Liberals will move to topple Conservative Gov't

[starseed]

Interesting. The NDP may hand the tories the senate. I wonder how that will fly in the next election.

[Bownesian]

I'm fine with this provided the Dippers aren't dictating terms, and it sounds like that's not the case. In my opinion, many of the NDP's policies would be detrimental to the Canadian Economy.

[starseed]

Ignatieff made a speech today, he talks about exactly what he wants to do if he were to become PM.

http://translate.google.ca/translate...istory_state0=

[mykalberta]

It depends.

Its a rocky road, on the one hand Harper wants to seem like he is doing everything in his power to avoid an election, and yet an election forced by the Liberals now is probably the best thing for the Conservatives since its likely this recovery at least south of the 49th is a false recovery. Might as well get the good news you can out of the economy now rather than the bad news 8 months from now

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by starseed

Ignatieff made a speech today, he talks about exactly what he wants to do if he were to become PM.

http://translate.google.ca/translate...istory_state0=

Yeah, the fact that most of the changes that he talked about were happening under Paul Martin and Jean Chretien and their reliance on soft diplomacy which ment that we made suggestions that nobody listened.

The old we were great peace keepers? That reputation started to fade about 10 or more years ago as the Liberal's drew down the military.

I don't see the international damage that the Conservatives have wrought over 4 years, in fact I think that in a lot of ways the Conservatives have done a good job of protecting Canada's international interests.

Then he bought up Kyoto, a agreement that Canada was probably wise not to sign as it is an inherently unfair agreement.

But this comes from the same party leader that denied today that he was interested in forming a coalition government last year even though he stated that he was willing to be the head of a coalition government and signed his name to the agreement.

I will say that I was slightly offended by Heidi Fry's brochure, but I've come to expect as much from that poisonous viper, and if the conservatives need to get rid of people like Rob Anders, then the Libs need to get rid of the likes of Fry.

Ignatieff still hasn't shown a single reason why this country is tottering on the ledge over another election.

Until he does that, I'm hoping that the government doesn't fall and another 3 and a half hundred million dollars is wasted.

[starseed]

Ya, Canada's diminished role in the world started after Pearson. The thing is, it has completely retracted under Harper.

This helps to paint the picture Ignatieff was talking about regarding Harper.

Ignatieff only went along with the coalition idea because that is what Dion had decided, he was the Liberal leader. When he became leader, he abandoned it. He stated that he could have been Prime Minister, but he chose not to because the coalition was 'not in Canadas best interests'.

Harper himself wanted to enter into a coalition with Duceppe and Layton instead of go to the polls. As I mentioned before, he actually went up to Duceppe and asked him what he wanted as payment for his cooperation. Duceppe said Harper was the only one to do that.

Fry's brochure was not about the military. That is just partisan propaganda BS. I would suggest taking CTV political articles with a grain of salt

Still, I think it was over the top, and I hate that mode of political advertising.

[Icon]

Every time there's some political news, I lose even more faith in our government system. Nevermind if the newsclip shows these dumbasses "talking" in session... UGH.

So much fail.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by starseed

Ya, Canada's diminished role in the world started after Pearson. The thing is, it has completely retracted under Harper.

I really don't buy that Canada's role in the world has diminished, I believe its been restructured. Are we in Africa, not really, but we don't have the military to fight multiple battles at once. Peacekeeping to me is a thing of the past and until its restructured to actually have some teeth its a worthless endever.



This helps to paint the picture Ignatieff was talking about regarding Harper.

Originally Posted by starseed

Ignatieff only went along with the coalition idea because that is what Dion had decided, he was the Liberal leader. When he became leader, he abandoned it. He stated that he could have been Prime Minister, but he chose not to because the coalition was 'not in Canadas best interests'.

Ignatieff was quite comfortable about going along with the coalition until the protests took hold across Canada. He didn't back off until he tried to get the Conservatives to make consessions for governmental support, in terms of spending and the UI committee.

Originally Posted by starseed

Harper himself wanted to enter into a coalition with Duceppe and Layton instead of go to the polls. As I mentioned before, he actually went up to Duceppe and asked him what he wanted as payment for his cooperation. Duceppe said Harper was the only one to do that.

Yup, I can't deny that, I didn't like it at the time, I'm against anything that lets the NDP get anywhere near enough to the government checkbook.

Originally Posted by starseed

Fry's brochure was not about the military. That is just partisan propaganda BS. I would suggest taking CTV political articles with a grain of salt

Still, I think it was over the top, and I hate that mode of political advertising.

Hardly, I've seen the brochure and it is insulting and disgusting, but I shouldn't expect any more from that t$t of a woman, I wonder if she's found the cross burning parties in Kelowna yet.

She needs to go, she's a nutter.

