Another election......are you serious?

[nordex]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

There are many issues that the Conservative did not resolve by gaining power. All they did was lower GST. An example is their policy for dealing with youth offenders. It has no scientifically proven ways of solving the fundamental problems but rather increasing costs. And if you look at the increase of homelessness across Canada (I know we dont like taking about but it costs tax payers $$$$) since Harper got elected, nothing has been done. Eco-rebate failed miserably. Once health care and education are improved, they should not be wasting money on stuff they think will work...

The thing I liked about the Liberals was that they would lower PERSONAL INCOME TAX. When people complain about having less money in a expensive city like Calgary, this has a bigger impact that saving 2% GST. Its not every year people car houses or cars. Also being a contractor, increasing the GST will benefit me.

AH its kinda hard to get things done when you have a minority government. The only way things change is in a majority government. The conservatives can try and pass along all these issues, like crime but with the liberals not backing it, it doesn't go through.

Lets not forget how poorly Dion acted on election night. Do you really want a man who looses his temper so easily running a country?

[Stonewall]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

Well if anything at least all this moving and shaking has got the common man talking about and being interested in the government again.

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

The 1.95 per vote also came in with a cap on corporate contributions, Harper wanted to remove the 1.95 but not give back more corporate funding, thus trying to constrict the other parties, and he was a fool to think they would not respond.

The rumor is Harper runs a very tight party so to think he wouldn't make his MPs vote the way he wants is not too crazy, but I think he has shot himself in the foot big time here. He does have another option and that is to offer up his resignation in exchange for keeping the Conservatives in control, but I sense his ego is too big to let that happen.

Overall I am a Liberal but I am also a realist and I really have to think that not much will change if the coalition takes control, most parties run the same when it actually comes to it, but I just do not trust Harper. I am surprised at some of the reactions over this that having a Liberal/NDP/Bloc coalition would be like the end of the world to some. Loved the cover of the Calgary Sun this morning with pictures of the three leaders and the words NO NO NO, not hard to figure if that paper is at all biased.

The other point is this is a very exciting time for Canadian politics as events like this have never happened, but I think we are also heading down a road of continued division which may make it very difficult for any parties to have majority governments down the road.

[nordex]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

I think people are upset for a few reasons:

A) DION said no to a coalition during the election. If he would have said during the election that a few months later he would actually be pursing a coalition with the separatists they would have lost more seat then they had. Its disgusting.

B) People didn't vote for Dion. The liberals lost the most amount of seats ever. Dion just doesn't want to be the only liberal in a 100 years not to be a PM. If the majority wanted the liberals to stimulate the economy they would have voted them the majority...

C) The leaders of these parties are taking it into their own hands without the voices of Canadians.

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

I understand Dion has changed on his coalition view but he was not forced into a corner by Harper at that point and when has a politician never flip flopped.

He is also only a temporary acting PM figure and probably is in limited control as the leadership is in limbo at the moment.

The stimulus was not as prominent at election time as it is now, things have changed since October 14th.

The leaders are still trying to avoid an election and this whole issue is still on Harper.

[Khyron]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

With the TSX down 40%, now is not the time for "exciting new untested political action".

Harper is an Economist. Dion is a Poly Scientist. Dion's whole role in the gov back in the 90s was to fight the separatists. Now he's united with them? Talk about flip flops.

As for the party funding cuts. There are THREE 30ish million dollar programs that give money to the parties based on percentage of votes. Harper was cutting one of them. A 33% reduction on OUR tax dollars funding fringe parties instead of them creating support on their own doesn't strike me as a "slash across the throat".

I'd be FINE with a coalition gov if it was just the libs/dems AND if their intention was clear before the election. But Dion also exclaimed he'd NEVER align with the NDP either. I'll take Harper over Dion anyday because at least you know what you're getting.

The announcement of the coalition plan was exactly what dropped the TSX again - everyone else was less than half the magnitude.

Stability and faith in the system are what is required and this whole circus is going against all of that. I would be saying the same thing if the roles were reversed!

