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Moore documents electoral system

By Pete Vere SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES | Monday, October 13, 2008

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SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario

With the U.S. preparing to elect a president, filmmaker Michael Moore has his lens on Canada and its electoral system, hoping to help Americans "learn how to vote."

The rare glimpse of Mr. Moore in production mode came last week when the Oscar-winning director interviewed five candidates for Canada's Parliament following a public debate here.

The interview, in turn, provided access for reporters, despite efforts of one member of the film crew to shoo reporters away.

The member, a tall man with bushy brown hair and a beard who appeared to be in his mid-30s, repeatedly warned one reporter not to approach Mr. Moore.

When the reporter persisted with Mr. Moore, the filmmaker responded: "It's just a movie." He added that he does not comment on films in production.

Without elaborating, cameraman John Walter described the film project as a comparison of the U.S. and Canadian electoral systems.

Canada is electing its next government Tuesday, and few Americans seem aware.

The excitement of the upcoming U.S. presidential election might explain one reason Canada's election gets so little attention in the U.S. media. Apparently, Mr. Moore hopes to change that.

For the film, he interviewed Mike Taffarel of the Marxist-Leninist Party; Paul Bichler of the Liberal Party; incumbent Tony Martin of the socialist New Democratic Party (NDP); Luke McMichael of the Green Party; and Cory McLeod of the First Peoples National Party (FPNP).