charter.rights

Harper was once a "young Liberal". Nice try....

Morgentaler should hand his back in disgust......

I guess you don't understand politics then....The only thing laughable is your assertion that a coalition is partisan.

The Bloc is actually right of centre and the reason that there is a competition between the Conservatives and the Bloc during elections. Now that you know this, how is a coalition playing partisan politics, again?

Hmmm...I wonder where your logic comes from..... Stephen Harper perhaps? How is forming a coalition from ideologically opposed parties playing partisan politics? And since Harper and the Conservatives need the support of at least one of the parties in order to continue with the confidence of parliament, would you consider Harper to be playing "partisan politics" if he enticed the Bloc by offering concessions, to vote with him on the upcoming budget?

The CPC didn't invent themselves. The amalgamated with the Progressive Conservatives to unite the right. And in doing so they inherited all of Mulroney's malarkey.

I think you need to study the Parliamentary procedure a little more. The Bloc is not part of the Coalition. The Coalition is exclusively the Liberal-NDP that have the confidence of the house - which means for now the Bloc has agreed not to vote against them in any confidence votes. It doesn't mean they are part of the coalition at any time, nor do they need to be at any time. If the Liberal-NDP lose the confidence of the house, through the Bloc AND the Conservatives voting against them ~together~ then the government will fall. The Bloc is providing the confidence for the Coalition just like it provided the confidence for the Conservatives last term. It doesn't mean that anyone is in bed with them or that they have given in to "separatists" to achieve that end.

By the way, thanks for the majority, soon. I see you support the coalition too! Because they will be the only majority in Parliament for the next few decades......unless and until Justin Trudeau is old enough to use his family charisma to unite the left.....

And it will continues for a long time...... There is no need to challenge the authority of the GG. While I agree that proroguing parliament was a mistake, it won;t change the fact that Harper hasn't got the confidence of the house and is unlikely to get it in 6 weeks. I would be curious though whether or not he got down on his knees to beg for this, or if he had some more lies to tell her about what was going on. Damn to be a fly on the wall of that place would have been priceless.

Coming from you that is a compliment. Maybe you should see what the rest of the country does in winter. Your isolation gives you little credibility.

Perhaps you might provide your opinion on "how" a majority might develop, given that Harper has pissed off and insulted Quebecers, and tried to paint the rest of the country as incompetent boobs incapable of understanding the economic crisis is more than partisan politics?

Your fears do not trump reality. No doubt the Bloc will get a say in the content of the budget but no less than they got when they voted with Harper last term to support the government. That is the nature of minority governments. They must accept input from other parties to survive their mandate. However, the best case is that we have a wide consensus on the economy. Harper could be involved IF he was willing to bend to the will of Parliament and work towards that consensus. Unfortunately he has chosen to confront, antagonize and demonize the very support that he needs to operate Parliament under a Conservative minority. And even IF an election is called there is no guarantee that he will receive more than he has already (and more likely less of a mandate that he received just 7 weeks ago). His goose is cooked. He made a calculated move that backfired. The only thing left is for him to do is to admit his defeat and let the present Coalition (or a newly elected Coalition) run the country towards economic stability. If it only works for a few months then it is better than not working at all - which is the best we can hope for if the GG grants a prorogue, or an election......

So you are saying....its not about the economy....its not about the will of Parliament....and its note even about the law, the constitution or bully politics. "Its all about the tape" If that is the best you can offer, you might want to consider not participating in discussions that are way over your head. The less inconsistent rhetoric that is put forth the better. Let me tell you darlin', you ain't even helpin' the good guys with your opinion.....

I have no doubt that if we go to another election that it will prove that Harper has lost the confidence of the voters as well. He has pissed on and insulted Quebecers, and has done nothing for the economy so far except to stand in his cozy Residence and say all is well. We know differently. Harper really is in a no win situation. Either he becomes the official opposition and then nips at the Coalition as long as they can stand being partners, or he takes us into yet another election that sucks up millions more of our money and delays doing anything for the economy. He can't even get the consensus of Parliament any more since he has burned his bridges. If a January budget ends up offering gifts to them, it will have been to late. The Coalition and the Bloc are gunning to remove Harper for no confidence and I am afraid that is all that can happen at this point in the process. He can try to delay it by asking the GG to prorogue Parliament and if she agrees he can stay on another month. But that will only delay the economic crisis further and further alienate any chance of successfully passing a budget. His goose is cooked any way he turns and I suspect he knows that.

