Who Should Lead A New Conservative Party

shortlived · February 16, 2013

still 2 and half years to go. seems that McKay and Dumont may be the only potential replacees from the list for Stephen Harper but there is nearly 1000 more days or so till the next election. Dumont shares the fact he was a young liberal with Stephen Harper.

Edited February 16, 2013 by shortlived

Topaz · February 16, 2013

Mike Harris???? The guy quit, was responsible for people dying, the Ipperwash, like people who died waiting for medical help and that was the worse of times for Ontario. I think the next leader will be from the party, like McKay, Kenney, maybe even Baird. The only way to get someone from outside the party to run if its a PCer that doesn't like the way Harper is running the country under the Conservative name.

Keepitsimple · February 16, 2013

If Stephen Harper ever decided to retire......I think Jim Prentice would be welcomed by the party....if he wasn't too old by then.

cybercoma · February 16, 2013

I just voted for Ralph Klein.

Edited February 16, 2013 by cybercoma

Accountability Now · February 17, 2013

I just voted for Ralph Klein.

You just want Ralph Bucks! Lol!

ReeferMadness · February 17, 2013

I just voted for Ralph Klein.

Ralph is unfortunately suffering from a severe form of dementia now.

Still, given the way King Ralph ruled, I wonder whether anyone would notice.

jacee · February 17, 2013

The best one isn't on the list: Jim Prentice.

cybercoma · February 17, 2013

Ralph Klein isn't even on the list. ha

Ralph is unfortunately suffering from a severe form of dementia now.

He would probably still have more coherent policy than Harper's team of fraudsters and miscreants.

Argus · February 17, 2013

Ralph Klein isn't even on the list. ha

He would probably still have more coherent policy than Harper's team of fraudsters and miscreants.

Can you give us any citations of actual fraud or illegal activity on the part of the Conservatives beyond the level of jaywalking tickets?

I lived through a number of previous governments, and while I have few illusions about the present batch in office they appear to have conducted themselves with more integrity and intelligence than any previous government in my experience.

Argus · February 17, 2013

Mike Harris???? The guy quit, was responsible for people dying, the Ipperwash, like people who died waiting for medical help

Harris wasn't responsible for anyone dying. Two drunks appointed through nepotism by a local council got some people killed at one place, and violent native protestors were responsible for the death of one of their members at ipperwash. As for medical waits, they have grown since Harper's time, despite the liberals massive increase in spending on health care. Mind you, most of the spending went to increasing pay for doctors, nurses and other health care workers so they would be quiet and not generate bad publicity.

Argus · February 17, 2013

Of the current crop, Baird and Kennie seem to have the most public acknowledgement for competence. Don't know if either is bilingual though.

cybercoma · February 17, 2013

You have a bunch of Senators right now that have been making fraudulent expense claims, you had Bev Oda reword a document after others had already signed it, you had Harper's buddy Bruce Carson who was actually convicted of fraud, you have the fraudulent Conservative campaign financing scheme which they plead guilty to, you have the entire robocalls nonsense that is almost certainly from the Conservative camp (most recently the push-poll in Saskatchewan). And that's just a handful of things quickly off the top of my head.

I mean holy crap, man. How much do you need? Or do you only reserve the notion that those in power don't get charged for Wall Street bankers?

shortlived · February 17, 2013

Harris wasn't responsible for anyone dying. Two drunks appointed through nepotism by a local council got some people killed at one place, and violent native protestors were responsible for the death of one of their members at ipperwash. As for medical waits, they have grown since Harper's time, despite the liberals massive increase in spending on health care. Mind you, most of the spending went to increasing pay for doctors, nurses and other health care workers so they would be quiet and not generate bad publicity.

If I understand it right the problem was native land was expropriated for a military base, that ended up closing down, and a park put in its place. When one person who was holding a stick got shot because it could have been a gun. I think that his cabinet is aging out a bit, Flaherty I would be surprised if he ran in the next election, as he will be 66. Harris himself is like 68 now... clement will only be 55 in the next election but would be very surprised to see him run for the leadership and pm... but if you look at the core members of cabinet since 2006 a lot of them are approaching the old retirement age of 65. I think the whole it was harris fault was there cause he said to get the 'f'ers' out even if it meant killing them. But maybe it didn't happen that way. I think Harper is alluding to this same treatment if idle no more got issued, he'd send the military in like Mulrooney.

