fracan

cybercoma, check out the Freedom Party too... They seem very libertarian to me. Read their platform! Freedom Party of Canada

Could we please leave the veterans out of this? Do you honestly think Canadians went to war to defend their political party of choice? That's rubbish. I can guarantee you no veteran would like to turn his/her weapons on any political leader in this country. All it would mark an end to is federally imposed social caring... You're more than welcome to vote in a provincial NDP government and enjoy all the "social caring" you want. The difference would be we wouldn't have it shoved down our throats by Ottawa.

Are there a lot of Americans on these forums?

I agree on that. Sovereignty will come at a very high price for Quebec. I will be the first protesting in the streets if it comes with an "economic and political partnership with the rest of Canada", too. It's all or nothing.

If you read Paul Wells' blog (although without comments I'm loathe to call it a blog) you might have caught a post a couple days ago that illustrated how the tuition cut will benefit students who do not have loans or grants, and that students with financial need are actually worse off thanks to Layton's deal... The blog doesn't even have proper archives or permalinks either... Here's the link though, for the time being.

As was discussed in the thread on proportional representation after the last federal election, the "regionalization" phenomenon is a bogus result of the "winner take all" electoral system. For example, the Conservatives in 2004 received just 52 per cent of the vote in the Parairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) yet took 82 per cent of the seats. By the same token, 300,000 Conservative voters in Qubec were unable to elect a single MP, yet 178,000 fellow Conservatives in Saskatchewan who elected 13 MPs. All because of FPTP. Any analysis that fails to take the system itself into account is, frankly, bullshit. But what I really really love about this thread is the utter disdain the Con partisans here have for the choices of Canadians. I'll remembe rthat next time I hear a Con talk of how theirs is the party of the people. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wow, I didn't expect a reaction like that... Sure, the iron's hot right now and my sentiment might wane in the next few weeks or months. I'm certainly in no position right now to leave the country. Who knows what'll happen in a few years time. But I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, and it's not even about Adscam itself anymore -- it's more about the polls showing strong support continuing for the Liberals, and the feeling that people have fallen for Martin's plea last Thursday. Edit: OK, seems the conversation left me for the hour I was gone watching Politics. lol...

As neither an Albertan nor a Quebecer, I guess I'm just being optimistic that both sides can reach common ground... The only animosity I have is for complacency with Liberalism, which has led us to this brink... As for SSM, I guess I'm being too much philosophical, not enough legal.

Whaddaya mean? The Gomery inquiry was in full swing when the budget came down. Everyone knew already how crooked the Liberals are. Sure, and then they worked it out, just as the NDP worked with the Libs to get some of their priorities put into the government. They weren't "getting in to bed" with them as much as they were on the same side of the issues. The Bloc and NDP are closer together on most policy points than the Cons, who were quite happy with the budget as long as it was giving wealthy corporations a tax break, and less so when it incorporated things like housing etc. So its hard to see the marriage of the left-progressive Bloc and the Cons as anything but a marriage of convienience for both (the end being power). So what? Is there same law that states that no one shall be more progressiv ethan them? Their stance on SSM is irrelevant to the Canadian debate. Under Canadian law, the sepreate-but-equal "civil unions" option is not an option at all. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It doesn't matter that Gomery was in "full swing"... Brault hadn't testified yet. The Conservatives and the Bloc are on the same side of the issue of federal encroachment on provincial jurisdiction. That's the issue underlying separatism, in my opinion. A Conservative minority would be able to work with the Bloc on many issues relating to this. The point about Sweden and the Netherlands wasn't in response to your post (I think), but I really do believe that other countries' handling of the SSM issue is very relevant to how we are going to handle it here.

Yes, the "mythology" of "harsh rule" appeals to me...

I'm so sick of hearing Canadians don't want an election...

Funny you should mention the United Empire Loyalists, because my Dad's family were UELs from Vermont. I'm sitting here on the family farm which is on King's land.

With voter turnout hovering around 60%, can we still claim the average Canadian is even a voter?

Keep in mind, though, that same sex marriage is already legal in Canada. The Conservative position is untenable. As fopr whether we need an election, I'm glad to see we have one party in Canada who wants to make Parliment work for the people of this country. An election will come soon enough. And with polls showing Conservative support has seemingly hit the high water mark, I expect that Harper will tone down and back off, just as he was willing to work with the "criminal" Liberals on the budget when his part trailed. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> First of all, the depths of Liberal criminality had not yet come to the surface when the Conservatives pledged not to vote against the budget (take note -- not to support the budget). Second, we then found that Dion tried to stick some ludicrous bit into the budget about Kyoto which the Conservatives took exception to and plainly stated they could not support. Third, (and kind of off-topic) I think it's funny (if it didn't make me angry) that the NDP for some reason were not "getting into bed with the separatists" when both the Bloc and NDP voted against the budget -- possibly because they don't have the numbers to bring down the government like the Conservatives do. Sweden and the Netherlands are two of the most socially progressive nations on the planet... There's really no argument you can make against that...

That's some very interesting history there... But it doesn't surprise me the feds aren't obeying our constitution. Just another example of the sad state of this country.

No, I really don't have any faith left in my fellow Canadians. It's too bad really, but I've already started making plans to become part of the "brain drain". Luckily my mother is American so I should have less problems getting American citizenship...