Dion Charts Collision Course

[M.Dancer]

MONTREAL — Stéphane Dion signalled yesterday that he will take a left-leaning platform of social programs into the next election, as he vowed to run a campaign that will create a "collision" between Liberal and Conservative visions of Canada.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

Am I the only one who fails to see a collision happening with the Tories? I would think this is a platform made in Conservative heaven, one the differentiates themselves from the Liberals, but makes the divisions between the NDP, The Greens and the Grits seem quite cloudy....

How does one sell an agenda of economic doom and gloom in a robust economy?

[Fain]

I liked Dion better when he talking about low corporate tax rates, and making Canada a competitive place to do business.

[Fortunata]

Dion just isn't the man for the job.

[myata]

Definitely the agenda of rights and democracy is something to take this socially conservative crowd on. And speaking of the economy, I fail to see anything stellar from this government. Riding a wave of good times, maybe. Building the economy of the future? Not really. Given their stance on the environment; cities agenda; country wide issues like child care; Nothing to boast about.

I agree with Dion, it's time to take them on!

[Topaz]

Definitely the agenda of rights and democracy is something to take this socially conservative crowd on. And speaking of the economy, I fail to see anything stellar from this government. Riding a wave of good times, maybe. Building the economy of the future? Not really. Given their stance on the environment; cities agenda; country wide issues like child care; Nothing to boast about.

I agree with Dion, it's time to take them on!

Yeah you're right, Dion does need to take a stand and right now Harper has alot of little problems that are growing. Harper and the premier of Quebec are no longer close because the Premier is hooking up with Ontario. So Harper has been talking to Dumont and now he's got the former PQ Johnson to lead the environment to Bali.

[Moxie]

I wonder how Dion will hold up when the Cons are finished with Mulroney and starts the next inguiry, the one where Chretien gets investigated properly for his role in Shawinigate.

[sharkman]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

Am I the only one who fails to see a collision happening with the Tories? I would think this is a platform made in Conservative heaven, one the differentiates themselves from the Liberals, but makes the divisions between the NDP, The Greens and the Grits seem quite cloudy....

How does one sell an agenda of economic doom and gloom in a robust economy?

That's a laugher. Dion's not trying for a collision with the Tories, but with the NDP who is swaying left votes away from the Libs in droves. If nothing else, a strategy and press release that have two possible benefits, a first for Dion.

[trex]

Canada is a social democracy and Canadians care about the social safety net. Dion is pressing all the right buttons now. My impression of him is that he does have certain unique talents and vision, but is not the type of politican who uses flashy soundbites and propaganda to win over the impressionable public. Dion is actually an intelligent man. The problem he has is, can he convince Canadians of this, or are we dumb enough to contmue to believe Stephen Harpers bullshit coming from his mouth while he continues to do things hidden from the public view, which the majority would tremendously disapprove of if they knew. It comes down to that. I believe we will reject the Cons when the time next comes.

Edited December 4, 2007 by trex

[geoffrey]

The problem he has is, can he convince Canadians of this, or are we dumb enough to contmue to believe Stephen Harpers bullshit coming from his mouth while he continues to do things hidden from the public view, which the majority would tremendously disapprove of if they knew.

How are you privy to all of this secret stuff that no one in Canada knows about?

You know how much CBC would pay you for your exclusive insight?

[jdobbin]

Am I the only one who fails to see a collision happening with the Tories? I would think this is a platform made in Conservative heaven, one the differentiates themselves from the Liberals, but makes the divisions between the NDP, The Greens and the Grits seem quite cloudy....

How does one sell an agenda of economic doom and gloom in a robust economy?

The policies such as restoring the daycare program, restoring the Kelowna agreement that all ten provinces agreed on, showing consistency on the death penalty issue are likely to be well accepted by voters.

It isn't like to spell economic doom given the surplus and coupled with the Liberal pledge to drop corporate taxes down, we'll likely see growth.

[DrGreenthumb]

All it would take for me to go back to voting Liberal is a guarantee that they will end cannabis prohibition, and redeploy the garden busters to border security and the garden busting budget to treatment programs for hard drug addicts. A more left leaning Liberal party is a start, they were way to far right under Martin. I will consider voting Liberal if that is my best chance of helping defeat the conservative candidate, but I will not leave the NDP and all my political donations will go to the NDP as long as they are the ones leading the charge to end the unjust and unconstitutional prohibition of cannabis. If dion comes out and publically says he will reform the cannabis laws in his first government, I am confident he will win, and probably a majority at that. Cretien's popularity went way up after his decrim announcement, and the NDP have had a huge increase in membership since they have adopted drug law reform into their platform. Where do you think all those new NDP voters came from? It wasn't from the theocon crowd, that's for sure.

All polling shows high support for relaxing pot laws. Millions of Canadians smoke pot, and millions more know someone who smokes pot. Very few Canadians care enough that someone else smokes pot that they would volenteer to pay $50 000 + per year to put them in jail for that activity.

If Dion wants to win, he should point directly to the absolute idiocy of the Conservative's ramped up war on pot.

I am not loyal to any political party, I have voted conservative, and liberal in the past, and currently my Libertarian beliefs have me supporting the NDP. The Harper Theocons are the worst choice in my opinion that Canada has ever had. Nobody should support the conservative party buffoons. When I need an authority figure, I'll go back to living at my parents place. I don't need a government who thinks it needs to treat its citizens like children.

[Michael Bluth]

The policies such as restoring the daycare program, restoring the Kelowna agreement that all ten provinces agreed on, showing consistency on the death penalty issue are likely to be well accepted by voters.

Wow. All dead issues that nobody cares about.

Choice in Childcare helped the Conservatives win the last election.

Kelowna? meh, not very important to the swing voter.

Supporting Canadians who kill in other democracies?

Not a big deal either.

Steph and they boys will have to come up with a lot more to win the next election.

[M.Dancer]

I must say I am for a coherent Daycare policy. What I find disingenous on the part of the Libs is, it seems to be one of their never ending supply of promises they never intento keep. How many years were the Libs in? If they thought it was a good policy, why didn't they do something about it.

Now I think the Tories $100.00 per child is a joke. 1) We get it and don't need it. 2) We use it for babysitting.

...But given an bad joke or a promise never to be fulfilled......

[White Doors]

I thought Dion was smart?

This is exactly what martin did when he took the reins.... This is music to Tory strategists ears. Will allow the conservatives to move into the middle un-opposed. How dumb is Dion?

[fellowtraveller]

restoring the Kelowna agreement that all ten provinces agreed on,

Boy , that must have been tough for all ten provinces to agree on what is a federal responsibility.....and federal money.