Coalition Government

[Bryan]

You think? I know that everything the Tories do is brilliant, simply brilliant, but I can't see how they think being tossed out of government is a good thing.

Don't kid yourself. All Harper had done is give the Liberals a myriad of choices with which to hang themselves:

•It passes: Liberals and Bloc are cut off at the knees.

•It passes in the house, but the Liberal controlled Senate rejects it: puts Senate reform on the front burner with 12 vacant seats waiting for appointments elections.

•It gets defeated, and we go to an election: Electorate punishes the Liberals for being so greedy.

•It gets defeated, and the LPC forms a coalition govt: Duceppe punishes the Liberals for trusting him, Electorate punishes the Liberals for being both greedy and stupid.

CPC's worst case scenario is to be out of office for a few months to a year, then back with a strong majority and the Liberals dead and gone forever. LPC's best case scenario is to just take it and vote for the bill.

[Keepitsimple]

Question: why have the media speculated that the Liberals and NDP might form a coalition government? Wouldn't the Bloc have to be included in the coalition? Can the GG actually approve a coalition that does not have enough members to defeat the sitting government? Why have the media not explained the rules for forming coalition governments? Is it media bias - not wanting to prtray the Liberals as being cozy with the Bloc - or it just lazy journalism?

Edited November 28, 2008 by Keepitsimple

[madmax]

Don't kid yourself. All Harper had done is give the Liberals a myriad of choices with which to hang themselves:

•It passes: Liberals and Bloc are cut off at the knees.

•It passes in the house, but the Liberal controlled Senate rejects it: puts Senate reform on the front burner with 12 vacant seats waiting for appointments elections.

•It gets defeated, and we go to an election: Electorate punishes the Liberals for being so greedy.

•It gets defeated, and the LPC forms a coalition govt: Duceppe punishes the Liberals for trusting him, Electorate punishes the Liberals for being both greedy and stupid.

CPC's worst case scenario is to be out of office for a few months to a year, then back with a strong majority and the Liberals dead and gone forever. LPC's best case scenario is to just take it and vote for the bill.

Not a bad analysis to consider.

2223 votes already.....

Edited November 28, 2008 by madmax

[myata]

Harper's folks are simply showing that they just aren't going to change their ways, and will try to shove their agenda (and their little nasty jabs, like removing the funding for political parties) minority/majority/crisis/ no crisis/ no matter what. This is simply the way these folks are, and it should be pretty obvious to everybody by now.

In my view, broad left center coalition is the only way forward in this stalemate situation. I care little about how it comes about and would certainly cooperate with BQ if it'd help to move things forward. Looks like coalition scenario is being worked upon already: CTV: Chretien and Broadbent to work on coalition.

[DFCaper]

Harper said he was a good Leader... And he can barely keep Parliament together for 2 months.

Some how, he's making Dion look like he would be a better leader?!?!?

When will the CPC realize that Harper isn't going to get a majority with this guy and put someone in place that can lead this WHOLE Country? I voted for Harper before, but he will never get my vote again. We need a new Conservative Leader for this country before we have Rae and the NDP leading us.... which I almost prefer to this a...... :angry:

When he failled to get a Majority in that, cake walk of an elkection, he proved to me that the CPC needs a new leader. The Libs would have tossed him by now. Not sure why the CPC is settling...

[myata]

Speaking of which. Canada gave CPC a minority mandate; not a majority one, to say it again. Meaning that it expects government policies to be coordinated and supported by the opposition. If anything, the economic situation has made the need for non-partisan, efficient and practical coordination in the Parliament more pressing than ever. PM himself said to that extent multiple times.

It appears however that the talk and the walk are two different beasts. Forget the cooperation talk, in the act its the same old very well known from the previous incarnation of the same government "my way or no way" Harper. So, are they really interested in guiding the country through these challenging times, in cooperation with the other parties? Or, as before, they'll be looking for every chance, trick and gimmick to fulfill their majority wet dream?

We'll know very soon. Either they'll relent and compromise - which would tell us that even in these critical times, Harper finds the time and intellectual capacity for his hallmark little nasty jabs and strategems. Or, they'll press on, despite common sense, and the mandate given by Canada, and in that case, they need to be kicked out asap, before things have gotten completely out of control. Hopefully, it could result in a meaningful action on the economy, social development, the enviroment, and, if we press it, electoral reform, something that majority of us who voted, support and want to see happen.

