Posts Tagged by Dion
Budget Time Approaching
| 1/24/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
All eyes will be on Ottawa for the next few days leading up to Tuesday’s budget reading. It’s been a bit of an odd path to this budget. First we had an election that Harper called because he claimed that Parliament had become dysfunctional, which was true but largely because he and his people chose to make it so.
During that election, Harper either was blind to the fact that an economic tsunami was bearing down on the world or was deluded enough to actually believe that it would miraculously wash itself around Canada while engulfing our largest trading partner, the USA. He belittled the opposition when they spoke of the need to take immediate measures to offset the coming storm. He did note however that the stock market meltdown that was underway did provide some excellent buying opportunities. He didn’t seem to notice that those losing their shirt to create those opportunities, included Canadians.
More out of an inability of Dion to present himself as a viable alternative to Harper than anything else, Canadians, that is the 49% who decided to turn out to vote, once again gave more Conservative candidates their vote. Basically we gave what appeared to be the lessor of several evils the benefit of the doubt. (more…)
Harper’s Election to Lose
| 10/10/2008 | Posted by Patti under General |
You know, two weeks ago, I would have been willing to bet that Harper was going to manage to hoodwink the Canadian people enough to win the majority he has lusted after and that Dion would do well to elect a handful of MPs. How quickly things can change.
Here we are two weeks later, two debates and world markets in a tailspin, it looks like Harper will not get his majority and if the current trend continues, he may even end up where he belongs — in the Official Opposition. The last part is a bit of a longshot but then so was Harper being held to a minority two weeks ago.
Yesterday Harper had balls enough to muse about how “Prime Minister Dion” sounds in an effort to scare people away from that prospect. He needs to be careful, that might start to roll of people’s tongues a lot easier than he wants. At best Dion could only pull off a minority government but would put Harper at minimum into the Official Opposition benches, if we got real lucky maybe not even there. (more…)
One Week Left in Election Campaign
| 10/6/2008 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics, Harper |
Today is the last day of the advanced polls in our election and then next Tuesday is vote day. I’ve not been posting much on the election but have been watching very closely. I tuned into and listened closely to the English language debate last Thursday. I was glad that I did, as it is likely one of the very few times that Harper has been forced out of his ‘bubble’ in this election and it was long overdue.
Until now, Harper has managed to appear only at well staged events with only pre-registered attendees. When the press started to blow the whistle on the fact that Harper was keeping a bubble around him, and avoiding any unexpected outbursts by the electorate who have the right to answers from him, his campaign claimed that it was necessary due to security issues. Yeah right.
Anyways, back to the debates. Harper provided no surprises, he was the smug, arrogant individual he always has been. Talking around every issue put before him and beating hell out of the truth about the other leaders. He was nailed not badly a few times by the other leaders but it rolls off of people like Harper who really doesn’t care when it comes to others.
He’s not wanting to be Prime Minister to see a better Canada, he’s wanting to be PM to alter the country to his liking. For a guy who chose to call an election on a trumped up excuse, one really has to wonder why his party remains the only one which hasn’t produced a platform for the public to examine. What’s he hiding other than the fact that he really doesn’t have a plan beyond wanting to get a majority government. (more…)
Harper Needs to Go
| 9/23/2008 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Well, we’re two weeks into an election campaign here in Canada and so far I’ve not commented. I have some concerns about Dion as a potential Prime Minister, but I have ZERO doubts about the fact that Harper needs to go. As much as I don’t like Layton and his politics, I could live with him as the Official Opposition and Harper reduced to ‘also ran’ but that isn’t going to happen. At this point, it appears that we’ll do good if Harper manages to be kept to a minority government.
Ironically enough, some of my doubts about Dion have been quelled by Harper. See, first and foremost, Harper is a bully. Bullies often instinctively see value in their opponent that they want to flatten, quickly. Harper has been assailing Dion and his character from the moment that he was elected Liberal leader. That indicates to me, along with Dion’s unlikely win, that there is more to Dion than meets the eye. (more…)
Liberals Need to “Show Discipline”?
| 3/29/2008 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Liberal leader Stephane Dion Thursday declared that Liberals, particularly the Quebec Liberals, need to show discipline. “I’m the leader and I want discipline” is what he is quoted as saying. UMMM Stephane, you are the leader and you NEED to impose discipline, it’s one of the areas you really are lacking.
It will take you setting firm boundaries on what is acceptable and sanctioning those who defy you to start garnering some respect within your party, hell within the rest of the world. You know, that is pretty basic stuff.
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Dion May Need to Take a Walk in the Snow
| 3/27/2008 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Stephane Dion, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, may need to follow in the steps of one of his former leaders and take a long thoughtful walk in the snow to ponder his future in politics.
Harper and his Conservative attack dogs maintain a sustained assault on him to the point that their website looks more like a site for the Liberals when it first loads than one about Harper. It has made me wonder what Harper finds so threatening about Dion that he needs to sustain the attack on him? Apparently this hasn’t occurred to members of the Liberal party, particularly those in Quebec, who are also working up an assault on his leadership.
I have to admit, Dion leaves me scratching my head over his ‘leadership’ more than nodding it in agreement. While I haven’t liked his repeatedly leading the party into avoiding taking any solid stands on issues in order to avoid an election, I have actually understood why he’s doing it. (more…)
Dion Needs to Find a Posture
| 3/12/2008 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
You know, I’ve often been of the opinion that if you don’t really have the courage of your convictions, or for that matter, any convictions — you keep a low profile and keep your mouth shut. That likely came about from my late father often commenting about keeping ones mouth shut rather than opening it and proving yourself the fool.
These days, Dion and some other Liberals are doing a real good job of proving the wisdom of that advice. This behaviour of mouthing to the media and anyone who will listen that the Harper Conservatives are the ‘worse’ government ever for whatever soapbox of the day topic and then either walking out or failing to even show up to defeat them is utter spineless crap.
Ok, the Liberals aren’t ready to fight an election. Fine, believe it or not, Canadians are adult enough to realize that. If the Liberals aren’t able to vote in favour of the government policies and aren’t bothered enough by the government’s actions to bring them down then bloody stand up and say so. (more…)
Hillier Calls for Clarity ASAP
| 2/23/2008 | Posted by Patti under Afghanistan, Canadian Politics |
Apparently I wasn’t really making a broad leap earlier this week when I speculated that the three suicide bombings in Kandahar province, one clearly targeting Canadians, may be as much about the Taliban terrorizing and killing as it was about them trying to influence politics back here in Canada:
Making a similar connection yesterday Canada’s top soldier, Rick Hillier, appealed to the government to bring the debate on the future of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan to a conclusion as soon as possible. He also suggested that once concluded that an all party motion declaring support of the troops could go a long way toward good troop morale. (more…)
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