Coalition Government

[BC_chick]

Quite the coalition. The balance of power would be in the hands of the Bloc whose only interest is to break up the country. I wonder what pound(s) of flesh Duceppe will ask for in exchange for supporting the Liberal/NDP coalition. What will Dion and Layton offer to the Bloc? What will the Bloc ask for? Scary, isn't it. The Liberals quest for power now has the stench of being willing to veer left to the NDP and to jump into bed with the separatists. How pathetic.

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. We now need a centre-left party to balance things out instead of two splitting the vote. It didn't make sense to divide the right, remember? Why should the left continue to stay divided ensuring a right-wing agenda for a country whose citizens identify themselves as 'liberal' 6 to 4.

[eyeball]

Start a Progressives for Conservatives site.

Progressive Coalition

VS

Progressive Conservative

History repeating itself?

Nope, its just reminding you where the general direction of the natural governing ideology is. That would actually be ahead of us. If you conservatives weren't always looking wistfully backwards as you move forward in time you'd be able to see that.

[johhny]

Canadians vote for a local candidate, not the PM (unless the current PM is their preferred candidate in their riding) and not a political party. The "will of the Canadian voters" was 2 to 1 against the Conservative candidates. A coalition that forms a majority would better represent how Canadians voted than this belligerent and dishonest Tory minority menace.

[madmax]

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. We now need a centre-left party to balance things out instead of two splitting the vote.

A coalition government cannot split the vote......

It didn't make sense to divide the right, remember? Why should the left continue to stay divided ensuring a right-wing agenda for a country whose citizens identify themselves as 'liberal' 6 to 4.

There is no divided left. There are 3 very different parties with one common goal. Make Parliment work during an economic crises and remove the Prime Minister with the tin ear and a passion for bullying.

[BC_chick]

A coalition government cannot split the vote......

Exactly my point.

There is no divided left. There are 3 very different parties with one common goal. Make Parliment work during an economic crises and remove the Prime Minister with the tin ear and a passion for bullying.

What you say it true about Harper, but the 3 very different parties have one commonality in spite of those differences - they are all left of centre to varying degrees.

[charter.rights]

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. We now need a centre-left party to balance things out instead of two splitting the vote. It didn't make sense to divide the right, remember? Why should the left continue to stay divided ensuring a right-wing agenda for a country whose citizens identify themselves as 'liberal' 6 to 4.

The Bloc might have been a threat, except Duceppe has already stated that he would be willing to support a coalition so long as no one in the Bloc gets a ministerial position AND the coalition government was good for Quebec. To participate in governing the country would be a contradiction to their purpose. However, I could see that the Bloc might become the Quebec Wing of the coalition...which wouldn't be such a bad thing IMO. If there was a failure and Quebecers got pissed off at their own party for screwing up it would send votes from Quebec to the other mainstream parties....

[WIP]

Canadians vote for a local candidate, not the PM (unless the current PM is their preferred candidate in their riding) and not a political party. The "will of the Canadian voters" was 2 to 1 against the Conservative candidates. A coalition that forms a majority would better represent how Canadians voted than this belligerent and dishonest Tory minority menace.

Apparently Harper is confident that most Canadians are too stupid to understand the parliamentary system. This is from a CTV story that included a leaked talking points memo that included three answers that all conservative drones are supposed to say when confronting reporters -- get a load of that last one about trying to overthrow the Prime Minister chosen by Canadians:

* "We're not even two months removed from the last election, and a group of backroom politicians are going to pick who the Prime Minister is. Canadians didn't vote for this person. We don't even know who this person will be."

* "And what's this going to do with the economy. I'm sorry, I don't care how desperate the Liberals are - giving socialists (Jack Layton) and separatists (Gilles Duceppe) a veto over every decision in government - that is a recipe for total economic disaster."

* "I don't want another election. But what I want even less is a surprise backroom Prime Minister whom I never even had the opportunity to vote for or against. What an insult to democracy."

