When's the Next Election

[Reverend Blair]

Well, they just about did it on Friday night. Just a few months after the last election, as soon as Parliament got back to work, they almost dragged us into another morass of electioneering.

It wasn't even over a real issue, it was over the Throne Speech. There is no legislation attached to this vote, that will come later when they pass the actual legislation for the various bills, but there was something that could be considered an issue of confidence.

It was just a few words in an amendment put forth by the Bloc, but it was there. The Conservatives and the Bloc were willing to bring the government down over it. The Liberals were willing to let them. The big boys with no brains had decided to have a pissing match. Some of the Conservatives thought the Liberals would be blamed and some of the Liberals thought the Conservatives would take the rap. The BQ didn't really care, they would win Quebec again anyway. The lone leader showing any sanity was Jack Layton, who was not willing to bring down the government over something so petty and childish.

Now I'd like to think that Jack was just being all grown up and mature, but I doubt it. What Jack was most likely doing was checking the party bank account and worrying about how to pay for lawn signs.

That's really what saved us all from going to the polls again before Christmas. Jack caught on first, but you can bet that Paul, Stephen, and Gilles all got calls from their party treasurers saying something along the lines of, "How stupid are you?"

So Paul and Stephen and Gilles all got together and a couple of words were changed and they all kissed and made up, then Paul and Stephen walked out in front of the cameras and kicked the crap out of Gilles. Gilles walked out in front of the cameras bruised and bloody and claimed to have won the fight.

It was show of immaturity all around, one even more blatant than we are used to seeing from our politicians. The surreality of this little debacle points to a real problem though...these greedy little bloodsuckers are incapable of acting like adults. In a situation where they need to talk and compromise they instead choose to scream and backstab.

With that in mind, how long until the next election?

 

[Andem]

RE: When

Probably A.S.A.P.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: When

Yeah, I was going to put in more choices, then I thought, "Why?"

 

[bogie]

RE: When

Hopefully not anytime soon. These things cost big $$$ ... and we are the ones paying for it.

The NDP will side with the government as much as possible, as that is how they get the most done in their favour.

A quickly-called election, in this way (non-confidence), could backfire on the Conservatives and NDP, putting the Liberals back in with a larger number of seats.

The biggest wildcard is the Bloc .... unbelievable that a party with only seats from one province, is allowed to be a National party.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: When

If the Conservatives are seen to be the cause of another election, and they almost certainly will be, they will be punished at the polls. The parties will get their election money early in the new year though, so their coffers will be filled again.

I was watching Inside Media on NewsWorld yesterday and they had the Ottawa bureau chief for MacLean's on (his name eludes me right now, and I'm too lazy to grab a magazine from the next room). Anyway, even though he was arguing that this was a non-event and was receiving too much coverage, he did let it slip that some rather prominent Conservatives had mentioned they wanted to go back to the polls. It seems the height of arrogance to me, but these people actually think they have some real support.

Another election would likely spell the end of the minority government, the Liberals would gain a majority. More importantly, a loss of seats for the Conservatives would again put our country into a position where there is no viable opposition for the forseeable future.

 

[Andem]

Re: RE: When

If the Conservatives are seen to be the cause of another election, and they almost certainly will be, they will be punished at the polls. The parties will get their election money early in the new year though, so their coffers will be filled again.

I was watching Inside Media on NewsWorld yesterday and they had the Ottawa bureau chief for MacLean's on (his name eludes me right now, and I'm too lazy to grab a magazine from the next room). Anyway, even though he was arguing that this was a non-event and was receiving too much coverage, he did let it slip that some rather prominent Conservatives had mentioned they wanted to go back to the polls. It seems the height of arrogance to me, but these people actually think they have some real support.

Another election would likely spell the end of the minority government, the Liberals would gain a majority. More importantly, a loss of seats for the Conservatives would again put our country into a position where there is no viable opposition for the forseeable future.

Sorry for such a lagged delay in replying, but I can't agree with you more on that point Blair. Right now, Canada is in a unique position of politics with better checks and balances in place to stop anything really absurd from happening. We'll hopefully see no entry into Star Wars and the country's politics will be exciting for a change.

PLEASE! Keep out of the drugs, Mr. Harper, and save Canada from another Liberal majority government. Note to Mr. Harper: Maybe if you composed a platform that most than just Western Ultra-Right-Wingers could relate to, you'd get so more votes.. Also keep religion out of your speeches, or you'll lose more than you gain. </end talking to someone who doesn't care what a Canadian thinks>

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: When

Harper's a lunatic alright...a policy wonk who walked away from first the PCs and then the Reform party because they wouldn't push his insane agenda hard and fast enough. Preston Manning called him a quitter, and there was good reason for that.

I think Canada is going to take a step to the left within the next few years. I don't think Martin will be around for too long...between his bungling of the last election, his pro-BMD stance, deep divisions in the Liberal party, and revelations in Shiela Copps' new book, he won't be leader of the Liberals for long. The party is going to move back to the left.

Those allegations by Copps are true BTW folks, Martin wanted to go into Iraq and scrap health care. His reasons were the same as always, to make George Bush happy so Canada Steamship would have lots of coal to haul. Copps wasn't the only one to notice, she's just the only insider willing to talk about it in public...so far.

The only thing that can save Martin is if Harper delivers the Liberals a majority by sending them a lot of right-wing voters fed up with Harper. L'il Stevie won't do that on purpose, he honestly thinks that the people care about the sponsorship scandal didn't notice the Cargill/BSE scandal and haven't caught on that Martin's views would have put him comfortably on the right side of a Mulroney cabinet.

If Harper forces an election most of his votes outside of Alberta will go to Martin. A lot of Liberal votes will go to the NDP. We'll end up with a Liberal majority with a very weak Conservative opposition being challenged by the NDP at every step.

We really need proportional representation, but Harper has backed away from his commitment to that. His corporate buddies don't like it.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

RE: When

Harper scare the hell out of me, he would so love to be Bush's mini-me.

Rev, I hope you're right that Canada will swing further left.

 

[Numure]

RE: When

Canadian politics, never boring. Same can be said for Québec, Ontario and British Columbia... Maybe not Ontario as much, but still.

 

[Paranoid Dot Calm]

The Adscam inquiry will dictate when the next election will be held. I suspect it will be before September of 2005.

Martin can not govern on "needs". He needs to govern on "fear".
By September, some idiot will have burned a French flag in Sault St. Marie and Quebec separation will have us all fearful of our futures. (The Liberals do this all the time.)

An election will be called in September of 2005 and Quebec demands will top the agenda. We will vote Liberal again, out of fear and in order to save us from ourselves.

Calm

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: When

I really doubt that it will take until September. If it does, Martin could well be on his way out...all that's required is for another Liberal insider to come forward and back up Copps. Something incredibly frightening that just occurred to me is Sheila as the PM from the fallout from that.

These are the things nighmares are made of...Sheila Copps as PM of a one-seat majority, Stephen Harper as Leader of the Official Opposition, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe playing hit and run politics in scrums outside, Paul Cellucci still sitting as US Ambassador to Canada, and George II blowing up half the world for oil.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Re: RE: When

These are the things nighmares are made of...Sheila Copps as PM of a one-seat majority, Stephen Harper as Leader of the Official Opposition, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe playing hit and run politics in scrums outside, Paul Cellucci still sitting as US Ambassador to Canada, and George II blowing up half the world for oil.

Hey stop it, my blood just ran cold.