So the power-mad loonies of the Liberal and the NDP, spurred on buy Harper's attempt to pull their greedy maws off the public tit, wish to throw the country in the toilet
Colpy, the dispute is not about cutting off public funding to the political parties, that is only a minor point. Anyway, I understand that Harper has backed away from that, public funds to the parties will not be cut off.
The attempt to cut off the funding to political parties, while politically stupid, did not involve that much money. That was only a minor point. The major point of contention is the stimulus package.
Conservatives do not want a stimulus package, all the other parties do. Evidently the other parties feel strongly enough about it so that they are willing to put their differences aside and cooperate on this one issue.
This is not a power grab or thwarting the democracy, it is a serious difference in policy. Indeed, thwarting of democracy etc. are the side issues which really veer away from what should be the main argument, the main topic of debate. Well maybe not here, here anything goes, but at least in Ottawa.
The main topic of debate should be, would a stimulus package at the time have a desirable effect? That is a serious argument which is obscured by political shenanigans.
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SirJoe, perhaps I misunderstood (It happens...), but didn't Harper split that vote so that the Non-Confidence
vote on the mini-budget takes place on Dec.8th/08, and a second Non-Confidence Vote will take place in
January/09 with respect to the Pork-Barrel Politics like MP salary cap's & this $1.95/vote/party entitlement
& the limits on expense accounts, etc...SO THAT the public could see what the Dec.8th/08 vote was really about?
If that's the case, it's a shame that's the order the votes will take place in. Should be the Pork-Barrel vote first
on Dec.8th/08 and the other one in January/09...that would truly show whether or not the public funds for the
other parties is really a minor point, or the point. By overthrowing the Government on Dec.8th/08 though...the
NDP & Liberals & Bloc can avoid the second vote about the Pork-Barrel all together. Sad....
If the current maneuvering by the three opposition parties was truly about the budget, wouldn't they have already
overthrown the Government in one of the (I believe) six opportunities they had at Non-Confidence votes in the
last term (the six where the Liberals where always absent)?
One of THOSE Non-Confidence votes was over a budget.
The fact that this potential toppling of the current goverment at this time (and not one of the last six times) makes it pretty
clear (at least to me) that the Pork-Barrel portion of this last vote (before the vote was split) is the real & only point
to the three opposition parties.