I did vote NDP last time federally, only because no Marijuana Party candidate running. I will do the same next time. It was a tight 3 way race here and Gurmant Grewal squeaked in. ):
Prediction Time
- Thread starter Reverend Blair
- Start date
Are you seriously predicting that the BQ will lose seats, Dukee?
The Conservatives put far too much emphasis on scandal, something they are also known for, and too little on policy. The impication is that they think Canadians are stupid.
Canadians aren't stupid though. The next election will be fought on the environment. The Liberals will push their "green" budget, the NDP and BQ will push Kyoto...the NDP because they have a plan, the BQ because of Quebec's hydro power...and the Conservatives will paint themselves as backwoods luddites who prefer corporate profits to breathing and think the election issue is a scandal that people in most of Canada are tired of hearing about.
The main sub-issues will be health care, BMD and same-sex marriage, none of which are strong points for the Conservatives. If (more like when) a Conservative backbencher from Saskatchewan or Alberta decides to make abortion an issue in spite of the official party stance, Stephen Harper will be afraid to deal with it forthrightly.
The Conservatives put far too much emphasis on scandal, something they are also known for, and too little on policy. The impication is that they think Canadians are stupid.
Canadians aren't stupid though. The next election will be fought on the environment. The Liberals will push their "green" budget, the NDP and BQ will push Kyoto...the NDP because they have a plan, the BQ because of Quebec's hydro power...and the Conservatives will paint themselves as backwoods luddites who prefer corporate profits to breathing and think the election issue is a scandal that people in most of Canada are tired of hearing about.
The main sub-issues will be health care, BMD and same-sex marriage, none of which are strong points for the Conservatives. If (more like when) a Conservative backbencher from Saskatchewan or Alberta decides to make abortion an issue in spite of the official party stance, Stephen Harper will be afraid to deal with it forthrightly.
Harpers to close to W Canadians will never go for him.The last thing we want to see is our troops in Iraq.Not to mention he'sa Bildaberger :evil:
It all depends on the local candidates for me-
I will vote for whoever the best person is,
the party be damned.
I will vote for whoever the best person is,
the party be damned.
RB,
You truly believe the next election will be about the environment, give your head a shake.
Just because the NDP want to take about the environment doesn't mean that the MAJOR parties want to deal with it.
Without question, integrity and honesty will be the issues if we have a spring election. You won't hear anything about SSM(except from the NDP because they'll be screaming that the Liberals are calling an elections simply to postpone the SSM debate yet again).
The BQ and Conservatives have both indicated that integrity is something they are going to go after.
Just to let you know, I don't think the Liberals are any different than any other government in power. They have corrupt members just as any other party does. I would like to think that the election will be about issues, which the Liberals will try to do, but the public doesn't like liars who are stealing money and I don't think the Liberals will be able to overcome the Gomery inquiry testimony.
A quick question, what would your reaction be if it was a conservative government who had a publication ban on the information that the inquiry was generating??? Would you be as easygoing??
You truly believe the next election will be about the environment, give your head a shake.
Just because the NDP want to take about the environment doesn't mean that the MAJOR parties want to deal with it.
Without question, integrity and honesty will be the issues if we have a spring election. You won't hear anything about SSM(except from the NDP because they'll be screaming that the Liberals are calling an elections simply to postpone the SSM debate yet again).
The BQ and Conservatives have both indicated that integrity is something they are going to go after.
Just to let you know, I don't think the Liberals are any different than any other government in power. They have corrupt members just as any other party does. I would like to think that the election will be about issues, which the Liberals will try to do, but the public doesn't like liars who are stealing money and I don't think the Liberals will be able to overcome the Gomery inquiry testimony.
A quick question, what would your reaction be if it was a conservative government who had a publication ban on the information that the inquiry was generating??? Would you be as easygoing??
Three out of four parties see it as one of their strengths. It is in the international and national news almost daily. It shows up as a major concern in polls every time.
Not if the Liberals have any say in it. It is unlikely that the government will fall because of a bill on the scandal. It is likely that it will fall on the environment-related budget bill.
The Liberals, NDP and BQ will be using it to present Harper and the Conservatives as the party that would use Notwithstanding to take away rights.
They tried that last time. As the election went on, the issues came out. The Conservatives also have to be very careful about this because they are not exactly scandal free...they still have that legacy to deal with.
You pretty much accused me of being a paranoid hardass in the other thread, now I'm easygoing?
The answer is yes, I would take the same stance. Elections should be about issues, not scandal. I'm not a fan of the Liberals and I see very little difference between Martin's most harmful policies and Harper's policies, so it really isn't partisan decision in this case.
Like I said before,
If there was a snap election soon I wish I could vote for: Sheila Fraser, Auditor General. She comes down hard on any shit that' s been pulled, no matter who it is, libs/cons/misc...and gets people to do something about it.
That's a quote not many politicians are associated with I'd say.
That's a quote not many politicians are associated with I'd say.
She was in Winnipeg a while ago and said that things had gone too far...that people within government, career federal employees not politicians, were so afraid of being crucified that things weren't getting done.
Funny how the national press never picked up on that.
Funny how the national press never picked up on that.
The NDP always has good principles and I do not know why more people do not vote for them. Are they scared if they vote NDP instead of Liberal, Harper will sneak in? Do they dislike how close the NDP is to organized labour?
I know they fucked up really big here, and a lot of the old guard is coming out of the shrubs to run in next Provincial election, and the current leader is viewed as a fill in until 2009 election.
