Election would threaten recovery: Flaherty

[polly7]

Election would threaten recovery: Flaherty

Finance minister raises spectre of opposition coalition in campaign-style speech
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 | 6:01 PM ET

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/09/21/flaherty-economy-election-risk.html#ixzz10DrWb5DS

I agree with this reader's comment:

diablo99 wrote:

"Under a conservative government (1983-94) Canadian debt quadrupled from about 100 to 400 Billion. It took a few years but the Liberal government was the first in modern times to reduce the debt finally turning it around in the early 2000's. Further from 1975 to 86 under mostly Liberal governments the Public Service was reduced by 60,000 employees. In the US from the period 1978 to 2005 the Republicans increased the US debt by 36.4 % to only 4.2% by Democrats. Conversely the Gross Domestic Product increased under the Democrats by 12.6% vs only 10.7 % from the Republicans.

The fact is right wing governments significantly economically underperform pragmatic moderate governments. However the right wing have managed with the assistance of the media to vilify "liberalism" as anyone not right wing and with copious and ineffective spenders. Unfortunately this is not fact.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/09/21/flaherty-economy-election-risk.html#ixzz10DrnTS80

[RedSock]

1. Election would threaten Flaherty's job: Reality (eom)

[polly7]

2. Absolutely. But, it's got to be twisted into nonsense for the faithful.

The sad part is, so many will believe anything out of the mouths of our Con. artists.

[Spazito]

3. Just like the 'boy who cried wolf', they keep shouting this crap...

and each time they do it becomes less and less effective. Canadians, if they hear this at all, just shrug now, imo.

[polly7]

4. I hope you're right.

I have two brothers in Alberta, one with the oil. He LOVES the way things are going now. Hopefully, he's among the minority.

[Spazito]

5. I live in Alberta and know we can't gauge the reaction of Canadians...

based on Alberta, it is an 'outlier' province and, remember, the birthplace of the rabid racist, homophobic Reform party which is still in place only under a "New" name.

The vast majority of Albertans are either redneck neocons or libertarians which is not the case in the other nine provinces and three territories, thank goodness.

[polly7]

6. Oh, I forgot that's where you lived. Yes, you're right, Alberta is a

province like no other ....... but, Saskatchewan is slowly catching up. We need the other parties to catch these scare-tactics right off and do some major rebutting, if the Cons do start controlling the media even more than they are, Avaaz, for one, has shown there are other ways. Imo, Canadians are apathetic, we've had it too good for too long, and many won't even notice the slow downhill slide until it affects them personally. Harper's a very secretive man ........... except when he and his minions are worried they aren't bullshitting enough. I honestly believe he thinks we're just that stupid.

[Spazito]

7. Our bigger problem, imo, is the way the multi-party system is working...

for the most part, I like it but there is a loophole that has changed the dynamics, imo, and it needs to be addressed. The loophole was found and used by the Bloc Quebecois where, because of the size of their Province, the number of seats allocated to Quebec, they can control a key number of seats while running NO candidates in any other provinces, defining their objectives solely for Quebec and having to spend little during elections compared to the other parties who run candidates in many, if not all, Provinces.

I believe this loophole could be closed by changing the election laws, putting in place criteria such as: in order to qualify to be on the ballot during a NATIONAL election, you must run candidates in 7 out of 10 provinces and at least one territory and the number of candidates needed to be on the ballot for each province is determined by a formula based on each province's population.

The 'left' has been split for many years and still was able to win the majority of federal elections. Once the Bloc appeared, voters in Quebec who ordinarily voted left, the majority, are now voting for the Bloc, primarily a separatist party, imo.

[polly7]

8. Those are excellent suggestions.

Quebec needs to realize that these National elections are too important to all Canadians not to involve the rest of us. I always wonder if the asbestos strike and the betrayal of their premier at the time, the arrests, beatings, had a part to play in forming the party. What happened that they've felt so disenfranchised from the rest of us? I should have kept up more, but I do feel bad for some of the things they've gone through and understand why they need to preserve their identity. I don't agree with a lot of the way they're doing it, but you are correct, if only they could realize how important they've become in the outcomes of these elections.

[Spazito]

9. The main reason the Bloc came about was the failure of the...

Meech Lake Accord and their primary goal was and is the separation of Quebec. I have no doubt the party is well aware of the power they wield in the House of Commons but whether Quebecers understand this to to it's full import I am not sure.

As with all parties who hold some degree of power with their votes, protecting the party itself all too often becomes the deciding factor on key votes rather than how the issue being voting on will benefit/harm Canadians as a whole. The other parties in the House of Commons have to weigh both more than the Bloc does because they, unlike the Bloc, want to either retain or become the governing party.

[polly7]

10. Ah, thanks for that. For some strange reason I'd forgotten all about the Meech

Lake Accord. Yes, it's too bad when Party trumps the people. Maybe things will change with Harper's unpopularity rising. Or maybe the Bloc will just become more popular and those who still want to separate will be given a gift? Sorry for going off on a tangent. He just depresses me. No matter what he does, it's *hit.

[Spazito]

11. I have enjoyed the discussion and don't see it as a tangent at all...

because everything we 'discussed' is relevant to the harper cabal's fear-mongering and how elections work now as opposed to the past. I think the Bloc is at it's peak re numbers, I only hope Quebecers, along with other Canadians, become so angry at the harper cabal they will vote Liberal in enough numbers so we get, at the least, a Lib minority government, ideally a Lib majority government.

[CHIMO]

12. You

Seem to be a bit too negative on this.

Something to give you a boost.

Conservatives are only playing to their political base
Edmonton-St. Albert MP Brent Rathgeber proudly states that he will be voting to get rid of Canada’s long-gun registry on Sept. 22, even though the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Police Association, the Canadian Association of Police Boards and the RCMP all support the registry.
http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/20100922/SAG0904/309229971/-1/sag/conservatives-are-only-playing-to-their-political-base

Gun registry does save lives
Our local member of Parliament has subjected your readers with arguments against the gun registry with holes so big one could drive a Mack truck through.
http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/20100922/SAG0904/309229979/-1/sag/gun-registry-does-save-lives

Rathgeber wrong on gun registry
Brent Rathgeber touts himself as a tough on crime member of Parliament looking to reduce crime and protect victims.

This is simply laughable given his opposition to the gun registry. The facts are simple — the gun registry reduces gun deaths and increases police and public safety. When gun owners are required to register their guns, they are also required to store them properly. This prevents easy access to the guns by children, homicidal husbands, thieves or people contemplating suicide.

Since the gun registry has been implemented, gun deaths have decreased. A vote to scrap the gun registry is a vote to increase domestic violence deaths, suicides and police murders.
http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/20100922/SAG0904/309229982/-1/sag/rathgeber-wrong-on-gun-registry

Hope this helps.

[Spazito]

13. It does, CHIMO, and thanks for this...

I gave up on the papers after seeing nothing but crap supporting the harper cabal although St. Albert is not typical of most of Alberta, imo, it is less radical, it even had a Liberal MLA in the Provincial Legislature not that long ago so I shouldn't give up hope here, you are right.