[starseed]

I think our role in the world has diminished as we have scaled back our military from having been the fourth largest in the world to the underfunded and technologically backward force it is today. We had the fourth largest airforce in the world, the Americans called Canada 'the aerodrome of democracy'. We were the 4th largest economy with its people having the 2nd highest incomes. We were active in foreign aid and development, in the Trudeau era we spent more than ~0.5% of our GDP in aid, and now its a little more than ~0.2%. I remember reading too about how that aid is 'tied aid', and is spread too thinly across the board and even in places where it is not needed.

Ignatieff did not seem comfortable with that idea to me. In fact, I remember hearing rumours about Ignatieff not being willing to support Dions move, but eventually he was the last to sign on.

The biggest thing that concerns me about the NDP is that they want to raise corporate tax, and that would be a huge mistake IMO. But we dont really have to worry about them getting into power.

If only there was a way to keep those 'nutters' away from the house of commons...

like for example that guy who said this: The establishment came down with a constitutional package which they put to a national referendum. The package included distinct society status for Quebec and some other changes, including some that would just horrify you, putting universal Medicare in our constitution, and feminist rights, and a whole bunch of other things.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by starseed

Ignatieff did not seem comfortable with that idea to me. In fact, I remember hearing rumours about Ignatieff not being willing to support Dions move, but eventually he was the last to sign on.

If you're not comfortable with it, don't publicly declare that you're willing to lead it if it comes to fruition.

Sorry, I don't buy it.

[starseed]

I think that by saying 'coalition if necessary, but not necessarily a coalition' he was trying to get Harper to cooperate with him and accept his demands. I think he knew full well that the coalition would have been toxic for him in the polls.

[evman150]

The root of the problem when it comes to the coalition is crappy high school social studies teachers and/or a crappy curriculum. What the hell is wrong with a coalition? A coalition government and PM is no less legitimate than a minority government and PM.

Harper knows this. He knows it's legitimate. He's an educated, intelligent man. But the fact he exploits the holes in our education system and the resulting holes in society's knowledge base makes him an offensive, morally ambiguous man.

[puckhog]

Originally Posted by evman150

But the fact he exploits the holes in our education system and the resulting holes in society's knowledge base makes him an offensive, morally ambiguous man.

In other words, a politician.

[evman150]

Originally Posted by puckhog

In other words, a politician.

No. Flaherty saying there won't be a deficit and then there being a $xx billion dollar deficit is the kind of misleading thing politicians do.

Intentionally manipulating the public and exploiting their ignorance while full well knowing the truth is not par for the course. It is far, far worse.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

II think Canadian's are also smart enough to understand that in a global economic meltdown the first victim is the deficit.

Weird that the Tories weren't smart enough to understand that until forced into a deficit by the Liberals.

Remind me again, when the CPC finally acknowledge that Canada would wouldn't be immune to the economic downturn? It was WELLLLL after the rest of the world knew one was imminent.

[puckhog]

Originally Posted by evman150

No. Flaherty saying there won't be a deficit and then there being a $xx billion dollar deficit is the kind of misleading thing politicians do.

Intentionally manipulating the public and exploiting their ignorance while full well knowing the truth is not par for the course. It is far, far worse.

I see what you're saying. All I was trying to do was glibly point out that I have absolutely no faith in anything that any politician says or does. In my estimation they're all a bunch of self-serving b@stards; any time I've believed in one they've eventually given me a reason not to. The events of the past year have done nothing but solidify this opinion for me.

[driveway]

I want a Liberal/NDP/Bloc coalition running this country and would vote for that if it was on the ballot.

If it were possible, I'd actually scratch the NDP out of that group and replace them with the Green Party, but that's too much to ask for.

Yes, I am a pinko commie and you are all Fascists.

Man, democracy rules.

[FanIn80]

You know what's even more disgusting than all of this?

The fact that all this crap is piled so high and is so completely out of our control, that regular people like myself just stop caring about the entire process. What kind of a democracy is that, when the people no longer even care? When there are so few appealing options that the only real way to keep your sanity is to just turn off the TV and pretend it's all happening in someone else's country.

A bit dramatic, I'm sure, but it needs to be made clear that these clowns are really only governing over a small percentage of the population, since everyone else has long ago stopped caring what they think/say/do.

Free democracy indeed. At this rate, I'd rather a penny for the Guy.

[The Goon]

I will vote for whichever party stops the endless broadcast of commercials during football games. Yeesh.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by starseed

Ya, Canada's diminished role in the world started after Pearson. The thing is, it has completely retracted under Harper.

This helps to paint the picture Ignatieff was talking about regarding Harper.

...

Wow, a well balanced article there

Its rich that Slate published the article. That they hate our "polarized" parties - isnt that like the American banker calling the Canadian banker greedy. I also love how they blame Canada for going into deficit - hello, it was greedy American and British bankers who forced this global recession on us with there incessent greed and complete lack of oversight by a US government so split along party lines you could actually draw a map. Oh yah, PS to our American bretheren - stick the "your nice" comment and shove it up your bankrupt a$$.

Also, the Libs had plenty of time to ratify Kyoto and make it into law, they didnt. As with many politicians they make the press announcement and leave the heavy lifting to others.