Coalition Government

[bush_cheney2004]

Ah thanks. It also looks like he has lived in the U.K. for 22 years..

Like many "Canadians".....so how long did he live in Lebanon?

[LesterDC]

Like many "Canadians".....so how long did he live in Lebanon?

Personally, I don't have much of a problem with it.. I was just following the same train of thought

[bush_cheney2004]

Personally, I don't have much of a problem with it.. I was just following the same train of thought

Agreed....the Grits would have been better off today with Iggy.

[LesterDC]

Agreed....the Grits would have been better off today with Iggy.

It isn't like Dion set a very high standard

[August1991]

Harper's government is not going to fall and the Liberals/NDP are not going to form a coalition government.

I think in about a week or so, some comentators and in particular some Liberal politicians are going to realize that they have made utter fools of themselves.

[Smallc]

Harper's government is not going to fall and the Liberals/NDP are not going to form a coalition government.

I think in about a week or so, some comentators and in particular some Liberal politicians are going to realize that they have made utter fools of themselves.

The only people who have made fools of themselves are the Conservatives. The opposition is now running the show and it seems it will remain that way for the duration of this parliament....whether or not they form a coalition.

[August1991]

The only people who have made fools of themselves are the Conservatives. The opposition is now running the show and it seems it will remain that way for the duration of this parliament....whether or not they form a coalition.

It's a minority government. To survive a confidence motion, Harper requires the support of only one opposition party.

I wouldn't describe that as "running the show" but I'll grant you that Harper does not have a majority.

[myata]

Oh yes, and how could I forget to mention that almost genuine indignation with which Mr Harper addressed the "unelected" nature of proposed coalition. I almost believed him ... till somebody on the yesterday's CBC TV polictical comment reminded us, that there's been that one other politician, who, in the times of old Paul Martin's Liberal government, has advised Governor General to "consider other options" rather than call the election requested by Liberals. You'll never guess who it was. Try, though. Maybe this could provide some valuable hints:

Mr X and Fixed Election Dates;

Mr X and Kyoto Accord

Edited November 29, 2008 by myata

[johhny]

It's a minority government. To survive a confidence motion, Harper requires the support of only one opposition party.

I wouldn't describe that as "running the show" but I'll grant you that Harper does not have a majority.

poor Harper has no friends I feel so sad for him

[Smallc]

I wouldn't describe that as "running the show" but I'll grant you that Harper does not have a majority.

Its more than that. Harper has lost a great deal of credibility. He will no longer command the respect that he did from many.

[mjp]

Its more than that. Harper has lost a great deal of credibility. He will no longer command the respect that he did from many.

even members of the conservative party are pissed off at him for this.

[Topaz]

The news at 6:00 tonight said that Harper withdrew that part about the parties losing their 1.95 per vote. Harper doesn't get it that it what the WHOLE document said.

[Smallc]

The news at 6:00 tonight said that Harper withdrew that part about the parties losing their 1.95 per vote. Harper doesn't get it that it what the WHOLE document said.

Exactly. They don't seem to get that it was terrible. Simply terrible. It did nothing that it should have done and everything that is shouldn't have.

Edited November 29, 2008 by Smallc

[johhny]

time for Harper to open up his purse and bribe those like he did Cadman

[mjp]

time for Harper to open up his purse and bribe those like he did Cadman

indeed, I'm sure that will happen..

[Argus]

You have a point about a coalition that includes the separatists. But coalition with the NDP actually makes sense now that Harper has come a notch to the left, governing centre right.

Uhm, okay. Perhaps there's one little item you neglected to think about. Many have spoken about how Harper "hates" the Liberals and wants to destroy them. I don't know if that's true. But I do know this; the NDP definitely would like to see the Liberals destroyed. They know very well that until they can supplant either the Liberals or the Tories as one of the big two - just as Labour did to the Liberals in the UK - they have no hope of ever grabbing power.

So let's examine the possibilities here. If you're Jack Layton you know that an election now or soon would decimate the Liberals, especially if they got the blame for it. So he helps Dion overturn the Conservative government and put Dion in as PM, and then, a month or so later, engineers the downfall of the new government on some pretext or other calculated to make the Liberals look as bad as possible.

The Liberals, already near bankruptcy, go into an election with no money and a lame duck leader everyone hates, divided and bitter, with no policies to speak of, and a furious electorate largely blaming the Liberals for another fast election. Can you say Jack Layton, Official Opposition leader? I know you can.

[Argus]

Harper can't put his own interests behind that of winning and destroying all the other parties.

He can't be surprised that it has led to this. You seem fine with his brinkmanship, his bullying and appear to think that the Opposition should roll over and play dead. Well, the answer is no. No to economic update with no stimulus. No to bullying. No to take it and like it.

You're pretty cocky given that even if you manage to win a vote there is absolutely no guarantee the GG won't decide to simply dissolve parliament and call new elections. Unless you have an agreement with the BQ there isn't even a strong probability she will give an NDP Liberal rump the chance to try to form a government. That would put is into an election with the electorate furious - at YOU - for overturning the government on a flimsy pretext, and the election about leadership and economic stewardship - both subjects where Harper is way out in front as far as the electorate are concerned. That's in addition to the fact you're nearly bankrupt, had to borrow for the last election, might not even be able to borrow for this one, and have a highly unpopular lame duck leader.

[johhny]

You're pretty cocky given that even if you manage to win a vote there is absolutely no guarantee the GG won't decide to simply dissolve parliament and call new elections. Unless you have an agreement with the BQ there isn't even a strong probability she will give an NDP Liberal rump the chance to try to form a government. That would put is into an election with the electorate furious - at YOU - for overturning the government on a flimsy pretext, and the election about leadership and economic stewardship - both subjects where Harper is way out in front as far as the electorate are concerned. That's in addition to the fact you're nearly bankrupt, had to borrow for the last election, might not even be able to borrow for this one, and have a highly unpopular lame duck leader.

she's not going to call another election so soon when Harper waisted $300million of taxpayers money already. What she will do is allow the coalition to run the country till the Liberals apoint a new leader, then a election will be called.

