madmax

The recession is far from over. Lots of wishful thinking amidst some minute numbers. Its brutal and likely the worst is yet to come. The Stimulus monies is not for "job creation" but it is getting some pet projects on the go that would never happen normally. I think the CPC stimulus plan is to create a future generation of NHL players, with a New Ice Rink on every corner. I think they are up to 8 rink announcements in my region, maybe more. The Stimulus was also "corporate tax cuts" which gave many more corporations the extra cashflow to relocate operations. And then there was the Pre Stimulus, where the CPC just handed the banks a load of capital just for the hell of it, amidst more record bank profits. Don't worry about where just the stimulus is going, look at the record of the government prior to entering the recession. Job loss and fiscal incompetence was the way forward from 2006 on. There is a reason the CPC can't balance a budge. They never intended too.

The NDP numbers in Quebec are at 13% according to the CROP poll. The NDP numbers in Quebec election last year are 12.18% with 441,120 votes. That'd be a wash. The NDP numbers across Canada are in their traditional range regardless of their federal activity. The Only way NDP numbers can go down to 1993 #s would be to have two of the largest Provinces in the country with NDP governments, screwing up at the same time in the midst of a recession, and with a new party that appeals to working class Canadians arrive on the scene. None of which is possible. BC is now fronted by the Liberals, Ontario is Fronted by the Liberals, and their is no populist Reform party to swing towards. Thus the NDP will remain in those 13% to 19% figures as they have throughout their period as CCF/NDP. That said...... The NDP press release certainly hits a nerve to the party that could face Canadians in the EI EYE and say they did everything they could. Which I believe. I believe the Liberals used EI as a crutch for the LPC and exploited those laid off for political purposes. It stinks, and it looks like the NDP have called them on it. Just what did the Liberals do on EI other then take $46 Billion? Exactly how did the Liberals get the CPC to put back $1billion of teh $7Billion they took using the LPC scheme? Much like the CPC taking credit for all the Stimulus announcements, the NDP have put their mark on the EI benefit increase. The LPC claim to fame is that they want an election, that they don't want.

Liberal Rift Hurting Party Liberal rift hurting party, insiders say Grits urged to concentrate efforts on wooing voters from other partiesBy STEPHEN MAHER Ottawa Bureau You can feel the gloom on Parliament Hill, with Liberal staffers and politicians making black jokes and grimacing at their falling fortunes. Scott Reid, who was director of communications for former prime minister Paul Martin, said the Liberals are actually doing worse than the polls show. The problem is that Liberal support among those likeliest to vote is soft, while Tory support is strong. "We’ve got to really start to pay attention to committed voters," he said Wednesday Now that the NDP is supporting Mr. Harper’s government in the House, said Mr. Reid, the Liberals have an opportunity to reach out to NDP supporters "because they tend, as a group, to be virulently anti-Harper." ------------------snip---------------------------- Should be interesting to see how this strategy pans out.

No the LPC were self serving at the Harper refreshment table for 79 consecutive confidence votes.. Get the EI through, then lets see the CPC stickhandle the HST.

I'd say the crop poll reinforces the Leger Poll which has the NDP in the 13% 14% range. Excellent numbers for a Party that has one seat in the Province. And much like the 19% that one polster had the NDP at, I believed the NDP numbers of 18% were inflated at best. http://www.legermarketing.com/documents/POL/099281FR.pdf This poll also shows a downward trend for the LPC and an Upward trend on the graph for the NDP. But the NDP is still within its traditional polling levels. Never linked the poll, you did. I said that poll showed the LPC falling and the CPC rising which it does. I never consider the NDP as some force in Quebec, and I never hear August1991 give them any mention and he is as much on the pulse of Quebec as you are on the pulse of Manitoba. However, the party that needs to go up in Quebec is the LPC and that is unlikely to occur. The NDP can lose a total of ONE seat in Quebec, one that they were never supposed to win nor retain. Other then that, the NDP numbers are relatively meaningless in Quebec, unless someone believes they could win more seats, which I highly doubt. The Party in trouble is the LPC and there is little doubt about it.

Yes, that is why the Ekos Tracking has the NDP going up the LPC going down....... However, todays Crop Poll has more bad news for the LPC and surprising results for the CPC. And that is before the LPC Public Relations disaster in Quebec. There are alot of CPC supporters who want an election the worst way, because Ignatief jumped the gun and shot off another blank. Get Justin Ready..... If I were looking at tracking polls there is going to be a trend, and that trend in the next 6 weeks is going to support a Liberal Slide. Ignatieff is not outperforming Dion and the CPC attack machine hasn't even laid a glove on Ignaitieff yet, unlike the pummelling the CPC gave Dion early into his Leadership. The problem is the intellectual Ignatieff is a political empty vessel. If he wants to emulate Trudeau, best we just go for a real one.

