Canadian opposition MP defects to Quebec separatists

Machjo

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Did he not know the NDP was a federalist party going in?

Now don't get me wrong. As far as I'm concerned, he as an individual has a right of association and as such is certainly free to join the party of his choice or no party at all. However, his comment that he was expecting that a federalist party would suddenly be all supportive of sovereignty was a little naive to say the least.
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
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Really? A Quebec NDPer defected to separatists? Who woulda thunk. :roll:

8O NOT!
 

Machjo

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Oct 19, 2004
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Didn't pay all that much attention to Quebec politics in those days. Did many conservatives go to the bloc?

Make that federal Cons. Not provincial ones.

Right after the Meech Lake Accord failed, Lucien Bouchard led a large portion of the Progressive conservative party to the newly-founded Bloc Quebecois. I guess you could say the Bloc was a child of the Progressive Conservative Party.
 

WLDB

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Jun 24, 2011
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Right after the Meech Lake Accord failed, Lucien Bouchard led a large portion of the Progressive conservative party to the newly-founded Bloc Quebecois. I guess you could say the Bloc was a child of the Progressive Conservative Party.

A child which played a role in destroying its parent.
 

damngrumpy

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Mar 16, 2005
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This is actually a good thing for the NDP they can vet their separatist elements sooner than
the other two parties. This happened to the Conservative its why they imploded. The Liberals
took a Federalist approach and they lost their members as well nothing new here.
The ironic thing is the NDP has held theirs for a longer period before defections started.
If this remains true it will show, that there are more federalists in the party and that would mean
possibly they could hold some of that vote in a second election. Interesting turn of events here
 

Machjo

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Oct 19, 2004
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A child which played a role in destroying its parent.

I guess we can call it a patricidal party then... Oops... Does not bode well for the NDP then. :)

This is actually a good thing for the NDP they can vet their separatist elements sooner than
the other two parties. This happened to the Conservative its why they imploded. The Liberals
took a Federalist approach and they lost their members as well nothing new here.
The ironic thing is the NDP has held theirs for a longer period before defections started.
If this remains true it will show, that there are more federalists in the party and that would mean
possibly they could hold some of that vote in a second election. Interesting turn of events here

True. remains to be seen. If we suddenly see a mass defection from the NDP as had happened with the Conservatives, then the NDP is at square one. If it keeps those seats, then it it would prove that as moderate as they are on the sovereignty issue, that they are still a federalist party in principle.

Another possibility of course is that the NDP keeps its MPs for this mandate but loses them to the Bloc next election among many other scenarios.
 

Niflmir

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Dec 18, 2006
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I'd vote for the Bloc Quebecois if they had MPs outside of Quebec. Not because of the separatism, but because they actually say rational and logical things during debates that I respect.

Yeah, they might turn around and become raving lunatics the minute they get power, but people deserve the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of expecting them to behave as their record shows they do.
 

Machjo

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I'd vote for the Bloc Quebecois if they had MPs outside of Quebec. Not because of the separatism, but because they actually say rational and logical things during debates that I respect.

Yeah, they might turn around and become raving lunatics the minute they get power, but people deserve the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of expecting them to behave as their record shows they do.

Good post and there is much truth to it... to a degree. Though the Bloc comes up with silly ideas too sometimes.
 

Niflmir

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Dec 18, 2006
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Like eliminating libel, slander, and hate speech laws, then turning around and letting anyone own a rocket launcher or tank as long as they keep it at a range or have a permit for transporting it from one range to the other.

Then I'd probably eliminate age requirements for alcohol, pornography, tobacco, elections... scratch that last one.

I'd nationalize utilities or anything that could be considered necessary infrastructure and institute rules to promote its efficient and transparent operation.

Followed by re-enactment of jus primae noctis. Because damnit, I work too much.
 

L Gilbert

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Nov 30, 2006
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I'd vote for the Bloc Quebecois if they had MPs outside of Quebec. Not because of the separatism, but because they actually say rational and logical things during debates that I respect.

Yeah, they might turn around and become raving lunatics the minute they get power, but people deserve the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of expecting them to behave as their record shows they do.
Um, who says politicians are people? heheh

Like eliminating libel, slander, and hate speech laws, then turning around and letting anyone own a rocket launcher or tank as long as they keep it at a range or have a permit for transporting it from one range to the other.

Then I'd probably eliminate age requirements for alcohol, pornography, tobacco, elections... scratch that last one.

I'd nationalize utilities or anything that could be considered necessary infrastructure and institute rules to promote its efficient and transparent operation.

Followed by re-enactment of jus primae noctis. Because damnit, I work too much.
Some of those don't seem all that whacky to me. I had to laugh at the first and last one, though. Right of first night could end up a bit of a disaster if groom had a rocket launcher or tank.

Anyway, I agree that the Bloc is capable of coming up with both good ideas and ridiculous ones. But then, that could be said of any of the parties, to my knowledge.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
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Like eliminating libel, slander, and hate speech laws, then turning around and letting anyone own a rocket launcher or tank as long as they keep it at a range or have a permit for transporting it from one range to the other.

Then I'd probably eliminate age requirements for alcohol, pornography, tobacco, elections... scratch that last one.

I'd nationalize utilities or anything that could be considered necessary infrastructure and institute rules to promote its efficient and transparent operation.

Followed by re-enactment of jus primae noctis. Because damnit, I work too much.

You are right. What is 'silly' is a matter of opinion. Some of my ideas can be quite silly too by that standard, even if they seem quite rational to my mind.