Suffy

So yea it seems that Stephan Dion has received support from the entire Liberal caucus and if the governor general sides with Dion the NDP and the Liberals along with the Bloc will form a new government with Dion as the PM and the NDP controlling 25% of the cabinet.

What's your take out there fellow Canucks?

You happy that a seperatist party (who in recent years has just become a left wing party with only Quebec in mind) being apart of the government.

Discuss!

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Twist of lEMOn

I think its interesting, although I hate Harper. I need to see how it shakes out before I throw a official judgement on it.

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Erin

The Bloc flip-flop so much it makes me wonder if they ever have a platform, or if they now simply exist to allign with whoever sweet talks them into siding with them to form a majority. At least with the NDP and Liberals you have something resembling a common leaning, but the Bloc does not. Didn't they consider alligning with Harper just a few years ago when the Liberals were in power? What does the Bloc even represent these days? Alligning with major parties hardly encourages a nationalist platform.

I am all for a left side majority, but this particular tactic is problematic. Whenever Canada attempts its own 'team of rivals', it never works. Ever. Because we so rarely have a strong leader that can keep everyone in line while still projecting a common outcome. I seriously doubt Dion or Layton can get the job done.

It's a shame that The Green party isn't on board, because I honestly think Elizabeth May could step up to the plate and take charge of that bunch. In the mean time, I will sit patiently and await Ignatieff's eventual leadership. Or, in my dream world, Justin Trudeau.

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Suffy

Well Dion is going to step down after the May leadership race which will make either Rae or Iggy the new PM.

And the Bloc for the most part are a socialist party with very strong ties to the welfare states of Nordic countries. With Ducceppe being a former member of the Communist party they believe strongly in areas such as universal health care, universal child care, things like that which the lefties love.

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Erin

These are things we theoretically already embrace though. More so than any other party, I suppose, a lot of the Bloc's moves depend on their particular leader. Though in this particular case, I am fine with it.

I have had enough of Harper and his war on science.

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Inogenius

Dammit! I was going to start a thread about this last Friday-ish.

I don't understand anything that's going on, but I at least knew something was going on.

If a Canuck could explain what is going on though, I would really appreciate it. Thought y'all just voted like 2 months ago or something, so you have me way confused.

P.S. Erin, please don't tell anyone aboot how I asked who the person on the $20 was.

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Suffy

Harper would have a two tier medical system, and does not support universal programs where the gov foots the bill.

I'll do my best to explain.

In Canada our style is modelled after Westminster. We have two houses like you a Senate and a House of Commons, our house of commons is elected and senate appointed (it's stupid I know).

In the house of commons you need a majority to pass bills, certain bills are labelled confidence matters (those include anything financial). If a confidence motion or bill does not receive a majority of votes the governor general (our head of state) will dissolve parliament and an election will be called.

To avoid this a single party needs to achieve 155 seats (we have 308 seats so 155 is a majority) because we have very strict party discipline where you must vote in line with your party.

Now in our last election PM Harper who leads the conservatives won 142 seats meaning he had a minority government and has to make deals with the other three major parties to remain in power.

The other three parties are the Liberals (a slight left of centre party), the New Democratic party (very left wing) and the Bloc Quebecois (main goal is Quebec becoming its own country but very left as well).

Now a few years ago former PM Chrétien made it illegal for big companies to donate money to parties as well as union, to make up for this loss of revenue if a party receives more than 2% of the popular vote they will receive $1.95 for every vote.

Now Harper in his economic update wanted to get rid of this, unfortuantely all three opposition parties disagreed majorly because they rely on this money for their funding, the conservatives do not.

Now Harper can only keep being Prime Minister if at least one of the opposition parties sides with him, now all three parties have agreed to form a coalition which will effectively oust Harper as PM and relagate him and the conservatives to official opposition.

The Liberals lead (for now) by Stephan Dion will become Prime Minister, with the NDP taking over 25% of Cabient positions, and the Liberals taking up the rest --> this is because the Liberals have been the dominant party throughout our history.

They will need the support of the Bloc to maintain "confidence". Now this has never happened in Canadian history, forming a coalition government, it is much more common in Australia and Europe.

So there is no precedence for this and it will be interesting what the governor general decides to do, she can either call for another election or install the libs and NDP as the new government.

It will be decided in about 2 weeks...I hope I cleared it up if I didn't sorry
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Suffy

For those that care the Governor General has decided to agree with Harper and suspend parliament until January 26th 2009.

That means that our legislatative body and executive shall not be passing any laws, passing any budgets or helping stimulate the economy in any way because they are on "recess" and yet they still get paid.

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Offishall

Savage__Animal

4 words. fuck the Bloc Quebecois.
would hate to see a minorty goverment come into effect.

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