Nanos Poll - Ignatieff still unknown, Harper too well known

Harper's popularity may further decline as we see more of Obama. Harper just doesn't seem capable of being open and of bringing people from different political parties together.

[updated Sun Jan 18 19:52:14 -0500 2009]

Harper...too well known!

Talk about an understatement...we have a PM who goes out of his way to politically screw himself. He can't help it -- the devil made him do it. Stephen Harper strikes me as increasingly Nixonian -- a man with political enemies around every corner and behind every shadow.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- in the final analysis, only Stephen Harper has the political capabilities to truly engineer his own political demise. Enemy Number One is in fact Stephen Harper himself.

His political undoing will come largely at his own hands. He will continue to make glaring political errors and will push the envelope once too far. All Michael Ignatieff has to do is get the election timing right. The rest will take care of itself.

Canada yearns for political and parliamentary stability. No one seriously expects to ever get that from Stephen Harper. Time to move on and plot a course toward the next government for Canada. Michael Ignatieff inspires me with confidence that he will be a good prime minister - a man who will bring Canadians together and who will reflect the serious, wise, mainstream and moderate image of the country itself. I urge Canadians to give Michael Ignatieff a good look. Like me, I expect that Canadians will be pleasantly surprised at what they discover.

[updated Sun Jan 18 20:26:48 -0500 2009]

In my humble opinion it is not Harper who is too well known. It is his image. In reality we know very little about the real Steve Harper as he was known when first elected to parliament. The press has portrayed him as strong and decisive but it is the back room boys who control his every move. How can anyone who could not win against Mr. Dithers and then the weakest leader in Liberal party history should definitely not be given much credit for his political strategy unless of course you believe as I do he didn't want a majority so he could do exactly want he intended . His goal was and still is the destruction of the Liberal party. The reality is that the Canadian electorate is easily fooled by whomever has the most money to spend on campaigns even when they lie about everything. If we eventually find out about the real Harper he would lose even the support he has from the P.C. faithful . Let's hope he becomes even more well known soon.

[updated Sun Jan 18 20:50:07 -0500 2009]

"But 11 per cent said the didn’t like the fact that he breaks promises, eight per cent called him arrogant, six per cent said he’s too controlling or power-hungry, and five per cent said they just don’t like his attitude.

Harper’s scores on all the leading indicators of personal dislike were worse in the latest poll than they were when the same questions were asked in Nov. 2007."
...........................................................................................

Those comments and the numbers of people who feel that way are pretty incredible and continues to have me believe Harper knows he's toast. ROD said Harper is his own worst enemy. Lets hope he never becomes friends with himself and is gone by the summer.
IGGY has the perfect opportunity to frame the Harpercrite and his minions with the incompetent label they have so easily earned.

[updated Sun Jan 18 21:09:06 -0500 2009]

Riding high while unknown raises the possibility of his opponent being further damaged once Ignatieff becomes familiar with voters.

Without Dion it's become a new ball game. Iggy's smooth, smart measured responses to Harper's agenda - ie. the Liberal leader's refusal to share the budget's possible fallout by coauthoring it - shows the difficulty our PM will have in manipulating the new leader.

[updated Mon Jan 19 00:03:58 -0500 2009]

Harper has been out shooting and practising how to shoot himself in the foot proving he is a damn good shot. Increasingly, I believe Harper's error is one of grandeur where he believes the Government of Canada is HIS and his alone. A little like the Divine Right of Kings. The Opposition are a ruddy exasperating nusiance and really should be throttled and dumped into the recycle bin. Otherwise, how does one rationalize Harper's vehement vindictiveness before Christmas and then his shock at the crisis he stirred up all by himself ??? How does one rationalize him calling the last election other than Harper saying the majority opposition would not let him rule as he was destined to do ??? Another Runnymede ????

