Toronto Star: Stephen Harper goes viral

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is turning for the first time to YouTube to put his political spin on last week’s Throne Speech and is even taking questions.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced Wednesday that Harper’s reaction to the Speech from the Throne will be live streamed Thursday morning from the House of Commons on the popular video sharing website.

“Canadians, especially younger Canadians, are no longer getting their news from just television, radio and print media. They are turning to new media in increasing numbers,” according to a PMO statement.

Politicians both in the Canada and the U.S. often complain they don’t like their messages being filtered through the traditional media or having to answer questions from reporters.

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http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/778003--stephen-harper-goes-viral


Link to the YouTube page where you can post and rate questions:

http://www.youtube.com/TalkCanada

According to the guy in the video on the page, Harper will "answer a selection of your top-voted questions".

I took a look at the questions posted and :rofl: harper and his cabal might want to re-think this!

:rofl:

Where it is due. At least he is trying and the more open and unregulated democracy is the better. It is true, most youth rely on the internet for news, when was the last time you saw a 20 something year old person purchase a newspaper?

tend to ask 'inconvenient' questions and, instead, micro-manage the questions he can be asked on-line. You can just bet the "most popular" questions will be those least 'embarrassing' to the PM. On-line voting is a crock, perfectly suited for manipulation.

Harper and his cabal need to stop playing these foolish games, produce the documents Parliament has demanded re detainee torture.

More open than whom?

This was not a statement of comparison to any other party or leader, it is a statement about democracy in general. The more open and unregulated political leadership is (assuming this is in fact a live online stream with questions), the better it is for the population whom votes. This youtube strategy appears to be at least somewhat of a 2-way conversational approach. I hope all parties embrace the technology of communication, even though I don't use much of it myself.

I look at it this way, the world has become closer via communication thanks to the internet, however, politicians have not embraced it as much as they could or should. I would prefer democracy to be more transparent, less structured and controlled; more human. Not robotic responses prepared by 7 advisors behind the scenes; such as when we simply watch a q & a period on tv, knowing that WE cannot ask a question from our couchs and the person being questioned has his bases all covered. Ironically, the bigger the world gets, the smaller it becomes...we have the means to become a more community based driven democractic system since the expansion of human population in the billions, and with all of the people who DON'T vote (myself included), this is a way in which to reach some of them. Many of the questions will be to attack his policies, at least he is showing up to answer them, that involves risk, however you look at it. Just like in business, the party that doesn't adapt, falls behind.

I think this sort of direct interaction should be done at the local and munipal level too. The kids growing up now are light years ahead of my generation in terms of their connection with technology and communication, and it is everyday use for them. This isn't a judgement of what is a better method of communication, it is the reality. If some of these communication methods are not harnessed, this youth and their inclusion in the political process will be lost. I just see this as a positive; how can it NOT be seen as a more open approach? Barring manipulation, it is a good step, and if people don't get their questions heard they will bitch about it and the youtube experiment will have failed. Look at Obama and his openness and willingness to listen to questions from people from all walks of life. That is risky and courageous; it is also what leadership should look like.

Call me an idealist, but everytime I watch these House of Commons debates I am shocked at the lack of true leadership in this country. Honestly, the best way I can describe it is that of a bunch of spoiled children at a clubhouse debate. One person speaks, second party shouts him down, first person raises voice and get somewhat aggitated, repeat, rinse and dry. What is accomplished? Everyone toes the party line, to not do so is political suicide. When was the last time you saw a party vote on something and more than 5% didn't follow the party line? Let them all have an hour of youtube time a day, have them address questions from the public; let people read for themselves if this person or that person is someone you want to lead your community. This may lead out some of the lemmings; they get a chance to express their own views, and the community can hold them to it.

Thanks for your time. I love to type. :D

-The only way they could "address" questions from the public would be through a live chat room NOT via submitted/vetted/manipulated questions submitted via YouTube. This charade is not an example of "open and unregulated political leadership", it is, in effect, the antithesis of it as it is simply a way to avoid the media's questions while controlling the environment in which ANY questions will be asked.

-When you refer to "House of Commons debates" it seems you are actually referring to Question Period, which lasts 15 minutes and is not a debate at all and was not set up to be so. If you want to see the actual debate that occurs watch CPAC while the committees are doing their work, that's where the REAL give and take occurs.

Most viruses are harmless to people.

Perfect!

:rofl:

at 2 1/2 stars. I now see that there has been over 200 votes since and the video is down to 2 stars. Yeah, the Cons may rethink this.

32,516 votes on 538 questions by 1,277 people at 12:15 pm. I am willing to be there will be a flurry of last minute voting to ensure the soft-ball question rise to the top of the voting list. Keep an eye on the numbers and the questions being voted up on Saturday night and Sunday morning, it could well be VERY interesting.