Politics - Down With Martin, Down!
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» moondancer replied on Tue Nov 8, 2005 @ 5:17am |
 Coolness: 93175 | Colin Perkel
Canadian Press Monday, November 07, 2005 CREDIT: Canadian Press/Tom Hanson NDP leader Jack Layton TORONTO -- The once-distant prospect of a Christmas election campaign was suddenly thrust into the realm of the possible Monday as New Democrat Leader Jack Layton said his party would no longer support Prime Minister Paul Martin's precarious Liberal minority. Layton, frustrated with Martin's refusal to meet his demands for health-care reforms, pulled the plug on the uneasy alliance his party forged with the Liberals last spring, depriving Martin of the ability to stave off an election call until well into the new year. "We will not be supporting the government in a confidence motion when it comes forward," Layton said after a speech to a business audience at a downtown Toronto hotel. A non-confidence motion could come forward as early as Nov. 15, the next opposition day on Parliament Hill, although none of the opposition parties appeared anxious Monday to be the one to bring a motion forward. There are, however, a number of other opportunities, including a vote on a spending bill scheduled for Dec. 8, making the notion of a campaign spanning the holiday season -- the first in Canada in 25 years -- a distinct possibility. "We certainly don't want to see Canadians inconvenienced in their holiday period by having to have an election," said Layton, who described the lifespan of the current minority Parliament as "likely limited." "I don't think anybody would want to see that happen and there's no reason why it would need to happen." For his part, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, who once called Layton's agreement with the Liberals a "deal with the devil," attempted to goad the NDP leader into pulling the plug on the government. "We're prepared to bring down the government, but he'll have to contact us and indicate how he intends to do that," Harper said in Montreal, likening Layton's keenly anticipated speech Monday as another episode in a long-running soap opera. "You watch it every day, and nothing changes." In Sherbrooke, Que., Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe said last week's first of two Gomery commission reports into the sponsorship scandal should have been enough to bring the government down. That report lambasted the Liberals under former prime minister Jean Chretien for flagrantly abusing taxpayers' money. "We now consider, as was the case in the spring, that they do not have the necessary moral authority to govern," Duceppe said. "But it's up to the NDP and the Conservatives now to take action." Martin has already promised to call a vote within 30 days of Gomery's second report, expected in February. In Montreal, Transport Minister Jean Lapierre said voters were willing to wait to cast their ballots. "Canadians are ready to accept our timetable, which is sometime at the beginning of April," said Lapierre, the Liberals' Quebec lieutenant. "There is a high percentage of approval for that and this is our preferred option." That position has the support of Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian Auto Workers union as well as the Union of Ontario Indians, which also urged all sides to hold their fire before forcing a vote. "It is not in the best interests of First Nations across Canada," said Anishinabek Grand Council Chief John Beaucage. Beaucage said the government should survive at least until after a first ministers conference later this month on aboriginal affairs in Kelowna, B.C. Christmas campaigns are rare, but they're not unheard of in Canada: Joe Clark's minority Conservative government was toppled just weeks before Christmas 1979. The vote was delayed until February 1980. Layton blamed the unravelling of his agreement with Martin on the sponsorship scandal fallout as well as Martin's refusal to accept a package of proposals designed to protect medicare from the threat of privatization. "We are no longer able to express confidence in this government in the context of the Gomery findings and in the context of their rejection of any serious action to protect our public health-care system," Layton said. While Harper said Layton would likely keep trying to negotiate with the Liberals, the NDP leader all but ruled that out. Martin would have to do a "about-face" on medicare for that to happen, said Layton, who then took his own shot at his Conservative counterpart. "Mr. Harper's ideas about where the country should go are very different than ours," Layton said. "He's simply wrong on most of the issues." © Canadian Press 2005 |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Tue Nov 8, 2005 @ 9:11am |
 Coolness: 340575 | I'm voting NDP..! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» No_Comply replied on Tue Nov 8, 2005 @ 9:27am |
 Coolness: 85845 | ya, if i bother votin, jack gets it (he has that used-car salesman charm) |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» mdc replied on Tue Nov 8, 2005 @ 10:22am |
 Coolness: 149725 | balls...
jack layton is pussy whipped by the liberals (i didnt read the article btw, so anything i say from this point forward may already have been covered or is off topic) there will not be a confidence vote in the house unless the NDP requests it, and they wont thereby they are gay the conservatives and BQ certainly wouldn't disagree with a confidence vote of the house, but the NDP would have to initiate it to have the house dissolved... and they just flat out wont do it. its a cheap, supposed "pressure tactic" by the NDP... and it'll probably work in a small respect.. the liberals will change one or two points on the next resolution they bring up just so that Jack Layton and the big boys at NDP HQ will remain on their kneew deep throating the liberals' cocks. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Tue Nov 8, 2005 @ 12:58pm |
| Coolness: 340575 | Why *would* he call a new vote?