Honestly. I know you believe all that but I would invite you to join reality with the facts. The Bloc has been convinced not to vote against the Coalition during any confidence motions. That's it. No veto power, no special backroom deals. No concessions. No under the table dealings. No senate appointments. There is no doubt however that the Coalition would have to seek the Bloc's input into any budgets, or for the Speech from the Throne to ensure that Quebec's interests are represented. Stephen Harper would require no less by seeking cooperation from any of the opposition parties in order to successfully pass and vote of confidence. Your fear mongering and hysteria gets in the way of your learning anything about the way that Parliament (especially a minority one) or politics in general works. Cooperation and consensus is a necessary component since Harper did not receive a mandate from the public to rule exclusively. We asked him to join with the other parities to make Parliament work for the next 23 months. He has demonstrated that he isn't interested in that and now will pay the ultimate consequence of losing power. If the GG allow him to take this country to a general election I have no doubt that it will demonstrate that not only has he lost the confidence of Parliament and with it the ability to govern co-cooperatively, but he will have lost the confidence of the voters - those from Quebec that he has insulted and accused as traitors and those from the rest of the country that are not only pissed off with the cost and inconvenience of another election, but who are incensed that the economy gets shoved to a back burner while he tries to wrestle power from the majority will of Canadians. Harper can't win and I highly doubt that he could even receive concessions now from the opposition to make this Parliament. I do believe that the only choice the GG has is to accept the majority will of Canadians and allow the Coalition to take the reigns. Whether that lasts or not is dependent on a number of delicate decisions. But in a time of economic crisis that is what we really need anyway - not some bullish partisan attacks without any serious economic stimulus.

The point is they could...and it might be good for Canada if they did... The BC Party anyone?

Don't mind M.Dancer. He just likes to try to bafflegab you for his own entertainment. He has no real contribution to any thread, 9 times out of 10.

"We live in a country where we have guaranteed fundamental rights, where people can come and go as they choose and can live as they choose within the law." I think this is where you lose company, chum. The reality is that rights - although outlined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms - are not guaranteed. Long after the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a specific right is protected, people still have to fight through the courts to get recognition of those rights. If they were truly guaranteed then every cop and and judge would be backing people, instead of forcing them to prove it. It has been 26 years since the Charter was repatriated and yet people are still fighting to have the rights included recognized and applied.

Well considering that 90% belongs to the natives I don't think there would be much of Quebec to break up....

One cannot have equality without equity.

Yes things are THAT bad. It was announced yesterday that the Greater Toronto Area is the poverty capital of Ontario. Toronto and surrounding municipalities hold 50% of all the children in the province that are poor. And according to the Childrens Aid report which compiled the statistics, the darker their skin is the more apt they are poor. Food bank use in the GTA is up about 33%. So yes there are lot's of Canadians - over 1 million in the GTA alone that are worried not only about putting food on the table but if they will continue to have a roof over their heads.

Heck...it might even be say the REFORM versus the Progressive Conservatives......or say the Canadian Alliance versus the Conservatives... deja vu......

And if the GG approves the coalition and Harper objects he will throw us into an unrecoverable position and a constitutional crisis that could last for years. I think the reality is that when the GG decides what to do, it is final. If Harper wants to take it to the Queen, then the decision of the GG will stay until such time as the Queen makes a move. Either way Harper will be doomed. I would say again that Harper was given a mandate in the last election to "lead" the country. That includes asking the opposition to move on legislation and to compromise to achieve that end. The electorate did not give Harper or the Conservatives the right to "govern". Only a majority has that right. So his attempts to bully his way through this next session are really the beginning of an end for him. His only saving act would be to make a deal with the Liberals to keep this parliament going as is. It would take a huge drop in his ego to achieve it but I believe it is about the only way that this country can survive the present crisis it is in.

Ahhh....but...the devil is in the details..... No doubt the 3 amigos will have fashioned an agreement designed to protect their public images. Right off of the bat, Duceppe made a public statement that he would not allow any members in his party to hold any ministerial duties (of course that would be a traitor to his cause). Although the formal agreement hasn't come out (and may not) I suspect that this coalition will be moderated and measured in its delivery. Each of them have something to prove besides proving that Harper is an egotistical bully.

Your emotion does equal the law. The Liberals, NDP and the Bloc WERE elected to represent the people in this country AND they collectively held the majority of votes in the last election. The Coalition essentially becomes one party for the purposes of forming the government. I suppose it you are really pissed off you could pack you bags and move yourself and you business to the US. But if you stay here you will have to live with whatever the Coalition does - including forming the next government after a non-confidence vote. That's the law.