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Do Canadians finally want an election?

Posted by Joanne on 5 August 2010, 8:04 am

For a long time now Michael Ignatieff has been telling us  Canadians don’t want an election, but the latest EKOS numbers must be tempting him.

With all the census brouhaha and now this tantalizing poll, will Iggy tell us that Canadians are now ready?  We’re all just waiting for the word.

The Bloc and NDP have been voting against the government all along and would likely agree to go anytime.  So it’s up to Iffy to decide.

Should he strike while the iron is hot, and huge crowds are falling under the spell of his charms on his wildly successful bus tour?

I mean, he’s already got Egmont in the bag right?

[And yes, I am hoping he takes the bait.]

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Update

Big City Lib thinks the poor numbers for the Conservatives are due to the state of the Canadian economy.  Yes!  that’s it!  There should be an election about this!!  And don’t forget that Michael Ignatieff thinks it’s too early to “shut the door” on additional stimulus spending.

Oh be still my beating heart.

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Regarding the census – one of the best letters to the editor I’ve ever read:  Question the Numbers (Record)

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Afternoon Update

Harper vows to focus on economy, no election hints – CTV

PM: Canada ‘leading the way’ on economy – CBC

Best thing for Canadian economy would be job growth in U.S., analysts say – Winnipeg Free Press

Filed under Bloc, CPC majority solution, Canadian Politics, Canadian economy, Coalition of the swilling, Election fever, Federal Election, Harper best PM ever, Harper smartest PM ever, Iffy, Iggo Waffles, Iggy, Iggyssiah, Liberal Party of Donolo, Liberal Party of Toronto, Liberal arrogance, Liberal entitlement, Michael Ignatieff, Too many Fools on the Hill.
101 Comments

BLOC-ing that coveted majority

Posted by Joanne on 19 July 2010, 10:05 am

What’s wrong with Michael Ignatieff that he can’t get his majority?

I thought I’d put a different spin on that tired old meme that MSM keeps flogging to death.  But Tom Flanagan says minorities are here to stay unless the political landscape is dramatically altered (H/T NNW):

But it seems that the current period of minority government may go on much longer. As long as the Bloc Québécois dominates Quebec, it’s extremely difficult for either the Conservatives or the Liberals to win a majority, unless one or the other collapses even beyond what happened to the Liberals in 2008 under Stéphane Dion.

Indeed we see the polling numbers firmly entrenched. There may be a few undecided that could be wooed one way or the other but nobody seems to be able to challenge the Bloc’s hold on Quebec.

Flanagan says the only solution is for parties to actually work together to get things done rather than resort to political grandstanding – and they’re all guilty of that.

He calls it ‘power-sharing’. Almost like *gasp* a coalition – but this time involving the party that actually won the most seats.

Filed under Bloc, CPC majority solution, Canadian Government, Canadian Parliament, Co-operation vs Coalition, Coalition of the swilling, Federal Election, Flicking politicians, Harper best PM ever, Iffy, Iggo Waffles, Iggy, Iggyssiah, Liberal Party of Donolo, Liberal Party of Toronto, MSM bias, Media Watch, Quebec, Too many Fools on the Hill, Voter cynicism, democracy.
40 Comments

Election platforms starting to take shape

Posted by Joanne on 29 March 2010, 9:48 am

Ah spring. The time of year when a politician’s fancy turns to thoughts of . . .  an election.

We keep hearing that Canadians ‘don’t want an election’ but the reality is that in a minority Parliament situation, constant election-preparedness is compulsory. Parties must be ever-vigilant and in battle mode.

So here are some of the initial ideas being floated:

1. Conservatives: Kill the $30 million subsidies to political parties. If this has a feeling of déjà vu, just keep in mind that this time the voters would have the final say.

2. Liberals: Freeze corporate tax cuts that haven’t happened yet, and use that imaginary money to fund Big Government programs and create a Big Buffer.

3. NDP:  Change their name to New Democratic Opposition in hopes of eventually replacing the LPC as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.

4. Bloc: Keep milking the country that “is not our country”. (With Canadian taxpayer subsidies, I might add.) The other Bloc initiative would seem to be to keep pushing their coalitions partners to assist them in acquiring ‘an inside track on national security matters‘.

Not the most overwhelming list of suggestions, but I guess it’s a start.

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Update

Mr. Iffy’s plan is not such a big hit with the business community.  Wow, we sure didn’t see that coming. (H/T B.C. Blue).  It seems that Michael Ignatieff and his band of angry little men are still not quite ready for prime time.  (Jane – You say exuberant;  I say boorish.)

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Related (Tuesday Update)

Bill would set Senate term limits – David Akin, Vancouver Sun

Conservatives make overdue progress on immigration – Don Martin, NP [A rather back-handed compliment but we'll take it.]

Filed under Afghanistan, Bloc, CPC majority solution, Coalition of the swilling, Election fever, Federal Election, Too many pigs at the trough.
64 Comments

A few quick thoughts on the by-elections

Posted by Joanne on 10 November 2009, 9:46 am

Congrats to the two new Conservative MPs Bernard Généreux and Scott Armstrong on their victories.

My overall impression is that this is an endorsement of PM Harper and his very competent management of our country through several crises in the last while.

My only concern is mirrored by Iceman - that the HST is going to be a problem in BC. Iceman has proposed that Campbell possibly be allowed to exclude more items from the new tax.

Thoughts?

Off to help out with the newest addition, but I’ll check in periodically.

