Coalition Government

[Smallc]

If this coalition goes through, there will be many very mad Western Canadians. I'm almost afraid.

[blueblood]

Can't remember when I played the race card or when I had the gumption to say who was a Canadian or who was a western Canadian. Sheer gall.

Time to crawl up from the depths. Next you'll be saying that not all Albertans are pure blood Albertans.

I had no idea you wanted to fit in so badly with the stereotypical western canadians that the Liberals despise. PET has openly berated westerners and you support the party that enables that. As for Winnipeg and Vancouver, come on, we both know that Winnipeg and Vancouver are outliers in Western Canadian culture. Even in Manitoba there is a large disconnect from Winnipegers and those living outside the city. From what I've seen regarding Winnipeger's attitudes towards those outside of the city, they're the ones who have gall. Playing the Obama card was the perfect analogy.

[Smallc]

I had no idea you wanted to fit in so badly with the stereotypical western canadians that the Liberals despise. PET has openly berated westerners and you support the party that enables that.

PET is dead. The NEP is gone. Get over it.

[Easterner]

We have a Separatist a Socialist and a bumbling Idiot threatening to take over the Canadian Government in what I see as a political coup. The Liberals have the lowest vote numbers in Canada and they feel they have the right to now seize power. I understand that they technically can legally do it however why have an Election if the results of what the people want is thrown out. As far as I am concerned this is just one step above one of our Generals seizing power in the name of democracy.

[reasonoverpassion]

Where do all these dire prediction that the coalition goverment will not work come from?

Mostly its wishful thinking on the part of Conservative supporters.

Face it--Harper really dropped the ball this time. I've heard Harper's a big hockey fan. Maybe this is more apt analogy:

Steven Harper = Patrick Stefan

??=Ales Hamsky

Oiler v. Stars in 2007 Look up Patrick Stefan misses empy net on You Tube

[Smallc]

I suggest you read the constitution. I also suggest that you realize that its up to government to keep the confidence of the house, not the other way around.

[blueblood]

PET is dead. The NEP is gone. Get over it.

Get over it, is that all? Try convincing westerners of that. Westerners don't like a party that endorses that type of western bashing. What were Dion, Layton, and Duceppe doing during the debates, berating Alberta and Saskatchewan for having a well run economy that is friendly to business and investors.

The veterans of ww1 are all dead, and ww1 is long gone, shall we get over that too?

By remembering the Liberal nonsense of the 1970's Western Canadians won't be too friendly sending a Liberal Party to Ottawa that won't make concessions. If the Liberals want a majority now, they'll have to play nice to the west. Judging by Dion's campaign, that won't happen for some time.

[jdobbin]

I had no idea you wanted to fit in so badly with the stereotypical western canadians that the Liberals despise.

Western Canadian is much more than your narrow viewed interpretation of it.

PET has openly berated westerners and you support the party that enables that. As for Winnipeg and Vancouver, come on, we both know that Winnipeg and Vancouver are outliers in Western Canadian culture.

No, I don't know that. Western Canadian culture is far more than just what you have determined it is.

Even in Manitoba there is a large disconnect from Winnipegers and those living outside the city. From what I've seen regarding Winnipeger's attitudes towards those outside of the city, they're the ones who have gall.

I think you are looking at something different altogether. People outside Winnipeg don't consider to be eastern Canada.

Playing the Obama card was the perfect analogy.

Please. Now tell me how Edmonton is not really western Canada.

[jdobbin]

What were Dion, Layton, and Duceppe doing during the debates, berating Alberta and Saskatchewan for having a well run economy that is friendly to business and investors.

Must have missed that in the debates.

[Easterner]

I suggest you read the constitution. I also suggest that you realize that its up to government to keep the confidence of the house, not the other way around.

