Canada's Harper may force

[jdobbin]

http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews...436920020080814

An increasingly frustrated Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quoted on Thursday as suggesting he may have to force the dissolution of Parliament and trigger an election.

"Quite frankly, I'm going to have to make a judgment in the next little while as to whether or not this Parliament can function productively," the website for CBC News quoted Harper as saying during an event in the Atlantic province of Newfoundland.

So much for the confidence vote that some conservatives are saying is necessary for an election.

Looks like Harper might call it himself.

[Vancouver King]

http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews...436920020080814

So much for the confidence vote that some conservatives are saying is necessary for an election.

Looks like Harper might call it himself.

...Or desperate bluster by a PM accustomed to absolute control but now facing the daunting prospect of defeat in the Commons.

[gc1765]

http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews...436920020080814

So much for the confidence vote that some conservatives are saying is necessary for an election.

Looks like Harper might call it himself.

I guess that whole "fixed election dates" thing was meaningless...

[madmax]

There was a recent newpaper poll within the last 48hrs, and unfortuneately I can't remember which paper, but the phone in poll had 80% of the public didn't want a fall election. It was an Ontario paper.

Keep that in Mind CPC, LPC and others.

[jdobbin]

There was a recent newpaper poll within the last 48hrs, and unfortuneately I can't remember which paper, but the phone in poll had 80% of the public didn't want a fall election. It was an Ontario paper.

Keep that in Mind CPC, LPC and others.

There were similar polls before the last election. The NDP have wanted an elected since 2006. Does that mean they will pay a price?

[Vancouver King]

I have never seen a poll where respondents have replied in the affirmative that they want an election. Not once. Never. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that such a poll does not exist.

[seabee]

People don't want an election, but are proud to live in a democracy. Gp figure.

Furthermore, they want to impose democracy to other countries. But they don't want an electon.

[White Doors]

Here's hoping! I love elections.

[madmax]

People who think they are above the law are dangerous in government.

I am starting to wonder if Harpers recent change of heart is more about avoiding the embarrassing and possibly illegal In and Out scheme, that they have been using every delaying tactic to avoid public scrutiny. The CPC hasn't been the accountable government people were expecting. My guess is that the In and Out scheme is something the CPC would rather not have the public know about, and thus want to go to the polls and kill the issue there.

If that is the case, then the opposition parties need to hold this government accountable.

[Wild Bill]

...Or desperate bluster by a PM accustomed to absolute control but now facing the daunting prospect of defeat in the Commons.

Desperate bluster? What do you base your opinion on, your own immediate circle of friends?

If you look at things objectively you might be surprised to see that in many other parts of Canada it's Dion who's seen to exhibit desperate bluster.

I can understand rooting for your own team but if we here in Hamilton tried to tell the rest of the country that the Ti-Cats are going to take the Cup this year it would be written off as mere "desperate bluster".

You may or may not prove to be right but you really don't give us much substance for your opinion.

[Wild Bill]

I guess that whole "fixed election dates" thing was meaningless...

Depends on what you mean by "meaningless". This was a new idea for Canada. On the surface it seemed to have a lot of advantages. I doubt if anyone imagined we'd end up in the present situation, where we effectively have no opposition 'cuz they're afraid to vote against the government and we get nothing done in committees.

This Parliament is not serving Canada. I'm with Harper on this one. The only purpose of waiting till the 2009 date is to give newbie MP's more time towards their gold-plated pensions. We're getting little done for the citizens of Canada.

[White Doors]

Canada's Harper?

I thought it was Harper's Canada?

[Fortunata]

This Parliament is not serving Canada. I'm with Harper on this one. The only purpose of waiting till the 2009 date is to give newbie MP's more time towards their gold-plated pensions. We're getting little done for the citizens of Canada.

It could be; could have been. Harper doesn't realize what minority means- therefore failing the mandate the electorate gave him. He didn't even try to make it work.

[Wild Bill]

I guess that whole "fixed election dates" thing was meaningless...

As an addendum to my previous post, I read in the Hamilton Spec today a column from their parent, the Toronto Star, which quoted some talking head that said the "fixed election date" Bill had nothing in it to prevent a Prime Minister from going for an election IF PARLIAMENT HAD BECOME DYSFUNCTIONAL! So it would still be legal for Harper to trigger the election.

To be fair, perhaps the present shenanigans from Tories obstructing committees is just an attempt to emphasize appearances to justify dissolving Parliament.

I say again, it seems kinda odd that the ruling party are the ones who seem to understand that a government with an Opposition that refuses to do its job and oppose the government is actually bad for the country. Surely a large number of voters must see that Dion has been far more worried about the fate of the Liberal Party when he refuses to risk bringing down the government than what's good for Canada. If Harper has to do it for him it will seem even worse!

Dion might be smart to try to launch a pre-emptive strike.

[Wild Bill]

It could be; could have been. Harper doesn't realize what minority means- therefore failing the mandate the electorate gave him. He didn't even try to make it work.

A minority government means that those parties that got the least number of votes get to call the shots!

Is that democracy?

[Topaz]

Harper has many reasons for wanting an election as many as the schemes and untruths this party has told. I don't know who I will vote FOR but I will be voting AGAINST this party. It NOT good for Canada and they don't care enough about Canadians, just some!

[Vancouver King]

Desperate bluster? What do you base your opinion on, your own immediate circle of friends?

Not quite, more a circle of 1050 representative voters who just confirmed recent trends away from the governing party. Harper's Quebec strategy lies in shambles, Ontario now favors Dion by 10% and the minor parties on the left command virtually 3 of 10 voters - a probable wellspring of strategic votes in the unlikely event Harper manages to staunch the bleeding.

