How Will You Vote

[Infanteer]

The only way the Conservatives can hold a minority is with the Bloc Quebecois holding the balance of power in the house.   If at the conclusion of this general election the Conservatives hold more seats than either the Liberals and the NDP but less than the two combined you will see a Liberal/NDP coalition.

I don't know if precedent will allow it to pan out that way.  The way I understand it, the Party with the most seats gets to go to the Governor General first and to announce that it will form government.  No matter how many seats a Lib/NDP coaltion held, if the Conservative Party had more than either, it would be permitted to take a crack at government.

Now, constitutionally, should a Conservative government fall, the Governor General can ask the leader of the opposition if they can form government.  But I think the King/Byng affair set up how this will work in the real world (an unelected GG has no authority to assign a new government, only the people do).  If a Conservative minority falls, than the Prime Minister will simply call new elections - and this is where my theory of punishment comes into play if a Conservative minority is dumped for political reasons by the left.  We didn't see Stephen Harper asked by the Governor General if he could form government a few days back, so why would it happen for a Lib/NDP coalition?

 

[xFusilier]

Wasn't getting at that scenario.  Of course under the precendant set by King-Byng the Conservatives would be asked to form the government.  What I was getting at is that a Conservative minortiy government, given the posturing that both the NDP and the Liberals have taking would last about as long as a snowball in hell, if the NDP and the Liberals had more seats combined than the Conservatives. 

 

[Infanteer]

given the posturing that both the NDP and the Liberals have taking would last about as long as a snowball in hell, if the NDP and the Liberals had more seats combined than the Conservatives.

...and my response to that is maybe not, considering that Canadians wouldn't be to happy with the opposition bringing down the government right after our second election in as many years.

 

[armyvern]

...and my response to that is maybe not, considering that Canadians wouldn't be to happy with the opposition bringing down the government right after our second election in as many years.

Well, I've heard quite a few East coasters who aren't too happy with the current bringing down of the government either. Their votes won't decide much but when added up with all the relatives who feel the same living in TO and other parts of Ontario whom I've spoken to lately...it could make for a very intertesting outcome...

There was a poll published here in the paper (trying to find an on-line link to it) that shows the east coast voting liberal the same as last election and the conservatives with a drop in support of something like 8% from the last election. Most of those polled are citing the conservative focus on bring down the liberals  instead of trying to improve Canada (via a clear party platform) as the reason for their vote change from C to Lib.

 

[xFusilier]

...and my response, to your response is that the anchor in Liberal ideology is staying in power as long as possible.  Also I wouldn't put it past the Liberals to attempt to change precedent by attempting to have the GG ask them to form a coalition witht the NDP.  What would happen if the GG was informed by both the Liberals and the NDP that the Conservatives would not have the confidence of the house in any case and they should be allowed to form a coalition government. 

 

[Infanteer]

Would make for an interesting scenario, that's for sure....

 

[FlightSergeantRose]

Who in the hell would vote for the Greens?! I just read their website and its quite a joke. Jim Harris is such a whining bitch. He's going to sue the news stations cause he won't get to participate in the debates. If people know exactly what the Greens intend to do and still vote for them then they are retards beyond all imagination. 

Sorry for my rant but I just hate the Green Party and that idiot leader, Jim Harris.

 

[armyvern]

Got to tell you, that the great majority of east coasters I know view the new Conservative party the very same way as the Bloc, strictly a party acting in it's Regional interests vice National interests.

Until the Conservatives pick up and actually field a nationally accepted platform vice what seems to be the catering to Regional interests...how do you expect persons not from that region to support them by casting their vote for them??

 

[redleafjumper]

The Liberal party is one of the most regional there is except for the BQ.  Strong in Ontario, weak to non-existant in Quebec, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.  They conservatives have a much broader national representation, except that they are weak in Quebec.  Really all of the federal parties are more and more regionally based, that's fallout from the Mulroney - Lucien Bouchard break-up.

