. But the idea is to constantly improve, from generation to generation). My own MLA at the time inspired me by showing me that regular people, like her and like me, could make a difference through hard work and being honest with people. When I realized how few people were engaged in the political process, or were unaware of how the system even worked, I decided that, for now, the best way to contribute was to try and inform and entertain through my writing.

2. a) If you could give a piece of your mind, one-on-one, to any politician, at any level, from anywhere in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you tell them?

I'd jump in the DeLorean with copies of the last 6 months of newspapers and economic statements, and visit Ralph Klein in 1993. Utilising all of my impressive powers of persuasion, and perhaps some of the old moves I picked up watching tapes of Ralph's dad as a pro wrestler, I'd encourage him to think very seriously about saving for a rainy day and stimulating diversification of Alberta's economy.

b) If you could have a chat with any politician that you adore (from the same categories as above), who would it be?

I'd have to say John F. Kennedy. To wake up every morning (next to whom, we're not sure) and see a "To Do" list on your mirror that read "1. Make the world a better place for future generations. 2. Don't get blown up by Russia." must have made for an interesting dichotomy.

3. Man, are you ever informed about what's going on in the world around you. It takes a lot to keep up with all the news, especially during an election. If you only had time to get your news from one source, where would you turn?

From one medium it'd be the internet, hands-down. If I had to narrow it down to one website, though, I'd have to say CTV.ca. I'd say CPAC during an election, but they're pretty thin on updates between elections. CTV.ca always seems to be the most frequently updated site, and they make really good use of their video player to give perspective to the raw news - which you can skip, if you'd prefer to form your own opinions (which I usually do, but then watch the video anyway, just to yell).

4. a) Where are your three top places in Calgary to visit for people who've never been to Calgary before?

I'm going to go for places within the Greater Calgary Area, because so many of my favourites are JUST outside the city. :)

1) Fish Creek Provincial Park.

2) McKay's Ice Cream Parlour (Cochrane)

3) Pengrowth Saddledome, during a Flames Game (the atmosphere is electric, even for an Oilers fan like myself)

b) Where are your top three places for Calgarians?

1) Elbow Falls, in Kananaskis Country

2) Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show

3) A stroll through historic Inglewood.

5. A recent poll says that 62 per cent of Quebecers believe that if the budget falls, the right to lead should be handed Bloc, the Liberals, and the NDPs' coalition government. What do you think?

I think the right to lead shouldn't be handed to anyone, ever - it should be earned. If someone wants to lead as Prime Minister, they should face the voters first, and be vetted by the people they hope to serve. Part of that vetting process should be answering the question "would you be willing to form a coalition with any of the other parties - and if so, which ones?". Someone elected under those circumstances would be well within their rights to form a coalition, and lead the government. I also think that governing parties should call an election immediately upon changing leaders to give the people a say in who leads their government. That said, that's not the system under which we operate. The successful local candidate gets your franchise, and can do whatever s/he wants with it.