maldon_road

Not surprising. Dion knows that an election would be a disaster for him. Iggy has been spreading the same message. Even Denis Coderre, of all people, has calmed down on the rhetoric while in Afghanistan. So the government survives and each time it comes to vote on government legislation we can watch the Liberals fighting among themselves as to what to do. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

Damnest thing. It's not hard finding people complaining about the US but there are always lots more people that want to get into it than leave it. In fact the only people that want to leave it are illegals because they are scared about being deported back to their homeland. How many native born Americans have any desire to live in other countries?

I think my MP sends a Christmas card to everybody. Even if he doesn't my name and address is on the voters list which is accessible to all parties. He has a right to write to me. In fact he does every month - a pamphlet full of Liberal BS. A Christmas card hardly seems odd to me.

There is no privacy violation if the source is a publicly available directory.

No. But I'm not going to kick up a fuss about it.

Not if the information comes from a public source.

This is from the news story. At least we know now where the Tories found her religion from and it wasn't going through confidential tax records.

Maybe I should complain when I get a Christmas card from my MP.

Next they will refuse to study history that "offends" them. And then they will insist English classes be taught in Arabic.

Harper will survive the throne speech vote. He will bring in legislation (drugs, criminal code) that will turn Steph and Jack apoplectic but which will have public support. Then he will watch the fun as the Oppos figure out whether to bring him down.

Agreed. And right now I think Duceppe and Layton must be worrying about all their mindless sabre rattling. C'mon guys, don't pull the plug now. Jack, Outremont was an aberration. In a general election it will revert to the Libs. Gilles, in Spring things might be better - who knows what will happen? As Harold Wilson said, "A week is an eternity in politics".

If Harper survives the throne speech vote, given the "ultimatums" given him by the Bloc and NDP, they will be forced into continuing to try and bring down the government. In the public's eyes they will simply look like opportunists.

Suspicion of Harper, methinks. Worry that with a Tory majority Steve will turn into George.

http://bilan.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/pages/biographies/542.html

Right. There is no way he can be kicked out before an election since LPC rules don't permit it. But when is a "good time" for him? It's my belief that he will lose ground during an election campaign and that is what Harper is banking on. That as the campaign unfolds support for the Liberals will drop. But if I were Dion I would not force the issue right now. I'd be optimistic that I can improve my standing in the eyes of the public between now and Spring.

We don't need reminding of that. Right now for the Libs it's save-the-furniture time. They can vote on amendments anyway they please. It doesn't matter. It is the vote on the Speech that matters. And they will never allow that to pass because they cannot allow an election to happen. Ever watch Question Period? Notice how much more effective Ignatieff was than Dion? Joanne Sénécal, just appointed at latest Liberal Party savior, must be waking up in cold sweats just thinking about Dion out on the hustings.

Why? Abstentions are proper. Often happens. Remember the budget vote in Quebec. PQ abstained to prevent throwing over the government. All Dion has to say, "We think the throne speech stinks but this is just the skeleton. Lets see what meat they can put on the bone and then we will decided whether or not to support specific proposals."

If compromise can be reached by Harper it will be with Dion, not the other two. He has to act the more responsible; he is the only one who has a chance for becoming PM. However, he can't be seen as someone who gets a reputation of propping up the government. That would be deadly for him in an election.

What about a single, although important, issue - Afghanistan? The Libs and the BQ have said Harper must state now that troops will be pulled out of there in 2009. (The NDP, of course, want them out now). Harper this week stated that this will not be in the throne speech, in fact he suggested even that they might stay on after the 2009 withdrawal date - with the HofC's approval. Is that enough to get the three Oppos to vote against the speech? Certainly the Bloc and NDP will. What about the Libs? And this is something that Dion need not have commented on. He has already said that he thinks that the troops should be pulled in 2009. He need not have said anything more. There is no way Dion can come out of all this looking good.

And Harper knows that. He is just sabre rattling. The Libs will let the Speech from the Throne pass and hope they get some breathing space to whip Dion into a leader.

Picking Quebec's top traitor Online contest is all in good fun, organizers say QUEBEC - A group of self-claimed "young patriots" is urging Quebecers to vote online for the greatest "traitor" to the Quebec nation. The contest is a mockery of the search for the greatest Canadian launched by CBC in 2004. The organizers say the non-scientific poll is a way to counterbalance the CBC contest, which they say "hailed Canadians who despised Quebec's nation, such as Don Cherry and Mordecai Richler."... ...Governor-General Michaëlle Jean, father of confederation George-Etienne Cartier and the late prime minister Wilfrid Laurier also appear on the "traitors" list. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news...90-0bea42c49887

In the Parliamentary system, even with a majority, you are not always secure in your job.

What's the probability of that happening? Mr Dion was recently musing about the lack of government support for Omar Khadr. Perhaps he might want to fight an election on that.

Lifetime imprisonment with no parole then

Sounds reasonable. There is no great swell of opposition to Harper and as Dion's lack of campaigning skills became evident support would shift to the CPC.