Hydraboss

If you mean the energy sector, I guess you have to start believing then. Lots of us out here are dumping cash into low value energy stocks/companies.

So, basically China with a minimum guaranteed income?

http://www.savethewhales.org/decal.html They've always been around...... Got to fight something to be happy. edit-> Forgot to add this one... http://www.history.alberta.ca/EnergyHeritage/oil/energy-crises-political-debates-and-environmental-concerns-1970s-1980s/rise-of-the-environmental-movement/default.aspx So maybe this whole "social conscience towards fossil fuels" isn't quite as new as some would have us believe.

Here comes the fallout of Mulcair losing the leadership review...... http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-ndp-leap-manifesto-anger-1.3529980 Goodbye "one big happy party"... http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rachel-notley-calls-leap-manifesto-naive-and-ill-informed-1.3530309 Without the "not really centrist but not really left wing either" Tom Mulcair, the only real strength/credibility the Federal NDP had that showed their "ideas" could work (Notley) is about to disappear. Will soon resemble a bladeless knife without a handle.

Do you know how many times I've been through this kind of downturn to one degree or another? Deathbed? Hardly. Market correction - just like last time, and the time before, and the time before that....... There IS a future there but the question is can the Federal NDP see it? If the new leader, with the new Manifesto in hand, decides that oil and gas is to be ignored then I would really like to see their budget accounting. It should be fairly straightforward - just take total government revenues and deduct all the royalties and taxes from the industry across Canada and the spinoff industries. That should make for a much more manageable revenue number to work with.

Notley has no choice but to be pro oil and gas - she's finally starting to understand how all those social programs she wants to "enhance" (like raises for government workers) get paid for. As an example, I've been watching to see how many times she uses the phrase "tar sands".......... Can't seem to find one since the election. Hmmmm.... Federally, the NDP doesn't have that reality shoved in their collective faces every day. I think Mulcair was smart enough of a man to know where the funding comes from but couldn't sell it to his party this weekend. Whoever is responsible for leading the party going forward will either have to accept the financial reality of oil and gas or refuse to and lead them all on a happy trek into the hinterland.

The same counterparts that have never been elected to government? Exactly. Alberta wasn't ready for the Wildrose (yet) so they booted the PCs by electing the only other party available (the Provincial Liberals have zero; read: 0 hope of ever getting elected in Alberta). Once the Notley gang gets punted out of office, there really is only the WR and the PC parties left to elect. NDPers that believe in the whole "anti oil and gas" movement seem to forget that that industry is what fuels the equalization program (AB, SK and BC).

No, I'd like a two (relevant) party system as in the US - which is pretty much where we're going to be once the NDP "acclaim" the Manifesto. With only the Libs and Cons remaining, neither one can really screw up majorly without being held to account at election time. This was much more complicated when the NDP remained somewhat of a political force but I think that's disappearing rapidly. I've never made a secret that I don't like the Liberal agenda (and that I have a seething hatred for any politician name Trudeau) but having a balancing act on the other side of the aisle is always necessary. I'd be just as happy if the NDP and Libs joined and became one party, but I highly doubt the result would just be simple addition of the votes each individual one gets in elections. Some of the NDP "believers" would likely wander off and support even more fringe parties, and a portion of the Lib supporters would probably migrate to the Cons.

See: Singapore

Layton had a broader base than Mulcair certainly, but not nearly enough to form government (never even came close in the years he led the party). If the NDP find someone more appealing than Tom, it will still only resonate with NDP-type people, not fiscally conservative ones (who make up the majority in Canada). The Manifesto will most likely turn off those that were Lib/NDP swing voters. Pretty much the party is damned if they do and damned if they don't. As for the Conservatives "having principles that don't resonate with the majority of Canadians", name the last PM that had a popular vote majority (1984? and then sometime before I was born). Harper didn't get one and Trudeau most certainly doesn't have one.

I also have to wonder how this "steer left" campaign will affect my beloved Alberta NDP. With Selinger about to be shown the door that leaves Notley as the only surviving NDP government and you have to guess that all the other Provincial parties out here will beat her to death politically with the Manifesto (regardless of whether or not she endorses it). If the NDP pick an even harder left leader (which they likely will) that's going to make things considerably tougher for any Provincial NDP party to be elected in the west and, at best, will cause even deeper rifts between eastern and western Canada. Overall, a pretty good night.

Because you feel it insults your Leader? Tough.

If the NDP stayed even fractionally relevant this may be true, but with them steering hard left (as in "activist left") the ranked ballots won't play in the Libs favor nearly as much. There are way too many "progressives" that aren't necessarily that looney so liberals may put the Cons as their second choice and vice versa. The self destruction of the NDP may end some vote splitting but it also may be the only thing that saves Canada from Justin's election fixing tactics.

Smallc, I used a small c. Both parties will be banging hard on the "conservative" drum come next election - especially with regards to financial conservatism in order to argue who is best at cleaning up the expensive mess that Justin is making. So, yes, one side will be conservative and the other will lie about being conservative.

No, I'd rather see a fight on open ground. Once the NDP become nothing more than a footnote in history, the Cons and Libs can finally fight it out over who are lying (??) and who are conservative. Shouldn't take Justin*Trudeau long to sink his own ship now that there's no choice other than the CPC.

So we're officially back to a two party system. Good.

Mulcair being booted is only the minor portion of the story - what I'm actually curious about is the LEAP Manifesto. With any luck, they will vote to endorse it as party principle and therefore be cast to the nether regions of complete insignificance for the foreseeable future in Canada, just like the Greens. Any word yet?

You sound exactly like a guy from Alberta who said pretty much the same thing one time. What the hell was his name.....???? Oh yeah. Ralph Klein. And for the record, I think you're correct that these types of "hospitals" need to go. They're a huge drain on the health budget.

$8.99 boat horn from Canuck Tire. Works fantastic (just make sure the call didn't originate in Canada...or Kwebek (then it could get messy legally according to my lawyer).

Agreed. The GoC should immediately stop any and all loans to other countries/foreign aid, quit giving small business loans through the BDoC, end financial loan programs to "new Canadian" organizations, ensure that Bombardier never gets another cent, .........

Actually -k, I have to disagree with you in this instance. If you replace "Junior" with "Trudeau" it doesn't change the tone of the statement one bit. While you may dislike the sentiment, the use of "Junior" likely isn't what's derisive. If "Junior" is allowed, it's allowed (not that I care in the least one way or the other). This status update shouldn't be a reason why that changes.

Well, that's a relief. For a minute there I thought the Liberals were spending more than taxpayers could afford.

Hmmm.... Isn't it about time for some small-c conservative Liberal supporters to come along and defend this? I thought the first thing was to defend having a "small" deficit, and then THAT didn't matter because the debt-to-GDP ratio would continue to come down, and then THAT didn't matter because the debt-to-GDP ratio wouldn't increase at least.... ....and now we have this. The first of several destructive budgets to be tabled by a completely inept group. Welcome to Canada indeed.

Hence Murder in the First Degree, Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter. There are three sizes to fit all circumstances.

Correct - judges get to decide on the "if convicted" part. The sentencing should be prescribed. I also happen to believe that judges should take the place of the parole boards. Also correct, but a murder 2 charge would be exceedingly hard to prove in a fist fight. Far more likely you would be hit with manslaughter. And if you punch someone and they die, you killed them. Simple as that. Go to jail.