The most recent National Nanos poll revealed that, overall, Canadians are divided on the necessity of the inquiry into the business affairs of Karlheinz Schreiber and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Although most regions displayed similar perspectives, Ontarians were more likely to believe that the inquiry is not necessary (net necessity score of -9).
Watch the video of the analysis.
Canadians were also asked to rate the inquiry in terms of whether or not it is a good use of tax dollars. Canadians overwhelmingly believed that the inquiry is a poor use of tax dollars (net score of -48). Of note, the trend noted above concerning Ontarians’ resistance to the inquiry presented itself again for this question. Those living in Ontario were more likely to consider the inquiry as a poor use of tax dollars (net score of -57).
Methodology
Polling between April 25 and April 30, 2009. (Random Telephone Survey of 1,001 Canadians, 18 years of age and older). A survey of 1,001 Canadians is accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
Necessity of Inquiry Question: As you may know, there is currently an inquiry into the business affairs of German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is not at all necessary and 5 is very necessary, how necessary is this inquiry?
Canada
1 (Not at all necessary) 23%
2 - 11%
3 - 20%
4 - 13%
5 (Very necessary) 26%
(*Note: Unsure 7%)
Net Scores
Canada: +5
Atlantic Canada: +15
Quebec: +10
Ontario: -9
Western Canada: +9
Net scores are calculated by subtracting those who rated the inquiry as 1 (not at all necessary) or 2, from those who rated the inquiry as 4 or 5(very necessary).
Use of Tax Dollars: As you may know, there is currently an inquiry into the business affairs of German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. It is estimated that the inquiry will cost $14 million. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is a very poor use of tax dollars and 5 is a very good use of tax dollars, how would you rate the use of tax dollars for this inquiry?
Canada
1 (Very poor use of tax dollars) 45%
2 – 18%
3 – 18%
4 – 8%
5 (Very good use of tax dollars) 7%
(*Note: Unsure 5%)
Net Scores
Canada: -48
Atlantic Canada: -44
Quebec: -47
Ontario: -57
Western Canada: -41
Net scores are calculated by subtracting those who rated the inquiry as 1(very poor use of tax dollars) or 2, from those who rated the inquiry as 4 or 5 (very good use of tax dollars).
What do you think?
Cheers,
NJN
Most Read Comments
Highest Rated Comments
There are always those who know they can rewrite history no matter what. Whate... more
There are always those who know they can rewrite history no matter what. Whatever the outcome of the inquiry, Mulroney's reputation has been established 17 years AGO and that is what will stick in history. The Canadian electorate have given their opinion with the worst electoral defeat in Canada's short history. Nothing will change for 14 million public dollars YEARS AFTER THE FACT. Those who control the Canadian purse ought to be pilloried themselves for the further blatant and irreponsible waste of our money and I believe that is somebody called Harper who is using public money to try to make a political point to to further his particular political personna. Harper will never sprout wings and neither will Mulroney grow another set of horns.
Can anybody refer to any resurrected scandal in Canada's short history----and there have been many----- that has achieved anything except pouring more public funds down the drain to try to achieve political revenge???? Future historians will do a better job than any current politicians. Talk about modern grave diggers ! ! !
Maybe if Canadians were asked "... or would you prefer, in light of the former prime minister's recent admissions, that the RCMP fully investigate the original allegations?"
I was not asked. If I had been asked I would answer YES; a 5, to both questions.
The second question first. What is the price of democracy. Every instance of malfeasance by a public official is a negative on democracy. It should be investigated and dealt with with whatever means we can summon. A few dollars should not be a deterrent to to our effort. I have no problem with my tax dollar being used in that cause.
The second question also deserves a 5. I am not so naive as to think the truth, that is, the whole truth will be revealed. Nor do I expect what, given the weakness of our judicial system, that adequate retribution and strong enough deterrent will be implemented.
But that doesn't stop me from trying. The more we investigate and the more we expose the better we will be democratically. That to me is the highest priority.
Because we didn't do it in the past is no excuse for not making sure it's done now and into the future.
And we have to insist of appropriate deterrents. Only then can we reduce future occurrences to the lowest level possible.
Not doing it now, because it wasn't done in the past, only exacerbates the problem.
Just giving up because it wasn't done in the past or because we won't find the whole truth or even if we do there is not sufficient punishment is not the answer.
My philosophy is to always demand the democracy be best served. Curtailing all and every wrongdoing is the first step.
Inquiries if necessary, but not necessarily inquiries. Any investigation and judicial correction should and can do the job. If there's no other mechanism then let it be an inquiry. Cost be damned!
When push comes to shove, watch for the Giorno test. The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, Guy Giorno is in his job because he knows how to read the boss's telepathy. Stephen Harper doesn't have to even utter a single word to get across his point, or his intentions, to Giorno.
Nothing quite like Conservative coombiyah.
With poll numbers dipping and tempers rising, who will get to carry the can for the dysfunction and disorganization permeating the PMO?
Harper's predicament is serious. But has it reached crisis levels? Keep an eye on whether or not the PM comes to the conclusion that Giorno has to be thrown under the bus in order to save the ship of state. Opposition parties will be looking for this sign of dry rot in the PMO.
Personally, I expect Harper to stick with Giorno. The man knows how to take orders without questions. He functions quite nicely as a prime ministerial alter ego. Besides, the last thing Harper wants to do is to telegraph that panic has set in.
Giorno appears to be on his way to passing the test, to the delight of many -- not all of them Conservatives!
Can't you just hear all those "brilliant" Conservative strategists talking in the PMO about how they have a plan -- they will work to transfer support for the provincial Liberals to the federal Conservatives in the next election. Naturally, they are convinced ahead of time that they will pull it off...what colour is the sky in the world these people live in?
My own impression is that an NDP win would have hurt the federal Liberals. People would have said with the social democrats in in Victoria that voters might as well strongly support the Harper government in Ottawa.
As it is, voters will be far less inclined to back Harper in the next election. Remember that the provincial NDP has a somewhat dubious reputation back home. To my mind, that is what negated the overall effect of the change factor.
In short, watch for the Liberals to make inroads in BC in the next campaign. There won't be a landslide for Michael -- but their performance should not be too shabby either.
Harper plays dirty using images of Terry Fox and Rick Hansen to slag Ignatieff as unCanadian. This is filthy and dirty Republican style ad. Harper should be whipped for such a disgraceful and shameful tactic. He is not a leader, but a disgrace.
Is Harper really this stupid? He uses Wayne Gretzky in one of his attack ads as an example of a true Canadian. And then slags Ignatieff for not being in the country.
Gretzky has lived in the US for over 20 years now and most of his career was played etc. in the US. They just proved you can live outside of Canada for a long period of time and still be a true Canadian. And he is running our country, God help us all.
Conservative support slumps in Quebec
Party slips into single-digit levels for the first time since their
2006 election victory
BRIAN LAGHI
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
May 12, 2009 at 4:11 AM EDT
Overall, the Liberals lead the Tories 35-30, with the NDP at 16 per
cent and the Greens at 11 per cent. Mr. Donolo said the results
probably mean the Tories are safe from an imminent election.
In Quebec, they lead the Tories by 28 points and are only slightly
behind the Bloc Québécois. "This Tory bridge seems burnt to a crisp [in Quebec]," said Peter Donolo, of The Strategic Counsel, the polling firm that conducted the
survey. "It's very, very difficult to see how they start rebuilding
it."
In other parts of the country, Liberal support is returning to more
traditional levels. Ontario voters prefer the Grits over the Tories by
42 per cent to 32 per cent. The numbers are reminiscent of the results
of the 2004 election, when then-prime minister Paul Martin rode
Ontario to a minority victory.
Doing Politics The Conservative Way: A Race To The Bottom Of The Sewer.
Are any of you surprised to see what the new Conservative ads are like? Aren't they the perfect representation of this government? -- led by a man with political capital and credibility that diminishes, more and more, with each passing day.
What else can we expect of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. After all, they have nothing positive to contribute to Canadian society. Can't count on them for principled policy or effective economic management.
This is a government that will parlay any flag of convenience it can find in its attempt at holding on to power. Harper is for everything -- and nothing -- all at the same time.
And this is a man who would dare to lecture us on the personal foibles of another leader and party...talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Keep it up Conservatives. Live up to our "highest" expectations. We never expected anything better from you. We know you too well.
Sling as much filth as you like. Yours is a pathetic and sad story. We would feel truly sorry for you, were we not in such a rush to replace you as Government of Canada.
Today Money for Quebec and the Maritimes. Is Harper going to pull the plug or does he think it is going to be pulled? Ad campaign + spending announcements usually = election call.
Just wondering.
Myriam Taschereau has apparently resigned from the Communications branch of the PMO.
Rumours have it that Taschereau will run for the ADQ leadership.
How many other Quebecers are about to jump overboard?
Call me crazy but it must have somthing to do with Conservatives polling less than ten percent in Quebec...you know what they say about deserting a sinking ship!
Federal Patronage In Quebec: Provincial Liberals Get To Run The Table.
Politics is a funny thing. Yesterday's friend is tomorrow's enemy and vice-versa. We need only to look at that special relationship between Stephen Harper and Jean Charest to see that dynamic at its best. That relationship strikes me as a classic definition of a work in progress.
Let's look at the history: in the early days of Conservative government, the provincial Liberals held considerable sway over their federal counterparts. Provincial Liberals were appointed to federal ministerial posts -- and even to positions within the Conservative Party of Canada. If you had ties to either Michael Fortier or Lawrence Cannon, chances are you would be seriously considered for a job. The trend reached its zenith with the appointment of the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec.
Then came the disastrous courtship of Mario Dumont by the Adéquistes in the PMO. Lunch in Rivière-du-Loup was quickly followed by permafrost between Ottawa and Quebec City...it wasn't a pretty sight especially when Cannon was replaced as Quebec political lieutenant by Christian Paradis, an Adéquiste.
