For those of you who don't keep abreast of Canadian affairs, we are having a federal election next month. We have a parliamentary system, which means we will vote only to elect an MP (Member of Parliament) in our riding (voting district), nothing else.
As I watch the major newscasts on television, it seems to me that more often than not, the "journalists" refer to Stephen Harper as "Harper". And they refer to Justin Trudeau as "Justin Trudeau".
At the same time, they tend to refer to Thomas Mulcair as "Mulcair", but they refer to Elizabeth May as "Elizabeth May".
My perceptions may be incorrect, but I expect I'm right. Ms. Eclectic says she has the same impression.
It seems so jarring to me when newscasters refer to some politicians by just their last names. And the tone is quite different (or so it seems to me) when they say "Harper" vs when they say any of the other names.
I'd venture a guess (though I have no idea how to test this) that no more than 5% (if that) of all television newscasters would support Stephen Harper.
At least that's the impression I get before I mute the news.