CanPol: Throne Speech

[Tingkai]

And back to the throne speech, the Conservatives still have not found the key policy that will win them an election.

The GST cut is nice, but no winner by itself.

They have completely failed to offer anything substantial on climate change so they won't tap the growing number of voters who want something done about the environment.

Extending the Afghan mission will not win them new voters.

The senate issue has been around for years and... yawn. Canadians prefer a House of Commons that has real power.

So, as long as the Libs remain in disarray, Conservatives can keep their minority government, but they won't win the support they need for a majority government.

[notyoueither]

That's probably accurate.

The Tories need a clear issue that forces a majority of people to choose in order to win over the course of an election campaign.

However, if the Liberals do truely self-destruct, a majority could be handed to Harper by default.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by notyoueither

However, if the Liberals do truely self-destruct, a majority could be handed to Harper by default.

It looks like this is where we are heading.

[Tingkai]

I doubt that Harper would risk his power on the hope that the Liberals screw up just the right amount.

Harper would need the Libs to screw up just enough to divide the centrist voters among the Libs and the NDP so that the Cons can flank on the right.

But if the Libs completely melt down, the NDP will shoot up.

Or the Libs keep enough strength and we're back at square one.

Not a great election strategy for the Cons.

What really surprises me is that the Cons haven't got a single defining issue. They've just become pretty much like the Libs on policy.

[Dracon II]

Actually, we do have a monarch. I believe Austrailia and New Zealand (and others) do as well.

That's true... but we don't make a big deal of it.

The throne is located near where the monarch lives. That would be in this palace thingie somewhere in London. We also have this really spiffy chair in the Senate. Liz has actually used it once or twice.

Wow... once or twice! Watching the video... I was about to say that the Queen looks younger, and more tan, than I remember. I'm sorry, but I figured that the throne speech only made sense in England, where the Sovereign is readily accessible. It's not something we do (as far as I know), in Australia. The G-G is basically invisible (despite, or perhaps because, of an unfortunate incident in 1975 where he dismissed the Government).

[notyoueither]

Apparently you do, and perhaps some better schools would be in order.

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/gov/ggrole.htm

Sounds like a very similar job to that of the GG of Canada. Funny that.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


Who would you have preferred?

Bob 'I destroyed Ontario, so let me try it again with Canada' Rae?

Ken "beer and popcorn" Dryden?

I was hoping for Gerard Kennedy.

As for the senate, none of that new fangled idea of the people choosing their own representatives. Next thing you know they might actually clamour to vote for their head of state.

Yeah, look where it got the yanks.

[Ben Kenobi]

I edited my House of Lords statement. You call your upper house a Senate, which I didn't know... all I knew was that its members were "appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister to serve until age 75"... which didn't sound like a Senate to me!!

I completely agree with your statement, hence the reason I was taking the piss by saying that the people shouldn't have the right to choose their own representation.

[Ben Kenobi]

The senate issue has been around for years and... yawn. Canadians prefer a House of Commons that has real power.

Triple E is a big issue for many folks, and one of the best ideas reform had. It's an idea that shouldn't be the purview only of the right, but because it came from reform it may very well end up being that way.

If we are going to have the pm appoint people to our modified "house of Lords" then we should instead elect them via popular vote, but through a different mechanism then the house of commons. This way we get senators that are not beholden to the Prime Minister, and are directly responsible to the entire province that selects them, rather then a riding. It's an innovation who's time has come.

The alternative would be to have real Lords but that's not really in keeping with Canadian society, to have hereditary positions.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


Triple E is a big issue for many folks, and one of the best ideas reform had. It's an idea that shouldn't be the purview only of the right, but because it came from reform it may very well end up being that way.

Triple E is dead, dead, dead. Even the big Reform push for "grassroots up" decision making has been completely disregarded by this PM. We haven't seen such a "top down" PM as this in quite some time.

Pretty much everything Reform stood for was pushed aside to bring the Progressive Conservatives into the fold.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by notyoueither
I think he's more annoyed by the fact that the only party other than Liberals that ever has a hope of forming a national government is conservative, even after the debacle.

Not really. I just understood from being in Canada more than 5 minutes that the Liberals were the natural governing party. I would certainly never vote for any of the major Canadian parties, except for the BQ, as I hold them all in complete contempt. This is probably due to the fact that Canadian politics, like most democratic politics these days, is fundamentally managerial, and therefore rather meaningless. None of the leaders have any brains or panache (but then again, no-one since Trudeau has).

Add to that the fact that the opinions of anyone outside Ontario and Quebec simply don't matter, and you have Canadian politics.

The fact that people he disagrees with simply exist really seems to stick in his craw.

I could not care less about Canadian conservatives. As is usual with such parties, it is the usual collection of bigots, morons and authoritarians. Like the British Conservatives, it is "the stupid party". I just don't subscribe to the usual fiction of pretending that they have a "point". The Liberals have a point. It's not one I agree with, but at least they are somewhat respectable, even though I would never vote for them.

But the *****, god botherers and racists have to have someone to vote for, hence the Tories exist.

I can't see him really being happy that Liberals continually punk his fellow travellers by coopting any idea they ever had that stood a chance at popular support. I'd imagine he'd be seething if he actually had the faintest clue about some of the subjects he chooses to continually bang on about.

That's comical coming from you. You have absolutely no clue as to how modern societies are organized, as you have demonstrated repeatedly on this forum. But then again, neither do conservatives. It's not an intellectually respectable position, because it's not a position. It's just a vague collection of prejudices dressed up in a blue tie.

As I said before, Canadian politics is largely managerial. Anything worth voting for will not be on the agenda, or will not be a point of difference, and so voting in Canada is essentially pointless.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Agathon

Add to that the fact that the opinions of anyone outside Ontario and Quebec simply don't matter, and you have Canadian politics.

I can keep posting.

But the *****, god botherers and racists have to have someone to vote for, hence the Tories exist.

That would make a hilarious party convention.

As I said before, Canadian politics is largely managerial. Anything worth voting for will not be on the agenda, or will not be a point of difference, and so voting in Canada is essentially pointless.

Sadly, I have come to this conclusion as well.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Wezil

Sadly, I have come to this conclusion as well.

Just join the People's Front of Judea.

Or the Judean People's Front. There's a lot of choice.

[Wezil]

Nah, it's currently a tossup between the Rhino's or the Sex Party. Tough call.

Refused my ballot at the last provincial vote (only main options of crap on it) but voted pro-mmp.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Wezil
Nah, it's currently a tossup between the Rhino's or the Sex Party. Tough call.

Refused my ballot at the last provincial vote (only main options of crap on it) but voted pro-mmp.

Have you seen that crazy coont, Rona Ambrose? What a loon. She's an Ayn Rand nut. Has anyone told her that Rand's books advocate rape?