We all know how things waxed and waned in the last federal campaign. But today's world is a different one from yesterday's -- our Prime Minister is a desperate man as regards his party's position in Quebec. Humble pie is quite suddenly his favourite meal of the day. Kissing and making up with Jean Charest is now the watchword flowing out of the PMO.
Letting Jean Charest get his way in Quebec is job one. After all, without provincial Liberal organizers next time, Harper knows he and his MPs are burnt toast in the next federal election. But in politics, as in life in general, there are no guarantees. Results sometimes do not follow efforts. That remains to be seen.
In any event, Charest's friend, André Bachand, has nothing to complain about -- the PM is appointing him as our next ambassador to UNESCO. That must have been a hard one for Harper to swallow (Bachand endorsed Liberal candidate Christine St-Pierre in his riding in 2004.) but it ultimately reveals how politically desperate the Conservatives are in that province.
In Quebec, it's certainly not a negative to have ties to the Charest Liberals these days. Especially, if you are setting your sights on the plumbs dangling from the federal patronage tree. Ah, the delicious irony of it all.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I supported and worked for André Bachand's brief PCP leadership campaign in 2003.
His surname may be Harper but in my mind, our Prime Minister will always be General Maginot -- the guy who will fight the next war with the discredited political tactics of the last.
Those odious Conservative ads are but a symptom of a strategic mind that has seen better days. Harper is losing his edge and it shows...
Remember how and why the French were overrun in World War II. The victors at Verdun went into the war with the outdated tactics of the Great War. Translation: they were dead on arrival as soon as the panzers left Germany. They were quite literally, outflanked and overrun before they knew what hit them.
And that is the essence of Harper's pickle: General Maginot has foolishly chosen to fight the next war with flawed weaponry. The man expects lightning to strike twice, precisely in the same place. That only happens in the movies.
Mind you, I'm certainly not complaining. I want General Maginot off balance. I like him distracted, frustrated, exhausted and surly. Those are the ingredients that will best contribute to Liberal political ascension.
Come on General, show us what you've got. But remember, your fate in the Commons is already sealed. It comes as too little, too late. Resign yourself to the inevitable and then humbly, meet and fuse with your political destiny.
Tact and diplomacy may be missing (as reported in the excellent piece by Jennifer Ditchburn of The Canadian Press) but in practical terms, the Prime Minister has no choice but to stick with Chief of Staff Guy Giorno.
Talk about the understatement of the year! We had no idea that those essential qualities were AWOL in the PMO...God knows the PM isn't like that. He certainly has no trouble making friends and playing nicely.
In short, Harper's mirror image is as safe as can be and is going nowhere. The man can be counted on to effectively deliver Harper's blunt instrument as required. End of story, period.
In any event, what would giving Giorno the heave-ho convey to the rank and file, both in government and across the party. It would send a disastrous message of complete disarray from the top down. No, Giorno will not be another sacrificial lamb.
They can't make this guy the whipping boy for Harper's many faults and failings. The timing is all wrong.
Personally, it warms my heart to know that Harper and Giorno will get to face the music together. Charming thought, isn't it?
Today's Question Period program on CTV was a mighty sorry sight...it didn't take a genius to see how things will unfold once we heard the House leaders.
I can just picture the Prime Minister bent over in laughter. The guy is playing the opposition parties -- and damn it, it's working once again.
I predicted some time ago that the PM would cave on EI. It seems my instincts were correct and that Harper was disposed to reach a compromise. But quite suddenly, following passage of the NDP bill in the House of Commons, we see that the man is once again playing a double game.
The Prime Minister is banking on the fact that the opposition parties can't get their shit together: he ignores the will of the House on employment insurance and all that results are requests that the bill be implemented. A previously familiar pattern seems in the offing.
The name of the game is political C R E D I B I L I T Y. Two of the opposition parties want to present themselves as possible alternative governments. Well, let me tell you something -- if they let themselves be deliberately manipulated once again by Harper, they will have zero credibility with the electorate.
That is precisely why we have to go this fall. IMHO, there is no alternative whatsoever. We can't allow the Prime Minister to stay in office beyond the autumn. The guy has three years and counting under his belt. Unless the opposition gets its act together -- and fast -- the PM will get a lot more time than that. Forget an election in 2010. Without a united opposition, Harper is in power for several MORE years...he will fake out the opposition on the economic update statement and again on the budget.
You've heard me rant and rave how the Conservative government is DOA. No question about it but we are still missing the essential magic ingredient -- a determined opposition with the guts to take him down. We must go to the polls this fall, period. Without that, Harper has not only won -- but won big.
This is the ultimate test of true party leadership: it would be nice if the opposition could prove that they have what it takes to demonstrate it.
How did the first debate go? Did NDP leader Darrell Dexter succeed in protecting his lead in the polls?
A Corporate Research Associates poll has the NDP ahead of the Liberals by six points -- with 37 and 31 per cent respectively. The Progressive Conservatives have 28 per cent support.
The NDP has been in front in Nova Scotia for the past year. Dexter says voters should ignore the Conservative attack ads.
Interesting parallel - an incumbent government, behind in the polls, bombarding the NDP with everything but the kitchen sink. Sounds like a test pattern for what could happen in the federal campaign, expected this fall.
If Premier Rodney MacDonald goes down in flames, what will that say about the wisdom of an attack ad strategy?
Hate to say I told ya so, but Harper cannot delay the confidence votes until next year.
Election in July? That may be the only option
BILL CURRY
Globe and Mail Update
May 20, 2009 at 8:19 PM EDT
Ottawa — If the opposition wants an election, it will have to be in the dead heat of July.
That much can be deduced from the latest hints emerging from the Conservative government, which has the power to schedule the three remaining opposition days that could be used to defeat the Harper government.
The government must schedule the days before House breaks for summer, a recess that is currently scheduled for June 23. The government usually schedules one opposition day per week, but so far none have been scheduled for the remainder of this month.
Boy, did I ever get a laugh when I heard our Prime Minister say that Michael Ignatieff is a Trudeau Liberal - a man who wants to increasingly centralize power in Ottawa. What a laugh.
Michael is a person who has lived abroad. He knows full well about the best and worst characteristics of both federalism and a unitary form of government. Michael is aware that Canada is not the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland -- increased centralization cannot work effectively in a federation.
The trick is to strike the right balance so that the pendulum is not swinging too far towards either centralist or decentralist tendencies. Most Canadians would welcome such an approach.
We have to remember that the provinces are always anxious to protect their jurisdiction and to make sure that federal intervention is kept to a strict minimum. One need only examine the question of a national securities regulator to discover this. Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba are resolutely opposed while Ontario supports the idea. (We know where the national securities regulator would be based.) British Columbia seems open to the possibility.
This dispute is a perfect representation of the diversity of Canada and the desire of most Canadians not to go overboard in any direction. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has signaled that the Harper Government will proceed with the idea. Provinces will be invited to come under the national umbrella but they cannot be compelled to do so.
Electorally speaking, this could have interesting implications for both the Conservatives and Liberals. That creates quite a pickle for the parties -- how to square that circle without losing votes. In the final analysis, a grand Canadian compromise could do the trick.
After all, we're used to that here in our federation. Maintaining a healthy balance between extremes has always been the Canadian way. Too bad Stephen Harper seems to be the only guy who doesn't realize it.
Harper is running scared. He nearly lost his cool today and almost started yelling. He is trying to avoid opposition days calling the EI enhancement a payroll tax and that if the opposition vote for it, it is reviving the coalition. Wow, he is really slinging the manure now. Desperate times need desperate measures, I geuss. He must be looking at the rolling polls and they must be bad.
Nova Scotia: Is The Air Starting To Come Out Of The NDP Balloon?
I hope Novadog reads this. It should provide some comfort regarding the social-democrats. I've been checking out the net and am starting to get the impression that NDP Leader Darryl Dexter is in for a rude awakening on June 9th.
Only one number interests me in the latest Corporate Research Associates poll: 25% of Nova Scotians back the Liberals as best to deal with the economy. That strikes me as electoral paydirt.
I will even go so far as to say that many Nova Scotians are not keen to see the NDP in power. To my mind, that's a golden opportunity for Liberal Leader Stephen MacNeil - second is a good place to be in the middle of a campaign.
I'm betting that as a possible NDP government starts to sink in, in the minds of Nova Scotians (and the accompanying issue of taxes) that many of them will think back to John Hamm in 1999, who came out of nowhere and found himself in the premier's chair.
If the Liberals surge and are joined by some disaffected Progressive Conservatives, we could see a Liberal victory. Ten years of Tory rule may even be enough for a majority win.
Misrepresentation: to take a stated position and to transform it verbally into something it's not -- in a desperate attempt at maintaining the anti-coalition status quo ante bellum;
Falsehood: to turn to pretzel making and deliberately twist the known facts so that they do not resemble political reality;
Deception: to try and convince Canadians, believing that they are politically unsophisticated, that a red herring represents the actual state of events as previously outlined in various party proposals;
Big Lie: to leave no stone unturned, no deed undone, in an attempt at changing the political channel -- now that one's personal and party credibility has been blown to smitherines by the severity of our economic downturn and the tepid response thus far implemented in reaction to unprecedented personal and family economic distress.
Tories tumbling in the polls. Leger poll says CPC polling in Quebec "catastrophic." Harper is a distant fourth as good leader and attack ads do not seem to be working.
The original Canadian Harper – born in a small village in Yorkshire in 1730 – emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1774 and moved into a house near Fort Cumberland, only to have the home burned to the ground two years later by rebels. He spent years taking revenge in the courts and slowly rising through the political system.
