gordiecanuk

Let's just hope there's enough money left over to pay for all those new Senators and all the new MPs that are slated to be added.

Well that's one way to eliminate progressive government initiatives...bankrupt the treasury so we can't even afford paper clips.

Jesus would probably have voted NDP, he was after all something of a radical. I doubt he'd vote with the establishement parties, the Libs or Cons.

Never underestimate the Conservative's devotion to gutter politics.

So going abroad and teaching in France, and at prestigious schools like Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard...Now Ignatieff is somehow compelled to show us he's really a Canadian??? I don't think the majority of Canadians are that small minded...I think most will welcome someone with Iggy's intellect and international experience.

Ignatieff comes across as an intellectual, which is something I think Canadians like. Having taught at prestigious schools like Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford, that's something I think Canadians will admire by and large...the redneck crowd will try and paint him as an elitist for sure, but generally speaking I think Canadians like seeing ourselves represented by intellectuals. Trudeau made a lot of mistakes when he was PM, but there was no disputing his intellect.

I don't think it was overspending so much, but misguided and ultimately meaningless cuts in the GST. For most Canadians it meant a couple pennies saved at Tim Horton's...for those making big ticket purchases, okay it could mean hundreds or thousands, but for the majority of ordinary Candians it meant bupkiss. Regardless though...I think it would have been worse with a majority.

Active Christian church goers voted overwhelmingly Conservative in the last election...and they expect to have their issues addressed. Harper may realize that its electoral suicide to touch issues like abortion and same sex marriage in a minority situation...but not all his followers and MPs are as politically astute. For many its not about politics but about right and wrong.

I actually prefer minority governments...majorities lead to scandal and abuse, we need only look to Adscam with the Libs under Chretien/Martin and enevelopes stuffed with $$$$ with Mulroney and the Tories. A majority might give us some rest from voting every year...but that's a small price to pay for effective government.

Which one? Can you link up the story?

The question doesn't appear to me to be biased in any way...doesn't call them war resisters, instead a more neutral term, 'deserters'. I'm suprised 38% of Canadians voted for Harper, but that's democracy...can't bitch only when it serves your purpose.

Here's the poll....Angus Reid Poll: Most Canadians Would Grant Permanent Residence to U.S. Military Deserters http://www.angusreidstrategies.com/polls-a...idence-us-milit "Three-in-five Canadians (64%) say they would agree to give these U.S. soldiers the opportunity to remain in Canada as permanent residents". Quebec (70%) houses the highest proportion of respondents who agree with the motion, while Alberta (52%) has the fewest supporters. My mistake...I thought it was 68%, its actually 64%. I share that view, you don't have to agree. There's a pdf link for the methodology.

You missed all the "wepaons of mass destruction" speeches in the lead up? I understand your point of view, once a soldier signs up they have to obey orders no matter what they're told to do and no matter how it sits with them morally.

Just curious...if we put it to a plebescite (sp?) and 2/3 of Canadians wanted to grant them asylum...Should our laws be a reflection of the democratic will of the country?

So no matter what they're ordered to do, they should suck it up...do as they're told, pray they don't get killed and tuck their moral compasses away until discharged? What I'm hearing is that democracy is all well and good so long as you agree with the politics of the majority, but if you disagree...well then good, to hell with democratic pincipals.

Understood...so if you sign up you forfeit your conscience and have to do what you're told no matter how morrally abhorant you find it.

Zig Heil mein frueher...i signed so now i have to do as I'm told...okay, I understand your point of view. Glad you're in the minority.

I can post the info from Angus Reid if you want, the numbers are quoted in a summary with the poll methodology available in PDF form. I know that some think that once you sign on the dotted line...that you have to obey all orders regardless of what an individuals conscience says....no worries. But with a majority of Canadians favouring granting war resisters asylum, and a motion passed in our Parliament calling for the same thing...Shouldn't a democratic government follow through and recognize the will of both the people and parliament?

I'm wondering if the $30 Billion deficit figure isn't just a trial balloon. You know how all goverments (both Lib and Cons) will put out 'feelers' suggesting a doom and gloom scenario...then when the real news actually hits, it wasn't as bad as anticipated. If we're hit with a $10 billion deficit after anticipating $30...I'm thinking many Canadians will say "phew...that wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be, maybe Harper's on the right track after all".

Angus Reid polling put the number at 68% in favour of granting asylum. I think it takes a lot of cajones to stand up for your pinciples. We're not talking about WWI or II here...we're talking about a war predicated on nothing but lies and false propoganda.

Nah, the yanks can keep those.

I know not all will agree with the majority of Canadians who want to see American war resisters granted asylum in this country, and all will not agree with the motion passed in our own Parliament to halt deportation proceedings. But aren't we a democratic country? Doesn't democracy mean 'majority rule'? If 35-40% is enough to form a government in this country, then surely almost 70% approval for a policy and a motion passed in parliament is enough....Isn't it?

Amen Molly...AMEN. The more I'm reading and learning about Harper the more I'm convinced that with a majority he'll move on issues like abortion and same sex marriage.

Harper, like Mulroney before him tried to play to the soft separatist constituency...and as with Mulroney...it bit him in the ass. Harper though is a cagey politician, and likely the best leader for the Conservatives. Being an evangelical Christian he's able to draw support form the Con's base of religious right voters, but at the same time he keeps his religious views tightly under wraps so as not to scare off those who are more secular in this country. The NDP have reprensenation in the House, and in a democracy that gives them a legitimate right to pursue the agenda their supporters endorse. No one single party has won a mandate in this country with the backing of over 50% of the electorate for a very long time. That means there needs to be comprimise among the parties we elected...nobody gets everything they wanted. If a coalition does indeed end up forming it'll be Iggy on the hot seat, he'll need to do enough to keep the NDP and Bloc happy...but not so much that it alienates traditional Liberal supporters. Gonna be interesting...I'd rather have another election. The talk is we're gonna be hit with a deficit in the neighbourhood of 30 billion...so 300 million to vote again is a drop in the bucket.

The problem with this whole issue...while most Canadians are reasonable, the zealots on each extreme are not. For hard core ProLifers life starts at conception...so no abortions should be allowed. And for the ardent Pro-Choice camp, they fear that giving in to even reasonable demands will embolden the Religious right which could lead to a total ban.