GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
Would you want to choose your next national leader using a reality TV show instead of an election by the people? Well that's what Canada is doing. Even though I am no fan of reality TV, I am captivated by this interesting idea. They certainly couldn't do a worse job than what has already transpired in several nations already -- not namin' any names, though!
Some countries have elections. Some countries have sectarian violence. Others have civil war. But in Canada, they do things differently.
Next March four former Canadian prime ministers will take part in a reality TV show titled The Next Great Prime Minister. The four will grill contestants on their leadership qualities before picking a winner in the one-hour TV special.While other former leaders will be strutting the world stage - Jimmy Carter worrying about democracy, Bill Clinton about poverty - former Canadian prime ministers Brian Mulroney, John Turner, Joe Clark and Kim Campbell will be donning their best clothes to question five contestants about the qualities needed to lead the nation.
Cited story.
Comments
Perhaps I'm sarcasm-impaired, but you do realize that this is just a silly show with contestants, and not actually part of Canada's official political process? That the winner doesn't actually become Canada's next leader? (And, for that matter, that we don't all live in igloos up here?)
Posted by: Tulse | December 1, 2006 1:00 PM
The potentialupside is that more people will become aware of the political process and may even learn a bit about what to look for in a leader when they next go to the polls.
On the other hand, except for Mulroney, the other three were PMs for less than a year each and led their parties to spectacular defeats.
Oh well, at least it will be more entertaining than most reality shows.
Posted by: CanuckRob | December 1, 2006 1:08 PM