Erm, the Liberal Platform is usually a direct copy of NDP policy. The LPC hold policy conventions and discuss no policies. The LPC campaign on the Left and Govern from Centre Right. It has been successful. The problem is clear. Harper now occupies Liberal Turf. While not nearly as fiscally competent as when Martin was Finance Minister, more importantly the LPC drained most of the EI fund, and the CPC had less to give out to their friends and show a balanced budget. However, the NDP are the most fiscally sound money managers, and that is a fact, including their most useless former Premiers now residing in the LPC poor house for silver spoon socialists. So, how did the LPC loose this advantage? For one, they elected an IDIOT named DION to lead them, who choose not to borrow from the NDP, but to borrow from the Green Party Platform. All fiscal responsibililty was ignored. The LPC are now labelled as fiscally stupid and thieves to boot. The other problem with the LPC campaigning on the NDP platform is that in 13 years, of Majority Government, they continued to Campaign as New Democrats, and Govern as Fiscal Reformers. Thus the money was tight, programs campaigned upon were not delivered and Provinces were short changed. There is no "Liberal" platform for the NDP to run on. There is no Liberal platform for the Liberals to run on unless they intend to take if from the CPC or the NDP. As the article says, the NDP got it right on these issues. There was no reason the other parties couldn't have chosen these positions, other then they disagreed with them.

Of course the NDP would lose seats if it voted against an increase in Employment Insurance Benefits and brought down the government over it. Pretty Straight forward. The Globe had to have a counter argument for its surprisingly supportive article by Lawrence Martin 3 days ago, as seen in another MLW. But the bottom line in that article is the fact that Harper wants an election but doesn't want the blame. And while the CPC numbers hover near a majority, there is no rush to call it on any terms but their own. The CPC could have put forward a number of bills that the NDP would have no choice not to support, but the EI reform bill is one in which they would be able to take the NDP to the cleaners over if they pulled the plug on the government. Considering the latest polling data, it is not the NDP that have to worry about an election, it is the LPC. Every Liberal MP is in the closet thanking the NDP for not giving them what they wanted, an election. But outwardly, the LPC want to look tough. It looks to me like Ignatieff is auditioning for a part in Duck Soup (See NDP Chicken) If this had been the start of the campaign, Iggy would be vying for Stockwell Day status. Standing in front of the wrong park, wrong stimulus message, wrong everything. Backing Coderre, dismissing Cauchon, moving Le Prohon, Losing Le Prohon, Dropping Coderre, backing Cauchon. Good thing its not an election and NO ONE is paying attention.

The National Post props up the NDP. When an NDP press release can make you look this bad, this easily, you have a problem Nothing accomplished, nothing to do: Ignatieff Liberals play politics instead of helping the unemployed Michael Ignatieff boasted that he had put the government on probation. His quarterly "Report Cards" on economic stimulus, combined with a Blue Ribbon panel on Employment Insurance had "found a way to hold this government accountable." Now Liberal MPs have tabled a non-confidence motion - before MPs even read the Report Card and before they even debated $1 billion in help for the unemployed. Liberals used to say EI was their top priority. Now it appears that they top priority is playing chicken over an election their own party is now too divided to fight. How they got here: 1 May 2009: "Ignatieff was also challenged yesterday on when the party will put forward more specific policy ideas. He told reporters one big priority will be employment insurance reform." - Calgary Sun 16 June 2009: "People are going to starve this summer and they want to know what will be done about employment insurance. What is [the government] waiting for?" - Denis Coderre, Hansard 17 June 2009: "I know in my heart I can look unemployed Canadians in the eye today and say I've done my darnedest for you." - Michael Ignatieff on his "Blue Ribbon" agreement with Stephen Harper, CTV News, 17 June 2009: "We have found a way to make progress for Canadians on EI, and we've found a way to hold this government accountable, and I feel that this is a good day for our country." - Micahel Ignatieff, CBC The National 28 August 2009: "We're not having an election on EI," said Senator David Smith. "I don't hear Canadians clamouring for an election on this issue." Canadian Press. 1 September 2009: "Yes, we just told you we are withdrawing our confidence ... We withdrawing our confidence in the Conservative government. That's it that's all." - Liberal MP Denis Coderre, CBC Newsworld 4 September 2009: "We tried, and we haven't been able to work with the government ... It started off in June, it is now September and we still haven't seen anything serious ...They are not easy people to work with." - Liberal human resources critic Mike Savage, Sun Media, September 4, 2009 17 September 2009: "We don't want to give Mr. Layton any alibis" - Michael Ignatieff on fast tracking Employment Insurance reforms he intends to vote against, CTV.ca 29 September 2009: Liberals say they will vote against Report Card before reading it.

