Bob Rae vs. Thomas Mulcair

UofGPolitico · April 4, 2012

It all started due to the NDP putting Finance Critic Julien up on that rant for 3 days taking away debate time for other parties.

Bob Rae called Mulcair "Mini-Harper" and said he wouldn't know the truth if he ran into it in broad daylight.

Mulcair said the Liberals as usual have nothing concrete to say on the budget because they agree with it. He also pointed out Rae may be frustrated due to Justin Trudeau's dominance in the spotlight for different reasons as of late.

Could get interesting

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/04/04/pol-rae-speech.html

Topaz · April 4, 2012

I would hope that the NDP and Liberals would be smart enough to realize that Harper is trying to break up any ties the NDP and the Liberals would have against him. The NDP and Liberals must work together against Harper and forget the power trips that will divide them. Just do their job and the voters will be the judge which party they want, no personal attacks to each other.

capricorn · April 4, 2012

Rae is in an unenviable situation. Let me count the ways.

He's fighting for visibility in the Commons and in the media.

He's the only interim leader in the House.

He's waffling on his intentions re the Liberal leadership race.

He's up against younger leaders, i.e. Harper and Mulcair.

He's an easy target for criticism about his years as NDP Ontario Premier and jumping from provincial NDP to federal Liberal.

Justin Trudeau is stealing his thunder.

To sum up, Rae's challenges go beyond the developing standoff with the Official Opposition.

capricorn · April 4, 2012

I would hope that the NDP and Liberals would be smart enough to realize that Harper is trying to break up any ties the NDP and the Liberals would have against him.

Harper doesn't have to do anything. All he has to do is sit back and let the two opposition parties go at each other.

stopstaaron · April 4, 2012

I don't like either of them

stopstaaron · April 5, 2012

Harper doesn't have to do anything. All he has to do is sit back and let the two opposition parties go at each other.

That's how he destroyed the liberal government. He saw a rift emerging between Chretien & Martin and he slowly and quietly worked on it... and then bam!

Edited April 5, 2012 by stopstaaron

Jack Weber · April 5, 2012

That's how he destroyed the liberal government. He saw a rift emerging between Chretien & Martin and he slowly and quietly worked on it... and then bam!

I think it would be fair to say the rift between Chretien and Martin was there from the beginning and it is they who widened the rift,and in part,destroyed the Liberal government (not to mention the Liberal party hasn't stood for anything in years)...

Very little of that had to with any external goings on,like Mr. Harper's Machiavellian plans for the Liberal party,as you claim...

stopstaaron · April 5, 2012

I think it would be fair to say the rift between Chretien and Martin was there from the beginning and it is they who widened the rift,and in part,destroyed the Liberal government (not to mention the Liberal party hasn't stood for anything in years)...

Very little of that had to with any external goings on,like Mr. Harper's Machiavellian plans for the Liberal party,as you claim...

that isn't how I see it, but if you're willing to see it like that, okay

Jack Weber · April 5, 2012

that isn't how I see it, but if you're willing to see it like that, okay

So it's primarily Mr.Harper who destroyed the Liberal party from the outside?

stopstaaron · April 5, 2012

So it's primarily Mr.Harper who destroyed the Liberal party from the outside?

no, but he played a sizable roll

cybercoma · April 5, 2012

I would hope that the NDP and Liberals would be smart enough to realize that Harper is trying to break up any ties the NDP and the Liberals would have against him. The NDP and Liberals must work together against Harper and forget the power trips that will divide them. Just do their job and the voters will be the judge which party they want, no personal attacks to each other.

No. Bob Rae needs to be put in his place. He had his time while Nycole Turmel was... well, I don't know what she was doing. Now that the NDP have a leader. Rae needs to respect that the Liberals are the third party this term.

Jack Weber · April 5, 2012

no, but he played a sizable roll

As a percentage,how sizeable?

stopstaaron · April 5, 2012

As a percentage,how sizeable?

I don't know..if I were to hazard a guess I'd say maybe 15-20 %

The other 80 % was egos

Edited April 5, 2012 by stopstaaron

Newfoundlander · April 5, 2012

Harper is delighted by this.

