The polls

The Ipsos poll that got all of the attention disagrees with Decima, Ekos, Angus Reid, Leger and Nanos. Which is to be expected, its always pro-Conservative.

Instead of the 19% lead the Cons have in the Ipsos poll the Decima poll shows only a 6% lead.

In BC both Nanos and Leger show the NDP way above the Liberals and closing on the Conservatives, which would translate into a lot of new Dipper seats.

In Quebec too the NDP has been polling ahead of the Liberals and in one poll they were the #2 party after the Bloc.

If those numbers are true then it would surely mean the end of Conservative dreams of a majority government.

Its going to be a long campaign and anything can happen but I like the way its starting. Harper and the Conservatives seem to have nothing to offer anyone except the usual scare stories. That "chicken little" bit will get old pretty fast.

Harper monster?

Believe it or not, millions of Canadians really do believe that when it comes to government, less is more. We have a hugely bloated government and an extremely large civil service - out of all historic proportions. It is time to give Harper a majority for at least a term or two to allow for a correction. Of course, government is a force for the good when it sticks to its core functions. Today, however, we have government that intrudes into our lives on a massive scale and takes more and more of our income to fund its messianic projects. Get rid of the messianic state. It can't save us anyway. I often wonder which government in the world is approved by people like Murray Dobin?

That's right, Harper and the conservatives are monsters.

They believe that less services for our tax payer dollar mean more leftover $ for them to spend on their pet projects.

Like the new fighter jets. CBC had a military expert, former US military officer, disagreeing with Harper's conservative estimates of the cost at $50 million each. Actual cost of unproven jet fighters now at over $150 million. Over $4 billion oversight.

Harper clearly couldn't run a popcorn stand unless it cost a $million!

Just an item or two...

to quibble about.

"The Conservatives' superior fundraising machine (and its extremely dedicated Christian funding base) will mean that the Conservatives will be able to outspend the other parties for the foreseeable future"

It may have a dedicated Christian funding base, but it's not comprised of all Christians. Significant numbers of mainline church attenders are actively working for HArper's defeat, as are a large minority of evangelicals with a social justice mission.

Cutting funding without notice to Kairos projects and lying about it has done Harper a lot of damage at the altar among a sizeable number of people who simply didn't trust him or his brand of Churchianity anyway.

And that's something that the Fourth estate is comfortable writing on now and again - from any perspective. Ezra Levant's audience of dozens notwithstanding, I've been touched to read a few perceptive articles detailing how at odds the principles espoused by Jesus are with Harper's governing of the country. A right royal Herodias Antipas the bugger is.

Ah well, pretty soon it'll be Good Friday....

Tory majority comes, Canada goes kaput

Harper plans to court women's vote for majority (Mar 2011):
http://bit.ly/ezBp5q
Harper quashes women's rights (Feb 2010):
http://bit.ly/i9kY79

"The Tories' War on Canada's Arts" (article)
"The Tories' War on Canada's Poor" (article)
"Harper's Government: Privatize Medicare" (article, + others)
My federal politics blog: http://bit.ly/fscBlz
(Click "About" re reading posts, or on my picture.)
@Rolf_Auer

All the other options are equaly unthinkable

"Contemplating the Unthinkable Harper Majority"

Try this out on yourself.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/votecompass/

I don't wish Harper anything

I don't wish Harper anything bad, only a nice collection of directorships and a multimillion income, as long as he's out of politics, never to be seen again.

Ed Deak.

Dobbin is Right

Murray Dobbin is right. If Harper ever gets the majority he so much wants, Then Canada is doomed.

Harper says that he didn't want an election, but his budget says otherwise, and he has been campaigning for months already. The constant, expensive attack ads aimed at Ignatieff, were out there long before the election was called, therefore were not subject to campaign finance rules. But then, It was Harper who has been quoted as saying . . . "I make the rules".

Harper is continuously fearmongering about "a coalition" when he himself leads a coalition of right-wing parties, and has been proven, on paper over his signature, to have advocated for such a coalition when it looked like the former Liberal government might fall. His opinion at the time was that HE could take over governing the Country, without the unnecessary bother of going through an election first.

Please, please, please remember that this government did not fall because of a budget,theoretical or otherwise, but because a majority of the officials that we elected to speak for us in our government had lost confidence in the leaders of that government. The reason that they had lost confidence was that the majority of members of a committee of that government found that the Harper government was found to be "INCONTEMPT OF PARLIMENT".

Dobbin Right On.

A Harper majority will be the end of Canada's democracy. No question. Those who can't follow this haven't been reading the news. Harper is a loyal US spear carrier, opening up Canada's vast resources to the highest bidder.

As Linda McQuaig explains so well in Holding the Bully's Coat (highly recommended reading), Canada will be a willing dupe for corporate expansion.

I'm scared. As are many, many others. May we choose wisely.

Harper is a Republican

Harper is a mirror image of the far right wing Republican movement in the US. He wanted to follow Bush into Iraq which would have bankrupt us financially and ruined our reputation on the world stage. Harper wanted to deregulate the banks like Bush did and that would have produced a meltdown of our housing industry just like in the US. Now Harper wants to vastly increase our ability to wage war by purchasing $30 billion worth of fighter jets. Wars bankrupt a country just as it's done in the US. Also in the US, corporations get huge tax breaks despite the fact they make billions in profits already and Harper is doing that in Canada. All this ensures that Harper will have to cut all social services while privatizing pension plans, medicare, schools, etc to get anywhere near a balanced budget. Canada as we know it will no longer exist if Harper ever gets a majority government.

