a.gee

i wish that the media would stop speculating about this, and for the debate to go away. it's ridiculous. canada works well with a multi-political party system on the one hand. and on the other, the liberals and the ndp are two different organizations with their respective places on the political spectrum, and it should stay that way.

i feel that paul dewar is the hardest working mp on the hill, and that accounts for something. personally, i would like to see him become leader of the new democrats in the future. however, in the present, should brian topp decided to run for leadership, i would put my support behind him, even though he does not hold a seat in the house... for the most part, he conducts himself better than tom mulcair in front of the cameras

that's not bothering to cast a ballot at all. for me, spoiled ballots mean frustration at the political/electoral system, or you don't give a damn about the candidates and wish you live in a different riding. on top of that, spoiled ballots actually contribute to the voter turnout rate, sending out a different message than choosing not to vote.

spoiling your ballot definitely makes a statement and there's no doubt i've thought about doing just that. however, i'm not quite at that point of political frustration yet; every vote still counts

Pat Martin got a bit heated, but frustration is exactly what we can expect from opposition parties toward a government that seems to get away with everything.

Apparently, all they're waiting for is the Speaker's verdict on Bev Oda. Until then, it's empty threats to the government. But how impressive would the Liberals be if they can actually carry out a no-confidence motion, and make a statement out of it?

so ironic...the green party's new ad denounces attack ads. attack ads tell me that politicians think we're stupid; i get it when the government or the opposition release them. but when the green party starts launching ads to tell us exactly how stupid we are, that's deeply troubling.

Governments go through adversities, I'll give them that, but this particular government seems to me they're just being busted for 'under the table' business.

I'd like to believe that news journalists report actual current events as opposed to public opinion. Clearly then, it is the people being polled who are the ones out of touch with the goings-on. Then again, perhaps the Tories' numbers are still up because the opposition has nothing to offer. If the opposition parties can actually play the alternative part of the government, there is no way the numbers can still be up even with scandal after scandal from the "Harper Government".

To what extent can polls be truly representative if it is only landlines that are called? For all I know, a large percentage of the population have switched to using their mobile phones for everything. Also, has anybody here taken part in a poll before? I've been waiting years for a pollster to call. Hasn't happened yet.

Tony Clement, because of his collection of band shirts. But honestly, perhaps Jason Kenney because I can see him as a leader, plus he's dynamic. However, I don't seen Stephen Harper going anywhere in the near future.

I can see the Conservatives riding public apathy... the Senators will be charged, but the party probably won't be affected.

Rae was foolish in using the word, but nobody can doubt the context of which he was speaking; it's well-known our PM is a control freak

http://www.thehilltimes.ca/page/view/muzzle-02-21-2011 Oda seems to be keeping quiet under the direction of the PMO. No surprise here that there's more to the story behind the falsifying of documents. If she is found to be in contempt of Parliament and is invited to testify, will she reveal any details? The way I see it, if she is going to be forced to leave caucus because she lied on behalf of her party, then that very party has turned her into its scapegoat. Oda is in a very tough position.

The country is in need of new machinery, but the Liberals are just opposed to the lack of supplier competition. Unfortunately, they make it seem like they're against it all together.

Ignatieff seemed like a promising successor to Dion, but after more time in opposition the party is still getting nowhere. I'm not sure about LeBlanc, but it is certainly time for a new Liberal leader if the they want any chance at governing.

cbc radio one reported last week that french immersion schools are packed now more than ever. with the high demand among parents for their children to grow up bilingual, it calls for the attention that the program has to be expanded

oda's days are probably coming to an end. the conservatives are hoping this issue will be forgotten over the break this week, but i don't see it going anywhere.

and what will happen when the centre block renos are finished? will this temporary house of commons become an additional tourist attraction?

This is a really great article published in the latest issue of Maclean's magazine: http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/02/18/the-house-of-commons-is-a-sham/ The House of Commons is a principle part of our democracy, yet it seems to have become the norm that MPs show up in the House three days of the work week out of five. I get that they have to travel back to their constituencies during the weekends, and they have a lot to deal with in their offices. However, the lack of MP participation during Question Period and debates is disturbing. I've seen MPs attend QP while reading the newspaper or while socializing on their Blackberries, and I get the impression that they are oblivious with the goings-on around them. My MP is a Tory backbencher, and I have not once seen him in the House, let alone get up on his feet and speak/debate. Then again, we well know that Mr. Harper would prefer the backbenchers to blend into the background, opening their mouths only to support partisan comments from the Government. Of course, it is not only the Conservative caucus that is idling during QP or debates, but the majority of members from every party is equally guilty. Ideally, we would like our MPs to be more active, but, as the article points out, bills are not being passed with this government, hence work is not getting done. If this is how it is progressing, where is our democracy headed?

I root for Inception, but it probably will not win based on the fact that it was a summer movie, and they're usually forgotten by the time of the film festivals and the rest of the worthy contenders start to make an appearance. My next choice would be The King's Speech; plot, costumes, acting, sets... very worthy indeed

Who are Oda's defenders trying to fool when they state the obvious that the Minister has the rights to supply or cut funding to any organization she wishes? This deference of the subject is a sign that the Government clearly believes that all Canadians lack common sense. The facts are there that point to Oda's misleading of Parliament, and the message that I get from Stephen Harper's inaction of ejecting her from caucus is that this sequence of events is probably directed by the PMO. There are more issues stemming out from this scandal, but the problem now is that she failed to come out with the truth, and she should be held accountable.