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Update:

Don Martin’s negative spin on Tories by-election wins – Crux of the Matter

I should have posted this earlier, but let me tell you. Nothing beats laying outside in the afternoon sun on a Zero-Gravity chair in early November with your grandson asleep on your chest. Me in shirt sleeves; him in sleepers and a blanket.  The sound of wind chimes and rustling leaves in the background.

It’s the nearest thing to heaven that I can think of.

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Wednesday Update:

Ominous warning from Chantel Hebert – Tables turn for Tories in Quebec:

…This was Ignatieff’s first electoral test and the results are comparable to Stéphane Dion’s dismal 2008 score. Against all expectations, it may be that the Liberals did not bottom out in the last election.

Ouch!

Filed under Election fever, Federal Election.
56 Comments

Iggy ‘On Probation’ with his own caucus

Posted by Joanne on 12 June 2009, 8:29 am

The more I reread Paul Wells’ column from yesterday (Off Probation), the more impressed I am with his razor-sharp insight. There are some nuances that I didn’t immediately pick up on.

But upon rereading and assessing the contents with current information, it seems that Michael Ignatieff is actually the one with the proverbial car in the ditch.

Back when the newly appointed Liberal Leader said he’d put PM Harper On Probation, Iggy inadvertently boxed himself into a very sticky situation as Paul Wells so eloquently illustrates:

…Now here’s the thing about probation. It is a daily state of binary possibility: Pass-fail. If I’m the opposition leader and I have Put The Government On Probation, then every day I do not announce the government’s failure is an endorsement…

Do you see Iggy’s problem based on the current situation? If he joins the Bloc and the NDP in bringing down the government, he will have to deal with the wrath of Canadian voters who would see through the opportunism and likely punish him soundly in an election.

If he backs off and supports the Government in the next money vote (which is by nature a confidence vote) then he will once again lose face with the hawks in his caucus and will also be the target of ridicule from the NDP and Bloc.

What he can’t do is simply arrange to have his caucus develop the Parliamentary flu, which might have been a face-saving tactic. He took that option away when he put the Harper Government ‘On Probation.’ Now as Wells points out, it’s a yes-no, either-or decision. No sitting on your hands or slinking out by the back door.

No wonder Iggy’s terms were so gleefully accepted when the deal was originally proposed.

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Update:

Stephen Taylor just put up an excellent post listing 10 reasons why the Liberals may want to think twice about forcing an election on the economy – Liberals: election now, before the economy gets better. (I love #9.)

David Akin wonders which opposition leader will blink first – The Liberal endgame on the election staredown.

And I’m usually reluctant to provide a link to Red Tory but I may just break my own rule this one time – Ignatieff: A Paper Tiger (H/T Wilson)

Evening Update:

Many thanks to JDot (and Mary T)  for Niel Cavuto’s interview with PM Stephen Harper.

Wow!  PMSH rocks!

Saturday Update: Slagging Harper wrong move – Michael Den Tandt

Filed under Canadian economy, Federal Election, Federal politics, Harper smartest PM ever, Iggo Waffles, Liberal machine, Michael Ignatieff.
102 Comments

Closure

Posted by Joanne on 4 November 2008, 6:06 pm

Now was that really so hard?

Thanks to everyone who participated in this fight for democracy. You know who you are and there are way too many to mention here. However, a special thanks goes to Kady O’Malley for taking an interest in this and using her contacts to get us the information on the ground.  This is really the first time that I can recall having a MSM liaison assisting a blogging effort.

Congratulations to Ujjal Dosanjh. He can now claim a legitimate victory.

And thanks to Wai Young for persevering. You were doing it for all of us. Well done.

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Related: Dosanjh wins by twenty votes in Vancouver South – Crux of the Matter.

News 1130 – Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh retains Vancouver South seat after 2nd recount.

BCL seems to think it was all a waste of money – Ujjal wins by 20.

A BCer in Toronto: All ballots counted, Dosanjh still won.

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Wednesday Update: 20-vote win returns Dosanjh to Ottawa – Vancouver Sun:

“It was the longest recount in Elections Canada history,” said Dosanjh’s lawyer, Ravi Hira…

You don’t say. Now why would that be?

Dosanjh said he was happy with the results, and to finally have any lingering doubts around his narrow win cleared up.

“I think democracy is about every vote being counted,” he said in an interview from his Vancouver home. “The other side wanted to ensure that every vote was counted and the judge listened to them and heard them and actually did exactly what they wanted. And I say, good on the judge.”

Uh-huh.

Gag me.

Filed under Elections Canada, Federal Election, Voter cynicism.
31 Comments

Democracy appears to be occurring in Vancouver South

Posted by Joanne on 3 November 2008, 9:11 pm

Looks like a full recount is (finally) happening in Vancouver South!

The Vancouver Sun reports that about 80% of the 184 polls have been counted, and that Ujjal Dosanjh is now leading by 21 votes. Remember that he started out with a 33 vote lead. This one has the potential to rival Peter Braid’s win in Kitchener-Waterloo for a close margin.

The recount process will resume tomorrow at 9 am Pacific Time.

For background information, please start here and follow the links.

Whatever the result, I think we can finally be assured that every vote will count and actually be counted.

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Tuesday Update: Big City Lib asks, "Has democracy been served, or Conservative Conspiracy theories indulged because one their candidates was too dumb to know they had thrown in the towel already?"

Nice.

What I’m wondering is why can’t the press be allowed to view the proceedings? Dosanjh’s lawyer is giving us a play-by-play anyway.

Filed under Elections Canada, Federal Election, Voter cynicism.
20 Comments
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