gordiecanuk

If this budget is as bad as many are predicting...Iggy and the Liberals may have a hard time explaining away their support. Memories are short, an awful lot of us don't make up our minds until near voting day. Layton and the NDP seem to be banking on this budget being a disaster...and they'll be able to say they were against it from the start...that might just affect the polling numbers if they're right.

I saw a poll recently which said Canadians overwhelmingly support Ignatieff's decision to vote for the budget...including 65% of Conservatives. I would have preferred an election, this budget is a mess, and now Harper gets to wear Bob Rae's mantle as deficit boy.

There's an old saw in horse racing that goes: When the odds are split between the favourites...bet on the longshot. Back when Bob Rae shocked everyone (including himself) and wound up as Ontario's premier we were just at the start of a recession that was dubbed, 'the worst since the depression'. He tried to spend his way out of it at the start, and was crucified 5 years later at the polls. Now everyone is saying we have to spend our way out of it...Was Bob Rae right all those years ago? The economy did after all emerge into a period of near unprecedented growth. Maybe the NDP could shock us once again?

The stimulation won't work, that is a foregone conclusion as far as I'm concerned...there will be no kudos to go around. In fact, this budget is going to make things worse...the government will be bankrupting itself and will not be able to intervene in a meaningful way 5 years out....and maybe that's what Harper wants, a former colleague of Harper's says he ran for the party leadership because he didn't want his kids growing up in a socialist country. After this budget, we won't be able to afford much in the way of social programs 5 years down the road.

I'm sure Iggy will be blaming the Conservatives and their sh***y budget, but he endorsed it so that's hollow. And I'm equally sure the Cons will blame the Libs saying they had to cave to Liberal demands because of their minority situation...to spare us another election. The Igster will pull the plug when polling indicates its best...but after that, all bets are off. Harper doesn't want his kids growing up in a Socialist country, and by bankrupting the treasury he's ensuring the government won't be able to afford any of our social programs in a few years time. I'm looking forward to the next election, its gonna be a Liberal/Conservative blood bath...no holds barred.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xkw8ip43Vk Catchy tune.

My old man has met Flaherty on several occasions, and I have played in a golf tournament with him once, in the foursome behind his....he hits left ironically. Take my word on this, Jim is personable and upstanding. There is nothing in his character which would suggest anything about booze or drugs. And he is far from stupid. With that being said it is possible to be smart, upstanding and personable...yet still incompetent.

We've got a Finance Minister who wouldn't last a week predicting the weather. Les Nessman wannabe Jim Flaherty would be telling us a bright sunny day is on the way just as lightening started hitting the station.

Deficits with a clue...or Harper without a clue, take your pick.

I don't think either Iggy or Harper is very Liberal...but Harper has been posturing like one in efforts to garner that elusive majority.

If the budget is anything like the Bible then you will be able to interpert it any way you like, just ignore all the contradictions.

Harper is too smart to show his true colours like he did in his days with the NCC. I was taking aim at your signature line.

That's why I say bring it on MC....Canadians are paying attention now, and Harper is hanging by his fingernails. As far as I'm concerned, the election has already started. Incidentally, truth isn't decided by majority vote...nor is it defined by narrow religious dogma.

Harper and the Tories only mangaged to get 22% of eligible voters to pick the Conservatives last time. Almost 10 million Canadians didn't bother voting at all, but now Canadians are much more "tuned in". There's no way that voter turnout is going to be THAT low again..I'm pretty damn sure 90% or more of the Religious Right nutjobs were out casting their ballots...while a ton of moderates stayed home. Not next time.

Political junkies all had their minds made up from the start....and typically along partisan lines. "The new poll suggests Canadians' feelings have evolved, with 50 per cent of respondents favouring a coalition government, while 43 per cent are happier with the current Conservative government". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home I started out if favour, but seeing how many people were against the coalition...my support wavered. Any thoughts?

69% of Liberals supported the manner in which Ignatieff was installed as leader, and democracy at its core means "consent of the governed".... One of the schools Iggy taught at was U of T...and while many don't consider Toronto part of Canada it qualifies geographically. Non issue anyway except for die hard Tories like yourself. Chretien did lie about the GST, and I didn't vote for him the 2nd and 3rd times either...but Chretien isn't in politics anymore. Harper lied about fixed election dates, about the tax exempt status of Income Trusts, about eliminating the GST on gasoline over 80 cents a litre, about stacking the senate with cronies...about about about. You can keep voting for him though, just like many continued voting for Chretien....just don't be such a hypocrite about it.

You're wrong on number 3, he "was" a staunch supporter of the Iraq War...he has since recanted. Both Harper and Iggy were big supporters, I haven't heard a retraction from Harper yet though. Iggy hasn't been elected to lead Canada...in fact, nobody is. Leaders are chosen by their parties...not the electorate. It may not be a perfect system, but it is the system we have. You would never vote Liberal anyway MC, frankly though I don't think his time out of the country teaching at some of the world's most prestigious universites is a liability.

It was funny, and it definitely won't hurt his popularity...I noticed how he mentioned "his story". How Canadians can listen to 'his story' and judge for themselves. Reminded me of Obama, he often said 'let me tell you my story'. I'm not surprised Harper refused the offer to use Stornaway, the last thing he wants to do is help Iggy look good....even if it would save taxpayers some $$$$.

Martin's forecasting was typically very conservative...he'd underestimate revenue and overestimate expeditures, that's why we got used to seeing surpluses far in excess of the 3 Billion contingency. Flaherty on the other hand seems to favour 'best case scenario' forecasting...which is a recipe for a deficit, in good times or bad. I do however think you're right about us being in deficit regardless, given the economic climate. I just don't think it would be 30-40 Billion if Martin was still running the nation's finances.

Anti immigration is a sure fire sign of insecurity.

Iggy is being very cagey and is careful to point out that it will be the Conservative budget that gets voted on, not a Liberal or Coalition budget.

You just gotta know that the Libs are rubbing their hands with glee at the fundamentalist/evangelical crowd's intolerance. Heaven forbid (pun intended) that most Canadians haven't been made to see the light yet. Just give Harper a majority so we can all do our part to speed the second coming of the saviour.

Well...they're protected provided you have the $$$ to fight for them. There used to be funding (about 5 million per year) for groups or individuals to fight to ensure their charter rights were protected, but Harper's Tories axed it....except for language rights that is, gotta keep hoping to get that soft separatist vote.

LoL Bubber...big LoL!!! But I don't even believe in Jeebis!!!

I don't know about that, he always struck me as pretty forgiving.