Radsickle

Number one mistake: "Let's run this country like a business". A country needs something more than an accountant. I'll stick with the Coalition for a `national' party, thanks anyway.

Harper has never been anything more than a good CEO of some Alberta-based Energy company. He's never been a natural leader; just look at how much eye-liner the wierdo wears and how many cliches he uses daily.

It'll be interesting for sure. Mr. Layton should get a post. Mr. Duceppe should too. Mr. Rae and Mr. Ignatieff might not get posts due to their up-coming leadership duel. I hope the coalition shows responsibility from the start by reducing the size of the cabinet, unlike what Harper has done. And they better re-think leaving the limos to idle all day long like Harper's thugs were prone to do.

More like `Waaah, lets do the same thing Harper tried to do when he was in opposition'. Actually, more like `lets fight against fascism wherever we find it'. Fascism is "economic and social rigidity with the suppression of opposition". Thursday's `Economic update' revealed how fascist Harper's always been. Screw your class-action lawsuit, buddy.

It was a fascist inclination to try to suppress their opposition's source of public funding. I think the Conservatives would be seen as even more fascist than they are now if they tried to `scuttle' the coalition, ignoring due process. They'll look equally as bad if they try to close this session of parliament this week and wait till next year to do any governing. The Conservatives are the ones who are `scuttled', thankfully. As for Dion leading, I would've prefered Elizabeth May or Jack Layton but I suppose the only legitimate option was the current leader of the `official' opposition. Why is it so important to everyone that there be a specific, singular `leader'? Is it that hard for us to agree with numerous people? It looks like the coalition is able to agree among themselves. Seems we all agree that Dion doesn't have long-term leadership potential. Why can't Layton be the leader, if we must have a particular figurehead?

Actually, the lesser amount of voters did not want the alternative. It's simple math: less than 40% for the Conservative Party, more than 50% for THE OTHER GUYS. For those math-challenged, Layton + Dion is greater than Harper. And Omar in the same place as the stupid men that fired upon approaching Afghan and American forces DOES NOT EQUAL automatic guilt.

Canadians that voted in the last election is what I'm talking about. Of those that voted, less than 40% chose Harper's goons.

umm, what part of `voted' don't you understand? I don't care if only 59% showed up, the majority of them didn't want Harper, Period. Canada will forever regret what it's done to Khadr.

The majority of Canadians voted for anything but Conservative. A coalition of the opposition would represent them. Period. If you want to opine the details, why not do it in the proper forum topic? Khadr's fate is the topic of this forum thread. Do you have anything to add about that?

A worldly scholar and a Canadian Politician for years now? The metaphorical Philosopher King? Could Canada be so lucky?

Maybe if Harper's kicked out of power by a coalition representing the majority of Canadians, Khadr's fate will change.

Sounds like you've a grudge yourself... So Chretien's only reason for changing the rules was to screw Mr. Martin, eh? That's the legacy Chretien's enemies would like remembered.

You always see that much bitterness in people's motives? I think he made it law because his opposition and some of his own party wanted him to.

Actually, Ignatieff was only in the States for 5 recent years as director of Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Well-schooled (not just an `accountant')

Hmmm... the deficit was growing and growing and then just suddenly ended? Wow. Well, it couldn't have had anything to do with sound fiscal management under Liberal leadership, eh?

You've every right to do that, up to a certain amount: an amount that the average individual Canadian could give. After that, your monetary influence becomes unfair.

Public Funding for Federal Parties started in the 70's... Political contributions backgrounder Canadian or not?!?! Why are some trying to portray the Liberals as bad when they brought the non-democratic political financing under control? Sure, they might've shot their own foot off a bit, but at least they tried to be accountable. Harper doesn't want to be accountable for where his party's money comes from. That's why he wants to cancel Chretien's efforts. What could be a more democratic method of financing a pluralistic government than giving every Canadian a toonie of their own money and asking them to spend it on the political party of their choice?

Harper wants to take away the public money going towards each vote because he wants to disable his opposition's financing. Jean Cretien put a stop to large donations influencing government long ago by limiting financial contributions and offering so much public money per vote instead. In other words, the NDP or Reform Party would get $1.95 of tax-payer money for every vote it received in an election. This was a great democratic move and gave an incentive for people to vote! The savings from cancelling this are MINIMAL for Canada but VERY BENEFICIAL for the government in power. The old Tory Party couldn't afford itself anymore once Cretien changed the financing rules. Harper's trying to devolve and dissolve that so that he ALWAYS has the most money come election time. If Harper's going to take advantage of the times and be petty by concentrating on political targets instead of making the moves most Canadians need right now, I hope he's politically destroyed soon and the Opposition forms a government instead. Far too much credit has been given to these Mike Harrisites already.

Reformers and other hard-right-wingers in this country want the Liberal Party to be `history' but... too bad. Screw U. Suck up to another minority parliament till the proper party gets its act together and vanquishes your Hillbilly asses out of power.

If he's judged guilty of a charge brought on him by fellow Canadians and judged by fellow Canadians, then I would be fine with that. I would be happy if he were treated like a human being and given a friggin' trial. But we seem complacent to let him rot in a Dick Cheney - created limbo. Screw the Republican party of our neighbours. They've forgotten what justice is.

It's amazing how many of you know Khadr so well as to consider him a `killer' or `anti-Canadian'. How many of you have met him? How many of you are regurgitating what you've heard instead of thinking and finding out the facts for yourselves? How old are you people? Canadians aren't a paranoid, angry mob on a witch-hunt. We don't imprison kids without trial and we don't torture people, especially our own. What's the average age in these forums, 14? Grow up.

Go ahead and try to take my comments out of context, if you're that desperate. I'm saying that Canada has legal responsibilities to its citizens, regardless of background.

Even decapitation couldn't stop Canada from adhering to a left-of-centre Political Mixture. Most Liberals who were pissed off (whether at Dion or Gerrard Kennnedy), moved to the NDP or Green camp. They were still on the left, just decamped from the Liberals. This election denied Harper his last chance at a majority and I say HOOEH to that. Why do people try to demonize Trudeau so?

That's one of the main threats to HealthCare in Canada. The North American Free Trade Agreement's Chapter 11 allows private companies to sue for lost monies if the host government's policies interfere.... But only if the industry already exists in Canada. We can mostly thank Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec for allowing private medical clinics to start in Canada. Now they'll all want a part of the market in ALL provinces. We need to re-think NAFTA and forget about the NAU and SPP; far too many acronyms for one decade. hmmm... like letting Omar Khadr be judged by the American Military instead of Canadian Courts?

Dude, our government was supposed to catch that `ball'. We fumbled it by allowing the US interference. Why should Omar be sacrificed while Canada slowly learns that what Bush did with him was very illegal? I give a crap about how we're perceived as a nation by ANYONE. Why do you assume `Canadians' need to wake up and smell the cliches?