Harper had risen to the post of justice-of-the-peace by the time a judicial enquiry found him guilty of, as one historian put it, “violent and oppressive measures” – vindictive to a point beyond all reason.
Conservative Party members are reminded that in spite of the trials and tribulations over the debate on Employment Insurance that choir practice will take place as usual in the foyer of the House of Commons.
This week's selections: (in no particular order)
Sunrise, Sunset;
The Party's Over;
Nothing Compares To You;
Crying;
The End Of A Love Affair;
I Will Survive;
and by special request, in tribute to what might have been --
When the Canadian deity was looking for a way to keep the hurting going, he came up with the job of Finance Minister! Many of our prime ministers learned that lesson well and knew just who to give it to. We could go all the way back to Trudeau's time but MEGO suggests otherwise.
Poor Jim Flaherty...can't you just picture it: I'll bet no other Canadian has a greater desire for an extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Bumping Bob Thirsk was probably a good idea.
Bad enough having to live with your record at Queen's Park but now this. If Flaherty does go, what I wouldn't give to see Harper in the chair over at Finance. Talk about the exquisite taste of sweet political agony.
Can't you feel the heat rising...Canada's Rodney King, otherwise known as Finance Parliamentary Secretary Ted Menzies, says we should all be getting along to combat our serious economic recession.
Try telling that to our Prime Minister -- you remember him - the guy running attack ads against those he desperately needs to implement his recovery program.
Is this the thin edge of the wedge of the Canadian version of a "New Nixon"? Is Stephen Harper about to turn over a new leaf? Will he once again put on the sweater for soft and fussy time?
Call me skeptical but perhaps it's not out of order not to trust this Prime Minister. Confidence building among leaders has never been his strong suit. It would seem to me that any reasonable person would say that if the low-road ads were suddenly history that all-party cooperation on our unprecedented economic difficulties would be much easier to achieve. That's why it's called logical deductive reasoning.
Too bad Harper either won't or can't get it. Canadians do, and they are watching keenly.
Attack ads seem to have backfired on Conservatives
While Tories put the knock on Ignatieff, the Liberals discovered the '$50-billion man'
By Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver SunMay 29, 2009
A two-week old Conservative advertising campaign that attacks Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is flopping, for a bunch of reasons.
First, the initiative has been undercut by the Harper government's predictably weak political standing in the face of a recession.
No party in power thrives during an economic crisis, but the Conservatives appear even more challenged than they should be in the midst of the current downturn.
With their credibility in tatters, negative commentary that the Conservatives have been dishing out about "the other guy" rings hollow.
The Ignatieff Liberals have found a particularly vulnerable target in Finance Minister Jim Flaherty who last November projected budget surpluses and even five weeks ago asserted he had a handle on the deficit.
Now, with Flaherty revealing this week that the 2009-2010 deficit will be upwards of $50 billion instead of the anticipated $34 billion, the government looks like it's entirely flustered fiscally.
The Liberals' tag for Flaherty -- "the $50-billion man" -- is far more likely to stick than any mudpies in Conservative ads about Ignatieff being elitist or speaking French with a Parisian rather than a Quebecois accent.
Second, Ignatieff, in the leadership spot for four months, by now has created an image as a pretty successful leader. Hence, the ads don't ring true.
Indeed, since the former Harvard prof has taken the helm, the Liberals have scooted past Conservatives in the polls.
He has dissociated the party from the unpopular notion of an opposition coalition, addressed his party's indebtedness and tended to the Grits' fundraising challenges. He's also advancing an appealing policy change in support of more generous Employment Insurance terms.
The fact is, Ignatieff is a much better communicator and a more effective partisan than his predecessor, Stephane Dion, who Conservatives were able to successfully portray as a leadership loser.
Third, the ads portray Ignatieff in a bad light for having travelled and worked abroad for 34 years -- but surely this can be construed as a bonus when you're in line for a job as a national leader.
While Dion opted to ignore Conservative attack ads, Ignatieff is using them to his advantage -- as a launching pad for attacks on the government.
In a YouTube video, he turns the tables on Stephen Harper, accusing the PM of trying to change the channel: "When you're presiding over the worst unemployment in recent times, record bankruptcies and soaring deficits, you'd try to change the channel, too. You'd try to make Michael Ignatieff the issue.
"But I'm not the issue. Right now Canadians are worried about their jobs ... their pensions."
The Liberal leader cites the Conservatives' criticism of his having lived and worked outside the country and suggests the Harperites are slamming "new Canadians born outside this country" and "Canadians who live and work overseas."
He calls for a new kind of politics, characterized by "civility and common purpose."
The Harperites, in deploying the same sort of attacks against the new Liberal leader as the old, were hoping to get results similar to the Dion destruction.
But when tactics are repeated, often the public becomes desensitized and more skeptical.
Simon Fraser University political scientist John Richards calls the current ad campaign "a dismal portent of how the Tories intend to wage politics in the near term."
For the government's own sake, it had better not be.
I hate to break your bubble, but for Conservatives, the Olympics are about to be held in Ottawa -- in August. That's when our Prime Minister will name nine new Conservative senators.
From that point on, Conservatives will hold the majority in the Upper Chamber and be able to push their reform bills through the Senate.
Curriculum vitaes are flowing fast and furiously into the Langevin Block. I'm told there are hundreds of willing applicants for each possible appointment.
Now you know the context behind the PM's introduction into the Senate of his reform legislation: Harper wants to limit senators to a single, non-renewable eight-year term. Will the third time be the charm? I think it will, at least in the Senate. The House of Commons is quite another matter altogether. Harper's bill will be DOA there.
With at least four provinces opposed -- not to mention Liberal senators (who are pushing for a Supreme Court reference), watch the feathers fly in the forum of sobre second thought...
As for another bill allowing Canadians to be "consulted" prior to a prime ministerial appointment being made, there is some division in the Conservative caucus about that. However, government lawyers are said to have determined that Ottawa is on firm constitutional ground with the current incarnation of its proposed legislation.
If an election is held this fall, the bills will die on the order paper. If not, how much wiggle room on the length of a senator's term that exists across party lines is likely to be key to the adoption of the legislation by both houses of Parliament.
Right now, Harper can't even hope for a bronze. But a gold medal is still theoretically possible -- skillful negotiations with the other parties will be both necessary and vital to making a miracle happen.
A great patriot is someone who dares to dream the impossible dream -- someone who strives for greatness in all that is accomplished -- to explore new frontiers, to go where no one has gone before - to put Canada and Canadians on the map once again.
I'm thinking of someone who treasures our crown jewels and our national identity. Not of a person who's going to go out of his way to sell them to the highest bidder.
Theoretically, selling Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. to the private sector may be a necessary evil but it just doesn't feel right. Personally, I don't want to see it as one small insignificant cog in an otherwise giant foreign-owned entity.
What comes next? Ditching the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Canada Post? Not my idea of actions that would ever be taken -- much less contemplated by a true Canadian.
Informed1 - What About That Conservative Majority Government?
The silence sure is deafening. Where's the head Harper cheerleader? Is he too busy sending out his resumé (like Conservative exempt staff!) in search of the "next" glorious career opportunity rather than leading the practices? Yes, reading the writing on the wall can sometimes be very painful.
Come on Informed 1, come out, come out, wherever you are. Regale us with your tall tales of future Conservative electoral landslides.
By all means, continue in your usual presumptuous vain manner: give us the actual seat count across provinces and territories. Tell us how many seats you will take with a 20-30% plurality. We are eagerly awaiting your finely honed response.
Jack Layton's interview on Question Period was revealing: the NDP leader made it clear that his party will not use the first opposition day in the Commons for a non-confidence motion in the government. No news there. However, Layton also said they are ready for an election, if necessary. No blanket condemnation of a possible vote. Somewhat revealing, wouldn't you say?
Jack said they will continue to push their EI reform bill and that is open to amendments. Remember when I predicted that Stephen Harper would cave on EI -- that's the orchestra tuning up in the background.
Harper has two unpleasant either-or scenarios staring him in the face. He can eat crow on EI and live to fight another day (which I still expect) or he can go down on a Liberal confidence motion (which theoretically speaking could materialize if it becomes clear that Harper is not prepared to budge) if opposition parties determine that Harper is nothing more than a political impasse.
As the Liberals have said, not ruling it in or out at this point.
With Harper's back to the wall, he should stand before the mirror at 24 Sussex and start practicing: "Uncle, Michael, uncle, Gilles, uncle Jack."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/legal-quagmire-seen-as-pm-plans-to-let-terror-victims-sue/article1161915/
Quagmire seen as PM plans to let terror victims sue
Harper the failure as leader and as a conservative.
Angus Reid poll:
Tory Ads Have No Immediate Effect as Liberals Jump Ahead
Conservative ad that focuses on Michael Ignatieff has a more pronounced negative effect on Stephen Harper’s momentum.
[TORONTO – Jun. 1, 2009]
[TORONTO – Jun. 1, 2009] – The opposition Liberal Party has recovered its strength in Ontario, as a series of ads that criticize Michael Ignatieff have failed to provide a boost to the governing Conservative Party, a new Toronto Star / Angus Reid poll has found.
The momentum score for Harper among respondents who saw the ad is -40 (10% improved, 50% worsened).
Tories digging a $172-billion hole: TD
Julian Beltrame
Ottawa — The Canadian Press, Tuesday, Jun. 02, 2009 06:00PM EDT
Canada is headed for a series of shocking federal deficits that will put the government more than $172-billion in the hole over the next five years, the TD Bank says in a new analysis.
Measuring Conservative discontent is not easy to do. On the one hand, you have people like Jack who want Stephen Harper gone yesterday. Jack believes that the Conservatives cannot win with Harper at the helm. Fair enough.
But what about other Conservative grass roots supporters? Sure, there is plenty of bitching and complaining (no sexism intended) but CPC members are not exactly storming the gates over at 24 Sussex Drive.
