conservative minority

[CyberHippie]

A very sad day for Canada. The saving grace was that it was only a minority victory... Still though, time are a changin' and I hope we don't look back to 2006 as the year Canada went to shit, and terrorism in our peaceful country became an issue.

[MarcO]

eh...... I think we'll all be ok.

It's gonna suck, but we'll survive.

[AD]

I hope we don't look back to 2006 as the year Canada went to shit, and terrorism in our peaceful country became an issue.

maybe the government has gone to shit, but the country is still excellent. the government is 308 people in ottawa; canada is 32 million coast to coast to coast.

as much as i don't like the conservatives, it's not the end of the world. the lakes will still freeze, the leafs will still suck, poutine is still fries curds and gravy.

what's this about terrorism?

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[SevenSeasJim]

eh...... I think we'll all be ok.

It's gonna suck, but we'll survive.

Of course we'll be OK. Look at the money you'll save on the GST reduction :wink:

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Margaret Wente:

The Belinda factor

--------------------------------------------------

When Stephen Harper sends out his postelection thank-you notes, he owes an extra-special thank you to Belinda Stronach. Without her, he might not be prime-minister-designate today.

The Belinda factor has loomed large in Mr. Harper's fortunes. She was the matchmaker who helped bring together the Canadian Alliance and the PCs in 2003. The two sides had talked but balked. Ms. Stronach, then CEO of her father's company, Magna, invited Mr. Harper and Peter MacKay to join her for a private meeting where she urged them to tie the knot.

It was a historic menage a trois . Stronach: The Woman Who United The Right, blared The Globe and Mail over a babe-alicious photo of Belinda. Now this was news! Unlike the two men, she had sex appeal.

Nobody was enthusiastic about either man to lead the merged party.

"A fresh face is needed," opined National Post columnist Don Martin.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein questioned if either man had the "timbre of what is needed to be national leader." Joe Clark was certain the merger would be a disaster. "Progressive Conservatives are being asked to vote 'yes' to suicide," he wrote in November of 2003.

Belinda inherited her penchant for politics from her father, Frank, who once made a notably unsuccessful run for a Liberal seat. For her part, soon after proclaiming that she herself had no interest in leading the new party, Belinda declared she did. This ambition struck some as a bit premature, in that she had never run for public office. But it struck others as a brilliant bit of marketing. It meant the public might pay attention to a weak and marginal party.

News editors rejoiced. The Globe and Mail, however, was not impressed.

"The new Conservatives get off to a dismal start," it editorialized two years ago this week. "The Liberals' near-absolute hegemony in Ottawa will endure for some years." Mr. Harper won the leadership. Belinda won a seat in Parliament.

But behind the scenes, not all was well. It had been a shotgun marriage, and things were rocky. Adding to the usual tensions, Peter and the twice-married Belinda had become an item. Both agreed on what the fledgling party's problem was: the leader. As the saying goes, bedfellows make strange politics.

Then, one dramatic day last May, Belinda dumped both her party and her man and crossed the floor to join the Liberals, thus saving Paul Martin's government from certain defeat and the country from a summer election.

Her defection had one other remarkable result. It united the Conservative Party. When a shattered Peter MacKay came into caucus that day, Stephen Harper stepped completely out of character, and hugged him.

The caucus members erupted into cheers. After that, insiders say, the warring factions finally began to bond.

Then Mr. Harper embarked on his makeover. He needed one. In spite of Liberal scandals, he was still unpopular. "However disgusted people may be with the Liberals, they're not going to forget that the alternative is a snarling, mean-eyed pit bull," one opinion-monger wrote last May. (Hint: It was me.) Lots of people doubted the Conservatives would win unless he was replaced with somebody more voter-friendly.

At the urging of his wife, Laureen, Mr. Harper hit the road. All summer, he flipped burgers, shook hands and kissed babies. People scoffed. The media gleefully ran a goofy picture of him in a leather vest and cowboy hat. But it worked. He visited a hundred ridings, and returned to Ottawa a more personable man. Then the Gomery report came out, handily reviving flagging outrage at the Liberals. By December, Mr. Harper was ready to launch a near-impeccable campaign.