[madmax]

Wow 42 votes and now the Coalition forces are pulling out a commanding lead on MLW, but there is one problem that occurs in the followup poll. There is no strong or fair liberal leadership choice.

Part of that is my problem for not having an other column, but right now their is support for the overthrow and installation of a coalition, but not as much support for the coalition leader as their is for Harper as Prime Minister.

Interesting........

BTW, this was never intended to be a real serious thread on coalition governments when it started. It has taken a life of its own.....

[Argus]

Bring down this government.

I think you need a new name. Something more like passionoverreason. It'd be more apt.

[Smallc]

I think you need a new name. Something more like passionoverreason. It'd be more apt.

I supported the government. Not anymore, they're playing games when they should be serious. Am I being passionate over reasonable?

[Argus]

Agreed. I also feel it will strengthen relations with the U.S again as the tories tried to sabatage Obama's campain, We need a leader that play's well with others and who can build friendship

Uh huhh. Well given most Liberals and NDP types can't say the word "American" without spitting I find it hard to believe they'll do much to improve relations with the yanks. The NDP is probably even now demanding that as a bare minimum for support they'll require the Liberals to immediately tell those evil, warmongering Yankee filth that we are exiting Afghanistan beginning the day after their government is sworn in. I'm sure Obama will really appreciate that.

[Argus]

I supported the government. Not anymore, they're playing games when they should be serious. Am I being passionate over reasonable?

I told you before your name ought to be Smalll, not Smallc. You've always been a liberal at heart. If you supported the government it was only out of disdain for Dion. You have no conservative beliefs I've seen in your postings, fiscally or socially. You're a big-government, high-taxes, government intervention type person and would be far more comfortable with the Liberal Party.

Edited November 29, 2008 by Argus

[Argus]

Apparently Harper is confident that most Canadians are too stupid to understand the parliamentary system.

Most Canadians ARE too stupid to understand the Parliamentary system - evidently including you.

[Smallc]

I told you before your name ought to be Smalll, not Smallc. You've always been a liberal at heart. If you supported the government it was only out of disdain for Dion. You have no conservative beliefs I've seen in your postings, fiscally or socially. You're a big-government, high-taxes, government intervention type person and would be far more comfortable with the Liberal Party.

I guess you do know me. Your wrong about the fiscal part though. I don't believe in deficits....in this case though, there appears to be no choice.

[Argus]

A coalition government cannot split the vote......

There is no divided left. There are 3 very different parties with one common goal.

God, were you born yesterday? One common goal? They all have a variety of goals, most of them entirely contradictory, and, for the most part, they have disdain for one another, and contempt for each others stated goals. Did you see how Layton treated Dion during the election debate? Could his contempt have been more clear? Now you think he's going to work for Dion and take his orders? Uhmmm. As for Duceppe, he and the nationalist Quebecois have always hated Dion. He was actually brought into politics by Chretien specifically to fight the separatists.

Any "coallition" between these three will be like a gay bathhouse - full of people eagerly trying to screw one another at every opportunity.

[mjp]

Its clear that harper is not thinking for what is the best for canadians, but only his own party. The removing funding for political parties basically eliminates most of the third parties.. the Bloc, NDP, possibly the liberals and the Greens for certain, and every other third party.

But directly it would kill the green party of Canada... after all Elizabeth May did make harper look like a dolt at the debates... So I think this was trying to get payback against the greens for what May did at the debates

As for WIP's quotes on the three points that the drones are to run around and repeat, I have heard those points on several different programs.

I think a coalition could work, if the leaders were able to bury their ego's. But I think the worst thing that liberals EVER did was put dion as their leader, and now he's a lame duck leader. So for a coalition to work dion must leave sooner then planned, Which in my personal opinion would be the best thing for the Liberal Party.