What does that reveal? It means that Stephen Harper continues to be a very dangerous political enemy. Anyone who is foolish enough to underestimate him will never get a second chance at electoral success.
Harper is a master at chessboard piece manipulation -- when he says black, he prefers white. When he signals yes, he is secretly scheming in the interests of no. Never take anything Stephen Harper says or does at face value. Look for the hidden motive or outcome that serves Harper's political interests.
In short, Harper can keep you at wits end. Be at the top of your game when going up against him. Think of a Conservative scorpion. Harper already has.
As of this Thursday, Stephen Harper will have spent $2.25 million ($750,000/week) on attack ads. They are hurting him more than his opponent (Angus Reid). What a colossal waste of money. Spending like a drunken sailor. Financial disaster and Conservative failure.
Now that Karl-Heinz Schreiber has been discharged as a witness before the Oliphant Commission, watch for Justice Minister Robert Nicholson to give the go ahead for Schreiber's deportation to Germany.
How Schreiber reacts to upcoming events should prove interesting.
There was the Prime Minister in my hometown (I know, a shameless plug to attract tourists!) droning on against the possibility of an election. I would too if I was the incumbent government.
Harper says we don't need another round of political instability in recessionary times. Funny, that sure didn't bother him last time -- right smack dab in the middle of a worsening recession.
The PM also says no one he meets wants an election...and he presumes to tell the opposition parties to follow his lead. THIS from a guy who prorogued Parliament to forestall an election last December.
Meanwhile, the Liberal dynamic is quite simple: can the party take power after the next election, yes or no? Once the initial question is answered, then comes the minority-majority calculus. Finally, the official opposition has to take into account whether Harper can pick up significant strength between now and the eventual date of an election.
All of the above are part of the political equation being tossed around in Ottawa. I've reached a point where I have to confess that I have absolutely no idea what Michael Ignatieff will decide to do.
But rest assured, whatever action is taken will be in the best interests of Canadians.
Congratulations to the Governor of the Bank of Canada on his economic forecast. Perhaps I should study Economics as a second career: I was one of the few who lined up behind Carney's original prediction.
Watch momentum pick up on Bay Street -- not to mention Parliament Hill!
"Canada has refused a plea from the Obama administration to take in 17 Chinese Muslims imprisoned without charge for more than seven years at Guantanamo Bay."- Michelle shephard, National Security Reporter Toronto Star June 05, 2009,
Anyone care to explain how Iggy would have acted?
He already backtracked from his extension in Afghanistan after Bob Rae kicked him under the table at the hangar.
How would this G.W.B cheerleader, who remains unelected by his party grassroots respond to this American President who clearly is breaking his promises regarding the "Bush Doctrine" and campaign promises.
How much time will the Americans allow OBAMA to blame Bush for not having trials or setting them free?
I suspect Iggy would gladly accomodate the Americans as he had a "soft" side for torture, invasions and American Colonialism. (See his writings, too many to cite)
Looking forward to the Liberal apologists calling Harper the G.W Poodle during our next campaign to refute the Accidental Visitor's "speeches, writing, public appearences" that substantiate my assertion?
It's interesting to watch UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown fighting for his political life in the midst of four cabinet resignations. Senior cabinet ministers appear to be rallying around their embattled leader while some Labour MPs circulate a petition calling for Brown to go. The showdown at the O.K. Corral should come next week.
Over on this side of the pond, Conservative MPs are as impressive as ever. They continue to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Great news for Liberals -- don't you think!
Stephen Harper: the best ally any Liberal could hope for.
The rules need to be changed . Why is an M.P.,Patrick Brown in this case, mailing questionnaires to voters in ridings other than his own. I know why he is doing it but don't know why he is allowed to do it. It costs taxpayers money . The just received form has questions about nannygate and is meant to embarrass Ruby Dhalla in my riding of Brampton/Springdale. The C.R.A.P. should know the attacks against her will backfire.My neighbors know who is responsible for this smear campaign. They are very proud that an East Indian woman has accomplished what she has and has a promising future and could climb high in the Liberal party. She is definitely a front runner for cabinet even with this campaign to harm her reputation.
Ipsos Reid poll June 2-4: CPC dropping more in Ontario East and Quebec. The big lead in the west is the only thing that is keeping the National numbers close.
Now Harper is now embarrassing himself in the USA.
Huffington Post June 6 2009
The Obama Effect -- Political Attack Ads Backfiring for Canada's Prime Minister
The warm glow of Obama positivism is even being felt up in Canada. The current Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has unleashed venomous attack ads challenging the patriotism of his opponent, Michael Ignatieff, a Canadian who was a professor for many years at Harvard University. But a new poll shows that while the ads have caused some voters to think less of Ignatieff, an even greater number of voters think less of Harper for running the critical commercials. The ads are backfiring, which is a new development for Canada.
Up in Canada, Harper is spending millions of dollars to denigrate his opponent and question his commitment to Canada. This tactic runs counter to the evolving Canadian mood, particularly amongst the young, who view such antics as toxic to the welfare of the country. The ads are backfiring, and justly so.
Let's put out the numbers side by side and simply contrast. We won't bother with methodology, sample size or even accuracy as this exercise is meant as a preliminary examination only: (Yes I know to draw credible conclusions you have to compare polls from each polling company together and not across polling companies.)
CANADA
Nanos: Liberals 37, Conservatives 32, New Democrats 16, Bloc 8, Greens 7, Undecided 12;
Ipsos Reid: L 36, C 33, N 12, B 9, G 9, Undecided 6;
The first thing that strikes me is the Undecided. Why is it cut in half in the most recent poll? Secondly, both polls show Liberal momentum with one showing the NDP rising and the other falling! Huh?
Then comes the regional breakdowns:
Battleground Ontario:
Nanos: L 42, C 34, N 14, G 10, Undecided 11;
IR: L 41, C 34, N 14;
Comfortable Liberal lead confirmed.
Quebec:
Nanos: L 38, B 35, C 12, N 13, G 2, Undecided 18;
IR: L 37, B 38, C 8, N 8, G 10;
No clear well established trend here: Liberals up, Bloc down, but also vice-versa. Some voters seem to be parking their vote.
West:
Nanos: L 31, C 42, N 18, G 9, Undecided 10;
IR: L 27*, C 52* (*average of three western regional numbers);
No one can touch the Conservatives out West.
Atlantic:
Nanos: L 42, C 33, N 18, G 8, Undecided 11;
IR: L 39, C 29;
Comfortable Liberal lead confirmed.
Preliminary impression: Liberals doing well in Ontario while Quebec remains a question mark -- will Bloc remain number one with Liberals a strong second or can the Liberals overtake the Bloc with momentum in a general election?
One of Canada’s leading pollsters, Nik Nanos is the President and founder of Nanos Research (formerly SES Research). He is a regular contributor to the CBC, Bloomberg News and The Globe & Mail and has a regular weekly Wednesday segment on CBC TV’s Power & Politics, The Nanos Number with Evan Solomon. For the recent federal election he was the official pollster for CTV News and The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper.
Nik is also a research associate professor in Canadian Studies with The State University of New York in Buffalo.
He is a Past National President for the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, the governing body for market and public opinion research in Canada and a past national affairs guest columnist.
He has led a major research initiatives ranging from reputation management and advertising through to being an expert witnesses for litigations before the courts. His commentary and polling data has been used in every major media outlet in Canada and also USA Today, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist Magazine and The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom.
RSS feed
Most Read Comments
Highest Rated Comments
There are always those who know they can rewrite history no matter what. Whate... more
Tom Good (British Columbia) 11 May 01:29
Tories tumbling in the polls. Leger poll says CPC polling in Quebec "catastroph... more
Jack (Ontario) 25 May 09:07
Hate to say I told ya so, but Harper cannot delay the confidence votes until nex... more
Jack (Ontario) 20 May 23:08
Tories tumbling in the polls. Leger poll says CPC polling in Quebec "catastroph... more
Jack (Ontario) 25 May 09:07
"I will never raid seniors hard earned nest eggs by taxing income trusts." -Step... more
Jack (Ontario) 03 Jun 09:03
Larry, Gerry Ritz is the Agriculture minister. You received a 10 percenter - ... more
RonaldODowd (Ontario) 28 May 16:39
Comments
Tom Good
There are always those who know they can rewrite history no matter what. Whatever the outcome of the inquiry, Mulroney's reputation has been established 17 years AGO and that is what will stick in history. The Canadian electorate have given their opinion with the worst electoral defeat in Canada's short history. Nothing will change for 14 million public dollars YEARS AFTER THE FACT. Those who control the Canadian purse ought to be pilloried themselves for the further blatant and irreponsible waste of our money and I believe that is somebody called Harper who is using public money to try to make a political point to to further his particular political personna. Harper will never sprout wings and neither will Mulroney grow another set of horns.
Can anybody refer to any resurrected scandal in Canada's short history----and there have been many----- that has achieved anything except pouring more public funds down the drain to try to achieve political revenge???? Future historians will do a better job than any current politicians. Talk about modern grave diggers ! ! !
[updated Mon May 11 01:29:30 -0400 2009]
11 May 01:29
20 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
tobyornotoby
Maybe if Canadians were asked "... or would you prefer, in light of the former prime minister's recent admissions, that the RCMP fully investigate the original allegations?"
[updated Mon May 11 09:20:59 -0400 2009]
11 May 09:20
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Bernie
I was not asked. If I had been asked I would answer YES; a 5, to both questions.
The second question first. What is the price of democracy. Every instance of malfeasance by a public official is a negative on democracy. It should be investigated and dealt with with whatever means we can summon. A few dollars should not be a deterrent to to our effort. I have no problem with my tax dollar being used in that cause.
