CanPol: May(?) 2011 Election. Vote today!

[notyoueither]

That would be good for the Bloc. How good for the Conservatives?

[Fake Boris]

a) The Conservatives don't have much of a machine to speak of outside of ridings they already hold
b) The NDP will be concentrating its forces on Bloc and Liberal seats - only 1 con seat is on the NDP's radar
c) Harper has given up on Quebec already

The effect will probably be neutral in Quebec; it will probably only consolidate what they've already got by left vote splitting.

The real question is: how much seats does the momentum in Quebec can give them in ROC?

[Fake Boris]

Exhibit of Harper giving up on Quebec: Champlain bridge linking Montreal with South Shore will have to be rebuilt from scratch within 10 years according to an engineering report. This is a major project, upwards of $3b. When questioned on the issue, Harper's only answer was: "We don't want to divert infrastructure funding from the regions to Montreal."

[notyoueither]

a) The Conservatives don't have much of a machine to speak of outside of ridings they already hold
b) The NDP will be concentrating its forces on Bloc and Liberal seats - only 1 con seat is on the NDP's radar
c) Harper has given up on Quebec already

The effect will probably be neutral in Quebec; it will probably only consolidate what they've already got by left vote splitting.

The real question is: how much seats does the momentum in Quebec can give them in ROC?

I'd read earlier in the campaign that the Conservatives had some hopes for a couple of Montreal ridings. I could be misremembering and they were Toronto ridings.

The NDP could pick up a few Conservative seats, but it would mostly be Liberal I'd think.

In Ontario the surge could actually seal the deal for a Harper majority from what I'm reading.

[notyoueither]

I'm a little exasperated.

We're closing in on an epochal election day and the CBC is devoting half of The National to... royal weddings. Queen Victoria's dress is on now. :facepalm:

[notyoueither]

Has Jack Layton repudiated the Clarity Act?

Has the Minister of Immigration made his office an extention of local Conservative campaign headquarterses?

Does Michael Ignatieff have a brain, or is he a clever experiment of Harvard biologists?

Does Stephen Harper have a pulse?

Triffles.

We need to be informed of the number of times a royal has married a commoner.

[Asher]

Exhibit of Harper giving up on Quebec: Champlain bridge linking Montreal with South Shore will have to be rebuilt from scratch within 10 years according to an engineering report. This is a major project, upwards of $3b. When questioned on the issue, Harper's only answer was: "We don't want to divert infrastructure funding from the regions to Montreal."

What the ****.

1) Why the **** can Quebec not design bridges that don't ****ing crumble?
2) How the **** can a bridge cost $3B????? What's the serious cost minus local payouts and mob fees?

[Asher]

The Federal government also committed $212M to that ****ing Bridge. You neglected to mention that.

That's a huge sum of money.

[notyoueither]

[joncha]

While we're posting images and such...

[notyoueither]

It must be heady times.

[notyoueither]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/the-globes-election-endorsement-facing-up-to-our-challenges/article2001610/

Globe Editorial
The Globe’s election endorsement: Facing up to our challenges
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Apr. 27, 2011 10:42PM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, Apr. 27, 2011 11:53PM EDT

We are nearing the end of an unremarkable and disappointing election campaign, marked by petty scandals, policy convergences and a dearth of serious debate. Canadians deserved better. We were not presented with an opportunity to vote for something bigger and bolder, nor has there been an honest recognition of the most critical issues that lie ahead: a volatile economy, ballooning public debts and the unwieldy future of our health-care system.

The challenges facing our next federal government do not end there, of course. The next House of Commons must find new ways to protect Parliament, the heart of our democracy. It needs to reform its troubled equalization program without straining national unity. Relations with the U.S. are at a critical juncture. Any thickening of the border threatens to punish all Canadians, while negotiations over perimeter security have implications for national sovereignty and economic security. Wars in Libya and Afghanistan, climate change, Canada's role in the world, the rapid and exciting change of the country's ethnic and cultural makeup – the list is great, as is the need for strong leadership in Ottawa.

Whom should Canadians turn to?

The Liberal Party's Michael Ignatieff has been an honourable opposition leader; he has risen above the personal attacks launched by the Conservatives, he has stood up for Parliament, and he has fought hard in this election. But his campaign failed to show how the Conservative government has failed, and why he and the Liberals are a preferred alternative.

Jack Layton has energized the New Democrats and the electorate, and seems more able than the other leaders to connect with ordinary people. He has succeeded in putting a benign gloss on his party's free-spending policies, but those policies remain unrealistic and unaffordable, at a time when the country needs to better manage public spending, not inflate it. He has shown that a federalist party can make serious inroads in Quebec, but it has come at the cost of an unwelcome promise to impose provisions of Quebec's language law in federal workplaces.

Only Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party have shown the leadership, the bullheadedness (let's call it what it is) and the discipline this country needs. He has built the Conservatives into arguably the only truly national party, and during his five years in office has demonstrated strength of character, resolve and a desire to reform. Canadians take Mr. Harper's successful stewardship of the economy for granted, which is high praise. He has not been the scary character portrayed by the opposition; with some exceptions, his government has been moderate and pragmatic.

Mr. Harper could achieve a great deal more if he would relax his grip on Parliament, its independent officers and the flow of information, and instead bring his disciplined approach to bear on the great challenges at hand. That is the great strike against the Conservatives: a disrespect for Parliament, the abuse of prorogation, the repeated attempts (including during this campaign) to stanch debate and free expression. It is a disappointing failing in a leader who previously emerged from a populist movement that fought so valiantly for democratic reforms.

Those who disdain the Harper approach should consider his overall record, which is good. The Prime Minister and the Conservative Party have demonstrated principled judgment on the economic file. They are not doctrinaire; with the support of other parties they adopted stimulus spending after the financial crash of 2008, when it was right to do so. They have assiduously pursued a whole range of trade negotiations. They have facilitated the extension of the GST/HST to Ontario and British Columbia, and have persisted in their plan for a national securities regulator. The Conservatives have greater respect, too, for the free market, and for freedom of international investment, in spite of their apparent yielding to political pressure in the proposed takeover of Potash Corp.

Even more determination will be needed to confront the sustainability of publicly funded health care in an aging society. Health care is suffering from chronic spending disease. If left unchecked, it could swallow as much as 31 cents of each new dollar in wealth created in Canada in the next 20 years. In spite of some unwise commitments he has made on subsidy increases to the provinces, Mr. Harper has the toughness and reformist instincts to push the provinces toward greater experimentation (in private delivery, for instance) and change.

The campaign of 2011 – so vicious and often vapid – should not be remembered fondly. But that will soon be behind us. If the result is a confident new Parliament, it could help propel Canada into a fresh period of innovation, government reform and global ambition. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are best positioned to guide Canada there.

[notyoueither]

I believe I hear the presses at the Star cracking.

[Bosh]

What? No Ben predicting a Conservative landslide What has happened to poly? Or did I just not dig far enough back in the thread.

I'd be leery about a NDP surge since often third party polled surges fail to pan out in the actual election (see the LDP last year in the UK)...

[Fake Boris]

What the ****.

1) Why the **** can Quebec not design bridges that don't ****ing crumble?
2) How the **** can a bridge cost $3B????? What's the serious cost minus local payouts and mob fees?

Haha, you're so lovely.

Large bridges are a federal jurisdiction; 1) this bridge belongs to the federal government, and 2) it's huge.