Excellent Murray!

I guess we can blame Cretien and Martin for cursing us with this emperor wannabe. Even so, I think we have paid enough for their transgressions and it is time for Harper to go.

Money

"The Conservatives' superior fundraising machine (and its extremely dedicated Christian funding base) "

If we are constantly told that the Conservatives are only supported by a 30-something percent minority of the population and that the majority of Canadians do not support them, then why is this a factor? Is it only Conservative supporters that contribute financially to parties they like? I can't believe that.

Even if those that do not support the Conservatives were to donate HALF of what ALL Conservative supporters were to donate the final amount would be the same. If you take into account the undeniable fact that many Conservative supporters are NOT part of the "dedicated Christian funding base', then the amount of money the opposition parties would receive is even more.

The 'Christian' factor is greatly overrated. Seems to me it's just another falsehood. Another myth.

It should be quite obvious

It should be quite obvious that the big money comes from the corporate mafia , but the popular support comes from religions and union towns.

In this area of 4 union towns a warmed up, useless Reform fossil, by the name of Dick Harris has been firmly entrenched forever.

Ed Deak

this time next year

If Harper gets his majority, this time next year we will all be walking in the streets, like Wisconsin and London. Why is it that we are about one year behind the US? Why do we imitate them?
Dammit Canada, you do have your own identity. Now everyone climb out of that pile of wet noodles and make sure Harper doesn't make any gains this election.
Oh, I agree with ED Deak. It does matter what he looks like. He has it written all over him that he cannot be trusted. He hardly looks human, more like a walking corpse. He has not one ounce of sympathy in his DNA and only lives to dictate to others. That is what the ladies can't stand about him. He is just plain icky.

Frank - Opinion Polls

We've got the NDP at 13% here in BC with Ipsos. That said, these sub-sample sizes and the ones that you have quoted are all ~130, which are useless in terms of accuracy.

One needs a sub-sample size of at least 300 in order to begin garnering some accuracy and even then the margin of error is still large.

308.com's aggregate, weight-based polling for BC shows the Liberals up in BC and in 2nd place, the NDP down and in 3rd place over the past while.

The NDP also is projected to lose Burnaby-Douglas to the Cons and Vancouver-Kingsway to the Liberals.

And remember the coalition pact after the 2008 election with Layton shaking Duceppe's hand? The Cons soared here in BC with those TV visuals and the NDP fell off a cliff in subsequent opinion polls. The BQ is politically toxic here in BC.

My point is that when the Cons start airing the following ad in BC, I'd wager that the same polling dynamic will come into play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGT_MLWrk-s&feature=player_embedded

Harper scares me a lot

I am reminded about how Milosovic started his ruining of Yugoslavia. He attacked the separatists first.
First it was only words. And lets remember how hypocritical it is. There are lots of separatists in Alberta too. And in Newfoundland.
Countries do split up, but it takes a certain kind of person to make it happen.
We should learn the lessons of history and dump Harper before he splits Canada asunder.
I think politicians should have life experience but it seems that Harper never had a "real" job before becoming a politician.

OR it could be all conjecture & BS ?

One of our most honest politicians, Mike Harcourt once said that a newly elected government has approximately 10% leeway in policy and law reform, due to existing legislation put in place by previous governments.
If true, then all this ongoing conjecture on what "Harper's Secret Plans", "Harpers Hidden Agenda","what Harper is thinking", "Harper's REAL PLAN for CANADA" ad nausium, is nothing more than some [OFFENSIVE CHARACTERIZATION REMOVED. -MODERATOR.] making "stuff up" to enable others to set their hair on fire.

I am hoping

...that Canadians are intelligent enough to chose what is right - a future for their children. A Harper majority will mean NO FUTURE for our children, only stepping back to the dark ages where kings and its entourage will tax you to death and if you don't like it too bad. I guess one reason he wants to build more prisons.

For God's sake - an intelligent man will build schools and educate the people so we all have a decent and happy life and create a supportive society. A dictator and psychopath will build prisons so he can throw those in that are not compliant.

Those of saying 'oh give Harper a chance' - think hard! But most of all pull your head out of your A.. because you have no clue what you are talking about!!!!

Luke

Actually the Leger poll was of 3,539 people nationally and the BC part of their poll was 403. So their sample size is far bigger than 130.

The Ipsos poll that you seem to like as it was the only one you quoted, had a national sample size of 1,001. Which is less than a third of Leger's sample.

According to Leger, in BC
The Cons are at 41%
The NDP is second with 28%
The Liberals are in third at 21%
The Greens are at 7%.

Nationally they only give the Cons 34%, a far cry from Ipsos.

"One needs a sub-sample size of at least 300 in order to begin garnering some accuracy and even then the margin of error is still large."

Exactly, so why give the Ipsos poll any credibility? The Leger poll meets your own criteria and you have trumpeted Leger in the past on here.

308 is a useful place but combining bad polls with small samples doesn't make it more credible.