Actually, Harper's ill advised manoeuvers were a blessing in disguise for the Liberals as they finally screwed up their courage and dumped Dion. Harper also united the majority Opposition parties in an unheard of manner in Canadian politics and also delivered a put-down to the majority of Canadian voters who voted for those Opposition parties.. As he ran for cover, he introduced an additional application for the intended use for "prorouge", as applied to parliamentary practice, for future governments. The Canadian electorate is not completely stupid and do understand the meaning of "co-operation" and "compromise".

True, Ignatieff is unknown but Harper will not define him as he so easily did with Dion. If Harper does not engineer his own defeat with the coming budget, and I do not think he is that politically inept in this post-prorogue time, then Ignatieff will make himself known to the Canadian electorate as parliament resumes. I am sure Ignatieff is most competent but, as in all things political, time will tell.

I am sure when Dr. Reform operated on the body Conservative and removed the infectious "Progressive" element, he also removed one kidney, part of the liver and, judging from recent actions, half the brain ! ! !! It is my assumption that the Conservatives, in their current makeup, will fade and the "Progressives" will come back in the future to give the mainstream Canadian electorate the viable alternative my country needs.

So what do I think ? I think the present government with the current party makeup and current leadership is on the way out and the major opposition party with a new leader is on the way in. I would not venture a time line that could be anywhere from a week to a year.

[updated Mon Jan 19 02:08:34 -0500 2009]

Personally I don't give a damn about what either Harper or Ignatieff is like. I only care about what they do or what they are likely to do.
Nor can I understand why some people say any of those top political figures are unknown.
Don't people read and listen ?Are they not concerned about the kind of people who may be making decisions what affect our country?
Harper revealed to me what he would likely do before he ever became PM and history has proven me right. While Ignatieff has not saturated my thoughts with such negatives as Harper, I see very little that gives me faith in him doing what is best for the country.

What does it mean to "define oneself"?
I will have trust in a politician when he/she has shown in the past that he/she has a record of making the right judgments about various issues. Harper has continually done the opposite and Ignatieff on 3 or 4 important issues has downgraded any confidence I might have in him. However I would give him a little more slack rope either to prove himself or hang himself. Only time will tell.

[updated Mon Jan 19 07:53:31 -0500 2009]

Westerner, MRM, Bernie, Tom Good, Why are the Liberals determined to give Harper a Majority?

Defining the new leader, with help of the NDP & Bloc will be easy.

Jan 19, 2009
"Liberals won't back tax cuts"- http://www.thestar.com/article/573312 (The Toronto Star)

Another PRIME example of shooting yourself in the foot. The story and the photo clearly portray the Liberals in a negative light (especially the photo). Who will give the Canadian middle class tax relief? Full STOP.
-------------------------
Jan 09, 2009

When asked what he would do during his first 100 days in office if he became prime minister, Ignatieff said "quick tax cuts" will help stimulate the economy.

"Tax cuts targeted at medium- to low-income Canadians will boost their purchasing power," he said. "There's a strong case for tax relief for the more vulnerable."
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/01/08/ignatieff-economy.html
--------------------------------------

Liberals are Flip Flopping on Middle Class tax cuts! (Mr. Dithers II, notaleader part 2 )

"Harper eyes tax breaks for middle-class families"- http://www.thestar.com/article/572738

Harper said yesterday it's "essential" that middle-class Canadians benefit from the Jan. 27 budget, to restore their faith in the economy and get them spending again.

"We're looking at tax reductions, as well as, obviously, many spending initiatives. It will be a very significant spending package in our budget," Harper said yesterday.

"It's important that the middle class of this country be part of an economic stimulus plan. You can't hope to provide the kind of stimulus our economy needs without having impacts and benefits for the middle class."
======================
I am going to love to hear the Liberals explain on the next campaign, going door to door, Canadians middle class don't deserve to keep more of their money during this recession. (Change has not come, this is not your victory!) ROFL.

Recap:

Since November what have the Liberals told Canadians they can look forward to next polls a Liberal Government.

