Layton To Harper: Do Not Pull A Belinda

[maplesyrup]

Challenge to Harper

Layton Challenges Harper to TV or Radio Debate - “If Canadian values are so bad, don’t pull a Belinda”: Layton 

 

- HAMILTON – NDP Leader Jack Layton today challenged likely Conservative leader Stephen Harper to a televised or radio debate within the next two weeks. In a bizarre attack on Wednesday, Harper said NDP policies would be as damaging to Canada as Quebec separation.

In response, Layton said he would debate Harper in English or French so Canadians could decide which party was closer to their values and if Harper’s outlandish claims had any substance.

“It’s time for Stephen Harper to tell Canadians why he finds peace or equality so bad,” said Layton. “Given his derision of Ms. Stronach for not debating, I’m sure he’d welcome a debate on why fighting climate change, building better public health care or stronger communities are bad for the future of Canada.”

Harper, who berated fellow leadership candidate Belinda Stronach for skipping TV debates, turned down about 10 such debates with Layton last year, all initiated by television or radio outlets. Proposed topics included the war on Iraq, the federal budget and same-sex marriage. Harper turned them all down.

“Mr. Harper’s got the same old ideas that pollute and privatize and we will take them on anytime,” said Layton. “Let’s engage in a meaningful debate on the Kyoto Protocol or the Romanow report on health care. Let’s discuss whether building homes, wind turbines or child care creates more jobs than more tax cuts for corporate Canada.”

Layton said he would be happy to engage on fiscal responsibility, noting that unlike Harper, he has experience with multi-billion budgets. He said he would also happily debate the other subjects of Harper’s attack, namely trade deals and integrating Canadian foreign and military policy with the United States.

After Stronach ducked Conservative leadership TV debates, Harper said, “I believe that anyone who wants to take on Paul Martin is going to have to be available whenever the media calls to stand front and take on the competition.”

His campaign co-chair, BC MP John Reynolds asked Stronach, “Why are you afraid to debate Stephen Harper.”

“This is a test of leadership for Stephen Harper,” said Layton. “If he truly believes that fighting climate change, building homecare or staying out of wars fought on a fiction are the end of Canada, then he has the obligation to explain to Canadians why.”

http://action.web.ca/home/ndpnpd/en_alerts...942dc7ebb5887d6

Well how about it all you big harper fans?

[Dennis]

Harper to Layton: I don't cozy up to the Bloc or to you. Paul Martin shouldn't either. Its too dangerous for Canada.

[August1991]

When Jack Layton pulls stunts like that, he just comes across as a fast talking Torontonian. That does not go over in the rest of the country.

In rural Ontario, Toronto is hogtown. In the West, Toronto is snob. And in the East, Toronto is big-city cold. In Quebec, Toronto is la Ville-Reine (!!!).

[maplesyrup]

Actually it makes harper attacks on Belinda for not debating look ridiculous.

[August1991]

Actually it makes harper attacks on Belinda for not debating look ridiculous.

Now, MapleSyrup, you're trying to get your marshmallow out of the fire fast!

Stronach has nothing to do with it. I suspect Layton is either badly advised, or more likely, as a typical Torontonian, he can't help but be all the white keys on the piano.

[Hjalmar]

Other than terrorist attacks, the biggest threat to Canada would be Jack Layton.. 11 seats max in the next election with no official party status. Why would Harper stoop to that level and debate a nobody like Jack Layton?

Can't you just visualize a minority government with Jack Layton as the official opposition!!! Perish the thought!!

[August1991]

Other than terrorist attacks, the biggest threat to Canada would be Jack Layton.

Consider the more likely scenario (threat) of a Martin minority relying on Layton votes for a year or two. Liberals get humbled, and NDP gets the Commons vote, and then we go back Liberal.

[theWatcher]

All Jack has had to do was get a seat in the House of Commons and he could have debated Stephen Harper any time he felt like it.

Calling him out to the sidewalk is just a ploy to get more attention and try to jumpstart his stalled party.

[August1991]

Calling him out to the sidewalk is just a ploy to get more attention and try to jumpstart his stalled party.

No, he just sounds like a loud Torontonian. The ploy works well with the Toronto Star. But, it doesn't work in Canada. Layton just sounds like, well, someone from Toronto.

[Dennis]

Actually it makes harper attacks on Belinda for not debating look ridiculous.

Hardly.

Belinda decided to skip out on events that she had every business attending during a race where she's trying to convince people she' s qualified to become PM.

Hey, she didn't even attend one meeting with one editorial board of one newspaper across the country.

And she wants to take on this Liberal Government political machine?

As much as Jack Layton wants to hufff and puff, Harper was directing his comments at Paul Martin.

And there will be plenty of opportunities for all the leaders to engage each other and the electorate.

If Layton wants to become Prime Minister ( ) he should learn to calm down a bit.

[August1991]

Dennis:

Hey, she didn't even attend one meeting with one editorial board of one newspaper across the country. And she wants to take on this Liberal Government political machine? As much as Jack Layton wants to hufff and puff, Harper was directing his comments at Paul Martin.

Stronach and Layton sound like Torontonians, regardless of what they say. Harper, regardless, sounds like a Westerner.

And French Quebecers understand nothing because, well, they know absolutely nothing about this debate you and I are discussing. Stronach? Layton?

Dennis, go figure, then we'll talk about this country you consider yours.

[Kiraly]

We should remember that if Stephen were to accept Layton's challenge and school him in policy, it does nothing to further the Conservative cause, but rather set it back.

Look, embarrassing Layton will only pull votes away from the NDP and hand them to the Liberals. Harper isn't about to do the job Martin is incapable of, that is winning debates against political adversaries.

