Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Twelve words from Dean Del Mastro

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, December 1, 2008 7:19pm - 40 Comments

In case you were worried this wasn’t ugly enough as is, here’s Dean.

“This is a time for all Canadians to rally around the flag.”

Tags: Dean del Mastro

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Coyne Crisis

FB: you asked me to identify the lie. You lie when you state that the Liberal-NDP coalition “is a move that is without precedent”

In 1985:

The Ontario Liberals in 1985 did not have a plurality of the seats in the Ontario Legislature. They had fewer seats than the Ontario PC Party. There was a written agreement between the Liberals and the NDP that the NDP would support the Liberals for a period of time.

Fast forward to 2008:

The Liberal-NDP coalition in 2008 will not have a plurality of seats in the House of Commons. They will have fewer seats than the Conservative Party. There is a written agreement between the Liberal-NDP coalition and the BQ that the BQ will support the coalition for a period of time.

QED.
Coyne Crisis

Mike: How could you support Harper when he was in talks with separatists to overthrown Paul Martin’s 2004 government?
Sisyphus

The breaking news is that Deano knows twelve words….. all different ones too.
http://caiti-online.blogspot.com/ Transcanada

This is the time for Del Mastro to go back to selling used cars.
Mike

CC, I didn’t and don’t. Nice generalization though.
Bridget from Durham

I have not seen anyone put the reverse spin on this story – that Dion has been underestimated yet again. Here he was – dead leader of the opposition walking and he might become Prime Minister against all odds? M. Dion who was vilified and ostracized by the Quebec intellectual elite for standing up for Canada has now gained a written agreement that Gilles Duceppe will support him (or at least his party ) until June 2010. This is quite a coup and I think that it is time that Dion gets some props!
Coyne Crisis

Mike: I respect your consistency.
Patrick

It is disconcerting to see how fundamentally this Member of Parliament misunderstands our system of government, or perhaps worse, is willing to misrepresent it to Canadians. In our system, we are able to vociferously oppose the current prime minister and his government, and even contemplate replacing them, without a hint of disloyalty or treasonous intent precisely because the prime minister is not our head of state.
Peter Jay

Um, Coyne Crisis — Mike’s not “lying”. Get a grip.

The coalition government here is the Liberals and NDP. They serve with the support of the BLOC who are not a part of this government. Therefore, this coalition does not have a plurality of seats.

I grew up in Ontario and now live in BC. This has changed my view of Canada, probably forever. Never thought I would see the day that when billions of taxpayers money are set to be unloaded into the Canadian economy, that federalist parties would agree to depend on Quebec separatists. It’s a big middle finger directed west. We read you folks loud and clear.
TJ Cook

Peter Jay: who the hell are you referring to as “you folks”?

We’re all Canadians here. We all voted according to our personal preferences for our *local* representative. Please spare us the old Wurlitzer of Western alienation trying to turn this into some sort of east-west slap in the face.

The minority Prime Minister, who won substantial support right here in big, bad Ontario, bungled his job and lost the confidence of parliament. We’ll all watch the various parties jostling for power, but please spare us the regional victim complex.
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

“The new Government is supported by parties that share a commitment to fiscal responsibility, a progressive agenda and a belief in the role of Government to act as a partner with Canadians and Quebecers.” Preamble, Coalition Government Plan.

TJ Cook

According to the Coalition that I am sure you support, we are not ‘all Canadians here’. Some of us are Canadians and some of us are Quebecers.

Aaron W

I am curious to read your thoughts on whether the above sentence, taken from the Coalition statement released yesterday, is more/less ‘ugly’ than Del Mastro’s statement.
Andrew (not Potter or Coyne)

That this happened at all (that it was possible for three parties that otherwise hate each other could govern together) is an indication of just how poisonous the CPC influence in the HoC is. These three that hate each other would rather work together than suffer through any more of Harper’s shenanigans. This is an indication that Harper’s error was before the EFU. By repeatedly twisting the knife in the opposition’s belly, he laid the groundwork for his government’s defeat.
TJ Cook

jwl: According to the outgoing PM (who I’m sure you support), Quebecers are a nation within Canada.

Walking around calling them ‘not Canadians’ because you don’t like what’s happening in Parliament… well, it just makes you sound like Mr. Pissypants.
TobyornotToby

@ Peter Jay : “The west” is a term that has been appropriated by some Canadians who, having been favoured with economic success think that should lead automatically to poltical power, but over the objections of their neighbours who disagree.

As for fiscal appeasement in Quebec, wasn’t there some big whacking transfer payment to Quebec at the beginning of the last parliament? Some payoff to win votes in Quebec? Or that was just responsible federalism?

Personally I’d rather have Quebec Separatists (BQ at least seems to have some respect for parliament) running the place than the whackos who see Alberta’s one-party forever model as the one we should follow for governing Canada.

The rest of the west wants in.
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

“According to the outgoing PM (who I’m sure you support)”

TJ Cook

Incorrect, I am conservative but I voted Libertarian just a few weeks ago because Harper/Cons are not conservative and one of the many reasons I didn’t vote for them was the Quebecers are a nation within Canada nonsense. Either we are all Canadians or we aren’t.