It has been said that elections are expensive for the tax payer, and can be expensive for the candidates. If success with hitting the cricket ball in the pre-game by the group of four who played for the Private Sector against the Public Sector on Saturday was to decide, then Sarah Thomson would win due to a hit.

David Soknacki, batting right-handed, began with a swing and a miss. Left-hand bat John Tory stood a bit far away from the stumps, so he also swung and missed. Olivia Chow seemed a touch too far to the legside when batting right-handed, but came closer to contact. Right-handed Sarah Thomson then made contact and drove the ball uppishly back over the stumps at the bowlers end. The ball lifted a bit off the artificial wicket, which was probably useful for me as a lower bounce may have seen the ball come to watch the birdie a bit too closely.

John Tory was caught in the early going of the match. Olivia Chow and Sarah Thomson were ticking along when I left the ground, so I did not see Karen Stintz bat for the Public Sector team. Doug Ford had bowled one of the early overs for the Public Sector.

There would be a certain amount of inequity in such a substitution of bat for ballot box, even if the test process was extended to a range of sporting tasks: a baseball at bat, soccer and ice hockey penalty shots, convert a touchdown from 25 metres in front of Canadian and rugby football posts and a basketball free-throw. However, the sporting environment did bring increased harmony and discussion between the candidates during part of Saturday. Increased sport and culture might possibly foster a greater spirit of working together for the common good, perhaps.

Although pistols at dawn, in the past, had some more devastating results. At least elections in Canada tend to be peaceful at and around the ballot boxes, unlike what can happen in some countries. (EN)