Categories: Capital Read, Inside the Queensway

UPDATED: InaugurationWatchWatch: Party Leader Edition

by kadyomalley on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 10:20am - 5 Comments

Before heading off to the Embassy, ITQ had the bright idea of conducting an impromptu survey on where the party leaders are planning to watch – or not watch, as the case may be – today’s festivities.

Wait … not watch? Today? Hard as it may be to believe, that may be the case for Stephen Harper.

According to PMO director of communication Kory Teneycke, his boss is in Toronto today, where he will be attending “private meetings related to the budget,” but assures ITQ that that the PM will still get to see history being made — eventually. “I am sure that he will see the coverage tonight when he returns to Ottawa.” Meanwhile, NDP leader Jack Layton joins caucus and staff members for a speech-watching party at the NDP’s Queen Street office.

UPDATE: According to an OLO spokesperson, Michael Ignatieff – or someone in his office, anyway – somehow managed to arrange his schedule so he would be on a plane to Toronto smack in the middle of the Inaugurathon. Maybe he and the PM can get together later and watch a few hours of Tifo’d CNN.

We haven’t heard back from the Liberals or the Bloc Quebecois, but as soon we get an answer, we’ll post an update.

Tags: inauguration, o-day, where the heck are the party leaders?

More by kadyomalley

Two Yen

Hey it’s 1 a.m. on Jan 21 already in Tokyo and I’ll be watching the inauguration live at 2 a.m. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.
Wayne

I sincerely doubt that there will be anyone in the world (well damn close anyways) that will not be watching recordings of this particular event for years and years to come. Let’s face it we are going to have youtube hip hop songs, phony coins, dinner plate collections and lunch boxes with more than like likely pvr’s everywhere recording and keeping this minute for history. It’s kind of strange as I remember getting the day off school when I was in grade 3 and Kenedy was assassinated and then not too long after that King and Bobby were too and here it turns out that Obama who was born the same year as King’s I have a dream speech and now who stands there being sworn in as president! It really is kind of awe inspring no matter how you look at it or what poltical stripe you wear. Quite a day is all I say!

Serendipitty

I thought the entire event was captivating. The Americans do a bang-up job of capturing their major political events.

As you say, I’m sure there will be many commemorative spin-offs. I’ve already seen one here in Canada with the Tony Clement Gravy Boat Offering on you tube. It’s great, and gives very real indication of what Tony Clement doesn’t do, which is a heckuva lot.

http://deleted Sandi

Maybe Iggy watched it on the plane.

And who watched and didn’t watch is important because______________________________?

madeyoulook

If he flew WestJet, there should have been no problem. Unless he couldn’t tear himself away from a couple of gay guys telling a grown woman how she should dress herself a couple of channels down. Or Sportscentre highlights of yesterday’s warmed-over sports stuff.

Or unless he wanted to get some actual useful work done. Like I had to. So, folks who watched it, was it worth the tens of thousands of security agents?