Bloc Makes Big Promises, NDP Produces Results

[mirror]

Bloc makes big promises while NDP produces results

Layton: Points to budget with $1 billion more funding for Quebec

 

NDP leader Jack Layton met with the Conseil du Patronat yesterday. He is the first NDP leader to address the Conseil.

The Bloc Quebecois likes to talk about what it can do for Quebecers, but it was the New Democrats who forced the Martin government to amend its budget and cough up $1 billion more for Quebec, NDP leader Jack Layton said yesterday.

Reacting to Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe's boast Wednesday that the Bloc will set a new seat record in the next election, Layton said Quebecers should not be fooled.

"What we'll tell Quebecers is that maybe it's time for a choice that supports a Canada that respects Quebec and has proven it by actually delivering more than $1 billion more than the Liberals were prepared to give to Quebec through our budget amendment, for things that Quebecers care about: the environment, post-secondary education and training and public transit.

"We're going to say, what has Gilles Duceppe delivered with his 50-plus seats?"

I remember within the past year Layton saying he was going to take on the Bloc. It's nice to see him keep his word. This is the first time that an NDP leader has meet with Quebec's business leaders, the Conseil du Patronat, and so it seems that Layton is moving the NDP more to the centre of the political spectrum. Everybody wants to be in the middle.

[August1991]

Layton misunderstands why some Quebecers vote for the Bloc. The issue is not to chercher le butin. Yet that is the impression Layton gave in his speech.

Is that what Canadian federal politics have become? Is that how the sophisticates in the NDP perceive "hardball politics"? Go to Ottawa and grab as much money as you can for your particular constituency.

In this view, Ottawa is a free banquet. Layton will now go around the country explaining that he got there early and got the best pickings. According to the NDP, this shows that Layton is a sophisticate in the ways of the modern technostructure.

Sorry, Layton just looks like Maurice Duplessis.

[mirror]

Dear August

Are you getting your political parties mixed up? Duplessis was Conservative.

Cheers,

[apollo19]

Layton and the NDP are good at getting the money for the people they were elected by -- generally, the poor and human rights/gay people. Mirror, the NDP will never ever win a federal election or even come in second place unless they move their policies from the lower class up to the middle class, which includes tax cuts for those with ~50k single person incomes. The day the NDP does that is the day they will become a serious party.

[Bakunin]

A left federal party will never be able to emerge in quebec because the left is fisrt highly sovreignist and second, a bigger federal states mean violating provincial juridiction and mean smaller provincial government wich is not what the left want.

This is also why even if the conservative are incompatible with quebeckers (mostly social conservative), well they will always be some kind of strategic ally even for the left. Because less federal states mean more provincial states, and most of the important issues like healthcare, education etc.. are provincial juridiction.

So in other word, Layton is scoring in his own goal... If duceppe win, i guess this will be because alot of quebeckers want to get rid of the liberal at any cost and the strategic alliance (Bloc/cons) seems to work or at least make it harder for the liberal to be arrogant.

[Cartman]

I grew up in BC for the most part. While living in Northern Ontario, I went to a liquor store and patiently waited in a long line. After this long wait, I asked for a "half sack". The clerk looked at me completely confused. I repeated my request, but to no avail. I explained that I wanted SIX beer. He annoyingly claimed that they offered no such quantities of beer.

So, I relented and asked for "a case", but he sent 24 beer along a conveyor belt. WTF!? He was clearly trying to oversell me! I became angry and sent it back because I only wanted "a case". I said to him that "I only want 'a case'. He responded by saying that he had given me "a case". I explained to him that "a case" was 12 beer and that he had given me " a flat" also known as a "two-four". Hello? I did not want "a flat", only "a case". He told me that "a case" was 24 beer whereas 12 beer was, well, 12 beer. We were angry at each other.

A civil society should have comparable measurement methods. Consistent measurements, after all, indicate the level of civilization of any nation. Name me a civilization that does not have consistent measurements. So, being an Albertan hick, is it too much to ask for a translation when French is used?

"chercher le butin"?

I would love to participate in this debate, but I can only translate 1/2 of this phrase which is the equvalent of a hockey score of 1 to something else. Thanx.

[err]

I grew up in BC for the most part.  While living in Northern Ontario, I went to a liquor store and patiently waited in a long line.  After this long wait, I asked for a "half sack".  The clerk looked at me completely confused. 

Cartman, Northern Ontario lingo for beer is:

Case of 24 - "A case of beer", or "a 2-4"

Case of 12 - "A 12-pack"

Case of 6 - "A poverty-pack" or "a 6-pack"

And you should go to the beer store for beer... it's cheaper there....

err...

[err]

Is that what Canadian federal politics have become?  Is that how the sophisticates in the NDP perceive "hardball politics"?  Go to Ottawa and grab as much money as you can for your particular constituency.

If you were watching what happened (instead of talking) you'd probably note that Jack Layton made Paul Martin keep true to his election promises and socialistic-sounding throne speech delivered earlier in the year.

Out of curiosity, do you think that additional money for low-income housing is a bad thing ??? Do you think that additional funding for education is a bad thing ???

[cybercoma]

Is that what Canadian federal politics have become?  Is that how the sophisticates in the NDP perceive "hardball politics"?  Go to Ottawa and grab as much money as you can for your particular constituency.

If you were watching what happened (instead of talking) you'd probably note that Jack Layton made Paul Martin keep true to his election promises and socialistic-sounding throne speech delivered earlier in the year.

Out of curiosity, do you think that additional money for low-income housing is a bad thing ??? Do you think that additional funding for education is a bad thing ???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think they're great things, when funded by the proper jurisdiction.