It benefits Conservatives if the vote on the left is sufficiently split so that the Conservatives come out ahead. Harper's plan will be focus his energies against Martin and the Liberals.

Layton needs a little more media attention, and this is a good way, albeit transparent way, to get that attention.

[maplesyrup]

Harper looks afaid to take Layton on in a debate.

And he probably is.

[August1991]

We should remember that if Stephen were to accept Layton's challenge and school him in policy, it does nothing to further the Conservative cause, but rather set it back.

Is this election about ideology alone?

Look, embarrassing Layton will only pull votes away from the NDP and hand them to the Liberals. Harper isn't about to do the job Martin is incapable of, that is winning debates against political adversaries.

Do you understand that Ontario voters (106 seats) will vote not on ideological grounds but because they want a safe, united country. People in Quebec (75 seats) will do the same.

This is simply a reality of Canadian politics. Talk of NDP/Harper in an ideological context is completely silly.

[sir_springer]

It all comes down to this:

Harper is running to be the Prime Minister.

Layton is running to be the Prime Minister's wench.

[hiti]

Layton doubled his partys poll numbers while Harper tanked the CAs.

[Dennis]

Layton doubled his partys poll numbers while Harper tanked the CAs.

That's just not true.

Last time I checked, Conservative Party is at about 30% in the polls. When Harper took over the CA, they were at about 8%. That's almost an increase of four times.

As for Layton, double peanuts is still peanuts.

Layton is not running to be Prime Minister. He knows it. Everyone knows it.

Conservatives have become the alternative choice for voters, as was the expectation with merger, despite all the whining and groaning from Joe Clark and David Orchard.

[BigGunner]

2000 election...

NDP 11%

PC plus Alliance 37%

2004 (latest Ipsos-Reid)

NDP 17% - gain of 6 points

Conservatives 26% - loss of 11 points...

[MapleLeafMerc]

maplesyrup, do you make it a habit to drag material from the NDP website over here? Makes you more of a clipping service than a debater.

As was said earlier, Harper is after Paul Martin. Jack Layton is inconsequential.

[maplesyrup]

Harper attacked the NDP

Today the Globe criticised Harper for his comments:

Call the New Democrats naive, call them simplistic, call them anti-business or even anti-American. Call Mr. Layton a charming opportunist, which he certainly is. But don't put them on the same plane as the Bloc, which has as its raison d'être the destruction of the country.

Mr. Harper could use a dose of perspective.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Art...ment/Editorials

Harper can dish it out but he can not take it.

He accused Belinda of bein chicken for not debating.

Why is Harper afraid to debate the NDP leader Jack Layton?

I think We know the answer to that.

Harper should be in provincial politics.

[BigGunner]

Harper attacked the NDP

Today the Globe criticised Harper for his comments:

Call the New Democrats naive, call them simplistic, call them anti-business or even anti-American. Call Mr. Layton a charming opportunist, which he certainly is. But don't put them on the same plane as the Bloc, which has as its raison d'être the destruction of the country.

Mr. Harper could use a dose of perspective.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Art...ment/Editorials

Harper can dish it out but he can not take it.

He accused Belinda of bein chicken for not debating.

Why is Harper afraid to debate the NDP leader Jack Layton?

I think We know the answer to that.

Harper should be in provincial politics.

This is from a jackass whose party ran "no more prime ministers from Quebec" ad on TV?

This is hypocritical by anyones definition...

[cgarrett]

all of this discussion by people who have the mentality that politics is a hockey game run by cartoon characters is extremely tiring...

harper will attempt to avoid a debate with layton for two reasons:

1) a debate with layton would legitimize him with those canadians who have a brain

2) it is never strategically beneficial for the right wing to operate in an arena of lengthy discourse and reasoning. its not at all likely that harper could convince canadians that the priorities of his party, namely:

- the support of regressive taxation designed to concentrate wealth to a few

- the movement of profitable public holdings into private hands such as energy production

- the movement of social safeguards such as health care into private hands to be operated for profit (thus distancing that service from those who cannot afford it)

- the further selling of canadian resources to foreign interests

etc...

are in the best interests of the majority of voters!

it is in his best interest to continue to wage his war using 'sound bites', 'name calling' and other proven tools of ignorance!

don't vote with your gut! vote with your brain!

[Dennis]

2000 election...

NDP 11%

PC plus Alliance 37%

2004 (latest Ipsos-Reid)

NDP 17% - gain of 6 points

Conservatives 26% - loss of 11 points...

First, I'd like to know what the numbers were BEFORE the 2000 election. That's the appropriate comparison.

Which leads me to my second point. Tories now in a position to go up, which they need to do anyhow if they want to topple the Liberals.

NDP have stalled.

Besides, any way you look at it, merger is good for Conservatives, bad for the NDP, who were talking Official Opposition before it happened.

And its all thanks to Harper and others who made merger happen.

Good for Tories . Bad for NDP . And even worse for the Grits :angry: .

[Dennis]

Harper attacked the NDP

Today the Globe criticised Harper for his comments

What the Globe failed to comprehend is this:

Harper was not saying that the NDP is as bad as the Bloc.

What he said is that a coalition with the NDP is as bad for the country as one with the Bloc.

Stephen Harper is again just one step ahead of the game.

[Dennis]

cgarrett's entire post was nothing but socialist dogma.

Since when do socialist ever use reason and intellect to advance their agenda.

Theire whole modus operandi has always been to scare people into buying into their Big Government/you can't do anything without us schemes.

Layton will have plenty of time to tell us what he stands for. Why Canadians would start reacting differently to him than they would to any socialist leader in the past is beyond me.

Again, never have formed a government, never will form a government. Especially with this elitist 'we know better than the unwashed citizens' tripe we keep hearing from them.