Michael Hardner

If it's a matter of letting people feel enfranchised, perhaps we can add one extra MP for every party that earned 5% of the vote or more. So given the current levels of support, the Greens would end up with one extra seat, as would the CPC, NDP, Libs and Bloc. That would give people a voice without affecting the balance of the H of C too much. The Liberals will be accused of gerrymandering if they try implementing a full PR scheme in a minority government.

What's to work or not to work ? In the end, it helps the minority problems that's all. As an aside I find it funny when people use the "it works in Europe" rationale. The Alliance used it in 2000 when they were pushing for referrenda - "It works in Switzerland !".

Our society is geared towards concentrating on the self. In the end, it becomes anti-spiritual. Mass media has replaced religion as the arbiter of what is acceptable in our society. This has had both positive and negative effects, but it seems to have led us to an absence of meaning in our lives, or maybe just a lack of consensus as to what is meaningful. What has to happen is that society will have to recognize that we need a moral and spiritual consensus to progress and thrive as a healthy community. I think that this means we will become as liberal as the current sitcom writers are (ie accepting gays, etc.) but then more close-knit and conservative in a way.

Hmmm... A Liberal/NDP coalition might be possible after all. The streets are electric with... well, not much. There should be more excitement over this election, being the horserace that it is. But I get the feeling that people would rather watch summer re-runs than Mike Duffy's election show. The state has withered away...

It looks to me like we're in for another election. The parties are all ruling out working with each other.

Yes they have. They have followed reason. No judge has gone outside what is explicitly written into law, that I know of. That's not a reason. A lot of damage can be done in four years. Judges interpret the law. Politicians can make laws and change institutions in any way they see fit.

Any such lawsuit would fail. Freedom of religion is guaranteed in the Charter. No reasonable judge would interpret it otherwise. And if you still think that supreme court judges would produce an erratic decision, then why trust elected officials to be less erratic ?

Ah.... now I get it. Finally some strategy from the Liberal camp. As for PR, the NDP touts it as a fairer system and so forth, but of course it benefits them. I don't think PR will help much, except that it will prevent the NDP from losing official party status now and then.

I think he probably looked the other way. But he wasn't the boss. He only had so much power. Chretien had the final say. As he said in the debate, he could have swept it all under the rug. Chretien would have. The question is would Harper be a better PM than Martin ? Does he have the experience to lead a nation, let alone to introduce a large package of radical reform on many levels ? This is a country, we're talking about. Wasting a billion dollars is stupid, no doubt, but it's less than 1% of the budget. I'd rather see 1% of my tax dollars get wasted than have an unproven, untested individual the power to embark on radical change that might or might not work.

Hawk - The Liberals lowered tax rates and corporate tax rates. Canada's tax rates aren't that much worse than the US's and are generally lower than those in Europe. Let's keep things in perspective. The Liberals have been guilty of complacency and lack of vision, though. There are many examples where good management and leadership can make the difference. Of the three main leaders, only Martin has the relevant experience to achieve such a change.

It all depends on how much you invest to get that $150K. A few years of hard work ? Sure, that's worth it. It's not like you can get into medical schools with Cs is it ? And who wouldn't invest $500K to get back $150K per year ? That's 30% return per annum ! I go to work and work hard. There's no raise in my immediate future. The cab drivers and waitresses I know are the same. I don't know that underpaid doctors should be such a priority for our government. Wages are going down everywhere.

Why is reform needed again ? Because doctors don't make enough money ? Why isn't $150 K enough ? Because they can make more in the US ? This is obviously a market-driven problem. There's a shortage of doctors in the US, which is driving up their salaries. Why don't we just open up medical schools to anyone who applies ? Why isn't the market working ?!?

I agree. This is why I'm voting Martin this time, for the status quo. I think he's best equipped to implement managerial improvements in the system(s). Harper is a bit like Harris in that he's a politician who has never been party to what is involved in managing a huge bureaucracy. Harris' tack was to basically ignore the bureaucrats. That's not a bad option 95% of the time, but for the other 5% it has grave consequences. Martin has been put on notice by the Canadian people that he can't count on a Liberal majority every time. If he wants to win power, and retain it, he will have to keep the promises he has made.

Klein's feelings aren't important. He is obliged to follow the laws of this country.

I wonder what would happen if Martin won the election, and appointed those previously elected senators as a nod to Alberta. What do you think the reaction would be ? Are those gentlemen still alive ?

Actually, I like this idea the most of the one's I've heard. Five regions: BC & the North, The Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada. Each region receives proportional representation based on votes in that province. I think this would guarantee a CPC majority in the Senate, so I don't see Martin going for it. But if he ends up being PM, he'll have to make more than a token gesture to the west so maybe he would go for it...

Hicks ? Hard work ? Do you think people who live in Ontario don't work hard ? It's tough living out here. If you live in Toronto, don't forget to add a couple of hours to your workweek for the commute. For all those hours, you can expect to pay at least $200K for a tiny house or $1000/mo for a tiny apartment. Yet, you don't ever hear Ontarians say they want to separate. I wonder why...

Who exactly says this ? What's with this persecution complex ? There have been more premiers from the west in the last 40 years than there have been from Ontario, by far. The west gave us socialized medicine, the NDP, and balanced budgets. You have a bigger effect than you realize.

I was thinking about this myself. How is it that Klein can have such political dominance in his province, yet his instincts on the federal stage seem to be... off.

I'd say so. It seems that there's a gap there if the party allows for free expression of its candidates and we're left to guess on what their positions are.

I guess that's as good as guess as any, Reverend. If your point about Klein is true, it would mark the 2nd straight election he has helped scuttle for the conservatives. ( Before the last election, Klein walked out on stage at the convention and supported Stock Day. )

Well, we can't agree. Does anyone really think that it makes sense for PEI to have the same power as Ontario in government. A dialogue on triple-E would drag on, wasting government resources, and would, in the end, have a negative effect on national unity. Let's just scrap it now.

If this is real ( a big IF ) then what caused it ? We need more information.

I don't think we should put too much stock in one poll. You need a few polls to be sure, then the big poll on the 28th.

It is a strange thing... Maybe he's just tired, or maybe they need to re-think their strategy for the last 7 days. As far as BS goes, Harper chooses his words more carefully than any leader I've ever heard. That means you need to read between the lines, folks. I'm reluctantly voting for the status quo this time around. I'm think Martin probaby knew about the funny business going on in Quebec, but he had to look the other way. What else was there to do ? Martin's a manager and only a so-so politican, whereas Harper and Layton are excellent politicians and unproven managers.