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After every season wraps up in a particular sport, some of the players become free agents, either restricted or unrestricted.

If other teams want them, it could lead to bidding wars and the players become extremely wealthy.

If nobody wants them, well, the players look for another career . . . perhaps in politics or something more noble like tree planting on the Canadian shield.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if there was free agency in politics? Probably not, but I have.

With municipal elections this fall, wouldn't it be interesting if we could trade politicians at all levels of government?

Lets see, I'll give you one city councillor, say Margo Campbell, for a backbench senator and their expense account.

As a free agent what would Mayor Dave Burgess command?

I called a fellow scribe, anonymously, of course, in a similar-sized city who has some knowledge of Brandon, and he tells me that the mayor would be worth two councillors, four indecisions and the keys to a firetruck.

At the provincial level, MLA Rick Borotsik would be worth a hot air balloon and a Stephen Harper autographed 8 x 10 black and white, non-framed picture.

Brandon East MLA Drew Caldwell could get you a meeting with the municipal affairs minister, a movie screen and a heritage designation.

A blockbuster trade involving the two MLAs, the mayor and the three councillors soon to be vacating their council seats could get us a gravel pit, a wild raspberry patch and a bumpy country road if there is an RM interested.

In order to facilitate the smooth annexation of 440 acres of Cornwallis. I would trade a grader and dump truck, two city staff to be determined at a later date and the downtown.

That way Brandon gets a new area to start development all over and downtown renewal becomes someone else's headache.

On the subject of elections, it's interesting that the subject of term limits has been brought up by the Chamber of Commerce.

Should there be limits as to how long someone can sit on council?

Is two terms (eight years) or three terms (12 years) long enough?

The argument is council gets new members and new ideas. Isn't that what elections are all about? If you don't like a councillor, vote them off. That provides new blood.

It should be up to voters to decide how long they want to be represented by an individual, not a bylaw.

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As of this writing there has been no talk of a federal election.

I believe Stephen Harper and his cabinet will be spending some time at the fake lake created for the G8 summit talking about how to sell fiscal responsibility to Canadians.

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So it is illegal in Brandon to have a chicken as a pet

. . . as one observer put it: "that's OK, council lays enough eggs."

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John LoRegio is news director of 880 CKLQ AM and 94.7 Star-FM.