Canadian Politics Thread

[saskganesh]

I'm not yet fully convinced this will happen yet.

even the NDP are keeping their options open and hinting they may yet make a deal with the devil, or Harper or whatever.

The NDP come out of this looking reasonable.

If they keep this up they might even form opposition next time.

If that's the case, then we will likely have a Con majority, so Harper will want this election, even though publically, it's in his best interest to say it's very important that we not have one.

so he "wins" either way.

and an NDP opposition would be a huge victory for Layton. Of course, he's commited to voting against the government, but at the same time, he may find some ways to work with them in order to "bring down" the Liberals

So we might see some strange maneuvering leading up to the confidence vote.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

It'd be nice though if the parties actually governed, rather than all these delays, elections, etc that are deflecting the real issues. Meanwhile places like BC are fooked now. I may have to move to Trawna.

[Josephus]

It'd be nice though if the parties actually governed, rather than all these delays, elections, etc that are deflecting the real issues.

The problem with democracy.

[crazy canuck]

Agreed Sask, if the NDP can manuever Iggy into forcing an unpopular election the Libs could endure the same political wilderness the Conservatives went through for so many years.

[saskganesh]

@ buddha .... I think we are in a small recovery bump here, but it's still pretty tight. If you have a job, you are likely alright, if not, it's very competitive.

my advice to anyone would be to stay where you are and really max out your network.

[crazy canuck]

The problem with democracy.

You mean its the problem with a dysfunctional democracy.

[crazy canuck]

I may have to move to Trawna.

From the frying pan into the fire?

You better look hard before you leap.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I may have to move to Trawna.

From the frying pan into the fire?

You better look hard before you leap.

always: I have a much bigger family support network in TO than here. But actually I likely will go nowhere without winning the lotto (which I rarely play) in fact.

exaggerating for effect. I'm still disappointed in the Libs here even though I've never voted for them. As an entrenched Gov they have a chance to do some good, but they are just continuing their attacks through taxation etc on everyone who isn't a land developer, and or politician. Worst old boys club in North America... imho

[crazy canuck]

exaggerating for effect. I'm still disappointed in the Libs here even though I've never voted for them. As an entrenched Gov they have a chance to do some good, but they are just continuing their attacks through taxation etc on everyone who isn't a land developer, and or politician. Worst old boys club in North America... imho

Actually their worst attack with the HST is on land developers.

My prediction is that Campbell is going through the process of making himself so unpopular that the next Leader will look like a saint in comparison.  How else is one to explain the budget day revelation that has come out.

Well I suppose pure stupidity is another explanation.

[Jacob]

You mean its the problem with a dysfunctional democracy.

Dysfunctional?  Really?  Because we might have an election according to our rules and conventions when the majority of people would find having an election kind of annoying?

I don't know, to me dysfunctional democracy is what we see in California right now and worse.  Someone maneuvering (aptly or not) for political advantage isn't dysfunctional.  Yes, some of the politicking perhaps delayed the response to the economic crisis back around Christmas but we did okay in the end - pretty functional if you ask me (you didn't, of course).  This doesn't even rate, in my opinion.

I'd be curious what you deem to be the characteristics that indicate that Canadian democracy is dysfunctional.

[crazy canuck]

Dysfunctional?  Really?  Because we might have an election according to our rules and conventions when the majority of people would find having an election kind of annoying?

At one point Italians were having elections every change of season.  All the elections were made under their rules but that did not make their democracy any less dysfunctional.

They may well have been functional in form but certainly not in substance.

The strength of a minority government is that the minority parties can push to have their ideas implemented.  In that regard I have to say the NDP are the most effective.  The Liberals have taken a different tact.  They simple cry out "we can do better" and hope people will vote them in without actually presenting any idea as to how they might do things differently.

[Jacob]

At one point Italians were having elections every change of season.  All the elections were made under their rules but that did not make their democracy any less dysfunctional.

They may well have been functional in form but certainly not in substance.

Yeah, Italy is another democracy which seems pretty dysfunctional.  But we're far from dysfunctional.

The strength of a minority government is that the minority parties can push to have their ideas implemented.  In that regard I have to say the NDP are the most effective.  The Liberals have taken a different tact.  They simple cry out "we can do better" and hope people will vote them in without actually presenting any idea as to how they might do things differently.

Without putting too much into it, I'll concede that maybe the Liberal party is being weak, ineffectual and missing their chance.  That doesn't make our democracy dysfunctional, it just means one of the parties is being weak and ineffectual at the moment.

Maybe you have a much lower bar for dysfunctional than I do.  This sort of thing, to me, seems to simply be part of the process.

[Josephus]

The problem with democracy.

You mean its the problem with a dysfunctional democracy.

Is there a functional democracy, though? Even in America, it seems like they're always on the campaign trail.

[crazy canuck]

Is there a functional democracy, though? Even in America, it seems like they're always on the campaign trail.

That is by design which is its own kind of dysfunctionality.

I am not familiar enough with the systems in other jurisdictions to declare them functional.  All I can say is that I am less then pleased with the quality of government we now enjoy here in Canada.

[Josephus]

On that, we both agree, CC.