the NDP wont get a majority, and right now they have a bit of power.. that's why they're taking it from the liberals... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» No_Comply replied on Tue Nov 8, 2005 @ 11:03pm |
| Coolness: 85845 | uhh, didnt layton just say he's not backing the liberals... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» mdc replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 1:35am |
| Coolness: 149725 | yes.. but its a gay pressure tactic |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» moondancer replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 1:48am |
| Coolness: 93175 | I don't know who to vote for. All I know is I hate the liberals. The point of this thread was to help convince everyone that liberals suck. I admit it. Anybody know where to find.. some kind of like.. guide? |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» moondancer replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 2:31am |
| Coolness: 93175 | Looks like chances of getting rid of those dumb-bells isn't as good as I thought. Here's the support percentage according to msn news:
Here are the new numbers, with the percentage-point change from the Nov. 4 poll in brackets: Liberals: 35 per cent (+7) Conservatives: 28 per cent (-3) NDP: 16 per cent (-4) Bloc Quebecois 13 per cent (no change) Green Party: 8 per cent (+1) |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 2:35am |
 Coolness: 151370 | I totaly agree with mdc,
I too did not read the article. This is totally a pressure tactic to get something out of the Liberals. But i'm still gonna waste my vote on the NDP. Word! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» moondancer replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 5:54am |
| Coolness: 93175 | I'm scared of the NDP too.. I'm scared of all of them. Why are you voting NDP? |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» No_Comply replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 9:13am |
| Coolness: 85845 | Id vote NDP because they seem to be the only party that knows our environment need attention (ya ya i know everything changes once a party is in power). I know all politicians are fraud but since a socialist party will never get into power (we cant have workers rights as a priority now can we), im votin as green as posible. Again, *if* i vote. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 10:37am |
| Coolness: 340575 | if you don't vote, you have no right to complain after when someone you didn't want gets elected.
not voting isn't a protest. it's stupid. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» nothingnopenope replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 3:21pm |
 Coolness: 202135 | rhino party! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mr_Frog replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 4:05pm |
 Coolness: 98010 | If I wouldn't vote for the BQ, I would consider a lot NPD. No way I'll ever vote for conservatives or liberal, and giving more power to a party like the NPD would be great, they have great ideas, even if that may sound utopic some time... giving them more power would great. But I'll vote BQ, as I did before, and I'm quite happy with the results we have! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 4:51pm |
| Coolness: 340575 | Yeah, cause voting for a party that has a 0% chance of becoming the majority government like the Bloc is totally usefull.
The only party that would team up with the Bloc is the Conservative party. If you vote for the Bloc, you're voting for the Conservatives, Period. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» mdc replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 6:30pm |
| Coolness: 149725 | the Bloc isnt even a real party!!!!
they shouldn't be allowed to participate in the debates... the definition of a party thats allowed to participate in the debate is a political group that has a candidate in EVERY riding. the Bloc has a condidate in every riding in quebec and THATS it!! they should be burnt to the ground. i hate them and i hope they did a slow horrible death involving a rusty butter knife |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mr_Frog replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 6:45pm |
| Coolness: 98010 | what do you do of independant and other small parties? They can't exist because they do not share the idea of all Canadians? What you are saying is a fucking anti-democratic bullshit!
Parties are ideas, you don't always have to vote for a prime minister. And the BQ is more popular as ever! And shut up with your "voting bloc is voting for the conservative" bloc is a left wing party, conservative is a right wing party. THey agree on some thing when it comes to say that the party that has the power is shit and do shit, that's all. BQ is very good opposition, espcially in a minority government. They even suggested ideas that were voted as law! wow! What a useless party! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 6:54pm |
| Coolness: 340575 | The bloc will never gain support from anyone but the Conservative party. Which means they're in bed with them. If the Bloc was actually serious about being a party, they would expand to every other province and push their "ideas", but in reality they just want to control quebec and waa waa, that's it. Voting for them is basically throwing your vote away, or voting for the conservatives. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mr_Frog replied on Wed Nov 9, 2005 @ 7:05pm |
| Coolness: 98010 | they don't want and need to expend. They have a job to do in Ottawa, they are doing it well. Once sovereingty will be done, the Bloc will cease to exist.
And no, what you are saying is a vote to anything else than liberals is a vote their big opposition party, which is bullshit. Sure, when you want to make sure that this party don't take the power, you'll vote for the other party that is sure to have it, but with this strategie, new ideas don't emerge often. And, also, if the next government is conservative, with no representation in Quebec, be sure that the next referendum will win with absolutely no problem. So, if it's for few years, I don't mind having such government! |
Politics - Down With Martin, Down!
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