The Liberals are stupid to have come out against the budget completely anyways. As has been mentioned in the media, and probably in these threads, this budget could have been a Liberal budget. I can understand opposing elements and what not but I believe Rae said something like they were against everything in budget, which is just a bit stupid and an easy way out. Time for both opposition parties to become alternative parties.

Where are there budgets on what they would do if they were in power?

Jack Weber · April 5, 2012

I don't know..if I were to hazard a guess I'd say maybe 15-20 %

The other 80 % was egos

Aha...So...You feel that Mr. Harper's responsibility for the destruction of the Liberal party is only 15 to 20%...

And the selfish internal struggle between two egomanics,which polarized that party and destroyed it from within,is the dominant reason (80 to 85%) for it's demise...

Yet you say that that is'nt how you see it...

Interesting...

stopstaaron · April 5, 2012

Aha...So...You feel that Mr. Harper's responsibility for the destruction of the Liberal party is only 15 to 20%...

And the selfish internal struggle between two egomanics,which polarized that party and destroyed it from within,is the dominant reason (80 to 85%) for it's demise...

Yet you say that that is'nt how you see it...

Interesting...

that is how I see it.. harper had a role but two big egomaniacjackasses played a bigger role

punked · April 5, 2012

No. Bob Rae needs to be put in his place. He had his time while Nycole Turmel was... well, I don't know what she was doing. Now that the NDP have a leader. Rae needs to respect that the Liberals are the third party this term.

I agree. Sorry Bob we know it is tough but you need to get through this with out whining about it.

WWWTT · April 5, 2012

Harper doesn't have to do anything. All he has to do is sit back and let the two opposition parties go at each other.

I seriously doubt that!

Recent polls have the conservatives back in minority territory and I am sure this is something to be concerned about.

No problem if it works to his advantage in vote splitting,but the split in many,many ridings will be between the liberals and conservatives giving the NDP the advantage.

I don't think the conservatives are sitting back right now.

WWWTT

WWWTT · April 5, 2012

Where are there budgets on what they would do if they were in power?

Thats not how parliament works.

Oppositions role is to critisize the faults,to suggest otherwise tells me that you are biased.

WWWTT

punked · April 5, 2012

Thats not how parliament works.

Oppositions role is to critisize the faults,to suggest otherwise tells me that you are biased.

WWWTT

Don't be silly the NDP and Liberals told us just what they would do in power in their platforms anyone who wants to read them can.

Newfoundlander · April 5, 2012

Thats not how parliament works.

Oppositions role is to critisize the faults,to suggest otherwise tells me that you are biased.

WWWTT

For the last two years the Wildrose Party have provided Albertans with the budget they would have implemented had they been in power, and look where they are in polls. It's easy for opposition parties to criticize budgets not being balanced and spending being cut.

Jack Layton said a year ago he'd balance the budget the same time as Harper so why can't the NDP release a "budget" saying what they'd do if they were in power? Mulcair says he wants to be seen as an alternative, then give us the alternative.

Bob Rae says the age for OAS shouldn't change and complains about budget cuts then tell us how to ge back to a balanced budget in the medium term.

punked · April 5, 2012

For the last two years the Wildrose Party have provided Albertans with the budget they would have implemented had they been in power, and look where they are in polls. It's easy for opposition parties to criticize budgets not being balanced and spending being cut.

Jack Layton said a year ago he'd balance the budget the same time as Harper so why can't the NDP release a "budget" saying what they'd do if they were in power? Mulcair says he wants to be seen as an alternative, then give us the alternative.

Bob Rae says the age for OAS shouldn't change and complains about budget cuts then tell us how to ge back to a balanced budget in the medium term.

IT IS ON THEIR WEBSITE! They have a costed platform go read it just because you don't want to do research doesn't mean the answer you look for don't exist.

Newfoundlander · April 5, 2012

IT IS ON THEIR WEBSITE! They have a costed platform go read it just because you don't want to do research doesn't mean the answer you look for don't exist.

OH I DIDN'T REALIZE THEY LAID IT OUT YEAR BY YEAR KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE ECONOMY.

punked · April 5, 2012

OH I DIDN'T REALIZE THEY LAID IT OUT YEAR BY YEAR KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE ECONOMY.

Really you didn't know that? You do know the budget the Cons just laid down projects 4 years right? They must do by magic "Knowing exactly what is happening in the economy" then right?