Request to AK and ADMIN for a Republic of ALBERTA FLAG.

[Arctickat]

btw the Governor General was appointed by the Liberals .... need a bit of a history lesson their Kat, remenber all the other french speaking laywers as previous PMs ... a patronage scandal, an AirBus payoff ?

cheers

Holy, if you're this antagonistic towards someone who agrees with you I'd love so see what happens to those who dare to disagree. I'll go make some popcorn. I know perfectly well who appointed the Puppet General, perhaps you need a reading lesson there tniuqs, I said I was hoping, she would, not that I said she would. She is also married to a Quebec separatist who has close ties to the Parti Quebecois. Once she's appointed to the Puppet General office, she can't be "unappointed", so she doesn't have to do the bidding of the Liberals, but I'll bet her hubby will be hell to sleep with if she crosses his party.

History door swings both ways, don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out.

[tniuqs]

Holy, if you're this antagonistic towards someone who agrees with you I'd love so see what happens to those who dare to disagree. I'll go make some popcorn.

Sorry Kat your correct my reading skills do need some improvement .... but you stated:

I didn't vote for Harper.

Well we have the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc all in bed causing this impudence, with a partizan Gov. General faceing getting cut off in more ways than one, and now the Green Party getting all friendly with a bloodless coup.

Hey Neither did I, I couldn't get to the poles because I was working in a area where there is no provision to vote ... other than staple it to a passing by raven, but, federal prisoners all got to vote and my taxes pay to feed them. This Country has gone tottaly upside down with rights for everyone under the term called diversity, well except the tax payers/ voters.

QUESTION REMAINS .... Will You vote for Harper Now ?

ps I like lots of real butter on my Popcorn.

History door swings both ways, don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out.

Again your right, maybe time to close the slam the door out west !

[WolfmanHarris]

I didn't vote for Harper. Didn't vote for the Liberals, NDP or Bloc. I voted Green. Which is funny because I don't support most of the green's policies. Don't support anyone party as I find myself on both sides of the poitical spectrum depending on the issue.

I voted Green to give them the $1.95 to help them continue to run and increase the range of political discussion within this country and help break the stranglehold of the parties which was rapidly leading us towards a two party system as the NDP become more irrelevant.

The fact is I like minority governments. I believe our current party leaders have not yet grasped that this is the new reality and that no party can attempt to run things carte blanche as if they have a majority. Yes things take longer and less gets done in a minority currently, but consider this: when Mulroney had a majority and ran things his way, everyone left of centre was miserable and though he was the worst leader we'd ever seen. NAFTA saw him burned in effigy. Then Cretien comes along with his huge majority and the people who hated Mulroney are happy and the conservative citizens are miserable and think this is the worst leader we've ever seen. The far left NDP'ers (which until recently I was one) are always miserable and just hope for some progress on their agenda items.

Now we have minority governments. Parties have to work together to make progress and as a result we should see a more balanced approach to legislation which attempts to factor in both the social/fiscal left and social/fiscal right into the finished product. If and when the leaders stop trying to vie for a majority that the voters don't want to give them and that none of them deserve and get onto the business of governing we should in my mind see a much better approach. No one party has the right ideas on every issue, but until they set aside some of their adversarial nature (not all, question period would be a bore) and try to find some common ground, the people of Canada will suffer.

If the election was on foreign policy. I would have voted for Harper. Afghanistan is an important mission. Maybe we didn't think it through all the way when we started, but we're there, we helped make the mess and paid for the clean-up in blood. There is no way we should be leaving with the job undone and the work of our troops spit on.

It the election was on the economy in good times I would have voted for Harper. Not so in the downturn as I don't believe the way to balance a budget is to sell off assets at a depreciated value for short term gain or dump money with no strings attached into corporate bailouts. If we want to give money to corporations lets give it in stock purchases which can give us back some of the money when we sell them in a better economy. No one else is presenting a better option at this point though. Key area for taking ideas from all parties in my mind.

