Canada's Conservatives, Liberals Tied in Latest Poll

[Roy]

roy,
i too want a decentralized federal government. a much smaller federal government that is more directly linked to the interests of the provinces. I view the role of the feds as that of a standards setting coalition of the provinces, a united voice on international issues, the authority on settling disputes between provinces, and the authority on interprovincial exchange. Sask could not rule out SSM because it would violate the canadian charter that guarentees the equality of all. If more freedom were given to the provinces, there would be reduced talk of separation, not more. It is only the strong federalists that think keeping a tight leash on the provinces will hold the country together when what they are really doing is just creating more resentment.

good we agree on something :wink:

Now tell me CaracalKid which party do you think would be more likely to support decentralization.

 

[I think not]

This is a bit off topic but bluealberta's comment about Quebec prompted me to respond.

One of the few things I have never understood in Canadian politics is this division between provinces. The have and have not's, who is giving up money to pay who and the resentment that follows with it. I attribute all this to you decentralisation of your government, there doesn't appear to be much sense of any union.

From the outside you appear to be an indecisive, quarrelsome country teetering on the brink of disunion. Canadian politics are filled with terms like "regional disparity", and all sorts of regional rivalries.

Quebec is forever threatening to jump ship. Western Canada, has long been tired of domination by "Central Canada" and wants more autonomy. Western Canadians hates Ontario because they think Ontario has too much pull, and think Quebec is a province of whiners. The Atlantic provinces only care about their fishing industry, British Columbia its timber industry, and the northern territories just want the rest of Canada to leave them the hell alone.

What gives with this guys?

 

[Roy]

RE: Canada's Conservative

just out of curiousity.....what kind of equilization system do you have in the US....or do you not have one?

 

[I think not]

Re: RE: Canada's Conservative

just out or curiousity.....what kind of equilization system do you have in the US....or do you not have one?

We don't have one, taxes raised within the state remain in the state. Federal funding to a state is requested in the House and Senate. Every state trys to solicit businesses to increase their revenues.

 

[Roy]

. I attribute all this to you decentralisation of your government, there doesn't appear to be much sense of any union.

I think thats where you went wrong. I attribute it to centralization. When you look at Canada a huge chunk of the population lives in Ontario and Quebec. Therefore they decide who wins our elections (which causes western ailienation), federal parties makes promises and pass laws to please the people in these areas, even if it is completely at odds with another region.( take the Liberal Handgun Ban announcement...they made it simply to gain votes in cities...but more accurately Toronto and urban Ontario).....it is extremely unpopular on the praries because gun violence is not as much a problem here.

Quebec wants its own voice internationaly, more contol (decentralization)....because Quebec have a very large population the federal governments will act to please them rather than people in the west..feeding ailienation...

... same with Alberta ( who have been f*cked over by federal Libeals in the past....also it is socially much more conservative than most of the rest of the nation which puts it at odds most of the time)

Canada is such a vast country that is not heavily populated....regionalism is a huge factor...and the federal government could help solve some of the problems by decentralization and allowing provinces more power...

 

[Jersay]

I like the idea of decentralization but where does it end. If you have a 'fractured' country with regionalism, if you keep decentralizing and decentralizing the federal government who's to say that in ten to twenty years that the provinces say, who needs the federals. We can do it all on our own!

I think that is what the 'true' federalists believe. And it could possible happen.

 

[I think not]

I like the idea of decentralization but where does it end. If you have a 'fractured' country with regionalism, if you keep decentralizing and decentralizing the federal government who's to say that in ten to twenty years that the provinces say, who needs the federals. We can do it all on our own!

I think that is what the 'true' federalists believe. And it could possible happen.

What you just outlined was one of the prime reasons we switched from State to Federal governments in the US. In the beginning they feared a strong central government like the one they lived with under England's rule. However, it was soon discovered that this weak form of state government could not survive and so the Constitution was drafted. Decentralization leads to disunion.

 

[Jersay]

So, the Canadian government should not be decentralized, if you want Canada to stay together. Is that a correct assumption?

 

[I think not]

So, the Canadian government should not be decentralized, if you want Canada to stay together. Is that a correct assumption?

It is in my view, yep.

 

[the caracal kid]

the key is to find the proper balance of power. too decentralized and yes there is the risk of breakup, too much centeral power and yes there is the risk of breakup.

 

[Finder]

Well I'm still voting NDP this election, and it's not because the conservatives look that good that the polls are evening out again. It's becasue the Liberals have gone down that far because the liberals have just been the bad since around xmas and the polls are reflecting in this.