What if Belinda hadn't crossed the floor? It's a tantalizing question.

Maybe Mr. Harper would have squeaked in anyway. Or maybe the Conservatives would be having a leadership convention. Personally, my bet is that she did him an enormous favour.

For one brief, shining moment, Belinda Stronach was the most important woman in Canadian politics. Then she made a disastrous career move, and now she's just a footnote. Funny how things work out sometimes.

[CyberHippie]

what's this about terrorism?

Once Harper starts meddling in Middle Eastern affairs a la George Bush and Tony Blair, we will become more of a terrorist target.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

"Once Harper starts meddling in Middle Eastern affairs..."

don't hold your breath CH

[can-o-phish]

Rumour has it that when Harper was declared the PM-Elect he said, "AYYYYY! Paul Martin can sit on it! No one messes with The Fonz!"

[AD]

Once Harper starts meddling in Middle Eastern affairs a la George Bush and Tony Blair, we will become more of a terrorist target.

I hope he doesn't do this.

But if he does I'll have no problem voting for someone else again in the next election to drive him out of Ottawa on a rail. and protesting. and stuff.

Don't know where he's gonna get the support in Parliament to send troops overseas. The scary thing is if he doesn't need parliament's approval...

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[Blane]

oh god. I'm waking up with a double hangover thanks to mr. harper and mr. red wine.

[traveler]

I give them 6 months.

[MarcO]

I give them 6 months.

unless they bring insome completely otrageous legislation, I think they have a few years even under a minority.

The Liberals need time to find a new leader and get their shit together. And the NDP wouldn't want to be seen as having forced two elections in as many years.

[bradm]

I give them 6 months.

I think it'll be longer than that. The Liberals have a couple of issues to deal with. First, with Marting not running next time, they'll have to select a new leader, which will take time. Second, if the Liberals force another election so soon, for no other reason than to gain power (as opposed to trying to remove the Conservatives after they do some the public views as horrid), they'll get shredded at the polls, moreso than they did this time, just from public resentment at having to endure another election (with the government on hold in the duration) when the miasma from the previous election hasn't even dissipated yet.

Aloha,

Brad

[secondtube]

"the lakes will still freeze,"

you look outside lately?

[CyberHippie]

hah good point, I wonder what this also means for Kyoto

[rubberdinghy]

Sweet...so...when's the GST going down? and I think they should retro it back to Jan 1 when it finally does happen.

[guigsy]

are you gonna submit receipts to get it back?

[rubberdinghy]

Fuggin right...I've been saving my reciepts...

[bradm]

Including the ones from all the drinks you bought at bars?

Aloha,

Brad

[Irie Guy]

Sweet...so...when's the GST going down? and I think they should retro it back to Jan 1 when it finally does happen.

Will that 1% reduction per year will make a huge difference to you?? If you spend $15000 a year on commodities which have GST charged you will save approx. $150.00. Do you spend that much. Maybe maybe not.

That money now has to come from somewhere else to keep the books balanced. Perhaps a rise in Income Taxes. Say goodbye to your $150 savings.

Well it's done now not much we can do at this point.

Edited January 24, 2006 by Guest

[rubberdinghy]

Sorry, I should have typed in purple.

I have to keep all my beer reciepts Brad. You see, due to my line of work, my benefits include $1000 a month in stress therapy. and I can claim drinking .

I work for the city you know.

and BTW what has happened to Hux and Sugarmegs...

[Im going home Donny]

A thousand a month in stress thereapy???

and much vaca time again

and do you drive 5 or 6 days a week?

[rubberdinghy]

Sorry, again with the sarcasm! 3 weeks vacation is all the stress releif I get.

[Rob Not Bob]

The last conservative minority gov't lasted, what, 9 months? Voting conservative, as I said, is something Canadians do every once in a while to remind themselves why they don't do it more often. (Jonyak's response to me saying that last night : "Like eating KFC ..." me : "YES!") The Liberals will have hopefully exciting new leadership, the Tories will show their ass and they will be out in fairly short time.

[Im going home Donny]

haha..well if i'd thought about it for even a second i woulda realized.....too much drool filled my brain thinking of the spas and massages...haha...bubbla makes it hard to disguise my IQ :blush: