Have we entered a new era in Canadian Politics?

[Topaz]

I think we could be closer to a majority govt especially with 6-700,000 unemployed voters, some may lose their homes, families anything dear to them and the only way to get revenge is to put the present seating government on EI!! The government answer for no jobs is to tell people to move! How many people have the MONEY to move and its always alot easier to move the people running the government back were they came from.

[benny]

I think we could be closer to a majority govt especially with 6-700,000 unemployed voters, some may lose their homes, families anything dear to them and the only way to get revenge is to put the present seating government on EI!! The government answer for no jobs is to tell people to move! How many people have the MONEY to move and its always alot easier to move the people running the government back were they came from.

Ultimately, the people will have to understand that job creation policies exist to allow politicians to abuse their power. While people are busy at work, they can be robbed more easily.

Edited July 23, 2009 by benny

[August1991]

That argument works because the PQ doesn't need the Bloc to form the government in Quebec and to, then, press the political party who form the government in Ottawa to respond to its demands.

The Bloc has been very good at arguing that it best represents Quebec in Ottawa. I have often wondered how Trudeau (or Mulroney) would have argued with Duceppe. I know that both would have been very successful. Since 1993, no federal politician has been able to counter Duceppe's argument.

In addition, there are about 25% of Quebec voters who strongly favour Quebec independance. They will vote for the Bloc or simply not vote.

I have compared the Italian Communist Party in teh post WWII period and the Bloc since 1993 and I think the comparison is apt. In both cases, a large party in parliament was anathema to everyone else. Where the comparison falls apart is in the electoral ability to confront either party. Support for the Italian Communist Party was rock solid. A good federal politician could confront Duceppe - assuming that teh Quebec nationalist option was in the doldrums, as it is now.

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Incidentally, I think seat changes after 2011 will exacerbate this problem.

[ToadBrother]

We have had majority and minority governments. Canada has not had periods of political instability in parliment.

Infact, while there has been alot of whining and complaining, and posturing, the minority government has been stable. The fact that Harper called an early election had little to do with minority parliment as he had 100% support from the Liberal Party on all bills of confidence and after his attempt for a majority has received 100% support from the Liberal Party on all bills of confidence. Something like 79 times in a row. The goal of parliment is to get the majority in the house. The CPC have been able to do that for 3.5 years.

IIRC Jean Chretian while holding a MAJORITY government called an EARLY election ......

By political instability, I don't mean gunshots in the streets. I'm referring more to the inability of minority governments to do long-term planning. Simply put, when every structural issue you have to face ultimately becomes a political game of chicken, it's very damned hard to govern. Our system just wasn't built for minority governments or for formal coalitions.

[benny]

The Bloc has been very good at arguing that it best represents Quebec in Ottawa.

But Duceppe wants that Ottawa sends someone to be represented in a sovereign Quebec.

[CAMP]

The last time we had a similar instability/minority governments was in the 1960s between Pearson and Diefenbaker. At the time, the instability was due in part to the Creditistes which won around 25 seats in Quebec.

This changed in 1968 with Trudeau.

Incidentally, the old Creditiste vote tends to go to the Conservatives now. The Bloc has captured people who in the past didn't vote, or voted Liberal.

That argument won't work. IMV, the Bloc's success is dependent in part on the success of the PQ and the nationalist option and also on the (in)ability of another federal party to incorporate Quebec politics into its agenda. Mulroney and Trudeau were good at this. Chretien was not so good but he didn't ignore it.

History will not repeat itself in this situation. We now have more political parties added to the mix. The Greens are in there now and I suspect will grab a few seats. As the economy continues to sputter along at a slow pace and more people are displaced work wise, I believe the NDP will achieve some success. IMHO I doubt we will ever see a majority government in Canada again, and I'm glad of it. The longer we install a minority the closer we are to democracy.

[Oleg Bach]

There is no old era and there is no present era..I guess we have no choice but to move forward into a NEW era..should be okay - we have tried everything else - why not take the best from all and pack it into a new package.