[Duby T]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

All this talk of flip floping is pointless. This is politics, everyone flip flops.

I still agree with Blair. Harper has no one else to blame but himself. As for the economy, I honestly don't think any of the parties are capable of "fixing" it.

[Khyron]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

To a degree, but a flip flop of this magnitude would be Obama appointing Palin to the Sec of State position.

The point is there IS no "fix" for the economy. It's a cycle and you have to ride it out. The key is strategic spending (yes even deficits) and stability to restore confidence. There is no way a coalition gov that includes a SEPARATIST party is going to promote any degree of foreign confidence or investment. You think this is bad? Expect to see our dollar below .60 if this coalition talk doesn't go away by next year.

And for the record I've voted liberal in pretty much every election. But this is economic suicide.

[Duby T]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

The point is there IS no "fix" for the economy.

Thats what I meant about no party being able to "fix" the economy....I should have been a little more specific.

[nordex]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

Thats what I meant about no party being able to "fix" the economy....I should have been a little more specific.

I just think its hard for canada to fix the US problem.

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

I agree that the timing for this is not the best, however I still think Harper backed the other parties into a corner and could not have been surprised they would react, he was not forced to start any of this.

And let us not forget when Harper was trying this in 2004 he was going to form a government with the NDP and Bloc too to oust Martin and the Liberals.

Quote from CBC News:

Speaking to reporters outside the Commons, the Bloc leader said the 2004 letter shows Harper "certainly wasn't as afraid as he is now of the naughty separatists."

I am still even unsure of how much of a crisis we are really in economically and I am not sure if going through another election would be that much better than a coalition with a TEMPORARY leader Dion. Also history has shown us that the Liberals have been better at the fiscal management then the Conservatives as they cleared up Mulroney's debt, and got us to a point of surpluses.

The one thing that I am not surprised about is the Alberta reaction, so Conservative and so predictable. I have gotten more emails in the last 24hrs protesting this than any other political thing ever. Just seems like we behave like a selfish province, this will hurt us and hurt oil, its the 80s all over again. Paranoia, selfishness and BS.

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

A comment from some one on CBCNews that I think speaks well:

Mr. Harper has nobody to blame here but himself. Since becoming PM, he's run his government like an absolute dictator, arrogantly dispensing his unilateral, partisan will on the country - acting as if he is oblivious to the fact that he was in a minority situation where the spirit of comprimise, not heavy-handedness ought to have been the posture he took. Add to that the Conservatives' indifference to the economic plight of everyday people while they give tax breaks to mega-corporations, and you have conditions ripe for a defeat of their government.

In short, Mr. Harper has acted as if he has all the power in the world when he simply doesn't, and it has finally come back to bite him in the behind. We all could see this coming - why couldn't you Mr. Harper?

Mr. Harper, if you're that dense you have no right to be Prime Minister of this country. I loathed Jean Chretien with a passion, but at least he had a thread of common sense.

[Jester B]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

Amen.

[nordex]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

I think most canadians are annoyed. We had a vote. Post election we seen how bad Dion really was. Now we are looking at him as a PM. At the moment this is causing huge problems. They are destroying the economy as we speak. They should have let go of this for the time being but Dions personal vendetta would not allow him to. Anyone notice the TSX is just tanking, is it a coincidence?

If Canada wanted a coalition, or a liberal leader they would have voted for it but you know what the fact is Canadians didn't and in the end we are all going to pay the price. All for personal reasons. They well get into power, destroy our economy and leave the conservatives to pick it. All the meanwhile Dion well be long gone and just happy his picture was put up in parliament.

[nordex]

Re: Another election......are you serious?

I dont mean to rehash old stuff but this one is about the economy. At the time of election the economy WAS an issue and everyone damn well knew that Harper was not big on a stimulus. Everyone seen this interview. He specifically talks about the economy and needing to do some sort of stimulus and yet he lost seats? Why would that be?

I can't believe anyone sees this guy fit to run a country. He can't even do a damn interview.



AND then he acts like a three year old



THATS a man fit to run a country? The guys can't control his emotions but he is going to control the country?