CanPol: Conservative Platform

[Wezil]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Damn! Aggy will be a cartoon in search of a page, then.

LMAO!!

The fun I miss during the week....

[Ben Kenobi]

Hint: it's not the "heritage"

That's rather openminded of you Skywalker.

[Ben Kenobi]

Hope for the Conservatives.

http://www.canada.com/national/stor...b7-83e0c53058b8

Robert Fife
CanWest News Service

May 21, 2004

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Paul Martin and the Liberal party are heading for the first minority government since 1979 in the expected June 28 election as a result of a late surge in Conservative support and a pervasive "mood of negativity" among voters, according to a new CanWest-Global News poll.

A Compas survey shows Stephen Harper's Conservatives are closing the gap with the Liberals and are now at 31 per cent of voter support compared to 39 per cent for the Martin-led government.

The national survey of 1,579 Canadians was conducted between May 15-19.

The poll has the NDP at 17 per cent of voter support and the Bloc Quebec at 11 per cent, although the separatist party has a huge lead over the Liberals in Quebec.

Compas president Conrad Winn said the Tories have risen from the mid-20 per cent range in recent polls because of an "atmosphere of frustration and desolation" among many Canadians, making it unlikely the Liberals can capture a fourth consecutive majority.

It would be the first minority Parliament since Joe Clark held power for a brief nine months in 1979.

The Conservatives have benefited enormously in the Liberal stronghold of Ontario from the fallout from Tuesday's provincial budget, where the new Liberal government ran a deficit and imposed higher taxes.

The Conservatives are now virtually neck-and-neck in Ontario at 39 per cent and 42 per cent for the Liberals. Only in Toronto are the Liberals holding a strong lead.

"In the electoral heartland of Ontario, the Liberals face new competition from the Conservatives that they have not experienced in many seasons," said Winn.

But the Liberals are in trouble in almost every region of the country except Atlantic Canada where they have 50-per-cent support compared to 26 for the Tories and 20 per cent for the NDP.

In Quebec, the poll shows the Liberals at 40 per cent to 43 per cent for the separatist Bloc, but Winn said those figures overstate Liberal support which is concentrated in heavily anglophone ridings in Montreal.

"In practice, the Liberals are set to lose massively to the Bloc in Quebec, do poorly in Saskatchewan-Manitoba, and be shut out of Alberta," he said. "The Liberals are also threatened in B.C., where public misgivings about the provincial Liberals could carry over to their federal cousins."

In B.C., the Tories are at 40 per cent support compared to 32 for the Liberals and 26 for the NDP. The Tories remain a powerhouse in Alberta with 57 per cent support compared to 27 for the Liberals and the NDP at 14 per cent.

In the Prairie provinces, the NDP are in a virtual dead heat at 32 per cent to 35 per cent for the Liberals, with the Tories at 27 per cent. Winn said a large plurality of Canadians believe they are worse off from four years ago and this mood of negativity may make the Liberals profoundly vulnerable to charges of corruption from the $250-million sponsorship scandal.

"By immense (76 per cent) majorities, Canadians believe the Liberals were corruptly helping their friends, Martin had to have known at the time, his record is not squeaky clean, and Adscam was not an honest mistake made in the course of trying to keep Quebec in Confederation," he said.

The spate of negative advertisements run by the Liberals has also backfired as they did in the last Ontario election, he said.

"The federal Liberal attack ads may be doing for the federal Conservatives what the Eves Conservative attack ads did for the McGuinty-led provincial Liberals in Ontario a few months ago," he noted.

Compounding the troubles for the Liberals is the fact governing parties always lose support over the course of a campaign when voters pay attention to criticism and policies offered by the opposition parties, he said.

In other warning signs, Winn said a majority of those polled believe the Liberals have a record of mis-spending while a large percentage think the government opened the door to terrorists and imposed taxes that are too high.

"To make matters worse for the Liberals, the public is not sure whether the election is premature," he said.

The Compas poll is accurate within 3.1 per cent 19 times out of 20.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
That's rather openminded of you Skywalker.

Yeah, pretty much. IMO the Religious Right is the worst thing that ever happened to the Republican Party and the US (and I doubt it's much better in other countries).

Considering that I'm an atheist, moderately pro-choice, and pro-gay marriage, I doubt I have much in common with the "Christian Heritage Party".

[DinoDoc]

So basically you the type of idiot who makes assumptions about people you know nothing about. The Reagan would be displeased.

[Ben Kenobi]

and I doubt it's much better in other countries

Canada's much more left than the US. Ergo, it's important for balance to get some things from religous folks.

Secondly, you don't need to be religious and right wing. There are many honest religious folks who end up voting for the Republican party in the states because of the hostility of the Democrat party to any form of Christianity. I think rather than bemoaning these folks with a caricature, you should be actually go out and talk to some of these so-called 'religious right.'

[Kuciwalker]

There are many honest religious folks who end up voting for the Republican party in the states because of the hostility of the Democrat party to any form of Christianity.

Which is why Kerry is completely pro-gay marriage, right?

Where did you get the idea that either of the major parties is "hostile" to Christianity?

[Ben Kenobi]

Which is why Kerry is completely pro-gay marriage, right?

He's such a waffler I don't know where he stands on anything. It would depend on who he happens to be talking to today.

Where did you get the idea that either of the major parties is "hostile" to Christianity?

The democrats are not hostile of Christianity so long as Christianity is kept in a closet, out of the way. Their only objection is to those who actively practice their faith.

Go read something by Mario Cuomo, and you will see what I mean.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Canada's much more left than the US. Ergo, it's important for balance to get some things from religous folks.

Religious freaks like the Christian Heritage do not balance things, they distort things.

The vast majority of Canadians believe in freedom of religion meaning people have a right to live their lives according to their individual religious beliefs.

The nutcases from the Christian Heritage believe they have the right to dictate everyone's lives. They want us to live by their religious rules.

[joncha]

* waits patiently for Ben Kenobi's reasoned response

[notyoueither]

Well, they do sound pretty whacko to me. I mean, they are campaigning for proportional representation. WTH do they think they're doing! Forcing their ideas of fair voting on the rest of us unsuspecting Canadians.

[Ben Kenobi]

Religious freaks like the Christian Heritage do not balance things, they distort things.

Distortion? Of course they 'distort' because they approach the world from a different viewpoint. The very fact that expressing a religious viewpoint gets labelled 'distortion' explains precisely why we need them here in Canada.

The vast majority of Canadians believe in freedom of religion meaning people have a right to live their lives according to their individual religious beliefs.

No quarrel with you there.

The nutcases from the Christian Heritage believe they have the right to dictate everyone's lives. They want us to live by their religious rules.

Do they now? I would ask for evidence that they say such a thing.

[Ben Kenobi]

LMFAO @ NYE.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi

NEP anybody?

I was unaware that Kiwis had particular fondness for PET.

Most people did. He was a well respected leader throughout the world. In fact almost everywhere except Western Canada and certain parts of Quebec.

[Ben Kenobi]

Agathon:

Even in America?