1) Raising GST is an option on the table
2) No income tax cuts for the middle class. (Flip-Flop 10 days!)
3) $ 30 Billion (No details or Plan)

[updated Mon Jan 19 11:25:04 -0500 2009]

We now have 90% of NA within a Liberal democracy Obama made a great speech and its hoped some of his magic will rub off on we Canadians and we will turf the reformers. Canada is Liberal democracy and we need to be governed by people who share the beliefs of the majority of Canadians, not the religious right and their money.

HARPER MUST GO.

[updated Tue Jan 20 13:15:11 -0500 2009]

Iggy now more popular than Harper and I can now see change is coming to Canada:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090120.wpoll21/BNStory/politics/home

The Ekos/Globe and Mail poll suggests the Liberal Party is gaining momentum as economic concerns grow, with a majority of Canadians now holding a negative view of Conservative Leader and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Of the 1,000 respondents, 55 per cent disapproved of Mr. Harper's handling of his responsibilities, while 35 per cent offered their approval.

“That is a very bad number,” Ekos president Frank Graves said of the disapproval rating. “That is getting up into [former U.S. president] George W. Bush numbers. Not quite, but 10 more points, and you're up to as bad as it gets for elected leaders.”

Mr. Ignatieff, who has been leading the Liberal Party since Dec. 10, has the approval of 44 per cent of respondents and is seen negatively by only 21 per cent of them.
..................................................

There are still a lot of undecideds on IGGY but that is also changing.

[updated Tue Jan 20 20:23:17 -0500 2009]

Steven Harper suffers a level of arrogance that he simply can't disguise; he demonstrates an unwillingness to compromise; and an reluctance to listen to the views of others. His ideologically driven certitude leaves him without the ability to question his beliefs, and deprives him of the tools to build consensus. The result of these flaws is his inability to relate to the majority of the population who did not vote for him, a population about whose beliefs and values he is dismissive. And, because he cannot hide his contempt for the masses, they will, in the end, turf the man. Qui totum vult totum perdit.

[updated Wed Jan 21 01:47:45 -0500 2009]

"Michael Ignatieff remains a blank slate for most members of the public who don’t yet know what to make of the Liberal leader, a new poll suggests"-Nik's Post

Many of us are critical when politicians change their minds on promises or policies. How will this flip-flop be viewed by Liberals who are interested in the Environment.

http://www.fpj.ca/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=223

The Liberal Party of Canada’s plan for the environment and the economy is a Green Shift that will cut income taxes, put a price on pollution, fight poverty and position Canada to be a leader in the 21st century global economy, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion announced today.

“Canadians know that we need to be bold, not blind, to the challenges we are facing today, especially climate change,” said Mr. Dion at the unveiling.

Calling his plan “as powerful as it is simple,” Mr. Dion said, “the Liberal Green Shift will cut taxes on those things we all want more of – such as income, investment and innovation – and shift those taxes to what we all want less of: pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and waste.”

“Our plan makes important changes to the tax system that are broad-based and progressive. We need to make polluters pay and put every single penny back into the hands of Canadians,” he said.

Upon forming a government, Liberals will put a price on fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas, starting at $10 per tonne of carbon dioxide and rising to $40 per tonne over four years.

No new taxes will be levied on gasoline at the pump, since there is already an excise tax in place which equates to $42 per tonne of carbon dioxide.

Using the revenue generated through carbon pricing, a new Liberal government will implement measures like:

• Significant cuts to the first three marginal rates of income tax;
• A new, universal child tax benefit worth $350 per child, per year, on top of all existing child benefits;
• An $850 increase to the employment tax credit, which will also be made refundable and targeted at lower-income Canadians;
• A more generous Working Income Tax Benefit to help Canadians over the welfare wall;
• Additional tax credits and incentives for business to encourage innovation and green investment;
• An increase to the Northern Residents Deduction, and indexation going forward; and
• An immediate Green Rural Credit worth $150 for every rural tax-filer.
.......
Businesses will also have their tax rates cut so they can invest more money in their own practices, reduce their own polluting and increase their energy efficiency. In year four of the Liberal plan, the general corporate rate will be reduced by one point, as will the small business income tax rate.

