Canada's coup d'etat: Opposition parties join to overthrow gov't (Part 2)

[Asher]

South Carolina has all of the cool rednecks. Like Colbert

[Wezil]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Federally Charest is a Conservative, if you don't recall.

Actually he was a Progressive Conservative. He was one of the two (along with Elisie Wayne) that survived the massacre of the party.

I don't think he has any ties to the current Conservative party and I'm not sure how deep his support would go. He's not a likely successor. He would probably have better luck going Liberal than Conservative.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Asher
Actually the first thing I'd like to see a PM do is somehow instil some kind of civility in the house of commons. At the very least let people talk one at a time. No ****ing cheering or booing, holy **** that pisses me off.

While I havent done so for at least 20 years, I much prefer watching the Canadian parliament than congress. The UK parliament is even more fun though IMO.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


I don't think he's as bright as you're giving him credit for, unfortunately.

He's probably the smartest of the major party leaders, but that's not saying much.

I didn't say he wrote it.

It was an observation on his personality.

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Why, does ROC think little of Charest?

He's actually a pretty decent guy.

He'd be a very good leader if he could win the post.

I don't agree with Asher's take on the leader of the Conservatives needing to be from the West.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Wezil


Actually he was a Progressive Conservative. He was one of the two (along with Elisie Wayne) that survived the massacre of the party.

I don't think he has any ties to the current Conservative party and I'm not sure how deep his support would go. He's not a likely successor. He would probably have better luck going Liberal than Conservative.

Are you still banging on about that?

Did you have a gander at the team of elder Tories who helped Harper win power?

[Asher]

I would just like to point out that Obama has the right idea when it comes to stimulus; http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10...eadlinesArea.0

The coalition's plan to just carelessly through money into the wind and hope it fixes everything irks me deeply. Obama's doing more than that, and it's something we should look at in Canada as well. The idea of simply investing in infrastructure worked well in the 30s, but our economy is more complex now. Stimulus like what Obama is proposing well affect far more sectors of the economy, and make the country better at the same time.

[notyoueither]

The energy and information plans sound good and all, but what does
'we will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950's'
mean to you?

[Fake Boris]

Re: Charest, what KH and NYE said.

Politics in Quebec is divided mainly amongst the separatist/federalist line.

The PQ is a broad gathering of left to right separatists.
The Liberal party is a gathering of left to right federalists.

Personally, Charest is a Tory. He got elected in 2003 with a right wing platform (he mentioned Mike Harris in Ontario). Tax cuts, environmental deregulation, building of thermal power plants. Proposed 'flexibilization' of tenant laws to stimulate construction and solve the housing crisis. His then health minister is now an associate of a newly formed private healthcare venture.

The reason he couldn't pass most of his platform is that he got elected mainly because the electorate was tired of 9 years of PQ rule. When he tried to implement his reforms, unions threatened a generalized strike, and there were several huge demonstrations.

He's a perfect fit for the Tories. That he didn't do much to reform Quebec's social-democracy might be a thorn in his conservative heel. But he's also got the "won 3 elections in a row and brought the PQ to its knees" visit card.

And yes, he's perfectly bilingual (Québécois father, loyalist mother). Personally, I think he's even more at ease in English than in French.

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
The energy and information plans sound good and all, but what does
'we will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950's'
mean to you?

That means it's part of it, but not the whole.

[Asher]

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/549943

It's so scary that this could've been our government as of tomorrow...

[RedFred]

I can't believe you are quoting the Red Star.

But your earlier comments on throwing money around carelessly are on the mark. Now Harper may have to throw a bigger bone at the auto industry to appease the NDP and Libs who have a lot of seats in the rustbelt.

My feeling is that Detroit is so badly messed up that there will need to be a massive shedding of jobs regardless of if the US gov't steps in. There will also be a contraction of similar proportions in the Canadian auto industry. The hardship comes at a time when the dollar and oil are low. What will happen when either goes up, either making the industry less competitive or the products more costly?

And if the auto industry isn't propped up what then? Spend money on retraining? Given what the job market will look like next year, retraining for what? And how retrainable is someone who has worked an assembly line for 20 years?

[Victor Galis]

Ooh, the first comment refers to PM's supporters as Harpies. I have to remember that one .

[Asher]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/550231

Ignatieff wouldn't boost coalition much: poll

THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – A new poll suggests that a proposed Liberal-NDP coalition under Michael Ignatieff's leadership isn't much more palatable than an alliance under Stephane Dion.

The Canadian Press-Harris-Decima survey found that only 32 per cent of respondents favoured a coalition led by Dion, with 59 per cent opposed.

Asked if they would support a coalition led by Ignatieff, 38 per cent were supportive, with 50 per cent still opposed.

The poll found that almost 70 per cent of those surveyed felt Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives should stay in power, although 41 per cent blamed them for last week's political crisis and 39 per cent said Harper should resign.

However, 51 per cent said Harper should stay on.

The poll, conducted Dec. 4-6, questioned just over 1,000 people as part of an omnibus phone survey and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20.

The poll also suggests that 46 per cent of Quebecers feel Harper should resign, but the margin of error is much higher for the provincial breakdown.

Jeff Walker, Harris-Decima vice-president, said the result suggests the coalition concept didn't grab voters.

"While many believe Mr. Harper is the chief architect of the problems that currently face Parliament, the coalition concept under Mr. Dion has failed to generate broad public support as an alternative government," he said.

"For the Conservatives, the most damage in the past week seems to have come from the province of Quebec, where a plurality believe Mr. Harper should resign as leader of the party and a majority blame the Conservatives more than anyone else for the parliamentary crisis."

[Wezil]

CP is reporting Dion will resign today.

[Wezil]

...and he's done...almost.

Stéphane Dion announced his departure as Liberal Leader today, paving the way for Michael Ignatieff to take over as interim chief on Wednesday.

"As the Governor-General has granted a prorogation, it is a logical time for us Liberals to assess how we can best prepare our party to carry this fight forward," Mr. Dion says in his resignation letter.

"There is a sense in the party, and certainly in the caucus, that given these new circumstances the new leader needs to be in place before the House resumes. I agree. I recommend this course to my party and caucus. As always, I want to do what is best for my country and my party, especially when Canadians' jobs and pensions are at risk.

"So I have decided to step aside as Leader of the Liberal Party effective as soon as my successor is duly chosen."

(more)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081208.wPOLliberals1208/BNStory/National/home