We Can Do This Together!

[mentalfloss]

So, I was just thinking yesterday about this 'seismic shift' in the political landscape and what it will mean for us as Canadians. Now, while there is the legitimate fear of a dominating conservative government, we have to keep in mind that they will be under heavy scrutiny by the media. By having the NDP as the official opposition, you can pretty much guarantee that Jack will be barking loud and clear and journalists will be lapping it up.

This seems to be a decent mix for the country right now. What we will begin to notice is that there is some fiscal policy that does not hinder changes in social policy. In other words, the conservatives can become even more socially progressive to meet the needs of all Canadians, without tampering with fiscal conservatism.

If this comes to true, then I can also guarantee that the conservative government will put itself in an excellent position to get another majority moving forward. But in order to invest in their future, they need to adapt to at least meet some of the needs of the left - and having a strong voice in Jack as our bulldog will help to push that message forward in the press. Again, this is great, because it kind of forces a level of co-operation in order to have our country prosper.

If conservatives are defiant and completely unwilling to co-operate, that will be their undoing come the next election. But if they can make some compromises (or even better for them: collaborate) with the NDP, then we could really be looking at a bright future for our country.

This could work?

 

[talloola]

If conservatives are defiant and completely unwilling to co-operate, that will be their undoing come the next election. But if they can make some compromises (or even better for them: collaborate) with the NDP, then we could really be looking at a bright future for our country.

This could work?

Makes a lot of sense, a positive feeling, a good feeling.

 

[Durry]

It depends what you call cooperate ?
If Jack is asking for the moon, it's hard to see how you can cooperate if this is what your asking.

 

[lone wolf]

It depends what you call cooperate ?
If Jack is asking for the moon, it's hard to see how you can cooperate if this is what your asking.

Ahh ... there's the Harper spirit of co-operation....

 

[DurkaDurka]

I think there's some room for cooperation between the two and if Harper hopes to continue having the support of centrist voters, he'll have to take a hard look at some of Layton's suggestions.

 

[mentalfloss]

It depends what you call cooperate ?
If Jack is asking for the moon, it's hard to see how you can cooperate if this is what your asking.

Well there's another court decision regarding legalization of marijuana coming up in a couple of months if I'm not mistaken.

That would be a start. It doesn't harm fiscal policy, and may in fact be a financial boon for the country. And I can absolutely guarantee that all those young, NDP voters would be fresh meat for the next Harper government. He'll definitely need them as the old fogies die off.

 

[china]

Oh my Canada ,You matured so fast .

 

[Icarus27k]

Cooperation? Between two political parties?

You mean, you can't just wait two years for the pendulum to swing back to your way when your party's the loser?

 

[Unforgiven]

I think there's some room for cooperation between the two and if Harper hopes to continue having the support of centrist voters, he'll have to take a hard look at some of Layton's suggestions.

Or he can just tell Layton and the rest of Parliament to get stuffed, do as he pleases and step down in his last year leaving the sap who steps into those shoes to take the heat for it. All the damage will be done and we can fight about how to fix it through the next few minority governments.

 

[SLM]

Cooperation? Between two political parties?

You mean, you can't just wait two years for the pendulum to swing back to your way when your party's the loser?

Two years?

 

[Icarus27k]

Two years?

Yeah. I am including Presidential and midterm elections.

 

[SLM]

Yeah. I am including Presidential and midterm elections.

Lol, as we have no presidents or mid-term elections, that won't do us any good.

October 2015 before the next election.

 

[Mowich]

So, I was just thinking yesterday about this 'seismic shift' in the political landscape and what it will mean for us as Canadians. Now, while there is the legitimate fear of a dominating conservative government, we have to keep in mind that they will be under heavy scrutiny by the media. By having the NDP as the official opposition, you can pretty much guarantee that Jack will be barking loud and clear and journalists will be lapping it up.

This seems to be a decent mix for the country right now. What we will begin to notice is that there is some fiscal policy that does not hinder changes in social policy. In other words, the conservatives can become even more socially progressive to meet the needs of all Canadians, without tampering with fiscal conservatism.

If this comes to true, then I can also guarantee that the conservative government will put itself in an excellent position to get another majority moving forward. But in order to invest in their future, they need to adapt to at least meet some of the needs of the left - and having a strong voice in Jack as our bulldog will help to push that message forward in the press. Again, this is great, because it kind of forces a level of co-operation in order to have our country prosper.

If conservatives are defiant and completely unwilling to co-operate, that will be their undoing come the next election. But if they can make some compromises (or even better for them: collaborate) with the NDP, then we could really be looking at a bright future for our country.

This could work?

Yep, I think it is an excellent situation. I am glad to see Jack in as opposition - much more so than the Libs as they never seemed to want to do anything that wasn't their idea. Jack, on the other hand, has said time and again that he is more than willing to compromise on issues - and I believe him. I do hope that the Conservatives react with the same willingness.