The second question also deserves a 5. I am not so naive as to think the truth, that is, the whole truth will be revealed. Nor do I expect what, given the weakness of our judicial system, that adequate retribution and strong enough deterrent will be implemented.
But that doesn't stop me from trying. The more we investigate and the more we expose the better we will be democratically. That to me is the highest priority.
Because we didn't do it in the past is no excuse for not making sure it's done now and into the future.
And we have to insist of appropriate deterrents. Only then can we reduce future occurrences to the lowest level possible.
Not doing it now, because it wasn't done in the past, only exacerbates the problem.
Just giving up because it wasn't done in the past or because we won't find the whole truth or even if we do there is not sufficient punishment is not the answer.
My philosophy is to always demand the democracy be best served. Curtailing all and every wrongdoing is the first step.
Inquiries if necessary, but not necessarily inquiries. Any investigation and judicial correction should and can do the job. If there's no other mechanism then let it be an inquiry. Cost be damned!
[updated Mon May 11 15:18:07 -0400 2009]
11 May 15:18
5 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Warning: High Maintenance Zone Just Ahead!
They say this person is extraordinarily high maintenance...and can't keep any staff.
Don't take my word for it -- ask Geoff Norquay. He should know.
But enough about our Prime Minister.
[updated Mon May 11 18:55:19 -0400 2009]
11 May 18:55
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
The Giorno Test.
When push comes to shove, watch for the Giorno test. The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, Guy Giorno is in his job because he knows how to read the boss's telepathy. Stephen Harper doesn't have to even utter a single word to get across his point, or his intentions, to Giorno.
Nothing quite like Conservative coombiyah.
With poll numbers dipping and tempers rising, who will get to carry the can for the dysfunction and disorganization permeating the PMO?
Harper's predicament is serious. But has it reached crisis levels? Keep an eye on whether or not the PM comes to the conclusion that Giorno has to be thrown under the bus in order to save the ship of state. Opposition parties will be looking for this sign of dry rot in the PMO.
Personally, I expect Harper to stick with Giorno. The man knows how to take orders without questions. He functions quite nicely as a prime ministerial alter ego. Besides, the last thing Harper wants to do is to telegraph that panic has set in.
Giorno appears to be on his way to passing the test, to the delight of many -- not all of them Conservatives!
[updated Mon May 11 20:51:53 -0400 2009]
11 May 20:51
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Gordon Campbell Wins.
Can't you just hear all those "brilliant" Conservative strategists talking in the PMO about how they have a plan -- they will work to transfer support for the provincial Liberals to the federal Conservatives in the next election. Naturally, they are convinced ahead of time that they will pull it off...what colour is the sky in the world these people live in?
My own impression is that an NDP win would have hurt the federal Liberals. People would have said with the social democrats in in Victoria that voters might as well strongly support the Harper government in Ottawa.
As it is, voters will be far less inclined to back Harper in the next election. Remember that the provincial NDP has a somewhat dubious reputation back home. To my mind, that is what negated the overall effect of the change factor.
In short, watch for the Liberals to make inroads in BC in the next campaign. There won't be a landslide for Michael -- but their performance should not be too shabby either.
[updated Wed May 13 10:28:55 -0400 2009]
13 May 10:28
3 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Harper plays dirty using images of Terry Fox and Rick Hansen to slag Ignatieff as unCanadian. This is filthy and dirty Republican style ad. Harper should be whipped for such a disgraceful and shameful tactic. He is not a leader, but a disgrace.
[updated Wed May 13 12:42:53 -0400 2009]
13 May 12:42
2 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Is Harper really this stupid? He uses Wayne Gretzky in one of his attack ads as an example of a true Canadian. And then slags Ignatieff for not being in the country.
Gretzky has lived in the US for over 20 years now and most of his career was played etc. in the US. They just proved you can live outside of Canada for a long period of time and still be a true Canadian. And he is running our country, God help us all.
[updated Wed May 13 13:17:14 -0400 2009]
13 May 13:17
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Why attack ads now? Desperation.
Conservative support slumps in Quebec
Party slips into single-digit levels for the first time since their
2006 election victory
BRIAN LAGHI
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
May 12, 2009 at 4:11 AM EDT
Overall, the Liberals lead the Tories 35-30, with the NDP at 16 per
cent and the Greens at 11 per cent. Mr. Donolo said the results
probably mean the Tories are safe from an imminent election.
In Quebec, they lead the Tories by 28 points and are only slightly
behind the Bloc Québécois. "This Tory bridge seems burnt to a crisp [in Quebec]," said Peter Donolo, of The Strategic Counsel, the polling firm that conducted the
survey. "It's very, very difficult to see how they start rebuilding
it."
In other parts of the country, Liberal support is returning to more
traditional levels. Ontario voters prefer the Grits over the Tories by
42 per cent to 32 per cent. The numbers are reminiscent of the results
of the 2004 election, when then-prime minister Paul Martin rode
Ontario to a minority victory.
[updated Wed May 13 19:43:30 -0400 2009]
13 May 19:43
3 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Doing Politics The Conservative Way: A Race To The Bottom Of The Sewer.
Are any of you surprised to see what the new Conservative ads are like? Aren't they the perfect representation of this government? -- led by a man with political capital and credibility that diminishes, more and more, with each passing day.
What else can we expect of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. After all, they have nothing positive to contribute to Canadian society. Can't count on them for principled policy or effective economic management.
This is a government that will parlay any flag of convenience it can find in its attempt at holding on to power. Harper is for everything -- and nothing -- all at the same time.
And this is a man who would dare to lecture us on the personal foibles of another leader and party...talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Keep it up Conservatives. Live up to our "highest" expectations. We never expected anything better from you. We know you too well.
Sling as much filth as you like. Yours is a pathetic and sad story. We would feel truly sorry for you, were we not in such a rush to replace you as Government of Canada.
Yours very truly,
The Voting Public.
[updated Thu May 14 16:07:20 -0400 2009]
14 May 16:07
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Today Money for Quebec and the Maritimes. Is Harper going to pull the plug or does he think it is going to be pulled? Ad campaign + spending announcements usually = election call.
Just wondering.
[updated Thu May 14 17:24:08 -0400 2009]
14 May 17:24
16 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Myriam Taschereau Has Left The PMO.
Myriam Taschereau has apparently resigned from the Communications branch of the PMO.
Rumours have it that Taschereau will run for the ADQ leadership.
How many other Quebecers are about to jump overboard?
Call me crazy but it must have somthing to do with Conservatives polling less than ten percent in Quebec...you know what they say about deserting a sinking ship!
[updated Thu May 14 22:17:25 -0400 2009]
14 May 22:17
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Federal Patronage In Quebec: Provincial Liberals Get To Run The Table.
Politics is a funny thing. Yesterday's friend is tomorrow's enemy and vice-versa. We need only to look at that special relationship between Stephen Harper and Jean Charest to see that dynamic at its best. That relationship strikes me as a classic definition of a work in progress.
Let's look at the history: in the early days of Conservative government, the provincial Liberals held considerable sway over their federal counterparts. Provincial Liberals were appointed to federal ministerial posts -- and even to positions within the Conservative Party of Canada. If you had ties to either Michael Fortier or Lawrence Cannon, chances are you would be seriously considered for a job. The trend reached its zenith with the appointment of the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec.
Then came the disastrous courtship of Mario Dumont by the Adéquistes in the PMO. Lunch in Rivière-du-Loup was quickly followed by permafrost between Ottawa and Quebec City...it wasn't a pretty sight especially when Cannon was replaced as Quebec political lieutenant by Christian Paradis, an Adéquiste.
We all know how things waxed and waned in the last federal campaign. But today's world is a different one from yesterday's -- our Prime Minister is a desperate man as regards his party's position in Quebec. Humble pie is quite suddenly his favourite meal of the day. Kissing and making up with Jean Charest is now the watchword flowing out of the PMO.
Letting Jean Charest get his way in Quebec is job one. After all, without provincial Liberal organizers next time, Harper knows he and his MPs are burnt toast in the next federal election. But in politics, as in life in general, there are no guarantees. Results sometimes do not follow efforts. That remains to be seen.
In any event, Charest's friend, André Bachand, has nothing to complain about -- the PM is appointing him as our next ambassador to UNESCO. That must have been a hard one for Harper to swallow (Bachand endorsed Liberal candidate Christine St-Pierre in his riding in 2004.) but it ultimately reveals how politically desperate the Conservatives are in that province.
In Quebec, it's certainly not a negative to have ties to the Charest Liberals these days. Especially, if you are setting your sights on the plumbs dangling from the federal patronage tree. Ah, the delicious irony of it all.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I supported and worked for André Bachand's brief PCP leadership campaign in 2003.
[updated Sat May 16 10:26:26 -0400 2009]
16 May 10:26
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Just Call Him General Maginot.
His surname may be Harper but in my mind, our Prime Minister will always be General Maginot -- the guy who will fight the next war with the discredited political tactics of the last.
Those odious Conservative ads are but a symptom of a strategic mind that has seen better days. Harper is losing his edge and it shows...
Remember how and why the French were overrun in World War II. The victors at Verdun went into the war with the outdated tactics of the Great War. Translation: they were dead on arrival as soon as the panzers left Germany. They were quite literally, outflanked and overrun before they knew what hit them.
And that is the essence of Harper's pickle: General Maginot has foolishly chosen to fight the next war with flawed weaponry. The man expects lightning to strike twice, precisely in the same place. That only happens in the movies.
Mind you, I'm certainly not complaining. I want General Maginot off balance. I like him distracted, frustrated, exhausted and surly. Those are the ingredients that will best contribute to Liberal political ascension.
Come on General, show us what you've got. But remember, your fate in the Commons is already sealed. It comes as too little, too late. Resign yourself to the inevitable and then humbly, meet and fuse with your political destiny.