Why Harper and the CPC scares me

realisticman: "If we are constantly told that the Conservatives are only supported by a 30-something percent minority of the population and that the majority of Canadians do not support them, then why is this a factor?"

Two reasons: a) low voter turnout, & b) First-Past-the-Post elections.

The CPC and their institutional supporters (Christian, and otherwise conservative) are well aware that they have an opportunity to take control and transform society to fit their belief system. Harper is their general.

If you wonder where they get their guidance, much of it comes from here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominionist

(Harper is a member of the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church)

They have a machine that starts with reliable grass-roots fundraising in the largest Evangelical congregations in Canada, proceeds to well-oiled local CPC organizations, and follows up with big C Conservative support from Corporations, trade groups, national media and entrenched CPC hacks within various government and supporting roles.

As an example, the yard signs for the CPC candidate in my riding went up first thing Saturday morning. I guess we have super fast sign service here.

With every turn of the election cycle, this machine becomes stronger, more pervasive, and exercises tighter control over the messages Canadians receive about who Canada is, and what's possible.

THIS election, like any other, is not the test of government it could be. What's been happening, and what will continue to happen is that the minions of Harper and the Conservative/Reform machine will continue to expand their control, unless there's a concerted effort to stop it.

That's the discussion we need to have.

Christians Funding Harper

Realisticman wrote: "The 'Christian' factor is greatly overrated. Seems to me it's just another falsehood. Another myth."
If you believe this Christian factor is just a myth, then I suggest you read "The Armageddon Factor" by Marci McDonald. This book says even more terrifying things about Harper and his Christian supporters than what Murray Dobbin say. Yes, be afraid, very afraid!!

Ig's to Blame

Ig's long acted as Harper's best ally & prop-er-up-er, the leader most likely to avoid voting down a Tory confidence bill, & most likely to keep supporting Tories' paltry plurality year after dreary year. This has served to weaken the opposition & strengthen Tories, by allowing the public to become used to, & somewhat accepting of, Tories holding power.

Sure, now Ig's helped trigger an election - just as polls show Tories in majority territory. Great timing there opposition leaders!

Worse, with Ig rejecting a Lib-NDP coalition, he's played right into Tory hands. Arguably,Ig committed political suicide on Day-1 by torpedoing the only practical route by which Libs might form gov't: coalition with the NDP, Bloc supported.

Instead of countering Tory disinfo re. coalition with a positive portrayal of its legitimacy & that the Bloc would not be an actual coalition partner, Ig's allowed Harper to frame & define the issue. By ruling out coalition, Ig's implying he agrees with Harper that it's illegitimate. And if Ig thought his action would get the "monkey" off his back, it hasn't. Tories continue to scare monger that you can't trust what Ig says, he'll form a coalition anyway! So,Ig's gained nothing by rejecting coalition & has instead lost everything already, & the campaign's barely begun!

Who's side is Ig on?
Is Ig really a secret Tory agent in deep cover?? His actions, rather than his words, suggest he's a dedicated Harper enabler,not a real opponent!

Ed Deak

In answer to your post about big money.

from the article above:
"One of the few positive legacies of the Chretien era was the banning of corporate (and union) donations to political parties "

Frank

Just 10 days ago, Leger had these results for BC:

CPC - 45%
Lib - 22%
NDP - 13%

Extrapolate from the margin of error for both Leger polls and you will get a better picture. The NDP was too low 2 weeks ago and is too high now.

Dobbin and his anti-Conservative group Catch-22

Why doesn't the Tyee let its readers know that Dobbin is actually the "researcher and political strategist" for the anti-Harper group "Catch-22"?

Dobbin throws out unsubstantiated conspiracies and won't fess up to his own hidden agenda so it is the duty of the Tyee to do the right thing and ensure those that read Dobbin are aware of his bias.

RM..... Not everybody was

RM..... Not everybody was born yesterday.

I've been in business since 1957, as a private enterpriser, and have a good idea how big business works.

How about giving monies to the faithful to be passed on as "private donations" ? And this is only a very small part.

That's how and why I'd do anything to oppose their dictatorial control over this county and the whole world.

Anybody who believes their accounting systems is nuts. Especially with the present "free movement of capital" ,and tax havens all over world, plus the captive media giving them millions worth of free advertising, disguised as "news" with the appropriate use of words, while claiming "equal time" to all.

Ed Deak.

Harper is a master

Harper is a master manipulator aka con man. The Gods of Olympus won't be able to save us from this monster if he gets a majority...

Harper would of been long

Harper would of been long gone if Iggy did not turn down the PM job with the coalition...

edward01ca

Surely you can see that the world is about to end any day now. We hear that 'the end of Canada' is just around the corner. The corporate capitalist world is coming to an end. Earthquakes and nuclear meltdown across the pond. Global warming that will raise the seas and make the jungles dustbowls. Food riots. Strange virus's. Bugs we can't kill with antibiotics. Peak oil. You name it buddy, it's all over and we haven't even talked about the massive real-estate crash.

There are many critics that think she's not only spouting baloney and unsubstantiated facts but she's also some kind of fanatic in her own right.

Why take a chance? Head for the hills before it's too late!

