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

[Wezil]

I hope Dions delivery of the message is better than his delivery of the tape.

Harper was a swing and a miss with his. He just went over the same ground.

[Asher]

It's really pathetic that they can't even do the most basic **** right.

How will they run the country if they can't deliver a ****ing tape on time?

Holy ****.

Lloyd Robertson looks pretty pissed. "this time is extremely valuable to the network"

[Wezil]

CTV just bailed on Dion.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Dude, I was messing with you. Was acting like you insulted Allah. Thought my reaction was overstated enough to make that clear.

I thought so but you forgot to add a smiley

Besides snoopey gave me a and I wanted to make clear I didn't write the thing I just passed it on

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil


CTV just bailed on Dion.

Lets get this straight-- The Liberals were given equal time and couldn't get it delivered in time ????

Now thats ineptitude on a large scale by someone0-- I would figure even Dion could get through a prepared speech ok

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wezil


CTV just bailed on Dion.

CLASSIC.

I watched it on CBC. It was hilariously bad. Looks like a message from a low-budget terrorist, it's zoomed in too closely and badly performed.

It's a pre-recorded ****ing message and he still butchers our language.

I also liked how he said he can help build Calgary a "modern, efficient public transit system". Calgary's LRT is from 1988 and is wind-powered, is it really old and inefficient?

They're building a new LRT line too, which the Liberal government did not support...

[Asher]

The best part was the end. "On a personal note", he basically said "if you guys still hate me, don't worry, I'm only here four months!"

[Wezil]

Harper's address was no gem but at least it was seen. I have no access to anything but CTV so I missed Dion's completely.

What an incredibly stupid gaff.

[Asher]

I want to see the new poll results.

[Wezil]

Why? This won't be decided at the polls any time soon. An election looks less likely than other alternatives.

I want to see what the GG does tomorrow (presuming Harper makes his request to prorogue).

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wezil
Why? This won't be decided at the polls any time soon. An election looks less likely than other alternatives.

I want to see what the GG does tomorrow (presuming Harper makes his request to proroge).

I want to see if the inability to tape a coherent speech on time affects his numbers.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil
I hope Dions delivery of the message is better than his delivery of the tape.

Harper was a swing and a miss with his. He just went over the same ground.

I did not see it but am not shocked that it might be predictable stay the course stuff.

Heck part of the strategy might have been simply to look boringly competent and hope Dion imploded.

Since on my analysis the coalition gets to govern, Harper probably figured he had little to lose

[Asher]

Let the in-fighting begin:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081203.wPOLlayton1203/BNStory/Front

Layton denied own airtime tonight

NDP Leader Jack Layton has failed in an attempt to secure his cut of the television airtime pie tonight, as the nation's broadcasters insisted he must speak alongside Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, within their would-be coalition, after Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses the nation.

Mr. Layton made a late plea Wednesday for each party leader to receive national television airtime tonight, suggesting he'd like to appear independently of Mr. Dion, who would become Prime Minister if the coalition is successful in taking control of Parliament.

Only Mr. Harper and Mr. Dion, on behalf of the coalition that includes the NDP, have been granted airtime this evening. Despite Mr. Layton's request, the broadcasters have said that will remain the case.

But Mr. Layton's chief of staff wrote to broadcasters Wednesday evening to ask that “each of the three leaders of the opposition in Parliament receive equal time and treatment to address the people of Canada” after Mr. Harper's statement, scheduled for 7 p.m. eastern time.

“We respectfully remind broadcasters that the proposed coalition is just that: a proposal to the Canadian people by two of Canada['s] political parties with the backing of a third,” Mr. Layton's chief of staff, Anne McGrath, wrote to broadcasters in what appears to be a hastily typed memo.

“The proposed coalition for a co-operative government will, and could only, take effect [if] the House of Commons demonstrates its lack of confidence in the current Prime Minister and his administration of our country. Until such time, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Part are distinct and functionally separate caucuses in the House of Commons,” Ms. McGrath wrote.

It's not clear what prompted Mr. Layton's request to appear separately from Mr. Dion.

The Liberal-NDP coalition, which has the backing of the Bloc, will nonetheless have 10 minutes to respond after Mr. Harper's request. Mr. Dion and Mr. Layton are each free to speak within that allotted time.

Bob Hurst, president of CTV News, said this afternoon it was news to the networks that this was a “proposed” coalition, as the NDP letter suggests, rather than one that had been agreed upon.

The NDP letter suggests that there is a precedent on the manner, saying that a 2005 address by former Liberal minority Prime Minister Paul Martin was followed by a chance for each party to respond. There was no opposition coalition agreement in place at the time of Mr. Martin's address.

Neither Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe nor Green Party leader Elizabeth May have asked for airtime tonight.

After receiving Mr. Layton's letter, Bob Hurst, president of CTV News, informed Mr. Dion's office that the NDP were asking for their own - and equal airtime. "Mr Dion's office was not aware Mr. Layton was asking for time," said Mr. Hurst. "Mr. Layton's office did not consult with Mr. Dion.

"At 3 p.m. we had an urgent call among all the TV networks to assess, as a common pool, how we were going to address the Jack Layton thing. We all agreed that if the leader of the coalition wanted to divvy up his time – and give Mr. Layton a some time or appear together – that was his choice.

"I was deputized to call Jack Layton's office back. They suggested the PM's office was lobbying us for only one opposition leader to respond. There was no lobbying whatsoever. The PM's office said to each of us that it was our call if we wanted any response on this situation," added Mr. Hurst.

"Regarding the NDP's position, our response was that we had re-read the documents [the coalition originally] presented at the joint press conference. Nowhere in those documents is there a suggestion that the coalition is 'proposed.' It is our view that, in fact, the NDP/Liberal parties are operating as a joint opposition party right now."

Meanwhile, Mr. Dion is urging the Governor-General to reject any attempt by Mr. Harper to suspend Parliament.

It is expected that Mr. Harper will visit Gov.-Gen. Michaëlle Jean on Thursday morning and ask her to prorogue Parliament until late January, allowing his minority government to avoid falling in a confidence vote next week.

If they did fall, Mr. Dion would become Prime Minister, leading the Liberal-NDP coalition that's been supported by the Bloc.

In a letter Wednesday, Mr. Dion says Ms. Jean cannot accept prorogation because it is a violation of the Constitution and an affront to parliamentary democracy.

He argues prorogation would simply delay the inevitable defeat of the government, prolonging a parliamentary crisis and exacerbating economic difficulties.

With the three opposition parties having struck a formal agreement to defeat the government and replace it with a coalition, Mr. Dion says Mr. Harper has already lost the confidence of the House.

Mr. Dion's characterization of the formality of the coalition agreement contradicts Mr. Layton's assertion that it's a proposal, upon which he's based his request for airtime.

[Wezil]

Flubber -

It was the same message he has been sending but he aimed for "sweater Harper" tone and missed. It was the same aggressive/attach front we have been hearing.

I'm not sure what he was aiming for but it seemed a "preaching to the converted" sort of position. There was nothing new in either tone, message, or direction.

[Wezil]

Full texts of both are here.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081203/harper_statement_081203/20081203?hub=TopStories