[updated Sat May 16 11:24:58 -0400 2009]
16 May 11:24
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Guy Giorno - Part II.
Tact and diplomacy may be missing (as reported in the excellent piece by Jennifer Ditchburn of The Canadian Press) but in practical terms, the Prime Minister has no choice but to stick with Chief of Staff Guy Giorno.
Talk about the understatement of the year! We had no idea that those essential qualities were AWOL in the PMO...God knows the PM isn't like that. He certainly has no trouble making friends and playing nicely.
In short, Harper's mirror image is as safe as can be and is going nowhere. The man can be counted on to effectively deliver Harper's blunt instrument as required. End of story, period.
In any event, what would giving Giorno the heave-ho convey to the rank and file, both in government and across the party. It would send a disastrous message of complete disarray from the top down. No, Giorno will not be another sacrificial lamb.
They can't make this guy the whipping boy for Harper's many faults and failings. The timing is all wrong.
Personally, it warms my heart to know that Harper and Giorno will get to face the music together. Charming thought, isn't it?
[updated Sat May 16 12:00:51 -0400 2009]
16 May 12:00
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Why Harper Has To Be Defeated THIS FALL.
Today's Question Period program on CTV was a mighty sorry sight...it didn't take a genius to see how things will unfold once we heard the House leaders.
I can just picture the Prime Minister bent over in laughter. The guy is playing the opposition parties -- and damn it, it's working once again.
I predicted some time ago that the PM would cave on EI. It seems my instincts were correct and that Harper was disposed to reach a compromise. But quite suddenly, following passage of the NDP bill in the House of Commons, we see that the man is once again playing a double game.
The Prime Minister is banking on the fact that the opposition parties can't get their shit together: he ignores the will of the House on employment insurance and all that results are requests that the bill be implemented. A previously familiar pattern seems in the offing.
The name of the game is political C R E D I B I L I T Y. Two of the opposition parties want to present themselves as possible alternative governments. Well, let me tell you something -- if they let themselves be deliberately manipulated once again by Harper, they will have zero credibility with the electorate.
That is precisely why we have to go this fall. IMHO, there is no alternative whatsoever. We can't allow the Prime Minister to stay in office beyond the autumn. The guy has three years and counting under his belt. Unless the opposition gets its act together -- and fast -- the PM will get a lot more time than that. Forget an election in 2010. Without a united opposition, Harper is in power for several MORE years...he will fake out the opposition on the economic update statement and again on the budget.
You've heard me rant and rave how the Conservative government is DOA. No question about it but we are still missing the essential magic ingredient -- a determined opposition with the guts to take him down. We must go to the polls this fall, period. Without that, Harper has not only won -- but won big.
This is the ultimate test of true party leadership: it would be nice if the opposition could prove that they have what it takes to demonstrate it.
[updated Sun May 17 18:09:33 -0400 2009]
17 May 18:09
5 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Nova Scotia Election: Paging Premier Dexter?
How did the first debate go? Did NDP leader Darrell Dexter succeed in protecting his lead in the polls?
A Corporate Research Associates poll has the NDP ahead of the Liberals by six points -- with 37 and 31 per cent respectively. The Progressive Conservatives have 28 per cent support.
The NDP has been in front in Nova Scotia for the past year. Dexter says voters should ignore the Conservative attack ads.
Interesting parallel - an incumbent government, behind in the polls, bombarding the NDP with everything but the kitchen sink. Sounds like a test pattern for what could happen in the federal campaign, expected this fall.
If Premier Rodney MacDonald goes down in flames, what will that say about the wisdom of an attack ad strategy?
Is that Stephen Harper's ears I see perking up?
[updated Tue May 19 22:56:58 -0400 2009]
19 May 22:56
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Hate to say I told ya so, but Harper cannot delay the confidence votes until next year.
Election in July? That may be the only option
BILL CURRY
Globe and Mail Update
May 20, 2009 at 8:19 PM EDT
Ottawa — If the opposition wants an election, it will have to be in the dead heat of July.
That much can be deduced from the latest hints emerging from the Conservative government, which has the power to schedule the three remaining opposition days that could be used to defeat the Harper government.
The government must schedule the days before House breaks for summer, a recess that is currently scheduled for June 23. The government usually schedules one opposition day per week, but so far none have been scheduled for the remainder of this month.
[updated Wed May 20 23:08:18 -0400 2009]
20 May 23:08
2 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
A Strong Federal Government And Strong Provinces.
Boy, did I ever get a laugh when I heard our Prime Minister say that Michael Ignatieff is a Trudeau Liberal - a man who wants to increasingly centralize power in Ottawa. What a laugh.
Michael is a person who has lived abroad. He knows full well about the best and worst characteristics of both federalism and a unitary form of government. Michael is aware that Canada is not the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland -- increased centralization cannot work effectively in a federation.
The trick is to strike the right balance so that the pendulum is not swinging too far towards either centralist or decentralist tendencies. Most Canadians would welcome such an approach.
We have to remember that the provinces are always anxious to protect their jurisdiction and to make sure that federal intervention is kept to a strict minimum. One need only examine the question of a national securities regulator to discover this. Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba are resolutely opposed while Ontario supports the idea. (We know where the national securities regulator would be based.) British Columbia seems open to the possibility.
This dispute is a perfect representation of the diversity of Canada and the desire of most Canadians not to go overboard in any direction. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has signaled that the Harper Government will proceed with the idea. Provinces will be invited to come under the national umbrella but they cannot be compelled to do so.
Electorally speaking, this could have interesting implications for both the Conservatives and Liberals. That creates quite a pickle for the parties -- how to square that circle without losing votes. In the final analysis, a grand Canadian compromise could do the trick.
After all, we're used to that here in our federation. Maintaining a healthy balance between extremes has always been the Canadian way. Too bad Stephen Harper seems to be the only guy who doesn't realize it.
[updated Thu May 21 18:28:22 -0400 2009]
21 May 18:28
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Harper is running scared. He nearly lost his cool today and almost started yelling. He is trying to avoid opposition days calling the EI enhancement a payroll tax and that if the opposition vote for it, it is reviving the coalition. Wow, he is really slinging the manure now. Desperate times need desperate measures, I geuss. He must be looking at the rolling polls and they must be bad.
[updated Sat May 23 00:35:19 -0400 2009]
23 May 00:35
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Nova Scotia: Is The Air Starting To Come Out Of The NDP Balloon?
I hope Novadog reads this. It should provide some comfort regarding the social-democrats. I've been checking out the net and am starting to get the impression that NDP Leader Darryl Dexter is in for a rude awakening on June 9th.
Only one number interests me in the latest Corporate Research Associates poll: 25% of Nova Scotians back the Liberals as best to deal with the economy. That strikes me as electoral paydirt.
I will even go so far as to say that many Nova Scotians are not keen to see the NDP in power. To my mind, that's a golden opportunity for Liberal Leader Stephen MacNeil - second is a good place to be in the middle of a campaign.
I'm betting that as a possible NDP government starts to sink in, in the minds of Nova Scotians (and the accompanying issue of taxes) that many of them will think back to John Hamm in 1999, who came out of nowhere and found himself in the premier's chair.
If the Liberals surge and are joined by some disaffected Progressive Conservatives, we could see a Liberal victory. Ten years of Tory rule may even be enough for a majority win.
[updated Sat May 23 14:45:16 -0400 2009]
23 May 14:45
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
EI Dictionary.
Misrepresentation: to take a stated position and to transform it verbally into something it's not -- in a desperate attempt at maintaining the anti-coalition status quo ante bellum;
Falsehood: to turn to pretzel making and deliberately twist the known facts so that they do not resemble political reality;
Deception: to try and convince Canadians, believing that they are politically unsophisticated, that a red herring represents the actual state of events as previously outlined in various party proposals;
Big Lie: to leave no stone unturned, no deed undone, in an attempt at changing the political channel -- now that one's personal and party credibility has been blown to smitherines by the severity of our economic downturn and the tepid response thus far implemented in reaction to unprecedented personal and family economic distress.
[updated Sat May 23 16:00:12 -0400 2009]
23 May 16:00
3 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Tories tumbling in the polls. Leger poll says CPC polling in Quebec "catastrophic." Harper is a distant fourth as good leader and attack ads do not seem to be working.
Harper is the problem. He must go.
[updated Mon May 25 09:07:53 -0400 2009]
25 May 09:07
6 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Courtesy G&M
Stephen Harper's family:
The original Canadian Harper – born in a small village in Yorkshire in 1730 – emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1774 and moved into a house near Fort Cumberland, only to have the home burned to the ground two years later by rebels. He spent years taking revenge in the courts and slowly rising through the political system.
Harper had risen to the post of justice-of-the-peace by the time a judicial enquiry found him guilty of, as one historian put it, “violent and oppressive measures” – vindictive to a point beyond all reason.
Sound familiar?
[updated Mon May 25 20:02:55 -0400 2009]
25 May 20:02
3 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
CHOIR NOTICE.
Conservative Party members are reminded that in spite of the trials and tribulations over the debate on Employment Insurance that choir practice will take place as usual in the foyer of the House of Commons.
This week's selections: (in no particular order)
Sunrise, Sunset;
The Party's Over;
Nothing Compares To You;
Crying;
The End Of A Love Affair;
I Will Survive;
and by special request, in tribute to what might have been --
Please Help Me, I'm Falling.
[updated Mon May 25 21:52:30 -0400 2009]
25 May 21:52
5 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
http://davidakin.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2009/5/27/4201937.html
Checkmate!
[updated Wed May 27 15:49:31 -0400 2009]
27 May 15:49
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Presiding Over A "Career-Ender".
When the Canadian deity was looking for a way to keep the hurting going, he came up with the job of Finance Minister! Many of our prime ministers learned that lesson well and knew just who to give it to. We could go all the way back to Trudeau's time but MEGO suggests otherwise.
