I’m getting my wisdom teeth out on election day, so I’ve spent the afternoon doing school work and listening to the Ottawa Citizen Editorial Board’s meeting with the candidates in Ottawa Centre (my riding). If I get a chance, I might take a listen to those for Dalton McGuinty and Frank de Jong, if only because McGuinty’s is supposed to be a hilarious, if frustrating, example of a total aversion to answering straightforward questions.

Now, I’ll be getting my teeth pulled on E-day, but it’s quite clear that getting a coherent answer on the question of religious education from either the Liberals or NDP takes much the same process. The Liberals have a logically untenable position, but the NDP isn’t much better. Will Murray, the NDP candidate and Human Rights lawyer, suggests that while the existence of a Catholic system to the exclusion of others is a violation of rights, just isn’t big enough a deal to talk about right now. The board presses, suggesting examples where multiple boards hurt the student experience and that the not being on the short list is a pretty hollow defence of injustice, and Mr. Murray waffles. In fairness, Trina Morrissette, the P.C. candidate, doesn’t have a very good answer about how the John Tory fund everyone plan would deal with private schools like Ashbury, and comes perilously close to suggesting that the Tory plan would do away with private education in general. Whoo!

This has been an election largely without any big or important issues to talk about, so it is nice during much of the rest of the meeting to hear about some interesting things from people whom by all respects are talented and bright. But the one issue that has captured the public imagination is education, and it is frustrating that the three parties that stand a chance of winning seats in this election have positions that can’t withstand even the most basic of questions.

This doesn’t help me cast my ballot. Maybe I’ll just wait until the 10th, and let the codeine do the voting.