Nik: Pauline/Sarah,

The last few weeks have been a political roller coaster in the media. There was the 17-year-old tape that captured Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski making anti-gay comments, the Elections Canada investigation into the Tory advertising scheme and Benoit Corbeil, the former Quebec Liberal organizer charged with fraud in association with the Liberal's own advertising scandal.

Next week, the Commons reconvenes. The question remains, is the atmosphere so poisoned that we are destined to witness an unworkable session in the House?

As all the parties jockey for political advantage on these currently hot issues, what about the big issues such as health care, the economy, the environment and Afghanistan?

When we ask Canadians what the most pressing issues of the day are, they cite things that touch their lives. I think the first casualties of the media frenzy are the big issues that Canadians worry about.

Pauline: I really want to respond to the big issues but, begging your indulgence, I can't resist the media frenzy ones first.

Because I have been a writer all my life, I am always interested in words and I think that the monikers being attached to these things are significant. Is a "scheme" as bad as a "scandal?" And at what point does one slide into the other?

When do terms such as RCMP, raid, charged and fraud become deeply staining reference points, difficult to detach from the body politic (to borrow a laundry metaphor!)?

There is no doubt in my mind that the media frenzy is off in its own world and that most people care far more about health care, the economy, the environment and Afghanistan (well, maybe not so much Afghanistan, which can seem too complex and too remote unless you have a loved one involved).

But the media do provide the "weather" around public opinion. And it will be very interesting as we get closer to an election to see whether an electorate that has struggled through repeated storms will be patient with those who are seeding clouds and detonating thunder. I think trust and the capacity to trust are what are being eroded here.

Sarah: When I cast back to the last election, I recall being very impressed by Stephen Harper's non-stop policy announcements. They seemed to come every day and they added structure to the election debate. I wonder why Stephane Dion doesn't do the same thing now?

We might not be in an election right now, but that doesn't mean he needs to be so reactive. Taking the lead and framing the important issues would actually give the public a reason to pay attention.

It feels like the atmosphere in the Commons today has become tiresome and juvenile and unless real issues become the topic of lengthy debate, we'll see fatigue. Of course, debate has been difficult when everything is tied to a non-confidence motion.

Pauline: Bingo! Making everything a non-confidence motion erodes the credibility of the House of Commons and reflects badly on all the parties as they bob and weave to maintain a shred of integrity while forestalling an election.

It would be interesting to make a list of policies that could elevate the discourse and engage the electorate. But once you start looking at potential items for that list, you see that there are many minefields, big and small, that are not getting much attention right now.

I would put the abortion issue, for example, on the list of potential minefields. Because I also follow Quebec politics closely, I can see multi-party consensus developing in Quebec on a number of issues, including that one.

The National Assembly made it clear in a unanimous vote last week that Quebec does not want the federal government to legislate fetal rights in a way that would re-criminalize abortion. This fear stems from Bill C-484, put forward by Conservative MP Ken Epp, who says he only intended to fill a void in the Criminal Code that prevents pregnant women from claiming compensation for the loss of unborn child.

Another issue on which Quebec's three political parties are united is regulatory intervention in broadcasting. The big news this week is that the new owners of TQS, the smallest of the French-language conventional television networks, want to shut down its news service completely.

The most deeply affected areas would be Quebec City and the regions outside Montreal — precisely the areas where the Conservatives hope to make gains in the next election. Quebec wants to prevent this specific shutdown and it wants more power to regulate broadcasting and telecommunications.

How will Stephen Harper deal with these issues when the push to deregulate is coming very strongly from people like Jim Shaw, CEO of Shaw Communications, from his home base in Alberta? This is a great example of the eternal juggling act of Canadian politics.

Sarah: Bill C-484 is certainly a political minefield and one that so far, has barely been discussed in the media. While it does include the clause, "For greater certainty, this section does not apply in respect of (a) conduct relating to the lawful termination of the pregnancy of the mother of the child to which the mother has consented," I certainly question the purpose of the bill.

More than anything, this bill is making a statement about the rights of an unborn child. Unfortunately this piece of legislation, should it pass will do nothing to prevent violence against women.

Nik: I would hazard to say that we are talking multiple political minefields here. I'm wondering whether Canadians actually tune in or will be tuning out when they read about many of these controversial issues.

For political operatives, they fuel the incessant need to figure out who is up and who is down and who gains the political advantage. It reminds me a bit of the now famous slogan from the first Bill Clinton campaign for President — "It's the economy stupid."

The media could be making noise and focusing on these very juicy tidbits but Canadians are worried about the economy and the other big issues.

Pauline: I wonder if we will begin to see the impact of new forms of collective political and social actions in the coming election.

For example, look at how Alex Bookbinder, a UBC student, has mobilized — as of this minute — 385,345 people worldwide to join a Facebook group called Support the Monks' Protest in Burma.

In the last week of September, the group was reported to be gaining nine new members a second, and by October 6, protestors were taking to the streets in more than 30 cities around the world to protest state-sponsored violence in Burma.

It has never before been possible to organize so quickly — volunteers, money and message — and to deliver actual people to public places.

Yes, people are worried about the economy and that will be a big issue in the election. But the economy is also a huge, amorphous thing. Some of these other issues are much easier to bring into focus and often when people care about them, they really care.

So I think we could have some interesting surprises in the next few months about what gets people motivated to engage politically.

Nik: What's interesting is that maybe the current cynicism with our political state might fuel new ideas and approaches that are not traditional.

Pauline: And probably engage more young people than the traditional channels. What do you think, Sarah?

Sarah: The Facebook phenomenon is very interesting and points, I think, to a disenchantment with traditional politics.

It shows that people can mobilize around issues, not parties. I think the public is tired of waiting on politicians. There was a time when I felt that voting was the most important duty a person could partake in. But more and more I see people who don't vote yet are politically engaged and doing important work and perhaps accomplishing more politically.

Pauline: Connecting those people with the institutional levers of government may be the most interesting challenge of the immediate future.

Sarah: If anyone can do this it's probably the Green party. I think we're mostly talking about the youth vote here and traditional parties all seem to focus on the "working family," which doesn't resonate with many young people.

Pauline: I think there are a great number of Boomers with protest roots and nostalgia for making a difference, so young people might find that they have lots of allies when the time comes.