"Nathalie Le Prohon may not run after all. Four collaborators of Coderre resign." The Liberals have blown it if they have lost this woman.

George Bush was well educated. Not that it did your country any good.

No but, Conservatives thought didn't give a shit that Canadians Didn't want an election last year. That didn't stop them from making a mockery of their own election law, and putting almost half of Canadians to sleep with an unwanted election. The only difference this time, is that the public is ready to hand out retribution to the party that gets accused of causing the election. This will make it difficult for the Liberals to force the issue, the CPC to do another stunt like last year, or even orchestrate a poison pill, and it makes it difficult for the NDP to claim moral superiority and vote down the govenment on principle, if they expect to be around. NDP polling numbers appear high, because they didn't cause the fall of the government. The Liberals know that Canadians don't want an election, but that is no reason for them not to be prepared if there is one. Unlike Dion who got smoked last year. And with time, all parties can get their finances in order and even more importantly, the media cannot afford an election and will publicly skewer the party they feel is to blame. I wouldn't say the Liberals are mad. Possibly disconnected from the voting public, and somewhat self centred on their drive for power. But I would say they are neither mad nor politically incompetent when it comes to reading polls. Infact they are the best at it.

Keep voting Harper and your demands will continue to be met.

I know I will find no Sask Party members in TO

That's what I felt it meant. Thanks.

Great hatchet man. When Harris couldn't close down 2 of our 3 hospitals, Smitherman went ahead and did it, thus undermining the Elected Liberal MPP who campaigned on saving the hospitals when the Tories were in power. Should be a good person to dismantled the public system and get more contract employees and less public employees. Will be good at parades too...

Do you know how they correct the figures with the Before and AFTER distribution? Its 31% CPC 26% LPC 14% NDP before Distribution and the figures you have above "After" distribution. What does this mean?

No... this is great news.... Actually, I am interested in a Quebec perspective on this? What is going on and how is it being perceived.

This is great news.

There has always been a lobby against Tanks. They serve a purpose not a solution. Their function on the battlefield and in support missions and security cannot be denied. Yes they are expensive, but compared to WHAT?

A little harsh there. Yes the PCs name was MUD and this is not unusual when Conservatives run a Province or Country , they often do enough damage that they require a rebranding in order become electable again. However, it is also true that the PCs and Libs together formed the Sask party. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_Party

Todays poll, verify the NDP have received little "backlash". Infact, few people, short of optimistic Liberals who pushed the poll that the NDP were at 12% believed this poll as an accurate baseline. Polls have had the NDP from 19% high to 12% low this month and the most recent has them at 17%. I don't think the actions of our political parties have had any real effect on the public, however, an election campaign would be totally unpredictable. I wouldn't go with the polls heading into an election with a skeptical public.

Federal Election Blues DEADLOCK. The only thing I get from this, is that the public believes Canada is going in the right direction. And considering the Liberal intent is to continue going in the same direction as the CPC, they have yet to make a case for change, and in Ontario the LPC are behind the 8 ball. The CPC numbers are solid The LPC numbers are solid and the NDP numbers remain in their traditional level of support. No election until the CPC creep closer to 40%.

Except for the business that pays no PST and collects no PST from its customers. That will change as the tax will increase 8%.

I am not disagreeing with your perspective. My problem with Iggy supporting the War on Terror, is that he was a human rights academic when he made these crazy statements of support. I would expect them from a BUSH/Kerry/Clinton/ or a Harper/Martin/Chretian.... but I wouldn't expect these simplistic beliefs in an intellectual circle that is coming from the vision of Martin Luther King or Ghandi. It is when Ignatieff becomes a politician that he changes his stripes, and does so twice in a few years. He can't be trusted on his position with regards to terrorism. Thus even if his current statement is in alignment with mine, I cannot believe him and I would be a fool to trust his word on the subject.