Ignatieff pledges to erase deficit with no new taxes

[Wilber]

They did. Since 2006, the Liberals have not brought the government down.

And for their troubles, the Tories called the last election and then when that election was over, the Tories believed that called for even more partisan gameplaying and take it or leave it brinkmanship.

Partisan game playing and brinkmanship in Parliament? Do tell, what will there be next? Still, only good in itself to a politician as a reason to call an election.

And yet you know it is true. It is an endless stream of complaints about... everyone. Call it what you want but it is gripes about politicians and everyone else.

Do you think an election will put an end to such things?

[Wilber]

As for the Conservative response to deficit, has anyone else seen the "Canada's Economic Action Plan" commercials? Those seem awfully close to being partisan messages to me. It seems to me that Canadian Government commercials should be aimed at promoting recruitment to areas of the civil service or for advertising of specific government programmes like tax credits etc which they've done with the HRTC (which I've got no problem with). These ads are very vague and do nothing but paint the picture that all of Canada is having a good time, things are doing better...lets all thank the government! I wouldn't mind Elections Canada taking a look at them. Or would it be a conflict of interest considering that the two parties are actually in litigation right now?

Damn, government infomercials with with a hint of partisanship, how novel. What will be next? When it comes to guidelines for government advertising, I couldn't agree more but name me a government that has ever followed them, particularly with an election looming. They all push the boundaries when it comes to using public funds to blow their own horns at election time.

[jdobbin]

Partisan game playing and brinkmanship in Parliament? Do tell, what will there be next? Still, only good in itself to a politician as a reason to call an election.

Why assume the Liberals voting no confidence is an election? The NDP, Bloc or Tories can cobble a deal together if they really don't want an election.

As I said, why is a possible election only the Liberal's fault?

Do you think an election will put an end to such things?

As long as there are humans, we will hear complaints.

If a majority did happen, we'd probably hear complaints about a four year dictatorship.

[nicky10013]

Damn, government infomercials with with a hint of partisanship, how novel. What will be next? When it comes to guidelines for government advertising, I couldn't agree more but name me a government that has ever followed them, particularly with an election looming. They all push the boundaries when it comes to using public funds to blow their own horns at election time.

I agree with one exception. Chretien moved for party finance reform. He essentially crippled the party for the next 3 elections but in the end it was the right thing to do. You don't see many parties these days anywhere pull something off like that.

There not only needs to be ad reform but polling reform. Harper has spent oodles more of the government's money running polls and you can't tell me they aren't of a political nature. Use party money. Everyone else does. That's what it's for.

[nicky10013]

As long as there are humans, we will hear complaints.

No matter if its following a majority or 1 year between elections, papers always run polls and the polls always overwhelmingly come back with the response "we don't want an election." It's a common theme in Canada; one that people always also get over. I can't wait until the election is actually called so we can get over this "I don't want an election" crap.

[Wilber]

I agree with one exception. Chretien moved for party finance reform. He essentially crippled the party for the next 3 elections but in the end it was the right thing to do. You don't see many parties these days anywhere pull something off like that.

There not only needs to be ad reform but polling reform. Harper has spent oodles more of the government's money running polls and you can't tell me they aren't of a political nature. Use party money. Everyone else does. That's what it's for.

I agree on reforms but at present, government uses public money because it can, the opposition doesn't because it can't. That's the advantage of being the government.

[ToadBrother]

I suspect the GG knows how the system works. I doubt prorogation will get a rerun if the situation arises again with this government, nor should it.

The problem with our system is that as much as the Constitution Act solidified the roles of government, a considerable amount of it is still made up of tradition and precedent. Once you open a can of worms like allowing a government to escape the will of Parliament by getting the GG to prorogue, it becomes part of the bedrock, and can become rather hard to remove. Remember here this is a constitutional power of the GG, and not a Parliamentary procedure.

I'm not faulting the GG. For a Regal or Vice-regal to defy a sitting PM would be extraordinary, but still, I don't think it's all for the better.

[ToadBrother]

The Liberals shouldn't have to bend every single time but considering they have fewer seats, they should bend somewhat more often. Harper could probably be more accommodating but it begs the question, would it make much difference? Is this really about accommodation or power? Whatever, Liberal noses being out of joint is no justification for subjecting the country to an election it seems most of its citizens don't want.

Then the electorate can explain it to the Liberals by delivering Harper a majority.

[jdobbin]

Then the electorate can explain it to the Liberals by delivering Harper a majority.

And if they don't, is the electorate wrong?

[ToadBrother]

And if they don't, is the electorate wrong?

It's a democracy. The electorate are never wrong!

To be honest, despite all the trumpeting that the Tories are up in the polls, the difference is barely more than the margin of error, and I think any rational statistican is going to say that they're in a dead heat. So on one level I'm not precisely sure what an election will accomplish, other than maybe to flip the House and deliver the Liberals a minority. Now maybe Iggy is still holding Ye Olde Coalition in his back pocket, and is willing to hop back into the bed that Stephan, Jack and Gilles made, in which case we will be trading one kind of instability for another kind.

[Wilber]

But I'm sure the "Parliament isn't working" especially when it was your own people holding up committees schtick, worked just fine with you LAST fall. We needed an election then. His excellency Gerneralissimo Stephen Harper needs a majority and we must oblige! TO THE VOTING BOOTHS WE GO!

What do you mean by "my" people. I have never belonged to a political party. I objected when Harper called the last election, wrote and told them so. It was completely unnecessary IMO.

I get a chuckle when parties go on about the lack of compromise or that Parliament isn't working. Our system is adversarial. Our system's rigid party discipline is intended to discourage compromise. Instead we have oppositions threatening to defeat governments and governments threatening to dissolve Parliament and call an election. The Holy Grail of Canadian politics is a majority for one reason only, it makes compromise completely unnecessary. Compromise ain't in it.

Be honest, the reason governments do not run out their terms, either intentionally or because they are defeated in non confidence motions, is totally out of political interests, not in the public's interest. Never has been. Politicians may talk themselves into believing they are one and the same but any real relationship is purely coincidental.

Frankly, I would be quite happy if we never saw another majority government in this country, non confidence votes were abolished and fixed election dates became mandatory. We would then see who really had the ability to put the country first and reach compromises because if they couldn't, the country would fail. Unfortunately it might take a couple of decades and a whole new generation of politicians to get past the adversarial mindset we have so carefully cultivated over the past 150 years or so.