by Dr. Louis P. Visentin
President, Brandon University


Louis P. Visentin

As it says in one of the bibles, "many are called, few are chosen". This also applies to elections and publications as well as the spiritual world. Given that we are also in an election period, I have selected twelve pieces from prominent politicians and others that I hope will wet your appetite for the political Olympics that are now taking place across this great country of ours.

I thank all of the authors who have contributed their very excellent pieces for publication in Ecclectica. We are a small but potent source of electronic information and we are proud of our prairie tradition of openness. You will find personal perspectives, views on leadership, commentaries on the environment and economic policy papers. Since it is politics, we did very little editing. What we got, you get.

I am particularly pleased that leaders took the time to respond to the call from this small university, the home of Tommy Douglas and Canada's Greatest Canadian. It is a place of openness where there is a great respect for dissent and debate. You are in good company.

Canada's contribution to the world time-line is neither lacrosse nor hockey. It is politics, elections and unusual leaders. Think: Kim Campbell, Joey Smallwood, Ralph Klein, Réal Caouette, Camillien Houde, Jean Drapeau, Preston Manning, Wacky Bennett, Colin Thatcher, Maurice Duplessis, or Bill VanderZalm. How's that for a line-up? Then there's Lester Pearson, Wilfred Laurier, Pierre Trudeau and Joe Clark. One of these days we will get it right. The debate and discourse is about the search for the right people with the right stuff, àla, Tom Wolfe. Enjoy.



About Ecclectica | Current issue | Issue archive | Links | The editorial team | Contact us
ISSN 1708-721X
1760