[myata]

No, backtracking. Already: CTV: party funding.

Economy or not, there's always time for our little games.

[jdobbin]

•It gets defeated, and the LPC forms a coalition govt: Duceppe punishes the Liberals for trusting him, Electorate punishes the Liberals for being both greedy and stupid.

CPC's worst case scenario is to be out of office for a few months to a year, then back with a strong majority and the Liberals dead and gone forever. LPC's best case scenario is to just take it and vote for the bill.

It is too late for that. Harper wants to play brinkmanship and he will call an election anyways all the while bullying.

Confidence appears to be lost.

I guess you can hope that it will be shortlived and the Tories will be back with a majority but that is speculation on your part. The reality is that Harper might face some angry people in his own party and they might need a new leader themselves before coming back.

[Smallc]

The question is then, who does the GG ask to govern if a coalition is formed?

[M.Dancer]

The question is then, who does the GG ask to govern if a coalition is formed?

The question is rather, would she ask the coalition to bring their platform to the electorate. If she chooses to accept the coalition, it is up to the coalition to decide who leads..

But there is just as much chance as her rejecting a coalition by stating there was just an election and if they wish to govern they should defeat the goverment and let Canadians decide who leads.

[eyeball]

It sounds like Canadians who are fed up with this constant parliamentary BS should go over the PM's head and start pressuring the GG themselves.

[madmax]

As much as I dislike the wordings of the questions, I voted for a change of government and Dion being the next PM.

The wording was created as a joke, when in another thread, it started to occur that this could create a theorhetical situation of Duceppe becoming the Prime Minister. At the time, no one seriously believed a coalition could be formed beyond the point of squawking fringes of various parties and some media devils. So I had to have some cartoonlike characters to equal the prospects of Duceppe being Prime Minister. Thus Dion is the Carbon Tax, Rae is the Economist, Duceppe is for separation and Harper is a simply "Hey Pal, ain't gonna happen" confidence because the option of a coalition appeared so absurd less then 48 hours ago.

Besides, The thought of Dion as Prime Minister makes me want to puke under any circumstances.

In theory, it's possible. If Harper pursues this policy and loses a vote, then the GG could ask Dion to form a government.

There is absolutely no way that Harper would go that far. Heck, I don't even think Harper is crazy enough to want the GG to dissolve parliament and have another election campaign.

If you believe that Harper would easily surrender power to Dion, you do not understand the mentality/personality of people involved in politics.

-----

So, there must be something else afoot.

Apparently everything is possible and seeing the reaction from the Harper Supporters, you can tell they are not happy campers. The irony being that they think Democracy exists only in funding... and not in parliment and if parliment can make something that seems absolutely impossible to do, work, well then .... they are doing a better job then Harper who called an election because the parliment that was working....wasn't.... and now he put himself in a position where he is going to be looking at the procedural books to keep his job.

And quite Frankly, he has a habit of taking good and bad ideas and browbeating people with them. I can't say for certain if he has worn out his welcome, but the mere thought that people, anyone could dare consider Dion as a superior leader, or a necessary change to Harper indicates how badly he has messed this up. Because Dion is IMHO a pathetic individual, who had no business in running to be Prime Minister and still has no business in being Prime Minister, if we care about our country.....

While 48 hours ago I might agree with the ... something else is afoot,...... Harper has put his foot up the other parties butts and they don't like it. Which means, I could start puking come Monday.

24 votes.... Need one more.....

$1.95 anyone?

[Smallc]

Stephen Harper looks scared. Its simply amazing.

[DrGreenthumb]

Stephen Harper looks scared. Its simply amazing.

Flaherty already came running back to the media with his tail between his legs. They will not include elections finance changes in a confidence motion. I hope the coalition still happens. Nothing would make me happer than getting rid of this Conservative government. Even Dion would be a big improvement over Harper, but I think Jack Layton would be the best choice to head a coalition party.

[fellowtraveller]

I wonder who will be Deputy PM, Layton or Duceppe?

