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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
 Posted - 12/04/2008 : 09:46:33
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You people think you've got it bad? Try this: About 7 weeks ago we had a general election here. The Conservative party won a minority gov't, the Liberal party had it's worst showing in history, the New Democratic Party did lousy as usal, and the seperatist party, the Bloq Quebcois (yes, we have a secessionist party) who has seats only in Quebec, has several seats themselves.
The party that gains enough seats in parliament becomes the gov't and picks the PM who then picks the cabinet. The PM is the party lead.
Well, the Liberals did so bad that the party started working on getting rid of their leader, Stephan Dion. Only guess what happened? Stephen Harper, the Conservative party head and thus the PM of Canada pissed off the other parties so much that they're ganging up on him.
The Liberals and the NDPers with the support of the Bloq, have decided to form a "Coalition Gov't" that would topple Harper and wind up making Stephan Dion the PM.
more here
The coalition sprang up after the Tories released an economic statement that was lambasted by the opposition parties.
They accused Harper of doing nothing to address the current economic crisis and slammed what they saw as ideologically driven measures such as the proposed elimination of subsidies for political parties, a three-year ban on the right of civil servants to strike and limits on the ability of women to sue for pay equity.
Harper has since backed down on those contentious issues, but the opposition has pushed forward with the coalition.
The coalition - which would have a 24-member cabinet composed of six NDP and 18 Liberal MPs - has vowed to make an economic stimulus package a priority, proposing a multibillion-dollar plan that would include help for the auto and forestry sectors.
With 77 Liberal MPs and 37 New Democrats, plus the support of 49 Bloc members, the three parties have more seats than the 143 held by the Tories. |
That's their stated justification though.
People taking sides
Canadians opposed to the potential ouster of the Conservatives plan to make their voices heard as well.
The group Canadians For Democracy is organizing a noon-hour protest Saturday in Ottawa, among other cities, and is asking both the opposition and the Governor General to "respect the democratic franchise of Canadians."
"The will of the Canadian people was reflected on Oct. 14... and I want that to continue to be reflected," said organizer Stephen Taylor, a Conservative activist who ran for the party's nomination in a Kingston, Ont.-area riding in the 2004 election.
"In a time of economic crisis, we don't need a political crisis."
Taylor, a fellow at the Manning Centre for Building Democracy in Ottawa, an institute founded by former Reform Party leader Preston Manning, said he would prefer another election to the proposed coalition.
"Not a single person voted for a coalition government," he said. |
Whitelock takes issue with comments made during the election campaign by Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, in which he denied he'd form a coalition with the NDP because of their economic policies.
"They never told the Canadian people they intended to form a coalition," said Whitelock, who also favours a new election. "I think it's unethical, not unconstitutional, but unethical." |
Several pro-coalition groups can also be found on the social networking site.
Anti-coalition protests planned for Saturday, meanwhile, have upset several women's groups.
Traditionally, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women is held Dec. 6, commemorating the anniversary of the killing of 14 women at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique in 1989.
That coincidental timing of the rallies is "appalling," said Jessica Notwell of the Canadian Women's CED Council.
"It's so important to recognize and respect (the day)," Notwell said from St. Catharines, Ont.
The Harper government has removed research and advocacy funding for the Status of Women Canada and scrapped a universal child care program, moves which makes rallies in support of it on Saturday all the more offensive, said Notwell. |
columnist's summation
Harper is expected to ask the GG to shut down (or "prorogue") Parliament immediately until Jan. 27, thwarting a plan by the three opposition parties to topple the Conservative government in a confidence vote next Monday.
If the GG agrees, as expected, the parliamentary kindergarten would be dismissed and the kiddies sent home to their ridings for the next seven weeks.
On the other hand, if she tells Harper to take a hike, Stephane Dion may well become prime minister in a coalition with |
You can read in the above links how the unions and other groups are taking this.
two people arguing
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
Edited by - the_ignored on 12/04/2008 09:48:27
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dglas
Skeptic Friend
Canada
397 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2008 : 10:31:36 [Permalink]
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Wheeeeeee!
Where's the Natural Law party when we need 'em? 
Minority governments tend to be against coalitions toppling them, unless their the ones forming them. Funny that...
Actually, by electing a minority government, Canadians did vote for the potential for a coalition toppling a government. It's our only version of checks and balances. |
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- dglas (In the hell of 1000 unresolved subplots...)
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The Presupposition of Intrinsic Evil
+ A Self-Justificatory Framework
= The "Heart of Darkness"
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| Edited by - dglas on 12/04/2008 10:32:10 |
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The Rat
SFN Regular
Canada
1370 Posts |
 Posted - 12/11/2008 : 11:17:16 [Permalink]
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| What we need up here is someone as dumb as George W. Bush, then we would at least know who not to vote for. |
Bailey's second law; There is no relationship between the three virtues of intelligence, education, and wisdom.
You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity! Have you ever considered a career in the Church? - The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Blackadder II
Baculum's page: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3947338590 |
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Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2008 : 12:50:37 [Permalink]
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| Didn't the current prime minister dissolve the parliament, though? |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
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Canada's Political Confusion