I just donated $100 to my favourite national political party.  I encourage others to belly up and support the party of their choice (especially if it is the one I will be supporting!). 

 

[Infanteer]

I dislike parties in general - my vote is all the one I like is going to get.

 

[RangerRay]

Got to tell you, that the great majority of east coasters I know view the new Conservative party the very same way as the Bloc, strictly a party acting in it's Regional interests vice National interests.

Until the Conservatives pick up and actually field a nationally accepted platform vice what seems to be the catering to Regional interests...how do you expect persons not from that region to support them by casting their vote for them??

So fighting drug crime, repairing healthcare, reducing the GST and making gornernment accountable are regional interests?  Silly me!  Here I thought they were national intersts...

Of course the Liberals are the only national party.  After all, their strength lies in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces...

:

 

[xFusilier]

Of course the Liberals are the only national party.  After all, their strength lies in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces...

Hate to smash into your fuschia sky reality here, but the Liberals have managed to elect more MP's outside of Ontario than the Conservatives have outside of the Western Provinces.  Whilst some of the issues that you have mentioned are national issues, let's face facts.  The manner in which the Conservatives want to address drug crime is through minimum sentencing, not addressing issues of addiction or poverty.  The cuts to the GST have been panned by most economists outside of the CTF, which basically is a wing of the Conservative Party.  The fact of the matter is that Stephen Harper and many of the key players in the Conservative party have spent more time publicly advocating for the Welfare of Alberta (the firewall report) at the expense of the welfare of the nation is it any suprise that the rest of the country sees them as a regional party.  Voters also have long memories, people in Atlantic Canada when they go to the polls sure as heck will remember Jason Kenny's remarks about Atlantic Canadians (for which the leader of the party at the time should have fired him) and vote appropriately.

 

[UberCree]

Who in the hell would vote for the Greens?! I just read their website and its quite a joke. Jim Harris is such a whining *****. He's going to sue the news stations cause he won't get to participate in the debates. If people know exactly what the Greens intend to do and still vote for them then they are retards beyond all imagination.  

Here is one retard. :
I do not agree with 100% of the party's policies (who would with any party), but I do think that they are a viable option for voters.  In fact 5% of Canadians would agree, which means they SHOULD be included in national debates.  How else can people point out how ludicrous their policies are....  Why not include them in national debates.... (sorry the questioan mark on my keyboard does not work, which is why the original poll has no question mark).
Once they get more mainstream voters they will lose their looniness on some issues and become more moderate.  For example their belief in 'non-violence' defies logic.  They need public debate to realize this.  HOWEVER, Canada needs to move away from a way of thinking that exploits the earth and encourages consumption to a more holistic model... for our long term health.  Their policies supporting preventative health care, proportional representation, lowering of corporate taxes and increasing gas and other 'harmful' consumption taxes make sense in my eyes. 

 

[a_majoor]

I am for the "Green" platform on preventative health care, lowering of corporate taxes and increasing gas and other 'harmful' consumption taxes except for one tiny problem: how they propose to do these things.

Greens are "Watermelon" socialists, green on the outside, but red on the inside. You could get most of the same results by removing government subsidies and market distorting tax incentives, and faster and cheaper to boot.

 

[UberCree]

Yeah but where's the fun in that   ???.   How will that make ME feel better...its all about me remember!
Plus that doesnt sound very holistic and earthy... it needs to be spiced up with flowery language and metaphor.

 

[Infanteer]

If the Green Party would release a Platform like "Vote Green; Throat-punching polluters and Saving the economy!" I'd vote for them.

 

[UberCree]

I like it!

Vote Green, or you descendants will die a slow and painful death.
Vote Green, or we'll all DIE!

I see a movie in the making.  ''Team GREEN: World Police!'' 
Theme song,
Recycling; F*&k YEAH!


 

 

[Infanteer]

:rofl:

 

[Michael OLeary]

Hmmm .... recycling .... Soylent Green?

 

[winchable]

Delicious soylent green!!!!