Ignatieff on the rise, Conservatives on the way out

[crazy canuck]

Ontario sided with Harper this time, but I suspect they'll return to the Libs by the next election, despite all the money they've been throwing at the province.

Ontario is the new Quebec.

[viper37]

I suspect that if Iggy suggests that all judges should be bilinqual anywhere outside of Quebec if will suffer a political price for such silly pandering.   Why shouldn't we be choosing the best legal minds instead of the best linguists?  FYI I would not object to a unilingual French speaker being appointed if they were demonstrated to be the best choice.

A unilingual French speaker would never go beyond municipal court.
Judges are appointed by the Federal government, it's unlikely a unilingual candidate would rise above the ranks.

As to why there should be bilingual judges, we have discussed that a few months ago, on the old Languish, IIRC.

And this is the kind of measure that won't cost a single vote in ROC for the Libs while making gains in Quebec and other french speaking areas.  A few rednecks areas might be pissed off, and the die hard Conservatives won't like it at all, but overall, the Canadian population will feel it's a good gesture to enforce the meaning of that official language act so often ignored.

So far Iggy is shaping up to be what I feared he would be.  All style and no substance.  I had some hope that he would come out of his coronation in Vancouver with solid policies.  But I am coming to view him as merely an political opportunist who doesn't actually have a plan other then to become PM.

Oh, I share you opinion on this.  So far, I've seen nothing that would convince me he's different from any other Liberal Party leader.  But that's what people like, style over substance.  The most popular politicians are those who don't make too much waves in their day to day action.  Just look at Obama.  Same policies as Bush with a few minor changes, yet everyone loves him.

As a result Canadian politics will continue to be devoid of real policy discussion and will continue to be a battle of personality waged between those who call Harper "sweater wearing Steve" and those who call Iggy the "foreigner who doesnt care about you".

It's up to Harper&co to demonstrate they form a better alternative.  They are in power right now, there are still some things they can do despite the limitations imposed upon by the leftists.  It never stopped Harper in his first mandate, but as soon as he got elected again, it seemed to stop dead in its track. 

While I understand how pissed off the Conservatives (and Harper in particular) might be of being considered the greatest evil of all evil in Quebec after doing so much, but still, they shouldn't drop the towel.

[viper37]

Ontario sided with Harper this time, but I suspect they'll return to the Libs by the next election, despite all the money they've been throwing at the province.

Ontario is the new Quebec.

Well, they made a wide turn to the left...

[Neil]

Ontario sided with Harper this time, but I suspect they'll return to the Libs by the next election, despite all the money they've been throwing at the province.

Ontario is the new Quebec.

Actually, that's an interesting and useful point.  Quebec has gone and made itself much less relevant than it used to be.  Voting for a third party will do that.  Heaven knows that the West was ignored until they returned to the Tory fold.

[saskganesh]

Ontario sided with Harper this time, but I suspect they'll return to the Libs by the next election, despite all the money they've been throwing at the province.

Ontario is the new Quebec.

yes it is.

John Baird told Toronto to Fuck Off this week. He immediately apologised.

This gaffe will hurt the Cons in the GTA (where they are weak), but it could very well help them everywhere else, including the 905, where the Cons are stronger.

another factor in play: at the moment, Premier McGuinty has no effective opposition. So any "punish the government" sentiment will be extended to Ottawa-Harper instead.

[Sheilbh]

Why shouldn't we be choosing the best legal minds instead of the best linguists?  FYI I would not object to a unilingual French speaker being appointed if they were demonstrated to be the best choice.

I think it's simple.  You're either a bilingual nation or you're two nations with two language that have been cobbled together by history.  But then, as I've argued with BBoy, I think that every civil servant should be bilingual.

[Oexmelin]

I think it's simple.  You're either a bilingual nation or you're two nations with two language that have been cobbled together by history.  But then, as I've argued with BBoy, I think that every civil servant should be bilingual.

The problem is that English Canada thinks of Canada as a bilingual nation while Quebec believes Canada is two nations; both won't act upon what they actually profess...

[Neil]

Why shouldn't we be choosing the best legal minds instead of the best linguists?  FYI I would not object to a unilingual French speaker being appointed if they were demonstrated to be the best choice.

I think it's simple.  You're either a bilingual nation or you're two nations with two language that have been cobbled together by history.  But then, as I've argued with BBoy, I think that every civil servant should be bilingual.

That might be true if one of the languages wasn't English.  Trying to argue that there's any real parity between English and French is ridiculous, even in Canada.  French is a serviceable language, but it's something of an artifact.  English is the One Language.

[Neil]

I think it's simple.  You're either a bilingual nation or you're two nations with two language that have been cobbled together by history.  But then, as I've argued with BBoy, I think that every civil servant should be bilingual.

The problem is that English Canada thinks of Canada as a bilingual nation while Quebec believes Canada is two nations; both won't act upon what they actually profess...

Or maybe it's just that the majority of people in Canada feel that the national idea/nation-state isn't such a big deal.

[Oexmelin]

Or maybe it's just that the majority of people in Canada feel that the national idea/nation-state isn't such a big deal.

That's perhaps what is being repeated - but I do not think it is quite true. It is of the brand of small-states nationalism, which, when compared with the US, seems quite tame, but it is there nonetheless.

[Neil]

Or maybe it's just that the majority of people in Canada feel that the national idea/nation-state isn't such a big deal.

That's perhaps what is being repeated - but I do not think it is quite true. It is of the brand of small-states nationalism, which, when compared with the US, seems quite tame, but it is there nonetheless.

Oh, I have no doubt that Balkantards exist, I'm just saying that last time there was a test, they went down in flames.