Tory minority in jeopardy as opposition talks coalition. Will there be another election?

[Infanteer]

Ok, Mod Hat on.

Anymore talk of armed revolt or violence against Parliament, and it'll be an outright ban - full stop.  This site will not support illegal activity.  Just because your party of choice is losing out doesn't mean you get to break the law.  Refer to this:

http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-46/sec46.html

As well, lets cool it with the talk of "coup".  What the left coalition is pushing is:

a)  All legal and constitutional; and
b)  Nothing near a coup d'etat.

If you are having trouble digesting the current political situation, maybe Constitutional Reform should be on your issues card next vote....

The Staff

 

[Infanteer]

Ok, Mod Hat back off.

Shades of 1926?!?  Maybe Dion will follow Meighen into obscurity?

I'm not really put off by any of this.  All though I'm not to keen on having this collection of politicians at the helm when things are swirling around the toilet bowl, it is all on the level.  Maybe we should take the fact that our system is an anachronism seriously next time we talk of Constitutional Reform?

An office of the PM that exists in Convention only and has an unprecedented amount of power consolidated into one position?

A House of Commons not built for, but yet dominated by, Party Politics?

A Senate and a Governor General which have Constitutional "counterweight" roles to play but have been relegated to obscurity through convention?

I've had issues with these since I started voting - it's on a long thread in this very forum.

We reap what we sow.

Cheers,
Infanteer

 

[Rodahn]

Ok, Mod Hat back off.

Shades of 1926?!?  Maybe Dion will follow Meighen into obscurity?

I'm not really put off by any of this.  All though I'm not to keen on having this collection of politicians at the helm when things are swirling around the toilet bowl, it is all on the level.  Maybe we should take the fact that our system is an anachronism seriously next time we talk of Constitutional Reform?

An office of the PM that exists in Convention only and has an unprecedented amount of power consolidated into one position?

A House of Commons not built for, but yet dominated by, Party Politics?

A Senate and a Governor General which have Constitutional "counterweight" roles to play but have been relegated to obscurity through convention?

I've had issues with these since I started voting - it's on a long thread in this very forum.

We reap what we sow.

Cheers,
Infanteer

Best comment I've heard in a long time.... Infanteer for PM !! (Though why any sane person would want the job is beyond me)

 

[Michael OLeary]

As well, lets cool it with the talk of "coup".  What the left coalition is pushing is:

a)  All legal and constitutional; and
b)  Nothing near a coup d'etat.

I wonder what the tone of this thread would be like if the Liberals had won a minority and the Conservatives were now planning a coalition with the NDP and working on a non-confidence vote.

Hmmmm .....

 

[Rodahn]

I wonder what the tone of this thread would be like if the Liberals had won a minority and the Conservatives were now planning a coalition with the NDP and working on a non-confidence vote.

Hmmmm .....

Do you perchance mean such as happened in 2004?

 

[Michael OLeary]

Do you perchance mean such as happened in 2004?

No, I mean right now.  What if the Liberals had formed a government and there was a chance of a power grab by the "military friendly" Conservatives?  Would there be any talk on this board of it being "marally wrong" or this rending of clothes over the possibility of an upset in Parliament?

 

[observor 69]

Actually I like it when I see the coalition leaders acting like the Obama administration :

"The Liberals, NDP and Bloc have agreed on a massive economic stimulus package if they can snatch power away from the Conservative minority government. The tentative Opposition coalition has a $30 billion economic stimulus package, an economic advisory panel with Liberal heavyweights Paul Martin, John Manley Frank McKenna, and Roy Romanow."

http://www.news1130.com/news/topstory/article.jsp?content=20081201_124453_10524

And like Obama Dion has a  large amount of experienced and qualified talent in the Liberal caucus to build a cabinet from.

 

[Drag]

Wow, I mean wow.  Dion, Layton and Duceppe forming a government?  At least Chretien and Martin could be trusted to behave like adults.  The aforementioned trio, I don't know...  

 

[Old Sweat]

Deja vu all over again.

For us right-leaning political junkies this reminds me of one of those situations the army used to throw at candidates on leadership courses; we would arrive at the place where we were going to be fed, or picked up and taken back to camp, or whatever. Just as we arrived, the vehicle that had been waiting for us would drive off, or we would be told the kitchen vehicle had been ambushed or . . . The instructors were watching to see who whined and winged and rolled up and quit, and who got up, shrugged, hoisted their rucks and started down the road. I am getting too frigging old to hoist my ruck, but I am going to do it. Before I do, however, I  am going to engage in some good, old fashioned  bitching. And maybe a bit of boozing!! I've earned it.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

My biggest concern..............putting snow tires on my truck.

