Posts Tagged by opposition parties
Forget Coalition, Someone Needs to Show Some Leadership
| 6/6/2010 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
I’m becoming more than a bit weary of the Liberals spending so much time on infighting and jostling than they are on being the Official Opposition. Lately I see a lot more in the news reports about the mechanics of the party and speculation about the makeup than I do anything else. I suspect I’m not the only Canadian feeling this way.
It is becoming rather apparent that Bob Rae is playing games towards trying to push Ignatieff out as leader. Should that happen and Rae takes the helm, this Liberal will abandon ship. There’s also been talk about forming some sort of either pre or post-election coalition with the NDP. Forget that people, you really think I’d be a Liberal if I wanted anything to do with Layton?
So, what exactly do I want to see?
I want to see the Liberal party take a stand and stick to it. They don’t really need to hunt too far to differentiate themselves from the Conservatives. As for the NDP and the Greens, adopt what is good in their platform and show the rest for the tripe it is. (more…)
How Stupid Does Harper Think Canadians Are?
| 9/24/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Reading through the news today just leaves my head shaking. Let’s see, instead of being at the UN engaged in that gathering of world leaders, Harper shows up at Tim Horton’s head office in Oakville to tout his tax policies as being what brought Tim Horton’s back to Canada. Then he actually suggests:
Right, I can see it now; Inco, Stelco, Hudson Bay Co, Nortel, medical isotapes — they are just lining up to fly back into Canadian hands. Those lost jobs and opportunities will fly back into existence just because Harper and his cronies have played with taxes while squandering a $13billion surplus.
Then there is the Conservative (in)Action Plan.
Remember last spring when the budget contained this huge stimulis program which was supposed to cut red-tape, get right into the hands of shovel ready projects and get Canadians working again? Remember how Harper demanded the Opposition parties allow through a motion to give him unfettered access to distributing $4billion without Parliamentary oversight until well after the fact? (more…)
Harper for Minister of Magic
| 3/14/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
This past week or so I’ve been laid low with a bad cold which appears to have gone to bronchitis. During the enforced rest time I’ve finally gotten around to reading all of the Harry Potter series of books. The Minister of Magic presides over the Ministry of Magic in this series. The Ministry’s job is to keep order in the wizardry world and to ensure that the Muggles (those who are not magical) don’t become aware of them.
The Ministry of Magic and in particular the Minister of Magic showed themselves to be seriously out of step with reality throughout this series. Most notably, their refusal to believe that the Dark Lord Voldemart had returned and was building his following. The Minister found it much more expedient to slam Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore as being liars, attention mongers and adled brained than to even begin to see the danger around them. By the time the proof was irrefutable, the Dark Lord had steamrolled right over the Ministry and started to take over the wizard world.
Last fall, during the election campaign that he foisted on the country, Harper first claimed that Canada wasn’t going to have a recession because if it was going to happen, it already would have. Then faced with a rapidly melting stock market, he suggested that the situation was creating great buying opportunities. He slammed the opposition parties as being doom and gloom mongers who would create an economic downturn with their fear mongering. (more…)
So Where is Your Accountability Harper?
| 3/4/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Remember back in 2006 when Stephen Harper ran on a platform of transparency and accountability in government? When the Liberals tried to paint him as having a hidden agenda to which he countered the Liberal dominated courts and the Senate would keep him in check? What a pipe dream that was for those who voted for him.
To date, he has run one of the most secretive governments in history and things don’t look to be getting better any time soon. In light of the stunning lack of transparency and accountability that Harper has brought to the House, is it any wonder the Opposition parties are not about to support a spending estimates bill that contains provisions for a $3billion dollar fund which can be spent without accountability until after the fact?
Harper in an not unexpected return to the arrogance of trying to govern as though he has a majority has said the bill will be a confidence motion and failure of the Opposition to support it will provoke an election. Either Harper has decided he doesn’t want to govern any longer and is looking to get his butt kicked out or he’s hoping the coalition will raise its head again and he can divert attention away from his attempt to create a Conservative slush fund. (more…)
Prime Minister is Not Directly Elected
| 1/23/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Next week Parliament will once more resume, the second time since the October 14th election. The first sitting lasted a matter of days before Harper’s lapdog Flaherty aka the Finance Minister made an economic statement that accomplished nothing else except getting the three opposition parties talking to each other in a serious way.
Oh, it also brought about a very swift transition of power for the Liberals as Dion left and Ignatieff was installed as leader. He will have to be confirmed as leader at their convention in May but at the rate things are moving, that will be a rubber stamp. Flaherty’s statement provoked the three opposition parties to put together an agreement to form a coalition government to propose to the Governor-General after they had brought down the government on a vote of non-confidence.
Harper responded by showing the steely fortitude that he possesses and running to the GG to ask for parliament to be prorogued, which means to suspend this session of parliament. His reason of course was to sort out how to save his sorry butt to do battle another day. It is rather ironic that the threat of a confidence vote sent him scurrying when he’s been having a ball for two years declaring bills to be matters of confidence and then taunting the opposition to vote against them. (more…)
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