A Fall 2007 Federal Election?

[maldon_road]

Not surprising. Dion knows that an election would be a disaster for him. Iggy has been spreading the same message. Even Denis Coderre, of all people, has calmed down on the rhetoric while in Afghanistan.

So the government survives and each time it comes to vote on government legislation we can watch the Liberals fighting among themselves as to what to do.

Dion seeks to avoid election

OTTAWA — Stéphane Dion signalled Tuesday that he will try to sidestep a fall election, and might even tell his Liberal MPs to sit out a confidence vote on the Conservative government's agenda.

Although he warned Prime Minister Stephen Harper that the Liberals would make him pay if he used election threats to force them to cave in on a rapid series of parliamentary votes, Mr. Dion said bluntly that he wants to avoid an election. "Yes. We need to take into account the fact that Canadians don't want an election," Mr. Dion told reporters yesterday.

With his Liberals falling seven percentage points behind the Tories in a new opinion poll, Mr. Dion specifically refused to rule out the possibility that his MPs would sit out the confidence vote that will follow Tuesday's Throne Speech, allowing the government to survive....

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

[Canadian Blue]

I think that any notion that the Liberals will have a seat count similar to that of John Turners in '84 is abit presumptuous. First of all many people still do not have complete trust in Stephen Harper, and rightfully so as Harpers positions have been "moderated" alot over the past 5 years. I think that the best thing to happen in the next election would be a second Conservative minority, a Liberal opposition, and a stronger NDP base. While Dion hasn't been a complete disaster, he hasn't proven to be a leader, and his situation in a way parallels Ed Stelmachs, a leadership candidate who was more or less the compromise vote, and ended up under preforming.

I think the entire flip flopping argument is pointless as a government will always have to be practical in order to be successful. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, and if we want to get into arguments about who flip flops the most we'll probably be arguing for months on end.

However if Dion loses the election, and ends up losing more seats in Quebec it would be prudent for him to step down and allow a leadership race to commence.

[August1991]

What Dion fears most if the fall election doesn't occur, is what will happen in the spring.

The Conservatives will present a major tax break in their spring budget,maybe the biggest one taxpayer have seen in decades.

I agree. Politicians are optimistic, risk-lovers and so I suspect that Dion is probably thinking that Spring will be better. But will it be?

I think that any notion that the Liberals will have a seat count similar to that of John Turners in '84 is abit presumptuous.

I agree too. The Liberals now are nothing like in 1984.

----

It seems to me that Harper will craft a Throne Speech and then policy and House votes in such a way that the Liberals, unless they have no scruples whatsoever, will have to vote against. Dion has scruples. (Chretien had no scruples. To be honest, I always thought that if Quebec ever separated, Chretien would just move to Florida.)

Dion is not Chretien, and Harper is putting Dion between a rock and a hard place just when Dion is looking for some time to organize his party. Politics is a blood sport.

In practical terms, Dion has said that he wants a new environmental bill, a time limit to Afghanistan and he won't agree to a limit on federal spending. How can he compromise to such a degree?

An election seems inevitable.

[maldon_road]

An election seems inevitable.

Manley to head Canada's Afghan mission review

As Prime Minister Stephen Harper gets ready to name a panel to review Canada's post-2009 role in Afghanistan, and will reportedly ask former Liberal cabinet minister John Manley to head it, Germany has extended its troops' stay for another year....

The panel of high-profile Canadians, to be named later today, is expected to include:

* Former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley

* Derek Burney, Canada's former ambassador to Washington and former chief of staff to Brian Mulroney

* Respected broadcaster Pamela Wallin, who was Canadian consul general in New York

* Former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Jake Epp

* Paul Tellier, former Clerk of the Privy Council and former president and CEO of Canadian National Railway and Bombardier

(more)

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

Do you think the Oppos will force an election on Afghanistan after Harper has named a panel (headed-up by a Lib) to look at the situation? What would Dion say, "Harper must agree to pull out the troops in 2009 even before the panel makes its report?"

[jdobbin]

Do you think the Oppos will force an election on Afghanistan after Harper has named a panel (headed-up by a Lib) to look at the situation? What would Dion say, "Harper must agree to pull out the troops in 2009 even before the panel makes its report?"

Do you think Harper will try to force an election by saying that Canada will stay in a combat role regardless of what the panel says?

[Canadian Blue]

The panel was a very good move by Harper, however I hope that for Dions sake he doesn't oppose it. To do so would be idiotic, and I would hope the Liberals would support a non-partisan panel to look into the mission instead.