[NefCanuck]

This was, I think the only possible outcome, given that the Liberals had been trying to run away from their record and trying to play the "Conservatives are 3v1l card again without offering anything in the way of new ideas (Their 2005 platform looks an awful lot like their last electoral platform <_< )

Add to that the RCMP investigation in the leaked information regarding the income trust decision from the Finance Ministry (Which should have resulted in Ralph Goodale stepping aside temporarily until the matter was resolved, but in typical Liberal fashion, it was swept under the rug) and the infamous "beer & popcorn comment" made by the Liberal aide and you have party that is bereft of ideas, visions and lacking the confidence of the nation that they can govern in anyones best interest other than themselves.

The Conservatives ran a near flawless campaign and when they did mis-step or mis-speak, were quick to issue "clairifications" to correct what had been said/done.

Now the Conservatives have at least 24 months to try and prove to the three major cities in Canada that they can govern for everyone, if they can do that then they'll get the chance to earn a majority next go around. I base my predicition of 24 months on the following facts:

1) Liberal leadership convention will not happen much before Labour Day

2) The Liberal Party is $30 million in the hole right now, the new leader is gonna have to work the rubber chicken circuit hard to get that number under control.

3) The Canadian public will obliterate whichever party forces an election any earlier than 24 months. Elections take as much or more out of the electorate than it does out of the parties.

I was actually surprised that Martin opted to step down last night, but I suspect that he decided that the party would have turned on itself (again) if he hung around for any length of time. Only question left to my mind now is how much does he "influence" who decides to run for the leadership...

NefCanuck

[euro_zx5]

Kool_ZX3,Jan 23 2006, 11:53 PM Wrote:It was just people votin conservative over the sponsorship scandal to punish the liberals, they never bothered to look at the issues. Oh well when harper starts makin up crazy legislation and wants to start acting like bush junior people will wake up. The cons never got as much as they hoped for though, good oll polls, they tell you nothing.
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Exactly... and that's unfortunate. Let's all get ready for an Americanized Canada... now we're in for a ride of our lives, a crappy one at that.

[darkpuppet]

we're not going to get americanized. and the politicians need to learn that corruption won't be tolerated.

actually, the fact that a proven corrupt party wasn't allowed back in power should appease your concerns that we'd become americanized.

I don't like the conservatives, but at least it's a minority government and they'll get little chance to truly screw things up.

[NOS2Go4Me]

It's actually funny, go to http://www.canada.com and check the full results... ALL of Alberta went PC. All of it.

Gas rebate cheques? Check. Anti-federalist rhetoric? Check.

First province to follow Harper after he beats Quebec to Canada-altering status and sells Alberta? Check.

http://www.canada.com/national/features/de...lxn_update.html

Sask wasn't far behind either, but the States already have enough land where they can watch their dogs run away for 3 days and still find them.

Actually, Harper won't sell / trade Alberta. I take that back. He'll pimp them out even more.

[FociPhil]

darkpuppet,Jan 24 2006, 01:09 PM Wrote:

ZX5focused,Jan 24 2006, 01:47 AM Wrote:We live in Canada, the soon to be 51st state of the united states of america.
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the joys of being a minority government.. it won't happen.

I'll be honest, I'm happy with the way things turned out... liberals learn their lesson, conservatives don't get free run of the place. PERFECT!

Even if it means we go back to the polls in 18 months.
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I agree 100%.

[K_OS]

The Liberals won't bring down the Harper government without a new leader in place and a good PR run in the aftermath of yesterdays results. The only way I see an election in 12 months is if Harper does something trully stupid and the other 3 parties bitch slapp him some sence by calling a vote of non confidence, otherwise Harper is going to have to do allot of compromising with the Bloq and NDP to keep this government going along.

Laterz :)

[P-51]

I hadn't actually read the Conservative platform until today. Once again, what's why I come to this site. :) Thanks!

I have to admit, that platform looks pretty good on the face of it. Too bad most of it is lies. Promises they can never keep.

They're going to have a VERY tough slog, trying to pass ANY bills, because they are just so different than any other party, they won't be able to find common ground.

How are they going to pass a budget to cut the corporate tax rate? They'll never get the NDP to vote for that. And they'd never get the Liberals to vote for a budget which eliminates their last income tax cut.

Harper promised a seat on the cabinet to any MP elected in Quebec. But in a strange twist of fate, he didn't forsee how well he'd do. They can't give 10 cabinet seats to Quebec MP's!

They're going to go for a free vote on the marriage clause? Sure, they can free up their own party to vote, but I don't think they can FORCE the Liberals and NDP to vote freely, and so they'll lose that one.

There was one interesting nugget in that thing:

They say they will not factor in income from non-newable resources when figuring out provincial equalization payments.

WTF! So Alberta doesn't have anything going on economically other than oil. So they don't factor in that money, all the sudden Alberta is a "have not" province and gets transfer payments while reaping record profits from the oil industry, and simultaneously bending the rest of us over for a natural resource which rightlfully belongs to all of us?

I agree, no parties will WANT to take down this government quickly... but I can't see how it's going to survive.

[Kool_ZX3]

P-51,Jan 24 2006, 01: Wrote:I hadn't actually read the Conservative platform until today.  Once again, what's why I come to this site. :)  Thanks!

They say they will not factor in income from non-newable resources when figuring out provincial equalization payments. 

WTF!  So Alberta doesn't have anything going on economically other than oil.  So they don't factor in that money, all the sudden Alberta is a "have not" province and gets transfer payments while reaping record profits from the oil industry, and simultaneously bending the rest of us over for a natural resource which rightlfully belongs to all of us?