I think that could be the problem, They need a leader Provincially and Federally to be more "broader"? I dunno, but until they get a more "in touch" leader and not a "Bay Street" shyster type like Jack Layton is. There going to have problems. I hate to say it but Ed Brodbent was the best leader the NDP has had in recent years.
I do vote NDP myself if there is no Marijuana Party candidate, which is about 70% of the time.
I know they fucked up really big here, and a lot of the old guard is coming out of the shrubs to run in next Provincial election, and the current leader is viewed as a fill in until 2009 election.
I think that could be the problem, They need a leader Provincially and Federally to be more "broader"? I dunno, but until they get a more "in touch" leader and not a "Bay Street" shyster type like Jack Layton is. There going to have problems. I hate to say it but Ed Brodbent was the best leader the NDP has had in recent years.
I do vote NDP myself if there is no Marijuana Party candidate, which is about 70% of the time.
Wll maybe they should be afraid Rev!They need to know that their jobs are not secure just like the rest of us maybe they would get some work done and treat us public with some more respect.
Government jobs haven't been terribly secure since Mulroney was in power, Mr.Mom.
What has happened lately though, what Shiela Fraser was referring to when she was in town, is that fear has paralyzed a lot of programs. People are afraid to make decisions, afraid to do their jobs. The paperwork has become hugely cumbersome as a result...everybody covering their asses...and a lot of things just aren't getting done.
Those are definitely issues, No1. There is also a lack of press coverage, a lot of people who don't know what NDP policies are, a lot of people who refuse to acknowledge that the record of the provicial NDP where they have been elected is as good as or better than their conservative counterparts and so on.
During the last election, more economists endorsed the NDP platform than endorsed the Conservative platform. A few weeks ago (I haven't checked lately) Jack Layton had the highest approval rating among federal leaders. When Romanow was running Saskatchewan his government was voted the second best-run in North America by the money boys.
None of that ever makes it in the mainstream press. Neither does the fact that the BC leader who was accused of crimes was aquitted...that he was innocent.
Put it all together and it's extremely difficult to make advances.
that was just good a good lawyer in Clarks case Rev! That guy was in that casino crap up to his eyeballs.Lets not forget the fast ferries fiasco
He was aquitted. That means the evidence wasn't there to convict him. If he was as guilty as some people suggest that wouldn't have happened. There also hints of impropriety by the opposition, string-pulling to get trumped-up charges pressed, yet nobody is pushing those are they?
The one thing I never understood was that the NDP didn't climb very high in the last election. With the Halaballoo about the Liberals financial fudgeing, and the Stigma of the Rrrreform mixed with the conservatives I thought for sure that the NDP may benefit from all that. At least to a better degree than what they got in the end.
I was watchin CPAC for awhile this morning (sorry Rev, I can only stomach about a half hour of this crap) and there was some sort of discussion going on in the House of Commons concerning Glen Murray's appointment to chairman of the roundtable on environment and the economy...from what I saw, the conservatives and NDP were slamming the Libs for their trademark cronyism...
Any way, by far the most vocal opponent was a conservative from Alberta, I think, by the name of Brian Jean...passionately voicing his hopes for the success of Kyoto, and how important an issue it was...but he kept calling Mr. Murray, Murphy...anyway, he was clearly unhappy that Glen Murray was appointed to that position...and probably rightly so, but I can't help thinking that maybe this has more to do with the fact that Murray is a homosexual, than that he lacks experience...
Any way, by far the most vocal opponent was a conservative from Alberta, I think, by the name of Brian Jean...passionately voicing his hopes for the success of Kyoto, and how important an issue it was...but he kept calling Mr. Murray, Murphy...anyway, he was clearly unhappy that Glen Murray was appointed to that position...and probably rightly so, but I can't help thinking that maybe this has more to do with the fact that Murray is a homosexual, than that he lacks experience...
What, no mention of Harris' cronyism and corruption scandal regarding nuclear plants? I thought you loved scandals, tibear.
I question Murray's appointment to that too, but the way the Conservatives go after him is brutal. They really hate him. I watch a lot of committee things on CPAC and they go after Murray harder than anybody.
They also try a lot of dirty tricks when it comes to Kyoto though, like trying to denigrate the credentials of anybody who supports it.
Their share of the popular vote went way up. It just didn't translate into seats. There are a few reasons for that. Boundaries have been redrawn, people voted to keep the Conservatives out, and our first past the post system is inherently unfair.
Your so right Rev, It is bad when Chretien recieved 39% of vote and can have a large majority. The way we vote needs to change, to be fairer.
We are voting on voting changes here in May, but i have not decided yet how I am going to vote for the change. I am leaning "yes" as pretty well any system is better than what we currently have.
I looked into your proposed system a bit. I'm not sure that it will work, but it is far better than first past the post.
The question is if it will be instituted even if it passes, isn;t it? I thought the vote was non-binding.
The question is if it will be instituted even if it passes, isn;t it? I thought the vote was non-binding.
Good question. I know it needs 60% to pass in I believe a majority of ridings.
I know when the recall and refurendum refurendums were passed they were gutted to make it all but impossible to use sucussfully.
So it would be hard to say if it would be implemented as parties want power and not miniorities most of the time.
I know when the recall and refurendum refurendums were passed they were gutted to make it all but impossible to use sucussfully.
So it would be hard to say if it would be implemented as parties want power and not miniorities most of the time.