The backflips some people are doing trying to make the Bloc sound like a benign force in this country are just amazing. Typical clueless liberals in Canada, they’d rather support separatists than a federalist government. Just because it’s conservative and “scary”. Nothing scarier and more dangerous to me than Jack Layton having any kind of power. The Three Stooges, the Axis of Evil, that’s the name to give to this bunch.

The worst part is the condescending attitude of these liberals. Don’t lecture us about the constitution or parliamentary democracy. We know what an abomination this “coalition” is, maybe you don’t,

Could this new government / idea work? It will certainly accomplish one thing resoundingly by its very coming into being.

Will it mean the end of the country if it fails? No. It will mean an election.

Bring it on.

This is why, Frank, I’m going to have to ask you never to enter into politics. Why you gotta be a hater?

This whole matter seems like one great big parliamentary “intervention” (Stephen, this is an intervention. You have taken your partisan governance too far…). Only without the “Intervention” banner in Ted’s living room.

I dunno if someone else already came up with that one. I haven’t read all the comments.

The Bloc may be a party that has Quebec nationalism as one of its policies, but their voting record tends to be good for all Canadians (unless you are a “me-first” Conservative who resents any program that helps anyone else). The big concern is: what is being given to the Bloc that gains their support of the Coalition? Most likely, the main motivation is relief from Harper – they, like the Liberals and NDP, are fed up with Conservative nastiness. And aren’t the Conservatives doing a great job of winning over the opposition parties to encourage cooperation?

Harper kicked sand in the faces of the 98 lb. weaklings and got a full-force smackdown for his efforts.

He opened his eyes to what was going on and sent his most mealy-mouthed minions ( Baird and Poilievre ) out to withdraw the foolishness one item at a time – couldn’t do it himself. Humiliation.

His withdrawal was rejected and the weaklings are demanding he leave the beach.

I suspect if we could take the top off his head right now and look inside it would be like staring down into a snakepit.

A week is a long time. Be afraid, Be very afraid.

He stopped answering questions right after that, well that and James Moore stepping away from his predetermined ‘goodfella’ standing spot to shove Jimbo away from the mic.

” it’s exactly $1.95 of my tax dollars. if i don’t vote they get $0. so therefore it’s unconstitutional plain and simple.”
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I’m pretty sure that’s ‘exactly’ how that clause would appear in the constitution if, indeed, it did exsist.

Its not like the 1.95 for another party comes from your tax dollars. We all pay way more than a 1.95 in taxes, thus the money which goes to each individual political party inevitably comes from the people who voted for that party. If the subsidies were not based on a per-vote system then an argument against them would start to approach valid. Of course it still wouldn’t be valid. Every civilized system uses public financing as a way of making sure that all relevant parties have a chance in an election, otherwise democracy can simply be bought. The only option if the subsidy was scrapped would be to scrap the low limits on campaign financing and allow Canadians to actually give the amount they want to political parties.

Perhaps this Triumverate refers to the Threefold Spring (ver) which, even in this dismal season, is about to burst in blossom from the forlorn branches of our political culture.

A lot needs to happen quickly but if the coalition partners keep their word, it can happen. I see this as the dawn of a new era in Canadian politics – and just in the nick of time too.

I think Paul Martin, John Manley, Frank McKenna and Roy-thrown-in-for-good-measure will all be appointed to the Senate soon! The are now the council of the unelected, and should be placed where they belong: in the Senate, sleeping and dreaming of what would have, could have and should have been. ZZZZZzzzzzzzz

He sues Elections Canada to stifle them when they pointed out the illegal misuse of campaign funds by his party.

He sues the leader of the opposition to stifle them whenever they pointed out an illegal deal as evidenced on a tape that the P.M allegedly offered to an independent member of Parliament to garner his vote on a confidence motion to take down the then government.

He appointed a Minister of Foreign Affairs who left confidential/classified papers hanging around his girl friends apartment. He got away with that.

He had the nuclear watchdog fired because she had the temerity to point out safety concerns in nuclear reactors.

He issued derogatory attack ads on the leader of the opposition months prior to any election call. Basically destroying this leaders credibility before he even got started.

At every opportunity he issued a confidence vote on matters they wanted to pass through parliament thus taking advantage of a very vulnerable opposition. How democratic is that when you handicap an opposition to have your way in a minority government.

He broke his own election laws by announcing an election before the legal time frame.

He produced a fiscal update that contained nothing by way of an economic stimulus that everybody and his dog was waiting for. What he did manage to produce in the fiscal update were more poke in the eyes to the opposition. Basically trying to bankrupt them by removing the vote subsidies. What was the intent? Go into an election without any opposition to obtain a majority he couldn’t get otherwise?

He plagiarized a speech from the leader of another country.

He stated he would work with the opposition. Instead he tried to knee cap them.

He finally is the master of his government’s and his own demise. Why would anyone want this guy back?

“Best Before May 2/09″

Jonathon: The NDP have a seat in Alberta. They also have Skeena-Bulkley Valley, which I believe goes pretty far north.

Not every region and sub-region is going to be represented in cabinet, of course…not with a 24 member cabinet…but the coalition is very arguably more representative than the Conservative Party.

As for the social conservatives…I wouldn’t be so sure. Prentice would very much represent a step backwards for them, and they seem to be getting pretty restless. Also, if Prentice can’t keep them muzzled as Harper has done, it will hurt the party.

Coyne Crisis: I’ve been wondering about the “Western Separatist” thing too. I grew up in Saskatchewan and I live in Manitoba now, and most of the people I know see no difference at all between being run by Ottawa or run by Calgary, but would stick with the devil they know if forced to choose.

Get this through your head. You do not vote for parties. You do not vote for Prime Ministers. You do not vote for governments. You vote for one individual. Period.

Canadian law doesn’t talk about government being formed by the largest party. It’s whoever can command the loyalty of the house; that doesn’t even have to be an MP. I can already hear the protests of BUT NO ONE VOTED FOR THE COALITION LOL, but that makes no sense. No significant percentage of the ~44% of Canadians who voted Liberal or NDP are horrified at the idea the party they voted for might (gasp!) turn out to have influence. The complaints are coming from Conservatives (37%). To claim that this does not reflect the “will of the people”, or whatever this week’s faux-populist catchphrase is, is pure nonsense, plain and simple.

Why do I not believe that?