PM Dion will have some tough choices.

Both Dion and Layton will have to invest in some kneepads though, because the price of Duceppes support will be for those leaders to figuratively fellate him regularly at primetime in the middle of St Catharines street. We already know that Dion will do it and willingly, not sure about Layton.

Any federal leader who actively seeks a governi g coalition that includes the Bloc is dead, dead, dead.

[Smallc]

Flaherty already came running back to the media with his tail between his legs. They will not include elections finance changes in a confidence motion.

That won't make a difference. The opposition knows that they can't trust the Prime Minister now. He's playing games while he should be governing and he'll take any chance he gets to destroy them. I think it may be too late to turn this around.

[Wrongwayman]

As much as I dislike the wordings of the questions, I voted for a change of government and Dion being the next PM.

In theory, it's possible. If Harper pursues this policy and loses a vote, then the GG could ask Dion to form a government.

There is absolutely no way that Harper would go that far. Heck, I don't even think Harper is crazy enough to want the GG to dissolve parliament and have another election campaign.

If you believe that Harper would easily surrender power to Dion, you do not understand the mentality/personality of people involved in politics.

-----

So, there must be something else afoot.

Even a criminally incompentent LIEberals could potentially breach the castle walls. However, I don't believe that the leftards are yet ready to stop pouting and allow the LIEberals to come in and resume destroying Canada. Soon though.

[johhny]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, faced with threats from the opposition parties to defeat his government on Monday, has announced that all confidence motions will be postponed for a week.

[johhny]

Harper said the next opposition day will be set for Dec. 8, giving his government a week’s breathing space.

[Slim MacSquinty]

Listening to the Liberals in the media after yesterdays update, it seemed clear that something was up, they had talking points that were prepared prior to the speech and sounding much like election talk, lets also remember the first day back in parliment it was clear that it was not the Cons spoiling for a fight it was the Liberals and NDP who came out with the greatest venon.

Most interesting of all to enlighten us as to the actual motivation, was the response of Dwight Duncan, Ontario minister of finance who reported he was pleased with Flaherty's speech and progress on an auto pact bailout, today Ontario and the federal government sent a joint letter to the heads of the detroit three seeking information on their future plans to assist in bail out package preparations. This clearly is exactly the opposite of the actions of the two federal opposition parties and in my mind betrays their actual motivation.

[Topaz]

Harper can postpone all he wants the opposition parties aren't going to change their minds. I wonder if the former advisor to Harris came up with his ideas in this economics package? If a election is called I think the NDP and the Libs should still form a party just like the alliance and the cons did and then we will only have two and three parties( the bloc) in the election time, but then we lose our third choice.

[madmax]

Harper said the next opposition day will be set for Dec. 8, giving his government a week’s breathing space.

A bully and a coward are often the same.

Mr Harper is running scared.

[jdobbin]

I wonder who will be Deputy PM, Layton or Duceppe?

Duceppe is not part of the coalition.

PM Dion will have some tough choices.

Who said Dion would be the leader?

Both Dion and Layton will have to invest in some kneepads though, because the price of Duceppes support will be for those leaders to figuratively fellate him regularly at primetime in the middle of St Catharines street. We already know that Dion will do it and willingly, not sure about Layton.

Any federal leader who actively seeks a governi g coalition that includes the Bloc is dead, dead, dead.

Again, Duceppe is not in the coalition.

It would be up to Duceppe to support or not support the government.

[Wilber]

Again, Duceppe is not in the coalition.

It would be up to Duceppe to support or not support the government.

How could he not be in a coalition? The CPC have 29 more seats than the Liberals and NDP combined who could not form a government or defeat the present government without him and for that, there will be a price. A price that the ROC will punish the Liberals and NDP for at the next election.

[madmax]

How could he not be in a coalition? The CPC have 29 more seats than the Liberals and NDP combined who could not form a government or defeat the present government without him and for that, there will be a price. A price that the ROC will punish the Liberals and NDP for at the next election.

Perhaps it is better to be in government and be punished later.... then not be in government.

This all seems so impossible, the BQ? How? I don't read french, but I am curious as to how the Quebec Media is covering the BQ.