Say hello to Prime Minister Harper

[politika]

Well that was an extremly close election around the begining the Liberals were ahead by 30 and it kept turning aorund between the Liberals and COnservatives. But Harper did it, he is the 22 prime minister of Canada, now Canada can get on with it with a great leader in power and in two years harper can expect a majority rule.

Finnaly there is change, and Paul Martin finnaly steps down.

[Hicksey]

Considering the numbers, its bittersweet for me. IMO Harper needed more than 140 seats to make any significant headway. However, it is good to see Martin gone. I hope for all Canadians they send their scandals up the creek with him.

[politika]

Considering the numbers, its bittersweet for me. IMO Harper needed more than 140 seats to make any significant headway. However, it is good to see Martin gone. I hope for all Canadians they send their scandals up the creek with him.

All that matters is Harper is Prime Minister and a minority, I am a CPC supporter and even I didn't expect a majority from Harper. This Minority will allow him to prove to the country they can trust him and if he plays his cards right which I am sure he will, he will be elected into a majority next election.

[Hicksey]

Considering the numbers, its bittersweet for me. IMO Harper needed more than 140 seats to make any significant headway. However, it is good to see Martin gone. I hope for all Canadians they send their scandals up the creek with him.

All that matters is Harper is Prime Minister and a minority, I am a CPC supporter and even I didn't expect a majority from Harper. This Minority will allow him to prove to the country they can trust him and if he plays his cards right which I am sure he will, he will be elected into a majority next election.

I didn't expect one either. His position would have been a little stronger with the NDP at 40, Bloc at 62, Lib 81 and it taking all three opposition parties to defeat him. That's why I think he needed a strong minority to get much done. When the Liberals and any one of the two can defeat the Conservatives in the house Harper doesn't really have much of a mandate at all.

[Black Dog]

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced. The Cons ran a solid campaign, the Liberals a disasterous one. Yet the Cons only managed to win in a squeaker. Harper will have to stay sharp and make zero mistakes if he expects to improve upon his showing next time. And make no mistake: depending on who the Liberals choose to succeed Martin, they won't be so easy to beat. With more tahn 100 seats, they're still in good shape.

[Hicksey]

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced. The Cons ran a solid campaign, the Liberals a disasterous one. Yet the Cons only managed to win in a squeaker. Harper will have to stay sharp and make zero mistakes if he expects to improve upon his showing next time. And make no mistake: depending on who the Liberals choose to succeed Martin, they won't be so easy to beat. With more tahn 100 seats, they're still in good shape.

Not I. I was genuinely disappointed in my truck listening to things unfold on the radio last night. I knew I should be happy we won, and that my local MP won (one of a few good men in politics IMO), but I knew with these numbers we'll be walking 10 miles (don't forget uphill both ways ... LOL) to school naked in a blizzard to get anything done in this parliament with our agenda being outnumbered in the house 3 to 2. And to make things worse it takes only two of the parties to defeat the government in a confidence motion. I knew from the time I first heard that this win was almost a wasted one.

I have a whole other thread going with that being the topic.

[Shakeyhands]

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced. The Cons ran a solid campaign, the Liberals a disasterous one. Yet the Cons only managed to win in a squeaker. Harper will have to stay sharp and make zero mistakes if he expects to improve upon his showing next time. And make no mistake: depending on who the Liberals choose to succeed Martin, they won't be so easy to beat. With more tahn 100 seats, they're still in good shape.

Black Dog........... Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[Hicksey]

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced. The Cons ran a solid campaign, the Liberals a disasterous one. Yet the Cons only managed to win in a squeaker. Harper will have to stay sharp and make zero mistakes if he expects to improve upon his showing next time. And make no mistake: depending on who the Liberals choose to succeed Martin, they won't be so easy to beat. With more tahn 100 seats, they're still in good shape.

Black Dog........... Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Though an admitted partisan creature, I am also a realist. Those CPC followers of the same ilk know already. The cat's out of the bag, shakeyhands.

[August1991]

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced. The Cons ran a solid campaign, the Liberals a disasterous one. Yet the Cons only managed to win in a squeaker. Harper will have to stay sharp and make zero mistakes if he expects to improve upon his showing next time. And make no mistake: depending on who the Liberals choose to succeed Martin, they won't be so easy to beat. With more tahn 100 seats, they're still in good shape.

