You go, girl!

Who says Canadian politics are boring? There's a fiery and frank quality to political banter in Ottawa that you just don't get on Capitol Hill (as proven by the "genteel" US Senate's shock at George Galloway's tirade on Tuesday). It's honest, refreshing, but mostly downright hilarious. Take the following quote by independent MP Carolyn Parrish, for instance:

"Come hell or high water, there's no frigging way I'm going to let one ovary bring the government down."

You go, girl! FYI, Ms Parrish has also caused a storm over the past couple of years with her apparent anti-US outbursts, variously referring to Americans as "bastards" or "idiots".

Quick backgrounder: Due to a media sponsorship scandal, the ruling Liberal Party has grown increasingly unpopular with Canadians, leading the opposition Conservative Party to join with the Bloc Quebecois (unthinkable!) in forcing a confidence vote on Prime Minister Paul Martin. This took place yesterday, and Martin won by a nose (153 votes to 152). However, the Liberals are a minority government, and it took all their votes to win it, plus two from the NDP and two independents - Parrish being one of them. Parrish is seriously ill, presumably with cancer, but insisted on coming in to vote anyway, resulting in the colourful quote above.