If the election was on Healthcare I'd be giving my vote to the NDP or Green's.

On the environment the greens.

On crime and public safety, Harper hands down.

So you can see some of the problems I have at poll time and why I think this shift in voting pattern is a good thing. I'm a huge supporter of proportional representation or mixed member proportional.

Let's stop fooling ourselves talking about democratic choice in this country when no party's been able to secure a majority of the popular vote or even close to go with their majority number of seats. The only way for all Canadians to be represented in government is for all the politicians who received their vote to start working together whether they like it or not. Maybe's its time for recall votes like California so we can call them into account.

[tniuqs]

DocHarris:

You have made some great observations and points here, I must agree with you the best times for the actual People of this country is when there IS a minority government, ie the Diefenbaker/ Pearson era ... and a little thing like universal health care solidified this country, and gave us a distinct cultural difference (although Alberta Consevatives are doing there very best to change that, sorry off topic) I sure wish Tommy Douglas was still around, I wonder what Tommy would say about the current state of affairs of EMS in this country .. I bet HE would be on our side ... I digress.

Parties have to work together to make progress and as a result we should see a more balanced approach to legislation which attempts to factor in both the social/fiscal left and social/fiscal right into the finished product

Zactly .. but odd that just because Harper won the " High School Prom King Title" doesn't mean that the rest of the kids can swarm him like the true school yard cowards they are .... it WAS up to the official opposition to play the game with the fair rules, they stalled the country before and this is why the election was called in the first place. I agree keep things honest and keep things economically fair odd that Harper actually kept the promises he made during his first campaign ? add to that fact a Western based Conservative that are Honest Politicians, well pretty obvious whom I will vote for next Groundhog Day.

Because if Dion does not cause me to Stroke out ... he has Struck out !

Green Party and there policy over Afgan Land ... then many of our Brothers have died for NOTHING!

cheers

ever notice my avatar ... it will stay till they all come home again.

[tniuqs]

Oh I forgot ... President "elect" Obama so lets see what happens if the other US parties form a cooperative and throw him out of power ?

Well besides Obama wants to renegotiate NAFTA .... with the President of Canada.

Should we tell Obama that we have a Prime Minister and second we don't know WHO it may be this week or if he will need a translator ?

sheesh.

[WolfmanHarris]

Remember that in a parliamentary system the executive branch exists within the legislative branch meaning it's not a separately elected office. Media advances have made the role of the individual MP secondary (if not entirely redundant) to the leader. So people get into their heads that they are voting for PM, when really they're voting for a local representative who hold a vote within a causus made up of other local representatives, the leader of which holds the position of PM. Hence why I think proportional representation's time has come. Since no one really cares who their MP is anymore since that's so shadowed by the party, let's let the percentage vote dictate what party has the seats.

Renegotiation of NAFTA is a good thing (for the West more than for Ontario, but hey it's all Canada). While Ontario will get destroyed by tariffs impacting the manufacturing sector combined by downturn in the United States economy which provides the demand for those parts of finished goods, protectionism of natural resources whose value is less fickle and less dependent on consumer outlook is a good thing for this country. Supply and demand folks. We've got oil, water, wood and minerals. While I like all you folks south of the border just fine, with the every increasing demand for oil and the resistance to off shore drilling in the US, we are in a position where protectionism will do us just fine.