Harper is no fool, he can read the numbers and trends like anyone else, a recession on his watch coupled with a shrinking calendar conspire to make him a desperate man.

[Moonbox]

Dion might be smart to try to launch a pre-emptive strike.

Harper is hoping to call an election because Dion has proven himself to be a completely inneffectual leader. Even supporters of the Liberal party don't believe in him. Dion has absolutely zero charisma and won't be able to convinece Canadians of anything.

He's been threatening an election all year, but all that's for show. He has to show his supporters he's doing SOMETHING even though he knows he can't.

Canadians laugh at him, his party is broke, and nobody wants ANYTHING to do with his retarded carbon tax plan. I don't think the Liberals could have made things any easier for the Conservatives in a fall election.

[Moonbox]

Not quite, more a circle of 1050 representative voters who just confirmed recent trends away from the governing party. Harper's Quebec strategy lies in shambles, Ontario now favors Dion by 10% and the minor parties on the left command virtually 3 of 10 voters - a probable wellspring of strategic votes in the unlikely event Harper manages to staunch the bleeding.

Harper is no fool, he can read the numbers and trends like anyone else, a recession on his watch coupled with a shrinking calendar conspire to make him a desperate man.

Quote your source if your going to start using specific numbers.

As far as breaking them down, the Liberals have less support in Quebec than the Conservatives do. The Liberals cannot be elected without Quebec. They've never been able to.

Ontario has favored the Liberals forever, and that's only because the GTA contains over 50% of Ontario's voters and the Liberals have always pandered to it's gigantic immigrant population. Aside from the GTA and Vancouver, Liberal support is nothing remarkable.

What I really find interesting, however, is that the minor parties on the left command 3/10 voters. That helps the Conservatives. The left typically never votes Blue anyways, and the more support the minor parties get on the left, the worse off the Liberals are.

Harper is no fool, you're right. He knows things could not look much better for an election.

[Wild Bill]

Not quite, more a circle of 1050 representative voters who just confirmed recent trends away from the governing party. Harper's Quebec strategy lies in shambles, Ontario now favors Dion by 10% and the minor parties on the left command virtually 3 of 10 voters - a probable wellspring of strategic votes in the unlikely event Harper manages to staunch the bleeding.

Harper is no fool, he can read the numbers and trends like anyone else, a recession on his watch coupled with a shrinking calendar conspire to make him a desperate man.

When you hear about polls in Ontario you folks in other parts of Canada may not realize the whole story.

Ontario has the lion's share of its population in Toronto and the immediate area. Yet ridings are spread out all over the entire province. This skews the poll results. The Liberals always do better in metro Toronto, for a variety of reasons. They don't do very well at all in the rest of the province.

The Liberals could sweep Toronto with 40% of the polls and not get anywhere near a majority of Ontario's seats.

I'm sure that the parties themselves commission polls that break down things much more accurately, riding by riding. I'm also sure that they're not gonna share them with us! The polls we get are those paid for by the media. They have no need to get anything but a surface picture. That's enough to sell their papers!

You get what you pay for...

[seabee]

Some commentators think that the forthcoming U.S. elections are in Harper's mind. Should Obama win, this may push the conservatives out of fashion in Canada.

[Shakeyhands]

Harper is hoping to call an election because Dion has proven himself to be a completely inneffectual leader. Even supporters of the Liberal party don't believe in him. Dion has absolutely zero charisma and won't be able to convinece Canadians of anything.

He's been threatening an election all year, but all that's for show. He has to show his supporters he's doing SOMETHING even though he knows he can't.

Canadians laugh at him, his party is broke, and nobody wants ANYTHING to do with his retarded carbon tax plan. I don't think the Liberals could have made things any easier for the Conservatives in a fall election.

Welcome Back!!!

[blueblood]

When you hear about polls in Ontario you folks in other parts of Canada may not realize the whole story.

Ontario has the lion's share of its population in Toronto and the immediate area. Yet ridings are spread out all over the entire province. This skews the poll results. The Liberals always do better in metro Toronto, for a variety of reasons. They don't do very well at all in the rest of the province.

The Liberals could sweep Toronto with 40% of the polls and not get anywhere near a majority of Ontario's seats.

I'm sure that the parties themselves commission polls that break down things much more accurately, riding by riding. I'm also sure that they're not gonna share them with us! The polls we get are those paid for by the media. They have no need to get anything but a surface picture. That's enough to sell their papers!

You get what you pay for...

NWO also votes for Liberals pretty solid as well.

[Vancouver King]

Ontario has the lion's share of its population in Toronto and the immediate area. Yet ridings are spread out all over the entire province. This skews the poll results.

The results cannot be skewed if a representative cross-section of voters is interviewed. This includes interviews in areas that reflect the actual population makeup of the province. If voters are interviewed in numbers reflecting the actual population, how are the numbers skewed?

[normanchateau]

I am starting to wonder if Harpers recent change of heart is more about avoiding the embarrassing and possibly illegal In and Out scheme, that they have been using every delaying tactic to avoid public scrutiny. The CPC hasn't been the accountable government people were expecting. My guess is that the In and Out scheme is something the CPC would rather not have the public know about, and thus want to go to the polls and kill the issue there.

Let's not forget that the Conservatives' crime bills are stalled in the Commons justice committee because the Conservative committee chair repeatedly shuts down the meetings when opposition MPs seek a vote to hold hearings on an alleged attempt to buy a vote from the late Chuck Cadman. If Harper has anything to hide, he's going to want to go to the polls sooner rather than later.