Edited February 17, 2013 by shortlived

shortlived · February 17, 2013

in following up Nicholson and Toews and Ashfield and Menzies will be about 63 at the time of the next election Gerry Ritz will be 64, Dianne Ablonczy will be 66, James Moore retired, Peter Kent will be 72... Duncan and Alice Wong will be 67 Fantino will be 73... the list goes on... but a good chunk of Cabinet is at retirement age. Gordon Oconnor is past the senate retirement age... or will be 76 Joe Oliver 75. a weird kick back is that senators that hit the mandatory retirement age could run for office in the commons? Yet people are claiming 75 is just too old etc.. well past the retirement age everyone else has. The gov has set the military retirement age at 55.. so how is it they expect to run the country if they pass the executives mandatory retirement age. That's about 13 members of cabitnet at retirement age at the next election.. that is they would not serve a full term before being 65 or older. That is about 1 in 3... or 13/38

Edited February 17, 2013 by shortlived

Newfoundlander · February 17, 2013

Of the current crop, Baird and Kennie seem to have the most public acknowledgement for competence. Don't know if either is bilingual though.

James Moore is the best one to succeed Harper IMO, at least out of those three.

Topaz · February 19, 2013

Harris wasn't responsible for anyone dying. Two drunks appointed through nepotism by a local council got some people killed at one place, and violent native protestors were responsible for the death of one of their members at ipperwash. As for medical waits, they have grown since Harper's time, despite the liberals massive increase in spending on health care. Mind you, most of the spending went to increasing pay for doctors, nurses and other health care workers so they would be quiet and not generate bad publicity.

Harris directed the OPP to do what they did in Ipperwash, and because of the changes Harris make in health care,the waiting lines were longer and people were in the halls in beds and some hospitals weren't take some people and so some people died just to find a hospital to take them. He also caused some people to died when he change the counties into muncipalites, or larger. This caused all kinds of stress for council people dealing with the change and at times it was a very heated debates were one of the council people had a heart attack and died. Harris was worse than Rae.

Fletch 27 · February 19, 2013

I need to see what this hidden agenda is.... I would need Steve Harper to continue running for the next few dozen years to figure it out... Maybe its just running a country well thats his hidden agenda?

Greg · February 19, 2013

I'm voting Mike Harris.

Test

Argus · February 19, 2013

You have a bunch of Senators right now that have been making fraudulent expense claims, you had Bev Oda reword a document after others had already signed it, you had Harper's buddy Bruce Carson who was actually convicted of fraud, you have the fraudulent Conservative campaign financing scheme which they plead guilty to, you have the entire robocalls nonsense that is almost certainly from the Conservative camp (most recently the push-poll in Saskatchewan). And that's just a handful of things quickly off the top of my head.

I mean holy crap, man. How much do you need?

How much? I need something substantive, to begin with. I need more than pennie ante stuff. How about bags full of cash, as happened during the Chretien and Mulroney governments? How about hundreds of millions in overpriced contracts directed at Trudeau's buddies? I've been watching politics for almost forty years, and while I'm not in love with Harper, his is the most honest and capable government I have yet witnessed on the federal scene.

Argus · February 20, 2013

Harris directed the OPP to do what they did in Ipperwash, and because of the changes Harris make in health care,the waiting lines were longer and people were in the halls in beds and some hospitals weren't take some people and so some people died just to find a hospital to take them. He also caused some people to died when he change the counties into muncipalites, or larger. This caused all kinds of stress for council people dealing with the change and at times it was a very heated debates were one of the council people had a heart attack and died. Harris was worse than Rae.

None of that holds up. Sure he told the OPP to get the f'ing indians out. So? He didn't kill anyone. And health care cutbacks were directly attributable to the massive cuts in health care transfers which came from Chretien. How come you don't blame him for the deaths and lineups?

DFCaper · February 20, 2013

I need to see what this hidden agenda is.... I would need Steve Harper to continue running for the next few dozen years to figure it out... Maybe its just running a country well thats his hidden agenda?

I think if Justin wins the liberal leadership, we will have Harper re-energized. I think he would love to beat a Trudeau. It would be the cherry on top. And I am sure he won't have a problem raising the money to do it.

Argus · February 20, 2013

I think if Justin wins the liberal leadership, we will have Harper re-energized. I think he would love to beat a Trudeau. It would be the cherry on top. And I am sure he won't have a problem raising the money to do it.

I'm sure Harper and Mulcair would tear Trudeau apart in a debate, but I fear that might not matter. There are a lot of people who don't really follow politics. All they really know is "harper is mean", and will vote for almost anyone likely to unseat him. And, let's face it, Trudeau is pretty. That's really all it takes for an awful lot of people, particularly women, to vote for him. I know a couple of women gushing over him already. Neither knows much about politics, nor cares. But they'll trot out to vote for that pretty boy with the nice hair. They say men are shallow but in my experience, woman are for more into looks. I predict Trudeau will get by far the great majority of female votes in the next election.