It will also set aside $600 million to allow accelerated capital cost allowance rates for investment in industrial technologies that reduce green house gas pollution and significantly improve energy efficiency. And to further help private sector investments in research and development, the Science, Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit will be more broadly available.

To assure Canadians that this plan is not a tax grab by government – that it will be revenue neutral – Mr. Dion said the Green Shift plan will be enacted into law and the Auditor General will be mandated to review it annually.

“The Liberal Green Shift plan will accomplish multiple goals: it will make real progress in the fight against the climate change crisis, while encouraging energy efficiency in the face of skyrocketing energy costs; and it will make our economy more competitive, while helping to decrease poverty,” concluded Mr. Dion.

RECAP:
1) October 09, 2008 Liberals are supporting Green Shift
2) Where is the Liberal Plan now with their Major Plank jettisoned?
3) Any information in support of the Green Shift is now deleted from Liberal Party Website.

[updated Wed Jan 21 11:09:15 -0500 2009]

This is the official Position of the Liberal Party:

What do you think, should taxpayers pay to bring him/house in Canada?

January 14, 2009
Statement from Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Official Opposition, on the Status of Omar Khadr
"Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen who was 13 years old when he was recruited as a child soldier and 15 years old at the time of his arrest, has been held in Guantanamo Bay for more than six years. His continued detention has violated fundamental principles of law, including arbitrary and illegal detention, denial of procedural due process, denial of the right to trial within a reasonable time before a fair and impartial tribunal, and as a child soldier, denial of his rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The military commission responsible for trying Mr. Khadr has lost its legitimacy. It is incumbent on the Conservative government to ensure that as a citizen of Canada, Mr. Khadr is swiftly repatriated to Canada, where his case can be brought forward in a fair and impartial system that will respect his rights.

Our party’s position is long-standing and clear: the government must ensure Mr. Khadr’s rights as a Canadian citizen. I am calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to work with the Obama Administration to facilitate Mr. Khadr’s return to Canada on an urgent basis.

The repatriation of Mr. Khadr would form Canada’s contribution to a full and final closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility."

[updated Wed Jan 21 11:18:03 -0500 2009]

Looks like we will have a united North American Solution regarding our Environment: How will the opposition view this move by OBAMA and Harper?

Canadian, U.S. energy policy to be inextricably linked: Prentice
RICHARD BLACKWELL Globe and Mail Update January 20, 2009 at 10:57 AM EST

TORONTO — Canada's environmental and energy policy will be inextricably linked to that of the new Obama administration in the United States, Environment Minister Jim Prentice said Tuesday.

In a speech to a group of CEOs in Toronto, Mr. Prentice said there must be a bilateral approach to North American energy and environment policy.

That means a common cap and trade system for carbon emissions, a shared target for low-carbon power generation, a common mandate for producing bio-fuels, and common fuel efficiency standards.

A key part of the common policy must be a concrete plan to reduce North America's dependence on foreign oil, Mr. Prentice said.

That will mean a joint strategy to bring northern gas to southern markets, and co-operative efforts to find ways to capture and store carbon, and to expand clean power generation, he said.

Mr. Prentice made it clear that his government's environment policies will not make life more difficult for business.

“Whatever we do, we will first seek to ‘do no harm',” he said. With many companies struggling “we want to avoid measures that would cause them to be not just down, but out,” he said.

Mr. Prentice played down the role of energy conservation, renewable fuel and “smart” transmission grids in helping to maintain energy security, at least in the short term. While he said they are important, he noted they will represent only 20 per cent of energy capacity at least until the 2020s.

“There are limitations on how far you can go with renewable energy in terms of base load power,” he told reporters after his speech. While geothermal, wind and solar power are important, the best bet for clean power is more hydro-electric development, he said.

Despite their reputation as a large emitter of greenhouse gases, the oil sands “will continue to be extremely important” as an energy source, he said. “We're not going to eliminate the world's use of hydrocarbons in the short term ... [and] the oil sands provide a stable North American supply.”

