maplesyrup Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Canadian Elections: Minority Looks to the Left In case of parliamentary gridlock, turn left. Canadians awake to their first minority government in 25 years, a Commons presided over by Paul Martin's chastened Liberals with the NDP as co-pilot.It seems a stunning turnabout for an election that 10 days ago projected the possibility of the most conservative federal government in national memory. More stunning still is Martin could actually celebrate the modest victory, given widespread predictions only months ago that the Liberals were en route to an historic majority of more than 200 seats. In a campaign that was all about fear and loathing -- fear of Stephen Harper's Conservatives, loathing for the lackadaisical Liberals -- the fear factor apparently won out. It's safe to say no party captured the imagination of the electorate. What's going on? How are the restructuring of the committees doing now that the Liberals do not have a majority? I understand John Williams is chafing at the bit to get the Public Accounts Committee up and running again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bro Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 The liberals have been leaning left since the pearson win,and have set their governing to the left at full throttle since 1968.What are we left with?Government scandals daily,monetarily and morally.A steady decline in voter turnout.A member of the liberal party having to buy flags,at taxpayer's expense,to hand out,nobody left proud enough to buy their own flag,I guess. And there are still people who say the liberals are the right choice for Canada.Like the liberal numbers,something does not justify their latest win.The fact that it was a minority win is encouraging. Canadians are lazy when it comes to voting in their keepers of their treasury and social issues.Hopefully,a minority liberal win means more people are taking the time to see the negative direction the liberals have lead us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesar Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 Heaven forbid a government with a social conscience that wants to help our disadvantaged citizens. Despite their more humane approach to the disadvantages the projected spending of the Liberals was half of that proposed by the Conservatives. I suppose that you consider this money that the Conservatives wanted to spend on an aggresive military to assist the Americans in their world domination is justified. Why is it okay to spend money we don't have on an aggressive military but corrupt if money is used for helping everyone to have good social programs; especially our Health Care. The Liberals are not the first party to have ever been caught or suspected of misuse of taxpayer's money. My goodness; buying Canadian flags to hand out to citizens to promote national pride is now a disgrace? Guess, it would have been okay to you if they bought American flags to hand out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 Heaven forbid a government with a social conscience that wants to help our disadvantaged citizens.Do you sincerely believe that Martin and the Liberals care about the "disadvantaged"?Do you sincerely believe that throwing even more money at the "disadvantaged" will make a practical difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 Do people still sincerly believe the Liberals are left-wing? Those days are gone. Chretien and Martin have certainly pandered to the left with empty promises and progressive rhetoric, but when the rubber hit the road, they co-opted most of the Reform/Alliance's economic policies of cuts to services and taxes, while remaining steadfastedly wishy-washy on progressive social reforms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 BD is right. You just have to look at the proposals of the three main parties to see that we have drifted far to the right, fiscally. Even the communist party was proposing a 20% corporate tax rate this election ! As for this comment from Bro: The liberals have been leaning left since the pearson win,and have set their governing to the left at full throttle since 1968.What are we left with?Government scandalsdaily,monetarily and morally. The Liberals are no less moral than any other party. Didn't Preston Manning say he was going to turn Stornaway into a bingo hall shortly before moving in ? Didn't the Reform MPs eventually accept their plump pensions after making a big show of not accepting them earlier on ? Don't look to politicians of any sort to make your life worth living. They want to get elected, period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 You just have to look at the proposals of the three main parties to see that we have drifted far to the right, fiscally.Huh?I see no evidence of that at all. In fact, I don't see any evidence of, well, anything. Take a look at the statistics at this federal government site. Since 1976, year in year out, all levels of government together take about 40% of people's incomes. Then, governments hand back about half of the takings in transfers (social security payments) to individuals and the other half of the takings, governments use to buy stuff. At most, transfers (social security payments) tended to rise in the early 1980s and early 1990s when there were recessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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