blueblood

then they brought in gun control and watched the rural economy slide into near chaos until oil saved it. Then all of a sudden they want to punish the western economy with a carbon tax!!!

It gave him a stronger minority though.

I pretty much agree, but like I said when a catastrophe happens to the tories like in the 90's and the Liberals do gain western seats, they should try and implement more fiscally sound policies that some rural westerners would like. If harper can break through into quebec and into vancouver and toronto, surely the liberals can crack some seats out west. Trudeau is a hated man in the west and especially in alberta, distancing the liberals from trudeau, chretien, and martin at the same time implementing fiscally sound policies and cracking down somewhat on crime will do wonders out west.

You wanted Liberal policies over time that have screwed the west, NEP is one. The carbon tax was NEP 2. Westerners are still bitter about NEP just like most Quebecers are peeved at the feds for introducing conscription in WW1, a partial reason why they hate canadian military involvement. What I'm saying is how westerners perceive the Liberal party since the 60's. What's good for Ontario is not necessarily good for out here. As history dictates, policy that favors Ontario has hindered the west, the Liberals can't grasp that and that is why they can't break through. Punishing our industries with a tax is anti-western, we could care less about pollution, our air is clean out here. If Ontario wants a carbon tax have at it. Punishing our industries that generate wealth is not a way to get votes out west. Harsh sentances for 14 year olds is popular out west, not out east. Coddling of YOA's doesn't fly out here. Social programs don't really fly out here either, we know how to spend our own money. That said, Liberals have been elected out here, vote split or not. Even a long long time ago. When the Liberals realize the West and Quebec aren't Ontario's colony, the better off the country will be. By dumping Trudeau and going through a major policy convention and having a complete facelift, they can hope to break through the west. The tories against all odds broke into Quebec, and had they not made the gaffe, they would have had their seats there.

The National Energy Policy, extremely soft on crime, high taxation, increase in the amount of social programs, the carbon tax, an ag policy that involves flooding the market with cheap food without compensation, going out of their way to help industries out east while letting industries out west rot (if your going to help industries, help them all out or let them all fall)

Irrational hatred of Trudeau? the very man who said "screw the west" and started regionalism in the first place. And people from Ontario have to realize that a lot of Westerners and Quebecers are not flag waving Liberals who swallowed everything Trudeau said and what's good for Ontario is not necessarily good for the rest of Canada. Harper is learning that lesson the hard way in Quebec. Trudeau increased regionalism more than anyone ever could have.

Rural people have actually in the past voted Liberal. In my opinion the Liberal party is stuck in the 1970's with it's Trudeau esque philosophy and really really bad anti western policies. In 93 The Liberals could have won a huge landslide, had the Liberals not wrote off western Canada, instead another party formed. The CPC realizes how important the west is in Government as is Quebec and Ontario. The CPC didn't do that well with Rural Quebecers either, but did very well in suburban ridings. As you said Suburbia is where the battles are now. The Conservatives in this election mainly won those battles, tougher on crime and sound fiscal policy is what did it. As you said and I agree with this, SSM, abortion, and the death penalty just won't fly in Canada and the Liberals and CPC know that. Dosanjh in Vancouver is in a recount for pity sakes. The only way yellow dog ridings change is if there is a major catastrophe with the gov't, as what happened to the PC's of 93. The Liberals had a big opportunity to quash the Conservatives, but blew it. The Liberals need a major face lift to become a voting option in Western Canada. By having Trudeau now, they will have to wait a long long time for that. The times are what change social policy, not gov't. The gov't has far more influence over the economy than social policy of a country.

Vancouver and T.O. have been cracked though. You should have said Quebec.

The only way the Liberals will rise to prominence is if they throw their screw the west 1970 Trudeau nonsense under the bus. Until then they'll be lucky to form a government.

Your damn right we're worried, we're worried Ontarians are stupid enough to elect someone who left Ontario in a financial mess as his legacy. I'll take Harper and locking up 14 yr. olds who commit violent crime over Bob Rae and ruining the economy and thrusting us into full fledged socialism.

And that's different from the Trudeau Liberals how??? I get it, it's alright for the Trudeau Liberals to do what they want, but if the Conservatives do the same thing it's evil. Nice double standard. As for the tories losing in mandatory voting, did your toaster tell you that?

Here's how to solve the education debate, get parents to smarten up. Half ass parenting results in half ass kids, which results in problems for home, school, and society.

i am stupider for having read that. Harper and the tories want to win elections not piss around with ideological fantasies. The conservatives and Liberals are as old as Canada, Harper is not. Tory brass must ensure the party succeeds, part of that is having its finger on the pulse of most of the electorate. Hence why the tories won.

The LPC will not rise again. They under their current arrogance will not ever get elected in the prairies. With a united well run centre right party that is the CPC, the Liberals would need to make inroads in rural Canada to get a majority. They cannot and will be lucky to get a minority. The Liberals need a policy convention and an overhaul of party brass. Why they put Trudeau in is beyond me.

Stats CanadaVisit My Website Stats Can didn't have the rate in the 50's or I couldn't find it, but this paragraph has said that the national crime rate rose in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, and plateau'd in the 90's perhaps declining slightly. I believe my point still stands. Visit My Website A biased site although it has a point. Visit My Website Macleans said we're not as goody too shoes as we seem

Why not just bail out of BC if you hate that type of government, it's a lot easier to switch headquarter buildings than it is for me to switch farms.

In the 50's Diefenbaker extended his bill of rights ending that. As far as crime rate goes look at the 50's and look at now. Which era was safer?

Yes but who thought that when Harper first became leader of the CPC, he would walk into the PM chair. The tories have very good strategists (barring what happened in quebec), they can dress up who they think can lead just as they dressed up Harper. Just because the tories are a well oiled machine with strict discipline does not mean that there aren't any potential leaders in there. The tories should be running attack ads of Gilles Duceppe and ads explaining the basic principles of fiscal conservatism as soon as possible in quebec, the Liberals aren't a problem there.

Nice try, that didn't happen in Canada in the 50's.

it worked in the 50's!!!

I get the feeling I see an author who is debating on listening to her toaster vs. putting more tinfoil in her hat nay tinfoil sombrero.

I think you support the CPC because you think they will shut the door on immigration and boot the immigrants out. You idolizing Bob Rae shows you are the farthest thing from a fiscal conservative. If I were you I would support another party because the CPC is not anti-immigration and would never ever let a socialist in their caucus. Especially one who has tanked the Ontario economy.

It's in BC, the perpetrators if they get caught will get house arrest and some community service, perhaps plead insanity. Thank God for progressive thinking

The big problem in our division is that giant money pit called Dauphin.

And if harper goes into deficit he's still toast. fiscal conservatism is still king.