A key focus for energy policy in North America must be on becoming less dependent on foreign oil, he said.

Mr. Prentice said his government has had talks with U.S. senators and members of Congress about environmental issues, but no concrete discussions about common policies will happen until the Obama administration is in place.

However, the environmental principles Mr. Obama has unveiled so far are “virtually identical” to those of the Canadian government, he said.

Mr. Obama's policies – such as his affection for a carbon trading system with specific targets – are in sharp contrast to those of the Bush administration, Mr. Prentice said.

[updated Wed Jan 21 11:44:57 -0500 2009]

Bloc Leader Duceppe says coalition is robust
Updated Tue. Jan. 20 2009 2:56 PM ET

The Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe says his party's coalition with the Liberals and New Democrats is just as robust as it was before the Governor General prorogued Parliament in December.

Duceppe said Tuesday he doesn't expect Prime Minister Stephen Harper to change his tone and meet the coalition's demands in next week's federal budget.

"I'd be very surprised if he's coming with changes that are meeting the targets we proposed, so nothing's changed yet," Duceppe said before sitting down for a Bloc caucus meeting in Montreal.

He said the coalition, formed last month, has presented the best strategies to guide the country through the economic crisis.

"And most of those proposals came from the Bloc," Duceppe said.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has remained lukewarm about the idea of forming a coalition, which was initiated by his predecessor, Stephane Dion.

Ignatieff has said the Liberals would support a "modest" temporary deficit to stimulate the economy, but has refused to specify exactly what "modest" means.

Harper, who met with Ignatieff on Monday, appeared to include the Liberals in his definition of an emerging compromise on the budget, which is needed to keep his minority government alive.

Duceppe, however, said he doesn't believe murmurs in the media that suggest Ignatieff has cosied up to Harper.

"Mr. Harper spoke about an emerging consensus -- I don't know where he heard that," he said.

"I haven't seen it."

The coalition agreement is still intact but the opposition parties won't take their positions until the government presents its budget, the sovereigntist leader said.

"We'll see the facts, then we'll react," he said.

Ignatieff has warned against the perils of some of the stimulative measures expected in next Tuesday's budget, including broad-based tax cuts and a $40-billion deficit -- a figure projected by officials close to the prime minister.

Still, he has left the door open for the Liberals to support the budget and avoid defeating the government.

Duceppe, meanwhile, also cast doubt on the idea of wide-ranging tax cuts.

"He's talking about tax cuts like it's a magic recipe," he said of Harper.

"We have seen the application of this magic recipe in the last few years with the results looking like an enormous deficit."

The Bloc leader said the government must create -- and preserve -- jobs to help the poorest Canadians.

"When you don't pay taxes it's hard to pay less (taxes)."

Duceppe, who recently completed his annual, post-holiday tour of Quebec, said support for Harper and his Conservatives has plummeted in the province since last January.

"I've rarely seen someone lose so much political capital this rapidly," said Duceppe, who noted that the Bloc is ready for an election campaign if the government falls over the budget.

What? Showdown on budget?

[updated Wed Jan 21 12:45:23 -0500 2009]

Westerner, didn't Jack and the Libs promise us the Bloc were going to play nice? What gives? Duceppe and Marois say sovereignty movement still going strong
By The Canadian Press

MONTREAL - Pauline Marois and Gilles Duceppe say the Parti Quebecois and Bloc Quebecois will continue to work closely together in their push for Quebec sovereignty.

Duceppe says the sovereignty movement is stronger now than it was a year ago.

The Bloc won 51 of the province's 75 seats in last year's federal election, while the PQ holds 49 of the 125 seats in the national assembly and is now the official Opposition.

The two leaders held a joint news conference in Montreal today and accused the federal government of depriving Quebec of hundreds of millions of dollars in transfer payments.

They also say Ottawa is not doing nearly enough to help the province's battered forestry and manufacturing sectors.

They were speaking after a two-day meeting of the Bloc caucus.

