'A slap in the face' to Quebecers

[normanchateau]

The fact remain that Stephen Harper opposed bilingualism in 2001 but became it's champion in 2004.

...and John Creten promised to get rid of the GST. Guess what? He lied.

Your point being that it's OK for Harper to lie because Chretien did?

Is changing positions the same as lying?

Was fighting official bilingualism part of Harper's platform? Do you feel that voters who voted for Harper may have thought he was going to disband official bilingualism because he said the policy was a failure 5 years earlier?

Was Paul Martin lying when he opposed gay marriage in 1997? Was he lying when he supported gay marriage in 2004? Was he lying either time?

Is it a lie any time a politician changes his position? Or is does that depend on what the politician's political affiliation is?

-k

Your point being that Harper can lie or change his mind as frequently as he wants because Chretien and Martin did?

[kimmy]

Your point being that Harper can lie or change his mind as frequently as he wants because Chretien and Martin did?

My point is that there's nothing wrong with changing one's mind.

The problem with Chretien was not that he changed his mind, but rather that he broke his promises.

-k

[normanchateau]

Your point being that Harper can lie or change his mind as frequently as he wants because Chretien and Martin did?

My point is that there's nothing wrong with changing one's mind.

The problem with Chretien was not that he changed his mind, but rather that he broke his promises.

-k

So when Harper decided to tax the trusts, he changed his mind rather than broke his promise. Now I get it. It depends on what party you belong to.

[kimmy]

So when Harper decided to tax the trusts, he changed his mind rather than broke his promise. Now I get it. It depends on what party you belong to.

I don't think I've defended the CPC's about-face on income trusts anywhere, Norman. It's certainly a broken promise. But at least now I think you're starting to see the distinction. Good job! Gold star for Norman.

-k

[geoffrey]

But personally I think there are millions of Canadians who fear the English majority are loosing political control to a French minority with different culture and ideologies.

I fear the West has lost control over it's own constitutionally provincial affairs to an Eastern focused government with radically different culture and ideologies.

Our system of politics, 'Parliamentary Democracy" is simply not working and the English speaking majority are not receiving proper MP representation to prevent this from happening (loosing political control to a foreign French) minority.

I think that Canada is the unworkable concept, not parliamentary democracy. You can't lump all these various competing interests and try to increase Federal power like the Liberals and now Harper is doing. Doesn't work. Canada will fail on those terms.

Individual majority English constitutional rights have been trampled on by the very same government we pay taxes to, to run the country, not social engineer it.

Provincial rights have been trampled on by successive Eastern focused governments. Somehow, I think you've expressed far less sympathy for Albertans and British Columbians then you express for your fellow "English Canadian" who is not threatened at all by bilingualism.

Perhaps you should move out of Ottawa if you don't like it too much. I speak French at the office because we're Quebecois owned (and their English frustrates me), other than that, I've never heard a word of French spoken in Calgary. No jobs require bilingualism. It really is essientially just Ottawa.

[normanchateau]

So when Harper decided to tax the trusts, he changed his mind rather than broke his promise. Now I get it. It depends on what party you belong to.

I don't think I've defended the CPC's about-face on income trusts anywhere, Norman. It's certainly a broken promise.

Thank you for the acknowledgment that Harper broke a promise. I don't think I've ever suggested that Chretien did not break a promise. Chretien deserved to get the boot and he got it from members of his own party. I can only hope that CPC members give Harper the boot. The sooner he is gone, the sooner CPC has a shot at a majority government.

[sharkman]

You don't seem to realize that Chretien did not get the boot because of broken promises. There's very little chance of that happening. Chretien won an election after promising to scrap the GST, and breaking that promise, so a difference in income trust strategy is not going to do it, I'm afraid.

And with a small "l" leader like Dion, Harper is indeed within striking distance of a majority. I know that scares you, but then you're a left wing activist.

[Michael Bluth]

Thank you for the acknowledgment that Harper broke a promise. I don't think I've ever suggested that Chretien did not break a promise. Chretien deserved to get the boot and he got it from members of his own party. I can only hope that CPC members give Harper the boot. The sooner he is gone, the sooner CPC has a shot at a majority government.

Why?

Would you vote Conservative if Harper wasn't the leader?

[normanchateau]

Thank you for the acknowledgment that Harper broke a promise. I don't think I've ever suggested that Chretien did not break a promise. Chretien deserved to get the boot and he got it from members of his own party. I can only hope that CPC members give Harper the boot. The sooner he is gone, the sooner CPC has a shot at a majority government.

Would you vote Conservative if Harper wasn't the leader?

It would depend on who the leader was. If he or she was a fiscal conservative and not a social conservative like Harper, that leader might easily get my vote. But the evidence to date suggests that Harper is a social conservative and not a fiscal conservative.

[Hydraboss]

Harper is a big L liberal now. He lies. He breaks his promises. He screws the West. You know...he's the PM.

Norman, vote for whomever you would like. It will change nothing, because Canada cannot work as it is. The politicians see this and know this and that is why they will do nothing to truly change this almost-country. Chretien was a loser. Martin was a loser. Harper is a loser. The next PM, although he/she may start out great, will be a loser.

"As the Stomach Turns"