Are Harper's Conservatives RHINO's ?

[Esq]

Judging by the recent goings on in Alberta I'ld say some Canadian Tea Parties are on the rise.

and one ring to rule them all.

[GWiz]

Just tell me which budget the minority didn't want spending increased? Just one.

Tough question, should make you think though, I can't name a CONSERVATIVE party that didn't want increased spending as the minority, especially Harper when he tried to form a coalition with the NDP and Bloc to bring down the Liberal Gov. and then did increase spending BIG TIME when in power... I can however tell you about a party IN POWER that DID decrease spending, big time, and that was the Cretien Liberals with Paul Martin as Finance Minister... It was very tough times for many Canadians, 18% Mortgage rates, health care layoffs, etc., etc., but it was what got us out of deficit spending and into balanced, surplus budgets...

[GWiz]

Would the Conservatives lose or gain more votes by propsing we live within our means? I know traditionally more spending wins more votes but in this day and age would you say they might actually win more votes buy cutting the size of government?

Many independent voters are concerned about the deficit, wouldn't it be a small net gain taking this position, and have the ndp and liberals fight over the deficit spending public sector supporters?

My friend, you're looking at the wrong party when talking about deficit spending and living "within our means"... Wasting $6 Billion surpluses for 2 years, $56 Billion Deficit (or was it really $64 Billion as many say) the third year, $1 Billion G8/G20, $16 Billion untendered Stealth Fighters for Canada, $6 Billion Corporate Tax Cut (with borrowed money) that's a "living within our means" party?

[GWiz]

Are they really more left or are they there because they're forced to be because of political expediency? It's the latter. Considering some of Harper's own speeches before he ran for the leadership, he's much closer to the Republican example than the PC example.

Yeah, a stimulus of 30 billion. It's up to 60. Where is the financial accountability. You're saying that since they wanted 30 they're at fault for the other 30 billion of pure waste. That's not the way it works.

ls.

Unfortunately, that's not the case.

Yeah, see, that's what they want you to think. The Liberals weren't taking that money and putting it away in the safe. No one was "overtaxed" as is often claimed. They were taking the surpluses and putting it towards paying off the debt. The lower the debt, the less interest we have to pay and the more money we have in the future towards things like reducing the tax burden, paying into CPP, investing in health care and rainy day funds to put money aside to combat recessions like the one we went through.

I'd also like to note that the Liberals get in after the CONSERVATIVES screw up. I'd also like to note that yes, after 4 years the Liberals balanced the budget but the accounting was so bad from both Trudeau and Mulroney that of course it was going to take them more than 1 year.

As for the opposition being responsible for the deficit, I'd argue they're responsible for the 30 billion for the stimulus but beyond that absolultely not. I'd also argue that it's quite clear Canada had run a deficit before the recession had begun and that after the stimulus is over, the structural deficit mess we have is solely based on the CPC's irresponsible package of tax cuts.

What I also find as ironic is that CPC supporters freely blame the opposition for the deficit, but also heap all the credit for any economic success towards the government. If the opposition forced the govenrment to run deficits but those worked, shouldn't the opposition in your books own the economic record of success you claim to be Stephen Harpers?

Bang on my friend, bang on... Good Post(s) on your part..