Agreed.

But then as recently as 1993, the PCs were reduced to 2 seats and Mulroney's coalition had broken apart. Harper put some of it back together, and as an Albertan leader, he has had to confront the 'Eastern Media Cabal'.

This talk of an urban/rural split strikes me as mistaken. Toronto/English Montreal are Liberal. Edmonton, Calgary, Quebec City are urban and Tory.

Parliament is fundamentally fractured because everybody got what they wanted in this election. I'm not certain a new Liberal leader will win a majority. Where would a Liberal leader get 60 more seats to form a majority?

[shoop]

Hey Black Dog, wasn't this an election with a Liberal party that was talking about winning a record majority only 20 months agao?

Wasn't conventional wisdom in Ottawa six months ago that Stephen Harper would *never* become Prime Minister?

The Liberals got the numbers they did in this election by using scary, scary, scary.

It didn't work as well for them this time. But it did get them into triple-digits.

Harper has the upper hand in the lead up to the next election. The next election will be about Harper's record as PM. If he runs a solid administration over the next 18-30 months he will win a majority.

The closeness of the election may actually be a blessing in disguise for the CPC. It will be an ever-present reminder of the need to be moderate and appeal to centrist Canadians. It will *not* force the Libeals to critically re-examine themselves. That they came so close when they ran such a terrible campaign, with a bad leader against a flawless CPC campaign tells a lot. Same old, same old from the Liberals.

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced.

[betsy]

My husband and I were sort of depressed last night....deep in our hearts we were hoping for a majority...or at least, a strong minority.

At the liquor store last night he told the cashier, "this one for a majority, and this one for a minority."

The lady behind him raised her own bottle and said "this is for the big blue!"

We didn't open either bottle...just went straight to bed. It is disturbing to see how the Liberals could have possibly won that many seats after all that they've done in 13 years? It is worrisome to see how our society is like....what would it take to shake them up to wake up?

[geoffrey]

My husband and I were sort of depressed last night....deep in our hearts we were hoping for a majority...or at least, a strong minority.

At the liquor store last night he told the cashier, "this one for a majority, and this one for a minority."

The lady behind him raised her own bottle and said "this is for the big blue!"

We didn't open either bottle...just went straight to bed. It is disturbing to see how the Liberals could have possibly won that many seats after all that they've done in 13 years? It is worrisome to see how our society is like....what would it take to shake them up to wake up?

Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal. Pogie dependant Maritimers.

These create problems for Tories. I'm starting to think we'll have to sell ourselves short in order to win a majority.

[Hicksey]

My husband and I were sort of depressed last night....deep in our hearts we were hoping for a majority...or at least, a strong minority.

At the liquor store last night he told the cashier, "this one for a majority, and this one for a minority."

The lady behind him raised her own bottle and said "this is for the big blue!"

We didn't open either bottle...just went straight to bed. It is disturbing to see how the Liberals could have possibly won that many seats after all that they've done in 13 years? It is worrisome to see how our society is like....what would it take to shake them up to wake up?

I don't know. I wish I did. I too was disappointed last night. Driving in my truck, I had planned to stop and party with the CPCs at our local office on the way home from work. When I heard the numbers the excitment was tempered with a heavy dose of disappointment.

[shoop]

I think last night, like Belinda crossing the floor, will be good for the CPC in the long run.

Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal said we still believe "scary, scary, scary".

If can prove that they are a credible mainstream alternative than we can win a majority next time around.

We will have the more experienced campaign team, the more experienced leader and the ability to define ourselves by our actions in government.

What is everybody so depressed about?

We didn't open either bottle...just went straight to bed. It is disturbing to see how the Liberals could have possibly won that many seats after all that they've done in 13 years? It is worrisome to see how our society is like....what would it take to shake them up to wake up?

[geoffrey]

I think last night, like Belinda crossing the floor, will be good for the CPC in the long run.

Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal said we still believe "scary, scary, scary".

If can prove that they are a credible mainstream alternative than we can win a majority next time around.

We will have the more experienced campaign team, the more experienced leader and the ability to define ourselves by our actions in government.

What is everybody so depressed about?

That beer was $6.00 last night and I'm still just rolling out of bed now, might even go back.