Edited November 30, 2008 by johhny

[madmax]

I saw Dion on the NEWs today. He makes me ill, so very very ill.

Not to get ahead of myself, but if this coalition things continues to gain momentum, there has to be an ABD campaign.

Anyone But Dion.

[jdobbin]

Actually, you are incorrect.

It is within the GGs discretion to accept a coalition or not.

Think that is what I have been saying all along. If she feels an election is unwarranted, she will turn to the next largest party and ask them if they can form a government.

She would not accept any arrangement that adds up to a minority, such as NDP + Liberal, for the obvious reasons that a) it would be more fragile than the existing govt and b.) the balance of power would be held by separatists.

Really? You absolutely, positively know that? I say baloney since this is the exact situation that Harper had in 2004 and the BQ then would hold the balance of power. The only reason Harper backed down is because his popularity plummeted in advance of the confidence vote.

The two options remaining are a coalition formally involving the Bloc, which woyuld be wonderful news for the Tories, or an election. It is hard to imagine Layton not recognizing the complete peril of those optics. It is easy to imahgine the Liberals doing it.

It's hard to believe that you believe that the Bloc is necessary to a coalition and that Jean would call an election instead of waiting to see if the coalition could survive a confidence vote.

We'll be voting soon.

I kept saying all along that Harper was going to call a vote anyway before May and was dismissed.

I wonder how the Liberals will explain triggering a $300 million election in the middle of an economic crisis, to save their $7 million in fundiung? Maybe they could get one of those friendly Montreal ad agencies to help them with that explanation.

Easy. Blame Harper for not making the economy a priority.

[capricorn]

ABD. Anyone But Dion.

Here's an idea. We already had Danny Williams ABC (anybody but Conservative) campaign. Let's do an ABCD campaign. Flows off the tongue easier than ABD and some people might think it's a spelling mistake

ABCD = Anybody but Citoyen Dion

[jdobbin]

You're pretty cocky given that even if you manage to win a vote there is absolutely no guarantee the GG won't decide to simply dissolve parliament and call new elections.

Fine. Let's go to elections. It certainly would be better than the bullying, bend over and take it and you'll like it type of government that Harper intended.

Unless you have an agreement with the BQ there isn't even a strong probability she will give an NDP Liberal rump the chance to try to form a government.

Then let's go to an election. It is Harper's fault if it comes to that.

My view is that Adrienne Clarkson is correct when she says that she would have turned to Harper in 2004 had he defeated the Liberals in a confidence vote. The BQ would have held the balance of power then so tell me what that was okay but this is not.

That would put is into an election with the electorate furious - at YOU - for overturning the government on a flimsy pretext, and the election about leadership and economic stewardship - both subjects where Harper is way out in front as far as the electorate are concerned. That's in addition to the fact you're nearly bankrupt, had to borrow for the last election, might not even be able to borrow for this one, and have a highly unpopular lame duck leader.

Harper was going to call an election before May anyway so what does it matter?

Edited November 30, 2008 by jdobbin

[jdobbin]

The Liberals, already near bankruptcy, go into an election with no money and a lame duck leader everyone hates, divided and bitter, with no policies to speak of, and a furious electorate largely blaming the Liberals for another fast election. Can you say Jack Layton, Official Opposition leader? I know you can.

The Tories were going to go to an election anyway after putting through their economic update. They weren't going to wait for the Liberals to step down.

They played the brinkmanship and showed a tin ear for conciliation.

The Governor General will be hard pressed to go to an election without first trying to see if the Opposition can form a government.

[jdobbin]

I was one of the first here, if not THE first, to complain about the cabinet being enlarged. I've also expressed serious disapproval over the Tories' increased spending to the point of suggesting they've lost my vote. I also think this was a stupid time to try this election funding brinkmanship.

I didn't know you were a card carrying Conservative.

There have been plenty of card carrying Tories here who have said all the spending is necessary and the big cabinet is all about good government.

Still and all, the Liberals look pathetic, dishonest, hypocritical and self-serving. Their weasel-words in continually denying this has anything to do with election funding is patently dishonest, and the fact they're willing to unseat the government now even after that has been effectively withdrawn - even though that will unquestionably cause chaos and disrupt economic stimulus plans just shows yet again, that Liberals put the importance of Canada about forty notches down the ladder of importance from their rabid desire for power.

The Tories are acting like this was a simple budgetary cost cutting measure and act aghast when they are accused of Machiavellian, knuckledragging, bullying tactics.

Harper put the importance of himself above all. It is the opposite of conciliatory and another broken promise from a party that seems to take pride in the howling partisanship, frothy mouthed, wild eyed, take no prisoners , win at all costs, destroy all who oppose politics.

This was not an economic statement so much as it was shrug your shoulders, kick you in the nuts confidence measure.

Well, no dice.

If the Governor General calls an election, she will have to explain why she is willing to go the voters again rather than seeing if the Opposition can do better than the firebreathing yahoos who are in government now.

[sharkman]

she's not going to call another election so soon when Harper waisted $300million of taxpayers money already. What she will do is allow the coalition to run the country till the Liberals apoint a new leader, then a election will be called.

And who would call an election under this scenario? The Liberals, doing the "right" thing? The GG, who was appointed by Martin? Quit dreaming.

This is a thinly veiled attempt to grab power because the "stupid" voter didn't vote the cpc out. Our weak version of democracy is tottering all because the Liberals have no principles left. PET would never have done such a thing as this.