Poor Jim Flaherty...can't you just picture it: I'll bet no other Canadian has a greater desire for an extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Bumping Bob Thirsk was probably a good idea.
Bad enough having to live with your record at Queen's Park but now this. If Flaherty does go, what I wouldn't give to see Harper in the chair over at Finance. Talk about the exquisite taste of sweet political agony.
[updated Wed May 27 17:59:46 -0400 2009]
27 May 17:59
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
The New Harper: Mr. Congeniality?
Can't you feel the heat rising...Canada's Rodney King, otherwise known as Finance Parliamentary Secretary Ted Menzies, says we should all be getting along to combat our serious economic recession.
Try telling that to our Prime Minister -- you remember him - the guy running attack ads against those he desperately needs to implement his recovery program.
Is this the thin edge of the wedge of the Canadian version of a "New Nixon"? Is Stephen Harper about to turn over a new leaf? Will he once again put on the sweater for soft and fussy time?
Call me skeptical but perhaps it's not out of order not to trust this Prime Minister. Confidence building among leaders has never been his strong suit. It would seem to me that any reasonable person would say that if the low-road ads were suddenly history that all-party cooperation on our unprecedented economic difficulties would be much easier to achieve. That's why it's called logical deductive reasoning.
Too bad Harper either won't or can't get it. Canadians do, and they are watching keenly.
[updated Wed May 27 20:44:45 -0400 2009]
27 May 20:44
34 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Attack ads seem to have backfired on Conservatives
While Tories put the knock on Ignatieff, the Liberals discovered the '$50-billion man'
By Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver SunMay 29, 2009
A two-week old Conservative advertising campaign that attacks Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is flopping, for a bunch of reasons.
First, the initiative has been undercut by the Harper government's predictably weak political standing in the face of a recession.
No party in power thrives during an economic crisis, but the Conservatives appear even more challenged than they should be in the midst of the current downturn.
With their credibility in tatters, negative commentary that the Conservatives have been dishing out about "the other guy" rings hollow.
The Ignatieff Liberals have found a particularly vulnerable target in Finance Minister Jim Flaherty who last November projected budget surpluses and even five weeks ago asserted he had a handle on the deficit.
Now, with Flaherty revealing this week that the 2009-2010 deficit will be upwards of $50 billion instead of the anticipated $34 billion, the government looks like it's entirely flustered fiscally.
The Liberals' tag for Flaherty -- "the $50-billion man" -- is far more likely to stick than any mudpies in Conservative ads about Ignatieff being elitist or speaking French with a Parisian rather than a Quebecois accent.
Second, Ignatieff, in the leadership spot for four months, by now has created an image as a pretty successful leader. Hence, the ads don't ring true.
Indeed, since the former Harvard prof has taken the helm, the Liberals have scooted past Conservatives in the polls.
He has dissociated the party from the unpopular notion of an opposition coalition, addressed his party's indebtedness and tended to the Grits' fundraising challenges. He's also advancing an appealing policy change in support of more generous Employment Insurance terms.
The fact is, Ignatieff is a much better communicator and a more effective partisan than his predecessor, Stephane Dion, who Conservatives were able to successfully portray as a leadership loser.
Third, the ads portray Ignatieff in a bad light for having travelled and worked abroad for 34 years -- but surely this can be construed as a bonus when you're in line for a job as a national leader.
While Dion opted to ignore Conservative attack ads, Ignatieff is using them to his advantage -- as a launching pad for attacks on the government.
In a YouTube video, he turns the tables on Stephen Harper, accusing the PM of trying to change the channel: "When you're presiding over the worst unemployment in recent times, record bankruptcies and soaring deficits, you'd try to change the channel, too. You'd try to make Michael Ignatieff the issue.
"But I'm not the issue. Right now Canadians are worried about their jobs ... their pensions."
The Liberal leader cites the Conservatives' criticism of his having lived and worked outside the country and suggests the Harperites are slamming "new Canadians born outside this country" and "Canadians who live and work overseas."
He calls for a new kind of politics, characterized by "civility and common purpose."
The Harperites, in deploying the same sort of attacks against the new Liberal leader as the old, were hoping to get results similar to the Dion destruction.
But when tactics are repeated, often the public becomes desensitized and more skeptical.
Simon Fraser University political scientist John Richards calls the current ad campaign "a dismal portent of how the Tories intend to wage politics in the near term."
For the government's own sake, it had better not be.
[updated Fri May 29 21:23:10 -0400 2009]
29 May 21:23
45 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
And You Thought The Olympics Were in Vancouver.
I hate to break your bubble, but for Conservatives, the Olympics are about to be held in Ottawa -- in August. That's when our Prime Minister will name nine new Conservative senators.
From that point on, Conservatives will hold the majority in the Upper Chamber and be able to push their reform bills through the Senate.
Curriculum vitaes are flowing fast and furiously into the Langevin Block. I'm told there are hundreds of willing applicants for each possible appointment.
Now you know the context behind the PM's introduction into the Senate of his reform legislation: Harper wants to limit senators to a single, non-renewable eight-year term. Will the third time be the charm? I think it will, at least in the Senate. The House of Commons is quite another matter altogether. Harper's bill will be DOA there.
With at least four provinces opposed -- not to mention Liberal senators (who are pushing for a Supreme Court reference), watch the feathers fly in the forum of sobre second thought...
As for another bill allowing Canadians to be "consulted" prior to a prime ministerial appointment being made, there is some division in the Conservative caucus about that. However, government lawyers are said to have determined that Ottawa is on firm constitutional ground with the current incarnation of its proposed legislation.
If an election is held this fall, the bills will die on the order paper. If not, how much wiggle room on the length of a senator's term that exists across party lines is likely to be key to the adoption of the legislation by both houses of Parliament.
Right now, Harper can't even hope for a bronze. But a gold medal is still theoretically possible -- skillful negotiations with the other parties will be both necessary and vital to making a miracle happen.
[updated Sat May 30 11:57:49 -0400 2009]
30 May 11:57
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Some Great Canadian "PATRIOT"...
A great patriot is someone who dares to dream the impossible dream -- someone who strives for greatness in all that is accomplished -- to explore new frontiers, to go where no one has gone before - to put Canada and Canadians on the map once again.
I'm thinking of someone who treasures our crown jewels and our national identity. Not of a person who's going to go out of his way to sell them to the highest bidder.
Theoretically, selling Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. to the private sector may be a necessary evil but it just doesn't feel right. Personally, I don't want to see it as one small insignificant cog in an otherwise giant foreign-owned entity.
What comes next? Ditching the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Canada Post? Not my idea of actions that would ever be taken -- much less contemplated by a true Canadian.
[updated Sat May 30 14:14:04 -0400 2009]
30 May 14:14
32 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Informed1 - What About That Conservative Majority Government?
The silence sure is deafening. Where's the head Harper cheerleader? Is he too busy sending out his resumé (like Conservative exempt staff!) in search of the "next" glorious career opportunity rather than leading the practices? Yes, reading the writing on the wall can sometimes be very painful.
Come on Informed 1, come out, come out, wherever you are. Regale us with your tall tales of future Conservative electoral landslides.
By all means, continue in your usual presumptuous vain manner: give us the actual seat count across provinces and territories. Tell us how many seats you will take with a 20-30% plurality. We are eagerly awaiting your finely honed response.
[updated Sat May 30 19:17:42 -0400 2009]
30 May 19:17
19 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
The Noose Is Tightening.
Jack Layton's interview on Question Period was revealing: the NDP leader made it clear that his party will not use the first opposition day in the Commons for a non-confidence motion in the government. No news there. However, Layton also said they are ready for an election, if necessary. No blanket condemnation of a possible vote. Somewhat revealing, wouldn't you say?
Jack said they will continue to push their EI reform bill and that is open to amendments. Remember when I predicted that Stephen Harper would cave on EI -- that's the orchestra tuning up in the background.
Harper has two unpleasant either-or scenarios staring him in the face. He can eat crow on EI and live to fight another day (which I still expect) or he can go down on a Liberal confidence motion (which theoretically speaking could materialize if it becomes clear that Harper is not prepared to budge) if opposition parties determine that Harper is nothing more than a political impasse.
As the Liberals have said, not ruling it in or out at this point.
With Harper's back to the wall, he should stand before the mirror at 24 Sussex and start practicing: "Uncle, Michael, uncle, Gilles, uncle Jack."
[updated Sun May 31 15:07:38 -0400 2009]
31 May 15:07
65 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
And Now For Something Completely Different...
Pittsburgh or Detroit -- and in how many games?
(So far Detroit leads the series 2-0.)
Warning: I know sweet ... about hockey though I do watch on occasion.
[updated Mon Jun 01 09:10:18 -0400 2009]
01 Jun 09:10
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
syld (suspended for inappropriate remarks)
More Tory hocus pocus;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/legal-quagmire-seen-as-pm-plans-to-let-terror-victims-sue/article1161915/
Quagmire seen as PM plans to let terror victims sue
[updated Mon Jun 01 13:19:22 -0400 2009]
01 Jun 13:19
4 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Harper the failure as leader and as a conservative.
Angus Reid poll:
Tory Ads Have No Immediate Effect as Liberals Jump Ahead
Conservative ad that focuses on Michael Ignatieff has a more pronounced negative effect on Stephen Harper’s momentum.
[TORONTO – Jun. 1, 2009]
[TORONTO – Jun. 1, 2009] – The opposition Liberal Party has recovered its strength in Ontario, as a series of ads that criticize Michael Ignatieff have failed to provide a boost to the governing Conservative Party, a new Toronto Star / Angus Reid poll has found.
The momentum score for Harper among respondents who saw the ad is -40 (10% improved, 50% worsened).