Luke

You quoted Ipsos because it said the NDP were at 13% and you're denigrating Leger because they put the NDP at 28%.

It doesn't matter now what the poll was before because Nanos also said the federal NDP numbers in BC had suddenly shot up and the Conservative numbers declined.

So let's look at the fact of the Leger sample size and the second fact which is that the Nanos poll supports the Leger one.

There's no shortage of screwy numbers out there, just look at the regional numbers in the Ekos poll. Going by them the Liberals are about to retake Alberta.

The Ipsos numbers are no different.

At the end of the day all that can be said with confidence is that the result of the coming election is unknown.

Perhaps your real issue with the Leger and Nanos polls is that it would mean Liberals in BC voting strategically for the NDP instead of the other way around?

r'man

"Surely you can see that the world is about to end any day now. We hear that 'the end of Canada' is just around the corner. "

You've been listening to too much of Stephen Harper.

"Fear the main factor in Harper's stump speeches"

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/fear-main-factor-harpers-stump-speeches-20110327-093625-273.html

Now put down the sheep shears and back away slowly... everything will be fine.. Canada will be okay even if it does get a coalition government.

Luke

Forgot to mention that Decima also agrees with Leger and Nanos about BC.

Cons 30%
NDP 26%
Libs 24%
Greens 17%

Looks like a horse race to me.

I see the lame-stream media

I see the lame-stream media is following the Cons playbook to a 'T". The government was found in contempt of Parliament on Friday then brought down and now the alleged media have dropped it quickly, just like they drop every shenanagin the low wage Reforma-Cons have done.

I miss the days when Canada had real journalists instead of the cowards we have now pretending to be journalists and too scared to ask the tough hard questions...Would the likes of Marjorie Nichols or jack Webster etc of kept quiet and obeyed Harper's directives without question? lol I doubt it...

Political Compass

Here is your other compass if you didn't like CBC's - you may like this one.

http://www.politicalcompass.org.

I use to work with a fella

I use to work with a fella who came to Canada from Croatia in the early 90's. His wife use to work for the Finance Ministry in Victoria and she said that she could see the same pattern where Canada/BC is being sold-off piece by piece as happened in Croatia in the 80's.

OK, a couple of questions

"Now Harper wants to vastly increase our ability to wage war by purchasing $30 billion worth of fighter jets. Wars bankrupt a country just as it's done in the US."

I believe the fact that the demography is different in the US from here may also have something to do with it. In the US, they run less on already-educated immigrants than we do here,i.e. as a nation, we are still in the 'log phase' of development, while they are now struggling with establishing sustainability, and this struggle costs. Our time will come for that, too.

I am wary of decrying all attempts at upping our ability to defend ourselves. I am simply not sure we speak for 'the people' here. Many are aware that the arctic situation can hardly help becoming contentious on a scale we have maybe never faced before, and on our own turf. I'm not just taking about the Russians, but also others besides the five coastal nations, who think they have some right to meddle and participate, of course with the intent of getting a 'piece of the pie'. We cannot deny an obligation towards the indigenous people there. I am not knowledgeable enough about military strategies to say whether fighter jets are likely to be of any help in this, but I only mean to warn against any knee-jerk reaction against anything to do with military expenses. Surely no one wants Canada to become defenseless?

I see this as my biggest problem with some liberals and always have, that and the infamous affirmative action. I hope they do not expound it too much in this election, for I see it as one of the things that could send votes to the Conservatives.

Frank

You might as well quote Ipsos' poll for BC from Friday:

Con - 50%
Liberal - 22%
NDP - 20%
Green - 7%

Again, you are better advised to look at the aggregate, weight-based formula utilized by 308.com

Con - 40.1%
Liberal - 23.5%
NDP - 23.5%
Green - 10.5%

Makes the most sense.

As a rule of thumb, the Cons are typically always ~40% in BC, the Libs and NDP each ~25%, and the Greens at ~10%.

It's where the numbers go from here and are positioned weeks from now.

Again, that Con TV commercial with the BQ's Duceppe and Layton will be politically toxic for the NDP here in BC. The same dynamic played out in opinion polls right after the 2008 election and the coalition agreement here in BC.

Stop fear mongering

I don't know where you get your crystal ball, but I want one too. What gives you the right to fear monger in this way? Look, I loathe Harper, but this kind of shrill fear mongering is insulting to the intelligence of Canadians. Many of us who reject Harper do it not out of fear but out of principle. But remember that millions of your fellow Canadians support the conservatives, and to dismiss them as fools is insulting to them and doesn't further legitimate political debate.

If Canadians chose a Harper majority through our (albeit flawed) democratic system, we will have what we deserve, and will have to deal with any consequence that arise. The opposition parties must also be held accountable if this happens. Some of the worst gutting of social programs and destructive free market policies have been put in place by Liberal governments and there is no reason to suspect Count Ignatieff would be different. Canadians continue to thoroughly reject him and it's anybody's guess why the Liberal establishment hasn't tossed him off a bridge.

For its part the NDP stagnates in support as it continues to grasp for a bland and safe version of the political centre, alienating grassroots support and contributing to the tremendous political apathy out there. It's time for them to toss Layton and renew themselves as well, become a more aggressive grassroots focused party with specific programs of reform to take the interests of ordinary people to the national political stage.

