NDP/Conservative Coalition?

[Texasholdem71]

Hello everyone. New to the forum. Needed a place to vent and see how other Canadians are taking to the news. 8)

Conservative Minority Gov't.... very sad. But I had braced myself for it happening. I was still hoping and praying Liberals would stick it out... but alas, it was not to be.

I heard something very disturbing today. Jack Layton has promised to join the Conservatives in a coalition against Liberals.

WTF?!!!?!? What the hell is he thinking!!!!

He stole the votes from the Liberals, from people who are most definitely not Conservative voters, now he is going to join up with them to "get changes made in parliament". What changes? Privatised health care? No mare gay marriages? No mare Pro-Choice?

How can an extremely left wing party and an extremely right wing party join a coalition????

I was watching a segment last night on Decision Canada about how 58% of Canadians would support a NDP/Liberal coalition and only 30 something percent would support a Conservative/NDP coalition.

What the heck!?? What is Layton thinking. 8O

 

[MMMike]

I don't know the details of the proposed 'coalition'. I find it unlikely, but all parties can find some issues they agree upon. And by the way, the Conservatives are not extreme right, as the NDP is not extreme left.

 

[Robair]

Conservative / NDP would probably work reasonably well together on electoral reform etc.

All Harpers "clean up the government" talk is more or less in line with some NDP policies I believe...

But no, I doubt they would be working together on issues dealing with social programs, taxes etc.

 

[#juan]

NDP/Conservative Coalition?

Sounds like a marriage made in hell, but after all the nasty rhetoric and insults that the parties leveled at each other during the election, it might have been the only marriage possible. If harper embraces the bloc, he might have trouble explaining that during the next election.

 

[Colpy]

NDP/Conservative Coalition?

Sounds like a marriage made in hell, but after all the nasty rhetoric and insults that the parties leveled at each other during the election, it might have been the only marriage possible. If harper embraces the bloc, he might have trouble explaining that during the next election.

Astute post, #juan.

An alliance with the Bloc would be political suicide.....English Canada would flee the CPC, and Quebecois would see they need not vote CPC to "have a seat at the table".

The CPC/NDP can clean up gov't, pass real whistle-blower protection, set fixed election dates, set up a system for judical appointment review by Parliament, pass child care legislation, look at electoral reform, cut the GST (the NDP shouldn't call them on that.....political suicide), increase funding for the military.........Harper and Layton could work together on most of Harper's 5 priorities............then we see what happens.

 

[Texasholdem71]

RE: NDP/Conservative Coal

I smell a Referendum.

 

[#juan]

I have to agree Colpy

I only wish Harper would save the tax cuts until afer he fixes the military. In my mind, the military should be the top priority.

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

You need to see how this is playing south of the Border, Fox News is eating it up and touting Harper as the man of the Hour! Speculation is running wild as to how the make up of the Canadian Government will be. News Analysts are touting a NDP/Conservative mix but are not ruling out some crossing of the isle on the other parties.

Bloc Quebecois spokesladies in Lafayette, Louisiana was on the 6 AM News with a commentary along with the Acadien News from the Maritimes. Since the Acadiens in both Louisiana and Canada tend to favor Liberal/Democrat Parties, the inroads the conservatives have made have been to appeal to their largely pro-family, independent stance formed by their mutual heritage.

Louisiana Politics tends to be colourful due to the dual nature of the State, now Canada steals the Thunder and provides what could be a very good show.

Hope #juan get his Military Wish. I hope they can deliver what they promised, watching to North, it could signal what could be happening in November in Baja Canada.

 

[DasFX]

NDP Conservative Coalition would be pointless, they'd still be two seats short of a majority. Really, how can the far right govern with the far left?

 

[#juan]

I don't think any party

wants to be seen as the one bringing about yet another early election. I think it would be in all their interests to try to compromise and get a few things done. I think the major parties have been sent a message. The party that breaks faith and brings the house down will likely suffer for it. (at least if it were up to me :wink

 

[yballa09]

dasfx, if im not mistaken the libs and bloc have 154 seats together, and the cons and ndp have 153 seats together. There is also one independent, so if he was to side with the cons/ndp coalition that would suffice.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

All that Layton said was that he would try to work with the new government, which is a far cry from saying the NDP would form a coalition with the Conservatives.

They all say that sort of thing at first. Bush said he wanted to work with the Democrats, etc., etc.. It means nothing other than the usual - and temporary - poli-words of cooperation at the onset of a new government.

 

[shamus11]

RE: NDP/Conservative Coal

The real question should be, how long will this minority government last?

Will it be a coalition government and how long will that last?

 

[Lifestream]

Why should a coalition be feared? I don't understand all this Conservative fear. It doesn't make any sense. Harper had a good quote last night "This is a change of government, not a change of country"
I think this will inevitably force the conservatives to be far more centrist in their time in office.

"How can an extremely left wing party and an extremely right wing party join a coalition???"

I believe you mean left of centre and right of centre. Even the Bloc isn't technically considered extreme right.

Right now I think it is impossible to take out a tape measure and accurately predict what will happen to Canadian politics in the next 18 months. How can you accurately measure support for a government that has yet to govern?