There ya go, we will definately be a credible meanstream alternative. But I fear we are going to incur some 'Ignatamania.' Right off the boat yankee and people are ok with that, yet feared Harper for maybe having US ties. Oh my.

[Hicksey]

I am happy to see the Liberals out of office. But with our agenda outnumbered in the house 3 to 2, achieving everything else in our agenda (except a few notables that have general support: crime & accountability) will be similar to your grandfathers indecent 10 mile walk to school in the snow -- uphill both ways no doubt.

I think last night, like Belinda crossing the floor, will be good for the CPC in the long run.

Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal said we still believe "scary, scary, scary".

If can prove that they are a credible mainstream alternative than we can win a majority next time around.

We will have the more experienced campaign team, the more experienced leader and the ability to define ourselves by our actions in government.

What is everybody so depressed about?

We didn't open either bottle...just went straight to bed. It is disturbing to see how the Liberals could have possibly won that many seats after all that they've done in 13 years? It is worrisome to see how our society is like....what would it take to shake them up to wake up?

[tml12]

I think last night, like Belinda crossing the floor, will be good for the CPC in the long run.

Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal said we still believe "scary, scary, scary".

If can prove that they are a credible mainstream alternative than we can win a majority next time around.

We will have the more experienced campaign team, the more experienced leader and the ability to define ourselves by our actions in government.

What is everybody so depressed about?

That beer was $6.00 last night and I'm still just rolling out of bed now, might even go back.

There ya go, we will definately be a credible meanstream alternative. But I fear we are going to incur some 'Ignatamania.' Right off the boat yankee and people are ok with that, yet feared Harper for maybe having US ties. Oh my.

The cognac was free here last night...wait, that's because it came from my apartment!!!

Yeah, the aspirin and the coffee have been working back to back...Martin's speech sounded someone coherent today when I heard it on the radio...

[geoffrey]

The cognac was free here last night...wait, that's because it came from my apartment!!!

Yeah, the aspirin and the coffee have been working back to back...Martin's speech sounded someone coherent today when I heard it on the radio...

I think I'm going to need some cognac pretty quick.

Martin's speech does sound better when you can actual hear it, this is first for him.

Good for Martin though, however much he bottomed out his party and was a weak Prime Minister, what he did in the Finance portfolio was quite an accomplishment, and he deserves a ton of credit for that. Good people can even come out of the Liberal Party, sometimes.

[tml12]

The cognac was free here last night...wait, that's because it came from my apartment!!!

Yeah, the aspirin and the coffee have been working back to back...Martin's speech sounded someone coherent today when I heard it on the radio...

I think I'm going to need some cognac pretty quick.

Martin's speech does sound better when you can actual hear it, this is first for him.

Good for Martin though, however much he bottomed out his party and was a weak Prime Minister, what he did in the Finance portfolio was quite an accomplishment, and he deserves a ton of credit for that. Good people can even come out of the Liberal Party, sometimes.

Look he is a brilliant economist and was quite impressive during the Mexican Peso Crisis. But once at the top he just couldn't get the job done.

I think he'll be retiring to the Eastern Townships now.

[Hicksey]

The cognac was free here last night...wait, that's because it came from my apartment!!!

Yeah, the aspirin and the coffee have been working back to back...Martin's speech sounded someone coherent today when I heard it on the radio...

I think I'm going to need some cognac pretty quick.

Martin's speech does sound better when you can actual hear it, this is first for him.

Good for Martin though, however much he bottomed out his party and was a weak Prime Minister, what he did in the Finance portfolio was quite an accomplishment, and he deserves a ton of credit for that. Good people can even come out of the Liberal Party, sometimes.

Any idiot can rob peter to pay paul. He didn't accomplish anything. What would have been impressive to me would have been to come up with a systemic solution that didn't include rading the provinces coffers and leaving our wallets at their mercy.

[scribblet]

I am happy to see the Liberals out of office. But with our agenda outnumbered in the house 3 to 2, achieving everything else in our agenda (except a few notables that have general support: crime & accountability) will be similar to your grandfathers indecent 10 mile walk to school in the snow -- uphill both ways no doubt.

I think last night, like Belinda crossing the floor, will be good for the CPC in the long run.

Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal said we still believe "scary, scary, scary".

If can prove that they are a credible mainstream alternative than we can win a majority next time around.

We will have the more experienced campaign team, the more experienced leader and the ability to define ourselves by our actions in government.

