Canada's PM denies right-wing agenda

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Canada's PM denies right-wing agenda
Updated 2h 20m ago

TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday that he won't shift to the hard right after his Conservatives won a long-sought majority in Canada's Parliament.

Monday's elections mark a change in the country's political landscape with opposition Liberals and Quebec separatists suffering a punishing defeat. Harper said the Conservatives won their mandate because of the way they have governed so far, and he sought to allay fears he would implement a hidden right-wing agenda.

Harper, who took office in 2006, has won two elections but until Monday's vote had never held a majority of Parliament's 308 seats, forcing him to rely on the opposition to pass legislation.

Harper has deliberately avoided sweeping policy changes, but he now has an opportunity to pass any legislation he wants with his new majority.




Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-05-03-canada-election_n.htm

[TrogL]

1. that's a dog whistle if I ever heard one

[freshwest]

2. So, no more acting like Bush?

[iandhr]

3. in some ways the Canada's cons

are more liberal then US Dems. They support Universal Heath Care. If he did go super hard right he would not win re-election.

[whosinpower]

7. He'd be finished if he did that

I expect that they will move further to the center now. I also expect Layton and the NDP to align themselves closer to the center. Both parties will be trying to fill the void that the liberals left.

Actually - I am hopeful we will see them more conciliatory. Fact is that Quebec moving back into the realm of federal politics as a voice of inclusion rather than seperation is huge. I hope that Harper will not trample on this rare opportunity - and in order for him to do that - he must work WITH Jack.

I will also say that there will be those here in the west who may find themselves dissillusioned by this majority. Harper must now govern ALL of Canada....he cannot afford to give preference to just the west.

[TrogL]

9. Our Western MP's have been totally useless

They never show up for local events and never say "boo" in the House.

[whosinpower]

10. I don't think they were allowed to.

Everything is extremely tightly scripted and controlled through the PMO's office.

As you are well aware - it was Preston Mannings rising call that the West wanted in. Well - they are in - but they are just one voice of many.

[iverglas]

8. while the constant and inaccurate Harper=Bush is tiresome

Harper actually doesn't support universal health care. Therein lies the problem.

And although he himself really couldn't give a crap, scum in his caucus would outlaw abortion and eliminate most firearms legislation, for instance, in a heartbeat.

There's also the whole criminal justice field, where the right-wing agenda that has failed the US so spectacularly (especially minimum sentences) is still a pet project of the right here.

Incremental undermining is a possibility in many areas. And that's where the real danger lies. Universal health care won't be abolished, but access and quality can be eroded significantly. What Thatcher did to the NHS in Britain is the cautionary tale there.

[FarLeftFist]

4. Meanwhile the Left Wing

in Canada, The Liberals and NDP captured 60% of the country's vote yet the conservatives won with only 40%. So the majority party is really the minority party. Weird.

[freshwest]

5. So the conservative 'majority' would fail against a coalition of the other two?

Not in terms of having a PM, but in actual governance?

Maybe that's why he made that statement. Because he can't?

[Arrowhead2k1]

6. No, that's the popular vote where he only won 40%.

In Ottawa, the popular vote means diddly squat. His party has the majority of the seats for the next 4 years.

Our only hope is that some members of his causus don't share the hard right views of some other members, and discourage Harper from ever being able to unleash a truly hardlined agenda.