The Constitution needs to be updated when it allows a party with the lowest vote in Canadian history to seize the power of Government.....or the people. Bad things could happen to a country when the peoples vote is overturned and control is seized by an unpopular party with the help of a party the wants Canada separated anyway. We do not have to look far in this world to find issues with people and unpopular Governing parties

[johhny]

Get over it, is that all? Try convincing westerners of that. Westerners don't like a party that endorses that type of western bashing. What were Dion, Layton, and Duceppe doing during the debates, berating Alberta and Saskatchewan for having a well run economy that is friendly to business and investors.

The veterans of ww1 are all dead, and ww1 is long gone, shall we get over that too?

By remembering the Liberal nonsense of the 1970's Western Canadians won't be too friendly sending a Liberal Party to Ottawa that won't make concessions. If the Liberals want a majority now, they'll have to play nice to the west. Judging by Dion's campaign, that won't happen for some time.

As much as I agree with you I see allot of angry Torie suporters in my line of work. The Petro Can upgrader has been scraped, same with the Shell expansionm BP and a whole other list. What the government in the 80's done to secure jobs they Federally funded the building of the Petro Canada refinery in Edmonton and when things turned around we sold it and made allot of money. The guys were kinda expecting the same thing some sort of stimulus. on top of taht Albertan's are Irate about the trasfer payment. I really don't think Harper has played his cards right for this province.

Edited December 1, 2008 by johhny

[Slim MacSquinty]

The problem is it is a contrived crisis, premeditated to seize power, not at all cricket.

Before the GG allows this she should force this coalition to show their hand, precisely what are they going to do, what is the deal and who gets what. The most irresponsible politics I have ever witnessed. Canada looks little better than a Banana Republic, watch for the dollar to fall off the scale and the stock market to fall even further if this actually happens.

Not that I like the way Harper handled this, I agree with taking your time on the economy, I think we must do things in concert with the US, and if going to go down the deficit road do so with the utmost of care, however the party financing thing he had to know would be problematic, and the desperate Liberals may take desperate measures, had he phased it in over several elections we may not be where we are today.

This article from one of Canada's leading economists sums up the difficulty of the situation:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...ist-policy.aspx

Throwing money around as stimulus will do only one thing with absolute certainty, send us into deficit and at some point cause taxes to rise, thereby potentially making us less competitive in the world market slowing down economic progress on the far side of this thing.

[g_bambino]

The Constitution needs to be updated when it allows a party with the lowest vote in Canadian history to seize the power of Government.....or the people. Bad things could happen to a country when the peoples vote is overturned and control is seized by an unpopular party with the help of a party the wants Canada separated anyway. We do not have to look far in this world to find issues with people and unpopular Governing parties

Er, the Liberal, New Democratic, and Bloc Quebecois parties actually won more votes than the Conservative Party alone. The NDP and Liberal MPs were elected in exactly the same manner as the Conservative MPs were, thereby representing Canadians no less legitimately. Perhaps you are just confused about how governments are formed in this country.

[ed. to add BQ]

Edited December 1, 2008 by g_bambino

[Smallc]

The Constitution needs to be updated

Ok, I'll put you in charge of that...the last few times we tried to do that it turned out so well.

[blueblood]

Western Canadian is much more than your narrow viewed interpretation of it.

No, I don't know that. Western Canadian culture is far more than just what you have determined it is.

I think you are looking at something different altogether. People outside Winnipeg don't consider to be eastern Canada.

Please. Now tell me how Edmonton is not really western Canada.

As BC always says one vote to a customer. My view of western canadian culture for this purpose is in line with what Ontario liberal MPs say in the House of commons. The same ones you support.

You really should get out of Winnipeg more often then. The differences between the rest of western canada and winnipeg are quite startling.

Of course people outside Winnipeg don't consider to be eastern canada, that's my point. People outside of Winnipeg identify more with Albertans than they do with Winnipegers. Same goes with Vancouver.

[jdobbin]

As BC always says one vote to a customer. My view of western canadian culture for this purpose is in line with what Ontario liberal MPs say in the House of commons. The same ones you support.