[benny]

History will not repeat itself in this situation. We now have more political parties added to the mix. The Greens are in there now and I suspect will grab a few seats. As the economy continues to sputter along at a slow pace and more people are displaced work wise, I believe the NDP will achieve some success. IMHO I doubt we will ever see a majority government in Canada again, and I'm glad of it. The longer we install a minority the closer we are to democracy.

I myself see also the two Canadian Communist Parties in the mix since it becomes more and more obvious that global capitalism and global cataclysms are closing linked.

[CAMP]

I myself see also the two Canadian Communist Parties in the mix since it becomes more and more obvious that global capitalism and global cataclysms are closing linked.

Global capitalism is the engine that drives prosperity. The problem with any engine is the transmission. If it's in reverse it's not a good thing. When it's in drive and moving forward then times are good. Just like driving a car there are rules like speed limits and such. When someone breaks the rules and gets caught they suffer a fine or worst case have an accident. Either way it is repairable and we carry on.

[benny]

Global capitalism is the engine that drives prosperity. The problem with any engine is the transmission. If it's in reverse it's not a good thing. When it's in drive and moving forward then times are good. Just like driving a car there are rules like speed limits and such. When someone breaks the rules and gets caught they suffer a fine or worst case have an accident. Either way it is repairable and we carry on.

I rather think that global capitalism is the engine that drives factitious, short-term prosperity for the few and real cumulative misery for the billions.

[Oleg Bach]

I rather think that global capitalism is the engine that drives factitious, short-term prosperity for the few and real cumulative misery for the billions.

When a faithful capitalist uses a car and it's transmission as and example on how global capitalism works, you know we are in trouble--because the capitalist drives the car - and does not have a clue on who it works and when it breaks we push the car and he still drives as if the motor is fine - I think I have just described what a corporate bail out is.

[benny]

When a faithful capitalist uses a car and it's transmission as and example on how global capitalism works, you know we are in trouble--because the capitalist drives the car - and does not have a clue on who it works and when it breaks we push the car and he still drives as if the motor is fine - I think I have just described what a corporate bail out is.

The executives of the bailout American carmakers travel more distance in private jets than in cars.

[Oleg Bach]

The executives of the bailout American carmakers travel more distance in private jets than in cars.

Last word.. simplistic explainations work some of the time- but not this time - global economics is more complex than the workings of an auto-mobile...get in I'm driving benny ...and take a nap...see you later my friend.

[benny]

Last word.. simplistic explainations work some of the time- but not this time - global economics is more complex than the workings of an auto-mobile...get in I'm driving benny ...and take a nap...see you later my friend.

There is no such thing as global economics, there is rather a global political economy.

[Oleg Bach]

There is no such thing as global economics, there is rather a global political economy.

There should be - a buck should be worth a buck whether it is here or on Mars. Looks like we are still sort of amuzing each other - get back to you in a bit after vacuming some more of that dog hair...which reminds me of a global economic policy and economy - one must be willing to do the work - not just let the stuff fly and land where it may. We imagine that globally there is some sort of common mind that regulates and controls the money supply - it's to complex just like the convoluted and twisted hairs in the see though vacume.. Who is going to unify this clean up and put it in order - I really don't think their is an international will to put things in fair and equitable order.

[tango]

I prefer minority governments, and I would prefer even more parties than we currently have. The Greens are a welcome addition, helping to force the traditional parties out of their entrenched positions of unquestioning support for the corporate establishment.

A majority government is a virtual dictatorship, with 40% support of those who voted and only a quarter to a third of the population as a whole, they can force their opinions on all of us. Ridiculous.

We all in our working and everyday lives have to negotiate a variety of personal and professional differences to create solutions acceptable to all. Why on earth do some think it's better for our governments to aspire to the unfettered authority of a majority government? I don't understand that, because no one point of view holds all the answers: We all hold pieces of puzzles and our challenge is to put the puzzles together to form the best solutions.

I think ... hope ... we're entering an era when new ideas and new perspectives will recognize that economic development has to serve the people, and not the other way around.

[benny]

There should be - a buck should be worth a buck whether it is here or on Mars.

Only for a fetishist.