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:blink: :blink: Holy, what a bunch of sneaky *******

It's things like this that make us atlantic canadians vote liberal :blink:

[CheckMyVitals]

i didn't have a hope in hell in getting anything i want... we have a wicked liberal MP in my area who ALWAYS get's elected...

[P-51]

Yup, and you guys can keep selling your fish at a loss to the rest of us, because it's our right to get cheap fish... or something... (sarcasm), meanwhile Alberta will charge you $2.00/L for fuel for your fishing boats, while simultaneously collecting provincial welfare, and mailing profit sharing cheques to everybody in Alberta.

NB forestry products: Renewable
QC Hydro Exports: Renewable
FS Fisheries: Renewable
Ontario Economic activity: Renewable
BC Tourism: Renewable

[Aka]

Yay politics

[NOS2Go4Me]

P-51,Jan 24 2006, 01: Wrote:Yup, and you guys can keep selling your fish at a loss to the rest of us, because it's our right to get cheap fish... or something... (sarcasm), meanwhile Alberta will charge you $2.00/L for fuel for your fishing boats, while simultaneously collecting provincial welfare, and mailing profit sharing cheques to everybody in Alberta.

NB forestry products: Renewable
QC Hydro Exports: Renewable
FS Fisheries: Renewable
Ontario Economic activity: Renewable
BC Tourism: Renewable
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Thankfully someone else gets it! And calls a spade a spade! Wait for it, now the catcalls will come that you're detrimental to the site.

At which point I'll politely remind you that you're infringing on my territory.

[Random Hero]

Well said Nef, hit the nail on the head. I dont understand how you guys can honestly predict an election anytime under 24 months. It would be political suicide for the Liberals to force an election, hell they wont have a leader to be a pm candidate for a loong time.

As long as the conservatives stay far away from touchy subjects such as gay marriage and abortion and focus on the 'now' subjects such as T.O. gun crime the Canadian people will give them a healthy chance. They have no ridings in the major urban centers in Canada, and if they were to make a mistake they can say goodbye to their urban-rural support base in the eastern half of the country.

I did not like the Ducieppes' speech last night, sorry to say but it was the 'usual' seperatist speech. He said he would support Harper on matters that benefited Quebec, but the bottom line was that Seperation was their main concern. I'm afraid that if the going gets tough, Harper will start to bend a little too much like Mulroney (my opinion, and hey did anyone watch Mulroney's guest appearence on CTV, I cant say I expected that) did when it came to Quebec.

[NefCanuck]

Random Hero,Jan 24 2006, 03:35 PM Wrote:I did not like the Ducieppes' speech last night, sorry to say but it was the 'usual' seperatist speech. He said he would support Harper on matters that benefited Quebec, but the bottom line was that Seperation was their main concern. I'm afraid that if the going gets tough, Harper will start to bend a little too much like Mulroney (my opinion, and hey did anyone watch Mulroney's guest appearence on CTV, I cant say I expected that) did when it came to Quebec.
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Funny thing was, saw Mulroney's face on the TV and I immediately started looking for things to throw at my TV screen. <_< Even after all these years, seeing his smug kisser makes me want to knock his block off :blink:

Oh Harper will have to dance with more than a few "partners" over the life of his government, he has no choice, the question is how good is he at juggling all the different balls that are gonna be in play, if he can pull it off sucessfully, that'll go a long way to determining whether he gets in again as PM the next go around.

NefCanuck

[Kool_ZX3]

You guys do know that the fishing industry is getting smaller by the year down here and we have to charge something for the fish to stay afloat. We have to pay a crap load of cash for our own fish like everyone else. It an industry in canada that's seriously in trouble, i am sure all you guys knew that though :D

[nass]

Well he has a lil over a month to pass a budget. Lets see how this all plays into his GST cut. Speaking of which has it gone down yet? he did say he was going to immediatly cut 1% off it. Does anyone have a dictionary as to the definition of immediate is? cause I don't think it's going to happen soon.

[P-51]

Legally, I think they have to pass a budget first, before they can cut it. And that's just what I'm saying.

Harper will either have to compromise so much to get anybody to help him pass a bill, he'll have to break his election promises to do anything. That's why I say this is doomed. He's a minority, and nobody else is on his side.

It's not that the others will WANT to take him down, but it will just happen naturally. He won't be able to find a compromise between the far right wingers which he muzzled during the campaign, and any of the leftist parties he needs to pass a bill.

[nass]

I somehow don't think he will be able to pull off the GST cut while keeping most of his promises. But promising a GST cut and then folding on that issue makes him no better than the Liberals are/were.


I don't know about you guys but I don't mind paying a high tax rate *IF* I can get basic and some not so basic medical services paid for. As it stands now we're paying more and more and getting less and less.

[P-51]

Yeah, he can give those tax cuts, AND spend all that new money... if he runs us into a huge deficit. JUST like Mulroney did, just like Bush is doing now in the US.

Basically selling out our children's future so we can profit now with tax cuts and lavish spending.

That's probably exactly what he plans. He promised all these tax cuts, he promised all this new spending. But he *didn't* say he wouldn't run a deficit. So that's his out.

And it'a perfect example of how stupid the electorate can be. You always hear people whining on the news about "I don't know who to vote for, you can't trust anyone anyway, all they do is lie."

Then they turn around and vote in the party who is CLEARLY lieing the most!

Just like Duncecap McGuinty.

[paolo]

Casper,Jan 24 2006, 01:37 AM Wrote:I wonder who the next Liberal leader will be, since Martin is stepping down?
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I suspect... Belinda Stronach of newmarket-aurora will be the new liberal party leader, that... or Omar Abracadabrahowindahelldoyousayhislastname of erindale-mississauga.