This tempest in a teacup is only made worse by all the idle speculation surrounding it. It's the kind of crap that makes that rumour monster grow and take on a life of its own. The other parties are loving the legs everyone and the MSM is giving this, because it takes the spotlight off of the blatant attempt they made to hang on to their funding.

I'll wait and see what kind of anti climatic bafflegab comes out of this fart in a windstorm, watch the chips fall where they may and continue on as I've always done.

Because there is absolutely nothing else I can do about it. I've cast my vote, and anything else these 'politicians' wish to do is beyond my control.

This is way, way down on my list of things to worry, or even waste conversation, about.

 

[kratz]

It has become vogue for the MSM to do a write up on Facebook protest groups. Just for fun, I did a search on FB under groups for “government, coalition, liberal, NDP, Canada”

From the moment news of a coalition hit the streets to this point, there are 11 groups supporting this proposed coalition, with 2859 members.

Those who do not want a coalition government or another election have 18 groups, with 611 members.

This informal look at the average person’s views is already getting people to voice their thoughts on the issue. Not to mention all the posts at online newspapers/television news sites.

 

[Blakey]

I find it extremely aggravating that none of the "Coalition" party heads will talk about this "deal" and what they have signed.

What have the Liberals and NDP sold out to the BQ, it must have been some deal in order to get the BQ on board, I mean, they will hold the balance of power, won't they?

I'm sure it will come out when THEY are good any ready to release it.

 

[drunknsubmrnr]

Look on the bright side:

Stephane Dion screwed up worse than anybody ever in the Liberal party, and he still gets to be PM. Think of the object lesson for anyone else in Canada that screws up colossally. Maybe if they don't immediately give up, they can be PM someday too.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

It has become vogue for the MSM to do a write up on Facebook protest groups. Just for fun, I did a search on FB under groups for “government, coalition, liberal, NDP, Canada”

From the moment news of a coalition hit the streets to this point, there are 11 groups supporting this proposed coalition, with 2859 members.

Those who do not want a coalition government or another election have 18 groups, with 611 members.

This informal look at the average person’s views is already getting people to voice their thoughts on the issue. Not to mention all the posts at online newspapers/television news sites.

Those numbers should tell them that nobody really cares. 11 groups - < 3000, 18 with 611? Go look at the numbers that McGuinty is facing on FB for his draconian driving rules. There's numbers you can bank on at the polls.

 

[Cloud Cover]

There will be 24 cabinet postings. 18 Liberal and 6 NDP. The BQ have none, but there must be something cooking there as the coaltion cabinet would not dare to do anything without consulting them.

Speculation- Get ready for Dawn Black as MND, as the Libs want nothing to do with defence.  

 

[ModlrMike]

Here's another interesting option:

The GG could declare that as the Liberal/NDP document does not contain the signature of Gilles Duceppe, then the coalition does not have enough seats to govern. If you look at the document, you can clearly see there is no Bloc signature on it: LINK

 

[danchapps]

I wonder what the tone of this thread would be like if the Liberals had won a minority and the Conservatives were now planning a coalition with the NDP and working on a non-confidence vote.

Hmmmm .....

I'd still be royally ticked. There is a reason we have elections, to elect a government. If I wanted a coalition gov't. then they should have proposed this PRIOR to me voting. It lacks democratic integrity and smells like the bathroom stall in an arena locker room.

 

[Michael OLeary]

I'd still be royally ticked. There is a reason we have elections, to elect a government. If I wanted a coalition gov't. then they should have proposed this PRIOR to me voting. It lacks democratic integrity and smells like the bathroom stall in an arena locker room.

So, what you're saying is that you're "royally ticked" over a political manoeuvre that is entirely permitted within the Canadian system, but you just didn't know about it until now?

 

[Sonnyjim]

I just finished reading a few articles on this topic throughout the web and I am formally infuriated. I cannot pull my head around the thought that somebody would form a coalition because they are that eager to get in power, that's all it is really in "my" mind, a freakin power grab. Having a government in office that I did not even get a chance to vote for, or anybody else in this country for that matter also really infuriates me to no limit. Then to put the icing on the cake...... Stephan Dion, that dirty rat bastard, representing my country without even having being voted in......... I think my ears are bleeding and I need a shot of morphine.

 

[Blakey]

Here's another interesting option:

The GG could declare that as the Liberal/NDP document does not contain the signature of Gilles Duceppe, then the coalition does not have enough seats to govern. If you look at the document, you can clearly see there is no Bloc signature on it: LINK

He has signed.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/01/coalition-talks.html

Duceppe, Layton and Dion signed this document securing a coalition deal among their three parties. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)