Coalition Government

[Argus]

That's one hypothesis and here's yet another. The Conservatives do not do well in ridings with universities and a high percentage of voters with university degrees. The more prestigious universities tend to be in cities. Note the location of the University of Alberta. It's in the only Alberta riding which failed to elect a Conservative MP in the 2008 election.

It has little or nothing to do with education. What the cities have are lots of immigrants. Homosexuals gravitate to cities, too. Some estimates put the gay population of Toronto as high as 650,000. I doubt many of them vote Tory. Anyone in the culture biz is probably in the big cities too; tv and radio people, magazine and newspaper people, artists and photographers, dancers, actors and musicians and whatnot. Most of those people are left of centre.

[Argus]

Some RETARD knocked on the door this morning asking me to sign a petition for the Harper. To bad the STupid fawk couldn't take a second to see the huge UNION logo I have present on my door. Next onse getting the baseball bat. Man are Torie suporters RETARDED or what

Maybe your mom invited him.

Or hey, you live in a big mansion, right. You said your income was well into six figures. Maybe he confused you with some bigshot banker.

But I can underestand your outrage. Imagine them daring to support their party! There ought to be a law, eh, maybe a law that lets thugs with baseball bats go after anyone who disagrees with them.

Btw, if you ever manage to get through high school, and go to university, you better stay away from Queens. I don't think they'd approve of your choice of pejoratives.

[Hydraboss]

The UofA in Edmonton elected an NDP'er not unlike the other "centers of learning" across the country. It has nothing to do with education, it has to do with money and success. The people around Old Strath (UofA) are a huge pocket of university students that have never had to pay taxes other than maybe on the waitressing job they have outside of school.

The more people earn, the more they vote conservative so they can keep their money. It's not that education=NDP.

[Argus]

Layton promised to bring the troops back home and end the corporate tax. Now he is not.

This week. But you guys had a choice this week. Once you're well and truly into this thing your choices begin to narrow considerably, and Jack and Duceppe will be in the drivers seats while you - well, Dion is the chauffeur, basically.

Harper was going to blame the Liberals even if he agreed with him or backed down. He figured if he hamstring the party financially and on confidence votes, he would be able to push past with a tame media/

Ludicrous. The media have never been tame. They would have jumped all over him for a quick election call, and the electorate would have been furious - calling another election for no real reason just a few months into his mandate? Nope. It would not ahve worked.

[Oleg Bach]

The UofA in Edmonton elected an NDP'er not unlike the other "centers of learning" across the country. It has nothing to do with education, it has to do with money and success. The people around Old Strath (UofA) are a huge pocket of university students that have never had to pay taxes other than maybe on the waitressing job they have outside of school.

The more people earn, the more they vote conservative so they can keep their money. It's not that education=NDP.

I attended a workshop along with a dozen immigrants and welfare clients. There was a strange former corporate lady that was giving the class - she went from driving a Porche to sleeping in one.. She was highly medicated...to the point of being bonkers...She towered over us poor folks sitting at the board room table and said "You are all very depressed and I suggest that all of you see the doctor and get some medication" Her other great line was "I am being held together by chemicals" - and she was proud of it....One morning during our meeting she attempted to debase the disadvantaged sitting at the table and mentioned how depressed we all were. I stood up and said - "YOU - drop ten thousand dollars into each of our bank accounts and the depression will leave" - The group cheered and laughed....The mentality of this wacko woman was very NDPish and left wing liberal.

She was making good money teaching the class...and she was more than willing to attempt to persuade us that it was not about money - it was about supporting the system - that took care of here and no one else. Before I bailed out of the couse she looked at me with her glassy little eyes and said - "You will never make a good bureacrat" as if it was an insult. This is the Brave New World of Dion and Layton that I have just described,,,More government and more medication for the workers...frinking disrepectful of humanity and the individual if you ask me!

[cybercoma]

if Harpers party cannot governm as required by the situation and their mandate, somebody else has to do it.

Thanks for the platitude.

[Argus]

Moonbox, Argus etc. display usual neo-con ignorance by assuming all who favor the NDP are drawing welfare. We recently received an unsolicited offer of $1.2 million for our East Vancouver home and after I finish this little rant, will go to wholesalers to place orders for a retail operation that total more than those two will see in the next year.

I've never suggested all who favour the NDP are drawing welfare. A substantial portion of them are what I call "do gooders", which I define as people who are "comfortable" and thus not particularly worried about things like higher taxes, have never seen or known poverty, have always had it good, and have a desperate guilt over being white and privilaged, and feel the urge to help others to make up for it - in a sort of brainless, smug, superior fashion. Elizabeth May has the perfect background to be an NDPer - born to well off parents who sent her to university, always had money, never really worked for a living, chasing around after one "cause" after another all her life; shrill, arrogant, and ill-mannered. If this Green thing fails she'll for sure be an NDP candidate at some point, despite this flirting with the Liberals.

[noahbody]

Layton promised to bring the troops back home and end the corporate tax. Now he is not.

So, the reason the government must fall is because Harper hasn't done anything to stimulate the economy, yet the coalition is planning on keeping Harper's corporate tax cuts?

[Huston]

Next onse getting the baseball bat.

Now who is retarded.

[Huston]

So, the reason the government must fall is because Harper hasn't done anything to stimulate the economy, yet the coalition is planning on keeping Harper's corporate tax cuts?

The NDP is obviously out to fuck the small man who is dependant one others for labour.

[kimmy]

Edmonton Strathcona? The NDP has come close to ousting Rahim Jaffer a number of times, prevented only by vote-splitting with the Liberals. Finally, the perfect situation presented itself: a Liberal leader that nobody wanted to vote for. With vote-splitting substantially curtailed thanks to Dion's stellar campaign, the NDP finally sealed the deal.

Edmonton Strathcona is the home of one of the country's largest universities. It's also the home of Edmonton's party district, and much of Edmonton's arts community as well. Winston Churchill's famous comment on youth and socialism explains a lot about why Edmonton Strathcona elected an NDP MP.

Don't be deceived into thinking that it's an especially educated area because the university is there. The students tend to leave Edmonton Strathcona once they get their degrees because by and large there's not a lot of jobs there for grownups outside the medical and academic fields, and because housing is damnedly expensive in the riding.

-k

[johhny]

Known informally as the "four wise men," Roy Romanow, Frank McKenna, Paul Martin and John Manley have agreed to form a body of economic advisers in the event of the formation of a Liberal-NDP coalition government.

And the loser Tories wow have Jim the flip flop Flaterlya

HAHAHAHAHA! starty packing your bag's ya smuck

[Topaz]

Known informally as the "four wise men," Roy Romanow, Frank McKenna, Paul Martin and John Manley have agreed to form a body of economic advisers in the event of the formation of a Liberal-NDP coalition government.

And the loser Tories wow have Jim the flip flop Flaterlya

HAHAHAHAHA! starty packing your bag's ya smuck

I think his name now is "Daddy Debt"

[cybercoma]

I believe their names are Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty. It is against the forum rules to address them as anything else.

[Oleg Bach]

Is King Harper okay? I like the idea of kings - politicals and oil merchants are boring. Maybe it's time for return of the kings. Civil governments are a failure - Corporate economic rule has proven to be a disaster - maybe kingship should make a come back - a person that actually cares and is devinely inspired but not a religious fanatic.

[madmax]

I believe their names are Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty. It is against the forum rules to address them as anything else.

Thats correct. Tensions are a bit higher this past week and even typos and unintential slurs are going to be pointed out and taken more personally then just a few weeks ago. Some peoples sensitivities are high and forum rules need to be respected. As you know, I was recently set straight for incorrect name useage and it makes sense, especially now.

One thing I have noticed, and this has to be good for MLW is that there are many "NEW" and very very recent members appearing and posting on these forums.

PS ....Anti-Coalition forces leading this poll.

Edited December 2, 2008 by madmax

[johhny]

Thats correct. Tensions are a bit higher this past week and even typos and unintential slurs are going to be pointed out and taken more personally then just a few weeks ago. Some peoples sensitivities are high and forum rules need to be respected. As you know, I was recently set straight for incorrect name useage and it makes sense, especially now.

One thing I have noticed, and this has to be good for MLW is that there are many "NEW" and very very recent members appearing and posting on these forums.

PS ....Anti-Coalition forces leading this poll.

In respects allot of the BQ take the offence to being all labelled as sepratists this comes from our Leader its in the news and spread threw the forum, I think the fine line has been crossed It only seems to become a issue when a Torie is slandered so in all do respect who cares about the rules nobody is following them

[Argus]

Known informally as the "four wise men," Roy Romanow, Frank McKenna, Paul Martin and John Manley have agreed to form a body of economic advisers in the event of the formation of a Liberal-NDP coalition government.

And the loser Tories wow have Jim the flip flop Flaterlya

HAHAHAHAHA! starty packing your bag's ya smuck

You know, if we can't restrict access by age, we should at least try to restrict it by maturity level.

[madmax]

In respects allot of the BQ take the offence to being all labelled as sepratists this comes from our Leader its in the news and spread threw the forum, I think the fine line has been crossed It only seems to become a issue when a Torie is slandered so in all do respect who cares about the rules nobody is following them

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloc_Qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois

The Bloc Québécois (BQ) is a federal political party in Canada that defines itself as devoted to both the protection of Quebec's interests on a federal level as well as the promotion of its sovereignty.[1]

Do the BQ allow Canadian References

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/ind...s=A1ARTA0000829

the party promotes Québec's interests and Québec sovereignty in the House of Commons.

The BQ is a separtist party that promotes the separation of Quebec from Canada. In the meantime it strives to fight for the benefit of Quebec within the Federal System.

Does the truth hurt?

[myata]

QUOTE(myata @ Dec 2 2008, 12:34 PM)

if Harpers party cannot govern as required by the situation and their mandate, somebody else has to do it.

QUOTE

Thanks for the platitude.

I'd call it a statement of the fact (indeed, trivial and obvious), but regardless of terminology, I'm glad that you're finally getting the idea. I hope the others will follow.

Edited December 2, 2008 by myata

[johhny]

But I was doing a lot of whining on Oct. 14 because the Conservatives won at least 2 dozen extra seats due to vote splitting in Quebec, B.C., and Ontario

mention vote splitting in Ontario, I think the prospect of cooperation betweeh the liberals and NDP there bodes a fairly clear (negative) outcome for the Conservatives. Then again, it depends a lot on who the Liberals pick too.

Edited December 2, 2008 by johhny

[g_bambino]

No, I'm simply saying that when ordinary people get the chance to vote they don't care about all that! The wishes of ordinary Canadians DO rule the day at the ballot box!

Of course they do. But, as the political ignorance of most Canadian voters is frequently criticised here on MLW, so should be the civic ignorance of that same bunch. Given this poor showing of knowledge amongst the voting populace, should the system be changed to pander to the lowest common denominator, or should it be maintained in its well evolved form and the unaware given a proper education on civics? Resorting to paranoia and sensationalism (by calling the goings on a "coup", for instance) certainly does nothing to educate people on the reality of the matter.

[copyedited]

Edited December 2, 2008 by g_bambino

[jdobbin]

This week. But you guys had a choice this week. Once you're well and truly into this thing your choices begin to narrow considerably, and Jack and Duceppe will be in the drivers seats while you - well, Dion is the chauffeur, basically.

I guess that is an argument you can make just as I can make the argument that Harper was going to call a quick election.

Ludicrous. The media have never been tame.

They wouldn't criticize an early election with any vigour and if they did, so what? Harper won't be punished for going early. He wasn't punished for calling an election ahead of term limits. We heard all Tories here saying it was necessary. I'm sure Harper would say the same thing now.

They would have jumped all over him for a quick election call, and the electorate would have been furious - calling another election for no real reason just a few months into his mandate? Nope. It would not ahve worked.

Oh, they'd have a reason but it would have probably been a trumped up one like last time. What was the reason for that election? Oh yes, because Dion was weak and the Liberals capitulated on every vote.

[Slim MacSquinty]

To those Harper haters so eager to see a coalition, think about this:

What is the platform you voted for? Is it going to be reflected in this coalition?

What is the platform of this coalition? Apart from "we hate Harper" there isn't one.

If you wish to take them at their word (which I do not) then they say there is no stimulus package therefore they have no confidence in the government. Does this coalition have a stimulus package that is specific enough to target any economic problem that you can name? Can you or the coalition name a specific sector of the economy, or a specific region of the country, tell me what specifically is wrong and how your specific amount of government money will target and resolve that problem.

I suspect a symphony of NO's for answers. I have only heard unspecific, non-costed and unverified sound bites, that does not a plan make, sorry.

The separatist are laughing, they already have special status, as the agreement refers to Canadians and Quebecers, not Ontarioans, BC'ers, Albertans etc. Much of the Country will be unrepresented in this coalition. Although technically legal this is unprecedented and here is why, typcially coalitions (even provincial ones) have either formed before the election, or if after the election they were very much dominated by one party, like in Ontario under the Peterson/ Rae deal it was a Liberal government using a small amount of support from the NDP, therefore in general the electorate knew what they had voted for and with a few exceptions knew what they were in for. This is not the case this coalition is "an on the fly anti-government rag tag bunch of losers.

If any of them actual cared about the country and the voters, they would acknowledge that Harper backed down, they got what they wanted and stand down. They have proved their point and in the interest of stability they would allow the Tories to rule for perhaps a year.

Interestingly enough if Dion cared about the Liberal party he would not do this, he is most certainly alienating the old guard right wing of the party (I would say a large number), undermining the opportuntiy to have a leadership race, blowing the chance to re-organize and strengthen their finances. This is a serious blow to the Liberals.

[jdobbin]

So, the reason the government must fall is because Harper hasn't done anything to stimulate the economy, yet the coalition is planning on keeping Harper's corporate tax cuts?

It is about confidence. Harper can't help himself from acting against the Opposition first and foremost over his attacks on the those oppose him.