As far as negotiation of things go, don't forget the intertia of diplomacy. Once a country signs on to something the bureaucrats make it work and it's difficult for a politician to reverse it without a pretty clear mandate, or a lot of balls. Bush was able to can Kyoto b/c corporate America was against it and the voting public were not sold on it to begin with. Cretien couldn't kill NAFTA when he took over despite "renegotiate or we'll abnegate" because the inertia was already there. (Holy crap I just realized I was 8y/o when that happened)

The fact is all saber rattling of "diminished democracy" aside on Harper's part. This is about him keeping his job at this point and realizing the hard way that he doesn't have a majority and can't act like it. If the Liberal and NDP show backbone and ignore the controversy (like Harper would if the position's reversed; he's got perseverance than them) then they will have parliament and there's not a damned thing Harper can do until the next election or the coalition fails and a vote of non-confidence is called. I may prefer Harper as a leader, but he's spouting pure rhetoric at this point and I don't think it's going to get him anywhere. He should be trying to find the best way to come out looking like the bigger man by shifting the focus back to governance and making it clear that regardless of party politics he will pursue to the best of his abilities the best road for Canadians. The mudslinging's getting sickening and I will not be watching his address tonight. It'll be so overproduced that we both (pro or anti-Conservative) know essentially what will be said.

I disagree that the opposition brought about the election. I agree it was said they did. But I was watching the polls the same time as all this was going on. There was no key piece of legislation being stalled on, but the Conservatives were polling high enough they thought they could win a majority and struck. It backfired b/c despite their higher polling, Canadians were pissed off to be voting again when there was stuff to be done and were also a little scared of a potential Harper majority resulting in neo-conservative social policies privatizing health care, killing gay marriage and all that other boogyman stuff. (Not saying they would have, just that it was the fear)

You're right though, this is pretty cut throat by Dion and Layton and not in my mind in the best interests of Canada. They should have made it clear to Harper that they believe he was not serving Canada and that if progress was not made and that discussion was not had to reach some agreements and move forward on a clear economic stimulus plan then they would feel compelled to form a coalition. What's they're doing now is just as underhanded as a snap election based on shakey ground.

Not our finest hour. But I remain interested in how our nation comes out of it.

Kindest regards from evil Ontario,

- Matt

[CBEMT]

Akroeze and I briefly discussed the situation while in Ohio. I told him that if you guys aren't careful, you'll turn into the Italians.

[tniuqs]

I think proportional representation's time has come. Since no one really cares who their MP is anymore since that's so shadowed by the party, let's let the percentage vote dictate what party has the seats

Vote for the Man/Woman ... not party politics !

Sir John A. Macdonald is just still just drunk and I bet rolling over in his grave trying to get out .

Rep by Pop.

or Rep by $$$

Get that point ?

[WolfmanHarris]

Until the individual candidate gets enough exposure AND has the ability to break from party lines and vote their conscience the individual is next to irrelevant. It's too bad, I spent 11 months volunteering on the board, two provincial elections ago for the local candidate for a part I would otherwise not have voted for. With all the other hopes and idealism we're sharing, hoping for people to start ignoring the inertia of created by the media and the party system is about as realistic as hoping that those in parliament will stop posturing and attempt to work together.

As far as rep by pop vs rep by $$... if I'm following your point than I have to disagree. Don't forget that pre-oilsands Alberta was a have not province and now with the downturn Ontario's heading into the red. These things are cyclical and it would be a mistake to start looking to transfer payments as a determinant for political power. Not only would it create far more regionalism and animosity between the provinces, but would degrade the democratic rights of the citizenry by having their limited political power (their vote) be diminished based on factors beyond their control. Yes first past the post does not adequately serve the lower population areas of the country, but I'm not a fan of that either. Mixed member proportional representation remains in my mind the fairest most democratic option that balances local accountability and reflection of the popular vote.

[Freaknuggetz_chick]

well, i will have to come back and read this thread more thoroughly later....

i support the coalition, as the house has lost confidence in the government.

as far as actual ballots go, the coalition has the majority (62% voted against the conservatives). *our current system only elects the winners, if you didnt vote for a winner in your riding, your vote didnt really count*

i am dismayed that our GG decided to suspend parliament until the budget is ready. there are other things to do in the meantime. her job is to ensure parliament works. if it doesnt, then dissolution. parouguement was never intended for this use.

i am a nationalist, i do not want to be part of a republik of alberta, or a western separtist party, and hate the idea that some quebecers want to leave canada