Too bad the Bloc is a regionalist party. Not only does Gilles Duceppe come out as the strongest basher of the Harperites, he also does not try to bland out and PC his obvious agenda of defending the interests of Quebec.

dorothy

We certainly do have defence needs but that doesn't mean every weapon system in the world is a good idea for us.

One of the reasons we selected the F18 over the F15, the F16 and the Tornado or Mirage was because it was better suited to Canadian conditions and the roles we required it to have.

The F35 seems to be being purchased for political reasons, not military.

Maybe all we need is a more modern version of the F18? We should at least have a non-political public discussion over this.

Here's a thought, the Russians have similar military needs, why don't we look at what they use when deciding what type of systems we need?

I do agree we need a bigger base in the North though.

Harper is to Canada what Pinochet was to Chile

He doesn't see himself as Prime Minister, but as Grand Ruler. The signs of his contempt mirror conditions in Chile building to Pinochet coming to power.

Luke

You can stick with Ipsos if you want but I'll take the combination of Leger, Nanos, Angus Reid and Decima.

All of whom put the NDP ahead of the Liberals in BC and who think the overall picture is much closer than Ipsos and the media tell us.

As for 308, even their numbers have now been updated and are getting closer to what the majority of pollsters say. But they're not there yet.

Thank you Murray

Excellent column!!
After beseiging Canada for years, the "Texas North" neocon barbarians posing as "Conservatives" are launching an all out attack. All thinking Canadians must resist. Vote strategically, save our country.

Frank

Good. 308.com's weighted aggregate for BC has already incorporated same:

Con - 40.1%
Liberal - 23.5%
NDP - 23.5%
Green - 10.5%

German election

From today's NY Times:

"According to the preliminary results, the Christian Democrats won the most votes, about 39 percent, down from 44.2 percent in 2006. Yet the weak showing of the Free Democrats, the pro-business party with which Mrs. Merkel governs nationally, left the conservatives no hope of forming the next state government.

If the polls are confirmed, the Greens are in a comfortable position to head a coalition with the Social Democrats in Baden-Württemberg..."

IN OTHER WORDS, the party with the largest number of votes doesn't get to run the state as if they have a majority. This is how it's done in civilised countries.

COALITION!

Stubborn Harpo

It's interesting to see Harpers fury about the coalition issue.

Nobody denies that the party with the most seats should try to form the government.

What is at issue is that Harper may need a coalition partner if he does not get a majority, and his problem is that he does not know how to compromise enough that any other party would wish to support him!

Having the most seats does not necessarily make you a majority, and if not there is a need to seek alliances (perhaps on as issue by issue) basis.

Harpo is too stubborn to "give" on any issue and that is the problem!

Luke

Nice try.

But if you total them up and then average them you get

BC :
Con 37
NDP 28
Lib 23
Green 5

Canada
Con 37
Lib 26
NDP 19
Green 7

Not exactly the same result as 308's was it? But then I'm ignoring Ekos and Ipsos.

After abusing women, Harper's trying for a majority with them

"Harper Plans to Win Majority Using Women Voters" (article)
My federal politics blog: http://bit.ly/fscBlz
(Click "About" re reading posts, or on my picture.)
@Rolf_Auer

A lot of passion, but...

A good warning and some fiery comments are one thing, but this tiny little corner of online Canada needs to realize something: The vast majority of Canadians are not getting any of these messages. If anything political gets through the white noise, it is Harper the Economic Caretaker versus Iggy the Ego, or some other simplified version of reality.

Given our awful voting system, here is what progressives and the progressive media need to do: Reach out. Find a strategic voting site that works, that isn't biased, and rally around it and introduce it to young people by every means possible. Social media, on the bus, in water-cooler conversations, at parties. Young people, if they vote in even slightly larger numbers, can upset Harper's apple cart. They can.

In our own lives, we need to engage with people who are not engaged, or who don't feel confident enough to think they can make a difference. Talk to people, especially young people and first or second generation Canadians, and make sure they know how to vote and that it is vitally important that this time, they do.

The choir is too small, and preaching to it in ever more frantic terms will not work. Reach out everybody -- the Tyee included.

Correction

The Harpocrit and his rag tag band of religious nuts and union haters are not in favour of less government. They are only in favour of less government where government helps the average person, such as EI, pensions, medical etc. When it comes to shoveling govt money to corporate welfare that is another matter. So too the jack boot approach to crime and demonstrations - can't get enough government here! The Harpercrits believe in state socialism for the rich and powerful, free market scrabbling for the rest of us.

C stands for Contempt

Thanks for writing this, Murray and thanks to The Tyee for publishing it.

Since this is the first time a Canadian Government has fallen on Contempt of Parliament, and marks a first for a national government anywhere in the Commonwealth of fifty-four states....why is this man and this party allowed to remain standing? In the US, a process of impeachment would have already begun.

Instead we have Harper throwing around the coalition 'C' word - while the really dangerous 'C' word, 'Contempt', should be hurled right back at him and his Conservative Rag-Tag Coalition of Reformists, Socreds, Ski-dooists, and Religious Dinosaurs, etc. etc. etc.

Murray, your first paragraph was especially brilliant. Exactly: Pretend government. Pretend democracy. Yes, beware and be very afraid of Mr. H. and the the itch he has been waiting and waiting to scratch.