[updated Wed Jan 21 16:20:56 -0500 2009]

I do not believe these EKO polls (Pro Liberal) the fact is the majority of Canadians do not want a Majority Coalition running the country. Is there any way we can stop this Don Drummond from mouthng off every day from the TD Bank, is he the only expert we have in Canada?

[updated Wed Jan 21 16:26:24 -0500 2009]

Court turns down claim Harper broke law in Mulroney probe
Wed Jan 21, 2:34 PM By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The Federal Court of Appeal has rejected a claim that Prime Minister Stephen Harper violated federal ethics law in setting up a public inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair.

The lobby group Democracy Watch contended that Harper and his cabinet were in a conflict of interest in choosing a judge and establishing terms of reference for the probe.

The group said the Conservative government should have called on an independent authority, such as the federal director of public prosecutions, to decide how to shape the legal ground rules for any inquiry.

Mary Dawson, the federal ethics commissioner, rejected the claim last year, saying there was no credible evidence Harper had broken conflict-of-interest law.

A three-judge appeal panel ruled unanimously Thursday it has no jurisdiction to overturn Dawson's finding.

The inquiry, under Justice Jeffrey Oliphant, is investigating the business dealings between former Tory prime minister Brian Mulroney and German-Canadian arms dealer Karlheinz Schreiber.

A final report isn't expected until the end of this year

[updated Wed Jan 21 17:50:07 -0500 2009]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090121.wPOLtransparency0121/BNStory/politics/home

OTTAWA — The Harper government should follow U.S. President Barack Obama's lead in shunning secrecy and releasing more official documents to the public, Canada's Information Commissioner says.
..............................................

fat chance of that happening with Harper!!!

[updated Wed Jan 21 22:08:10 -0500 2009]

Do we have a LEFT WING Biased Media? Here is a funny article poking fun.

How to see Barack as Stephen
By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN, TORONTO SUN

Here's how Barack Obama's inauguration as U.S. president should have been reported by gushing Canadian media pundits, had they applied the same "standards" to him as they do to Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, an ideological neo-conservative irresponsibly poised to introduce broad-based, middle-class tax cuts, despite a huge and growing U.S. deficit and global recession.

Obama's fiscally reckless promises of $275 billion in tax cuts this year, and $2.9 trillion over the next decade, will condemn the U.S. to years of structural deficits, for which future generations will have to pay, say leading economists.

Boasting on the official White House website that his massive tax giveaway will result in a $3,700 tax cut for a married couple earning $75,000 with two children, one in college, Obama ignored the devastating impact such policies, designed mainly for short-term political gain, will have on future generations and on government programs Americans hold dear, such as social security.

Sadly, thoughtful observers aren't surprised by this latest move by Obama, whom some have already dubbed "George Bush Lite."

This, given Obama's support for everything from escalating Bush's disastrous "war on terrorism" in Afghanistan, to his support for capital punishment, to his insistence so-called "clean coal" technology can be part of America's solution to combating global warming.

LUMP OF COAL

Indeed, "clean coal" is a major element in Obama's suspect promise to significantly reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, a plan that at best, according to leading environmentalists, will continue to fall far short of the Kyoto Accord, thus shaming America before the global community.

Then again, what else can be expected of a former state senator from coal-rich Illinois, who once voted in favour of a bill condemning Kyoto and prohibiting the state from regulating greenhouse gases, at the urging of that state's powerful coal lobby?

Meanwhile, Obama's knee-jerk support for Israel in its latest confrontation with Hamas, lacked the nuance required of a statesman seeking the role of honest broker in the Mideast.

Instead, Obama delivered a harsh, uncompromising message to the Arab and Muslim worlds last week, through his secretary of state designate, Hillary Clinton.

Making it clear she was also speaking for Obama, Clinton pointedly told her Senate confirmation hearing: "We cannot negotiate with Hamas until it renounces violence, recognizes Israel and agrees to abide by past agreements ... The president-elect and I understand and are deeply sympathetic to Israel's desire to defend itself under the current conditions and to be free of shelling by Hamas rockets."

