Finally its done......the budget vote

[aesop081]

152 for, 152 against with the speaker breaking the tie.

Hopefully Martin keeps to his word and calls an election 30 days after gommery

 

[FredDaHead]

152 for, 152 against with the speaker breaking the tie.

Hopefully Martin keeps to his word and calls an election 30 days after gommery

Since when does Martin keep his word?

 

[ackland]

Since when does Martin keep his word?

Or any Liberal for that matter!
well nothing will change even if there is a vote. The Canadian People are to much in love with the Liberal lies and want to believe them. I saw a poll that says the Liberals would win again in an election. :

 

[Sheerin]

Or what about Peter McKay vowing that the PC and Alliance would never merge.... oh wait.

If every liberal is a liar, then every conservative is a liar.  And so forth. 

 

[Phillman]

Or any Liberal for that matter!
well nothing will change even if there is a vote. The Canadian People are to much in love with the Liberal lies and want to believe them. I saw a poll that says the Liberals would win again in an election. :

Or the Canadian people prefer the Liberals because they know what to expect from them. Who knows what would happen if Mr. Harper was in charge. Personally, I don't trust him. Well any more than I trust any politician.

 

[FredDaHead]

Or the Canadian people prefer the Liberals because they know what to expect from them. Who knows what would happen if Mr. Harper was in charge. Personally, I don't trust him. Well any more than I trust any politician.

So, in your view, it's preferable to have predictable criminals, than "unpredictable" but relatively honest politicians? (As far as one can consider a politician to be honest)

I still don't understand that idea. We KNOW the Liberals are corrupt, we KNOW the public is fed up with their corruption and bull****, so why not give another party a try? It's like hiring a thief to clean your house, saying you never know if the other guy might turn out to be one. Sure, you'll know who stole your stuff, but it won't make it any less aweful, will it?

Heh, I'm not a big bad conservative, I just want some change. But I'm sick and tired of the Liberal Party, both on the federal and provincial levels. Heck, I'll follow a Bloc Pot majority government if it comes to that. Anything but the Liberals.

 

[Brad Sallows]

>Hopefully Martin keeps to his word and calls an election 30 days after gommery

Do you assume the Gomery Inquiry will proceed to completion?

 

[a_majoor]

The Gomery inquiry will probably go the way of the Somalia inquiry. Anyway, at the press conference announcing the acention of Ms Stronich to cabinet, Mr Dithers alluded to the idea she would be in charge of "Implimenting the reccomendations of the Gomrey inquiry". I actually didn't catch on at first, but after seeing it on a few newscasts the implication sunk in: there will be no election call after the Gomrey inquiry, or any other time for that matter so long as Mr Dithers can help it.

 

[Canuck_25]

So, in your view, it's preferable to have predictable criminals, than "unpredictable" but relatively honest politicians? (As far as one can consider a politician to be honest)

I still don't understand that idea. We KNOW the Liberals are corrupt, we KNOW the public is fed up with their corruption and bull****, so why not give another party a try? It's like hiring a thief to clean your house, saying you never know if the other guy might turn out to be one. Sure, you'll know who stole your stuff, but it won't make it any less aweful, will it?

Heh, I'm not a big bad conservative, I just want some change. But I'm sick and tired of the Liberal Party, both on the federal and provincial levels. Heck, I'll follow a Bloc Pot majority government if it comes to that. Anything but the Liberals.

Harper scares Canadians. Peter Mckay would be a more intelligent replacement for the leadership if Harper goes.

Besides, with a healthy economy (well, uneployment is still a bit high, 6.8%) and recent liberal promises granted, im sure Canadians just might want to hang on to the Liberals. Dont forget 8 concecutive budget surpluses either!

 

[Sheerin]

I actually didn't catch on at first, but after seeing it on a few newscasts the implication sunk in: there will be no election call after the Gomrey inquiry,

I highly doubt that... it would be political suicide for the liberals to renege on that promise...

 

[Baloo]

Technically, wasn't the entire Sponsorship scandal "political suicide"?

 

[Sheerin]

It would be if the entire liberal party was involved...
but the entire liberal party wasn't involved so........................................

 

[SHELLDRAKE!!]

Sheerin, I see you feel strongly as others do about your political views and therefore I would like if you could give me a brief synopsis of exactly why you support the liberals and dislike the conservatives.I'm not looking for a fight, just honestly curiouse.

