Michael Hardner

Hjalmar: I quite like Ike too. Did you know that the top tax rate under his administration was OVER 90 % ? Eisenhower used this money to build (BUILD !) the space program, the military and the interstate highway system as well as the foundations for the great society, later continued by the Dems in the 1960s. I never imagined you to be to the left of Jack Layton, but I guess we're never too old to learn...

I think it was a member of caucus who was removed earlier this year, the family issues critic or somesuch. So it would be easy for him to effectively introduce legislation - tacitly through one of his MPs - without making it party policy then. This sounds like something Chretien would have thought up. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

This characterization isn't apt. Layton is fiscally to the right of any NDP leader yet, maybe even to the right of Mulroney !

Are you saying it was smart for Thompson to say this ? I don't agree...

Thompson has always been one of the low-lights of the party, and has trouble keeping his mouth shut.

This just sounds like another constitution to me. Any constitution will change over time, according to the values of the nation.

DAC, you appear to be arguing with a clone here...

Hmmm... Why isn't he going to call a "free vote" on this one ? Or a referendum ? Does this count as a "moral issue" ? Who decides ? I guess Harper does, in the end.

This is a good thread, but it's all over the place. On Harper's "image": Goldie says: I think that it's more than fair to find out what exactly the plan is for social issues. I don't think I would call Harper's agenda "hidden", but it's not completely visible either. According to Argus: This speaks well for his consistency in his beliefs, but the fact of the matter is he still has control over his MPs and can control the agenda. We've already seen him discipline his MPs over remarks on homosexuality and bilingualism so it's clear he's not going to give them completely free reign. The question is: when does he decide, and when does he let the MPs vote freely ? Well, the choice is ultimately his... So, the media should be asking questions about what exactly his plans are. Kula says: But we should know if his stand is to deliberately push off responsibility for social legislation to free votes and so on. Would he allow a free vote on sending Canadian troops to Iraq ? Even though a majority of Canadians would be against it, I doubt that. Argus says: What would be wrong would be a leader, knowing the leanings of MPs, and the electorate, chosing to submit legislation under a "whatever will pass" system, using either free votes, public opinion, or - as a last resort - "showing leadership". This, of course, is politics. But many criticized Chretien for these kinds of manipulations. Argus says: Harper would have gone into Iraq against the will of the Canadian people. What's good for the Liberal goose is good for the CPC Gander. Doesn't this quote of yours conflict with your assertion that the left doesn't care about democracy ? Are you saying that the CPC doesn't have to listen to Canadians ? Finally, Alliance Fanatic says: I guess you don't realize that the US is also bound by a constitution. See prayers in the schools and so forth...

DAC, I don't think this was a serious post.

Don't be so unimaginative ! Ineptitude comes to mind, for one. He had an election to lose. Harper is a career politician too, isn't he ? Why trust one politician over another just because the new guy hasn't had a chance yet to disappoint ? I've seen it before. Mulroney, Chretien, Mike Harris.... zero to hero to zero again... No politican will make your life worth living. Remember that.

This isn't worth that much at all. What happened a few hundred years ago only has an echo of a bearing on today's events. Germany and Japan were destroyed in a war fifty years ago, and came back just fine. A reformation wouldn't help things either. The reformation split the church into various factions and ignited bloody wars. In the end, the churches were still there, and they hadn't changed that much to the naked eye. The countries we're discussing need to be westernized (of their own free will) in order for them to buy into the west's way of doing things. Human beings aren't so different from each other that such a thing is unimaginable. Iran seems to be taking steps down that road, but the higher levels of government are controlled by clerics. Of course, that won't stop terrorism from happening, nor will it excuse Israel in the minds of those who think it has done wrong. But it would be a start.

Stabbed in the back ? How so ? It seems more the other way around, as Chretien left the steaming pile of adscam on his doorstep.

CBC STory I was going to say that this might be a mid-stream attempt to get some votes back from the NDP but on second thought this was probably in the works from the beginning. Will it work ? It's about image at this point, and PM PM can't really change his even with 7 weeks to go. But Harper won't be able to stay above the fray for the whole time, either.

Calling this corruption is going too far. The software company didn't submit progress reports, but instead submitted an invoice for work completed. The article doesn't indicate that there's any doubt that the work was completed, only that the contract wasn't managed properly by the client. This is far from corruption, in fact I'd say it's common practice.

"Fair" is a relative term. The richest certainly pay less than they have in the past. That money helped pay for infrastructure building, which in turn laid the foundation for a good economy.

They should concentrate on the "fear factor"... promote Martin as a man who will promote economic stability, etc. At this point, they should be trying to stabilize - give up trying to win big and do whatever it takes to get the minority.

Probably less strange than a BLoc/CPC marriage.

That's a VERY tall order. Without Quebec, and a strong showing in Atlantic Canada, they would need to win something like 3/4 of the seats.

It's still early. The Cons need to absolutely trounce the Liberals in order to get a majority, otherwise they have to promise the moon to the NDP (?!) or the Bloc. I don't think people care that much about the curtains at Rideaux hall. Uh... right.

But Liberals and Bloc could.

It's not 'case closed' for millions of Canadians who don't know Harper and don't trust him yet. Layton has stated that his future budgets will be balanced - is that 'case closed' for Canadians ? I doubt it.

Under the new system, this poor treatment will only happen to those who don't pay.

Those are some exceptional examples. I don't think you could play those stories without adding their inherent "colour". This has everything to do with the NDP and nothing to do with the west. And what did they say ? I don't remember any easterners making general comments about the west, which is why the assertion that there's an anti-West sentiment in Ontario surprises me. How many Ontarian candidates for PM have we had lately ?

Still some major obstacles to overcome, like who would support the Conservative minority government.