Where, one must ask, was a similar expression of concern for Palestinian lives, raising fears Obama may be pandering for support from the well-organized, influential and well-financed pro-Israel lobby in the U.S.?

HURTFUL

All this, plus Obama's hurtful remarks during his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign in Illinois that while he supported civil unions for homosexuals, he could not endorse same-sex marriages because, "I'm a Christian," have raised fears progressive forces in the U.S. will find themselves under assault for the next four years of Obama's administration.

Indeed, while Obama has publicly toned down and even modified some of his more controversial views over the years, many worry this may all be part of his "hidden agenda" to impose his values on Americans over the long term.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/2009/01/22/8108746.html#/comment/columnists/lorrie_goldstein/2009/01/22/pf-8105761.html

[updated Thu Jan 22 16:40:58 -0500 2009]

One has to wonder what the Tories are hiding since they claim they did not break the law. Could this be another Harper lie coming to the forefront?

OTTAWA — Elections Canada is asking a judge to unseal up to a staggering five million pages of Conservative party documents tied to allegations the party broke federal election laws with a controversial advertising campaign in the 2006 election.

The demand is the first major development in the case since investigators raided Conservative party headquarters last year.

Elections Commissioner William Corbett and lawyers with the federal public prosecution service have asked the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to review the documents after the party claimed they contained confidential information that is protected by solicitor-client privilege.

[updated Fri Jan 23 11:36:08 -0500 2009]

Here's more of Harper's desperation showing:

"The leak was widely seen as the government's attempt to spin or manipulate public opinion by getting the politically damaging deficit number out so the focus of attention on Tuesday's budget will be on spending and other initiatives to stimulate the economy as the country faces its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression."

Waht a two faced SOB we have running our country into the ground.

[updated Sat Jan 24 04:58:23 -0500 2009]

Stormy Seas For HMCS CPC.

I love trial balloons but nothing wears it like Lawrence Martin's column last Thursday in The Globe and Mail suggesting that a draft Rick Hillier movement is in the works. What a laugh. Never have I seen a more clumsy attempt at generating publicity by some who would like to see the Prime Minister set sail for parts unknown.

Canada's former CDS is an amusing and thoughtful character but he strikes me as man whose lid would always be on the verge of blowing over were he to enter the political arena. What does this say about the Conservative Party of Canada? It suggests that there is, at least, growing unease with the PM's continued leadership and perhaps increased hostility to the idea of facing the voters in the next election with Harper as leader.

As someone with some experience in choppy political waters, I can tell the difference between a credible effort at removing a leader and amateur hour. This strikes me as an example of the latter. I don't see any cabinet resignations on the horizon nor do I expect to see disgruntled backbenchers toppling all over themselves to move to a potential Hiller draft in waves.

Harper remains secure, for better or worse. The CPC will live or die on the PM's conduct. Not exactly a comfortable basis for forecasting smooth sailing ahead...

[updated Sat Jan 24 09:05:02 -0500 2009]

TUESDAY, JANUARY 06, 2009
Is Harper winning the first test against Ignatieff?
Certain ancient voices from the dim and distant past have recently advised Ignatieff to kow tow to Harper when the PM lays out his budget in early 2009.

The reasoning is that this would be an intelligent thing to do, would be liked by those Canadians who don’t like the idea of a coalition Liberal-NDP government, and would give Ignatieff time to fix up the Liberal Party and get it ready for an election towards the end of this year.

What poppycock!

Let’s be very clear what such “advisors” are really telling the Liberal Party to do. This is what such a course boils down to:

1. If the Liberals pass Harper’s budget, even if it is not the best budget for preparing Canada for the oncoming harsh recession, then the Liberals will have forfeited the right to complain if within months Harper’s puny budget is clearly inadequate.