Hope that everyone posting here upon finding a fellow Canadian still slumbering through the tragic and insidious demise of this country, will give them a hard nudge and wake them up to this pretend reality and the arrogant pretenders now manipulating it for their own, not Canada's benefit.

Find a way to make this election help Canada to find its way back to a democracy again.

'Not' Harper.

For Canada's sake,

'Not' ever again.

The vast majority of Canadians

Don't, didn't and won't support Harper. The fact is, virtually ANY coalition government would better represent the needs, desires and voting preferences of many more Canadians than will EVER vote for Harper.

Why do you think he's trotting out a toxic sludge campaign of lies about what parliamentary democracy is all about?

Hey Danny Williams really called Harper out. You should hear

what he had to say...Speaking to the Newfoundland and Labrador Board of Trade on September 10, 2008, Premier Danny Williams says "a majority government for Stephen Harper would be one of the most negative political events in Canadian history." If you could get this video up here it would really say allot you wouldn't beleive they were both conservatives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3bvORzwd-Y

Ed

I have one of those in my riding as well, Ed. He goes by the name of Gary Lunn.
And in recognition of Mr. Lunn's "devotion" to the Harper Government, the latter is erecting a monument to the former - perhaps because there IS a chance he may lose his sinecure - or perhaps because the Harper Government likes to erect all those "action plan" signs throughout Conservative ridings across this once great country.

Stephen Harper says, "What Coalition, not me"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDTmpXj9vyM

Hmmmm...Whatever Stevie H

Fitting remark!

Good one lynn!
Can someone superimpose the word contempt on the concervative "C" logo!
That is truly what that C stands for!
It would fit nicely on a Tee-shirt as well!

Bumper stickers

Anyone want a bumper sticker that reads:
"Save Canada - Vote out Harper?"

I only have a few left, but can have more done.
Email me at

On a related note I have another one that says something like "fight the real terrorism: greed, lies and corruption"
I figure we have to put our thoughts out there for the world to see.

r'man

Don't worry, Canada will survive whether they decide to form a coalition after the election or not.

HARPER MUST BE DEFEATED . . .

. . . if Canada is to survive.
Nowhere have I seen mention of Bill C-36, an evil bill to empower mindless bureaucrats and abrogating our Rights and Freedoms guaranteed through the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Also he made a private deal with obama (another puppet) to share border matters leading to the loss of our sovereignty.
Who ever votes conservative will doom Canada.

dorothy

Thanks. Your topic deserves more discussion, after all the military is a big piece of the annual budget plus there's all the additional spending on weapon systems. Yet there's no public discussion of our goals, priorities and so on.

I think too many figure the Americans will handle it all and tell us what our contribution should be.

What's wrong with a

What's wrong with a coalition? Many, major countries have them, including Britain and Germany etc.

The US is also a coalition, for all practical purposes, with the members of the Congress free to vote, without any "party discipline"

If Iggy hadn't shot it down, when he took over the leadership of the Libs, we might have had a better government in the past few years and still have one.

Stevie wanted these elections, and left no stone unturned to have them, knowing this was his last chance to dictatorial power, behind his new glasses.

With the corruption by these fascist in minority, we can only have bad dreams what it would be like with the same gang ruling with a majority in their hands.

Ed Deak.

Fiat Lux

There's nothing at all wrong with a Coalition but apparently Steve has got a lot of Canadians worried that such an event would be the harbinger of an alien invasion from Alpha Centauri or something.

I'm just trying to calm those fears and reassure such people that Canada will be okay if the majority of its people are represented in government. The world won't end.

Speaking of coalitions

What a wonderful opportunity for alternative sites across the country to track support in each riding with the sole purpose of providing voters in ridings with split opposition votes information on which party is most likely to win if they cast their vote that way. Suppose for example in one riding there was 40% support for the Conservatives, 15% for the Liberals, and 30% for the NDP. The Liberals, seeing that their candidate is not going to win, could switch over to NDP for that vote - thus defeating the party of really expensive airplanes which; according to the CBC interview mentioned above, can do three things: Fly combat, drop bombs, and support ground forces. But they can't do any one of them well, according to the American military expert interviewed, and even at the inflated price he maintained that we wouldn't get them that cheaply. Oh yeah, and maintenance over their life will run to 3 or 4 times the original cost. Sounds a bit like my old Ford. (Except my Ford doesn't shoot people.)
Polls will tell us which party to vote for if we band together to defeat the war mongers.

Harper's "Christian" base

Zalm's comment above is right on. Thoughtful and informed Christians as well as other people of faith in this country should work ardently for Harper's defeat. His right wing agenda has everything to do with fundamentalist distortions of Christian faith and nothing to do with the God who stands for justice and the defeat of anti-people agendas. Please do not tar Christians with the handy "Christian fundamentalist" brush. Dobbin is right. We ain't seen nothin' yet if the Harper bunch wins a majority. I hope Canadians wake up and see that 'writing on the wall' (to use a tried and true Biblical reference).

I'd invite people to read Marci McDonald's "The Armageddon Factor" (Random House 2010). Although not perfect in her analysis, McDonald helps readers to identify the dangers inherent in all religious fundamentalisms - Christian or otherwise - when it comes to effective and just politics and government.

