blueblood

I seriously think a name change might do some good. The Saskatchewan Party is an example, and the ADQ came to be a powerplayer in Quebec. Doer's hog moratorium has really angered the rural community and the next election he could lose two prominent cabinet ministers. If there ever was a time for a new centrist MB party, the time is next election. I would consider voting for a centrist option if the tories mess up, if it didn't have the name Liberal attached to it.

That's like saying Dion is a clueless Franco, Franco politicians have pissed off the west time and time again as well. Franco politicians have come west and made large gaffes that have enraged us. I and many rural westerners will never vote Liberal because of Trudeau and Chretien and their screw the west attitude. The Liberal party understanding the prairies is nonsense. Westerners have voted Liberal, and that was due to either purge the tories or it was before Trudeau. When the dust settles, Westerners are willing to play ball, Quebecers aren't. Harper reached out to Quebecers, they just spat in his face.

We'll have to see, one of the strategists said a minority gov't wasn't a total loss for the tories. Harper will think it's different because he might figure the voters will be fed up. It's a risk he'll have to take and right spin would have to be applied.

They are every bit as meaningful. I wouldn't care if they voted Liberal. It's one vote to a customer, if they choose to want to continue this gongshow, that's their problem. Their selfishness is screwing themselves over and the rest of Canada.

I don't know if a coalition gov't would work this time around with both the NDP and Liberals statistically tied and relying on the bloc. Cabinet meetings would be a gong show. Would McCallum like implementing Layton's policies? Would Canadians like a large turn to the left, I know you wouldn't. harper or his replacement will be chomping at the bit in this circumstance.

No, I'd say Quebecers have thrown away to make Canada whole, it's easy to play the blame game. Harper has thrown bone after bone. He is pitching the idea of fiscal conservatism and crime and punishment. If Quebecers want to play this minority nonsense and be back at the polls within a year that's their problem. If quebecers want to waste their votes by voting an irrelevant powerless fringe party that logjams parliament and does nothing for quebec that is their problem. When they realize that a majority Liberal or Tory gov't that actually does something for them, the better it will be for everyone. It's not saying much for quebec voters if they can be swayed by the scary scary portion. Where is the ADQ support? Federalism is give and take, it's a crying shame quebecers don't realize that. This is like the land disputes with the aboriginals, when a government stands up and not caves in is when these problems will be solved. Canada is extensively regionalized, it's just that the other regions know how to play the give and take game. When Quebec realizes that it's not all take, the quicker we can get on with our lives and have the country ran a lot more smoothly. Instead of quebecer's blaming harper, they can look in the mirror.

your forgetting about our friends to the south. A truly open market would prevent the concentration of media by more competition. There is regulation in a free market system, its called tradeoffs.

Look at it this way, if Harper goes down on the first confidence vote, he gets to go to the public and say that minority gov'ts do not work and the opposition gets to explain to the electorate why they are having another 300 million dollar election in tough economic times.

i don't agree with the plant breeders legislation. Cargill is a much bigger threat than Monsanto. GM is a good idea, but I don't agree with hiding behind gov't legislation to make profits, charge lots the first time and let me keep my seed.

If people want a minority, those are the tradeoffs. Another election plays into the hands of Harper.

That would be a benefit to Harper watching that. The Liberals wouldn't be relevant. Do you want Jack Layton helping make economic policy?

the opposition also has to compromise. The electors should also understand that by electing yet another minority gov't, we get logjams and the threat of an election at the drop of a hat. Do you want another election in say March??? Allowing the opposition parties to govern would play right into Harper's hand. There would be a lot of dismay in the Liberals and their relevance would be questioned. Do most Liberal voters want Layton being part of dictating economic policy in Canada?

And I'm saying the averages are playing out. The average person in AB has a higher standard of living than the average person in MB. That 40 bucks is still going pretty far.

Harper comes out of that a winner as well. The left half of the Libs has control of the party, combine that with the NDP, and combine that with the Bloc could spell economic disaster for the country. Harper can sit in opposition and laugh his way to a majority the next election. If the left brings down the government on the first crack, they get to explain to taxpayers why we have to go through a multi-million dollar election campaign of what will eventually be worse economic times. Interesting times...

your saying that the wages in alberta don't buy anything, size of a town shouldn't matter then shouldn't it? Look at the average house and yard in Medicine hat and compare it to the average house and yard in Dauphin

thats harper's gamble...

thats why veggie farms arent big, high yields and way too labour intensive. I wouldn't spray that either plus with the organic premium. Grain however is a whole new ballgame.

Drive around Medicine Hat and Drive around Dauphin and ask that question again.

That latest poll shows a large amount of undecided voters. I'd like to check out the polls after the tories release their platform, that could be a game changer. the only big winners are the bloc and greens.

Should that happen in Manitoba then? It might work, in Saskatchewan, it worked quite well.

i thought they both did well in the debate and kept it very civil. No knockout punches and no screwups, whoever won IMO is up to what ticket you support.

This story has as much traction as a bald tire on an icy road. Next issue...

By saying that half the people Harper represents are extremists is why the left does not get elected in Western Canada. That arrogant attitude is why the Liberals are in opposition in the West and will never form a majority gov't again. Keep up the arrogance, left, it's to the right's advantage. This is the lefts attitude; acceptance and tolerance to everyone but in fine print, whoever follows the left doctrine, what a load of hypocritical crap. Progressive my redneck ass.

Or we could open up the Canadian media wide open and not let companies like BellGlobe Media have a virtual monopoly. bring on starz hbo and espn!!!

Oil field workers get 25-45 dollars an hour for manual work, and lets not get into consultants and the other brass of the oilfields. The Albertans are in better shape to deal with sour gas than venezuelans