 

[Sheerin]

Now this is difficult to answer. 

Both parties have policies that I agree with, and both have some that I don't - for the liberals I strongly disagreed with their refusal to join BMD, although I don't necessarily agree with the US BMD programme, I do recognize the fact that we need to maintain strong ties with the US.  With the conservatives, I don't agree with their belief that a marriage is exclusively between a Man and a Women.  I personally believe that anyone regardless of sexual orientation should be able to get married. 

I also lived through Ontario's neo-con experience under Mike Harris and later Ernie Eves, and I honestly feel that the province was made worse by their leadership.  3 of my 5 high school years were interrupted by strike actions.  5 out of the 5 years had work to rule campaigns.  I also  didn't agree with their elimination of OAC.

And with the conservatives, I don't like the fact that their core is made up of right wingers, when I am myself a left-centrist.  And to top it all off, I don't like Stephen Harper.  Then theres Peter McKay.  I lost all respect for that man when he reneged on his leadership promise of not merging the PC with Alliance.

While at the same time I think 12 years is too long for ANY party to remain in power... sadly, I can't see any other viable alternatives. 


edit: I should also note that I get really annoyed when people say dumbass things like "all liberals are crooks"... thats part of the reason I've started participating in these discussions. 

 

[canadianblue]

The Prime Minister should be chosen by the MP's in a vote instead. I think that this would work out much better for the country, I mean look at our history. When the MP's voted for the PM we got people like Pearson, Borden, Laurier, MacDonald, etc. After we got rid of this system we got PM's like Trudeau, Clark, Mulroney, and Chretien.

 

[SHELLDRAKE!!]

Are provincial politics being used as ammunition in a federal decision?

 

[FredDaHead]

Are provincial politics being used as ammunition in a federal decision?

I do hope that's a rhetorical question? The question is too obvious for it not to be.

OF COURSE PROVINCIAL POLITICS ARE BEING USED AS AMMUNITION.

 

[Infanteer]

Time to toot my own horn as a political analyst:  ^-^

The Strategic MP; Chuck Cadman:  This is the one that has got me thinking the most, and I haven't seen much about it so far in the media; maybe they'll wise up to it.  A few squeakers in British Columbia finished up in the Conservatives favour, giving them 99 seats in the Commons.  Chuck Cadman, ousted from the Conservative spot in a Surrey riding by another candidate signing up some "instant Conservatives" from his ethnic community, managed to show that alot of residents in his riding still believe in the importance of the term representative in our representative democracy.  Good on them for voting for a candidate that will represent them in Parliament instead of voting for what has become in recent times a party front man.  Cadman has stated that he will poll his constituents to see what party, if any, they are interested in forming; with the way the seats turned out, Cadman can probably have the option of staying neutral and being a factor in the House.  Either way, hopefully he has the stones to keep his word and stay free of a party or go with his constituents wishes, because I guarantee you all three parties would be willing to "buy" him.

Although I was ready for an election (what's wrong with elections?  Voting is good for democracy), I'm happy with Cadman's decision.  He listened to his constituents - if only the other 308 MP's would look to the interests of their constituents over their party.

 

[Infanteer]

On another note, one thing I enjoy about this Parliament is that every part of Parliamentary procedure and process is detailed in the news.  In past Majority governments, nothing within Parliament was really newsworthy because everything is a de facto pass - the majority party has its MP's rubber-stamp everything flying through; essentially fiat rule (which we like to call strong government).

I personally like the fact that debate, loose alliances, uncertainty, and compromise are occurring in Parliament - this is the essence of democracy - throw a Triple-E Senate into the game and I'll be a happy camper.

 

[canadianblue]

A triple e senate would do wonders for this country. It would garauntee representation for all of the region's of the country thus reducing alienation, as well as having balancing the power controlled by parliment. It was a great idea, unfortunately the only parties which supported it were Reform and the Alliance, and the Liberals will never support it because it is too much work.

How about this, get rid of all the parties. We elect an individual representative for each riding to represent us in parliment. Then in parliment the MP's choose the PM, and the PM decides who gets into cabinet. As well each MP would have an equal say on any bill coming through the house of common's, and we would have an opposition leadern elected by the individual MP's as well, the opposition leader would choose MP's who would be critics of each ministry department, and criticize any bills coming through. Think about it, no more political parties or ideology running the country, simply representatives of the people. Alas, I doubt that anything such as this would ever work.