2008 Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner
Politics Dec 2, 2008 The Waffle No Comments The Press Gallery Dinner used to be a big deal. The Governor-General would perform, followed by all party Leaders, each of them pretending to be a stand-up comedian of some sorts, with more or less success. It used to be off-the-record, but that has changed since, some blaming it on the arrival of the National Post. Whatever happened, it got to the point were some networks, notably CTV Newsnet and CPAC, were broadcasting the Dinner live. Transforming yourself into a stand-up comedian is not an easy task, and you had to salute the courage of these politicians. But some grew tired of the challenge. First to capitulate was Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe, who vowed never to attend again after a bun-throwing incident provoked by a speech that wasn’t well received. Ever since, BQ MPs and staffers’s appearance are scarce at the event. In…