High Ho it's off to the polls we go.
- Thread starter Trex
- Start date
I presume this little critique is directed at me.
I see you are pretty much a defender of Taliban Jack and his fellow Dippers.
If you read my posts throughly you will see I call Steven Harper: Harpo (as in Harpo the clown).
I call Michael Ignatieff: Count Iggy (in reference to his blue blooded aristocratic background).
And I call Jack Layton: Taliban Jack (in reference to his known dislike of Western Armed Forces and their infrastructure).
Thus I try to haze them all somewhat equally.
I feel the leaders of all our Federal political parties all have broad enough shoulders to withstand a few slights from me.
I see you only care to defend Jumpin Jack and the Dip's.
I feel that is hypocritical and of course totally biased.
At least I try to spread my digs throughout the parties.
So if I may suggest, if my little slights of the various Canadian politicos bothers you so much.
Don't read my posts.
Trex
Kudos to Duceppe for probably averting an election!
OTTAWA - The Bloc Quebecois says it will support the Harper government's budget motion Friday, averting an immediate election.
Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe says his party will vote for the ways and means motion because there's nothing bad in it.
OTTAWA - The Bloc Quebecois says it will support the Harper government's budget motion Friday, averting an immediate election.
Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe says his party will vote for the ways and means motion because there's nothing bad in it.
Did you have the same opinion of Ignatieff in January, when he voted for the budget, and avoided an election then? (and every other confidence vote from then till July?) Or was he a coward and pansy then? Just curious....
PS - Kudos to Duceppe for actually reading the legislation this time, instead of automatically voting agaisnt it. The game will change, because the Liberals have (finally) grown a pair.
It is simply a fact, nothing more nothing less. I don't support it, but to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I don't know what the stats are for the Maritimes, but I see you conveniently forgot to include them. I am fairly certain, though stand to be corrected, that their % of population relative to their seats is way out of whack, though.
As an economic block, the four western provinces are quite an entity. This in no way should suggest I am for separation. However, as our trade as shifted from west/east to north/south, this economic block is a major player when it comes to international trade, especially with our biggest trading partner, the US.
As far as Western Alienation, don't kid yourself, it is here, and not just in Alberta. There are other issues over and above the value of our vote issue that cause this, and a lot of them go all the way back to your favorite guru, Trudeau, who basically abandoned the West in his quest for power and glory. This did not change under any Lieberal government in the past forty years. After so long, being continually lied to by a particular party for so many years, causes people in the West to abandon that party. Which is also why the East continually votes for the Lieberals, simply because the Lieberals always give Ontario and Quebec want they want as a cost of buying their vote, no matter the damage to the rest of the country. On the other hand, Danny Williams is totally unexplainable!!!!!
It's not really surprising when you consider the Maritimes have less than 7% of the Canadian population and over 10% of the HofC seats and 24% of the Senate seats.
It's amazing that people from the Maritimes have actually complained on this forum that the Maritimes are getting the short end of the stick. Now, they are usually those on the left and are quite accustomed to whining. I do find it interesting that areas that the Liberals traditionally do well in have over representation and where their history is not as rosy, there is under representation. I'm not saying that this is by design but given the Liberal Party's track record when it comes to integrity, it's certainly not surprising.
Well, there has certainly been no attempt by the Lieberals to either fix the misrepresentation, or support an attempt to do so, in the Maritimes. Given your stats, I guess there is no reason to wonder why.
The hypocrisy is incredible, sometimes. Slam Alberta for wanting to be at least represented equally, but totally ignore the Maritime votes, which have had a large affect on the last two elections. And Uncle Joe wonders why there is alienation???
AlbertaBlue, I don’t think there is much of an imbalance even for Maritimes. There definitely is an imbalance when it comes to the Senate (e.g. New Brunswick has more Senators than BC).
Here they are - (using 2006 Census, and 2008 HoC seats)
Newfoundland - 1.6% of pop , 2.3 % of HoC
Nova Scotia - 2.9% of pop, 3.6% of HoC
New Brunswick - 2.3% of pop, 3.2% of HoC
PEI - .4% of pop, 1.3% of HoC
**Maritimes overall - 7% of Pop, 10% of HoC
Quebec - 23.9% of pop, 24.4% of HoC
Ontario - 38.5% of pop. 34.4% of HoC (note - biggest difference between pop and representation)
The "West" has 19.7% of pop. and 20.8% of the HoC. (full prov. details above)
The territories have .3% of pop, and 1% of the seats.
Seems to me that the area most "screwed" is Ontario - to the benefit of the Martimes. But don't let facts stop your feelings of inadequacy.
As an economic block, the four western provinces are quite an entity. This in no way should suggest I am for separation. However, as our trade as shifted from west/east to north/south, this economic block is a major player when it comes to international trade, especially with our biggest trading partner, the US.
When it come to economic block, you may be right, AlbertaBlue (and I wish the whole Canada would form one economic block). However, if it comes to separation, there is no way the four provinces could form one nation, it will break apart in a short time.
When it come to economic block, you may be right, AlbertaBlue (and I wish the whole Canada would form one economic block). However, if it comes to separation, there is no way the four provinces could form one nation, it will break apart in a short time.
Dude - I grew up out West - I understand the alienation feeling. But dont' kid yourself - the Cons are no better - or do you NOT remember the CF-18 deal (you know, the contract that Mulroney gave to Quebec, essentailly killing the Aero-space industry in Manitoba - although the bid from Winnipeg was superior.) :Et me guess - that only affected Manitoba, not Alberta, so it doesn't matter. :roll:
The one thing I've learned from living all over the coutnry, is how myopic some people are (West, Ontario, Quebec, everywhere). Guess what, the "typical" Ontarioan is EXACTLY THE SAME as the typical Albertan. The only difference (I've seen) is that the West is more likely to hold onto grudges that the political class out there raises, than the East.
I have the same advise for Western Seperatists as I do Quebec ones. You don't like it, feel free to leave - but don't expect me to kiss you ass to stay.
That's one way of looking at it. Another is that Alberta has 83% of the seats they should have while Ontario has 89% of the seats they should have. BC has 87%
Balanced by the "rest" of the West....
PS = I don't disagree that Alberta and BC should get more seats. So should Ontario.
So the Maritimes has 3% more seats than their share.
3% isn't that far out of whack, especially considering they started the country.
And for the Senate, well, look at the US system, where each state gets 2 senators. That makes some votes worth a whole lot more than others.
3% isn't that far out of whack, especially considering they started the country.
And for the Senate, well, look at the US system, where each state gets 2 senators. That makes some votes worth a whole lot more than others.
The power balance between the States and the US government is different than the the one between the provinces and the Canadian government. It's more difficult for the federal government in the US to impose its will on the states(contrary to what most Republicans will tell you). The real issue is not how many seats one has at the table but rather the influence those seats have.
BTW - I don't know of anybody down east that started any country let alone this one