Personally, I think that the conservatives (The Harper Talking Heads) are idiots, this only costs 30 mill to fund the parties, and 300 mill for an election... jeez... think on the math for 5 seconds.. its not the end of the world on 30 mill.

the fact that harper attacked unions is the stupidest thing going, you want to see Canada come to a halt, watch every union in Canada work together and go on strike. You think legislating them back to work would work? Unions still have alot of power in this country.

[Slim MacSquinty]

Harper has no idea how to address the current economic crisis. Basically he is floating the same ideas that Herbert Hoover, Calvin Cooledge, RB Bennett had to solve the Great Depression-- they didn't work in 1929 and they won't work in 2008.

People need to wake up. The economic heartland of this county is in crisis and action is needed now. Like the action President Elect Obama is proposing for the USA and the action FDR and King took to solve the crisis in for their generation

Instead of building consensus and addressing the crisis Harper decided to kick the Opposition when it was down. We need to work together and stick together to address this crisis and the time for regional and partisan petty politics is over. If Harper can't build the coalition required to address the crisis he needs to step aside and make room for someone who can.

What utter drivel, worshipping the idol Obama, but what exactly has he done that warrants this worship?

This is not the depression of 1929, there are so many differences it's doesn't deserve my attention, where is this crisis and how do you suppose Canada acting alone can make the slightest difference? Please tell me where in Canada has unemployment reached 20%, please point out the soup kitchen lines, please show me all the stocks that lost 90% or more of their value. This is hardly even a resession yet morons keep comparing it to the depression, in the two worst effected cities in Canada, Oshawa and Windsor, unemployment hasn't even reached double digits, housing markets have not collapsed let alone in the nation as a whole.

Please share your economic wisdom with us, or are you just another disaffected liberal who will who will spew bullshit and stare into my eyes while telling bold faced lies in an attempt to justify filling their own pockets. Using the rules of parliment for your own benefit is an affront to democratic process, these rules are meant for managment during crisis not for usurping power because you are offended, and those who are supporting it either hold petty grievances or lack understanding of the compromises that must be reached especially with the BQ in order for it to work, during bad economic times a steady hand on the tiller is necessary, look at how bad and for how long Bob Rae screwed up Ontario, if indeed they believe the economy is as bad as they say, then they are doing the country a grave disservice by adding political instability at the same time.

[jdobbin]

You're right, I don't like it because it will have serious repercussions for the country and they won't be good. Too bad you can't put Harper and the interests of the other 307 horses hind ends aside and consider that. But seriously, if you are so in love with coalitions, why not go to some form of PR? If our future is to be a succession of minorities, it would be a good way to go.

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.

It is Harper that brought Canada to this.

I'd rather not have a coalition but Harper does not have the interests of Canada at heart. It is politics as war and he should reap what he himself tried to do in 2004.

[jdobbin]

No that is the masses demanding their vote. Nobody said it wasn't fair, those are your words.

What masses?

[jdobbin]

Had I known I would have been.

I'm sure that somehow you would have accepted it.

[Smallc]

What masses?

The Conservatives that were listening to Roy green today. He was so mad, and Libby Davies took him to task on his rudeness. It was hilarious.

[LesterDC]

In all sincerity, what are the main arguments against Ignatieff? I do not know his history very well.. Why does it say "I am Canadian...Really" ?

Thanks

[Smallc]

In all sincerity, what are the main arguments against Ignatieff? I do not know his history very well.. Why does it say "I am Canadian...Really" ?

Thanks

Its because he lived in the US until a few years ago.

[johhny]

Uh huhh. Well given most Liberals and NDP types can't say the word "American" without spitting I find it hard to believe they'll do much to improve relations with the yanks. The NDP is probably even now demanding that as a bare minimum for support they'll require the Liberals to immediately tell those evil, warmongering Yankee filth that we are exiting Afghanistan beginning the day after their government is sworn in. I'm sure Obama will really appreciate that.

Actually suprised to know the NDP and Obama would work very well together both want to negotiate labor contracts and home grown jobs under NAFTA.

[LesterDC]

Its because he lived in the US until a few years ago.

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