Bullying seems to be pushing everyone’s hot buttons these days.  The publicity around a rash of suicides by young people who have been tormented by their peers has found deep resonance in the documentary “Bully“, which follows the struggles of five students who have been harrassed for being gay, skinny, awkward, too short, too fat or just plain different.  Today a group of students arrived at Parliament Hill to meet with government officials and raise awareness of the issue for International Day of Pink.

Ironic then that they should be meeting up with two of the biggest bullies ever to hold office in this country.  With Prime Minister Stephen Harper about to face off with the new leader of the official opposition it should be interesting to see who comes away with the black eye.  No rules of the ring for them.  They make wonderful role models for the Canadian youth – a prime minister who rams through his own agenda and Mr. Mulcair who is certainly not identified with a collaborative style.  Still they may both have met their match in their respective Finance henchmen.

NDP Finance critic, Peter Julian, refused to cede the floor in a three-day filibustre last week reading dozens of tweets and commentaries into the House of Commons record to prevent others from having an opportunity to comment.  But he has nothing on Jim Flaherty whose budget offered the resource-rich west relief from pesky environmentalists and aboriginal opponents, to steam roll developent of the oilsands.  At the same time, he has essentially frozen out the industrial heartland.  Hey, we get it.  Toronto doesn’t vote for Harper.  Who said he was a statesman?

Of course Flaherty tried to sell us on the need for belt cinching measures for future generations.  But who was it who cut the GST, thereby reducing annual revenues by $14 billion without having a plan in place to reduce spending?  But don’t start me.  Suffice it to say, suffer the little children – they are being set some mighty examples up there on the Hill.