If Harper forms a minority government...

[shoop]

Voters in Quebec are pretty shrewd. The ridings where the CPC is close in Quebec could swing with the real possibility of electing a cabinet minister.

The only other province the CPC might be shut out is PEI.

Very interesting as there is currently an open senate seat in PEI.

Hmmm, if Mr. Harper does form a government I wonder who will form his cabinet? Traditionally, the government (no matter how long it lasts) usually has a cabinet member from every province...I think he may have to use some Senators as cabinet members in order to represent a few provinces...

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[Rovik]

My reasoning is the public has to be broken from its belief that it's either our system or the US system. They have to be introduced to a third way. This will allow the conservatives to introduce changes without squeals from the left that they're introducing an American style health care system. Nobody sane wants a US style system, but the European systems appear to work better than ours.

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I've heard many say that ours was one of the best in the world, even better than most European countries. And Canada being one of the biggest countries in the world and with many smaller communities spread across the country will see a more expensive system delivering health care compared to most small European countries who are tiny in comparsion.

The Notwithstanding Clause is part of the constitution and meant to be used. It has only been used by Quebe so far. I think using it on immigration would make sense, and many would support it. Since the Bertha Wilson decision granted complete Charter rights to everyone the instant they step off a plane Canada has spent billions and billions in legal fees and expensive, multiple appeals for people who clearly are economic refugees. We've also spent a fortune trying to deport obvious criminals to little affect. I note the story in the papers today about the outrage of Toronto police that a high profile gang leader was granted yet another stay in his deportationi for yet another appeals hearing. They've been trying to deport him, a Sri Lankan street gang leader for 5 years and he's still here..

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The Notwithstanding Clause was only meant to used when all other options have failed and the govt. is loathe to use it (as it should be because it could be a tool of dissent and conflict if used too frequently for a new govt. or hypothetically use it too change laws they don't like because it goes against their philosophy.) And regards to immigration....you're right...at time it has been abused but on the other hand if they do what you suggest, Canada may send true refugees that deserve to be here back to their old countries where they might face hardship or even death.

The success rate is minimal, especially given the money put into them. Even those wich actually create jobs usually do so at such a high price it would have been cheaper to just hand the money to the would-be workers.

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The success rate is more than minimal and in some circumstances, the ACOA has assisted on companies in one industry towns become successful and because of this, kept these towns alive.

What I'd like to see is something major, something huge, like a massive withdrawal of federal oversight on the reserves and giving money directly to natives instead of to their often corrupt chiefs. I'd also like to see more urban reserves, a lot more. We could fund their creation in exchange for natives on them paying taxes once they're in place. I think urban reserves are the only way to go, a kind of halfway house before natives simply abandon the reserves altogether and live amongs everyone else.

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Natives would not go along with this unless it was forced upon them and if it was, a nest of hornets might be released.

[stignasty]

Bush should cut way back on his domestic spending, but Reagan ran deficits over 20 years ago and the US standard of living as hardly dropped.

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There's one problem with using the Reagan/Bush deficits to claim that deficit spending is harmless. In between the Bush administrations the US economy had four years of decreasing deficits and then four years of surpluses. Historical data can be found here.

The US debt is 65% of their GDP(link). How did that old ad go? "You can pay me now or you can pay me later." There will come a day when the debt can no longer be swept under the carpet.

[wellandboy]

Sorry to wreck this little Con love fest, but I believe Harper will probably die on the first confidence vote.

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I guess that would be the Accountability Act. No surprises the Liberals would want to kill that!

[shoop]

The Liberals would dream of the Conservatives dying on the first non-confidence vote. There will be so many knives out for Martin by that point he won't be able to gather the votes in his caucus to support killing the government that quickly.

I guess that would be the Accountability Act. No surprises the Liberals would want to kill that!

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[fellowtraveller]

we really need a change. I figure this is the most important election since free trade, maybe moreso.

The important election will be the fight in Quebec in 2007. It will be the last chance to keep Quebec in Canada. The current federal election is important only in that another minority, of any kind, will aid the Bloc and PQ immeasureably.

As for Martin: he is gone within 90 days, win or lose.