What is everybody so depressed about?

We didn't open either bottle...just went straight to bed. It is disturbing to see how the Liberals could have possibly won that many seats after all that they've done in 13 years? It is worrisome to see how our society is like....what would it take to shake them up to wake up?

A recession is one thing that could mess up everything. A slow economy could be blamed on us and also make it difficult to follow through with all the promises.

This is no small concern as the yield curve has become inverted in the United States and with 5 consecutive monthly rate increases by the Bank of Canada, I am very concerned that we may face a recession in

2006.

[geoffrey]

A recession is one thing that could mess up everything. A slow economy could be blamed on us and also make it difficult to follow through with all the promises.

This is no small concern as the yield curve has become inverted in the United States and with 5 consecutive monthly rate increases by the Bank of Canada, I am very concerned that we may face a recession in

2006.

Scriblett's onto the yield curve. I'm not concerned at all, we did well during the last US recession so I have no trouble believing our better monetary policy will see us through.

I'm not too concerned about the interest rates, we are still below the norm, and inflation does need to be curbed right now (according to the Canadian way anyways).

Another factor we need to look at is the horrible labour imbalance within Canada, which could lead to recessionary presures in the West. 15% (or whwatever) unemployment in the Maritimes, and under 4% in Alberta. Without enough people here to labour away, we are heading for a big stall in growth unless we can convince the Maritimers that they need to work. This is one of the biggest threats to our growth right now in my opinion.

[normanchateau]

This talk of an urban/rural split strikes me as mistaken. Toronto/English Montreal are Liberal. Edmonton, Calgary, Quebec City are urban and Tory.

Harper barely got 20% of the vote in Vancouver, the largest city in western Canada. He even lost in suburbs of Vancouver which were previously Conservative.

All rednecks, whether they live in cities, villages or towns, vote Conservative in Alberta.

[Argus]

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced. The Cons ran a solid campaign, the Liberals a disasterous one. Yet the Cons only managed to win in a squeaker. Harper will have to stay sharp and make zero mistakes if he expects to improve upon his showing next time. And make no mistake: depending on who the Liberals choose to succeed Martin, they won't be so easy to beat. With more tahn 100 seats, they're still in good shape.

The Liberals would have fared better if they were deciminated. As it is, all the old Chretien and Martin wardogs are still in place, ready to go for each other's throats. The Auditors are going to be pouring through the books, and you can be sure that as much shredding as we'll hear about in the coming weeks, they'll find plenty of stuff on sitting Liberals. People for whom the Liberals were a tired old party in need of renewal are not going to be impressed by seeing the same old lineup of pompous incompetents. The only thing which has worked for the Liberals over the last four elections has been the fear card. And that is going to be gone after two years of a Harper government. What else are they going to have? Without the fear card the Tories are going to eat deeply into that ring of seats around the GTA - even if the Liberals hold onto the credulous ethnics who gave them so many seats this time around. Nor is there any likelihood, presuming Harper's government doesn't turn Quebecers off, that the Liberals will do better in Quebec next time around - especially since every major name trotted out for leadership is an Anglo. The Liberals, despite their numbers, are largely reduced to three tiny groupings around the big ethnic cities of Toronto and Vancouver, and the frightened Anglos around Montreal. That might impress you, but not many others.

[scribblet]

I find all the self-satisfaction by Conservative supporters here to be a bit misplaced. The Cons ran a solid campaign, the Liberals a disasterous one. Yet the Cons only managed to win in a squeaker. Harper will have to stay sharp and make zero mistakes if he expects to improve upon his showing next time. And make no mistake: depending on who the Liberals choose to succeed Martin, they won't be so easy to beat. With more tahn 100 seats, they're still in good shape.

The Liberals would have fared better if they were deciminated. As it is, all the old Chretien and Martin wardogs are still in place, ready to go for each other's throats. The Auditors are going to be pouring through the books, and you can be sure that as much shredding as we'll hear about in the coming weeks, they'll find plenty of stuff on sitting Liberals. People for whom the Liberals were a tired old party in need of renewal are not going to be impressed by seeing the same old lineup of pompous incompetents. The only thing which has worked for the Liberals over the last four elections has been the fear card. .

It would have been better had they been decimated, it might have taught them a lesson. I'll bet the shredders have just about done their work allready LOL