 

[Machjo]

There are ways of being socially progressive while still being fiscally responsible. To take a few Swedish examples:

co-determination legislation: Workers get a vote on the board of directors of companies with 500 or more workers, but at the same time the country does not have minimum wage legislation. This means that the workplace is more democratic, workers can negotiate pay increases in good economic times, but also negotiate pay cuts in bad economic times.

Free trade: Generally speaking, though free trade is mutually beneficial, the poorer country usually benefits more than the wealthier country.

Other strategies worth considering include:

Removing religiously discriminatory sections of the British North America Act: This could reduce administrative redundancies stemming from the maintenance of separate Catholic School Boards.

Implementing Territorial Bilingualism: Not only would this save money in the langauge training of civil servants, but would also give our First Nations and members of other language communities a more equal chance than they currently have in obtaining employment in the civil service than they do now. This could save us anywhere from 1.6 to 1.8 million CAD per year.

Adding an easy second language such as Esperanto to the list of official UN languages, and possibly remove some other languages from the list: According to Professor Grin from the University of Geneva in a report to the French Government in 2005, such a move would save the EU alone at least 35 thousand million euros annually. Also, if we consider that according to the same report, the EU subsidizes the UK economy from 17 to 18 thousand million euros annually just through the language teaching industry alone, and that the UK is the wealthiest of the EU members, such a change would help the poorest members the most. I'm sure the parallel statistics could be found around the world. Again, a cost-effective strategy to help redistribute wealth not via any socialist transfer of wealth, but merely by putting national economies on a more equal footing in international relations.

I'm sure there are plenty of other cost-effective means of promoting social justice if one has sufficient imagination.

 

[Mowich]

I think there's some room for cooperation between the two and if Harper hopes to continue having the support of centrist voters, he'll have to take a hard look at some of Layton's suggestions.

I would suggest that Mr Harper take Mr Layton very seriously if the latter comes up with proposals that benefit the entire country and are fiscally possible. The NDP have been known to have more than one good idea.

Well there's another court decision regarding legalization of marijuana coming up in a couple of months if I'm not mistaken.

That would be a start. It doesn't harm fiscal policy, and may in fact be a financial boon for the country. And I can absolutely guarantee that all those young, NDP voters would be fresh meat for the next Harper government. He'll definitely need them as the old fogies die off.

As much as I agree with the legalization of marijuana, I have been at odds with my party for years over this and I highly doubt I will see a change in their thinking anytime soon.

 

[SLM]

Yep, I think it is an excellent situation. I am glad to see Jack in as opposition - much more so than the Libs as they never seemed to want to do anything that wasn't their idea. Jack, on the other hand, has said time and again that he is more than willing to compromise on issues - and I believe him. I do hope that the Conservatives react with the same willingness.

I agree. I was saying to someone the other day that this is the first time in a very long time that we've had a strong Parliament. A majority government and a sizeable opposition.

People can quibble all they want to about how the opposition doesn't matter with a majority government and, to some extent they're right a majority government can, if it chooses to, run roughshod over the opposition. But a strong opposition has a (potentially) strong voice and, if they choose their moments well, can be heard.

 

[Mowich]

But a strong opposition has a (potentially) strong voice and, if they choose their moments well, can be heard.

And we all know Jack has the pipes needed to be heard. Let us not forget either, the role that the media plays in all of this. One whiff of anything slightly off and they will be on it like flies on butter. :smile:

 

[SLM]

And we all know Jack has the pipes needed to be heard. Let us not forget either, the role that the media plays in all of this. One whiff of anything slightly off and they will be on it like flies on butter. :smile:

The media can also be more effectual, in my opinion, since they are not necessarily going to be running back and forth between 4 opposing and virtual equal opinions. I'm hopeful anyway.

And Jack does indeed have the pipes. I'm actually looking forward to seeing this Parliament in action. Something I honestly don't think I've ever said before, lol.

 

[Mowich]

I'm actually looking forward to seeing this Parliament in action. Something I honestly don't think I've ever said before, lol.

I am too, SLM. I am really interested in seeing the new cabinet ministers and hoping that my MP - Cathy McLeod gets a portfolio. :smile: I truly hope that Canadians are well-served by this parliament and have high expectations from everyone there. Lizzie May is going to take care of the business of keeping everyone decorous so we should see and hear a totally different question period from now on. I may take to watching CPAC more than Sports Center for a change. LOL!

 

[SLM]

I am too, SLM. I am really interested in seeing the new cabinet ministers and hoping that my MP - Cathy McLeod gets a portfolio. :smile: I truly hope that Canadians are well-served by this parliament and have high expectations from everyone there. Lizzie May is going to take care of the business of keeping everyone decorous so we should see and hear a totally different question period from now on. I may take to watching CPAC more than Sports Center for a change. LOL!

I'll confess, I was actually really glad that Lizze May won her seat, lol. While I personally find her kind of annoying, she was dangerously close to being in "underdog" territory if she wasn't there already. It's this thing with me, don't know if it's a strength or weakness but I always end up supporting the underdog.

I'm eternally grateful to the people in her BC riding from saving me from myself.

I'm kidding. (Sort of )