2. Ignatieff would start his tenure as new leader of the Liberal Party from a position of weakness. This is exactly what happened to Dion. Harper would once again have set the terms of the debate, and framed Ignatieff as a weak and indecisive leader, even if Harper says nice things about Ignatieff when the latter supports him on the budget. It will be very difficult for Ignatieff to persuade voters that he is a strong leader, who can be trusted to run the country in difficult times. This means that Harper will already have bested Ignatieff when it comes to the next election, by framing Ignatieff as a man of doubtful courage early in January.

3. Most Liberals would prefer to have Canada governed by a Liberal-NDP coalition government, governing from the progressive centre, as outlined in the principles captured in the Accord between the two parties. Ignatieff, by unilaterally deciding not to fight for power now, runs the risk of losing the support of the Liberals by discarding Canada’s chance for a good progressive centre coalition government.

4. Ignatieff would have blown the chance for Canadians to be governed by a government which has the interests of ordinary Canadians at heart, rather than corporate interests and some outdated, conservative ideology. The loss of this opportunity would lie squarely on Ignatieff’s shoulders.

5. Ignatieff would also have been suckered into foregoing the wonderful opportunity of redefining the Liberal Party by doing, rather than simply pontificating. Holding a conference to come up with new policies etc. sounds lovely, but is really the choice of an out of touch academic when it is contrasted with the opportunity of actually becoming the government, and of defining the Liberal Party while in power. What better way to show voters what the party stands for then to pass the legislation needed to implement the agreed terms of the Accord, and then to build on this foundation over the next 18 or more months.

It is not surprising that the veteran of winning battles (Chretien) sensed that the Liberal-NDP coalition was good politics, and threw his support behind its formation.

Let us hope that Ignatieff finds within himself the same astute political instincts which Chretien has shown by his actions on the Accord. Perhaps then Canadians might find themselves favoured with a government which ideologically is prepared to fight for them during the coming difficult years.

http://puzzledcat.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-harper-winning-first-test-against.html
( A Liberal FAN)

[updated Sat Jan 24 12:14:55 -0500 2009]

The "Fear" running through the Liberals if Harper puts in a few gooseggs.

1) Iggy is terrified to defeat the budget if the GG grants an election. Libs CRUSHED.
2) Iggy is terrified to pass the budget and become Dion II in the eyes of Canadians.
3) Iggy is terrified of going to the polls and running as the interim-leader without a liberal rebuild.
4) Iggy is terrified if Harper does not give him a budget difficult to swallow because working with Jack and Gilles is going to NOT work out.

Three ways don't always work out well.

Reality Check

Iggy would have been selling the "Accord" across Canada. The NDP/BLOC have stated they won't support the budget.

So the Liberals are AGAIN failing to act with any honour of their promises to defeat Harper and keep him in power again!

Nowhere to hide or run behind Dion, Iggy the "blank" slate will be wearing passing CPC budget or he will be leading the Coalition Government.

Time is up. The talking from both-sides of his mouth will end next week.

[updated Sat Jan 24 18:29:24 -0500 2009]

As for PM Harper there are some aspects of his personality which are not appealing, but on the other hand he has strong convictions and is qiute clear as to were he stands on issues which are very prevalent to MOST Canadians.And they are very down to earth.
As for Ignatieff, well that is a very tough one to answer. This man called" Iggy" is not thrustworthy he seems to speak with a forked tongue,one does not know what he means.

[updated Sun Jan 25 22:43:11 -0500 2009]

Iggy must be loving the NDP attack ads. It reinforces the idea that the Liberals are closer to the center than the left, which might create a shift away from the NDP and Conservatives to the Liberals. People who voted for the NDP because they saw the Lib and NDP policies as similar may now move away from the more leftist NDP, and Red Tories could be more likely to become more red and less tory- especially in Ontario. Don't think it'll make any difference either way in Alberta, the majority just seem to hate anything Liberal no matter how it's presented. Iggy may have gained more support by basically doing nothing, hopefully he can back it up with some intelligence and keep Canada's best interest in mind but I personally think he might be too much of a politician for that to happen.

[updated Fri Jan 30 10:16:58 -0500 2009]