Lib 33%
CPC 31%
NDP 17%
BQ 9%
Green 7%
[updated Tue Jun 02 17:33:09 -0400 2009]
02 Jun 17:33
18 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Nice conservative "action plan," Harper.
Tories digging a $172-billion hole: TD
Julian Beltrame
Ottawa — The Canadian Press, Tuesday, Jun. 02, 2009 06:00PM EDT
Canada is headed for a series of shocking federal deficits that will put the government more than $172-billion in the hole over the next five years, the TD Bank says in a new analysis.
[updated Tue Jun 02 20:21:15 -0400 2009]
02 Jun 20:21
17 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
One Voice...
Measuring Conservative discontent is not easy to do. On the one hand, you have people like Jack who want Stephen Harper gone yesterday. Jack believes that the Conservatives cannot win with Harper at the helm. Fair enough.
But what about other Conservative grass roots supporters? Sure, there is plenty of bitching and complaining (no sexism intended) but CPC members are not exactly storming the gates over at 24 Sussex Drive.
What does that reveal? It means that Stephen Harper continues to be a very dangerous political enemy. Anyone who is foolish enough to underestimate him will never get a second chance at electoral success.
Harper is a master at chessboard piece manipulation -- when he says black, he prefers white. When he signals yes, he is secretly scheming in the interests of no. Never take anything Stephen Harper says or does at face value. Look for the hidden motive or outcome that serves Harper's political interests.
In short, Harper can keep you at wits end. Be at the top of your game when going up against him. Think of a Conservative scorpion. Harper already has.
[updated Tue Jun 02 21:52:38 -0400 2009]
02 Jun 21:52
3 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Lisa Raitt.
Ouch!, courtesy of CTV National News.
[updated Tue Jun 02 23:10:47 -0400 2009]
02 Jun 23:10
18 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
As of this Thursday, Stephen Harper will have spent $2.25 million ($750,000/week) on attack ads. They are hurting him more than his opponent (Angus Reid). What a colossal waste of money. Spending like a drunken sailor. Financial disaster and Conservative failure.
[updated Wed Jun 03 00:50:17 -0400 2009]
03 Jun 00:50
52 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Watch Nicholson Run With The Ball!
Now that Karl-Heinz Schreiber has been discharged as a witness before the Oliphant Commission, watch for Justice Minister Robert Nicholson to give the go ahead for Schreiber's deportation to Germany.
How Schreiber reacts to upcoming events should prove interesting.
[updated Wed Jun 03 09:41:39 -0400 2009]
03 Jun 09:41
12 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Election Tea Leaves.
There was the Prime Minister in my hometown (I know, a shameless plug to attract tourists!) droning on against the possibility of an election. I would too if I was the incumbent government.
Harper says we don't need another round of political instability in recessionary times. Funny, that sure didn't bother him last time -- right smack dab in the middle of a worsening recession.
The PM also says no one he meets wants an election...and he presumes to tell the opposition parties to follow his lead. THIS from a guy who prorogued Parliament to forestall an election last December.
Meanwhile, the Liberal dynamic is quite simple: can the party take power after the next election, yes or no? Once the initial question is answered, then comes the minority-majority calculus. Finally, the official opposition has to take into account whether Harper can pick up significant strength between now and the eventual date of an election.
All of the above are part of the political equation being tossed around in Ottawa. I've reached a point where I have to confess that I have absolutely no idea what Michael Ignatieff will decide to do.
But rest assured, whatever action is taken will be in the best interests of Canadians.
[updated Wed Jun 03 21:32:51 -0400 2009]
03 Jun 21:32
17 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Mark Carney.
Congratulations to the Governor of the Bank of Canada on his economic forecast. Perhaps I should study Economics as a second career: I was one of the few who lined up behind Carney's original prediction.
Watch momentum pick up on Bay Street -- not to mention Parliament Hill!
[updated Thu Jun 04 09:38:58 -0400 2009]
04 Jun 09:38
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
"Canada has refused a plea from the Obama administration to take in 17 Chinese Muslims imprisoned without charge for more than seven years at Guantanamo Bay."- Michelle shephard, National Security Reporter Toronto Star June 05, 2009,
Anyone care to explain how Iggy would have acted?
He already backtracked from his extension in Afghanistan after Bob Rae kicked him under the table at the hangar.
How would this G.W.B cheerleader, who remains unelected by his party grassroots respond to this American President who clearly is breaking his promises regarding the "Bush Doctrine" and campaign promises.
How much time will the Americans allow OBAMA to blame Bush for not having trials or setting them free?
I suspect Iggy would gladly accomodate the Americans as he had a "soft" side for torture, invasions and American Colonialism. (See his writings, too many to cite)
Looking forward to the Liberal apologists calling Harper the G.W Poodle during our next campaign to refute the Accidental Visitor's "speeches, writing, public appearences" that substantiate my assertion?
[updated Fri Jun 05 07:36:15 -0400 2009]
05 Jun 07:36
7 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
A Message For Jack.
It's interesting to watch UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown fighting for his political life in the midst of four cabinet resignations. Senior cabinet ministers appear to be rallying around their embattled leader while some Labour MPs circulate a petition calling for Brown to go. The showdown at the O.K. Corral should come next week.
Over on this side of the pond, Conservative MPs are as impressive as ever. They continue to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Great news for Liberals -- don't you think!
Stephen Harper: the best ally any Liberal could hope for.
[updated Fri Jun 05 09:57:39 -0400 2009]
05 Jun 09:57
6 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
larryl
The rules need to be changed . Why is an M.P.,Patrick Brown in this case, mailing questionnaires to voters in ridings other than his own. I know why he is doing it but don't know why he is allowed to do it. It costs taxpayers money . The just received form has questions about nannygate and is meant to embarrass Ruby Dhalla in my riding of Brampton/Springdale. The C.R.A.P. should know the attacks against her will backfire.My neighbors know who is responsible for this smear campaign. They are very proud that an East Indian woman has accomplished what she has and has a promising future and could climb high in the Liberal party. She is definitely a front runner for cabinet even with this campaign to harm her reputation.
[updated Fri Jun 05 12:58:41 -0400 2009]
05 Jun 12:58
8 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Worth checking out David Akin's On The Hill blog entry for last Wednesday (June 3rd).
[updated Fri Jun 05 14:47:32 -0400 2009]
05 Jun 14:47
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Informed1,
What's wrong? You're strangely silent. Shouldn't you be telling us how all those Liberals in Ontario will soon be toast?
Cat got your tongue? Or is it a case of not really being able to believe your own propaganda. Good judgment at last. I'm impressed!
[updated Fri Jun 05 15:45:22 -0400 2009]
05 Jun 15:45
10 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
A certain rumoured poll with rumoured very good news for a certain party is being released tomorrow.
[updated Fri Jun 05 23:42:03 -0400 2009]
05 Jun 23:42
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Ipsos Reid poll June 2-4: CPC dropping more in Ontario East and Quebec. The big lead in the west is the only thing that is keeping the National numbers close.
National
36 LIB
33 CPC
ONT
41 LIB
33 CPC
Quebec
CPC 8
Harper the failure.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Sat Jun 06 00:10:06 -0400 2009]
06 Jun 00:10
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Now Harper is now embarrassing himself in the USA.
Huffington Post June 6 2009
The Obama Effect -- Political Attack Ads Backfiring for Canada's Prime Minister
The warm glow of Obama positivism is even being felt up in Canada. The current Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has unleashed venomous attack ads challenging the patriotism of his opponent, Michael Ignatieff, a Canadian who was a professor for many years at Harvard University. But a new poll shows that while the ads have caused some voters to think less of Ignatieff, an even greater number of voters think less of Harper for running the critical commercials. The ads are backfiring, which is a new development for Canada.
Up in Canada, Harper is spending millions of dollars to denigrate his opponent and question his commitment to Canada. This tactic runs counter to the evolving Canadian mood, particularly amongst the young, who view such antics as toxic to the welfare of the country. The ads are backfiring, and justly so.
New leader, new CPC
[updated Sat Jun 06 00:58:47 -0400 2009]
06 Jun 00:58
18 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Nanos vs. Ipsos-Reid.
Let's put out the numbers side by side and simply contrast. We won't bother with methodology, sample size or even accuracy as this exercise is meant as a preliminary examination only: (Yes I know to draw credible conclusions you have to compare polls from each polling company together and not across polling companies.)
CANADA
Nanos: Liberals 37, Conservatives 32, New Democrats 16, Bloc 8, Greens 7, Undecided 12;
Ipsos Reid: L 36, C 33, N 12, B 9, G 9, Undecided 6;
The first thing that strikes me is the Undecided. Why is it cut in half in the most recent poll? Secondly, both polls show Liberal momentum with one showing the NDP rising and the other falling! Huh?
Then comes the regional breakdowns:
Battleground Ontario:
Nanos: L 42, C 34, N 14, G 10, Undecided 11;
IR: L 41, C 34, N 14;
Comfortable Liberal lead confirmed.
Quebec:
Nanos: L 38, B 35, C 12, N 13, G 2, Undecided 18;
IR: L 37, B 38, C 8, N 8, G 10;
No clear well established trend here: Liberals up, Bloc down, but also vice-versa. Some voters seem to be parking their vote.
West:
Nanos: L 31, C 42, N 18, G 9, Undecided 10;
IR: L 27*, C 52* (*average of three western regional numbers);
No one can touch the Conservatives out West.
Atlantic:
Nanos: L 42, C 33, N 18, G 8, Undecided 11;
IR: L 39, C 29;
Comfortable Liberal lead confirmed.
Preliminary impression: Liberals doing well in Ontario while Quebec remains a question mark -- will Bloc remain number one with Liberals a strong second or can the Liberals overtake the Bloc with momentum in a general election?
[updated Sat Jun 06 10:13:20 -0400 2009]
06 Jun 10:13
21 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.