Oh yes - ask your local candidates if they support the restoration of full funding to KAIROS. Remind them of the contempt Oda and her buddies have shown for Canadian international development efforts, to say nothing of their contempt for the processes of parliamentiary democracy - something that's been demonstrated in spades recently.

Anyone need a job?

The Cons are hiring, again. Looks like they aren't satisfied with owning most of the media and paying government employees to support them in the comments section all day.

http://i.imgur.com/757PM.png

I saw this on babble.ca

He doesn't like democracy.

What is Mr. Harper really saying when he disapproves of the majority of Canadian voters having a coalition party which will represent at least some of everyone's interests? Is he saying that he would prefer to rule Canada with around 35% of the popular vote because a coalition would represent the majority?

The Irony of Conservative Economic Claims

A friend of mine who is an economist at UVIC complains all the time that the GST cuts were ill-timed (pro-cyclical in effect) and that tax cuts for transportation and kids sports are inequitable and inefficient means of achieving their stated aims.

I pointed out to him that these policies were never part of any anti-recession plan but rather were just part of the Tory platform since (at least) 2005. Then th recession came along and (after the debacle of the 2008 Parliamentary crisis) they dressed these old policies up as part of the "Economic Action Plan" and regularly tout them in their TV commercials--at our expense. The Recession gives them an excuse to spend millions on advertising in this way.

Of course, ther IS something special about Canada's economic performance,and that has to do with the stability of our financial institutions. But that is DESPITE the Conservatives, not because of them. Remember that they included subprime mortgages in their first budget? If they had come to office a few years sooner, how much more exposed would we have been? Indeed, would they have alloed the banks to merge, along with its quid pro quo, the invitation of American financial institutions into canada , along with all of ther "innovative" financial products?

In other words, Canadians owe their superior financial stability in large part to the fact that we did not have a Conservative goernment prior to 2006 and to the fact that we have only had minority governments since 2004.

See this blog: http://markcrawford.blogspot.com/2011/03/irony-of-conservative-economic-message.html

Frank, your link isn`t very good..

Try this one..

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150222832963868&set=o.292671928599

Cheers

alive

Good idea - I'd wear that t-shirt!...and Dahlia, I like your bumper stickers as well...going to try to make some of my own.

Here is an article highly worth the read about the implications of being in contempt of parliament and whether Harper should even be allowed to run in this election:

http://presscore.ca/2011/?p=1980

Good One, lynn!

But Harper's supporters seem to "get off" on his law-breaking proclivities.

Brown Shirts and Black Shirts..........

The Fascists Won After all

It's too bad all those people died in WWII fighting Fascism when some sixty odd years later we are being plunged back into the same politics of power that created that horrifying event. I wonder how far we must go into corporate fascism before once again we implode. If Harper wins a majority, I'm leaving this country. I will not be a part of contempt, lies and depravity. I will not be complacent on this issue as so many are. The road to the hell is just around the corner. Be there in about five minutes as far as I can see.

Any of you right wingers help me out here?

Just what are we gonna do with those 30 billion dollars worth of airplanes which; when they are delivered in 2018 [maybe], will be just ten years short of being obsolete? I'm not arguing that my worthless kids should be paying for them for the rest of their natural lives; just what is the use of planes which are too slow to fly combat, too fast to fly ground support, and too stupid to get out of the way of old fashioned radar? They are about as stealthy as a boot on the neck of the working man.

Harper = pinche nariz, pinche ojos, pinche mente.

Contemptable Harper

No wonder Harper and his contemptable cabal of toxic, overtly partisan, biased and dishonest Regressive Conservatives were found in contempt of Parliament.
This is the ‘contempt’ he shows for we ignorant Canadians.
I quote from a speech he made to right-wing American conservatives in Montreal in 1997:
“If you're like all Americans, you know almost nothing except for your own country. Which makes you probably knowledgeable about one more country than most Canadians.”
And this Richard’Head was elected our country’s Prime Misfit.

Bring it

No seriously. It's clear to me by now that most Canadians don't care. The CBC had a penal last week on the Current were they asked people what they thought of all the things that have come up about The Harper Government(TM) and they all said it was no big deal but remember the millions the Libs stole?

Yeah, so, it's about money, whatever they think they can get as individuals, there is zero understanding on how this democracy thing works (one actually flat out stated that the only "right" one has in a democracy is to make a mark on a piece of paper whenever there is an election).

Harper has shown what he is capable of more than enough times and STILL people don't care.

So, let them eat the CRAP that Harper and his minions will dish out. I have reached the point where I think the only lesson that will stick is the one where they find themselves with a bloody face after Harper had his turn for a while.

An excellent example:

The vast majority of Canadians

Don't, didn't and won't support Harper. The fact is, virtually ANY coalition government would better represent the needs, desires and voting preferences of many more Canadians than will EVER vote for Harper.

Why do you think he's trotting out a toxic sludge campaign of lies about what parliamentary democracy is all about?

Thanks for the opportunity to say it again!

G West

I could be wrong but it seems to me that at least one time in the not too distant past you have questioned the intellectual capacity of "The vast majority of Canadians." If not you, I know others in this thread certainly have so that begs the question, would "ANY coalition government" really be any better, at least from the perspective of those who believe that would be the case?