You really should get out of Winnipeg more often then. The differences between the rest of western canada and winnipeg are quite startling.

I'll bet you think that anyone not born in Alberta is not a full blood Albertan too.

Of course people outside Winnipeg don't consider to be eastern canada, that's my point. People outside of Winnipeg identify more with Albertans than they do with Winnipegers. Same goes with Vancouver.

Think you need to take a deep breath.

[BubberMiley]

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

I thought the same thing, but given your track record for making predictions, I guess the coalition government is now sure to be.

[Smallc]

As BC always says one vote to a customer. My view of western canadian culture for this purpose is in line with what Ontario liberal MPs say in the House of commons. The same ones you support.

You really should get out of Winnipeg more often then. The differences between the rest of western canada and winnipeg are quite startling.

Of course people outside Winnipeg don't consider to be eastern canada, that's my point. People outside of Winnipeg identify more with Albertans than they do with Winnipegers. Same goes with Vancouver.

So, are you suggesting that Winnipeg is bad because it isn't exactly like where you live? I'm really starting to see that between the lines.

[bush_cheney2004]

...Of course people outside Winnipeg don't consider to be eastern canada, that's my point. People outside of Winnipeg identify more with Albertans than they do with Winnipegers. Same goes with Vancouver.

..and there is a special disdain for the most hated place of all...the dreaded "GTA".

[Easterner]

Ok, I'll put you in charge of that...the last few times we tried to do that it turned out so well.

Well if you took the separatist issues out of the equation then they may get somewhere. At least it would be a start

[reasonoverpassion]

The Constitution needs to be updated when it allows a party with the lowest vote in Canadian history to seize the power of Government.....or the people.

What?? the lowest vote in Canadian history??

For the record here are the facts on the popular vote for the last election:

Conservative 37.65%

Liberal 26.26%

Bloc Québécois 9.98%

New Democrats 18.18%

Green 6.78%

So the coalition would actually represent 44.44% of the votes cast.

[Easterner]

Er, the Liberal, New Democratic, and Bloc Quebecois parties actually won more votes than the Conservative Party alone. The NDP and Liberal MPs were elected in exactly the same manner as the Conservative MPs were, thereby representing Canadians no less legitimately. Perhaps you are just confused about how governments are formed in this country.

[ed. to add BQ]

OK. I will walk you through this. Who will be the PM? How many votes did their party get? Historically is that their party best or worse showing? Is the PM in Canada not the head of the Government? The PM is still the leader of the country unless you think that when the PM gets an invite to the White House he brings along Duceppe and Layton.

When people vote in this country they do not vote for 3 parties to govern and then spin the wheel for who is the PM....

[Alta4ever]

Well this says it all

"different direction than Harper’s taking us, you can’t trust him, no matter anything, throw him out. What about the legitimacy of the democratic process, yeah, what about it?" Jack Layton leaked NDP meeting

Well what were we saying about the democratic process and the respect paid to it.

Edited December 1, 2008 by Alta4ever

[capricorn]

The deal is done and now the tug of war for the PM's position is on.

"The most difficult question is who'll be the leader," Boag said, adding that Dion, who negotiated the deal, believes he has the right to be prime minister.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/11/30/...-coalition.html

This is an urgent matter and has to be determined before the GG is approached. Strange, not a peep from the three Liberal leadership candidates....yet. Mind you, it would be nice if the coalition government had a plan to save???? the economy, given that we're supposedly on the edge of the abyss. It would also be nice if Canadians were privy to that plan. I suppose we'll find out after the GG has had a gander at it.

[Easterner]

OK. I will walk you through this. Who will be the PM? How many votes did their party get? Historically is that their party best or worse showing? Is the PM in Canada not the head of the Government? The PM is still the leader of the country unless you think that when the PM gets an invite to the White House he brings along Duceppe and Layton.

When people vote in this country they do not vote for 3 parties to govern and then spin the wheel for who is the PM....

...........oh I forgot to mention the Green Party leader to make cookies