Weird and new stuff happening in Canada right now.... the left wing is uniting to toss out the cons

[HEyHEY]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/12/01/coalition-talks.html

Good, but we JUST HAD A FUCKING ELECTION LAST MONTH.

I love how, during the past five years, Canadian politics have been so exciting. :-)

[BurtWorm]

1. I wish American politics had been so exciting before this election.

:toast:

[SidDithers]

2. Strange that they can do this without the formal partcipation of the Bloc...

Unless my math is wrong, the Harpers still hold more seats than the combined Liberal/NDP alliance.

Or am I missing something :)

Sid

[HEyHEY]

3. it's a big ole' bag of weird.

[Lautremont]

4. I got the impression that the Bloc was on board.

But it's the Liberals, or at least the Ignatieff Liberals, who will probably scuttle it.

[SidDithers]

10. From the cbc.ca story earlier...

The Bloc Québécois would not officially be a part of the coalition, but the new government's survival would depend on its support.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/01/coalition-talks.html

As HEyHEY said, a big ole bag o' weird :)

Sid

[SoCalDem]

5. found this online..about your elections..

[HEyHEY]

6. I don't think that'd be about our elections. That's Gordon Campbell and Stephen Harper

One is a Provincial leader, the other is the PM.

[SoCalDem]

7. I googled Dick Cheney & that popped up.. I knew one was Harper

but did not know the other one:)

[HEyHEY]

8. He's an asshole too

But he's a BC "Liberal" which means he's in a party that was hi-jacked by conservative liberals... who then handed the wheel to conservatives.

[Oregone]

9. Why is this weird?

I thought there was precedent in parliamentary systems?

[HEyHEY]

15. It's just never really happened before

Sure we've had governments overthrown in confidence votes, but this strange coalition business is something that has yet to happen, I believe. Plus, we just had an election.

[Oregone]

18. No, I read it happened once in Canada in early 20th century...

But about the last election, well, you know, these parties have to save face. They can't play completely nice (unless they strategically worked out what ridings they would compete in or cede to the other). They do not all have the same platforms at all, and there is something about representing you political ideology over pragmatism (parliamentary systems allow you to do this, which is nice compared to the US).

Another consideration is that these are weird times. They may of wanted to do this before (with the consequence of losing mass support), but the looming economic disaster gave them a solid excuse to put aside their differences (without alienating their base). Harper's complete lack of an economic plan just playing immediately into their hands like clockwork.

Think about the concept of saving face...they can now form a coalition with the some of the same people they tore apart during the last election without too many people calling them out on it. The circumstances make this the perfect opportunity.

====

BTW, I can't even express how exciting this is to me. For almost the last decade of my life Ive lived in Bush world, where no matter how bad he fucked up, the opposition wouldn't go so far as to call him out on any of it, much less attempt to toss his ass (and we are talking criminally here). Now, with my first Canadian election just barely over, they are already getting rid of this clown. It almost makes me hopeful about politics again. But I am damn cynical in general anymore.

[applegrove]

20. There was the Union government during the first world war. My great grandfather

was acting Minister of Finance in it and introduced the Temporary Income Tax Act. MacKenzie King never forgave him for joining the Union government and my grandfather's political career was over after that. But that was during the war. I don't think it was a minority situation but I'm not sure.

[Captain Hilts]

11. After nearly 20 years they figure this out??? Whew!

[Oregone]

12. The Liberals have only been out of power a few years

There was no need to unite before. The NDP was positioned before to move the Liberals to the left when they were in power. There is nothing wrong with that.

[Captain Hilts]

13. But it left Mulroney in power FAR longer than he should have been. nt

[Oregone]

14. Haha. That was before my time

:)

But I can see your point.

[HEyHEY]

17. Yeah, but the NDP is a different left, they keep that portion represented in parliament.

[iamthebandfanman]

16. thats the only way the left gets stuff done

but ignoring our small differences and going after those who oppose EVERYTHING we all believe in.

unfortunately here in the states its used against us as a submission tactic to cling to one party hoping itll one day change.
god knows im still clinging.
i wont give up either ;)

[Oregone]

19. Might as well...

Give up I mean. :)

Hell, if I ever see anything to change my mind on that, Ill be the first to laugh at myself.