That belief scares me far more than Harper any day of the week.

a hopeful sign - Conservatives losing in this poll

Wanna see an encouraging poll on Voting trends? Go here: http://www.bclocalnews.com/ It shows the Liberals and Greens at a leading tie, and the Conservatives losing way behind. Yaaaaaay!

well...at least the poll looked that way earlier today!

about my comment [above] "hopeful sign": I just checked it again - my first view was earlier today - the Conservatives are in the lead.

Could this mean?...Conservatives sleep-in, while Libs and Greens are up with the sun in the morning?

Murray Dobbin - It's Going To Be Okay

I felt as you do one night in 1996 when I had to listen to the radio to hear of Glen Clark and the NDP's victory in BC. With a very moist eye I proclaimed to every one within earshot that "we're doomed". We did suffer during those extra five years. We had, by far, the highest taxes in North America and, not coincidently, the worst performing economy after Mississippi.
But, as you can see, we have recovered so don't lose hope.

You could still get a government that will tax bankers at 100% over certain amounts as you've suggested. But, legally, that government would also have to be consistent and also limit athletes and entertainers to the same amount.
If any one doesn't appreciate how absurd that scenario is then the NDP is your party.

JC

"the worst performing economy after Mississippi."

Its always fun to watch the statistics impaired try and find solace in a complex world.

Ah, if only we still had as good a healthcare system, as many schools, as good population growth, as good economic growth and as affordable a society.

No doubt John works for a company paid to help the unemployed because there's never been more of them than now under the federal Conservatives and the BC Liberals.

What does it take to drive an economy that performed so well in the 1990s into the toilet with the highest unemployment west of the Maritimes? Could it be the slashing of government services? The offloading of taxation from the rich onto the poor? The disdain with which the government now looks upon average people?

I think its all of the above.

And isn't it cute

to watch conservatives finding a new leader and getting serious?

Go John Cummins!

SNERT

ANY coalition formed by members of the parties which currently have standing in this country would be preferable to another MONTH of STEPHEN HARPER in a majority position.

In fact, you might want to check out what kind of government Britain had during the majority of the time that country was fighting the Second World War.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that even a government in which the majority party was the NDP would benefit from having had to form some kind of coalition with another party in order to exercise power.

G West

You might like Mallick's take:

"...Guns on the street, gated communities, rampant drug use, unlimited anonymous corporate political donations, no government safety standards for food and medicine, classrooms that resemble holding pens more than civilized safe rooms for the young to learn . . . If Harper got his majority, these things would hit us like an avalanche. ..."

and they say the MSM is all corporatist right-wing!

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/962165--mallick-what-if-harper-s-dream-of-a-majority-comes-true

One of us!

"You could still get a government that will tax bankers at 100% over certain amounts as you've suggested. But, legally, that government would also have to be consistent and also limit athletes and entertainers to the same amount."

And you could add stockbrokers and union presidents to that list too - it's all good money. And while we're at it, lets tax a few of the things that have previously been exempted, such as some scientific research that isn't; as well as the profligate waste heading to the dump, out from the lane of every household and business in the country.

Mind you, with this kind of wide tax base, the maximum tax level would probably drop to about 9% - I don't know if the country could stand to be taxed that little on income.

Wouldn't it be interesting to try? C'mon, John Corman, you're a bright guy. See if you can make the numbers come out right.

Driftwood's asked the qeustion

"just what is the use of planes which are too slow to fly combat, too fast to fly ground support, and too stupid to get out of the way of old fashioned radar?"

I haven't heard any answers yet. Fat chance Gwyn Dyer would pop up with a justification or two, is there?

R/Man

Sounds a lot like parts of Vancouver right now: A society where more than 80% of the people can't afford to own a house; where dope smoking and drunken behavior (not to mention drive by shootings) have become a regular phenomenon; where the cognoscenti already live in gated and guarded communities and 'foreign investment' means little more than another dozen absentee hedgers putting stolen Chinese cash into empty condos while the public schools rot and private schools prostitute themselves to attract foreign students.

In BC we have SO MUCH to look forward to!

G WEST

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

Besides there's absolutely no difference between a formal and an informal coalition. They both work until someone gets their nose out of joint then fly apart.

of course there is

You can ask David Cameron about the difference.

I repeat: ANY coalition formed by members of the parties which currently have standing in this country would be preferable to another MONTH of STEPHEN HARPER in a majority position.

Turf Out the Tories

Did you know that every conservative candidate has to actually sign a loyalty oath to the party (just like nazis and communists) if they want their nomination papers signed by Harper?

Greg Kerr, MP for West Nova and former finance minister for Nova Scotia admitted this on CBC radio during the last election.

It requires that the candidate must always do as he or she is told by the Party over any desires or needs of their constituents.

When are people going to wake up and notice the creeping fascism?

Zalm - You've missed the point again

As I said, if you didn't understand how stupid it would be tax athletes and entertainers at 100% then you're a dipper.
Can't you grasp the concept that if you tax every athlete at 100% over a certain amount then we don't have any more top rated athletes.
Mr Dobbin, at least understands that. That's why he only picks on bankers when he suggests these outrageous tax grabs.